THE CCS NEWSLETTER

CCS Community,

What a community it is. Here are a few quick, community-driven shout-outs and reminders:

• Lego Hawks at the State Tournament: Our CCS Lego Hawk engineers headed to GlobalFoundries this past Saturday to compete in the Vermont State Tournament for the FIRST LEGO League. What an impressive group of students—creative, hardworking, and full of teamwork. Check out a few photos below!

• Digital Well-Being Caregiver Events: Our Student Support Team has organized three nights of learning and conversation for caregivers focused on being intentional about digital well-being. Schools—including CCS—are often impacted by quick online choices that can harm students and relationships. While we work with students on this regularly, we also want to partner with families and the wider CVSD community in a thoughtful, proactive way. Please take a look, and RSVP as soon as you’re able.

• Food Support Ahead of Weather: With extremely low temperatures and snow forecasted over the next few days, CVSD cafeterias—including CCS—are sending home some fruit and shelf-stable food to support families who may have difficulty getting out. We’re grateful to our cafeteria team and staff who worked quickly today to help get food into students’ backpacks. If your family didn’t end up with food and you would benefit from it, please reach out directly to Tim O’Leary (toleary@cvsdvt.org) this weekend, and we’ll do the best we can to help you out.

Thank you for being part of CCS—these are three strong examples of our community in action.

With gratitude,

Tim O’Leary & Beth Slater

Charlotte Central School Leadership Team

As part of our ongoing commitment to school safety and emergency preparedness, CCS will be holding our first Options-Based Safety Drill (Run–Hide–Fight) of the year on Monday, January 26. We have had other drills: egress/fire drills and a very successful relocation drill already.

This options-based drill will be differentiated by age:

• Grades K–4 will practice the “Hide” option in a developmentally appropriate way.

• Grades 5–8 will talk through a scenario as a class and make a shared decision about what option they might choose.

The Vermont Agency of Education requires two Options-Based drills each school year, and we will complete a second drill later this spring.

If there is no school on Monday, January 26 due to the weather predications, the drill will be postponed to Monday, February 2.

We know drills like this can bring up questions or worries for some students and caregivers. If you’d like support with how to talk about this at home, these resources may be helpful:

• Tinybeans: How to talk to kids about school lockdown drills

• ParentsTogether: An age-by-age guide to talking about lockdown drills

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if your child may need additional support. You can reach out to your child's teacher or directly to Tim O’Leary, CCS Principal, at toleary@cvsdvt.org. You can also visit the CVSD Safety website for more information about district safety practices and resources.

Get in touch with me!

blloyd@cvsdvt.org

(802)425-6604

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.

Opportunities for Caregivers/upcoming events

Resources, Food for thought (and maybe some conversation starters)

Managing Big emotions - Thriving Kids podcast from the Child Mind Institute, talks with Dr. Marc Brackett (author of Permission to Feel and Dealing with Feeling) about supporting kids with emotional regulation. Listen and find more details HERE

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! Calm and Connected

Get in touch with me!

blloyd@cvsdvt.org

(802)425-6604

Monday, January 26th - CVU Chorus Visit to CCS, 11:25 - 12:05pm

Wednesday, January 28th - Early Release

Wednesday, January 28th - PTO Math Night, MPR, 6:00 - 7:30

Friday, January 30th - K-4 report cards mailed to caregivers

Friday, January 30th - Winter Ball! Grades 7/8 only, MPR, 7:00 - 9:00pm

Monday, February 2nd - 26-27 Kindergarten Registration Opens (through February 28th)

Wednesday, February 4th - Early Release

Friday, February 5th - Field Trip, CCS to UVM Basketball Game, Patrick Gymnasium, 10:00 - 2:00pm (see below for more details)

Wednesday, February 11th - CCS PTO Meeting, Cafe, 8:00 - 9:00am

Wednesday, February 11th - Early Release

Wednesday, February 18th - Early Release

Monday, February 23rd through Friday, February 27th - NO SCHOOL - Winter Break

Tuesday, March 24th - Save the Date: Celebrate the Arts at CVU

We’ve got a whole new crew behind the cameras and mic —bringing you school news, fun moments, and student voice.

Check it out!

All unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the day, Friday, January 30th.

We couldn’t have done it without the help of our older buddies—thank you for your patience, encouragement, and leadership!

SPARK Clubs

Connection. Engagement. Identity. Direction.

The CCS LEGO Hawks stormed GlobalFoundries for the FIRST LEGO League Vermont State Tournament last Saturday!

After qualifying at a regional competition in December, our team showed up ready to work hard and have fun—engineering , brainstorming , creating , presenting , and collaborating like true teammates

So proud of the memories made and the teamwork on display.

Congrats, CCS engineers!

Students in grades K-4 are participating in the Red Clover Book Award Program! Each year thousands of Vermont students share the 10 nominated picture books and vote for their favorite in the spring. Here are this year's nominees!

On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the whole CCS school (students and staff), will be attending the UVM Women’s Basketball Game. This is a school-wide PBiS celebration and an exciting opportunity for our school community. Students will be chaperoned by our staff. The schedule for the trip is as follows:

● Grades K-8 leave for UVM 10:00

● The game starts at 11:00

● Students will return between 1:30 and 1:45

All students will need is lunch. Lunches can be brought from home or bag lunches will be available for order through the cafeteria. Students will be eating lunch at Patrick Gymnasium.

If you have an appointment for your child or other scheduling conflicts, please let your child(ren)’s teacher know so we can plan accordingly.

***Since we have students with serious food allergies we ask that all students be sensitive to these allergies. Please follow the food guidelines for your classroom.

