SCS Community Newsletter

Dear SCS Families and Caregivers,

Hello Winter! It’s brisk out there today, and it has been a cold week all around. We want to share a few winter-related reminders today to make sure that all students have what they need to persevere this time of year.

We know that getting kids out the door in the winter can feel like a lot of work—the boots, the mittens, the layers! However, we are firm believers that time outside is crucial for a healthy, happy school day. Our daily 20 to 30 minutes of outdoor recess isn't just a break; it is vital to your child’s learning and development. Fresh air and movement help students regulate their energy, relieve stress, and return to the classroom ready to focus.

Here are a few winter recess expectations, as found in our school handbook:

• When We Stay In: If the wind chill or "real feel" temperature drops below zero degrees, we'll bring the fun inside. It may warm up over the course of the day, so grades with earlier recess periods may end up inside while later groups go out. That’s what happened today as the temperature rose throughout the morning and the sun came out.

• When We Go Out: As long as the real feel is at zero or above, we bundle up and head out! We check several different weather apps if it’s a tricky decision, and we tend to lean on the local reading from the National Weather Service in Burlington.

• The Snow Rule: We love the creativity snow brings. While we have dedicated wall space with targets for throwing snow, we must kindly remind everyone that snow should never be thrown at another person.

Successful outdoor time hinges on your help! Please send your child to school with the necessary gear to stay warm and dry. Please label everything so we can reunite lost items with their owners. We strongly recommend:

• A warm, waterproof coat

• Snow pants

• Waterproof mittens or gloves (extras are always helpful!)

• A hat that covers the ears

• Warm, waterproof boots

If you need any assistance obtaining warm winter gear, please let your child’s teacher or one of our school counselors know. We’re happy to help secure the right gear for any student in need. Thank you for helping us make the most of the season!

With the holidays around the corner, we know many of you might be planning some extended family time or travel. If you are heading out of town for any vacations outside of the school calendar, we wanted to share a quick reminder about school work. Our teachers are working at capacity to support students in the classroom every day, so we ask that you please not request work packets in advance of your travel. We promise to do our best to help your child catch up when they return. This helps us respect our teachers' time while ensuring your child can focus on family time while you're away.

In partnership,

Jen, Brett, and Antonia

12/9 - PTO Meeting (6:00pm, Green Common Space)

12/13 - First Lego League Northern Regionals (8:00am - 4:00pm, SCS)

12/16 - Field Trip - 7/8th Grade Chorus

12/16 - CVSD School Board Meeting, (6:00 - 8:00pm, CVU)

12/16 - 4th Grade Chorus Concert (6:30pm, Cafeteria)

12/19 - Field Trip - 8th Grade to CVU

1/16 - 5th/6th Grade Dance (7:00 - 9:00pm, SCS)

CVSD 2025-2026 Calendar

With school closed next week, please remeber to sign up by 9:00 am Monday, 12/8 if you would like your student(s) to ride the late bus the between December 8-11.

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

If your student is signed up for the late bus, we expect they will be on the bus. Please notify the front office if there is an unexpected change in plans.

School directories were sorted and delivered to classrooms on Monday afternoon. One copy was sent home to each family with the oldest sibling.

Thank you to the PTO for making this valuable resource available to our SCS community!

If you didn't receive a directory or need an additional copy, please reach out to the front office for assistance.

We're looking for volunteers to help us grade the qualifying exams for the SCS spelling bee! You don't even have to be a great speller yourself :) Our Spelling Bee advisors will give you an answer key, and we would appreciate the help in turning around the hundreds of written submissions to determine which 3rd-8th grade students will advance to the in-person SCS spelling bee in February.

Grading will take place on Monday, December 15th. If you are able to join us that morning to help grade the qualifying exams that determine who advances to our school-wide bee in February, we would be grateful! Please complete this survey if you can help. We will be in touch with volunteers in early December.

The CVSD Early Education Program is now accepting applications for a random prekindergarten lottery drawing for the 2026-27 school year. This lottery is for an opportunity to enroll in one of our school-based classrooms which runs 4 partial days per week. Our school-based prekindergarten classrooms are 5 STARs, licensed early education programs that provide play-based, developmentally appropriate environments for all children in an inclusive setting. Our curriculum is based on the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS).

Our programs follow the CVSD school calendar. Children who will be age 3 or older by September 1, 2026, who are not eligible for kindergarten, and live in the communities of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston are eligible to enter the lottery. Families who are selected for the lottery and choose to enroll their child in a CVSD program access their Act 166 publicly funded prekindergarten funds for the school-based program.

All applications must be received by February 5, 2026, and are located on the CVSD Early Education website under PreK Enrollment. Paper applications are available upon request.

For additional information, questions about our program, or any concerns about your child’s development, please visit our website or contact Director of Early Education, Erin Gagne at egagne@cvsdvt.org. Our Early Education team is also available for developmental screenings in the areas of communication, social-emotional development, motor skills, adaptive development, and cognition. More information about an Early Multi-Tiered System of Supports is also available on the website.

Yellow Team 7th graders engaged in their "Take Apart" learning in science class.

We’re thrilled to announce the first annual Shelburne Shines: A Winter Talent Show, taking place on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at the CVU Auditorium! This brand-new school-wide event invites students K-8 to perform any talent they love — singing, dancing, playing an instrument, telling jokes, performing magic, gymnastics, martial arts, poetry, skits, theater, or something entirely their own. All talents are welcome!

Registration is open until January 8, and a short performance video is required at sign-up.

Details + registration: shelburnepto.org/talentshow

Join us for a special screening of The Voice of the Hudson, a film that documents the 15-day, 375-mile self-powered journey of eight teenage boys who hiked, paddled, and biked from the highest mountain in New York State to Jersey City, New Jersey, all the while conducting a water quality study of the Hudson River. The young men’s Source to Sea Expedition took them from Mount Marcy to Manhattan and their citizen science work included analysis of the presence of microplastics in the Hudson’s watershed along the river’s entire course. Joe Dadey, one of the trip’s planners and leaders, will be on hand to present the film and answer any questions after the screening. He is the Executive Director of the Saranac Lake-based nonprofit Adirondack Hamlets to Huts. Joe will be joined by Sage Kite-Whidden, one of the Expedition’s student trekkers.

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