Newport, VT - On Sunday, January 5th, at 2 PM at the United Church of Newport, the Lake Region UHS music department presents our first annual Midwinter Solo & Ensemble Concert. Singers and instrumentalists will be presenting classical solo and chamber music, and festive songs of the season. Repertoire includes music by Hindemith, Weber, Rieding, Tchaikovsky, Kern, Betinis, traditional and modern carols, and more. The Jazz Ensemble, Chorus and Select Chorus will be performing.
Admission is free, but donations or non-perishable food items will be gratefully accepted to benefit the NEKO Barton/Orleans Food Bank and the United Church Food Shelf. For further information, please contact Sara Doncaster at sdoncaster@ocsu.org or call (802) 754-2500 x219
VREC Echo Winter Edition: https://mailchi.mp/d1a3ee625aed/vrec-the-echo-issue-10-winter-6414292
Good evening,
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break!
Since we've adopted a new grading a reporting system this year, report cards will look different than they have in the past. Therefore, before report cards are sent home to EMS families later this week, we wanted to provide some resources that may help you navigate the new report. The report is called a "Student Learning Snapshot" because it is meant to give you a "snapshot" of how your student is doing at this moment in time. As the year progresses, students will continue to learn and grow. Please remember that you can login and check on your student's progress on individual assignments at any time by visiting the SmartScore Family website (www.smartedsystems.com).
For now, you are welcome to review the "Student Learning Snapshot Cheat Sheet" (https://bit.ly/slscheatsheet) for a quick overview of the information included in the report card. A more detailed and in-depth overview is provided in the walkthrough video that is linked here (https://youtu.be/YvQZAMxKpdo).
As always, our goal is to make these report cards as valuable and informative as possible for you and your student. Please reach out to your student's teacher, principal, or the Curriculum & Instruction office if you have any questions or if you need additional support. Thank you!
Erica Harryman, Director of Instruction
Kyle Chadburn, Access & Opportunities Coordinator
8th grade science curriculum is physics and engineering. The 8th grade students were working with Art Laplante to design, build and market small projects such as a small table and bird house / bird feeder. The items will be raffled off to the community as part of the 8th grade trip fundraisers. All of Art's time and materials are being donated by Art (EM Brown's). Thank you for Art and E.M. Brown & Son for your time and generosity! More information coming soon regarding this fundraiser!
Echo Museum's traveling STEM program visited Barton in October for our PBIS celebration. Students and staff enjoyed exploring the various science, technology, engineering and math activities.
"Science is great for kids!" Barton Kindergarten Student
For more information about STEM in Motion or Echo Museum visit: https://www.echovermont.org/
Opening for Lake Region Union Elementary-Middle School Board Member from Glover The LRUEMSD board is currently seeking someone to fill a vacant spot on the school board. Candidate would need to be a resident of Glover. The school board meets every other Monday at 6:00 pm. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Worden, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent at lworden@ocsu.org or 525-1204 ext. 134.
As a follow up to a the Memphremagog Watershed Youth Discovery Program, Barton and Orleans students were invited to visit the Northern Star Ship. This trip was sponsored by the Memphremagog Watershed Association.
This floating classroom is a unique chance for our students to discover Lake Memphremagog watershed science with hands-on water quality monitoring on board the research vessel, The North Star.
PROGRAM GOALS:
1. Students will strengthen their relationship with our local watershed through hands-on, place-based activities and personal reflection.
2. Students will participate in outdoor activities that strengthen their connection to near by nature.
3. Students will take meaningful action to protect their local watershed.
Students used their knowledge gained on shore to be scientists monitoring the health of the Lake. Students made predictions of the health of the Lake and then tested their theories by data collection, such as, weather conditions; water clarity; benthic samples; and oxygen tests. While on board students also got a closer look at the geology of the area and discussed some of the stressors and challenges to the lake including phosphorus, invasive species, and historical use.
Orleans PTCA is having a Prize Bingo Night! Join them for a night of fun and winnings! There will be concessions.
Ms. Corkins brought Barton's 4th and 5th grade class on a walking field trip to Greater Barton Arts (GBA). Students toured the studio, explored the exhibition of local artist Larry Golden and did an art activity creating fall cards. For more information about GBA or to sign up for art classes, visit: https://greaterbartonarts.com/
Our Preschool Open Houses at both the Albany and COFEC sites were a huge success! Families came with their children to visit their classrooms, see their teachers, and participate in fun activities. Both sites offered meals and giveaways that were enjoyed by all! We appreciate all those who came and supported our preschools and are grateful for the opportunity to teach your children!
