The Superintendent's Scoop

Dear CVSU Families and Students,

The 2024-25 school year is in full swing with exciting opportunities for learning in each classroom every day. Our teachers recognize every student learns in their own way so we continue to prioritize quality instruction that provide students with multiple and varied opportunities to interact with new concepts and demonstrate their learning. With the implementation of a new vocabulary and writing curriculum this year, we continue to build upon the strong foundation of phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding that is a priority in our early elementary programs.

Recently, the Agency of Education released the results of the Spring 2024 State Assessment. This is the second year the state has participated in the Cognia testing program and the first time since 2019 that we have two years of data to compare trends with the same student cohorts. The average proficiency across the Supervisory Union has remained steady compared to the pervious year in ELA and Math. This is a testament to the hard work of our teachers and support of our families. Our entire staff is committed to addressing the gaps that remain in student achievement and we are confident the programs and strategies we are implementing will get us there!

It truly takes a village to raise our children and I am grateful for the work we are doing together to prepare our children for their future.

Superintendent Fedders

Important Upcoming Date for October & November
10/14/24-Indigenous People Day-No School

11/5/24-Teacher Inservice -No School
11/8/24-Parent/Teacher Conferences-No School
11/11/24-Veterans Day-No School
11/26/24 End of the 1st Trimester
11/27-11/29 2024 Thanksgiving Break

Hello! My name is Dan Morris, I’m the Central Vermont SU Board Chair. I grew up in Northfield, graduated from NHS in 1999, and after some years in the Midwest, moved back with my family in 2017. My wife, Kate, and I have three kids in Northfield schools, and I teach at Norwich.

There's so much to be proud of in our district! Our teachers are doing incredible work with our students every day, and their dedication continues to shine through. Despite financial challenges in public education, our schools are thriving, and we’re committed to maintaining the high-quality education our community values. We’re all in this together, and with your support, we can continue to build on the wonderful things happening in our schools. We welcome our community residents to reach out to us anytime with questions or concerns.
Dan Morris, Chair (dmorris@cvsu.org)

Hi! My name is Dominique LaFond-Copeland, the Echo Valley Community SD Board Chair. I grew up in Orange/Washington and love that our community has always held onto that close knit family feel. I am a mother of 5 and run a licensed childcare in town.
Welcome to the new school year! We are excited to see some positive changes in our schools. This year we have added a guidance counselor who will work with both Orange and Washington students in Preschool-8th grade. We have also extended our Preschool hours to 8am-1pm to better serve and help families access early learning. Our school is also offering youth sports and has had a great turnout for the soccer season! We enjoy helping our communities and schools strive.
We would like to welcome our community to reach out to any of us with questions, concerns or just to say hi! Dominique LaFond-Copeland, Chair (dlafond@cvsu.org)

Hello! My name is Jessica Van Deren, I am the Paine Mountain SD Board Chair. I grew up in Williamstown and attended Williamstown Elementary School through 6th grade. In 2010, I returned to Williamstown with my family, and this year marks my sixth year serving on the Paine Mountain School District Board.
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! I look forward to another year of learning and growth for the students in the Paine Mountain schools. We remain committed to working closely with you, the community, to ensure that every student has the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. As always, we value your input and encourage you to share your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions with us. Please feel free to reach out to me directly.
Jessica Van Deren, Chair (jvanderen@cvsu.org).

This summer something wonderful happened in our SU community. The local Darn Tough company reached out to our Supervisory Union with a generous offer: they wanted to donate socks to our students!

Darn Tough, a family-owned mill based in Northfield, Vermont, has been crafting high quality socks for over 20 years. This summer, they found a creative way to give back by knitting socks from leftover yarn that would otherwise go to waste. Their goal? To spread the warmth and comfort of Darn Tough socks to students in our community!

Imagine cozy, durable socks made right here in Vermont, designed not just for style but also for sustainability. This initiative is all about sharing the Darn Tough Love and ensuring that every student has a comfy pair of socks to wear.
We’re thrilled about this partnership and can’t wait to see our students sporting their new socks!
Thank you Darn Tough, for your incredible generosity and commitment to supporting our local community!

You've probably already begun to hear about another year of challenges with educational funding in Vermont. In CVSU, we are doing our best to be proactive to contain the cost we can control. In October, our school boards will begin preparing the FY26 budget to present to voters on Town Meeting Day on March 4, 2025.

As staffing is the greatest cost in public schools, we have completed a thorough analysis of class size across the SU to ensure classes are appropriately staffed without overages.

Also, next year the Central Office is planning to move from its current location in Williamstown to vacant space in Northfield Middle High School.
A small change that will save over $100,000 a year in expenses.

The SU is committed to maintaining quality educational programming while identifying cost savings that don’t impact students.

Tuesday, March 4, 2025
If you're not registered to vote yet, don't worry! Here's how you can get in on the action:
Online: Save time and register at olvr.vermont.gov It's quick and convenient!
In Person: Visit your town clerk's office to register face to face. They're there to help you!

The Paine Mountain School District is forming a committee to look at our current configuration of middle and high school programs and determine the best option for middle-high school programming in the future.

I'm looking for interested parents and employees to be part of the committee and assist in bringing forward a recommendation that expands opportunities for students while ensuring our community's priorities and values for education remain at the forefront of our decision.

The first meeting of this committee is scheduled for Monday October 21 at 6pm.

Our committee will work through the school year to identify the benefits and barriers of each option, engage the community for feedback and discussion, and present a recommendation to the school board by the end of the year.

PMSD will be considering options that include:

• Maintaining our two separate middle-high schools in Northfield and Williamstown.
  
• Moving middle school onto one campus and high school onto the other.
• Consolidating all middle and high school programming onto one campus.
• Exploring other opportunities for high school programming with surrounding districts.

Please email me directly before October 18, 2024 at mfedders@cvsu.org to express your interest.