3.15

 

Hi All, 

I hope that you all enjoyed your weekend. We celebrated two family birthdays this weekend! Anytime we get an opportunity to celebrate I am always reminded that we gift that we (all of us) have to be in this life together. Remember to let your people know that you care, life is too darn short! We are truly fortunate to be able to do what we do everyday and to be with each other. Give thanks to your colleagues as you can this week, it lightens to load for everyone. 

Observations from the Field 

• Staff working to connect with families and provide support in multiple ways 
• Folks stepping up to cover open duties 
• Folks checking in on each other and providing support 
• Sharing yummy treats in the office 
• Teachers giving clear directions/expectations of group work---hearing a working buzz when I walk into a classroom is one of my favorite things
• Teams working together to clarify goals and expectations 

News and Announcements

• Reminders from the Front Office:

  • #1--FIELD TRIPS- due to the shortage of drivers, the bus barn informs me that we have to get field trip requests in ASAP--that being said, we would like to have field trip requests in no later than April 1st.
  • #2--SUNSHINE FUNDS-- As we know....we just did Sunshine for Chef Jake.  That made our new Sunshine balance $12.00.   I will be putting envelopes in your mailboxes today.  Please donate to the cause if you can so that we can take care of the end of year luncheon AND gifts for any other staff members that may be leaving.
  • #3--PAPER Reminder...anytime you can, please use colored paper for copying.  This is the time of year that we are rationing paper.  Would prefer not to buy more if we don't have to.
  • #4--If you can pre-plan for any supplies you may need for Spring and the end of year, please get your orders to me ASAP.  The district cuts us off from ordering at the beginning of April.  I have to stop ordering (except REAL emergencies and graduation) by April 15th.  Easy to remember because its tax day!!!
• Staff Communication --- Rumor Mill
• This last week I have heard many different stories that are floating around the building that have no factual evidence. This behavior has caused harm, worry and concern for others in the building. 
• I want to remind folks rumors start when people share stories that they have no first hand evidence/experience of/in. Before you share something you may want to ask yourself "is this my story to tell?" 
• This behavior is counterproductive to the  culture of respect and care they we outlined at the start of the year. It is also not a professional behavior and is not aligned with the professional expectations set in the Danielson Rubrics. 
• Moving forward please: 
• Please make sure that you are not s:
• haring information that is not yours to share or a story that you were not a direct witness or participant in
• We talk to, not about a person or situation 
• Please follow our communication protocol if you need to discuss something with a colleague 
• Reminders/Clarifications
•  We will be posting for the Schoolwide BI position. Once I am made aware of the posting date I will be reaching out to convene a hiring committee. 
• There is no staff meeting this week as time in lieu for caregiver conferences. 
• Clarification on Upcoming Notifications:
• The 3.20 assignments that Steven is referring to are building reassignments. I.E. You are an employee who will be offered a letter of intent but will be asked to teach in a different building. 
• Any reassignment will come from HR from the Office of the Superintendent on 3.20. 
• The CO is working to issue Letters of Intent as quickly as possible and they have to be issued before or on April 15 for Teachers. 
• Classroom assignments (who's teaching what/where) will come much later in the spring, as they typically do. Some of this is dependent on the returning of letters of intent and, as always, subject to change and following contract language.

What Does Freedom Mean to Me? Vermont Student Art and Poetry Contest In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, middle and high school students across Vermont are invited to share their voices through art and poetry reflecting on the theme “What Does Freedom Mean to Me?” Presented by the United States District Court for the District of Vermont in partnership with Town Hall Theater, this statewide contest encourages young people to explore the meaning of liberty, community, and the future they hope to shape over the next 250 years. Selected works will be featured at a public celebration and exhibition on Constitution Day, September 17, 2026, at Town Hall Theater, and may also appear in digital or print showcases. Students may submit one original artwork and/or one poem, with entries due May 15, 2026. Learn more and find participation details for schools here: https://bit.ly/townhall-250 Marshall Memo 1128 This week's quotes and articles come from The New York Times, Education Gadfly, TNTP, R.E.A.L. Discussion, Educational Leadership, Montessori Life, Harvard Business Review, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and School Library Journal. The headlines: Built to last: the characteristics of durable school success Key shifts to give low-performing students a coherent experience Teaching reading, writing, and discussion in an AI-saturated world Elena Aguilar on PD that actually helps teachers How Montessori education is sometimes misunderstood Using AI to generate decodable texts "Managing up" when your boss suffers from insecurity Four ways of thinking about philanthropic giving A tribute to psychologist Edward Deci Recommended books for young teens If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here. To listen to a podcast of last week's issue (#1127) click here. For a podcast of this week's Memo, log in at www.marshallmemo.com later this week and click Podcasts.

