Slate Valley Unified School District

2020-2021 Athletics Information: Please read the full letter from Kim Alexander, District Middle School Athletic Director, here: https://5il.co/heuc Slate Valley Middle School Athletics (grades 5-8) Fall 2020 Sports Registration for: FHGS/BVS 5/6 Soccer FHGS/BVS 7/8 Boys Soccer FHGS/BVS 7/8 Girls Soccer CES/CVS/OVS 5/6 Soccer CVS/OVS 7/8 Boys Soccer CVS/OVS 7/8 Girls Soccer Slate Valley Padded Flag Football (6-8) Slate Valley Cross Country (6-8) Please sign up on the Formreleaf registration (July 1 - August 14)/REMEMBER a yearly physical is mandatory.

Tonight! Slate Valley Board Member Listening Tour Come share your thoughts with school board members from your community in a casual setting. June 18th at 6 p.m. With the budget being voted down, we wanted to provide you with an opportunity to voice your concerns. Board members from your community will be available to listen to you during these challenging times. Benson Residents - Meet at Benson Village School with Patricia Beaumont (patricia.beaumont@svuvt.org) and Rebeckah St. Peter (rebeckah.stpeter@svuvt.org) to share your concerns. Castleton Residents - Meet at Castleton Elementary School (outside pavillion) with Julie Finnegan (julie.finnegan@svuvt.org), Toni Lobdell (toni.lobdell@svuvt.org), and Timothy Smith (timothy.smith@svuvt.org) to share your concerns. Fair Haven Residents - Meet in the FHUHS Gym - with Michael Bache (michael.bache@svuvt.org), Tara Buxton (tara.buxton@svuvt.org), and Richard Wilson (richard.wilson@svuvt.org) to share your concerns. Hubbardton Residents - Meet in the Town Hall with Joshua Hardt (joshua.hardt@svuvt.org) to share your concerns. Orwell Residents - Meet on the Town Green with Glen Cousineau (glen.cousineau@svuvt.org), Peter Stone (peter.stone@svuvt.org), and John Wurzbacher (john.wurzbacher@svuvt.org) to share your concerns. West Haven Residents - Meet at the Grange with Angela Charron (angela.charron@svuvt.org) and Tanya Tolchin (tanya.tolchin@svuvt.org) to share your concerns. Please note that due to current requirements, gatherings will be limited to 25 people. We would ask that you adhere to current social distancing and mask recommendations. If you are unable to make it or feel more comfortable, you may email your board members at the provided email addresses.

Reminder: You're invited! Come share your thoughts with school board members from your community in a casual setting on June 18th at 6 p.m.

Congratulations Graduates! Here is a link to the pre-recorded portion of the FHUHS Graduation Ceremony (this can be viewed at any time): https://shorturl.at/lM246

Retirement Spotlight! This week, Slate Valley is celebrating a different retiree each day with a special retirement spotlight here on social media. Today, we are celebrating Susan Coombs’ 9 years of service in our district. Congratulations on your retirement Susan! Susan Coombs came to Orwell from Castleton Village School where she taught first grade. Susan brought with her a wealth of expertise as a teacher, literacy specialist, and special educator. Ms. Coombs designs her classroom as an open, stimulating environment where her students feel safe where she offers positive opportunities for them to take risks. Recently, Ms. Coombs made significant contributions to the students of our community working extensively with students to help them improve specific reading skills as our reading interventionist. We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such a veteran educator. By Patrick Walters

Summer Meal Pick Up The last day for meal pick up or delivery in Orwell, Benson and Castleton will be Friday, June 26th. On Friday the meals distributed will be for Friday through Tuesday, June 30th. Starting on Tuesday, July 7th meals will be available for pickup only at Fair Haven Grade School between the hours of 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Any child from any town who is 18 years of age or younger can receive meals. When children are not present at the time of meal pick up, a parent or guardian can only receive meals for their child or children. Adults cannot pick up meals for other children when the children are not present with the adult. Bags of meals will continue to be available for pick up at 10:00AM on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the summer at Fair Haven Grade School. The last day for meal pick up will be Tuesday, August 11th and will include meals through Friday.

Parents/Guardians of Slate Valley students: This letter (https://5il.co/h6gs) was sent to households on June 12. We invite you to read it. In an effort to include your voices as parents/guardians of Slate Valley students, we welcome your perspectives as we reflect, learn, and plan for the fall of 2020. Here (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FDTZNTC) is the link to a survey we have created in order to collect your input.

