SCS Weekly Newsletter 1/20/25

Dear Salisbury Community School Families and Friends,

I hope this newsletter finds you well! The week of the 20th-24th of January will be a short one for students, but will have some neat events! Please look below for details on Nordic Skiing at Rikert on Thursday, and FOSCS "Movie Night" on Friday.

Speaking of neat things, we got some VERY exciting news this week. Our very own Amy Clapp was one of six Vermont educators recently honored by the White House with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, which is the nation's highest distinction for teaching in science, engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Awardees are recognized for their contributions to teaching and learning, along with their ability to help students make progress in those disciplines.

Salisbury students experience and see the great work Amy does all the time- it takes a lot of work, care, and thought to spearhead a district's exploration of a solar eclipse, or to raise trout in a classroom, or maintain a well-provisioned outdoor classroom that gets used with regularity, or, as she did last week, bring in Nulhegan Abenaki Chief Don Stevens to help students build a wigwam. Amy creates learning opportunities that keep her students engaged, interested, and active, and she greatly deserves honors such as this. Salisbury Community School will celebrate Amy in person this week. Check out some pictures below that capture Amy at work with her students over the last few years!

Congratulations Amy! Thank you for being awesome- and we're so glad your awesomeness is seen and recognized!

Monday, January 20th: MLK Day (No School)

Tuesday, Jan 21st: Faculty Inservice- (No School)

Thursday, January 23rd: All-school Nordic Skiing at Rikert in Ripton. (Other days: 1/30, 2/13)

Friday, January 24th: FOSCS Movie Night!

This Thursday, January 23rd, Salisbury Community School is going Nordic (cross-country) skiing at Rikert Outdoor Center in Ripton! The Kindergarteners through 3rd grade will be going in the morning, and returning by lunchtime, and the 4th and 5th grades will be going in the afternoon. Rikert has a great group of volunteer instructors who will be helping fit and teach our students, and join them while they ski!

It looks like the "cold snap" at the beginning of the week will be warming up by Thursday. Even so, Rikert has asked that students each make sure they bring:

• Warm socks: cold feet are miserable! It's also wise to have them be tall, to prevent chafing.
• Mittens, not gloves, if possible. Having all the fingers near each other (like in mittens) not separated (like gloves) held hands stay warmer.
• A hat!

School will begin and end normally, with regular drop-off and pickup. If you have any concerns about your child taking part, or have questions in general, please reach out!

We know there will likely be questions about whether parents can join. It is likely that the answer depends on how many folks are interested. If you are interested in joining skiing, please email principal Bjarki Sears at bsears@acsdvt.org. Once we have a sense of how many folks might be interested, we will ask Rikert about it.

To add to the fun, on Friday the 24th FOSCS will hold another movie night! Doors will open at 5:45, and we will begin the movie at 6:00. So put on those pajamas, grab those sleeping bags and stuffed animals, and come on over!

Please note that report cards will be sent home in students’ backpacks on January 31st. Parents should anticipate a phone call from their child’s teacher shortly thereafter. The purpose of this phone call is to follow up on students’ first semester progress reports and see if families have any questions. Thanks so much!

• Do you have a child who plans to start Kindergarten in 2025-2026? Make sure they are on our incoming student list! If your child will be 5 years old by September 1, 2025 (or you know a friend or neighbor whose child will be) please reach out to our front office at 802-352-4291, or contact SCS Administrative Assistant Donna Simpson at dsimpson@acsdvt.org.

• Do you have a 3-5 year old ready for preschool? Every preschool age child in ACSD is eligible for 10 FREE hours of preschool at a pre-qualified preschool program and NOW* is the time to begin thinking ahead to the 2025-26 school year. Visit https://mbaker61.wixsite.com/uprek/partners for a list of preschools and more information. Reach out to Ashley Bessette, Universal Prek Coordinator, at abessette@acsdvt.org for support or to ask questions.
  *Most preschool programs will begin enrolling in February/March for the 2025-26 school year.

1/15/24

RE: ACSD Panorama Screener

We know that social emotional learning (SEL) is crucial for our students’ success in school and in life, so across ACSD we are working on systems to support strong SEL teaching and learning in our schools. As part of that work, we are using Panorama surveys, research-backed SEL measurement tools. We will use the data we collect with this assessment to reflect on student learning and strengthen our programs and instruction to help all students succeed.

ACSD students have been taking this survey for several years now, and we are actively using the data at the school and district level. At Salisbury Community School it helps us to know both how students are doing as well as respond with whole class, grade, and individual supports as needed.

This survey will be given to ACSD students in grades 3-12 between this week and February 6th . The survey asks students to self-reflect on skills related to self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. We ask that all students participate, because their feedback provides valuable insights to help us improve and adapt. K-2 students do not participate directly in the survey. Instead, K-2 teachers complete an SEL Teacher Perception checklist for each student.

Please notify your child’s teacher as well as Administrative Assistant Donna Simpson as if you wish to opt your child out of taking the survey. Thank you in advance for supporting this important work. If you have any questions please contact SCS Principal Bjarki Sears at bsears@acsdvt.org or 802-352-4291.

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!