Slate Valley Unified School District

New staff orientation is off to a great start this morning!

Tonight - August 22, 2022 You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Castleton Elementary School. This meeting will be in person or virtually connect by going to https://meet.google.com/ich-kbgn-vgg or by calling (US) +1 470-228-6084 PIN: 918 548 530# Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/1gkqe Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/1fv5z Next Board Meeting: Monday, September 12, 2022 – FHUMHS – 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming Title I Parent and Family Engagement Meetings: Castleton Elementary School, August 29 at 5:00 p.m. Fair Haven Grade School, August 30 at 5:30 p.m. Benson Village School, September 20 at 5:30 p.m. Orwell Village School, September 22 at 6:00 p.m. For more information about the meeting, we invite you to read the informational sheet https://5il.co/1g786 and look through the slide presentation https://5il.co/1g784. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tonight - August 8, 2022 You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Fair Haven Union Middle and High School. This meeting will be in person or virtually connect by going to https://meet.google.com/hks-quyi-pkf or by calling (US) +1 915-308-1834 PIN: 371 730 156#. Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/1fo7a Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/1caki Next Board Meeting: August 22, 2022 - Castleton Elementary School at 6:30 p.m.

Slate Valley Unified School District is holding a Fall Sports Kickoff Meeting for all athletes in FHUHS, FHUMS and Slate Valley 5/6 on Wednesday, August 31 at 5:30 p.m. Where: FHUHS at the football field/tower -Please bring your updated physical forms. -Register your athlete on http://www.Formreleaf.com

Last week, we finished up our summer transition camps as we welcomed Slate Valley’s 7th grade students to our FHUMHS campus!

Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County is looking to fill the following positions:

Congratulations to FHGS Principal Deborah Infurna who was honored last night as the John Winton Vermont Middle Level Principal of the Year at the Annual Vermont Principals' Association Conference!

Today, we wrapped up our second successful week of summer transition camp! Our incoming 8th grade students participated in a wide variety of team-building activities and WCAX stopped by to do a report this week. If you missed their coverage, you can view it here: https://www.wcax.com/2022/07/20/slate-valley-district-middle-schoolers-prepare-move-new-campus/ Next week, we’re looking forward to welcoming Slate Valley’s 7th grade students! As in previous weeks, families are invited to participate in some end of the week fun on Friday!

Our first week of summer transition camp, High School Prep, was a huge success! Incoming ninth graders participated in team-building activities, produced art for the local community, completed community service projects, and participated in the Vermont Outdoor Adventure Program at Lake Bomoseen. We’re looking forward to welcoming Slate Valley’s eighth grade students at next week’s camp! Also, remember families are invited to join us on Fridays to see what we’ve been up to all week…and participate in some Friday fun!

Athletics for 2022-2023 Registration is open on http://formreleaf.com/ FHU Fall Offerings: 9-12th Football, Golf, Cheer (8-12th) , Bass Fishing, B/G Soccer, Cross Country and Field Hockey 7/8th Offerings: 7/8 Boys soccer, 7/8 Girls Soccer, Cross Country (6-8th) Slate Valley 5/6th Offerings: 5/6 Boys Soccer, 5/6 Girls Soccer, Cross Country (6th) Please register your athletes soon! Yearly physicals are required, either upload your athlete's physical form on Formreleaf.com or email to Kalexander@svuvt.org. Remember if you have registered your athlete before, you only need to autofill, unless there are changes to be made. Please register incoming 7th, 8th and 9-12th on the FHUHS site (5/6th are still under SLATE VALLEY). If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Have a wonderful summer! I will be sending out information on the Fall opening meeting. All my best, Kim

Coming soon! In anticipation of the opening of Fair Haven Union Middle School, we have launched a Fair Haven Union Middle School Facebook page. We invite you to “like” the page https://www.facebook.com/FHUMS and engage with us as we prepare to welcome the district’s middle school students in August!

Coming soon! In anticipation of the opening of Fair Haven Union Middle School, we have launched a Fair Haven Union Middle School Facebook page. We invite you to “like” the page https://www.facebook.com/FHUMS and engage with us as we prepare to welcome the district’s middle school students in August!

Retirement Spotlight: Karon Chanski Karon has been teaching at Castleton Village School (CVS) for 25 years. She studied English and education at Green Mountain College after graduating from Fair Haven Union High School. Karon received her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Castleton University in 2011. During her time at CVS, Karon developed the personal investigation project for eighth-grade students that is now used throughout the Slate Valley School District. Karon has been an advocate and supporter of the therapy dogs program at our school, she has served as a mentor and curriculum developer. She has also done service work with students to honor veterans and active duty service men and women. She has organized a number of fundraisers for Tatum’s Totes, a non-profit organization that provides foster families with cribs, beds, strollers, car seats, and more. A certified bowling coach, Ms. Chanski was honored by Rutland Bowlerama for the work she has done coaching CVS student bowlers through the lifetime activities program. After retirement, Karon is very excited to move into her new home in North Carolina and to spend her days with her grandchildren.