Today is the day! Congratulations to the Fair Haven Union High School Class of 2020! We will be posting the pre-recorded portion of the FHUHS Graduation Ceremony at 4 p.m. on the (Fair Haven Union High School - Official Site) Facebook page. This can be viewed at any time. The FHUHS Mobile Reception will be streamed live on the (Fair Haven Union High School - Official Site) Facebook page at 4 p.m. and can also be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UloPBLxCFo4. The FM Transmission of the Mobile Reception will be available on 103.1 for those in attendance of the reception - Please Note - the FM transmission will only be available for listening within the immediate area that the mobile reception is taking place.

The FHUHS Mobile Reception can be viewed live today (Friday June 12th) at 3:45 p.m. by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UloPBLxCFo4

Retirement Spotlight! This week, Slate Valley is celebrating a different retiree each day with a special retirement spotlight here on social media. Today, we are celebrating Doreen Anderson’s 22 years of service in our district. Congratulations on your retirement Doreen! It is impossible to sum up everything that Doreen has done, and everything that she has meant to our school and community. Doreen has worked in our district for 22 years, starting in the Special Education department. As the Guidance Office Administrative Assistant for the past 14 years, Doreen has been the one to greet students, parents and staff when they enter the guidance office. No matter the situation, Doreen treated everyone with care and kindness. Whether a student was having a bad day, needed a schedule change, or the answer to a question, Doreen was always ready with a smile, or a tissue if need be. Doreen was also immensely supportive to the counselors and clinicians that she worked with. No matter what kind of stress they were under, Doreen always knew what to say to make things better. In addition to the myriad of responsibilities in the guidance office, from transcripts to the award ceremony, Doreen was also the focal point of the graduation committee. Doreen’s wealth of knowledge and level-headed thinking always ensured that graduation was a smooth and memorable experience for our students. From double-checking the program and ordering the honor cords, to helping students learn to step in sync to “Pomp and Circumstance”, Doreen was truly an asset to our school and the lives of our students. Doreen is a treasure to everyone who knows her or had the pleasure of working with her. While we will deeply miss working with Doreen, we are so happy that she is on to new adventures in retirement. Congratulations from your FHU family! By Kate Leathe

You're invited! Come share your thoughts with school board members from your community in a casual setting on June 18th at 6 p.m.

Retirement Spotlight! This week, Slate Valley is celebrating a different retiree each day with a special retirement spotlight here on social media. Today, we are celebrating Chris Stanton’s 22 years of service in our district. Congratulations on your retirement Chris! Chris Stanton was a tremendous complement to Fair Haven Grade School, staff and community immediately upon arrival in 1998. He shared at the time that it was very difficult decision to leave Orwell Village School, his first teaching assignment, as he had created special bonds with students, parents and community during his time there. However, Chris brought these same attributes to Fair Haven and it was FHGS’ good fortune that he made the transition. Chris brought a myriad of talents and infectious interests to his teaching assignments. His first was as a self-contained grade 6 classroom teacher before moving to the middle school with the transition of 6th grade. Chris was always about Team whether it was his 5th and 6th grade team partners and later the middle school team. His thoughtful calm demeanor brought a stabilizing focus to every setting. BUT there are some that remember mischief afoot at times in the Kingdom. Chris always proclaimed innocence of these rumors so we will leave those stories for another day…. Chris’ work and interaction with students was equally special. He brought many things to FHGS including a strong interest to immerse kids in healthy environmental activities outside the four walls of a classroom. He fostered and expanded programs that took students to the outdoors and waterways in the Fair Haven – Castleton area. The Castleton Area River Program (later expanded to Great Adventure Program) connected hands on science in the region with the classroom. Chris made summer special for hundreds of students each year leading hiking trips and kayaking adventures on Glen Lake, Bomoseen and Lake Champlain. He will be remembered as a champion of environmental science and bringing science and math to life for his students. Learning through enriching activities made possible by Chris Stanton, Teacher and Mentor for all students. Chris’ goal was to retire quietly and unnoticed. However, your impact on the lives of students, families and your colleagues is appreciable and you will be greatly missed. By Deborah Infurna

Free Youth Activity Boxes! Visit: http://www.KidsVT.com/RutlandCounty to signup.

