THE NEWSLETTER

Dear CCS Families, Caregivers and Charlotte community,

What an inspiring week here at CCS! Thank you for helping us navigate the unseasonable weather and by sending your children in with tools to help them navigate the discomfort- extra water, layers of clothes to take off as they days warmed up and some positive messaging about just doing their best. Educators stayed tuned in on what kids were needing and flexibly navigated the balance of comfort, learning and social connections. In addition, it is evident as one walks through the halls, visits classrooms, and travels through the cafeteria or out to recess the sense of community and belonging that is developing at CCS this school year. We have seen examples of students taking care of themselves, taking care of each other, and taking care of this place all throughout the week. Don’t forget to check our Photo presentation each week.

School safety

The well-being of students is a top priority for CVSD. This week we had our first fire drill and the whole process was well-orchestrated. This drill was not a surprise to staff or students so energy could be focused on the routine and not the stress of the event. Some new features from our fire system upgrades included flashing strobes and verbal alerts to “Leave the building…”. What was gone was the loud screeching of our old system that made fire drills unbearable to many. October is Fire Safety month and we hope to be working with the Charlotte Fire Department to create experiences that are developmentally appropriate and geared at lifelong safety.

School-wide celebrations:

• Omega Field Trip to Mt. Philo on Thursday, 9/7
• School Picture Day, Friday 9/22

There will be no school on the following day/date:

• Monday, September 25th - Yom Kippur

Have a wonderful weekend,

Jen and Amanda

• Wed. Sept. 13th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)
• Wed. Sept. 20th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)
• Thu. Sept 21st - PTO Open House (5-6 PM) and Potluck (5:30-6:30)
• Fri. Sept 22nd - Picture Day
• Mon. Sept 25th - No School, Yom Kippur
• Wed. Sept. 27th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)
• Wed. Oct 4th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)
• Fri. Oct 6th - No School, Parent Teacher Conferences
• Mon. Oct 9th - No School, Indigenous Peoples Day
• Wed. Oct 11th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)

A big thank you to Heidi and all of the many staff members who pitched in to dust and vacuum all of our books as well as unpack and move back into the library. This was a tremendous job and we appreciate everyone's help and flexibility as this was accomplished. The library is planning to open next week and our students will soon be bringing home great books to read and share.

Our CCS open house will be on September 21. Classrooms will be open for families to tour and teachers will be on hand to say hello from 5:00-6:00. All are encouraged to attend, and we look forward to seeing you there. Between 5:30-6:30, the CCS PTO is hosting a back to school potluck picnic. Bring a blanket and share a meal with other CCS families. See messaging from the PTO grade level representatives below regarding meal assignments by grade level.

The annual CCS open house and potluck will be on Thursday September 21, 2023. If you are new to the school, this is a fun, festive way to meet the teachers and classmates—and to see the inside of our sweet school where our children spend their days. The open house will be from 5-6; the potluck will be 5:30-6:30. Please sign up for the potluck. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054EADAA2DA3FD0-ccspotluck1. We will have plates, napkins, and utensils for you to use, but please BYOB. At the end of the SignUp Genius list of slots, you’ll find slots to sign up for setup and/or cleanup—many hands make for light work so please consider lending a hand!

On Thursday, CCS hosted the first session of CVSD school administrators meeting together in each others’ buildings to observe, reflect and collaborate in creating equitable experiences for students across our system. We want to give both thanks and gratitude to all of the educators whose classrooms were visited as well as all the support staff who assisted our school community. Much inspiration and collective learning was gathered observing educators working and supporting all of our students in many different facets. The feelings of belonging and community are abundantly being established at CCS. Other CVSD administrators shared many things they saw happening in the building of our sense of belonging and community.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Music playing as staff members greeted students arriving in the morning felt cheery and welcoming!.
• Students are greeted by name by all staff members as they enter school in the morning and throughout the day in the hallways and classrooms making each student feel seen and valued.
• Flexible seating and opportunities for student voice and choice in classroom activities allows for access to the learning and success right where kids are.
• Students were so excited to share about their learning and what was being created in their classrooms showing confidence and pride in what they were doing.

We appreciate your patience as we navigate through the traffic and scheduling of our buses and student drop-off. Moving forward, there are a few changes we would like to encourage to cut down on the traffic jams blocking Hinesburg Road.

We will be opening up the cafeteria for an earlier drop off window beginning at 7:30 on 9/5. Students who arrive early to school will wait in the cafeteria and have quiet activities to choose from - books, coloring, and card games. This is a no-tech zone and we cannot have students arriving before 7:30.

1. Students in kindergarten and first grade should continue to be dropped off at the cafeteria door until 8:10.
2. Students in second through fourth grade may be dropped off at the front entrance between 8:00-8:10). Please do not enter the bus loop until 8:00 to allow our buses a chance to unload and return to the bus parking lot. This will eliminate the gridlock happening when our buses try to re-enter Hinesburg road.
3. Students in grades five through eight can be dropped off at the flagpole door and proceed to the classrooms between 7:55-8:10.

Hello in-coming 5th grade families (and band families re-renting for ‘23-’24 school year),

At the end of last school year a survey was sent inquiring about your child’s interest in joining the band for this coming school year. If you did not fill it out, no worries as there is still time to join the fun!

The following instruments are available for beginning band:

Flute

Clarinet

Bass Clarinet

Alto Saxophone

Tenor Saxophone

Trumpet

Trombone

Baritone

Snare Drum

Mallet Percussion (Bells)

If you have an instrument already, please be sure it is in good working order (I’m happy to take a look at them). If you would like to rent an instrument please see the information below:

At Charlotte Central School, we work with two outstanding music companies. We have a long standing and positive relationship with Ellis Music Company, Bethel, VT https://www.ellismusic.com/aerntplan.aspx and our new local store Music and Arts, Burlington, VT https://www.musicarts.com/rentals/charlotte--vt/charlotte-central-school-87624?radius=10&studentgrade=5&zipcode=05445#!/ Both companies visit our school regularly and provide outstanding service. Ellis and Music and Arts provide rental instruments for beginners. Please check out the details of the rental agreement online.

Instruments should be ordered in time for a 9/15 delivery to CCS. They will be distributed at the first lesson.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (802) 425-6653 or asmith@cvsdvt.org

Thank you,

Andy Smith

At Charlotte Central School we take care of ourselves, we take care of each other, and we take care of this place.

We expect all students to show these qualities on our buses too! This is what positive behaviors look like in on the bus:

Dear CVSD Families and Caregivers,

Our district values your feedback! Starting on September 22 and continuing through October 9, we will be asking you to take a brief survey to tell us about your experience with the school(s) your child attends. To ensure we continue to provide high-quality learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We invite you to share your thoughts.

We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact us using Let's Talk.

Thank you,
Champlain Valley School District

All students grades 3-9 took the new VTCAP assessment this spring in math and literacy (and grades 5, 8 & 11 in Science). Results from the assessment were recently shared with districts. We are just beginning to compile those in an effort to send individual student reports to families. We are not anticipating that they will be ready to send until closer to the end of September. When the individual student reports are sent, there will be a guide for families that accompanies the report.

• Athletics
• Bus Schedules / Routes
• CCS Handbook
• Connecting Youth Mentoring
• CVSD Divsersity, Equity and Inclusion
• CVSD Handbook
• CVSD School Board
• Food Service and Menu
• Health Office
• MySchoolBucks
• Volunteer at CCS

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

• Charlotte Recreation Department

Jen Roth, Lead Principal

Amanda Riggleman, Assistant Principal

Beth Slater, Director of Special Services