Cornwall School News 3.13.26

Tues, 3/17 Virtual Family Information Meeting re: healthy relationships (see details below)

Fri, 3/20 Spring Teacher Conferences, no school

Wed, 3/25 Combined Cornwall/Bridport Band and Chorus Concert, 6 pm at Middlebury College

Wed, 4/1 Early Release

It's COLD! If it is in the 30s, K-2 must wear snow pants even when there is no SNOW!

Everybody needs hats - we have no more extras! Help us keep kids warm at recess!

Sexual abuse prevention programming is required by a Act 1 in the State of Vermont. This year our school counselor, Jackson Goscha, will work with Marissa Hennings from Atria Collective to provide programming to prevent sexual abuse. Atria Collective has a long-standing relationship with ACSD in support of this work.

This prevention program provides a comprehensive approach that:

• Teaches children developmentally-appropriate skills that can protect them from sexual abuse and/or support them to go to adults if they have experienced sexual abuse;

• Offers parents, educators, and caregivers information and tools that support the healthy sexual development of children and protects them from sexual abuse.

We will host a virtual informational meeting for families on Tuesday, March 17, at 6 pm. This meeting link will be available in an email sent to families on Monday.

Meanwhile, do not hesitate to reach out to Nadya or Jackson with questions, concerns, or for more information.

The Addison Central Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is helping

ACSD to shine a light on neurodiversity in our school communities this week.

What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity refers to the biological fact that everyone has a uniquely wired brain and their own way of thinking, learning, and experiencing the world. Just like our communities are diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, we are also diverse in terms of our brains.

What does it mean to “celebrate” neurodiversity?

For students, it’s pretty simple:

• Recognize the naturally-occurring neurodiversity among us as a community. We all have different brains, and there is no such thing as a “normal” brain.

• Celebrate the fact that we all have different brains and the ways this diversity contributes to our world – from making scientific breakthroughs and creating beautiful art to building meaningful relationships. Isn't it awesome that we're all different?!

For adults, it's also important to put this in context of how we view one another:

• Acknowledge that much of the world we live in (including our school system) has been designed for people with certain types of brains – brains that are not shaped by dyslexia, autism, ADHD, anxiety, Tourette’s, OCD, depression, or other so-called “neurodivergent” characteristics.

• Understand that while it can be hard for people with some types of brains to navigate some aspects of the world, this is NOT because there’s anything "wrong" with them; it’s simply because much of our world was designed for people with other types of brains.

We are thrilled to announce the start of the IB Primary Years Program (PYP) Exhibition for our 5th grade students. This is a monumental milestone in our student’s elementary education—a "capstone" project that celebrates everything they have learned during their time in the Primary Years Program. Exhibition is a student-led, collaborative inquiry process. Students identify a real-world issue they are passionate about, conduct research, and take meaningful action to make a difference.

5th grade families will receive a longer email with more details, but our entire ACSD community can support our students:

1) If you know a student involved in Exhibition ask them what they are discovering and how it affects our world!

2) If you want to be a mentor or offer your real-world expertise for students whose topic relates to your work, contact your principal or Brandi Corbett, PYP Coordinator, bcorbett@acsdvt.org

• up to a maximum $100 per student for the academic year 2025-2026,

• subject to available funds.

How to:

• Select an eligible after school activity for their child (this can be an activity from fall 2025)

• Obtain a receipt or invoice from the activity provider that includes provider/organization name, provider address, provider tax ID number (EIN), student’s name, activity name and dates (or session), and amount paid.

• fill out this form.

• Apply by June 1, 2026.

Questions? Contact focs.vt@gmail.com.

The 2026-2027 ACSD Calendar is available and can be found on the website here.