Community Newsletter

Dear Members of Our School Community,

I hope this message finds you well as we continue to move through this busy and exciting time of year. I want to take a moment to share some of the important work happening in our district, as well as key updates on legislative efforts that will impact our future.

Board Reorganization Announcement

In March, we said goodbye to Tom Huntington and Ilene Dickinson after their years of dedication and service to our students and community, and we welcomed two new board members: Brittany Petty and Kelsey Stavseth. We are excited about the leadership, insight, and energy they bring to the table as we continue our work together. Additionally, Peter VanStraten has taken on the role of Chair, and Colleen Morris has stepped into the role of Vice Chair. We look forward to strengthening our collaborative efforts and advancing the goals that benefit our entire school community.

Community Schools

One of the key initiatives we're currently engaged in is the Community Schools grant, funded through Vermont’s Community Schools Act (Act 67). Community schools are about much more than programs, they represent a fundamental shift in how education is delivered, providing a comprehensive network of support services that benefit both students and their families. This includes everything from expanded learning opportunities to social and mental health services, and it all works together to create a safe, inclusive, and welcoming school environment.

Through this grant, we are developing an alternative therapeutic pilot program for younger students. This initiative comes in response to the increasing demand for therapeutic services, as many schools in the area are currently at full capacity. By offering this program within our community, we aim to provide students with the support they need, closer to home, while complementing the valuable work being done by our local therapeutic schools and community partners. Together, these efforts will help ensure that all students have access to the care and resources they deserve, contributing to a safe, inclusive, and welcoming school environment for everyone. Additionally, the grant will enable us to expand our outdoor education curriculum and enhance professional development for our staff. These efforts are already taking shape, and we are looking forward to the continued growth and positive impact these programs will have on our students and their families.

Legislative Update: H. 454

As a Vermont Superintendents Association Trustee, I have been actively engaged in ongoing discussions related to education reform. As we move through the current legislative session, I want to highlight an important piece of legislation, H.454, which will be voted on by the Vermont House of Representatives this week. This bill represents a phased approach to education reform grounded in a realistic timeline, acknowledging the operational challenges that education leaders face every day. It emphasizes the need for scaling education reform through public input, data, and research, while also ensuring equity in funding with a foundation formula that adjusts for students with greater needs. I encourage you to stay informed of this legislation and reach out to your representatives to provide feedback on H.454. You can find your legislators here.

Ongoing School and District Initiatives
In addition to recent legislative developments, we are thrilled to announce the expansion of our CatCH programming. Thanks to two recent competitive grant awards from the Vermont Agency of Education under Act 78, we have secured both the Program and Center Track grants—totaling $712,500 over the next three years. These funds will directly support our extended learning opportunities, allowing us to continue offering enriching academic and social-emotional development experiences for our most vulnerable students during the school year and summer months.

Staffing Updates
We are excited to welcome two new members to our leadership and health services teams. Olivia Percopo will join us as our new School Nurse, and Theresa Pollner will begin her role as Assistant Principal starting next school year. Both bring a wealth of experience and a strong dedication to student well-being, and we are confident they will be valuable additions to our community.

At the same time, we will be saying goodbye to two deeply valued colleagues. Lauren Farina, our Behavior Specialist for Grades 6–8, and Kathy Herrin, our Speech-Language Pathologist in Early Essential Education, will be departing at the end of this school year. We are incredibly grateful for their many contributions to our students and school community and wish them all the best in their next endeavors.

Calendar and Waiver Update
I have submitted a waiver request to the Vermont Agency of Education to excuse the instructional day missed due to the recent water line flooding closure. We anticipate approval by mid-April. If granted, our tentative last day of school for students will be June 17, 2025. The final teacher workday is scheduled for June 18, 2025. Following that, we will launch five days of professional development and curriculum work—an important opportunity for staff to collaborate, reflect, and plan for the upcoming year.

Additionally, the 2025–2026 School Year Calendar is now available on our website. You can view it here for important dates, including the first and last days of school, vacation periods, and professional development days.

As always, thank you for your continued support. We are fortunate to be part of such a dedicated and engaged school community, and I look forward to the important work ahead as we strive to provide the best possible learning experience for all our students.

Sincerely,
Karen E. Conroy
Superintendent

We invite all members of the community to attend our School Board committee meetings, where we discuss important topics and work towards building a stronger educational environment for our students. We welcome your participation and encourage you to join us to engage in the discussions that shape our schools. Agendas for each meeting are posted on our website for your reference.

Committee Meeting Schedule:

Community Relations: 3:00 p.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of the Month

Facilities: 3:00 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of the Month

Finance: 8:15 a.m. on the 2nd Monday of the Month

Policy: 8:00 a.m. on the 3rd Thursday of the Month

We are excited to celebrate our incredible staff during the week of May 5th, which coincides with Teacher Appreciation Week! To kick off the celebration, we are inviting you to share kudos or shoutouts through our Connect With Us Form, which will be shared directly with our staff. Do you have a memory or special recognition for a staff member? Submit it via the form, and we will make sure they receive well-deserved recognition for their dedication and hard work during this special week!

