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 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

2.15

Hi All, 

Happy last week before break! Last week was wild with the 100th day and Valentine's Day. You all did a wonderful job showing up for kids and bringing joy even when things feel hard. I see you and the work that you are putting in, thank you. 

Rowan does not have school on Monday so I will be home with her tomorrow. If you need my I will be available via phone. 

Observations from the Field 

• Folks asking questions to understand our new approach to attendance 
• Teams working hard to meet student needs 
• Folks utilizing direct conversations with respect and understanding 
• People stepping in and offering help in multiple ways 
• Folks enjoying sweets and savories and giving thanks 

News and Announcements 

• I'm looking for coverage for a Thursday 3-6 recess and a Friday K-2 Lunch. If you are interested you will be paid extra for your time. Please reach out to me asap! 
• President's Day Idea
• Stern Center: Fix It Strategy Bookmarks click here
• Math Night: We are thrilled to host our first Math night. Thank you to all of you who volunteered to come on Tuesday. If you didn't sign up and are still able to come please let Megan Mitchell know asap! 
• Budget: On Wednesday at staff meeting I will have more information about our new budget to share with you all. 
• Cellphone Use Reminders:
• Please do not have your personal devices out during the day. If you must use your phone please do so away from students. 
• Students should never have possession of your personal device. 
• You may only communicate with families via text with permission from myself and with the understanding that communication must be professional and follow FERPA. 
• Recess Reminders: 
• Proximity is key---please move around outside as much as possible 
• Please be timely and arrive outside at the start of recess 
• Announcements from Mr. Smith
• Monday and Tuesday are 3/4 Tetherball Days
• Wednesday and Thursday are 5/6 Tetherball Days
• On Friday, games will alternate one game of 3/4, one of 5/6 and so on.  To play a game on Friday, students will need to pick their partner for their one game, there is no "winner stays".
• Underground Spirit Week 2/16-2/20 
• Monday - Wear your favorite color! Keeping it simple to start, just wear your favorite color.
• Tuesday - Numbers! In honor of Math night, we thought it would be fun if everyone wore something with numbers on it! It could be a sports jersey, something with a year on it, 67. . . any number
• Wednesday - Ugly sweater day! Or any other top or pants that are silly/ugly/funny.
• Thursday - Decades day! Dress up as the decade you were born in or whichever is your favorite. . . tie dye, poodle skirts, flare jeans, layered tops, or butterfly clips!
• Friday - Cozy day! Dress in jammies, sweats, fuzzy robe . . . whatever you feel comfy and cozy in

From VPA Leads

• Legislative Update, Report #1

  Linked here is the first legislative report for the significant education related discussions/bills occurring during the 2026 Vermont legislative session. This legislative report was put together by and distributed to several Vermont education associations. This is also posted at VPANEWS where  you can see additional written VPA testimony from this past week. 

• Marshall Memo 1124

  This week's quotes and articles come from Boston Focus, Edutopia, Mike Kentz, Education Gadfly, Carl Hendrick, The New York Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The 74, Dave Stuart Jr., The Education Daily, Leadership Lenses, Education Next, Leadership Freak, and Retro Reports. Here are the headlines:

  • Seven principles for teaching and learning
  • Can the boy-girl reading gap be closed?
  • The troubling impact of GenAI on young people's social skills
  • A college English professor goes full low-tech
  • Bronx and Brooklyn teachers experiment with an AI platform
  • Suggestions for talking with parents and guardians about homework
  • The epidemic of online teen gambling
  • A different take on daily leadership huddles
  • A book about U.S. curriculum culture wars
  • When faced with a tough dilemma, dial some friends
  • Free classroom videos and lesson plans

  If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here. To listen to a podcast of last week's issue, click here.

  For a podcast of this week's Memo, just log in at www.marshallmemo.com later this week and click Podcasts.

  Preview YouTube video Marshall Memo 1123Preview YouTube video Marshall Memo 1123

What's Happening at BES?

Monday 2/16
Tuesday 2/17	Math Night 5:30-7:00
Wednesday 2/18	K-6 Teacher PD 8:45-9:20 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room  Board Meeting at U-32 6:15
Thursday  2/19	NAEP Testing for 4th Grade Den Groups 2:55-3:25
Friday 2/20	Team Meetings K-2 Attendance/Behavior  3-6 Academic

Where is Celia?

Monday 2/16	**Celia Out*** Available via phone
Tuesday 2/17	WCLT Meeting **Celia out until 1:00 Math Night 5:30-7:00
Wednesday 2/18	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 Berlin Future Capital Meeting 10:00-11:00 WCLT Nuts and Bolts 1:00-2:00 Student Meeting 1:30-2:45 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room  Board Meeting 6:15-?
Thursday  2/19	Student Meeting 8:15  BES SST 10:00-10:45 District Safety Team Meeting 1:00 **Celia Out 12:45- End of Day
Friday 2/20	Team Meetings K-2 Attendance/Behavior 3-6 Academic