  

What's Happening at BES?

Monday 3/16
Tuesday 3/17
Wednesday 3/18	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 Board Meeting at U-32 6:15
Thursday  3/19	Winter Wellness All Day  Bingo Night 5:30-7:00
Friday 3/20	Caregiver Conferences  9-11 Strategic Mapping/Chronic Absenteeism Leadership Work

Where is Celia?

Monday 3/16	Union Meeting 9:15-10:00 Meeting 10:30-11:30 @CO SPED Team 11:40  Meeting 1:00-2:00 with SDP/JMA
Tuesday 3/17	Principal's Meeting 11:00  Team Check in 1:00  Team Check in 2:15  Student Meeting 3:45
Wednesday 3/18	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 WCLT Nuts and Bolts 1:00-2:00 Board Meeting 6:15-?
Thursday  3/19	Winter Wellness All Day  Bingo Night 5:30-7:00
Friday 3/20	All day I-Ready Training

3.8

Hi All,

Here we are again, we made it through a long short week! We've got 5 full days this week and some interesting weather. Here's to muddy boots and vitamin D. 

Observations from the Field

• Folks finding and celebrating the joy of our work 
• Folks being proactive and forward thinking 
• Teams supporting each other and working towards solutions 
• Lots of welcoming and kind hellos and greeting students at the doors

News and Announcements 

• Chronic Absenteeism Follow- Up 
• I wanted to take a moment to share an example of how the "system" at BES is moving the Chronic Absenteeism work forward. Here's an example of the shift in conversation at the school level. OurSST group was exploring a deep dive into attendance data. We were exploring attendance surrounding our artist in residence experience. Here's what we found: 
• In the three weeks before the circus, the students with 10-14 absences, about a third of our students, had an absenteeism rate of 13.68% from school. In the three weeks after the circus, the rate of absence for this same group dropped to 5.43%. 

• While we don’t know for sure, we believe that the feelings of connection, belonging, and community that came from the circus impacted students, in such ways that they felt more inclined to come to school, a more than 50% drop in absence. 
• I want to share a big thank you to all the classroom teachers who are reaching out to families with the "We missed your student" messages when they've missed for a day. We are creating relationships with families that center belonging and that's vitally important. 
• Looking for Feedback  
• https://forms.gle/VJFnUjpk4QuBcEpQ7 ---Classroom Teacher/Interventions around assignments and desires. Remember---this is an opportunity to share with me what is most important to you as I make assignments for next year.  
• https://forms.gle/JGyRdk4eTdTCbaN66 --- Math Night Feedback
• Exciting News
• Berlin was awarded the Act 78 Center Track Grant. This is HUGE news for our school and our community. It is a significant amount of money to fund free Extended Day Programming for our school for 5 years.
  
  
  Our Center Track Grant will be supported by an additional Act 78 Program Grant that will be run through U-32. Here's a brief overview of what this means for us: 
  
  

  Berlin Extended Day Center is designed as an interest-based, extended day programming at BES for all Berlin elementary aged students, and is staffed by youth educators and adult experts from across the community.

  
  

  The Youth Community Educator Program is a work-based learning program that trains youth educators to be interns in, and ready for employment by, the Berlin Extended Day Center. 

  
  

  The intersection between the Youth Community Educator Program and Berlin Extended Day Center creates a sustainable model for programming for robust expanded and enriched learning opportunities for all students, a core pillar of our community schools work. 

  
  

  As this grant becomes functional and we get some work plans up and running I will be looking towards a group of us to help vision and steer the work. If this is something that excites you or you want to learn more please let me know.

