Castleton Elementary School

Good Evening, Please read the following letter regarding the special airing of “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety” on Monday, May 3: https://5il.co/ry3u

Please join CES and CVS in developing their family engagement procedures to support Slate Valley's Parent/Family Engagement Policy. Prior to the meeting please review these draft procedures (https://5il.co/rx38) to be reviewed and revised at our meeting on May 13th, 5:30 pm - 6:30 p.m. Join with Google Meet https://meet.google.com/kjc-vbuj-xha?hs=224 or by phone (US) +1 267-518-3495 (PIN: 800707020)

Save the date! On Monday, May 3, 2021, Slate Valley will hold a special screening of the documentary, “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety," online to open up a dialogue between local families, community leaders and experts. The event will feature a viewing of the 56-minute film, followed by an informative panel discussion, led by Kristin H. Benway, Director of Special Services, with special guests Megan Oldenburger, RMHS School Based Clinician, Michael Kell, School Counselor, and former Slater Cael Christian. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__ElOViTuQDG2QTV7IWdFqA. iNDIEFLIX Education has sparked a global conversation about anxiety through screenings of its documentary, “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety.” For more information: https://5il.co/rpnd

Save the Date! Virtual Listening Tours with SVUUSD Board Members (Note: You are welcome to attend any of the meetings regardless of what town you reside in.) Join board members for a conversation about Middle School Reorganization prior to their vote on May 24th. May 17th, 6 PM - Fair Haven/West Haven - Connect by going to https://meet.google.com/pdu-abre-xnm or by phone (US) +1 585-532-5413 (PIN: 713397202) May 18th, 6 PM - Castleton/Hubbardton - Connect by going to https://meet.google.com/gee-acpe-ota or join by phone (US) +1 442-900-4083 (PIN: 398252852) May 19th, 6 PM - Orwell/Benson - Connect by going to https://meet.google.com/djm-sekz-bca or join by phone (US) +1 786-563-9119 (PIN: 104762513)

Students in grades K-4 read the Red Clover Book, Planting Stories, the Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre. Pura became a bilingual storyteller at the New York Public Library and retold folk stories from Puerto Rico. She made her own puppets to recreate these wonderful stories. Our students created puppets to retell the story of the Tiger and the Rabbit.

Save the date! iNDIEFLIX Shines the Light on Anxiety with Must-See Documentary, “ANGST: RAISING AWARENESS AROUND ANXIETY” ANGST will screen live on: Monday, May 3, 2021 AT 6:00pm Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__ElOViTuQDG2QTV7IWdFqA iNDIEFLIX Education has sparked a global conversation about anxiety through screenings of its documentary, “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety”. On Monday, May 3, 2021, Slate Valley will hold a special screening of the documentary online to open up a dialogue between local families, community leaders and experts. The event will feature a viewing of the 56-minute film, followed by an informative panel discussion, led by Kristin H. Benway, Director of Special Services, with special guests Megan Oldenburger, RMHS School Based Clinician, Michael Kell, School Counselor, and former Slater Cael Christian. For more information: https://5il.co/rpnd

Reminder! Tonight (April 19th) You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board (virtual) Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Participation will be virtual only. Connect by going to http://meet.google.com/nmr-haqy-umb or join by phone (US) +1 617-675-4444 PIN: 151 630 604 3623# Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/rpa2 Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/ranl

Dodge House Donation Drive - A FHUHS Student’s R.E.A.L. Project Please view the flyer here for more information: https://www.smore.com/xpe32 This drive is being held by the Slate Valley Unified School District. We hope to raise awareness of homeless Veterans, and support the Dodge House in Rutland, which "provides shelter, clothing, food, and an individualized program to reintegrate veterans back into the community and help them to achieve self­ sufficiency" (http://www.chcrr.org). Donation boxes will be located in the front offices of all Slate Valley schools from March 29th and April 25th.

Dodge House Donation Drive - A FHUHS Student’s R.E.A.L. Project Please view the flyer here for more information: https://www.smore.com/xpe32 This drive is being held by the Slate Valley Unified School District. We hope to raise awareness of homeless Veterans, and support the Dodge House in Rutland, which "provides shelter, clothing, food, and an individualized program to reintegrate veterans back into the community and help them to achieve self­ sufficiency" (http://www.chcrr.org). Donation boxes will be located in the front offices of all Slate Valley schools from March 29th and April 25th.

Students in Grades K-4 have been learning about Hummingbirds, with this year's Red Clover book, Hummingbird by Nicola Davies. Students created masks to celebrate this amazing little bird! Thank you to Miss Burke's 2nd grade class.

Tree Project Presentation Day - Thanks to Mr. Canty, 5th Graders have become expert researchers as a result of this project!

