March 25, 2025
Dear BSD Community,
Congratulations to the D1 State Champion Boys and Girls Basketball Teams! It has been such a joy for our community to watch these two teams come together, overcome challenges, and give their all every day. You’ve made us all incredibly proud! A special thank you to the Roberson family – head girls’ coach Bev, head boys’ coach BJ, and assistant girls’ coach Brittany – for their unwavering dedication and hard work in getting these programs back to the top! And to our awesome Athletic Director, Quaron Pinckney, for his leadership to create great programs across so many sports in the past five years!
Please join me in also congratulating Sabrina Butterfield and Maggie DiMasi, the Society of Health and Physical Educators of Vermont (SHAPE) Teachers of the Year! Sabrina was named SHAPE Middle School PE Teacher of the Year, and Maggie was honored as SHAPE Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. They received their awards on March 21st at the Annual SHAPE Conference, and we look forward to celebrating them at our board meeting on April 1st. This is a well-deserved recognition for two outstanding educators, especially during Women’s History Month, with the fitting theme “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.”
While there is much to celebrate, there is also a lot of uncertainty and concern about proposed changes to public education at the national and state levels. Last week, I reassured our teaching staff that they have my full support and the Board’s support to continue their current teaching practices. Vermont’s laws on teaching have not changed, and our collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and policies protect educators’ rights and academic freedom. We have awesome teachers and I want them to know they should keep doing what they do!
On a local level, the Governor’s Education Reform Bill is being discussed in Montpelier. Last week, I joined the Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA) to share the BSD District and School Board’s views on the bill. I also testified with Burlington Technical Center Director Jason Reed about how the proposal could impact career and technical education. My main concern is that Burlington would lose significant funding and representation in these proposals, which would negatively impact students. The good news is that the Education Committees seem to be listening to us and understand the need to slow down and get this right. Rest assured, I will continue to advocate for what’s best for our students and our community.
In partnership,
Tom
Disability Awareness Month – March is Disability Awareness Month! It is a time to recognize and honor the contributions of people with disabilities. It’s also an opportunity to raise awareness, promote understanding, and foster a more inclusive society for people with disabilities. Disability Awareness Month provides a perfect opportunity to have meaningful conversations with our students about disability, diversity and inclusion. One way we are approaching this is by teaching our students that every person is unique and has their own strengths and challenges, regardless of any disabilities they may have.
Women’s History Month “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations” – March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the many contributions women have made to our society. Unfortunately, there has been a systematic attack on women’s rights in this country over the past several years. We also know that even in 2025 women’s contributions to history are often mischaracterized, appropriated by men, or simply unrecognized. This is why this year’s theme is so fitting for us as educators. We must reverse the course and not continue to let sexism and misogyny dominate our culture. Thank you, BSD teachers, for leading the charge!
Next Year’s Calendar Approved! On Tuesday, the board approved next year’s calendar. August 27th will be our first student next year, moving us back to a Wednesday start date instead of a Monday. Our earliest last day for students will be June 15th if we have less than three school closures.
BSD Annual Survey Is LIVE – Please take a moment to complete the Family Annual Survey. BSD values your feedback and perspective on you and your child’s experience in our district and at our school. If you need language support to access the survey, please contact your Multilingual Liaison. Responses are used to measure our progress on our Strategic Plan, inform professional development and training, and to identify bright spots and areas of need. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey!
“Sharing Our Stories: Celebrating Excellence of Black Women Leaders” April 9th, Main Street Landing 6-8 pm – Our next Next Sankofa Event, “Sharing Our Stories: Celebrating Excellence of Black Women Leaders,” will feature a panel of guest speakers: Ferene Paris from All Heart Inspirations, Melanee Alexander BSD Principal, Dr. Eliana Castro UVM Dept of Education, BSD Senior Nadia Sylla, Esther Charlestin, Equity Leader & Politician. Also involves a Book Giveaway, Prizes, Face Painting, and bake sale! Light snacks provided. Please note, this is an updated date… update your calendars and plan to join us!
Measles and Pertussis – Last month, we had a few cases of Pertussis at CP Smith. To help combat this, the Vermont Department of Health recommends families ensure students are up to date with vaccines. And while there have been NO CASES in any Burlington Schools, Measles cases are on the rise in the U.S. and worldwide, and the first case in Vermont was reported this month. Measles is a dangerous and contagious virus – it’s not just a rash! Between 1 and 3 of every 1,000 cases in children are fatal as a result of respiratory and neurologic complications. The best way to protect your family against serious illness is with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. MMR is safe and effective. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective. Make sure your family is up-to-date and schedule required vaccines today! Learn more.
Opt-in To Text Messaging! Want to receive text messages from the District? Text “Yes” to 67587 anytime and your phone will be added to our text messaging service!
SA’s Trout Parade Expands Participation – Every January, students at Sustainability Academy raise Brook Trout as part of Trout Unlimited’s Trout in the Classroom program. In late May, the 4th Grade team releases the trout in the Huntington River. Our human school members grow deeply attached to our trout school members each year, so we like to send them off in style… with a Trout Parade! In the past, we have celebrated with a procession through our school grounds with puppets that honor trout and related creatures. This year, we are inviting the larger community to take part in our celebration of Vermont and our brook trout, waterways, and inhabitants. We hope this will be a start of a tradition that brings Burlington together to honor the waters of this land, our watershed and the creatures that swim, fly, crawl, and share this space. Please join us! Learn more on the Trout Parade website or reach out to Kestral Plump with questions (kplump@bsdvt.org)!
