THE NEWSLETTER

Dear CCS Community,

I began my teaching career 24 years ago as a high school English teacher, and I now find deep joy in reading aloud to kindergarten classes. I've always loved performance-based student projects, and yesterday, sitting in the audience for Story Sharks made my heart sing—a song woven with so many notes from my past. Watching young students' writing come to life through the energy and creativity of older students felt beautiful.

Yesterday morning, our K–4 students were treated to an unforgettable performance by the Story Sharks, a traveling children’s theatre and literacy group made up of CVU student actors and directors. Their mission is to cultivate a lifelong love of learning by amplifying young people’s voices and celebrating their stories and identities—and they did just that!

Inspired by sharks—ancient creatures known for their timeless presence—Story Sharks sees storytelling as a universal part of being human. Through song, skit, rap, and dance, the group brought CCS student writing to life in a 45-minute show that was both joyful and deeply affirming.

Our students submitted original writing of all kinds—from short stories to “how-to” essays—and the Story Sharks cast selected a range of pieces to adapt.

A huge round of applause to our featured student authors, whose creativity and courage lit up the stage:

• Ethan Dix – "Akai the Fire Dragon"
  

• Viˆna Kremenstova – "When I Was a Baby"
  

• Piper Finley – "How to Make Pasta Salad"
  

• Mav Dunbar – "Gorilla With a Pickle"
  

• Nora Woolsey – “Ollie Octopus"
  

• Conor Landry – "The Bad-Mad Spider"
  

• Imani Gelinas – "The Cop Story"
  

• Johnny Slater & Ben Ringler – "The Story of Bob and Jeff"

Each author was honored at the end of the show with a high five, a certificate, and thunderous applause from their peers. It was a celebration not just of writing, but of voice, identity, and imagination.

Special thanks to CVU English teacher and theatre advisor Henry Lang, the visionary behind Story Sharks, the talented CVU students, our deft CCS writers, and CCS’s librarian and assembly organizer, Heidi Huestis, who all worked together to make the magic happen.

Warmly,

Tim O'Leary, CCS Principal

Over 350 third graders around the state of Vermont participated in the Casella Art Contest, designed to encourage everyone to take care of our Earth by reducting, reusing, and recycling. Each year we have CCS winners! Congratulations to our winners in grade three!

Winning Entry: Georgia Moreau

Honarable Mention: Teal Minot & Genevieve Dinicola

Student Council in collaboration with the Sustainability Committee has been working across the school for almost a year to collect 1000 pounds of plastic for recycling as part of the Nextrex program. When we have collected 1000 pounds, we will have earned a bench for our school yard. This bench will be dedicated to the CCS class of 2025, our current 8th graders.

For our plastic drive, the final day we are collecting is May 15. We want to thank everyone who has helped the school reach the goal, and we want to encourage people to keep recycling this type of plastic. You can drop yours by the Charlotte Library or many of the local grocery stores.

The CCS Spring Fun Run is coming up on Tuesday, June 3rd. This is one of our big school community events and fundraisers of the year! For quick reference, you will find all the same details on the PTO website!

EVENT TIMELINE

• Fun Run 5:15

• Potluck 5:30

• Raffle 6:30

FUN RUN DETAILS

• Run or Cheer! The (optional) Fun Run is intended for all ages and skill levels. And there will be many opportunities to cheer!

• NEW THIS YEAR: thanks to the generous support of our corporate sponsors, each student will receive a shirt specific to their grade color. More details to follow.

• Register (optional) and collect Fun Run pledges! Students may choose to register through Pledgestar and ask friends and/or family to make donations on their behalf. You do not need to register to participate in the run!

RAFFLE DETAILS

• Basket raffle details went out to each class earlier this month. Please visit the PTO website for a listing of the basket themes by class.

• Basket donations are OPTIONAL and DO NOT need to be expensive. If it is easier to donate money, please include it in a sealed envelope and provide it to the classroom teacher or Venmo Julia Schofield @Lippy6 (8183 last 4 digits of phone number).

We hope to see you at this fun school community event on Tuesday, June 3. If you have any questions, please reach out to Julia Schofield at jschof02@gmail.com.

We’re excited to invite all 5th and 6th grade students to a free social and dance on Wednesday, May 21st from 4:30–6:30 PM at CCS. There will be a DJ and dancing in the multipurpose room, along with games set up in the gymnasium. Snacks will be provided. This is the first time we’ve offered a dance-style event for 5th graders, and we’re looking forward to a fun, community-centered evening!

How does our understanding of time influence how we live? Students, families, community and more are encouraged to join the student-led community discussion about this topic at the 2025 Socrates Cafe.

Monday, May 12

6:30-8 p.m.

