Benson Village School

1st Grade is learning about sound in silence. They made their own "Bee Hummer" to experiment with how vibrations create sound.

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

A young boy with a wide smile, wearing a black t-shirt with a "Frightfully Festive" graphic and blue jeans, holds up a small, rectangular handmade paper craft. He is standing in a gymnasium with wooden bleachers and a stack of colorful gym mats behind him.

A young boy with a blonde bowl cut and an orange henley shirt stands in a gymnasium, holding a small, rectangular handmade paper craft with horizontal yellow and black stripes, resembling a bee, attached to a black string. He has a neutral expression. In the background, there are blue padded mats on a green wall, and a second child is partially visible on the left, holding a similar craft.

1st Grade is learning about sound in silence. They made their own "Bee Hummer" to experiment with how vibrations create sound.

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

A young boy with a blonde bowl cut and an orange henley shirt stands in a gymnasium. He has a neutral expression while holding a paper craft decorated with yellow and black stripes.

A girl in a bright pink sweatshirt stands in a school cafeteria, making a silly, tight-lipped face at the camera. She holds a yellow and black striped paper craft in both hands.

A young boy with messy brown hair and a bright smile wears a light blue t-shirt with a checkered graphic. He proudly holds up a handmade paper craft with yellow and black stripes.

A young girl with long brown hair wearing a teal shirt and floral leggings holds a red paper craft with black dots, designed to look like a ladybug.

A young girl with long brown hair, wearing pink heart-patterned leggings and a white t-shirt, leans toward the camera with a big smile. She holds a handmade paper craft with yellow and black horizontal stripes.

A young boy with light brown hair smiling at the camera, wearing a yellow and white striped shirt, holds up a small, rectangular red craft object with black string. He is standing on a black mat in a gymnasium or multi-purpose room with a grey floor and green and wood-paneled walls in the background.

A young girl with long brown hair, wearing a white graphic t-shirt and pink heart-patterned leggings, leans forward and smiles at the camera. She is holding a small, handmade paper craft with yellow and black stripes, designed to look like a bee, which is attached to a black string. She stands in front of wooden bleachers and a stack of blue gym mats in a gymnasium.

A young girl in a leopard-print shirt, with her head tilted back and smiling, holds a small white envelope-like paper craft with a string attached in front of her. She is standing on a speckled floor in a gymnasium, with blue padded mats and a basketball court line visible behind her.

A young girl with long light brown hair, wearing a purple fuzzy zip-up jacket over a black glittery top and black pants, smiles at the camera. She is holding a small, rectangular handmade craft with yellow and black horizontal stripes. She stands in a school gymnasium on a light grey tiled floor with black and teal lines, with a doorway and a floor fan visible in the background.

Crazy 8's club created different types of graphs today with our own data. We used a graph to compare the seasons of our Birthdates, a matrix to look at dominant and recessive tracts like right handedness and a Venn diagram to look at many other characteristics!

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

The same group of nine students from a different angle, sitting around the floor graph in a classroom. In this version, the students are more spread out and many are making silly faces or poses for the camera. The floor graph with its tape axes and orange sticky note data points remains the central focus of the room.

A "Trait Chart" table showing handwritten data for nine children across three categories. Hair Line: 4 kids have a dominant Widow's peak; 5 kids have a recessive straight hairline. Dimples: 1 kid has dominant dimples; 8 kids have no dimples. Eye Color: 1 kid has dominant brown eyes; 8 kids have any other color. IMG_0855.png Nine elementary-age students pose in a classroom around a large, hand-made graph on the floor. The graph uses red tape for axes and orange sticky notes to represent data points. The vertical Y-axis is labeled with numbers 0 through 4, and the horizontal X-axis is labeled "birthday month." The students are sitting and reclining around the graph, looking toward the camera.

Kinders learning how to jump rope!

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

A young girl in a blue and white checkered dress jumps over a green circular floor marker in a gym.

In a wide shot of the gymnasium, a teacher in a grey t-shirt holds a long orange jump rope for a young student in a pink shirt.

A young girl in a tan ruffled sweatshirt and black leggings walks across the gym floor while holding a green jump rope.

A smiling young girl in a light blue shirt featuring a kitten graphic holds a green jump rope behind her shoulders.

