The Lamoille Ledger
Superintendent's Weekly News - March 29th, 2024
Important Dates / Resources
April 8th - NO SCHOOL (Solar Eclipse)
April 22nd - 26th - NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)
May 27th - NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
June 18th - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Monthly Update
Dear Lamoille South Community,
It was great to see so many families turn out for our latest round of parent conferences. Thank you for taking the time to visit and connect with our teachers. There are many exciting things happening in our schools right now, including an influx of field trips, guest speakers, spring sports, concerts, and a new round of enrichment activities for our elementary students. Things are going extremely well in all areas and much of that success can be attributed to the support of our community. On March 15th, Stowe approved our school budget. After a narrow defeat, the EMUU Budget is up for a new vote and we encourage everyone to please make sure you fill out your ballot and encourage others to do the same. The EMUU vote is on April 16th.
I would like to personally congratulate Ryan Bennett (SSD), Peggy Sprague (EMUU), and Nancy Gleason (SSD) on their elections to the Stowe and EMUU School Boards! I would also like to thank Alan Ouellette for his years of service and dedication to the students of Lamoille South.
Please read more important updates below.
Sincerely,
Ryan Heraty
Superintendent
Lamoille South Supervisory Union
802-888-4541
VTCAP (Cognia) Testing
We have started our VTCAP testing in some schools and others will begin soon. All students in grades 3-9 take the State’s annual academic assessment in mathematics and English language arts, and all students in grades 5, 8, and 11 take the State’s annual academic assessment in science. The testing so far has been smooth which is good news after the technical glitches we saw with the platform last year. We encourage our students to always put their best foot forward and appreciate your support as this is one of the ways we can demonstrate how much our students have learned.
STEM SUCCESS
One big celebration over the past month involved an engineering team from Peoples Academy winning first place in the Troitsky International bridge building competition at Concordia University in Canada! They were the first high school team to be invited to this college-level engineering competition and competed against 38 college/university student teams from all over Canada. Not only were they the lone high school team, they were the only US team and one of only two all-female teams.
WCAX did a great story on the event which was a true shining moment for Lamoille South. PAML also took first place in a bridge building competition at Vermont State University in Norwich this week and Stowe High School is in their second year of launching a successful FIRST robotics team. They recently participated in a competition in Lewiston, Maine where the team was a district event finalist.
Below: Click on the picture to learn more about the PA Bridge Champions
Budget Updates / State Advocacy
The ballots for EMUU have been mailed and HERE is an overview of budget highlights. One important note is that the tax rate is estimated to be $1.26 for the next fiscal year. As a comparison, the tax rate was $1.55 in Fiscal Year 2022 which was my first year as superintendent. Both boards have done an excellent job at keeping spending at a reasonable level while still providing students with a high quality education.
This week, I had a chance to speak at a joint meeting with the VT House education and Ways / Means committees. In the short-term, I've asked legislators to urgently address statewide cost-containment and transparency before the end of the current session. For long-term goals, I have asked lawmakers to redesign the funding formula, support the Agency of Education, and address capital improvement funding. After the meeting, I had a chance to sit down with Chairs Kornheiser and Conlon. Both were very receptive and I left feeling hopeful that action will be taken. It was apparent that this process is complicated and very challenging due to all individual interests that were at the table (e.g., small schools, private schools). It was also very clear that we lacked legislative representation on either of what might be the two most powerful committees, making very important decisions regarding education and taxes.
Director of Curriculum and Instruction: Karen Fredericks
We are excited to announce a new hire for Lamoille South that will begin on July 1st. Karen Fredericks will be taking over as our new Director of Curriculum and Instruction this summer. She joins our district after serving in same position for the Barre Unified Union School District for the past two years. The hiring committee, which represented teachers and administrators, felt very excited about this addition to our team.
Here are some words from Karen:
Hello! I am thrilled to be joining the LSSU team; and to be starting a new chapter in my life. I have spent the last 20 years working in education (the majority of which has been working with faculty, staff, and students in the Barre Unified Union School District). I have experienced many different roles along my journey, from special services paraprofessional, middle school teacher, and instructional coach, to MTSS Coordinator and Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. I have a Masters in Education and am an alumni of the Upper Valley Educator Institute. I live in Montpelier with my husband and daughter (who will be in the 5th grade next year).
I have already learned a lot about Lamoille South, and the amazing individuals that make it a great place to be. I am looking forward to getting to know you while we lean in on curriculum and instruction together.
Karen Fredericks she/her (Why?)