If your child will be attending high school next year, tuition vouchers are now being accepted. Tuition to your child’s school will not be paid until this form has been received and approved by the District Office.

To avoid any disruptions and ensure timely payment of tuition, please take the following actions:

• Complete the Request for Public Tuition Dollars Form (Voucher Form): Click the Parent Portal to log into your St. Johnsbury School District parent portal to access and complete the voucher.
• Don’t Have an Account?: If you do not yet have a parent portal account, please fill out the Parent Portal Request form.

Your prompt attention to this matter is essential for smoothly processing tuition payments. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Linda Hartwell in our District Office at (802) 745-2800.

Little Sparks is a FREE Monday-Friday morning summer school program to support St. Johnsbury resident Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students who will be attending PreKindergarten or Kindergarten at the St. Johnsbury School for the 2025-2026 school year.

This is an exciting opportunity for our younger learners to develop social connections, practice early math and literacy skills, and explore the outdoors, all while getting ready for Kindergarten! (Space is limited to just 25 students and fills up quickly!)

Dates and times:

Monday, July 7 through Friday, August 8 - 8:30am to 11:30am

Please pre-register for Little Sparks here:

Little Sparks Pre-Registration 2025

For questions please contact:

Nancy Brochu, Director of Early Education

802-745-2765

nbrochu@stjsd.org

CatCH Fire is the district's free summer program for students currently in grades K-8.

Registration is now open. Please use the registration link here to enroll your student(s).

https://sites.google.com/.../catch-st.../summer-2025

We are proud to share that the SE Group has received the 2025 Public Places Honor Award for

their outstanding design of the St. Johnsbury School playgrounds. This prestigious award

recognizes excellence in the planning and design of Vermont’s public spaces, and we are

honored to have our playground project recognized at this level.

Stay tuned for a ribbon cutting event to be held in the spring!

We are excited to share that the St. Johnsbury School has been awarded with a $15,000 grant to support the development of a Farm to School program.

The St. Johnsbury School's Farm to School program will provide numerous benefits to students, staff, parents, and the wider community. By integrating nutrition education, local food systems, and hands-on agricultural activities into the curriculum, the program enriches students' learning and empowers them to make healthy, sustainable choices.

Key components of the program include:

• Student Engagement: Students will participate in taste-testing programs, preparing and sampling seasonal foods while learning about the origins of their meals. This hands-on approach builds a deeper connection to healthy eating.
• Curriculum Integration: Teachers will incorporate local food topics into lessons, empowering staff to teach interdisciplinary topics related to nutrition, gardening, and sustainability.
• Family Involvement: The school plans to engage parents and caregivers by offering cooking events, nutrition workshops, and providing recipes for healthy meals at home.
• Community Collaboration: By partnering with local farmers, the school will showcase fresh, local produce on school menus, promote community bonding, and support local economies.

We look forward to watching this program grown. Congratulations to the Farm to School team and school community!

We are thrilled to announce that St. Johnsbury School has received a $120,000 Community School Grant from the Vermont Agency of Education. This grant will help us implement the Act 67 Community Schools Model, which integrates academic, social, and emotional support for students. The initiative aligns with our strategic plan and strengthens our partnerships to support the holistic growth of every student.

The five pillars guiding this initiative are:

1. Integrated Student Supports: Providing targeted interventions and essential services through collaboration with local organizations.

2. Expanded and Enriched Learning Opportunities: Offering outdoor education, summer programs, and personalized learning experiences.

3. Active Family and Community Engagement: Strengthening connections with families and the community through collaborative events.

4. Collaborative Leadership and Practices: Fostering shared responsibility and professional development within our school leadership.

5. Safe, Inclusive, and Equitable Learning Environments: Ensuring every student feels supported, valued, and included.

This grant will support our efforts to transform St. Johnsbury School into a vibrant, inclusive community hub that prepares students for success. We look forward to the positive impact this initiative will have on our students and families.

We are thrilled to announce that the St. Johnsbury School District has been awarded $262,500 over 3.5 years for the Program Track State Afterschool grant and $450,000 over 3 years for the Center Track State Afterschool grant from the Vermont Agency of Education. This funding will be used to support and expand CatCH's afterschool and summer programming. The grant will help enhance the current offerings by providing additional resources, activities, and opportunities for students to engage in meaningful enrichment outside of school hours. We look forward to using this funding to create even more positive learning experiences for our students and community!

PowerSchool, the vendor providing our Student Information System (SIS), recently experienced a cybersecurity incident. PowerSchool has partnered with Experian to offer complimentary identity protection and credit monitoring services to current and former students and educators

This notice is to inform the St Johnsbury School Community that anyone seeking information about the breach or seeking to obtain credit monitoring and identity protection from PowerSchool should visit the website https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/notice-of-united-states-data-breach/. This site provides the steps (and the activation code) for setting up credit monitoring for yourself or children. A toll free number is also available for assistance: 1-833-918-9464. (You will need the information from the website.)

You may receive additional communication from PowerSchool in the upcoming weeks. Regardless, you are eligible for this free service.

If you have immediate questions please contact Superintendent Karen Conroy at Karen.Conroy@stjsd.org.