Smilie Day at Bolton Valley on Thursday, April 2, 2015! We will eat lunch at 10:20 and board buses at 11:00 a.m. Students will participate in the activity for which they signed up. We will return to school by 2:00 p.m. Look for a more detailed letter on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. We'd love to have you join us!

Parents of 3, 4 & 5 year olds. Please read the message below and note that Part2-The early Years still has openings here at Smilie! Please contact Jeffrey O'Hara to sign up! Our program will allow kindergarten students. State subsidies and scholarships are available for qualified families.

After School enrichment (ASE) a big hit!

Sculpture! An After School Enrichment (ASE) Workshop. Students had a great time creating interesting sculptures.

Enjoy a virtual Tour of the Terracycle Site!

Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the products you TerraCycle?  Take a virtual tour of the TerraCycle headquarters to become more informed and to get inspired!

Please continue to be mindful of sending in TerraCycle items from home!  It's important to keep waste out of landfills and be a part of turning it into something useful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA9Iw9OsJmo

Thank you for your support!

Letter Regarding 2015-2016 Calendar

March 24, 2015

Dear Chittenden East Families,

On behalf of the Chittenden East Governing Board, we would like to apologize for our failure to effectively communicate about the two-hour delays included in the 2015-2016 school calendar. We should have provided more public information before we approved the calendar and posted the calendar on our websites.

The new Vermont Education Quality Standards (State Board Rule 2000) state supervisory unions shall provide professional learning for staff involved in student instruction that is embedded into the school day. Requiring professional development during the school day will force modifications to the school day and school year calendar. We will try to make this change as trouble-free as possible.

 Like Chittenden East, some Vermont supervisory unions have delayed start times, while others have early release days, or half days, or a combination of those options. In some supervisory unions, there are different delay or start times by school building. Given a number of factors, we decided a delayed start once a month would be the best way to balance the needs of students, parents, and staff.

Each school building will have a safe space available for students on these mornings. Breakfast will be served, and some limited bussing may be available. Teachers and staff will be able to collaborate not only within a building, but in other configurations that will enable us to improve our educational delivery. Technology and planning will allow teachers from multiple elementary schools to work together on lessons, or teachers from the middle and high schools to collaborate in order to ensure a smooth transition for students. Other areas of focus for staff will include:
             ➢ Implementing Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) at Middle Schools and High School (state                     mandate)
             ➢ Implementing Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirements (state mandate)
             ➢ Implementation of Common Core (adopted by state)
             ➢ K-12 Data Teams (New Education Quality Standards)
             ➢ Effective training for Readers and Writers Workshop K-8 (local initiative)

We are resolute in supporting students and families with this change to the school calendar, considering community feedback, and providing updates throughout the adjustment process. Sincerely,

 Jon Milazzo,Chair            Andrew Pond, Vice Chair                John Alberghini, Superintendent

4th Grade Parent Information Night!

The Parent Orientation meeting with Principal Mark Carbone from Camel's Hump Middle School, will be held in the library at Smilie Memorial School, on Wednesday, March 25, starting at 6:30 p.m.  Tips on how to successfully transition from grade 4 to grade  five will be shared.

EARLY RELEASE TODAY: Monday, March 23, 2015

Students will have an early lunch and board buses today at 11:10 a.m.

New Calendar

     The CESU Governing Board approved the calendar for next year and we have posted it on the school website.There are a few changes we wanted to share with you.  First, Labor Day is very late, so it feels as though school is starting earlier than normal.  This is due to the way the days of the month fall.
     Second, it is the mission of our school district to engage all learners.  In the next year we will be working on developing personal learning plans for students and personalizing our instruction so each child is challenged and supported.  Some of our changes require new learning for our teachers.  To assure the very best educational delivery​, it is vital that we​ allow time for training. 

     You will see on the calendar two hour late start days on the second Wednesday of each month (Sept 9; Oct 14; Nov 11; Dec 9; Jan 13; Feb 10; March 9; April 13; May 11).  On these days, staff will be engaging in professional development and training to better serve student needs.  On these mornings​,​ the school day and morning bus pick up will start exactly two hours later than the normal schedule. The in-school day will be adjusted slightly. 

     We will be working over the next several months​ to brainstorm possible steps to mitigate challenges this calendar change may cause families.

     We wanted to make you aware of the changes in our calendar next year as we look forward to our continued work together.  Please let us know if you have any questions. 

We wanted to make you aware of the changes in our calendar next year as we look forward to our continued work together.  Please let us know if you have any questions. 

Richmond Area Little League Baseball and 

Softball Information 

Who: Kindergarten through 6th grade boys and girls. 7th grade boys are eligible if they will turn 13 after April 30th, 2015. 7th grade girls are eligible if they turn 13 any time in 2015. 

The Richmond Area Little League includes the towns of Richmond, Huntington, and Bolton. This year, once again, we welcome girls from Jericho and Underhill to join our softball program as well. 

How to register: The BEST way to register is online. This saves us a lot of extra work and allows you to pay by credit card. Go to our website: http://richmondarealittleleague.com and click on the “Register Now” button. Alternatively, you can fill out the paper form, available in your school office or on the website, and mail it along with a check to: Richmond Area Little League, P.O. Box 19, Richmond, VT 05477.

Cost: $50, if you register by March 28, 2015. If you register after that, please add the late fee of $35. NO REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER APRIL 10th! 

Location: Teams play games and practice at Volunteer’s Green and Brown’s Court fields in Richmond. All Softball teams as well as AAA and Majors Baseball teams also play out-of-town games. Equipment: All players need to bring their own baseball or softball glove. For AAA and Majors baseball  and Minors and Majors softball, cleats and baseball/softball pants are highly recommended. Uniform shirts and hats are included in the price of registration. The league provides bats and batting helmets, but recommends players have their own helmets if possible. If you need financial assistance or help finding the right equipment for your child, please contact us. 

Team Placement: New this year, all girls will play softball. Please see the chart below for the softball divisions based on grade level. Boys are placed into divisions based on grade level and ability. Boys in grades 1-4 must attend the Mandatory Placement Day on Saturday March 28th from 9:30 - 11a.m. at Camel’s Hump Middle School. This allows us to place them with kids of similar abilities and make sure the teams are fair. 

Post-Season: Girls and Boys ages 9-12 have the opportunity to compete on a Richmond All-Star team in the Vermont District 1 Little League Tournament. Teams are selected based on ability level and performance in regular season games. A commitment is required to participate. Tournament games are generally played between the end of school and mid-July. Coaches will distribute forms to eligible players at the end of May, and teams will be announced at the close of the regular season, in mid-June. 

VOLUNTEER!: RALL is run entirely by volunteers and we need your help to have a successful season! Please check off how you’d like to help when you register, and we will contact you with more information. 

Questions?: Please contact Wendy Gagliardi, RALL president, wgagliardi@gmavt.net or 434-2143 or Michelle Rosen, Softball Coordinator, mrosen70@hotmail.com or 434-6050

 Don’t forget to register by March 28th to avoid the late fee

Student Artists create Voter Wall of Portraits on Town Meeting Day.

Budget Passes.

Read all the information about the passage of our new 2015-2016 MMMUSD budget right here.