October 6, 2022
Dear BSD Community,
I have had a great time reconnecting with students and teachers this year. The best part for me so far has been welcoming our school communities back together inside our school buildings at Open Houses. I had the privilege of being part of these both as a dad and as a member of the BSD team and the events felt rejuvenating and left me feeling joy and gratitude for both of my roles. These experiences align directly with the deeply held value we have of creating a sense of belonging, and we have really been missing this for the past two years.
These events are a good example of things feeling different this year. It is clear that we are getting back to a sense of normalcy in our schools. That said, it is important to acknowledge that there has been an uptick in illnesses, both COVID and Non-covid (such as strep throat, influenza, and rhinovirus) in our community and schools. We have had several students and staff out in the last two weeks because of a combination of these illnesses, but we have been fortunate to be able to keep schools open. As we enter cold and flu season, where COVID also thrives, please remember to stay home when sick, stay up to date on your flu shots and COVID vaccinations/boosters, and refer to the Vermont Department of Health regarding masking and other mitigation measures.
Finally, I want to say thank you to all of you who are reaching out with words of encouragement, as well as questions, as Election Day nears. If you still have questions about the bond, there are a number of resources on our website (including an FAQ and One-pager) and several upcoming opportunities to connect with and hear from leaders, volunteers, and students. Check it out below.
In partnership,
Tom
No School Monday – On Monday we celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, and with that in mind we will start our updates with a land acknowledgment prepared by Champlain Principal Restighini: Burlington Schools sit on land which has served as a site of meeting and exchange among indigenous peoples since time immemorial. The Western Abenaki are the traditional caretakers of these Vermont lands and waters, which they call Ndakinna, or “homeland.” We remember their connection to this region and the hardships they continue to endure. We give thanks for the opportunity to share in the bounty of this place and to protect it. Please take a moment to pause and reflect on this special place where we teach, learn, and grow. To those who came before us, we thank you. On Monday, we take a day away from school, honoring the Indigenous Peoples’ who settled this land.
BHS/BTC 2025 Engagement Opportunities
Wednesday, Oct 12: 8-9AM
Coffee with Tom. Join Superintendent Flanagan to ask questions about the bond or anything else on your mind related to Burlington Schools. (Location TBD, will be posted on the website and our social media channels.)
Thursday, Oct 13: 5:25PM
Superintendent Flanagan and Chair Wool join the CCTV Bond Show, Live at 5:25. Check your local listings to see when and where the show will air, or stop by our website next week for a link to the recording.
Thursday, Oct 13: 7PM
Student Voices on the School Bond Issue. Please join us for an online conversation with BHS Students, Superintendent Flanagan, School Board Chair Wool, Vice Chair Wick, board member Lucia Campriello, and others. Please register in advance for this meeting.
Wednesday, October 19: 7PM
BHS/BTC Town Hall at the Miller Center.
Sunday, Oct 23: 7:30 – 11:30 AM
Volunteers will be tabling Leddy Arena from 7:30 to 11:30 AM. Stop by and get your questions answered!
Saturday, October 29: 7AM-3PM
Volunteers will be tabling Leddy Arena from 7 AM to 3 PM. Stop by and get your questions answered!
Thursday, Nov 3, 8-9AM
Coffee with Tom, Nunyons Bakery and Cafe. Join Superintendent Flanagan to ask questions about the bond or anything else on your mind related to Burlington Schools.
Assessments – Earlier this week The Agency of Education (AOE) announced that it has selected Cognia as Vermont’s new Statewide Assessment vendor. Cognia will develop and implement new statewide assessments for English Language Arts (ELA), Math, and Science, beginning in the spring of 2023. The tests developed by Cognia will replace the Smarter Balanced Assessment and the Vermont Science Assessment (VTSA), meaning the latter will not be administered this year.
BTC Open Houses – Learn by doing! Want to know more about Burlington Technical Center? BTC Fall Open Houses are next week! Open houses will be held over three nights to give families plenty of time to take a look. BSD faculty and staff are also welcome to attend! Dates and times can be found on the BTC website.