We are excited about this trip and our future collaboration with the UVM Women’s Basketball Team! We encourage all students to wear green and/or gold that day in the spirit of UVM.

The CCS Yearbook is now available for order. The CCS yearbook is primarily for middle school students, grades 5-8, as only these students are featured in the yearbook. The cost of the yearbook is $30. If purchasing a yearbook for your student is a financial hardship for your family, please reach out confidentially to our school counselor, Betsy Lloyd at blloyd@cvsdvt.org so we can make sure your middle schooler can receive a yearbook.

The deadline to order a yearbook is February 4, 2026. Please order your yearbook today!

For yearbook related questions, please reach out to our yearbook advisor, Elisa Miller, at emiller@cvsdvt.org.

January marks National Mentoring Month when we pause to celebrate the caring adults in our community who show up for our youth in meaningful, formative ways. For more than 25 years, Connecting Youth has paired thousands of community mentors with 5-8th grade students across Charlotte Central School, Hinesburg Community School, Shelburne Community School, and Williston Central School.

The short video below highlights the heart of mentoring and its impact: trusted, caring relationships that ensure young people feel seen, supported, and connected to their community as they navigate the middle school years. Not to mention the value it brings for the mentor too.

As we honor our mentors, we are also reminded of the ongoing need for caring community members to step into this important role. Interested in learning more about becoming a mentor yourself? Reach out to CCS program coordinator Jessica Phelan at jphelan@cvsdvt.org.

Join students from across the Champlain Valley School District for an evening of entertainment and celebration, showcasing performing and visual arts from the district’s six schools. This annual tradition returns to CVU on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, transforming the high school halls and theater into a vibrant gallery of learning, innovation and inspiration.

The 14th-annual Celebrate the Arts Night brings together art, music, theater, media, arts, foods, business, design and technology in a one-night-only exhibition of student creativity.

The CVSD Early Education Program is now accepting applications for a random prekindergarten lottery drawing for the 2026-27 school year. This lottery is for an opportunity to enroll in one of our school-based classrooms which runs 4 partial days per week. Our school-based prekindergarten classrooms are 5 STARs, licensed early education programs that provide play-based, developmentally appropriate environments for all children in an inclusive setting. Our curriculum is based on the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS).

Our programs follow the CVSD school calendar. Children who will be age 3 or older by September 1, 2026, who are not eligible for kindergarten, and live in the communities of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston are eligible to enter the lottery. Families who are selected for the lottery and choose to enroll their child in a CVSD program access their Act 166 publicly funded prekindergarten funds for the school-based program.

All applications must be received by February 5, 2026, and are located on the CVSD Early Education website under PreK Enrollment. Paper applications are available upon request.

For additional information, questions about our program, or any concerns about your child’s development, please visit our website or contact Director of Early Education, Erin Gagne at egagne@cvsdvt.org. Our Early Education team is also available for developmental screenings in the areas of communication, social-emotional development, motor skills, adaptive development, and cognition. More information about an Early Multi-Tiered System of Supports is also available on the website.

Registration Fees:

$129 Program fee (for those 6+ or those without a BV season's pass)

$49 Program fee (for those under 6 or who have a BV season's pass)

No Charge/FREE to borrow equipment from CCS on a first come/first serve basis

BV rental equip. Optional: please see Charlotte Recreation website for details

$75 lessons - Levels 1 or 2, ski or snowboard

Chaperones:

Chaperones are needed to maintain a 1-to-10 ratio to students. Chaperones ski free or at a sharply reduced rate and are expected to help and have fun. Some chaperones are needed to ride the bus. More info for “1st timers” at the meeting!

Transportation:

Bus/Transportation leaves CCS after school and returns by 7:40pm. Students MUST (unless

prearranged) return the same way they arrived. If changes occur for the ride home, the parent or child MUST notify the bus coordinator or driver of the car in which your child arrived.

Equipment Donations:

As always, we are on the lookout for newer skis, boards, boots, and helmets. If you would like to

donate, please drop off at Charlotte Town Hall to the Rec Department (Gary Rogers), or contact

Michael Krasnow (mkrasnow1@gmail.com), who will be doing the fittings.

Registration:

Registration is now being done through the Charlotte Recreation website. Please head to

https://charlottevt.myrec.com/info/activities/default.aspx to register.

Financial Aid/Scholarships - Financial Aid is available for any student who would otherwise be unable to participate. Contact Gary Rogers at information below.

Need More information: email recreation@townofcharlotte.com or call/text: (802) 989-2929

Are you interested in being a part of the CCS community and get paid? Consider being a substitute / guest teacher? Interested individuals should reach out to CVSDHR@cvsdvt.org.

More information about subbing can be found here.

• Athletics
• Bus Schedules / Routes
• Calendar: 2025-26
• CCS & CVSD Handbook
• Connecting Youth Mentoring
• CVSD School Board
• Food Service and Menu
• Health Office
• MySchoolBucks
• Volunteer at CCS

We welcome your feedback at any time. Whether it's intended for our school’s leadership team, district office, or a specific department, your message will be directed to the appropriate team members. We aim to follow up within three business days.

The CCS Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a partnership between parents, teachers, and staff, working together to create enriching experiences for our students. Visit our website, Facebook, and Instagram pages for the latest and stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to get involved!

• Access Community Education Classes and Registration
• Charlotte Food Shelf
• Charlotte Public Libary

• Town of Charlotte

Tim O'Leary, Principal; toleary@cvsdvt.org

Beth Slater, Assistant Principal & Director of Special Services; eslater@cvsdvt.org

Find CCS on Instagram and Facebook, too!