SCS Community Newsletter

Dear SCS Families, Caregivers, and Shelburne Community,

This has been a memorable past few days at SCS! Our middle school teachers hosted the second annual 5-8 Curriculum Night on Wednesday. It was a pleasure to welcome families and caregivers into the building early in the year to hear about (and see some of) the important work taking place in our classrooms each day. As one parent shared on the way out, “I’m so lucky my kids get to go to school here!”

On Thursday, we welcomed superintendent Bunting and school leaders from across the district to launch a series of walkthroughs that will take place at all CVSD schools throughout the year. We got to visit classrooms to capture the magic of teaching and learning, and to help connect us more deliberately to the experiences our kids and educators get to share each day. Words like “warmth,” “inviting,” and “calm” were shared as patterns we observed during our debrief. Seeing some students light up when they recognized Adam as the guy who taught them the “Redhawk Salute” on the first day of school was particularly fun.

Finally, today’s schoolwide drumming performance allowed our 4th graders to share the results of our Burlington Taiko residency with our entire student and staff community. The 87 drummers, accompanied by Sensei Patton put on a show for the ages. We are excited for them to have the opportunity to perform for the wider community at Shelburne Orchards tomorrow. Thank you once again to the PTO and everyone else who helped bring this partnership to life. You can view photos from the Taiko residency here.

These types of community-building events do not happen by accident. To bring attention to the hard work that goes into them - and to the daily work of our educators - our staff meetings include time intentionally designed for colleagues to connect, reflect, and build a sense of belonging. This tradition asks staff members to share important news, celebrate personal successes, and express gratitude to a colleague.

This practice has woven a strong web of relationships: actions that may have gone unnoticed are celebrated, the support staff members provide for each other is acknowledged, and milestones of our children and loved ones are shared, reminding us all to commit to work-life balance.

We invite you to join this tradition. Take a moment to send a note to anyone at Shelburne Community School to celebrate a success, acknowledge great work, or simply connect. This single gesture will be entwined with many others, strengthening the fabric of connection and belonging we all need.

In Partnership,

Antonia, Brett, & Jen

9/27 - Ringo Matsuri Taiko event at Shelburne Orchard (10:00 am - 3:00pm)

10/1 - Walk & Bike to School Day (Meet at Church St & Rte 7 @ 7:15 am)

10/1 - Middle-level hike up Mt. Philo

10/1 - Dynamic Experience ticket sales end

10/1 - No afterschool activities

10/2 - No School - Yom Kippur

10/8 - PreK - 4th Open House (5:00 - 6:00pm)

10/8 - School Picture Envelopes Due

10/9 - Picture Retake/Make up day

10/16 - PTO Social Mixer, adults only (Shelburne Tap House, 5:30 - 7:30 pm)

10/18 - PTO Fall Cornhole Tournament (see details below)

10/23 - No School - Diwali

10/24 - No School - Conferences

CVSD 2025-2026 Calendar

Please sign up by 9:00 am Monday if you would like your student(s) to ride the late bus next week on Monday &/or Tuesday.

In observance of Yom Kippur, there are no afterschool activities on Wednedsay, 10/1 and there is No School on Thursday, 10/2.

Typically the late bus will run on Monday-Thursday each week.

THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO SIGN UP FOR THE LATE BUS.

Please note that athletes will need to leave practice approximately 10 minutes early to catch the late bus if their team is practicing at SCS. We ask that you look at practice and game schedules carefully to make sure you’re only registering your child for days they will actually ride.

Please help us minimize disruptions to the teaching and learning during the school day, by following these SCS guidelines:

• Change in Dismissals: please let us know of any changes to your child’s normal dismissal plan, ideally first thing in the morning, but no later than 11:00 am. Email jgraham@cvsdvt.org or call 802-985-3331 x 101

• Please don't bring forgotten items like instruments or water bottles to school.
• If your student has after school activiites, please make a back up dismissal plan at home with your student(s) in the event that activities are cancelled during the day.
• Students should not be emailing home during the day. If they are feeling unwell, they should go to the Health Office.

Personalized custom order forms are expected to be sent home early next week with your child's class photo.

More information about ordering pictures will be emailed home from the photographer.

Make up & retake picture day is scheduled for Thursday, October 9.

Please sign up if you would like your student(s) picture taken.

A “fun-for-all” fundraiser where SCS staff and teachers create unforgettable experiences and outings - and your child gets the chance to win one of them!

From epic adventures to special hangouts with their favorite teachers, students can buy tickets and enter to win the experiences they’re most excited about. It’s a fun way for kids to connect with staff, build memories, and support our school community.

Sales close Wednesday 10/1

Tickets are $1.00 each or 20 for $15

Each student gets one free ticket (via online)

There is no ticket limit, though individual students can only win once.

Purchase your Experience tickets online:

Dynamic Experience Ticket Form

or by visiting https://www.shelburnepto.org/dynamic-experiences for more info

If your family needs a paper copy, please request one from your teacher.

All families are invited to join the Taiko Apple Festival (Ringo Matsuri) at Shelburne Orchards on Saturday, Sep 27 from 10:30 to 3:00.

- Rain Location Shelburne Fieldhouse

- Not an official school event, we hope all Grade 4 students will be able to perform in the youth section at this big event! They will be joined by 80-100 professional Taiko drummers from troupes across the North East and Canada. This could be the biggest Taiko Festival in VT history!

Grade 4 Families

For your child to perform please complete the permission form on this Link.

All students must be accompanied by an adult.

Mark your calendars—our Fall Cornhole Tournament is back! Join us for an afternoon of fun, food, and friendly competition on Saturday,10/18. Open to all ages, from students K–12 to adults. Prizes will go to the top teams in each division, but the real win is coming together to support our school community.

Team registration is now open for teams of two! Grab a friend or family member and sign up by Friday 10/10.

Not playing? Come cheer on the teams and enjoy food, fall treats, face painting, and more. Free for spectators!

We’re also looking to borrow cornhole boards for the day—if you have a set we can use, please add your name to this form!

Questions or want to get involved? Reachout to cornhole@shelburnepto.org

Come meet, mingle, and connect with other parents, caregivers, and SCS community at our upcoming PTO Social Mixer! This is a casual, fun opportunity to build community, share ideas, and learn more about how the PTO supports our school. Light appetizers will be provided.

Thursday, October 16th at 5:30-7:30pm

Shelburne Tap House

Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/WrdhC8w2tPVRxWFCA

We are looking to hire an a.m. and/or p.m. crossing guard to support a safe arrival and dismissal at School Street. Hours would be 7:30-8:00 and 2:30-3:00. If you are interested, please reach out to scsinformation@cvsdvt.org.

Are you interested in having some fun learning alongside our students as a guest teacher (aka sub)? If so, please reach out to CVSDHR@cvsdvt.org or Louise Michaels.

Click here for more information on becoming a sub!

Shelburne Community School Administrative Team

Jen Roth, PreK-4 Principal

Brett Cluff, 5-8 Principal

Antonia Trono, Director of Special Services