On Friday, June 19, schools across the Champlain Valley School District raised Black Lives Matter flags. The school district said in an announcement, “We recognize that raising this flag is only the beginning and that true, systemic change must happen to ensure that Black, Indigenous, Students of Color (BISOC) have the same opportunities, are treated with the same respect, and are shown the same love as their white counterparts.”
With an indoor venue off the table and a global pandemic touching even the farthest corners of Vermont, Champlain Valley Union High School’s Class of 2020 had a graduation that was non-traditional and unexpected.
Charlotte Central School graduation has elements that remain the same each year: elaborate stage setup with the wobbly white archway; balloons and more balloons; a cake from Mrs. Laberge; a song from the teachers; a slideshow that’s reliable for tears and awwwwws from the audience; the dance.
The following Charlotte students received degrees and awards this spring:
A meeting of the Finance Committee of the CVSD Board met on June 3 to discuss the current and future financial picture of the Champlain Valley School District. Jeanne Jensen reviewed the FY 20 financials. The added expenditure of providing food service was balanced by the fact that special education tuition services and professional development were reduced.
Vermont State Police officers participated in a Zoom call with members of the Junior Reporters Club last week and shared their opinions and observations about becoming a police officer, George Floyd, use of force, and racism in Vermont.
The Champlain Valley School District school board meeting on June 23 focused on a discussion of guidelines for school opening in the fall. Although final decisions will not be forthcoming for a few weeks, a basic plan has been determined.
Vermont Student Assistance Corp. is offering a free online webinar on how to appeal financial aid offers. It will take place on June 24 at 6 p.m. Students and families can participate via Zoom by registering or by visiting VSAC’s Facebook page. The webinar will be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.
It’s not the end of the school year without those waving ribbons! Teachers sent students off for summer with smiles and some excellent dance moves, and parents made signs to thank and celebrate teachers.
The Champlain Valley School District board spent the June 9 meeting discussing a response to the social upheaval occurring in the nation because of systemic racism. A letter to the board from 60 teachers and staff requested that the board make an affirmative statement supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and take a stance in addressing racism in the school district.
The CVSD Board met on Tuesday, May 19, to continue conversations on the measurement of school indicators that had begun in February, prior to the pandemic. These indicators are measures of the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction in general and are not designed to measure individual student progress.
The Junior Reporters are still working hard, and this week decided to pay tribute to their moms, with whom they’ve been spending an extra amount of time over the past seven weeks.
The Champlain Valley School District School Board met on Tuesday, April 28, to chart a course forward in the midst of many uncertainties. Chief among them are the major hits to the state and local school education budgets and the uncertainty of how education will be delivered in the midst of the Covid-19 epidemic.
March 20, 2020
Dear Diary: I’m excited to teach these kids at home. How hard can it be? I made a color-coded magnetic schedule with time for reading and simultaneous snuggling, made an exercise schedule so I can work out and the kids can do P.E. at the same time . . .
Beloved former Charlotte Central School principal Monica Smith, who spent the last 19 years of her career as an educator at CCS before she retired, passed away last week. Her absence will be deeply felt by so many, including her friend, retired CCS teacher Rookie Manning.
On April 7, the Champlain Valley School District (CVSD) board met to discuss the evolution of the district’s plan…
On Tuesday, April 7, the Champlain Valley School District board met to discuss the evolution of the district’s plan for remote learning. Major topics discussed were the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on the budget, provision of meals to students, mental health and special education services, internet and technology services, and overall equity among schools.
A critical reminder that school and business meetings require attention to details
Champlain Valley School District families received a recorded phone call Monday evening from Director of Operations Jeanne Jensen.
On Tuesday evening members of the Champlain Valley School District School Board met in an unusual session to discuss the implications of moving from a building-based system to a remote-service delivery system.