VAMLE Newsletter
July 2025 Edition
The Yoh Theatre program at Woodstock Union Middle School and High School is a student-centered theatre community that provides opportunities for students in grades 7–12 to explore the performing arts through acting, singing, dancing, and technical theatre. Students participate in multiple productions each year, ranging from classic plays and contemporary dramas to full-scale musicals. The program emphasizes collaboration and creativity, giving students hands-on experience in all aspects of theatre production, including set design, costumes, lighting, choreography, and stage management.
Beyond performances, Yoh Theatre focuses on personal growth, artistic development, and community building. Students can attend workshops with professional theatre artists to develop skills in areas such as vocal technique, movement, and stage design, and many also participate in educational theatre trips and festivals. Long-term involvement can lead to the distinction of becoming a “Yoh Master,” recognizing dedication across multiple productions. Through these experiences, the program aims to build confidence, empathy, and teamwork while fostering a vibrant creative community both on and off the stage.
This year, members of the Yoh program provided the keynote presentation at our annual VAMLE conference, as they have several times in the past. Once again, their performance was inspiring and focused heavily on the importance of inclusivity, empathy, and kindness in our schools.
You can learn more about the Yoh Theatre program here: https://www.yohtheatre.com/
ermont Association for Middle Level Education Hosts 13th Annual Student Conference with Special Olympics Vermont
Montpelier, VT — March 10, 2026 — The Vermont Association for Middle Level Education (VAMLE), in partnership with Special Olympics Vermont, hosted its 13th annual student conference, Creating Communities of Equity & Respect, on Tuesday, March 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m at Champlain College. The event brought together more than 250 middle school students from 18 schools across Vermont for a day focused on collaboration and learning about how students are taking the lead to make their schools inclusive, responsive, equitable, and safe.
As one of the only student-led conferences in the United States, the VAMLE conference provides a unique opportunity for young leaders to collaborate, share ideas, and learn strategies to create more welcoming and respectful school communities. Students participated in interactive workshops and activities designed to promote equity and foster understanding among peers.
The keynote presentation was delivered by the Yoh Theater Players from Woodstock Middle & High School. Through performance and storytelling, the student-led theater group highlighted themes of belonging, respect, and the importance of building inclusive communities.
Throughout the day, students attended workshops led by both student groups and Vermont-based organizations. These sessions encouraged participants to explore practical ways to promote inclusivity, develop empathy, and strengthen student leadership within their own schools. In addition to the student presenters, VAMLE welcomes representatives from Outright Vermont and the Vermont Holocaust Memorial who also provided powerful presentations about the importance of treating all people with dignity and standing up for what is right, even in the face of hardship.
The conference is about empowering young people to take an active role in shaping school communities where every student feels valued and respected. By bringing students together from across Vermont, the VAMLE board hopes that we are playing a part in helping to build a network of young leaders committed to equity and inclusion as part of VAMLE’s ongoing mission to support middle level education and provide meaningful leadership opportunities for students throughout Vermont.
We hope to see everyone again next year at our 14th annual conference in 2027! And, if you didn't make it this year, we hope you'll join us then!
Morning Session from Above
Over 250 participants gathered at Champlain College for the annual Creating Communities of Equity & Respect Conference on March 10th, 2026.
Keynote Presentation
The Yoh Theater Players provided a powerful keynote performance.
Our Team for the Day
A shared vision is a foundational principle described in The Successful Middle School: This We Believe as essential for creating effective, responsive middle schools. The framework emphasizes that successful schools operate with a clear, collective understanding of their purpose and goals for young adolescents. Rather than being a statement created by administrators alone, a shared vision reflects the values and commitments of the entire school community, including teachers, leaders, students, families, and community members. This collective agreement helps ensure that decisions about curriculum, instruction, and school culture consistently align with the developmental needs of middle school students.
Achieving a shared vision requires intentional collaboration and open communication among stakeholders. School leaders often begin the process by facilitating structured discussions about the mission of the school and the needs of the students it serves. Faculty meetings, professional learning communities, and community forums can provide opportunities for educators and families to contribute their perspectives. Through dialogue and reflection, participants identify common beliefs about student learning, development, and success. The process itself is important because it builds ownership; when individuals contribute to shaping the vision, they are more committed to implementing it.