A young girl in a teal long-sleeve shirt and grey leggings is captured mid-air while jumping with a red jump rope in a gymnasium

A young boy wearing a horizontal-striped shirt and maroon pants stands in a gym, holding the handles of a green jump rope that rests behind him.

A young girl with long brown hair, wearing a teal floral shirt and black leggings, stands ready with a green jump rope on a blue section of the gym floor.

A young boy in a tan t-shirt and olive cargo pants jumps high into the air with his arms raised while using a red jump rope.

4th Grade natural disaster research papers

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

A printed report titled "The Great Chicago Fire 1871" . The text summarizes a fictional story about a boy named Oscar from the I Survived book series and includes historical facts about the fire starting in O'Leary's barn.

A printed report titled "Mt. Saint Helens" This report also focuses on the 1980 eruption, noting the 57 casualties and the danger of volcanic gases and magma.

A wide shot of a classroom bulletin board with a black background and a colorful confetti border. The header "Natural Disasters" is written in orange letters. Below it, several printed student reports are stapled in a row, each paired with hand-drawn orange labels for events like "Hurricane," "Tsunami," "Volcano Erupts," "Chicago Fire," "Wild Fire," and "Blizzard."

A printed report titled "The Japanese Tsunami" . The text describes the 2011 disaster, mentioning a book called I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 and facts about evacuation drills and wave heights.

A printed report titled "Mt. St. Helens" The student writes about the 1980 eruption in Washington state, describing the smoke and ash, and mentions reading the book I Survived the Eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

A printed report titled "The 1900 Storm." It includes a digital graphic of the title and text discussing the 1900 Galveston, Texas hurricane, its death toll, and general facts about hurricane categories and seasons.

A printed report titled "CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES 2018" by Matty Bob. The text explains how the fires started due to faulty electrical equipment, the damage caused in acres and homes, and safety tips for evacuations.

Kinders working on double strategies!

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

Red Ladybug Math Craft A close-up of a student's math project. Five red-colored ladybug cutouts are glued to a large green paper leaf. Each ladybug has a triangle on its back containing an even number: 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.

Classroom Bulletin Board A classroom bulletin board with a white wood-grain background and a colorful border of vertical pencils. The board features several green leaf cutouts, each adorned with five red ladybug drawings labeled with the numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. Decorative elements include large wavy yellow and blue pencils, stars, and text snippets that read "Double double," "This this," and "That that." In the bottom right corner, a large orange eraser cutout says, "Whoops! It’s okay to make mistakes."

A close-up of another student’s project on the bulletin board. This green paper leaf holds five ladybugs colored with pink and red crayons. Like the others, they are labeled with even numbers from 2 to 10. A blue and orange checkered star decoration is pinned to the wall nearby.

Board Meeting - January 12, 2026
You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Castleton Elementary School Cafeteria.
This meeting will be in person. Virtually connect by going to:
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/epv-sidz-zry
Or dial: (US) +1 406-905-1177 PIN: 663 913 503#

Please note: To participate in conversation virtually and/or ask a question virtually, please use the “raise hand” icon in Google Meet. Typing responses or questions in chat is not an option.

4 months ago, Slate Valley

WANTED: Community members interested in serving as Slate Valley School Board Representatives!

Slate Valley Unified Union School District is seeking residents who want to make a meaningful impact on our schools and students. Open seats are available in West Haven (3 seats), Hubbardton (1 seat), and Orwell (1 seat). There are also seats in Benson, Fair Haven, and Castleton, where current members are running unopposed.

Serving on the school board is a great way to represent your community, support student success, and help shape the future of Slate Valley schools. Board members receive an annual stipend, and no prior experience is required—just a commitment to serve.

If you’re interested in running, please visit your town office to obtain a petition and learn more about the process and requirements.

4 months ago, Slate Valley

Slate Valley District Newsletter: January 9, 2026
https://mailchi.mp/878590be2697/january-9-2026-slate-valley-district-newsletter

4 months ago, Slate Valley

3rd Graders getting a Yeti for a New Year!

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

The mug is colored light blue with white polka dots and features a brown yeti holding a pencil. Five paper marshmallows are glued to the top of the hot cocoa, with handwritten resolutions including: "be better then my zibling," "be cheeze," "EXPLOD!", "be kind," and "be a good friend.

