SCS Community Newsletter

Good Afternoon SCS Families and Caregivers,

This week has been a whirlwind, to say the least. With a short week to end October, adjusting to Daylight Savings Time, lots of conferences taking place, and processing the election results, we hope everyone gets a chance to recharge this weekend! We’re grateful to our faculty and staff for providing opportunities for kids to learn more about Tuesday’s elections, look at data, ask questions, and practice talking about polarizing issues in ways that build community. Addressing sensitive topics age-appropriately is one of the best ways to model taking care of ourselves, each other, and this place, and we’re proud of our students for approaching conversations with healthy amounts of curiosity and empathy.

Next week is shaping up to be just as busy. There are a few more field trips on tap, with a visit to the Shelburne Veterans’ Memorial on Monday and some 8th grade students participating in Outright Vermont's annual GSA conference in Randolph on Friday 11/15. Our 3rd grade team, Team Sangha, also has their Chess Tournament on the same day! With a PTO meeting and the fall recital in the evening, the building will be humming as usual.

Student attendance letters started going out in the mail this week. Any student with 5 or more absences since the start of the year should anticipate receiving one regardless of whether it is considered an excused absence or not. With walking pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses circulating, the stack of letters is larger than usual! If students are out, even for a few days consecutively, the focus at home should be on getting plenty of rest rather than keeping up with work. We’ll get kids caught up on assignments when they get back to full health and return to school–we don’t ask teachers to send work home. In our experience, asking kids to complete assignments without the guidance of their teachers can be a source of frustration. It’s also a huge pull on our teachers’ time to gather work, send it along, and field the many questions that arise. There are of course exceptions in some circumstances, but that’s our general expectation.

To close on an exciting note: we are thrilled to announce that we received an Innovation Grant from CVSD for an indoor rock climbing wall in our gymnasium! We’re working with a contractor and our facilities team to select installation dates this school year, preferably during an upcoming break. We’ll be sure to share the big reveal once it has been installed and we get the ‘green light’ to test it out. Our PE team, particularly Ms. Alysia, has been instrumental in spearheading this effort. We’re looking forward to many years of climbing ahead.

Thank you,

Alison, Brett, & Emily

• 11/12 - PTO Meeting 6:00 - 7:00 PM

• 11/12 - Music Boosters (Volunteers) & Fall Recital 6:30-7:30 pm (Band Room)

• 11/13 & 11/14 - CY Mentoring Family event - Discussion and Dessert 6:00 - 8:00 PM (Cafeteria)

• 11/16 -10:30 AM - Shelburne Pedestrian Bridge Opening Walk or Ride Celebration

• 11/19 - 6th Grade Chorus, 7/8th Concert Choir, Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble (Gymnasium)

• 11/19 - CVSD Board Meeting 6:00 - 8:00 PM

• 11/25 through 11/29 - Thanksgiving Recess- No School

The famous student band, Poutine played their first gig of the year at SCS during all the lunch periods in the cafeteria!

Thank you to Frank, Jack, Thomas and Eli for performing some great tunes!

Some fun memories made baking with Annie!

A wonderful dynamic experience at New Village Farm!

Students enjoyed lunch in the Principal's office, pickle ball and making end of day announcements with Jen and Jane!

Pouring Paint with Miss Gengras!

SCS Red Team students have been busy learning about the election process and how to engage their curiosity through questions and discourse. We visited the polls for Election Day to witness the democratic process and to talk with voters and candidates. Students designed survey questions to help them better understand what is on the mind of voters. If you are willing to participate in the survey, please take a minute to access it via the link below. We plan to utilize the survey data to continue to explore issues that matter to students and to the community in Humanities classes.

Red Team Election Survey Link

On December 14th SCS will be hosting the First Lego (Robotics) League Northern Vermont Qualifier. In addition to our SCS teams, there will be K-8 teams from across Northern Vermont.

To operate the event we are seeking 40+ volunteers to serve a range of roles including judges, resetters, scorekeepers and more. At this point we are still in need of many, many volunteers!

First Lego League Challenge competitions allow teams of students the opportunity to engage in research, problem solving, coding and engineering in order to build and program a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game. https://www.firstinspires.org

If you are interested in volunteering please complete the initial sign-up form here FIRST:

https://forms.gle/7KEjWxCaWKGaG3to7

After completing the initial form please register for specific roles HERE:

https://my.firstinspires.org/Volunteers/Wizard/Search/2?EventId=72244

Please contact me (volunteer coordinator) with any questions or concerns at sarahesamuelson@gmail.com. I am happy to help with any parts of the registration process.

Thank you in advance for considering volunteering at this event!

Sarah Samuelson

FLL Northern Qualifier Volunteer Coordinator

Saturday, November 16th, 11:00 am-12: pm
Pierson Library (with collaboration with The Flying Pig)

Community Living Room, 5376 Shelburne Rd, Shelburne, VT 05482

https://piersonlibrary.org/event/childrens-author-christian-pulcini/

SCS Band & Chorus Poinsettia & Cyclamen Fundraiser:

WHEN: November 4 through November 22

Support our annual performance travel opportunities & get quality locally grown poinsettias and cyclamens! We'll have 200 5-8th grade musicians calling on trusted neighbors & friends, but feel freeto Purchase Online Here Too!