Dear Slate Valley Families, I hope this letter finds you well. As we head into April break I would like to update you on new Guidelines released from the Agency of Education yesterday, April 8th. These guidelines are part of Vermont’s Reopening Plan. Starting on April 19th all students will need to be screened at home. We will not be doing temperature checks in schools. We will no longer require the form for entrance to school each day per the state guidelines. We ask that you continue to check temperatures and check for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and keep children home that have even 1 symptom. The Department of Health guidelines remain the same in managing illness. Please call your child’s school nurse with any questions as they can guide you in safe school attendance. Additionally schools are now required to follow ACCD guidelines and Vermont’s Reopening Plan as such there is no quarantine requirement for travel. However, if your unvaccinated child does travel you are required to obtain a COVID test within 72 hours of return. Your child will be able to continue to attend school if symptom free. If you have planned travel, we encourage you to sign up on the Department of Health website for return testing before you leave and as the site allows. Documentation of the negative test may be required if a case of COVID-19 occurs in the school and your child is considered a close contact. Physician offices for the most part will not perform testing unless your child is symptomatic. Please continue practicing the best prevention measures of mask wearing, 6 foot distancing and hand cleansing during your travels to remain healthy and safe. Social distancing has moved to 3 feet for all students with the exception of 7-12 students when eating. That will remain at 6 feet. Contact tracing is still determined based on the 6 foot standard so we will continue to keep all 7-12 students 6 feet apart whenever feasible. Adults will still need to maintain the 6 feet social distancing. Masks continue to be required of students and staff at all times in the buildings regardless of vaccination status. For more information please visit the Department of Health and ACCD.vermont.gov websites for more detailed and specific information on travel, quarantine, and vaccines. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sections are very helpful. I know this has been a hard road this year and your support for the school district has been very much appreciated. I truly hope you have a wonderful week with your children next week. Best, Brooke Olsen-Farrell Superintendent

Dodge House Donation Drive - A FHUHS Student’s R.E.A.L. Project Please view the flyer here for more information: https://www.smore.com/xpe32 This drive is being held by the Slate Valley Unified School District. We hope to raise awareness of homeless Veterans, and support the Dodge House in Rutland, which "provides shelter, clothing, food, and an individualized program to reintegrate veterans back into the community and help them to achieve self­ sufficiency" (http://www.chcrr.org). Donation boxes will be located in the front offices of all Slate Valley schools from March 29th and April 25th.

Reminder! Tonight (April 5, 2021) You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board (Virtual) Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Participation will be VIRTUAL ONLY. Connect by going to http://meet.google.com/kdn-osig-qsn or join by phone (US) +1 617-675-4444 PIN: 474 306 975 5652#. Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/r4fm Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/qwix

CES Trimester 2 Awards Assembly: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nG2pmm-kahELiZw5GfMDdeSSa3PQdMu7/view?usp=sharing

WCAX will be airing their segment honoring Super-Senior Karen Williams this evening at 6:40 PM and again tomorrow morning at 6:40 AM! You will also be able to view it online after it airs at https://www.wcax.com/news/education/super-seniors/. Congratulations Karen!

You’re invited to join us this evening at 6 PM for a Community Connections virtual discussion on District Reorganization. Community Connections are an opportunity for community members to have a conversation with Central Office administrators. Join us by going to https://meet.google.com/jxr-qubs-ptw or by phone (US)+1 609-438-1179 (PIN: 408 338 127#)

Dear Slate Valley Families, I hope this letter finds you well and beginning to see some light at the end of the very long tunnel. With the uptick in COVID cases and a holiday weekend upon us, I would like to send some reminders. As we are headed into a holiday and a week off with warmer weather, I just wanted to remind everyone to stay vigilant to protect one other. We are almost there, but the pandemic is not quite over. We want to continue to prevent any outbreaks that could result in limitations on learning, extra-curricular activities, sports, and future events such as graduation. We saw how gatherings and travel affected us after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. There has been a recent surge in cases in our community, so maintaining precautions is very important for preventing spread. This is especially true because several individuals who have recently tested positive have experienced no symptoms. Without following mask and social distancing guidelines, people are unknowingly spreading it. Please follow our current Vermont gathering guidelines regarding the number of households and vaccine receipt. If you travel, please follow quarantine guidelines upon return. Additionally, please wear masks, stay 6 feet apart, and sanitize/wash your hands often. If parents are vaccinated, it does not mean that children can travel without quarantine. It may mean that your student may not be able to return to in person learning after April break. We know this has been so difficult and so many of us are "over it," but we need to keep up the precautions for a little while longer. Positive change is coming, but we are not there yet. And to get there as soon as possible, we all need to continue to maintain the great illness prevention work we are all doing. So do the fun holiday traditions, gather as much as you can under the guidelines, enjoy family as best you can, and soon we will be back to a much better place. Thank you for your continued support of the schools and our community's health. Sincerely, Brooke Olsen-Farrell Superintendent

Dodge House Donation Drive - A FHUHS Student’s R.E.A.L. Project Please view the flyer here for more information: https://www.smore.com/xpe32 This drive is being held by the Slate Valley Unified School District. We hope to raise awareness of homeless Veterans, and support the Dodge House in Rutland, which "provides shelter, clothing, food, and an individualized program to reintegrate veterans back into the community and help them to achieve self­ sufficiency" (http://www.chcrr.org). Donation boxes will be located in the front offices of all Slate Valley schools from March 29th and April 25th.

Dear Slate Valley Community Members, On 3-29-21 we learned about an individual connected to Castleton Village School and Castleton Elementary School that has Coronavirus Disease. This individual was in attendance while contagious. Contact tracing has been completed and all close contacts have been identified. As always we are working closely with the Department of Health. We continue to advise our staff and students to stay home when sick. We recommend that you take action to help limit the spread of COVID-19, even if your child is not experiencing symptoms. This is especially important given that we know the virus is in our community. Please read the full letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/r0ln