Good morning, the Budget Re-Vote results are as follows: Yes: 550 No: 812

Retirement Spotlight! This week, Slate Valley is celebrating a different retiree each day with a special retirement spotlight here on social media. Today, we are celebrating Karen Jockell's 17 years of service in our district. Congratulations on your retirement Karen! Karen Jockell’s 17 year teaching career at Fair Haven Grade School reflects her commitment and steadfast dedication to her students along with the classroom teachers she supported through her supplemental instruction. As a school wide teacher, her position required her to instruct students from multiple grade levels each day and maintain communication with their respective grade teachers for coordination of progress. It was one very important piece needed to generate successful results. To Karen’s credit she adeptly orchestrated this requirement to provide the instruction required of each student. Karen played an integral role in the learning process and progress for the students who passed through her classroom. Karen was also active in the school and community. She was a teacher and community member that recognized teaching and learning also happened outside the walls of a classroom. Applefest, Supermarket Bingo, and district student activities would find Karen involved and invested. She was an active member in the PTO, Impact Fair Haven, and a variety of district level committees working to better the support, resources and activities available to students and families. FHGS was extremely fortunate to have many years of Karen’s dedication and expertise serving her number one priority, students. We envision Karen continuing to be involved supporting children and teachers in some way in this community, even in retirement. By Deborah Infurna

Retirement Spotlight! This week, Slate Valley is celebrating a different retiree each day with a special retirement spotlight here on social media. Today, we are celebrating Bonnie Condit’s 33 years of service in our district. Congratulations on your retirement Bonnie! Bonnie Condit has 33 years of service as an educator at Castleton Elementary School. She started teaching first grade in 1986. Over the years she taught other grade levels ranging from second to sixth grade. Nine of those years were in multiage classrooms, but her love remains with third grade. Bonnie is very capable of adjusting to the changes in education to better her teaching skills. She is an expert in many areas, from the old DRA scoring to the new distance learning of today. She also has a wealth of math knowledge gained over time. She has coordinated and presented math workshops for the district, but her specialty is sharing math games with her students and fellow teachers. Some of you may know her through the many committees she has served on. She was chairperson for the CES CHAT Team. She had input with the Supervision and Evaluation Team and led the Math Leadership Team. She was a Summer School Coordinator, and she was part of the CES Technology Committee. She is also an active member in our Teacher’s Union and held the district President’s position for 10 years, as well as Vice President and Secretary in previous years. She is an active citizen in Castleton’s Community, and is on the Alumni Board for Castleton University. Bonnie earned a Teacher of the Year Award for always going above and beyond. She sets goals and achieves them, and is never afraid to ask questions because of her passion to learn something new everyday. This quest for knowledge also extends to traveling the world. One of her goals in retirement is to travel with her son Tyler. Bonnie Condit will be missed as a role model by both students and colleagues. By Randi Ray

Parents & Guardians: Kindergarten Registration If you have a child that will be age 5 prior to September 1st and will be entering kindergarten in the fall or if you are new to our community and have school aged children who will be attending school in the fall, please register your child(ren). Please note that if you are moving into Vermont from out-of-state, you will have to follow the 14 day quarantine requirement prior to being allowed to attend Slate Valley schools. You may access a registration packet at our Slate Valley Unified School District Website under the Parent section or through this link: https://www.slatevalleyunified.org/o/svusd/browse/68589. Completed registrations can be sent to Deb Robbins, Slate Valley Unified School District, 33 Mechanic Street, Fair Haven, VT 05743. We look forward to having your child(ren) join us and want to begin planning for the transition. Thank you!

Reminder: Tonight (June 8) - There will be an Informational Meeting at 6:30 p.m.(Please connect virtually by going to meet.google.com/iig-prfw-ngu or by calling (‪US‬) ‪+1 856-485-0395‬ PIN: ‪415 992 197#‬). Tomorrow (June 9) - Budget Re-Vote. Please Note: The proposed budget includes ONLY the expenses necessary to address the operational needs of Slate Valley’s schools in their current configuration for the next school year. Warning: https://5il.co/gct2 Budget: https://5il.co/gepr For more information visit: http://www.slatevalleyunified.org/o/svusd/page/budget--108

Reminder: The Budget Re-vote for the district will be on June 9. The Informational Meeting will take place on June 8 at 6:30 p.m. (Please connect virtually by going to meet.google.com/iig-prfw-ngu or by calling (‪US‬) ‪+1 856-485-0395‬ PIN: ‪415 992 197#‬). Please Note: The proposed budget includes ONLY the expenses necessary to address the operational needs of Slate Valley’s schools in their current configuration for the next school year. Warning: https://5il.co/gct2 Budget: https://5il.co/gepr For more information visit: http://www.slatevalleyunified.org/o/svusd/page/budget--108

Farmers to Families Food Box Distribution The Vermont National Guard will be at Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport on Monday, 6/1, from 10AM-2PM distributing non-perishable food boxes, along with produce, chicken, and dairy products provided by the Abbey Group while supplies last. Anyone is welcome to go pick up food. They will be distributing Farmers To Families meal kits containing meat, produce, and dairy products. They will also be distributing non-perishable food from FEMA. All food will be distributed while supplies last. Visit: https://www.vtfoodbank.org/event/farmers-to-families-food-box-distribution-rutland for more information.