Retirement Spotlight: Sharon Ryan Sharon spent the past year as our 504 Coordinator and Work-Based Learning Coordinator. She dedicated time and energy to ensuring 504 compliance, and working with families to support our students. In her role as WBL Coordinator, she helped many students find jobs within the community, and coordinated informational sessions so students were prepared to engage with employers and the community. Prior to her time in this role, Sharon subbed in several buildings in Slate Valley, worked as a Special Educator, and was the Special Services Coordinator at Stafford Technical Center for a number of years. We thank Sharon for supporting our students at FHUHS, and wish her the best in retirement!

Retirement Spotlight: Tom Smith For the past 13 years, Tom Smith has served our Slater students as a dynamic and engaging science teacher. Tom has been a dedicated chemistry, earth and physical science teacher, as well as the head of the school's Drama Club, and a member of the summer programming that occurred across the district. Prior to this position, Tom was a proud graduate of Purdue University and taught a wide range of grade levels within the State of Vermont. We thank Tom for supporting our students at FHUHS, and wish him the best in retirement!

Retirement Spotlight: Clare Bartholomew Clare has worked for Slate Valley Unified Union District for the past twenty-four years. She started as a substitute teacher. In 1998 through 2012 Clare was a Physical Education Teacher and an Instructional Assistant at Fair Haven Union High School. In 2013, Clare became an Instructional Assistant at Fair Haven Union High School where she has worked in various settings. We’ve enjoyed working with her and she has always worked hard and helped many students make it through their high school years. Clare will be greatly missed by her students and staff. We wish her well with her retirement!

Tonight - June 13, 2022 You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Fair Haven Union High School. This meeting will be in person or virtually connect by going to https://meet.google.com/dod-jyju-crr or by calling (US) +1 406-640-3090 PIN: 541 301 047# Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/1bvm0 Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/1b7tp Next Board Meeting: Monday June 27, 2022 - Benson Village School at 6:30 p.m.

Retirement Spotlight: Susan Howe Sue Howe has been a part of Slate Valley school district long before it was Slate Valley. Sue began her career in our district substituting in all of our schools. Her substitute teaching career spanned decades. She supported Benson and FHGS through long-term substitute teacher positions in addition to providing daily support to all of our schools whenever called. She finally gave up those early morning phone calls to take a full-time position at FHGS as our Preschool Teacher Assistant. Sue Howe has been part of the preschool team at FHGS for the last 6 years and in that time has proven herself to be irreplaceable as a teacher, colleague, and friend. She has been someone who can be counted on to "get the job done", whether that be co-teaching, preparing materials, seemingly endless cleaning, or subbing for another teacher at a moment's notice. In the classroom Sue is patient, flexible, and responsive, forming positive relationships and helping students be successful. She has a knack for finding humor in any situation and takes challenges in stride. Sue has a natural ability to connect with children and families and is adored by students long after they leave preschool. She has also been open to learning new teaching strategies in order to best meet the needs of students and always gives 110%. Sue will be deeply missed and preschool at FHGS just won't be the same without her! We wish her all the best as she takes time for herself, her hobbies, and her family in this new chapter of life. We will do our best to continue on in her absence, but there's only ever going to be one Mrs. Howe!

Retirement Spotlight: Colleen Hutchins Colleen Hutchins has touched so many students and adults throughout her many years working for Slate Valley. She has such a calming and reassuring way about her that helps put one at ease. She knew that relationships were important with her students. She knew they needed to feel respected and cared for. The relationships she built allowed her to be able to carry out academic or behavioral requests with her students. I know this from personal experience when Colleen worked with my son, Colton, who has down syndrome. Colton knew when she asked him to work on something, he needed to get it done, (not that he wouldn't still resist her requests from time to time). He also knew that if he was sad or struggling, he could get that important nurturing hug that helped him be able to move forward. With another student, I also know that during the stretch of remote time in the early pandemic days, she would drop by one of her student's houses and leave him messages and items to help him not feel so alone and left out while we were absent from the classroom. She always knows what students instinctively need to feel supported, emotionally as well as academically. As a colleague, I have also had the immense pleasure of working with Colleen on our 5th grade team. As an instructional assistant working in our classrooms, she worked well implementing behavioral strategies for all students and offering help with those that asked, beyond her assigned student(s). She has been an integral part of classroom management, one would say part of the classroom backbone structure. She was truly part of our team and we learned to lean on her as much as she leaned on us. While I was saddened to hear she was retiring this year, I am also very happy for her. Now she'll be able to enjoy some time with her family, relax some and possibly get to all those "things" she's always wanted to do. We will all miss her and hope that she will consider returning from time to time as a substitute instructional assistant. All of your colleagues at FHGS thank you Colleen for your years of service to our students, families and colleagues. You will be greatly missed. We wish you the very best in your retirement!