SCS Band & Chorus Volunteer Meeting & Fall Recital

WHEN: November 12, 6:30 & 7PM

Come gather with other parents/guardians in our Band Room to learn about how to get involved with this year's concert, events, and field trips! It's a fun and social way to volunteer! Following is our Fall Recital, featuring 7/8th grade soloists in an intimate setting in our Band Room. This is a very special showcase full of a variety of music from instrumentalists and singers.

Learn More About Volunteering!

SCS Band & Chorus Fall Concert

WHEN: November 19, 7PM

Featuring 6th Grade Chorus, 7/8th Grade Concert Choir, Symphonic Band, & Wind Ensemble in our gymnasium. Although our 4/5 singers and beginning band students are not yet on the stage, we'd love them to see where all this work is headed soon!

Learn More About Volunteering!

Print delivery delayed!

Unfortunately there has been a delay in receiving the class photos. Therefore, all prints from the original picture days will be sent home next week. We apologize for the delay and any confusion it may have caused.

The Shelburne Food Shelf invites to you participate in the Food is In When School is Out (FIIWSIO) program where you can shop for food for your students the THURSDAY before each school vacation. Please sign up through this link here.

Thank you all for your donations and continued support!

"We greatly appreciate the large amount of quality food donated from the SCS food drive you coordinated and delivered!

(We) estimated about 250 pounds of food was donated. We were able to use everything. We stocked the shelves tonight with your generous donation."

Back row: Kingston, Nate, Avery

Front row: Eloise , Ava

missing: Henry , Penelope, Parker

This group has been actively promoting, collecting, and donating materials to the Shelburne Food Shelf for our community.

When: Mon. 10/21/24 - Mon. 11/18/24

Where: (send in items with your student) SCS Food Drive boxes located in Kindergarten classrooms, 1st-4th grade kivas, and by the front office.

Current Needs:

Peanut Butter (crunchy and plain); Canned chicken, salmon and tuna; Dish soap and laundry detergent; Diapers, Pull-Ups, wipes; Deodorant; Pasta Sauce; Spaghetti, elbow macaroni, rotini, etc.; Applesauce; Canned fruit (no sugar added); Canned Vegetables; Dried beans/peas/lentils; Hearty Soups (low-sodium); Canned beans; Broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable); Ketchup, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, salad dressing; Oral Hygiene items (toothpaste, toothbrushes & floss); Meals in Cans – Beef Stew, Chili, Beef Ravioli, Hash, Spaghetti O's, Spaghetti & Meatballs; Rice/pasta helpers (rice/pasta sides, rice-a-roni, pilaf, etc.)

THANK YOU FOR DONATING AND SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY!!!

As administrators we have an exciting opportunity to listen and learn from a group of caregivers who are part of the CVSD Community and have students with disabilities attending our schools. Below is the mission statement, which explains the purpose of this parent-led group. We are looking for volunteers to join this council and all CVSD caregivers are welcome to attend.

CVSD SEPAC Mission

The mission of the Champlain Valley Union School District Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to facilitate authentic and effective communication, understanding, and mutual respect that is meaningfully inclusive of all students, caregivers, educators, administrators, school board members, and the community at large to guide the school district in providing access to and delivery of high-quality equitable services and instruction for students who qualify for additional support.

A note from SEPAC:

Just last spring, the CVSD Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) was formally

launched. Many thanks to the parent members who helped to form this collaborative group. CVSD’s SEPAC is currently made up of a dedicated group of parents and administrators and is open to all; please spread the word! For more information or to join, please contact Erin Bingham at bingham.erin@gmail.com.

The Shelburne Bicycle and Pedestrian Paths Committee invites everyone to join together in honor of our brand-new pedestrian bridge that connects Falls Rd to Irish Hill Rd. On Saturday, November 16 we will celebrate the completion of the bridge and sidewalk to Thompson Road. We will gather at the community garden parking area on Laplatte Circle at 10:00 and walk or bike from there to the Falls Overlook. There will be music and activities at that location starting at 10:30. All are welcome to join us as we walk to the Overlook, or meet us there at 10:30. Rain or shine! Please note that there is no parking available at the bridge so you will need to arrive at the Overlook on foot or by bicycle.

We are looking to fill intensive paraeducator roles. Please reach out to Emily Cogan.

We are looking to back-fill our Permanent Building Sub position. If you, or someone you know may be interested, please reach out to Alison Celmer, Brett Cluff, or Emily.

We’re still looking for reliable adults looking to have some fun learning with our students as guest teachers (aka subs). If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to CVSDHR@cvsdvt.org or Louise Michaels

Click here for more information on becoming a sub!

Great volunteer positions here at SCS!

Connecting Youth (CY) Mentoring is looking for a few more mentors!

Our program matches volunteer mentors with amazing middle-school students who would benefit from an additional positive adult in their lives. Pairs meet at SCS in our dynamic mentoring space, during the school day, on a day & time that works around the mentor's and the mentee's schedules. Pairs meet for a 45" block once/week. Mentors are provided with training and continual support.

Come join our team, and enjoy the benefits of building a relationship with a great kid!

What our mentors say:

"It is so fun to be connected!"

"This is the best way to start my day! It's better than the gym!"

Please contact Alice Brown, SCS CY Mentor Coordinator, abrown@cvsdvt.org to learn more.

Brett Cluff, 5-8 Co-Principal

Emily Cogan, Director of Special Education