Do you have a 7th or 8th grade student? Are they potentially interested in attending college in the future? Do you have no idea where to start or how to help them? The VSAC program might be a good fit for your student! To qualify for VSAC students should be in either 7th or 8th grade, highly motivated, have parents/guardians that did not attend college (or did not finish a 4-year bachelor's degree), and/or have limited income/financial resources.
If your student enrolls in the VSAC program while in middle school, they will meet once a month and learn about career interests, financial literacy, and hopefully visit various college campuses. Students who are nominated for this program will meet with the VSAC representative at HMMS on November 7th to receive parental permission slips, which need to be completed and returned before students are able to participate. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, or your student's potential involvement in VSAC, please reach out to either your school counselor (Shannon Reilly at reillys@hartfordschool.s.net or or Annmarie Hall at halla@hartfordschools.net), the VSAC Representative Beth Clay at VSAC at clay@vsac.org.
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Behind the Mask: Understanding Anxiety, Perfectionism, and Masking in 2e kids (2e = twice exceptional)
November 12, 2025 7 - 8:30pm Pacific Standard Time (10-11:30pm EST)
Zoom
This event will be recorded and emailed to all RSVPs.
NEW This event will have live Spanish translation.
Why is your bright, capable child so hard on themselves—or so exhausted after school? Why do they seem fine on the outside but melt down at home? Many twice-exceptional (2e) kids feel enormous pressure to “pass” as neurotypical, to meet their potential, and to hide the parts of themselves that feel different. The result? Anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout.
In this candid and compassionate talk, therapist and autism coach Rainn Stone and neurodivergent educator Jamie Roberts will unpack the hidden struggles behind masking and perfectionism in 2e children. Drawing from lived experience and years of working with neurodivergent youth and families, Rainn and Jamie will help parents understand what’s really going on beneath the surface—and how to respond with support, not shame.
Parents will walk away with:
A deeper understanding of how anxiety and masking show up in 2e learners
Tools to help kids reduce perfectionistic thinking and self-criticism
Strategies to create safer, more authentic spaces for your child—at home and school
This session offers both insight and hope for anyone raising a 2e child who’s trying hard to hold it all together.
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ACCESSING FREE AUDIO BOOKS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE PRINT DISABLED
Presented by the Vermont ABLE Library and VABVI in collaboration with Vermont Pathways to Partnerships
A FREE remote webinar designed for students, school staff and parents
Monday, November 10, 2025
10am-10:30am shortened version (during the school day for transition aged students to attend with or without an adult)
AND repeated at 3pm – 4:00pm (longer version) for anyone wanting a certificate of attendance
About Our Remote Webinar:
Join Karen Gravelin, Director of the Vermont ABLE Library and Stephanie Bissonette, Director of Children Services at VABVI for an hour of learning about free audio books for the print disabled through the Vermont ABLE Library. This program is part of the Vermont Department of Libraries. The ABLE Library is also a network library for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), which is part of the Library of Congress. They provide access to the NLS collection of audio books and braille. They serve patrons who are visually impaired AND patrons who have a physical or reading disability that stops them from being able to read standard print. This service is available to anyone who qualifies and lives in Vermont. Students, school staff, related services providers and parents/guardians are welcome to attend.
Workshop Highlights and Outcomes:
Who qualifies as print disabled?
What does ABLE stand for?
What does BARD stand for?
How can I obtain an application?
How does the qualification process work?
Watch the Across the Fence discussion about BARD
Listen to the VABVI Pod Cast about this service as hosted by former students
Certificate of Attendance will be provided for those who request one.
Register by contacting Stephanie Bissonette, VABVI Director of Children Services sbissonette@vabvi.org with your name, title, school affiliation, email address and time of attendance = 10am OR 3pm. Then we will send you a Zoom link.