BHS/BTC Project – The first course of bricks is underway at the rear of the BHS/BTC project and the skylight will be delivered, assembled, and installed this week! Burlington Electric Department has estimated the total amount of incentives that will be available for the BHS/BTC project to be about $452,000. This includes about $354,000 in energy modeling incentives and about $98,000 in MEP/building envelope commissioning incentives!
IAA Project – The windows are going in at IAA and the framing for the siding is moving along quickly. We have a meeting with an excavator to look at a small stormwater project that will help to move water from the roof away from the foundation in an area that has been an issue in the past. We feel like this is the time to do it while the site is all torn up and under construction. EEI has been very willing to work with us when we need to coordinate small side projects and maintenance work that should be done when kids are off-site. In other news, PCI also found and rescued a 50-year-old piece of mail… check it out!
Cabinet Learning Walks at BHS – Last week, District leaders met at BHS to do “Learning Walks” as a team. We visited over 25 classrooms, observing students and teachers in action. This was our second learning walk of the year, and our focus was on the tasks students are working on. One key piece of feedback we received during our work to develop the Instructional Framework is that while many assignments meet the standards, the actual work students are asked to do often doesn’t fully meet those standards. By closely observing the tasks, we hope to better understand this gap and address it moving forward. Additionally, we want to ensure we prioritize time spent in classrooms and buildings together to stay connected and focused on the heart of teaching and learning.
Big Picture Learning at Eagle Bay! – We are thrilled to announce that after three years of collaboration we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Big Picture Learning! As a member of the Big Picture network, Eagle Bay Academy now has access to schools across the country that have been leading the work of flexible pathways, proficiency-based learning, and project-based learning for decades. This connection provides invaluable resources, professional learning opportunities, and a collaborative network of educators who share our vision for reimagining high school education.
Dismantling White Supremacy Culture in Schools Conference – A cohort of 11 BSD teachers (including two student leaders) will attend the 2025 Dismantling White Supremacy Conference hosted by Truss Leadership on March 27-28. Special shout-out to Victoria Tornwini and Esther Lokossou who will be leading a workshop in person at the conference… Go BSD!
Family Room Documentary – Our partners at the Family Room just released a great 5-minute documentary with the help of Champlain College students. Check it out!
Reading to End Racism The Office of Equity has brought back Reading to End Racism to Burlington’s elementary schools! “Reading to End Racism” is a national program designed to combat racism through education, literature, discussion and activities. The initiative promotes reading as a way to foster understanding, empathy, and awareness of racial injustices. By engaging children with books read by guest readers that highlight diverse voices and experiences, the program helps challenge stereotypes, encourage critical thinking, and inspire action against discrimination. By the end of next week, nearly every elementary classroom will have had a visitor!
Pie for Breakfast (AKA Teachers Doing Cool Things) – Christine Harvey (Champlain Elementary) and Kate Gruner (BHS) have teamed up to publish a new children’s book! Pie for Breakfast is available now in local retail stores and online. Congrats, Christine and Kate!
BHS Students Wax Poetic – On February 18th, the BHS Poetry Club (advised by Tammie Ledoux) held its annual Poetry Out Loud competition. 10th graders Matthew Moody and Moya Thayer and 12th graders Lincoln Safran and Penelope deRosset competed. Penelope deRosset came in first place with a reading of “[Buffalo Bill’s]” by E.E. Cummings, and Moya Thayer was runner-up, with a reading of “I am Trying to Break Your Heart” by Kevin Young.
BHS Senior Named Vermont High School Journalist of the Year – BHS Senior, and Editor in Chief of The Register, Connor Byam has been named Vermont High School Journalist of the Year! The award was given by the New England Scholastic Press Association, which also named Connor as one of 17 members of its first-ever All New England High School Journalism Staff! The All New England Journalism Staff recognizes the top high school journalists working on newspapers, yearbooks, broadcasts, or literary magazines throughout the six New England states… Byam was the only Vermont member of the All New England Staff! With his award, Byam has now also become eligible for the Journalism Education Association’s national Journalist of the Year competition. They will announce the winner of that award next month and we are all rooting for him. Byam, featured in the Middlebury sweatshirt, was recognized by Superintendent Flanagan and Chair Wool for his accomplishments at the March 18 School Board meeting. Congratulations Connor!
BHS Ethics Bowl Team Advances to National Tournament – Last month, our Ethics Bowl team beat Concord Academy. As a result, our team became New England champions and will now join 23 teams from around the country as qualifiers for the national tournament at UNC-Chapel Hill on April 11-13. Congratulations, and special thanks to their dedicated coach, BHS parent and UVM professor Tyler Doggett.
Champs Being Advocates – Three Champlain students spoke in front of your Vermont Legislators on Wednesday at Farm to School Awareness Day. Shania Oniell, Madeline Wegner, and Ibrahim Mohamed, along with their teacher Aziza Malik spoke on the importance of school gardens, the school lunch program, and more. They testified (see below) before the Senate Agriculture Committee and House Education Committee in support of Farm to School Programs, Nutrition Education Local incentive grant and Universal School Meals. They also got to tour the Vermont Statehouse and were guests of honor for the day.
BE Above! Deep learning means being engaged! This week BSD students took to the streets to ask adults to protect them from the tobacco industry! 10 students involved in HMS and EMS “BE Above” prevention groups headed to the OVX Youth Rally to march to the VT State House and advocate for more regulation on tobacco and nicotine products. The kids were excited to share their thoughts with legislators about how they could support health for youth and keep the tobacco industry from marketing fruity flavors and kid-friendly vape products to kids like them. Be Above is a school-based program run by Angela Halsted, SAP Counselor at Edmunds, and Marissa Stokes, SAP Counselor at HMS.(Thanks for your leadership and support of our students!)
