Our first school day in August for students in grades K-4 is Wednesday, August 26.
Our first school day in August for students in Preschool is Tuesday, September 1.
Many of our staff members spent at least part of their summer attending trainings to enhance their professional development. Teachers participated in learning about best practices in writing, math and reading. I, myself, took a class taught by Chrisitian Courtemanche, called Math Menu. Instead of teaching first grade math this year, I will be teaching second grade math. I am very excited to be continuing with my former first grade students. Math menu is a strategy to differentiate within the math period and offer students opportunities for enrichment, extra practice and time to explore special interests.
We recently received a grant from the Agency of Education to work with professionals from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to promote some initiatives of FirstSchool. To that end, Steve Menz, Helen-Anne Cafferty, April Thompson, Tina Cole, Janet Gill and I attended a four day summer institute at the Lake Morey Inn, in Fairlee, Vermont. FirstSchool has as one of it's focus areas to make the transition from Preschool through all the ensuing grades more seamless. We will be working this year to identify all the strengths of our Preschool program and developing ways to continue these positive practices throughout all of our classrooms and school. In addition, we will be identifying specific classroom practices that are effective and efficient and promote cultures of caring, competence and equity. I will update you over the year as we learn more about this exciting professional development.
Please take a moment to check out the letter from our transportation coordinator and the bus routes this year.
August 11, 2015
Dear Parents and Students:
Welcome to the 2015-16 school year.
Please take a moment to review the bus schedule at www.cesu.k12.vt.us under the General and Parent Info tab, the select Bus Information. Most routes remain the same as last year; if there has been a change it is highlighted. Times are provided for fall and spring. During the winter season, buses may begin their routes five minutes earlier due to road conditions. If any permanent changes occur, you will be notified. Students should be at the bus stop, ready to board the bus at least five minutes prior to the expected arrival of the bus. This will avoid unnecessary delays for the students further along on the route. Please be aware that drop-off and pick-up times may vary during the first weeks of school.
Students will be picked up and dropped off at their designated stop unless a written, dated request is given to school personnel. The school will provide a bus pass that specifies the bus number, address, and date to the student. The student will then give the bus pass to the bus driver. Students without written parental permission and school bus pass will not be able to ride an alternate bus.
Preschool and kindergarten students will only be released into the care of a parent or other authorized person at their designated stop. The person must meet the child at the bus door. If the person is not present to receive the child, the child will be returned to the school, and the parent contacted to arrange transportation for the child. Parents of preschool students will be notified of the bus schedule through their school or by the Transportation Department.
Safety is our first priority. To ensure a safe ride, students must follow the expectations that are posted in the bus. In addition, bus expectations are outlined in Student Handbooks and posted on the Chittenden East website (www.cesu.k12.vt.us). Please review the bus rules with your child.
For safety reasons, skateboards are not allowed on school buses. Large items and sports equipment are allowed only on a space available basis. If room for these items is not available, parents will need to arrange alternative transportation for these items. DOT regulations prohibit items in the aisle.
Sports equipment (e.g. skis, hockey, football and lacrosse) must be placed in equipment bags.
We look forward to safe and pleasant travels this school year. Please contact the bus garage at 899-4840 or transportation@cesuvt.org if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Ray Staskus, Transportation Supervisor
