Today we celebrate National Instructional Assistant Day and National School Librarian Day! Thank you to these amazing folks who do so much for our students! Our Library is a wonderful space of imagination and creativity where students are encouraged to fill their minds and souls through books and projects. Thank you, Mrs. Witt! Our IAs support our students and teachers and care for our 🐻s at recess and lunch. Thank you, Colleen, Cris and Kathy! BVS would not be the success it is without each of you!
Congratulations to Mrs. Thurston & Mrs.Sturtevant on their presentations for their Master Degrees from the Vermont Mathematica Initiative program! It was an honor to be able to be a part of this day with them. BVS is so fortunate to have these 2 dedicated teachers!
Kinders practicing their letters the fun way!
As we approach our April 12th Informational Meeting and April 13th Budget Revote, we will be highlighting Frequently Asked Questions (https://5il.co/1898z) related to the FY23 Budget. For more information, we invite you to visit our budget web page: https://www.slatevalleyunified.org/page/budget.
Question: Why is there a budget decrease, but on the ballot the school budget article says there is an increase and the district is estimating a tax rate decrease?
Answer: The wording on the budget article can be confusing. The information that appears on the ballot is set by Vermont statute. The language was jointly developed by the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of State and was adopted by the State Board of Education.
$26,236,547 is the amount of the total expenditure budget for the entire district for the school year 2022-2023. It is the amount necessary to operate and maintain 5 buildings and to educate 1,250 students. The expenditure budget is $43,838 less than the 2021-2022 school year budget.
2.78% is the percent increase in education spending per equalized pupil compared to the prior year. Education spending per equalized pupil is the amount of the expenditure budget ($26,236,547) less the district's local revenue divided by equalized pupils. Equalized pupils is based on a formula that gives greater weight to certain students. The principle being that it costs more to educate certain students. Since the district has less local revenues and fewer equalized pupils the resulting change compared to the previous year is a slight increase.
We are estimating a tax rate decrease because Vermont's system of determining education property tax rates takes into consideration the amount of money in the State's Education Fund. Since this year there is a surplus in the Education Fund it reduces the amount of Slate Valley's local tax rates.
Please join us Thursday (April 7th) at 5:30 p.m. in the FHUHS Library or join virtually to discuss our Parent/Family/Community Engagement Policy E-1.
This meeting will be an opportunity for parents/community members to provide feedback on the policy and discuss Slate Valley’s Continuous Improvement Planning.
Policy E-1: https://5il.co/rao4
Meeting ID: https://meet.google.com/cee-mehp-crb Phone Number: (US) +1 414-909-5677 (PIN: 707156020)
Working on matching animal babies and parents by their traits!
In anticipation of the upcoming informational meeting on Tuesday, April 12th and FY23 Budget Revote on Wednesday, April 13th, we have put together a mailer with some helpful information on it: https://5il.co/17itr
For more information, please visit the budget page of our website: https://www.slatevalleyunified.org/page/budget
The Benson Village School Gift Shop is open! Show a 🐻 you care with a gift! Fleece vests and beanies will be available Fall of '22. BEAR cinch sacks on order. We will have order forms available in May if we don't have the current size(s) you need.
BVS had the wonderful opportunity to see national dance/music sensation Hiplet! at Castleton University yesterday. As Mrs, Roy said, " It is so exciting to be able to have these experiences again!"
The 4th Grade winner of the State of Vermont's Arbor Day Essay Contest is BVS student Elsa Mueller ! You can find the essay at the link below, as well as the beautiful illustration to go with it. Great things are coming from BVS students at the state level!
https://vtcommunityforestry.org/celebrate/arbor-day/poster/elsa-mueller
Kickball in boots- it's mud season!
PreK oobleck makers!
Students are classifying quadrilateral based on their properties and using venn diagrams to make comparisons and draw conclusions.
Kinder writing!
Tonight - March 28, 2022
You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Castleton Elementary School Cafeteria. This meeting will be in person or virtually connect by going to https://meet.google.com/ibt-nfdy-psz or join by phone (US) +1 260-557-1907 PIN: 533 683 324#
Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/17jpu
Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/179ke
Next Board Meeting: April 11, 2022 - 6:30 p.m. at Fair Haven Union High School
The Slate Valley Universal Preschool Program will be conducting developmental screenings for children 0-5 years of age on Thursday March 31st at Benson Village School.
Screening involves activities that are both fun for young children and help us learn about a child’s motor, cognitive, and language skills. Vision and hearing will also be screened. We encourage any child aged 0-5 years that resides in Benson, Castleton, Fair Haven, Hubbardton, Orwell and West Haven who has not previously been screened to be screened.
If you plan to attend this screening, please call Benson Village School for an appointment.
Intense focus on a task in K-1 🐻💗
BVS is so proud of this young lady! She read her essay to the DAR and distinguished guests at the Rutland Country Club. Such an accomplishment!!!!!!!!!
Please take a few minutes to check out the recording of our first Middle School Family Forum! https://bit.ly/3iC08Vd
If you have not done so already, take a minute to complete this survey https://forms.gle/2Z5GHLFTysAkU1qx5 so we can address your questions and concerns about next year.
Our next forum will be in-person at 5:30pm on April 28th at FHU. Thank you!
BVS is so excited about our American Sign Language Club that begins next week!