• Reminders: 
• We will do our "Secure the Perimeter" Drill on Thursday. As a reminder it's the outside in drill. Both groups will participate. Lunchroom stays put, recess comes inside into the Library. 
• Winter Wellness Day will be 3/19
• No Staff Meeting Next Week--- Conference Day is 3/20 

Marshall Memo 1127

This might be a good time of year to check out the Best of Memo website sections on Interviews and Hiring and Teacher Leadership. Each has a super-curated collection of articles; just click on the right to preview the summaries, download a PDF, and listen to an audio recording. This week's articles come from Coaching Letter, Education Gadfly, Language Magazine, Stanford Social Innovation Review, The Learning Dispatch, Edutopia, Greater Good, and YouTube. Here are the headlines:

• What rowing can tell us about school improvement
• How some beat-the-odds schools sustain their success
• Teaching early reading as a "reciprocal cycle"
• Unchecked technology has failed us; we need relational intelligence
• What happens when a student's phone buzzes
• What "warm demanders" do
• How teachers can work within today's curriculum constraints
• A video with seven insights on teaching and learning

If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here. To listen to a podcast of last week's issue (#1126), click here. For a podcast of this week's Memo, log in at www.marshallmemo.com later this week and click Podcasts (let me know if you want a reminder of your password). Justin Baeder of The Principal Center interviewed me recently on teacher evaluation, feedback conversations, and the role of artificial intelligence. Here's the video.

Legislative Updates

• You can stay current with all VPA related testimony and more at VPANEWS (Legislators on break during the first week of March)

What's Happening at BES?

Monday 3/9	HJC 8:15
Tuesday 3/10
Wednesday 3/11	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room  Pi Library Night 5:30-7:30 Board Meeting at U-32 6:15
Thursday  3/12	PTNA Meeting 6:00-7:30 in the Library
Friday 3/13	Team Meetings K-2 Attendance/Behavior  3-6 Academic

Where is Celia?

Monday 3/9	HJC 8:15 Union Meeting 9:15-10:00 Meeting 10:15 SPED Team 11:40  Curriculum Council 4:00
Tuesday 3/10	WCLT Meeting **Celia out until 1:00 Para Monthly Meeting 3:30-4:30
Wednesday 3/11	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 WCLT Nuts and Bolts 1:00-2:00 Verkada Training 2:00 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room  Board Meeting 6:15-?
Thursday  3/12	Student Meeting 8:15  BES SST 10:00-10:45 All School Meeting 2:55-3:25 PTNA Meeting 6:00-7:30
Friday 3/13	Team Meetings K-2 Attendance/Behavior 3-6 Academic

3.1

 

Hi All, 

I hope that this week brought you whatever it is that you needed most. We had a lovely getaway to see family in Florida. While the trip out wasn't what we expected the sunshine was beautiful. I felt the pull to spend time unplugged and just be with my family. I would say the joy of my break was uninterrupted time with my people. 

  

News and Announcements

• Whole School Meeting has been moved to the 12th of March. 
• There is NO teacher PD on Wednesday morning. 
• Our Staff Meeting will likely be abbreviated on Wednesday afternoon. 
• I thought you might find this article and response from our Board Chair interesting as we await the results from town meeting. Fingers and toes crossed that our budget gets passed.
• .https://vtdigger.org/2026/02/27/flor-diaz-smith-dear-gov-phil-scott/
• https://www.timesargus.com/opinion/commentary/diaz-smith-calling-out-the-governor/article_5098408b-28ca-49e1-b1a3-5847c98f359b.html
• Here's a great article from Responsive Classroom about returing from a break: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/making-up-for-lost-time/ and another from an online sourcehttps://theteacherstudio.com/winter-classroom-routines-reset/
• Here are some simple check-in prompts for students as we enter from break. Just as we have, students have a wide range of experiences on school breaks. Remember that allowing students to draw or write about their time off may also be beneficial. 
• One Good Memory: "What is one good memory you have from the time off?"
• Simple Joys: "What was the best thing you ate or watched on TV during the break?"
• Small Wins: "What is something new you learned or a hobby you spent time on?"
• Connection: "Who is one person you saw or talked to that made you smile?"
• Recharging: "What was your favorite way to relax or recharge?
• "What is one reason you are happy to be back in our class?"
• "What made our classroom run smoothly before the break?"
• "What is one thing we can do to make our mornings calmer?"
• "Is there anything you’d like me to know as we start this next chunk of the school year?"
• "What is a new, fun skill you want to try in class?"
• Response to ICE---Follow Up

The news about ICE in cities around the country and closer to home is contributing to this unease. Across our district, some families have voiced concern and questions about procedures in our schools. Please know that we continue to revisit these procedures, and student safety is our top priority.

