Proud of our Slaters Class of '23
The plow truck named a couple of years ago by Castleton students is helping with clean up after the floods in Ludlow! Go Stardust!
Native American Day at Castleton Elementary School
“Close your eyes. Imagine a world with no cell phones, no computers, no electronics at all; no planes, trains, or automobiles. Listen closely and hear the birds singing, rivers flowing, and wind blowing.” This is how guest speaker Lucy Cannon-Neel addressed the 4th grade class at Castleton Elementary School. She continued, “Travel back in time 1,000 years, long before the pilgrims landed on Plymouth rock, before any European explorers touched the northeastern portion of what is now called the United States.” Ms. Cannon-Neel then had the students open their eyes to see a descendant of the people who were here at that time. She was referring to herself, for Ms. Cannon-Neel’s ancestors were Native Americans from the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation.
Lucy Cannon-Neel’s visit was the grand prize for a district wide food drive involving all schools in Slate Valley. This food drive was arranged by Slate Valley’s Home to School Liaison, Ms. Carrieann Wolcott. 1,158 pounds of non-perishable and household items were donated to the local food shelf. Castleton Elementary School (CES) collected the largest amount, 590 pounds, therefore winning the challenge and affording them the visit from Ms. Cannon-Neel. On June 9th, all students participated in a day of learning centered on Vermont Native American history and culture.
Each class at CES was able to spend about 40 minutes with Ms. Cannon-Neel. She modified each discussion with students to match their age. But the general topics remained consistent. Ms. Cannon-Neel shared that canoes were the main form of transportation and how the vessels were made without the use of modern tools and materials. Students were introduced to the structures that Native Americans lived in and how they were built, as well as their types of foods and how they hunted, gathered, or grew them.
For recreation, one winter game the Abenaki played is called Snow Snake. They would slide hand-carved pieces of wood on top of the snow to see which would go the farthest. Ms. Cannon-Neel showed a snow snake to the students, along with other artifacts. Some were passed around, allowing students to touch and interact with pieces of history. The older classes ended their time learning a traditional dance and then performing it while Ms. Cannon-Neel sang and beat her moose hide drum. It was a wonderful cultural experience.
Ms. Lucy Cannon-Neel takes great pride in sharing her Abenaki history. For more information concerning the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, visit their website at https://abenakitribe.org.
For the School Year 2022-23, Slate Valley Unified Union schools worked on this goal:
Establish Community Engagement, Service, and Partnerships by providing valuable, relevant, engaging and inclusive learning experiences for a global economy.
Below is a link to a video snapshot highlighting some of the great community engagement activities that happened in our schools throughout the district, such as Open Houses, Guest Readers, Evening of the Arts, Celebrations of Learning, Lunch and Dinners with Families, Work Based Learning Opportunites, just to name a few. Thank you to our community partners and parents who contributed in making this goal achievable and successful. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/eAnPvbk3Awk
Veggie VanGo distributed fresh produce to 271 cars this morning while at Fair Haven Union Middle and High School.
Congratulations to Vicki Shaddock on your retirement! We appreciate your many years dedicated to keeping our students safe. You deserve all the happiness during this next stage.
Thank you, Ann, for 17 years of being an amazing instructional assistant for Slate Valley. Your never-ending patience, motivation, and persistence helped many students grow. You will be missed. Congratulations on your retirement!
Congratulations to Jane Riedel, who is retiring! Jane, we appreciate your hard work and consistant dedication. Best wishes as you enter this next chapter of your life!
After 21 years of working in our district, Colleen Heibler is retiring! Colleen, we truly appreciate all your contributions through the years, you’ve earned this! Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement.
Congratulations and best wishes to Arlene Disorda who will be retiring after 23 years of dedicated service as an educator in Slate Valley. Arlene, you may be leaving our buildings, but your ethics, values, and hundreds of enlightened students will remain! Enjoy your retirement!
Congratulations to Dale Martin on her retirement! Thank you for your amazing contributions to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District. We wish you good health and happiness as you enter this next phase of life.
Congratulations and best wishes to Launee Salamin who will be retiring after 24 years working as one of our amazing instructional assistants. You’ve devoted much of your life assisting our children; look back with pride on all those little hands and hearts you helped along the way! Enjoy your retirement!
After 24 years of working in our district, Nancy Ward is retiring! Nancy, we appreciate your hard work and consistant dedication. Best wishes as you enter this next chapter of your life!
Congratulations and best wishes to Rodney Batschelet who will be retiring after 14 years working as one of the district technology integration coaches. 'Mr. B.' was integral in bringing 3D design and printing into class curriculum, and more recently he pioneered the use of VR goggles. You will be greatly missed, Mr. B! We wish you all the best in your retirement.
Congratulations to Benson Village School's Administrative Assistant, Ms. Pam Arel!
Ms. Arel is retiring after working 17 years in our district. She has worn many hats during her tenure and will be leaving some tough shoes to fill. Best wishes on a happy retirement!
It's time to celebrate our wonderful retirees! We'd like to start by congratulating one of our high school math teachers, Toni Christensen, on her retirement. Ms. Christensen retires with a total of 23 years of teaching experience. We appreciate you and wish you the best!
Today, Mr. Morris and some senior students from FHUMHS demonstrated various fun physic lessons to the FHGS 1st grade classes. The younger students were captivated!