CVU Library

“Socrates Cafe is incredibly special in the way that it provides a rare opportunity to gather with a diverse group of community members and communicate in a safe and supported environment, allowing all participants to not only connect but find curiosity in possible new perspectives,” says CVU junior Emma Jean Armstrong. “At the end of the discussion, every contributor walks away with an experience that has either shifted, added to, or confirmed their original thoughts.”

Learn more and RSVP here.

Wednesday, May 14th - Early Release

Wednesday, May 14th - CVSD Jazz Festival, CVU Auditorium, 7:00pm (Jazz Band Only)

Friday, May 16th - 6th-8th Grade Dance, 7-9 PM

Wednesdday, May 21st - 5th & 6th Grade Social/Dance, 4:30 - 6:30 PM

Wednesday, May 21st - Early Release

Wednesday, May 28th - Early Release

Wednesday, May 28th - Spring Concert, MPR, 6:30pm (5-8 Chorus and Bands)

Sunday, June 1st - CCS Band & Chorus @ Centennial Field, 4:15 - 5:35 - see details below

Tuesday, June 3rd - CCS Fun Run & Spring Potluck, 5:15 PM

Thursday, June 5th - Discover Jazz Festival, Church Street, 11:40 - 12:20, (Jazz Band Only)

Thursday, June 12th - 8th Grade Graduation - watch for details

Friday, June 13th - Last Day of Schooll (K-7 only) 1/2 Day - Dismissal at 11:45 AM

If you are interested in enrolling your child(ren) at Charlotte Central School for the 2025-2026 school year, all grade level registrations are now open.

Wednesday, May 14, 7:00 PM - CVSD Jazz Festival (jazz band only) in the CVU Auditorium

Wednesday, May 28, 6:30 PM - Spring Concert in the CCS MPR. 5-8 choruses and bands

Sunday, June 1, 5:00 PM - CCS Music Department at the Centennial Field playing the National Anthem at the Lake Monsters Game (open and optional for all musicians in grades 5 - 8)

Thursday, June 5, 11:40 - 12:20 - Discover Jazz Festival on Church St. in Burlington (jazz band only)

CCS Band and Chorus to perform the National Anthem at Centennial Field for the Lake Monsters

When: June 1, 2024 (4:15 - 5:35 pm)

Where: Centennial Field, Burlington, VT

Attire: Please wear a solid color top (red, white or black to represent CCS), solid colored bottoms and comfy shoes.

Student performers are responsible for their own transportation to and from the game.

We will meet behind the fence by the Lake Monsters clubhouse (on the first base line) at 4:15 pm for warm-ups and a run through. The performance will take place just prior to first pitch (approximately 5:00 pm). Students will receive a complimentary ticket to the game (parents will have to purchase a ticket).

If you are interested in having your child play in the band please email Andy Smith at asmith@cvsdvt.org. If you are interested in having your child sing with the chorus please email Chris Gribnau at cgribnau@cvsdvt.org. We will sign up your student and email you the details as the date gets closer.

• Athletics
• Bus Schedules / Routes
• Calendars: 2024-25 & 2025-26
• CCS & CVSD Handbook
• Connecting Youth Mentoring
• CVSD School Board
• Food Service and Menu
• Health Office
• MySchoolBucks
• Volunteer at CCS

We welcome your feedback at any time. Whether it's intended for our school’s leadership team, district office, or a specific department, your message will be directed to the appropriate team members. We aim to follow up within three business days.

The CCS Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a partnership between parents, teachers, and staff, working together to create enriching experiences for our students. Visit our website, Facebook, and Instagram pages for the latest and stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to get involved!

• Access Community Education Classes and Registration
• Charlotte Food Shelf
• Charlotte Public Libary

• Town of Charlotte

Charlotte Recreation Deparment Summer Camps

• 6/23-6/27: Youth Basketball Summer Camps, led by CCS PE teacher, Nicky Elderton. Camps will be broken down by ages (7-11 and 11-14), and held in the gym at CCS.
• 7/7-7/11: Athletic Performance Summer Camps, led by the staff of Fit2Excel. These camps will be broken down by grade (1st-5th grade, 6th-12th grade) and be held at the Charlotte town beach.
• 7/14-7/18: Challenger Soccer Summer Camps, led by the Challenger soccer staff from England. These camps will be held on the fields at CCS.

Additional Local Summer Camps for 2025 (Shared for informational purposes only; not an endorsement)

• 2025 CVU XC Junior Redhawks Running Camp - with CVU XC Coach David Baird
• Camp Agape - Flyer and Registration Form
• CVSD Band Camp - email Tim Buckingham at - tbuckingham@cvsdvt.org
• CVU E-Hawks - an E Sports team for competitive video games
• Sentinel Farms OPEN HOUSE April 12th / Sentinel Farms Summer Camp
• Vermont Jazz Camp - www.vtjazzcamp.com - Tony Pietricola
• VYO Summer Symphony Camp - www.vyo.org - Berta Frank

Tim O'Leary, Principal

Beth Slater, Assistant Principal & Director of Student Services

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