Steven noted that procedures are in place should federal ICE agents attempt to contact or enter the school building. While we continue to have these procedures in place and have worked with front office staff to ensure they are continuing diligence, we are also aware of growing concerns that there may be a need for more specific guidance around school-sponsored events that do not take place during the school day or are not on campus.

There are also questions about what happens when students are off campus, in parking lots, at sporting events, on field trips, etc. At the same time, there is a clear reality that we will not be able to anticipate all the specific incidents. What we can do is say we are committed to following all legal procedures anytime we are responsible for students; their safety is our top priority. This means that regardless of where an incident occurs, we (all employees of the district) have a responsibility to: 

• Identify yourself as a school staff member responsible for addressing the event. School staff will have their school identification visible.

• Ask for identification and the purpose of the visit.

• Notify the principal, who will notify the superintendent on his cell at 802-793-6907.

• Explain to law enforcement officials that this is a school-sponsored event, and as such, we are obligated to follow all school procedures. You will wait for further instructions and ask that the official/agent remain outside the event.

These are our District Wide procedures; please familiarize yourself with them.

What we can do:

• Listen to young people. When they are bringing up current events, talk about it, don’t shut down conversations, and approach it with curiosity. Ask- what are you hearing? How are you responding? What questions do you have?

• Utilize the resources for helping young people navigate and process hard news:

• Common Sense Education: Talking with Students About Shocking or Disturbing News

• Education Week: Doing the Nearly Impossible: Teaching When the World Delivers Fear

• Facing History & Ourselves: Teaching Current Events Educator Guide

• NPR: What to say to kids when the news is scary

• Mental Health America: Talking To Kids About Fear And Violence

• National Association of School Psychologists: Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Families

• Sesame Workshop: Violence

• Encourage families who experience anxiety about how to help young people navigate this moment to reach out to each other. If they feel a safety plan is warranted for their family, Celia and Jessica H. can help guide families through that process.

• Continue to follow and use the procedures we have in place around safety.

What we will not do: 

These likely go without saying; however, these questions or versions of them have been raised as concerns from families, staff, and students. We will not:

• Make assumptions about a student's or family’s immigration status based on skin color, language, or country of origin

• Ask anyone about or for their immigration status

• Organize students based on the political beliefs of adults

This time feels unprecedented, and at the same time, you have, as educators, a deep wealth of tools and resources to help students navigate uncertainty and challenge. You show up with and for young people with love and care every day. If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We will talk more about these procedures on Wednesday, March 4th during our staff meeting time. 

Marshall Memo 1126

For four years in the early 1960s, I was a student at Shrewsbury, a venerable U.K. boarding school (Charles Darwin was an alum). Last May, I made a sentimental return visit, and afterward wrote an article for the school's magazine reflecting on what Shrewsbury did for me, including the impact of some exceptional educators. Not Memo material, but I thought you might enjoy it. This week's quotes and articles come from Education Week, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Learning Dispatch, Harvard Business Review, Education Gadfly, Edutopia, The Hechinger Report, The Conversation, Leadership Freak, Mathematics Teacher, English Journal, and YouTube. Here are the headlines:

• What technology can do and what human teachers must do
• Leaders with the qualities of good followers
• Effective schools that sustain success over time
• Following up when formative assessments reveal student confusion
• Should teachers simplify math vocabulary for students?
• Does AI translation mean we don't need to learn other languages?
• At what level does student absenteeism become problematic?
• When a leader should hit the pause button
• Fun math activities for students and their families
• Recommended young adult Indigenous literature
• An AI spoof on historical figures in hum-drum modern situations

If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here. To listen to a podcast of last week's issue (#1125), click here. For a podcast of this week's Memo, log in at www.marshallmemo.com later this week and click Podcasts

What's Happening at BES?

Monday 3/2	No School
Tuesday 3/3	No School---Town Meeting
Wednesday 3/4	Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room
Thursday  3/5	PTNA Meeting 6:30
Friday 3/6	Team Meetings K-2 Academic 3-6 Attendance/Behavior

Where is Celia?

Monday 3/2
Tuesday 3/3
Wednesday 3/4	WCLT Nuts and Bolts 1:00-2:00 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room  CSC Steering Committee
Thursday  3/5	Math Night Debrief 8:15  Celia and Susanne Check In 9:30  BES SST 10:00-10:45 11:40 Meeting  PTNA Meeting 6:30
Friday 3/6	Team Meetings K-2 Academic 3-6 Attendance/Behavior