A close-up of a student’s New Year's craft The paper mug is colored with green, orange, and purple crayons, featuring a red cartoon yeti holding a large pencil. Five paper marshmallows are glued to the top of the mug with handwritten goals: "I like scool," "I like recess," "I like Video games," "Pla the ninten do," and "Sit on the tere."

A close-up of a New Year's craft by Charlotte. The mug is colored light blue with white polka dots and features a brown yeti holding a pencil. Five paper marshmallows are glued to the top of the hot cocoa, with handwritten resolutions including: "be better then my zibling," "be cheeze," "EXPLOD!", "be kind," and "be a good friend."

Classroom Bulletin Board Alt Text: A classroom bulletin board with a bright yellow background and a colorful rainbow-striped border. The board is decorated with numerous student art projects featuring the pun "YETI FOR A NEW YEAR!" Each project consists of a paper mug cutout containing a cartoon yeti holding a pencil. Above each mug is a paper lightbulb featuring a student’s name and a pair of sunglasses. The mugs are colored in various shades, and small paper "marshmallows" with handwritten resolutions are glued to the top of each mug.

1st Grade quilt squares

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

A bulletin board displays a grid of children's artwork. It features alternating squares of blue and white woven paper mats and colorful crayon drawings of starfish in various shapes and colors. The display is mounted on a large sheet of white paper against a blue background with a starry border.

1st Grade quilt squares

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

2nd Graders made "Things I Love" snowflakes!

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

Classroom Bulletin Board A wide shot of a classroom bulletin board covered in silver glitter paper. It displays several student art projects: paper snowflakes on black backgrounds and rainbow-shaped name tags. Above the bulletin board, a wooden shelf holds a row of monochromatic 3D assemblages made from various objects, each painted a single bright color like gold, blue, purple, red, and teal.

A close-up of a student art project by Thea. It features a snowflake colored with teal, blue, and purple stripes. The center has a cute smiley face and the words "SNOW many things I love." The hearts on the points of the snowflake list: Family, Presents, Hot cocoa, Snow, Reading, and Sledding.

Felicity's Snowflake A close-up of a winter-themed student project by Felicity. A blue and dark blue colored snowflake is centered on black paper. The hearts at the tips of the snowflake list things the student loves: School, I like my teacher, Sledding, Snowman, Reading, and Family. The background is decorated with white scribbles to look like a snowstorm.

) A close-up of a student art project titled "SNOW many things I love" by a student . It features a hand-colored purple and light blue snowflake on black paper. Six paper hearts are attached to the points of the snowflake, each containing a word: School, Family, Crafts, Reading, Hot cocoa, and Snow. White crayon marks on the background represent falling snow.

4th Grade playing "Camouflage" and animal tracking on the nature trail

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

A group of children in colorful winter gear run and play through a snowy field with bare trees and bright sunlight in the background.

A boy wearing a blue and black jacket and camouflage gloves smiles brightly while kneeling in the snow beneath frost-covered evergreen branches.

A boy in a black and neon green jacket lies on his back in the snow with his mouth wide open, looking up toward the overhanging pine branches.

A young boy peeking through the thick, green branches of a pine tree in a bright, snowy field.

A smiling girl in a purple jacket and navy beanie hugging the trunk of a large pine tree in a snowy forest.

A smiling girl wearing an oversized camouflage U.S. Army jacket and pink snow pants, standing behind pine tree branches.

A girl in a black winter coat and black Adidas beanie stands in a snowy field under a clear blue sky, looking confidently at the camera.

A boy in a bright blue winter jacket stands in a snowy field, holding a tall, dried plant stalk up to his face.

A group selfie of a smiling adult in a purple jacket and orange scarf with six children following behind her on a narrow, snowy trail.

A boy in a black t-shirt and snow pants kneels on a snowy path, looking up and gesturing with his hands while his blue jacket lies on the snow beside him.

This Friday, we’re focusing on Slate Valley’s Community Advisory Council (CAC)—a group that brings community voices together to support and strengthen our schools. Made up of community members from across the district, CAC meets monthly with the superintendent and district staff to share perspectives, discuss school-related topics, and strengthen the connection between our schools and the communities they serve. Everyone is welcome to attend—join us at the next meeting on February 2, 2026, in the Fair Haven Union Middle & High School Library. We will be joined by our local legislators to discuss updates on Act 73. Come be part of the conversation!