November 4, 2024: Lake Region Union High School District Business & Operations Committee meeting to discuss FY26 Budget, see agenda here: https://5il.co/302ms at 5:00 pm and LR board meeting 6:00 pm: check out the agenda here: https://5il.co/302lc
BEHAVIORAL THREAT ASSESSMENT
Lake Region Presents Modern Band Concert
Orleans, VT - The LR Music Program will present their first term project, Modern Band, on Friday, November 8th, 2024, 7:00 PM at the Orleans Municipal Building. Band and chorus students will perform music by Lady Gaga, Queen, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Lange, Europe, Rolling Stones, Chicago, Led Zeppelin, Beyonce, Janis Joplin, the Edgar Winter Group and more. Admission is by donation. All proceeds will benefit the LR Music Department. This show is supervised by Dr. Sara Doncaster, LR Music Director at LR; and Chris Doncaster, bassist and LR Modern Band Instructor. For further information, please call Dr. Doncaster at (802) 754-2500 x219, or email sdoncaster@ocsu.org
OCSU Music Educators Lauren Holder, Brian Holder and Charles Supernaw will also be performing, with Mark Violette on piano, as well as a number of our OCSU Jazz Band Members.
Pre-Sale of T Shirts (design attached): LR Modern Band T-shirts are available! Please reserve your size! Prepayment is appreciated. If you would like to pay through venmo, let me know. Original artwork by LR visual arts student Ellectra Rolfe, supervised by Stephanie Harper. Cost is $24 per shirt; all proceeds benefit the LR Music Department.
LRUHS Business & Operations Committee meetings to discuss budgets for 2025-2026: 10/23 6:00pm; 11/4 5:00pm; 11/13 6:00pm; 12/2 5:00pm. All meetings take place at Lake Region.
The Vermont Agency of Education announced in a recent press release the next phase of the 2024 Listen and Learn Tour and invites the public to participate in community conversations to inform how the Agency delivers services and supports to Vermont’s education system.
These public engagement sessions will help the Agency develop its strategic plan and ensure that its work is supporting the educational priorities of communities across Vermont. Following a series of data reports and regional planning sessions with more than 250 education leaders, the Agency is eager to expand these conversations to include educators, parents, students, and community members across the state. The Agency encourages broad participation and welcomes input from all Vermonters, including students, families, and community partners - students are integral to these conversations and are encouraged to attend.
Good afternoon,
Last week we reached out to you to let you know that we will be using a new grading and reporting system this year in our EMS schools called "SmartScore." Now that you've had some time to review the information we provided and register for your parent/guardian account in SmartScore, we wanted to follow up with some additional resources to help you navigate the SmartScore system.
Two walkthrough videos are available at the link below. These videos show you how to interpret the scores you'll see on your student's learning snapshot, how to look at feedback from each of your student's courses, and how to view specific feedback on individual assignments. In addition, the informational handouts we sent previously are available on this webpage as well.
https://www.ocsu.org/page/grading-reporting-resources
As always, please reach out if you have any questions or if you need additional help. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support as we transition to this new tool.
Erica Harryman, OCSU Director of Instruction
Kyle Chadburn, OCSU Access & Opportunities Coordinator
Butler's Bus Service—OCSU Drivers Needed/New Sign on Bonus
Good afternoon,
In an effort to improve our schools' communication with students and their caregivers, the EMS district schools have adopted a new grading and reporting system called SmartScore. This system has many helpful tools and features that will hopefully make feedback more clear, accurate, and helpful for students. We hope that it will also make students' growth and progress easier for families to see and understand as well. Please review the attached document that provides an overview of the new system and provides you with login information so you can sign in and see how your student is doing. Teachers are working on putting student work into the new system right now, so please be patient as the transition takes place and we get everything up and running.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have. Thank you for your support of our schools!
Erica Harryman
Director of Instruction
Kyle Chadburn
Access & Opportunities Coordinator
Curriculum and Instruction Department Update ---
There continues to be a strong focus on creating rich learning experiences for students across OCSU. Here's an overview of our key initiatives and progress.
At the start of the year, staff across all buildings participated in professional learning focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This framework is essential in supporting all learners by providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression. Educators have been collaborating on how to apply UDL principles in their classrooms to ensure learning is accessible and inclusive for every student.
Our first early release Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) of the year have successfully taken place across the district. During these sessions, teachers met in their respective grade-level or subject teams to collaborate on student performance rubrics, curriculum planning, data-driven instruction, and targeted student interventions. There is never enough time for this critical work, so our dedicated time together as a district is incredibly valuable for educators to be able to share best practices, analyze student work, and set instructional goals for the upcoming quarter. PLCs are central to our focus on continuous improvement and professional collaboration, and we look forward to the momentum building as we progress throughout the year.
Training on student progress reporting has been rolled out to ensure consistent and transparent communication about student achievement and growth. This effort aligns with our commitment to keeping families informed and engaged in their children's learning journeys.
Beginning-of-the-year assessments were underway in all buildings during the month of September. These assessments provide critical baseline data, allowing educators to identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth for each student. Teachers are using this data to inform their instructional planning and to differentiate learning experiences, ensuring that each student receives the appropriate support and challenge to meet their learning goals.
Assessment data will also play a key role in our early release PLC discussions, where teams will work together to develop targeted strategies based on the outcomes of these assessments.
Learning is actively taking place in all buildings, and it's exciting to see evidence of these efforts each day. We are committed to maintaining a strong focus on collaboration, data-driven instruction, and inclusive learning practices throughout the year.
OCSU Employment Opportunities: OCSU is currently looking for a staff accountant, Spanish teacher, Health Office Staff and others. Check out the full listing here: https://orleanscentralvt.sites.thrillshare.com/page/employment-opportunities