Once established, a shared vision must be consistently reinforced through leadership practices and school structures. Administrators and teacher leaders play a critical role in connecting everyday decisions to the school’s guiding beliefs. Hiring practices, professional development, scheduling, and instructional strategies should all reflect the agreed-upon priorities. For example, if a school’s shared vision emphasizes meeting the diverse developmental needs of adolescents, the school may implement interdisciplinary teaching teams, advisory programs, and student-centered learning approaches. These practices translate the vision from an abstract idea into concrete experiences for students.
Ultimately, the power of a shared vision lies in its ability to unify the school community and guide continuous improvement. When educators share a common understanding of their goals, they can collaborate more effectively and remain focused on what benefits students most. A clearly articulated vision also provides a framework for evaluating progress and making adjustments when challenges arise. By continually revisiting and refining their shared vision, middle schools can maintain alignment with best practices and ensure that their programs remain responsive to the evolving needs of young adolescents.
- The Successful Middle School: Student Voice
- The Successful Middle School Advisory
- The Successful Middle School: A Place to Belong & Become
Proficiency-based instruction and assessment (also referred to as "standards-based") focus on clearly defined learning goals and the demonstration of mastery rather than the accumulation of points or completion of tasks. In a proficiency-based system, students are evaluated based on how well they understand specific standards or skills. Teachers identify what students should know and be able to do, communicate those expectations clearly, and assess student progress using criteria that describe different levels of proficiency. This approach shifts the focus from grades and averages to actual learning, helping students understand what they have mastered and what they still need to improve.
One key element of proficiency-based learning is the use of clearly articulated learning targets and performance levels. Teachers design lessons and assessments that align directly with these targets, ensuring that instruction is purposeful and focused. Rubrics play an essential role in this process because they clearly describe what different levels of performance look like. By outlining criteria for proficiency, rubrics help both teachers and students understand the expectations for a given skill or task. Rather than relying on a single test or assignment, students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding over time, and rubrics provide consistent guidance for evaluating that progress.
Proficiency-based instruction and assessment are important because they promote equity and clarity in the learning process. When expectations and criteria are transparent, students know exactly what is required to achieve proficiency. Rubrics support this transparency by breaking complex skills into clear, understandable components and describing what successful performance looks like. This can reduce confusion about grading and make learning goals more accessible to all students. Additionally, because students are encouraged to continue working toward mastery, the system recognizes that students learn at different paces and provides opportunities for growth and improvement rather than penalizing early mistakes.
For middle level students in particular, proficiency-based learning can increase engagement by making learning more meaningful and transparent. Adolescents benefit from understanding the purpose behind what they are learning and how their progress is measured. When teachers share rubrics, learning scales, or proficiency descriptors, students can better track their own development. Rubrics give students a concrete reference point for evaluating their work and understanding how to improve. This sense of ownership can increase motivation, as students see learning as a process of improvement rather than a one-time performance.
Proficiency-based systems also encourage students to take an active role in self-assessment and progress monitoring. By reflecting on feedback, reviewing learning targets, and comparing their work to rubric criteria, students develop metacognitive skills and greater responsibility for their learning. Tools such as progress charts, reflection journals, and student-led conferences can help students monitor their growth over time. With the support of clear rubrics and ongoing feedback, students become more aware of their strengths and areas for improvement, helping them develop the habits and skills needed to become independent, lifelong learners.
Here are a few resources and tools to help you implement place-based learning in your classroom:
- Essential Text: The Standards-Based Classroom, Rinkema & Williams (VT educators!)
- Informational Article: Getting Started with Standards-Based Grading, Edutopia
- Informational Article: Establishing Consistent Standards-Based Grading Throughout Your School, Edutopia
- Implementation Toolkit: Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education
- Problem-Solving Resource: Extinguishing the Fires Podcast
- Attend the Middle Grades Collaborative's monthly "Conversations" to discuss problems of practice and strategies for overcoming them.
- Join the VAMLE board! More information about board membership can be found here on our website. We would love to have you as part of our team!
- Attend the Middle Grades Institute at St. Michael's College or St. Johnsbury School District this summer!
Contact VAMLE:
Kyle Chadburn (he/him)
Executive Director
P.O. Box 62
Newport, VT 05855