SCS Weekly Newsletter 5/19/25

Dear Salisbury Community School Families and Friends,

It's been a busy couple of weeks here at Salisbury Community School, and some big things have happened! There's been a lot going on at school, and as you read further you will see write-ups and pictures from various fun activities: a Band and Chorus Concert, work with Nulhegan Abenaki Chief Don Stevens, 5th Grade Exhibition, 2-3 Ecosystem Fair, next year's Kindergarteners visiting school, 4th Grade starting their bird-a-thon, Bike Week- all sorts of things!

Probably most important, though, was the selection and announcement of Salisbury Community School's new principal: Tracey Harrington. As you will read below, Tracey has a long track record of very successful work in our district, including being the Principal of Ripton Elementary School. I am very pleased with this hire, as I have worked with Tracey, and known her personally, for a long time. With her experience, personality, knowledge of the district, and pre-existing relationships with the families and students in Ripton, I think she will be able to move right into the role with great success.

There's a lot in the newsletter, so I'll stop here so you can move on to the important stuff. I look forward to seeing folks and connecting as the year draws to a close.

Best,

Bjarki

• Mon, May 19-Fri May 23rd: 5th Grade at KEEC (Keewaydin Environmental Education Center)

• Mon, May 26: Memorial Day (no school)

• Wed, May 28: 5th Grade Move up to MUMS (AM)

• Wed, May 28: SCS/RES Spring Fling! (Afternoon fun with the Ripton Students)

• Tuesday, June 3rd: SCS Band/Choral In-School Concert 10:40 AM

• Tuesday, June 3rd: FOSCS/FORS Community Potluck at SCS

Dear Salisbury and Ripton Community members,

I am pleased to let you know that on May 12th, I asked the Board to approve the appointment of Tracey Harrington as the next principal of Salisbury Community School.

Tracey brings over 24 years of service within the Addison Central School District (ACSD) as an educator, principal, and administrator. I have gotten to know Tracey over this past year in her role as a Special Education Director, and I'm happy to support her as she transitions back to a building leadership role. She has shared with me that the work of a building leader is the role that brings her the most joy - it is also a role in which she brings joy to others.

She is particularly excited about the ability to work alongside each staff member assigned to SCS next year as the community begins a new school year together in new ways - on behalf of students in two communities. This is a unique leadership moment that Tracey feels positioned to meet well. She's excited to make this transition, and that ACSD team is excited to support her as she takes on this important role next year.

The right leader for the right time in the right place is the most important factor in selecting a building principal. In the feedback we received, staff and community members shared that Tracey’s institutional knowledge and experience as a teacher, principal, and special education administrator will serve well as she meets this moment. Many also shared that she brought collaborative ideas for community building to the conversations she had during her screening process. Every indicator tells us she is the right leader to bring SCS forward through its next chapter. With the Board’s support, she and Bjarki Sears will be working together this Spring to ensure a strong transition.

Thank you for meeting with our candidates and offering your feedback during this process,

Wendy

Wendy Baker, Superintendent

Greetings, Salisbury Community School Families,

I am excited to introduce myself as the new SCS principal! Hopefully you have seen the information shared by Dr. Baker and Mr. Sears about the principal search and, specifically, me. It feels like all of my years in education and ACSD have prepared me for this next chapter --and I’m looking forward to working alongside all of you.

Mr. Sears and I have been colleagues for many years and are already connecting regularly to plan a smooth transition. I am looking forward to spending some time at SCS in the next few weeks to introduce myself to students and meet with teachers and staff. Next week I’ll be spending an afternoon and night at KEEC with the 5th graders, which I’m excited about as well. Interestingly, my very first job in education was as a staff person at KEEC back in 1999! I have many fond memories of this environmental education center, both as an instructor and chaperone. I love that life has brought me back to Salisbury now, as I prepare for this new role as principal of SCS.

There are many more things to share and do in the next few months, but I will remind myself to take it slow. The first step is to learn as much as I can about you (parents, grandparents, community members) and the students that make up SCS. If you have something you would like to discuss with me or a question I can answer, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email, text or phone.

