THE CCS NEWSLETTER
August 28, 2026
As we enter the middle school fall sports season, caregivers of fall student-athletes should update their child’s DEFAULT dismissal plan in PickUp Patrol for Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Select “Sport Activity” and use the notes to identify the sport and explain what your child should do if a practice or game is canceled. At the end of the season, simply update the default plan again. You can also submit day-of dismissal changes whenever needed.
We will share similar guidance as club sessions begin.
Remember that PickUp Patrol is for more than dismissal. Please use it for ALL Plan Changes, including:
Absences
Late arrivals
Early pickups
Day-of dismissal changes
Cindy and Naomi in the CCS Front Office have made Herculean efforts over the past several days to get 100% of CCS families connected to PickUp Patrol. They have also responded—always kindly—to many calls and emails while helping families make this transition.
When you enter changes directly in PickUp Patrol, the information is immediately available to everyone who needs it, rather than being held in one person’s email inbox or communicated through a phone message. Thank you for making this shift. We deeply appreciate it
We are excited to renew our partnership with Very Merry Theatre to produce two musicals at CCS this year. Very Merry will continue to lead our middle school musical and, for the first time at CCS, will also produce a K–4 musical this fall: The House at Pooh Corner.
Featuring Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Christopher Robin, and other creatures of the Hundred Acre Wood, the show follows these beloved characters through a series of troubles and adventures.
We are still finalizing the details, but rehearsals are expected to begin the week of September 28, coinciding with the first week of our SPARK after-school clubs. Performances are planned for early November. Our preliminary thinking has students in grades 2–4 able to audition for roles, while students in K–1 invited to participate in one or two songs as part of a larger ensemble.
Right now, we are looking for two lead parent volunteers. Don and the Very Merry Theatre team rely on these volunteers to serve as liaisons between the directing team and the larger group of family volunteers. If you are interested in serving as one of the leads—or would like to volunteer as a team—please email Tim O’Leary at toleary@cvsdvt.org.
More information will be coming soon, but we are thrilled to add this new opportunity for our younger students!
If you have not had the time to fill out your child(ren)'s annual forms, they are still open.
Please log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal and click on the “Forms” tab in the left-hand menu.
Review, update, and submit the following required forms for each of your children before August 15:
Annual Student Contact Update (do NOT mark parent/s as "Emergency Contact")
Annual Student Health Update
Annual Student Permissions Update (Required for your child to attend off-site field trips)
Annual Household Income Form (HIF) from the Vermont Agency of Education
Release of Information for Medicaid School-Based Services
If you need help navigating the portal or completing the forms, click here for detailed instructions.
Need assistance with the PowerSchool portal? Contact Naomi Strada at nstrada@cvsdvt.org
Hi folks! I'm hoping to build a small collection of gently used sneakers/athletic shoes for students who occasionally forget their sneakers on PE days.
For safety reasons, students need appropriate footwear to participate in PE, and having a few extra pairs available would be a big help!
If you have any clean, gently used sneakers in good condition that your child has outgrown, I'd be happy to put them to good use. We're especially looking for elementary sizes, roughly Kids 10–13 and Youth 1–5. For our younger students, Velcro or slip-on styles would be especially helpful.
If you have a pair (or two!) you'd like to donate, please send them to school with your child or drop them off with Mr. Kent.
Thank you for helping keep our students safe, active, and ready to move!
Matt Kent
K–4 PE & Wellness
My hope is to connect with families each week through the newsletter to provide information and resources to support kids and families. As always, please reach out if you need anything, have questions, or if I can help in any way.
It has been wonderful having kids back in the building this week! For me, getting back to routine is good, but the hustle of the school year can also be an adjustment!
Common Sense Media has some great tools and resources for thinking about navigating tech as we enter a new school year:
Digital Stress Test - is online life stressing your child out?
Family Device Agreements - Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Bus, Bell and Beyond: Back to School with AI and Tech - Join this live webinar on September 15th at 3pm to hear experts break down where phones and AI help, distract, connect or add pressure throughout a typical school day.
Resources, Food for thought (and maybe some conversation starters)
Chittenden County Food Resources - list of free food resources throughout Chittenden county, with information about hours, location, accessibility and eligibility requirements.
Calm and Connected Podcast - This is a great resource on all topics related to children and families. Whatever the age of your child, there are topics to support you - ways for kids and teens to practice coping skills, self regulation and ways to connect, make friends and work on social skills. It will help guide you through all the stages of child development. There are also many resources and tools to dive into as well!
Get in touch with me!
(802)425-6604
Tim O'Leary, Principal
Lauren Goracy, Assistant Principal & Director of Special Services