We have a staff & community Wellness Committee that meets regularly throughout the year. Our goals this year are Physical Education and Activity and Nutrition. We are using the School Health Index to guide our work.

We use the Alert Now messaging system, which allows us to communicate with parents and staff. Messages about snow days and other events are sent out via telephone and email to over 2,000 contacts simultaneously.

Several of our students have allergies to a variety of substances. In some cases, the allergies are life threatening. We strive to protect all of our children and because of this, we do our best to be a nut free school. Information you may not know:

• some children can be allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts and therefore any products made with these ingredients, such as shea butter in lotions?
• some children can have an allergic reaction to airborne nut particles
• anaphylactic reactions can have a variety of symptoms such as hives or swelling, asthma symptoms (chest tightness, cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing) swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat, itching mouth, itchy skin, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, dizziness, fainting, and loss of consciousness
• anaphylaxis can be life threatening and that a child can die from a reaction
• anaphylactic reactions can be worse if the child has asthma, eczema or hay fever
• precautions and reactions may vary with the age of the child

Our six special educators and one Speech & Language Pathologist (SLP) provide targeted instruction to individuals and small groups. Instruction is determined by IEP goals and/or classroom instruction. Eligibility is determined through the IEP process.

We have six Reading Specialists who provide individual and small group instruction to over 100 students. Students receive support in letter sounds, decoding, reading strategies, comprehension, etc. through research based intervention programs.

Teachers provide differentiated instruction opportunities to students with advanced skills. Students may have the same or different assignment, but will have the opportunity to challenge themselves. We offer Odyssey of the Mind as an extra curricular activity for any interested students in grades 1-8. This program is always looking for coaches.

Our school maintains a current Action Plan, which contains goals and action steps designed to improve student performance in math, literacy, science, social studies, arts and student assets. Staff and administration monitor implementation throughout the year.

Many students benefit from participation in our new Writing Lab. This intervention is provided to over 100 students in grades 4-8, from 2-5 times a week. Computer Lab staff oversees this program with the help of several other teachers. Raising achievement in writing also helps raise performance in reading. Students use software that gives them immediate feedback on their writing. Instructors give additional feedback that helps students improve their writing.

The Math Content Specialists operate the Math Lab, which is an intervention for identified students in grades 3 and 4. This is our first year and we hope to expand the numbers of students served as well as the grades served.

We are in our 5th year of operating an excellent after school program called Open Doors, for students in grades 5-8. Open Doors offers students the opportunity to expand their skills in many areas, build their confidence and connection to school, and get help with homework. Participation in Open Doors improves attendance and academic performance. This program is transitioning from being funded by the 21st Century Learning Community grant to the local school budget

Our school is a Responsive Classroom school, which means that we use the Responsive Classroom model in all grades to build respect and rapport with students, and give students a voice and sense of belonging. The model promotes Cooperation, Assertiveness, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control (CARES). We use these character traits to discuss student conduct, and recognize students for having them.

Our school is very proactive in bullying prevention. We have a Bullying Prevention Plan, and have on-going speakers and assemblies, including cyber-bullying, Voices against Violence, John Halligan, etc. The 7th grade uses The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm to discuss the topic openly. Our Behavior Specialists provide bullying prevention support and education, including role-playing, video simulations, self-assessments and bullying surveys. K-8 guidance counselors include this topic during their classes.

The work of the school is governed by the Vermont School Quality Standards (SQS) http://education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/board/rules/2000.pdf. The standards govern many areas from class size to reporting requirements. We are very proud that our school has met 95% of the SQS.

Our instruction, assessment and grading system is based on the VT Standards (add link). We use a standards based reporting system, which contains 3 report cards and 3 progress reporting opportunities. Teachers may report progress at a conference or in written form. Since our goal is for students to meet the standards, progress is reported as follows:

• Area of concern in meeting expectations for this standard during this trimester
• Needs continued support and practice toward meeting expectations for this standard during this trimester
• Meets expectations of progress toward meeting the standard during this trimester
• Exceeds expectations of progress toward meeting the standard during this trimester

Students are encouraged to do their best to meet the standards as opposed to being compared to each other.

Students in grades K-4 use the Investigations math program. 5th graders use a combination of Investigations and Connected Math. Students in grades 6-8 use the Connected Math program. In addition, grades 1-8 supplement the math programs with Otter Creek, which provides practice in math facts. Grades 4-8 also provide instruction in math fluency using Heads Up (4th) and Math’s Mate. We have two Math Content Specialists who work with teachers and students.

Technology instruction is guided by the VT Technology Grade Expectations. Teachers and the technology staff provide instruction in all designated topics and in Internet Safety.

We have two computer labs with mounted projectors and interactive whiteboards. We also have a mobile computer cart with 15 laptops that can be used anywhere in the building. Each classroom has three computers, which can be grouped into different configurations. Each house has a laptop/projector cart and digital cameras to make learning visible. Our student technology leadership group, Tech Savvy Kids, has approximately 20 students in grades 5-8 who provide leadership and assistance to their peers.

All students in grades 1-8 are assigned homework. Students in grades 4-8 may get homework help by signing up for Homework Club through Open Doors or by making arrangements with their teacher.

French instruction is given in grades K-8. Students learn basic French vocabulary and conversation. In middle school, students have an opportunity to go to France with the French teacher.

Keyboarding instruction begins in grade 3 and continues until grade 6. Students practice twice a week in the lab and reports are sent home with the report card.

Students learn to write printed letters using the Fundations Program. They build on that foundation in 3rd grade, using the Zaner-Bloser program to learn cursive writing.

The guidance counselor provides career exploration opportunities during guidance classes. 6th graders use Career Explorer to learn how to make decisions and determine their interests. 7th graders use Tuning into my Future to reflect on their interests, skills, personality traits and values, and the Real Game, which explores jobs, finances and relates education to jobs. 8th graders use VT Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) software on the computer for career and job market exploration.

Our Fluency Lab is an intervention program that serves approximately 70 students in grades 4-8. Students attend between 2 and 5 times a week for about 15-20 minutes to practice their reading fluency. Students graph their progress and exit the program when their fluency reaches the rate determined for their grade level.