

ACSD Newsletter ~ Fall 2023

Our Salisbury students were present at the moment a caterpillar began turning into a chrysalis!
In this issue: A celebration of student creativity across the district, get tickets to see Frozen the musical Nov 9, 10 & 11, staff highlights, ACSD Board Superintendent search update and a call for parent volunteers, an update on ACSD's equity work, an invitation from the ACSD Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), a reminder to fill out the Free/Reduced meal application to help our school's funding, and district resources!
Celebrating Our Students!
Creativity across ACSD!
Students are exploring their creativity in visual and preforming arts this fall. They're learning new skills, taking risks, caring for each other, and expressing themselves in vibrant ways! Here are a few moments from the fall:
Cornwall students crafted flower crowns at their Harvest Festival!
Ripton students paint and collaborate together!
Salisbury students learned about natural dyes and created their own!
All of our 6th grade students learn to play the guitar in General Music!
Mary Hogan students learned to sew after reading a book about mending and love!
Bridport students use color and creative fonts to express themselves!
Weybridge students clap rhythms together!
Shoreham students share their glittering masks!
MUHS students explore digital imaging techniques in Photography class
Frozen the Musical ~ Get tickets for the show: Nov 9, 10 & 11!
Our student actors, musicians, and technicians are preparing for the opening night of Frozen the Musical! This is a great show for all ages. Come out to support our incredible students.
Showtimes:
November 9 + 10 at 7pm
November 11 at 2pm
$8 for Students and Seniors / $10 for Adults. Get tickets online: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/76858
Celebrating our Teachers & Staff!
ACSD Staff Mentoring Program Develops
A group of students, teachers, and staff have joined MUMS teacher, Elizabeth Placencia, to create a Steering Committee to support her work developing a mentoring program at ACSD to support and sustain new teaching staff. This work is made possible by a Rowland Fellowship which Placencia received this year. Read about her plans for the Mentoring Program in this Addison Independent Article.
Counselor recognized by the VT School Counselor Association!
Jena Hogan, Mary Hogan school counselors was recognized by the Vermont School Counselor's Association!
She shared about her role with student, what influenced her to become a counselor, some of her favorite resources, and more!
Read more about what she said here.
Literacy and Primary Years Presentations
Superintendent Search Update & Call for Parent Volunteers
Search Update:
In August, the Board restarted its Superintendent Search process with McPherson and Jacobson, LLC. The timeline for the search is as follows:
- The position was posted during the month of September.
On October 18th, the search consultant presented qualified candidates to the Board and assisted the Board in selecting the candidates it will invite for further interviews. The Board is working with the consultant, our Interim Superintendent, and school principals on the formation of stakeholder groups to participate in the interview process.
Onsite interviews will be conducted with the Board and stakeholder groups during the week of November 13th. (Please see the paragraph below for details on how to apply to the parent/caregiver stakeholder committee)
The Board will be meeting shortly thereafter to review stakeholder team feedback and make its final selection.
We plan to share the final decision with the community before the end of December.
For questions, please contact ACSD Board Chair, Barb Wilson: bwilson@acsdvt.org
Apply to be on the Parent/Caregiver stakeholder group
Parents and Caregivers: Please use this form to express your interest in serving on the search committee for the ACSD Superintendent. You will meet with each candidate for approximately 45 minutes. If you want to serve on this panel you must be available from 11:30-12:15 on Monday 11/13, Tuesday 11/14, and Wednesday 11/15, 2023. A Board member will be in touch with you by Wednesday Nov 8, 2023 if you have been selected to tell you where the meeting will be.
You can find the ACSD School Board webpage here. You can find board meetings, agendas, and the zoom link to watch every board meeting on this webpage. Please note that the board meetings have returned to their start time of 6:30pm and are always available on zoom. You can find them on our events calendar, here.
District Updates
An Update about ACSD's Equity Work
As the ACSD Board works to advance a new Strategic Plan that centers equity, our administration is progressing with several equity efforts in our district. Here are two areas we are focused on currently:
1. Anti-Bias Leadership. Our ACSD Principals and Administrators have begun a monthly leadership group with Khuram Hussain, Vice President ofr Equity and Inclusion at Middlebury college, to increase awareness about the impact of implicit bias on the experience of staff and students.
2. Listening Circles. We are partnering with Dr. Rebecca Eunmi Haslam to amplify the voices and perspectives of our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and staff at our schools. Dr. Haslam is designing a confidential study about racial and other bias-based harm at school. We are calling this confidential study The Listening Circles Project. The study will include interviews, focus group discussions, and other engagement tools, like questionnaires, with ACSD BIPOC middle and high school students and staff members. This project will result in a report and recommendations for the ACSD administration.
Last week we sent an email invitation to all secondary (MUMS and MUHS) families who identified their child as BIPOC on school entry forms. If your child identifies as BIPOC and you did not receive an invitation, we apologize. Please find the form to participate in the project here. We will be reaching out to teachers next. You can read more about ACSD's other Equity work here and we will share updates on this project as it develops.
Parent/Caregiver Conferences
Our schools are currently holding parent teacher conferences. Your principal newsletters share more about how to sign up and connect with teachers. We are always working to ensure families can connect with teachers in meaningful ways. Elementary parents will also receive a letter soon to share ways we are working to improve the progress report and conference process at the elementary level. Please connect with your principal for any questions.
Addison Central Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
WHO WE ARE:
The Addison Central Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is an organization led by parents (defined broadly) that focuses on improving the education and experiences of students with special needs and disabilities in the Addison Central School District (ACSD). (Learn more at: www.AddisonCentralSEPAC.org)
WHAT WE DO:
Support families through information, events, and community.
Collect community input and help district leaders understand the concerns of families and students.
Collaborate with ACSD to improve district policies and practices.
STAY IN THE KNOW!
Don’t miss out on SEPAC resources and events! Sign up for updates at the link below.
ALL Families: Please fill out this form to help our schools!
All school meals will be free again for ALL students. But, it's still VERY IMPORTANT to complete the free and reduced meal application form. Our district receives $475,000+ each year based on the % of students who qualify for free/reduced meals. Although meals are free for all, this form is still used to determine lots of funding for our district. Based on prior years we believe we have many families who would qualify have not yet filled out the application. Even if you don't think you would qualify, there is no downside to doing so (even if you are denied, all children still get free meals). A reminder paper application was sent in October, or apply now online.
District and School Newsletters
District & School Newsletters
Your principal will send school newsletters by email most weeks to help you stay informed about school specific news. ACSD will send a seasonal newsletter by email to remind you of district information. If you miss the emails, you can find the district newsletters here and the school newsletters are under the "Our School" tab of your school's website or with direct links here:
Work With Us!
If you think you might want to volunteer at your child's school, or you are interested in substitute teaching. Now is a great time to apply! Find the links below:
2023-2024 Academic Calendar
Stay Connected!
We use our newsletter and social media to stay connected and give you a peek into our classrooms. For more regular connection and lots of photos, follow us: Insta: @acsdvtschools FB: @acsdvt