Principal's Newsletter

Greetings, SCS Families!

Due to some technical difficulties, I wasn't able to make my weekly newsletter on Friday, so I'm sending it along tonight. Given that it's a three day week, it may be the update for this week as well!

It's hard to believe we're nearing the end of the first quarter of the school year. Students are working hard and learning new things every day. The fall parent-teacher conferences are a nice time to connect with your child's classroom teacher and hear about how things are going so far. The majority of the students' day is made up of academic learning, including math, reading, writing, science, social studies, music, art, movement, Spanish, and healthy development/community building. As they engage in this important curriculum and instruction, though, they are learning crucial social skills, problem solving, communication, thinking and listening skills. We strive to teach students important life skills so they can be independent, responsible and engaged members of society. School is so important --and meeting kids where they're at and making sure they develop the skills and knowledge they need to move on to middle school is the work we do each day. Thank you for partnering with us in this work and meeting with your child's teacher to learn more about how the first quarter has gone for your son or daughter.

I am also including some information below about the standardized assessment information and state reports you will receive about your child. Please reach out to their teacher or to me if you have any questions.

There are also announcements about fun community events coming up in and around SCS. We hope to see you there!

Have a great week,

Tracey

Overview of Act 139 Requirements and Recommendations for Vermont schools

In summary:

If universal screenings determine that a student is significantly below relevant benchmarks (as determined by the screener’s guidelines for age-level or grade-level typical development in specific literacy skills):

1. Schools must determine what interventions within the general education program will meet the student’s needs (i.e., differentiated or supplementary evidence based reading instruction and ongoing monitoring of progress)

2. Schools must monitor progress

3. Schools must notify families, by sending a letter home, about the following:

• when a student’s performance on a reading screener is significantly below relevant benchmarks (as determined by the screener’s guidelines for agelevel or grade-level typical development in specific literacy skills).

• what the school’s response to the screening results will be

• any additional diagnostic assessments and evidence-based curriculum and instruction students will receive as part of the school’s system of supports (e.g., VTmtss).

Families will be receiving Act 139 Letters (Additional Reading Support Plan) at the end of this week.

Please contact your child’s teacher or the principal if you have any questions.