Dear SCS Families and Caregivers,
One of the quirks of our K-8 district calendar is our early release time on Wednesdays. When your kids are dismissed an hour early, our faculty and staff engage in a variety of meetings and learning activities that fall under the umbrella term “Professional Development.” On any given week, we might be meeting in teams to review curriculum, having a full-staff gathering to review safety protocols, or learning about a new teaching strategy to try out. We’re grateful for this time to engage in professional learning together outside the traditional school day - and we recognize that it requires families and staff to be extra flexible on that day.
One way we’ll be spending some of that time this year is strengthening our own understanding and practices around supporting LGBTQ+ identifying-youth. This past week, we began a year-long partnership with Outright Vermont, a nonprofit that has been supporting youth and educators across Vermont for the past 35 years. All PreK-8 faculty, staff, and administrators are participating in four sessions over the course of the year so that we can ensure that all students are heard, valued, respected, loved, and connected to others in our learning community. Our social-emotional survey data consistently indicates that LGBTQ+ identifying students need more support, and this is one way we aim to respond to that data. We wanted to highlight this work, particularly during VT Pride Month, and thank our faculty and staff for diving in.
Mark your calendars to learn more at a Parent/Caregiver/Community event facilitated by Outright VT here at SCS on Tuesday, October 22 from 6:30-8:30pm. It’s intended for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth, but all are welcome to join regardless of background. We look forward to seeing many of you there!
Finally, we want to take a moment to thank those of you who attended our 5-8 Curriculum Night yesterday evening. It was wonderful to see faculty, staff, and families talking about the important learning happening in classrooms across the middle level each day. We're grateful for such a strong turnout, and we hope that the spirit of partnership that we felt last night permeates throughout the rest of the year. K-4 families, get ready for Open House coming up this Thursday, 9/26 at 5:00. Have a great weekend, everyone.
Take care,
Alison, Brett, & Emily
SCS contributes to New Guinness World Record!!!
We have outstanding news! SCS was a part of a world record set this past year with Green Up Vermont. We helped set a world record for most pledges to pick up trash in a 24 hour period!
Our students in the SCS middle school helped Green Up Vermont in May during their PE classes, (photos attached) and many others signed the pledge in school to help break this world record!
Today was the official presentation of the record.
Outdoor Classroom Cleanup Day TOMORROW
We are excited to invite you to join us for an Outdoor Classroom Cleanup Day tomorrow from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Our goal is to revitalize this important space so that it can be used more often for outdoor learning and community building. We’ll be working on tasks such as clearing out the undergrowth, laying down woodchips, and defining the space with a perimeter barrier to create a welcoming and inspiring environment for our students. If you didn’t know that we have an outdoor classroom, this is a great chance to come check it out and help us rejuvenate it! The classroom is located behind our athletic fields to the southeast of the basketball court, and we’ll plan to meet near the basketball court at 9:00 to kick things off. Rec soccer will be taking place at the same time, so it should be a lively morning.
If you’d like to join us for all or part of the day, we would love your help! Please click here to complete a short survey so we know who to expect, what times work best for you, and what equipment you might be able to bring. Any amount of time you can spare will make a big difference in improving this space for the entire school community. If you are able to make it out, long pants, gloves, and bug spray are recommended. While the forecast for the 21st looks ideal, we’re holding the same time on the following Saturday, 9/28 as a rain date.
This is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together and support outdoor learning. Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you there!
Shelburne Kids Activities Together (SKAT) is our after-school extracurricular club program. Throughout the year we offer a variety of clubs to 1st - 8th grade students on designated days from dismissal until 4:00 pm. Clubs are free, materials are provided, and late bus transportation is always an option. Club offerings are dependent on adult availability and we are always looking to partner with community members.
Click here for our current offerings and to register!
Exciting News: Our New PTO Website is Live!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the brand-new Shelburne PTO website, your go-to resource for everything PTO-related. From organizing fun events to supporting our incredible students and staff, the site reflects the heart of what we do. It’s a place for you to stay informed about upcoming events and opportunities. Explore how we make a difference, the different ways (small or big) you can contribute or get involved, and learn about the exciting activities we plan to support our school. Together, let’s build a stronger, more vibrant school community.
Please check it out! https://www.shelburnepto.org/
P.S. Thank you to all who helped make this happen behind the scenes: Hayley Cimler (design, build and ongoing management), Devin Beringer (overall strategy, configuration, input and copy support), Mark Healey and Mike Tamlyn (tech input), Ken Scott(finance strategy and overall input), Winie Soon for (still) putting her eyes on the fine details and QC’ing.
**If you have experience specifically with Wix or website management/design and would be open to supporting on-occasion email devinb@shelburnepto.org
Join us for the first annual Fall Cornhole Tournament fundraiser and support our school community! Open to all ages - from students K-12 to adults. This event is a great way to have fun while giving back. Whether you're aiming for a win or just enjoying the festive fall atmosphere, there's something for everyone with food, drinks, and sweet treats for sale, face painting and more! Prizes awarded to the top teams, but the real victory is coming together for a great cause. Beginner, novice, and wannabe pros are all welcome! To register or for more information: https://www.shelburnepto.org/cornhole.
Don’t want to compete? Don’t worry this event will be free for spectators with fun for the whole Family! Food, treats, face painting and more! Don't forget your lawn chairs ;)
*We're seeking cornhole boards to borrow for the event! If you have a set and are willing to lend it for the day, please let us know here!
Questions? cornhole@shelburnepto.org
Dynamic Experiences: Reminder to Fill Out Your Sheets!
What do making friendship bracelets, goat picnics at New Village Farm, and playing pickleball have in common? They are among the 44 activities students have the chance to win in this year's Dynamic Experiences raffle. Raffle packets went home last Friday with students but you can download additional sheets at shelburnepto.org/dynamic-experiences.
Tickets are fifty cents a piece or ten dollars per sheet and all information can be found on the PTO website. Reminder the last day to enter will be October 3rd with the winners announced on October 8th. All of the money raised goes towards the PTO's grant program for teachers
