SCS Community Newsletter

Dear SCS Families, Caregivers, and Shelburne Community,

As we settle in to the school year, we are excited to strengthen our connections with families and caregivers. You all are a big part of what makes our community school so lively! Our first PTO meeting took place this week, and the amount of energy going towards making sure kids and families feel engaged with school is truly impressive. We’ll gather on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00. Please consider coming to learn about what’s going on and bring your ideas for the future of SCS! There are many other ways to get involved as well. Conferences get started in October, and we have our PreK-4 Open House, 5-8 Curriculum Night, and an upcoming partnership with Burlington Taiko that will have the sounds of drums echoing throughout the school.

The Beat of Taiko Drums Arrives at SCS!

We are launching our Taiko artist-in-residency program next week with a kickoff performance for grades 3-8 on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Over the following 10 days, renowned artist Stuart Paton of Burlington Taiko will guide all 3-8 classes, giving every student the chance to experience the power of these incredible drums firsthand. These classes lead up to a special performance on Saturday, Sept. 27. All families are invited to the Ringo Matsuri festival at Shelburne Orchards. This amazing event brings together more than 100 professional drummers from across the U.S. and Canada, and our 4th graders will have the honor of performing with the group. The rain location is the Shelburne Field House.

A huge thank you to our PTO for securing the grant, our dedicated teachers for embracing this opportunity, and Jodi Sanders for the scheduling wizardry that made it all possible.

5th-8th Grade Curriculum Night: A Look Inside the Classroom

Middle-level families are invited to join us on Wednesday, September 24, from 5:00-6:30 PM for our 5-8 Curriculum Night! This is your best opportunity to answer the question, “What is my child learning in school this year?” Based on family feedback, we have adjusted the format to give you more meaningful time with teachers. You’ll spend about half an hour with our Essential Arts and World Language departments and a full hour with your child’s core teaching team. Please allow a little extra time for parking, as our lot can fill up quickly. More specific details will be emailed directly to 5-8 families soon.

PreK-4th Grade Open House: Let Your Student Be the Guide!

The combination of back-to-school energy, beautiful weather, and so much to look forward to has made these first few weeks a joyful time at SCS. We can’t wait to see you at one—or more—of these upcoming events!

In Partnership,

Antonia, Brett, & Jen

9/19 - Dynamic Experience ticket sales continue (check your child's Friday folder)

9/24 - 5th - 8th grade Curriculum Night (5:00- 6:30 pm)

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

10/2 - No School - Yom Kippur

10/1 - Dynamic Experience ticket sales end

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

10/8 - School Picture Envelopes Due

10/9 - Picture Retake/Make up day

CVSD 2025-2026 Calendar

Personalized custom order forms are expected to be sent home on Friday, September 26th along with your child's class photo.

▪ There will be 5 to 6 different poses of your child printed on the envelope for you to choose from. Print or packages can be purchased of multiple poses; there’s no need to pick just one!

Order envelopes are the most economical way to purchase portraits. (cash or check only)

Order envelopes will be due back to school on October 8th

▪ These orders will be delivered back to the school for this distribution to families. We also offer an online ordering option with the same print packages and prices. (credit card)

▪ Online ordering does have an additional tax and shipping cost and will be shipped directly to your home.

▪ You can log into your gallery using your child’s ID number which can be found on their order form.

Here's an important excerpt from the SCS Handbook:

Please let us know of any changes to your child’s normal dismissal plan as soon as possible. Email jgraham@cvsdvt.org or call 802-985-3331 x 101. We must receive a notification by your child’s lunch time, as time is needed to notify teachers about the change in plans.

Did you know that Students who miss 2 to 4 days of school by the end of September are 5 times more likely to be chronically absent than students who miss fewer than 2 days? One study found that half of the students who missed 2-4 days in September went on to be chronically absent for the year. We're pleased that we have started off the year with a strong attendance rate. Our average daily attendance has been 97.7% in the first 12 days of school so far. Let's keep that strong showing going throughout the year!

We know cold and flu season is coming up - the graphics below can be a helpful tool for determining when to keep your kids home if they're not feeling 100%

Please click the headers below to learn more about the 5th-8th band and chorus programs at SCS this year.

Our first fire drill was smooth and orderly thanks to the teamwork of students and staff.

Yellow Team students collected data as part of a bottle-flipping lab in science class this week.

The Parent Student Community Engagement group meets once a month throughout the school year. This is an opportunity for ongoing dialogue between parents, caregivers, and the school. All are welcome!

1. The focus area of the first meeting will be behavior systems and restorative justice practices at SCS. Date and time coming soon.

2. Other possible topics for the year include: student clubs; supporting multilingual learners; curriculum planning; data and systems; planning for potential school-based health clinic; CVSD Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), engaging with local resources such as the Rokeby Museum, Shelburne Farms, and Clemmons Family Farm

3. Participants can join in person in the SCS library or remotely.

4. If you have topics of interest or concern that you would like to share with the school administration directly, you can fill out the CVSD Connect With Us Form.

To join the group’s email list, please fill out this form.

Please see below for an important message for any SCS students who spend time at the Pierson Library after school, particularly on Wednesdays during early release. You can click on the image to get a larger version. We are so fortunate to have a robust community library, and we want to do everything we can to support their after school programming. Thank you!

Tired of drafty windows and high heating bills? The Shelburne Climate & Energy Committee is helping organize a WindowDressers Community Build to create low-cost, custom insulating window inserts that can reduce fuel costs by up to 20%. These attractive, removable inserts stop drafts while still letting in sunlight and views. The program’s affordability comes from a cooperative model where all participants help assemble the inserts during the build, which will be held at the Shelburne Town Hall from November 14-19. The deadline to sign up for a free, no-obligation window measurement is September 20th. Financial assistance is available.

To learn more and sign up, visit www.windowdressers.org or contact Judy Raven at ravenvt@msn.com.

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