“Courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” -Maya Angelou

December 11, 2020

Today we are so grateful for everyone in the Stowe school community for their support, understanding, flexibility, and patience. The systems that we developed and refined for this type of situation helped us to make a quick and smooth transition to remote learning this week. Our faculty and staff knew exactly what they needed to do and moved into action without hesitation. A huge THANK YOU to our faculty and staff for their tenacity, calmness, effort, and creative thinking!

Due to our continued safe and healthy protocols in our schools and our work this week, we are excited to be back on track for in-person learning starting Monday, December 14th. We will move back to our hybrid schedule and students in the Monday/Thursday cohort will return to in-person classes on the 14th. Students in the other cohort will follow remote learning directions from their teachers to prepare for their first day back on Tuesday. We do recognize that some families may be hesitant to send their students back to school as the case numbers continue to increase in and around our community. We will continue to be vigilant with all of our safe and healthy practices in order keep our schools safe. However, if your student will not be attending in-person classes, we ask that you please contact the school. We also ask that students connect with their teachers in order to receive the lesson plans and work they will be missing. As with any change that we must make, there is always room for improvement as well as celebrating the positives. We would appreciate your feedback on this week’s remote learning week. Please take a few minutes to complete this feedback form.

Although we were in a remote setting this week, the work of our student leaders did not stop. Our student leadership group in collaboration with our National Honor Society are planning a winter carnival to build more school spirit and spread some joy. We will be hosting the winter carnival over two days so all students can participate. The plan is to end our days on Monday, December 21 and Tuesday, December 22 with different activities including making cards and bookmarks to bring to various nursing homes in and around our community and donating food items to local food shelves. There will be some friendly competitions built into these days as well. We are looking forward to this great event!

Along with planning for some fun, social events, our SEL (social-emotional learning) Task Force has also been working diligently to identify ways to continually support our students. The SHS SEL task force is focused on social emotional learning and the well being of all of our students. In addition, our task force is working with the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Research organization, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The work with REL is focused on attendance and engagement on student remote days as well as their emotional well-being. We know that when students are socially/emotionally supported, they are ready to learn. The other area of focus with the REL group is supporting teachers, as the work during a global pandemic is creating higher stress and anxiety levels which makes it harder for teachers to support and connect with students.

We know now - more than ever - that we need to reach out to our students since we do not see them everyday. Therefore, we will be asking students to use the Engage Survey next week on December 17th and 18th. The Engage Survey is non-anonymous and will provide a deeper look at a student’s overall experience in the school community and beyond. It is an invitation to encourage student voice and choice while providing our school with essential information on the academic and social/emotional well-being of a student and the school at large. Engage is our attempt to map the engagement of all our students. For those who are disconnected, we want to build connections; for those who are thriving, we want to understand and grow those conditions. Engagement may be a school’s most important indicator for wellness and successful learning, and it is something we can measure by examining the conditions that create it. We are excited to be partnering with Engage and REL to continue to support our students.

Lastly, we are excited to announce David (Case) Bradbury, SHS senior, has been selected as one of Vermont’s 2021 Presidential Scholars, who are chosen for their outstanding leadership and service to their communities. All students selected at the Vermont level of this program will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) for consideration as a Presidential Scholar at the national level. Congratulations Case! Also, Savannah Rolfe, SHS senior, has been selected for Honorable Mention in Vermont’s Presidential Scholars Program. Congratulations Savannah!

Snow Days will be School Days:

As the colder weather approaches and we already saw snow this week, we need to plan for the possibility of school closings due to inclement weather and unsafe road conditions. In the event we need to call for a snow day, we have developed a remote learning plan so that students can continue with their coursework. When we have a snow day, we will follow our current schedule . For example, if we need to call a snow day on a Tuesday, the students that were scheduled for in-person will have their classes remotely via Google Meet. Students who were already scheduled for a remote day will continue with the plan that was outlined by their teachers for remote learning.

Technology News:

Schoology: The Parent View in Schoology presentation is designed to help families understand and navigate Schoology.

Family Resources:

Wondering how to support your student in a year of hybrid learning? Join the SMHS School Counseling team on Tuesday, December 15th, at 9:00 A.M. for a virtual conversation on supporting students in a hybrid year. The topics that will be covered are:

• Build a Schedule/ Set a Routine

• Designate a Spot for Learning

• Stay in Communication with Teachers

• Sweet Spot for Amount of Learning Time

• Use Intentional Breaks

• Get to Know Online Platforms (schoology, VTVLC, etc.)

• Give Yourself Grace

Here is the link for the meeting. No need to RSVP. Bring your coffee! We are looking forward to connecting.

EVENT: Live Webinar: Transforming Stress & Building Resilience with Dave Melnick, LICSW

Thursday, January 14 and Thursday, February 18 6:45-8:00pm