Health Guidance and Covid Testing Consent – Please stay home when you are sick. If you are concerned that you have COVID, please test at home (you can still get tests from your school). During the school day, school nurses are equipped to provide COVID testing for students who present with symptoms, but to do so parents must complete the new Covid-19 Testing Consent form in Powerschool. Regardless of your child’s consent status, the school nurse will notify a parent when a student presents with COVID-like symptoms. We have also created an Illness Guidance document, which draws largely on the information that can be found in our student handbooks. Please reference this document when considering what to do if your child is sick or has tested positive for COVID.
Antiracist Leadership Training – District leadership has continued to engage in anti-racist leadership training. After a one-day summer retreat focused on this work, last week leaders engaged in racial biography writing, sense-making, and sharing of experiences. This work will continue throughout the year, including a full day of learning happening on October 25th. Thus far, leaders have been reading Tema Okun’s White Supremacy Culture, Leadership Academy’s Equity Leadership Dispositions, and the Race and Social Justice Initiative’s 4 Types of Racism model.
Social Media Campaign against Bullying Update – The Office of Equity is in the process of rolling out a campaign against HHB. Last Friday, we presented to the Middle School students the definitions of Hazing, Harassment, and Bullying, and talked about who should report, how to report, and why we should report any questionable incidents to a trusted adult. Students had a lot to say! We partnered with Ed Piesner at the Organization for Social Media Safety (OFSMS) and he told his personal story and discussed Social Media Safety at both middle schools and BHS, and at two parent nights hosted at Hunt and Edmunds. You can find more info and tools from OFSMS on their website. The team will also be creating a grade-level appropriate presentation that is accessible to Elementary students and will be planning times to go to each school and have this important discussion with students in the near future.
Strategic Planning Guiding Coalition Steering Committee – Our newly formed Steering Committee will have its first meeting at the end of October. We have a diverse group of 35 students, staff, and families who will make sure that we are staying true to the stated vision of our new 5-year Strategic Plan and approve large changes in direction. We will learn about and share updates on progress in the priority areas, learn from each other about ways to support the work, gather evidence and feedback about the overall impact, and make recommendations for further progress. We will be helping to hold the School District accountable for following through on the commitments of the plan. We are still looking for a few middle and high school students to fill out this work; if you are interested please contact Victor Prussack today.
Congrats BHS Student Laura Zhou-Hackett! On behalf of the BHS Music Department, we would like to congratulate Laura Zhou-Hackett, senior at BHS for recently being chosen a Vermont Youth Orchestra “Senior Soloist“! Each year, the VYO Senior class auditions for a panel of judges for the honor of performing as the featured soloist for one of their four concerts at the Flynn. Laura will perform at the February 5th concert performing Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 2. We are so proud of Laura and hope that you will congratulate her and perhaps even make it to her concert this February!
LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity Space – The Office of Equity is committed to following through with the recommendations from the LGBTQ+ Task Force Report. One of the recommendations from the Task Force was to “Create and maintain LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity Spaces to allow staff the space to maintain mental wellness and continue advocacy work as indicated in the LGBTQ+ Task Force report.” We are happy to report that we moved forward in creating this space for staff.
State Youth Council – H.293 (Act 109) was signed into law in May, establishing a State Youth Council composed of a diverse group of 28 Vermont youth, aged 11-18, from each county responsible for advising the Governor and General Assembly on the policies that impact their lives. The young people appointed will have the opportunity to directly participate in Vermont’s democracy, effect the change they wish to see and be empowered to guide the state’s future! The online application can be found here. Youth appointed will receive compensation of $50 per meeting they attend. The deadline to apply for the State Youth Council is October 18th. Contact Brianne Smith, Vermont Afterschool’s Youth Engagement Coordinator, with any questions at (802)448-3464
Firetruck Pull – Thank you to everyone who came out to support Outright Vermont‘s Fire Truck Pull. Team BEA-utiful [Burlington Education Association], with faculty from EES, EMS, HMS, and BHS, raised over $4,000 for Outright, tied for the Spirit Award, and won the category by team size!