4 months ago, Slate Valley

Literacy Stations in Kinder Land!

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

Two young girls sit on a blue classroom rug playing a game of "Spot It!" with circular cards. One girl is wearing a red dress with gold stars, and the other is in a cream-colored top.

Three young children sit on a colorful rug decorated with handprints. They are using dry-erase markers and small toy cars to complete "Race and Read" sight word worksheets inside plastic sleeves.

A close-up selfie of a young girl with blonde hair wearing headphones next to a smiling woman with long dark hair and glasses. In the background, a classroom whiteboard displays the date "1/8/26" and alphabet cards.

More 2nd Grade number scrolls

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

A smiling girl , wearing a light pink sweater, holds up her completed number grid. She is standing in a classroom with educational posters and a calendar visible behind her.

A blonde boy grins widely while holding his chart. At the bottom of his paper, he has playfully written a long string of the number 9.

A young boy wearing a tan hoodie smiles while holding his number chart. His chart is filled out up to the number 83. The classroom background shows a colorful rug and another student.

: A girl wearing a fancy pink dress with a sparkly headband holds up her hand-written number grid. She is standing by a wooden desk in the classroom.

A boy with freckles , wearing a red and grey striped shirt, holds a fully completed 1-100 number grid. He is sitting in front of a shelf filled with colorful book bins. I

A boy in a black hoodie holds his completed hundreds chart. On the right margin of the paper, he has drawn small stick figures and a pair of glasses next to the rows of numbers.

A boy named in a bright lime green shirt holds his completed hundreds chart while sitting at a school desk. The numbers are written clearly in pencil within the grid squares. IMG_3704 (Khalia): A smiling girl named Khalia, wearing a light pink sweater, holds up her completed number grid. She is standing in a classroom with educational posters and a calendar visible behind her.

2nd Grade started their number corner scrolls today

4 months ago, Kelley Schultz

A young girl, wearing a bright green patterned shirt, smiles for the camera while holding up her number scroll. The scroll contains a completed 1 to 100 number grid handwritten in pencil. Other students and desks are visible in the background of the classroom.

A young girl , wearing a white headband and a purple and white patterned sweater, stands in a classroom holding her completed number scroll. The scroll shows a neatly handwritten 1 to 100 grid. In the background, classroom displays titled "Talking about Math" and "Number Corner" are visible.

A young boy in a green long-sleeve shirt smiles while holding his number scroll. The paper, featuring a handwritten 1 to 100 grid, is taped to a cardboard roll. He is standing next to a wooden desk in a bright classroom.

A young girl with dark hair and a purple shirt smiles broadly as she peeks over a cardboard tube. She is holding a sheet of paper with a handwritten 1 to 100 number grid taped to the tube to create a scroll. An empty grid sits on the desk in front of her.

🏆 Throwback Thursday 🏆

A decade ago, the Fair Haven Union High School Scholars Bowl Team made school history by defeating Rutland High School to win the 2016 PEGTV Academic Showdown Championship—a match that was televised and watched by viewers across the region.

This victory marked the first—and only—time the FHUHS Scholars Bowl Team captured the championship title, earning well-deserved recognition for their knowledge, teamwork, and dedication.

We’re proud to celebrate this unforgettable moment and the students and advisor who made it happen.

4 months ago, Slate Valley

The team advisor with four members of the Fair Haven Union High School Scholars Bowl Team stand on a stage holding a large championship check after winning the 2016 PEGTV Academic Showdown.

Crazy 8’s Club kicked off 2026 by constructing popsicle stick planes and used flight factors to predict the safest runway path. Students determined that avoiding factors of 12 was the safest plan. Thank you, Mrs. Schuyler, for bringing Crazy 8's to BVS again this year!

4 months ago, Amy Roy

A group of elementary-aged students kneel on the classroom floor, working together to arrange colorful glow sticks into symmetrical, radiating lines that meet at a central point, creating a starburst pattern. The students lean in and collaborate as they carefully place the glow sticks, with classroom chairs visible in the background.