Thank you for welcoming me and I look forward to meeting you soon.

Warmly,

Tracey

Tracey Harrington

tharrington@acsdvt.org

(802) 458-2191 (work cell --for calls or texts)

Last Monday, SCS Music, Band, and Chorus teacher Sarah Metcalf hosted the rural schools in a combined concert at Middlebury Union High School. As ever, it was amazing to see these students from different schools all pull together- it's very easy to forget that they don't always play together! The students sounded wonderful, and they all deserve great credit for being so confident and working hard! Thanks Sarah, for all of your hard work that goes into events like this.

Over the past several months, Amy Clapp's 4th Grade class has been working with Don Stevens, Chief of the Nulhegan Band of Abenaki, to construct a wigwam in their forest classroom. Students have also been learning about Abenaki culture from Chief Stevens. Last week 4th Grade celebrated the completion of the wigwam by hosting Don for a day of storytelling with the whole school. The Wigwam is so big everyone fit inside! Thank you to Chief Stevens for spending such valuable time with us!

Several weeks ago we held "Bike Week", and besides pedaling between raindrops, it was a ton of fun! (Actually, the raindrops made it more fun for many, as there were mud puddles to ride through!). Thanks to everyone who brought in bikes and helmets- especially those who lent bikes to others.

One important project in the elementary life of an ACSD student is the 5th Grade Exhibition. In this project, students- individually or in pairs- select a topic that interests them relating to the United Nations Sustainability Goals. After doing independent research and working with a community mentor who knows about the topic, students developed a way that they can make a difference relating to that topic. This years' topics included: preventing the mistreatment of animals, lessening the impact of microplastics, Vermont's housing crisis, and the "Pink Tax". Great work 5th Grade, and great work Ms. Sabol, for leading them throughout the process and getting them across the finish line in style!

Last Friday, Jenn Larocque's 2-3 class welcomed family, friends, community members, and the rest of school to their annual Ecosystem Fair! Attendees were treated to amazing dioramas of various ecosystems that the students created, and each students presented information about the ecosystem they studied to the visitors. There was also a really neat video the class made using green screen technology to really put the junior scientists in their environments!). It was a great afternoon, with a great turnout. Thanks for coming everyone! And great job 2-3!

As we welcome children and families from Riptonm to Salisbury Community School next year, we really want the Ripton community members to feel welcome and connected to their new school. Luckily for us, Salisbury School itself- the building, the land, and the people- is a pretty inviting place. Still, it's important that school folks create good opportunities for people to come together. Here is a few ways we will be doing this over the next month or so:

May 28th: SCS/RES "Spring Fling": An afternoon of fun and connecting at Salisbury Community School (during the school day).

June 3rd: FOSCS/FORS Community Potluck at Salisbury Community School: 5:30-7:30. More information to come- please come and bring a dish!

June 16th: SCS and RES students go to Waterhouses on Lake Dunmore for a morning of fun on the last day of school.

Our teachers and staff are amazing! At ACSD, we turn Teacher Appreciation Week into Teacher & Staff Appreciation Month. You can help! Share an appreciation HERE.

• Parents ~ Ask your child if a teacher or grown-up has done something to make their school day better. Open the form and fill it out together or share something you have appreciated!

• Students ~ ALL appreciations matter...but hearing your words is especially meaningful!

The form will be open all month. You can also nominate our ACSD Teacher & Staff of the Year awards (presented at our August 2025 staff Welcome Back week)!

Substitute teachers are crucial for our students, staff, staff, and schools! We are increasing our daily substitute teaching rate to $160/day for unlicensed subs and $200/day for licensed subs. This flat rate replaces our sliding rate of pay for subs depending on the number of days worked. To apply, email HR@acsdvt.org with subject: "Substitute Position". Or visit this listing.

This year, we thought it would be fun to chronicle the changes of the season at Salisbury Community School by taking the same picture, at the same time, from the same spot, every week. At the end of the year it will hopefully be a fun thing to look at and share!