TEST TO STAY - CONSENT REQUESTED: We are hoping to start the Test to Stay program right after vacation! This means that if a class or a student is identified as a close contact and must be quarantined, they may instead take a rapid antigen test every day for seven days with parental consent and remain in school! This will help us to reduce the number of times a student must learn remotely. In order to access this program, we need to have no more than a class or two affected at one time (we are limited in capacity in how many we can test at once) AND must have parent consent for the test AND have parental agreement to either stay with their child when tested or return to pick them up if their test is positive. In order to give parental consent for this program, please fill out this form. We cannot use the tests on your child without it and your child will need to quarantine as they do now. VT AOE COVID Response Testing Consent Form 👇https://www.cognitoforms.com/VermontAgencyOfEducation/SY22COVID19TestingProgramConsentForm
Join Us Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 30th at 5 PM for a virtual Q&A hosted by Curriculum Director, Kristin Hubert, to review RNESU's ARP ESSER plan related to the use of COVID federal emergency aid funds. This meeting will be recorded and posted on the webpage at a later date - all are welcome to attend!
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81149451429?pwd=NlVWcVRQL0dKWVJSek9QYWJQUUQyUT09
The Rutland Herald recognizes Jeanne Collins and her 41 years of service on education. We wish her well in retirement! Read the full story here: https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/collins-to-retire-in-june/article_1353a89b-3f25-55cf-8cd9-ad81b6adb4cb.html
#RNESUVT surveillance testing available Wed Dec 1 for any student with parental consent. Test to Stay antigen tests to keep unvaccinated, asymptomatic exposed students in school also available. Consent needed for both test options. See news feed for links.
RNESU Announces Retirement of Superintendent Jeanne Collins as of June 30, 2022.
Superintendent Collins has led the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union since 2014, though the Act 46 merger of schools and a global pandemic. In her tenure, the board has implemented a budgeting process that focuses on equity of opportunity for students including elementary school choice, a multi-year facility planning process, and she has hired a top notch administrative team.
“Jeanné is a dynamic leader”, says RNESU Board Chair Laurie Bertrand, “she has embraced our SU like family and she will be sorely missed. In her eight years in the SU, we have become a single school community and have focused our schools on academic achievement and belonging. We wish her well in her retirement.”
The RNESU Board is determining the search process and will communicate the process with the schools and community as soon as possible.
Update on Test to Stay: With four classrooms in three schools out on quarantine last week, we are eager to start Test to Stay. We have complied with all of the advance work and are awaiting approval from the Agency of Education and the actual receipt of the test kits. We are aware of how disruptive closing a classroom is for kids and families and hope to get this option started very soon.
Vaccine Clinic at Neshobe on Tuesday, December 14th: VDH has chosen Neshobe to hold a vaccination clinic. Clinic is open to the public and slots are limited! Please use the state registration website VDH COVID-19 portal to register or call the Dept of Health 855-722-7878, Mon - Fri 8 AM - 4:30 PM, Sat/Sun 10 AM - 3 PM to register and give consent or if you have problems with registration. We cannot register students ourselves as parents must give consent.
CONFIRMING: February Vacation | Week of February 21. The correct February vacation is the week of February 21st. Below 👇 is the link to the full district calendar as released last year.
➤ Magnetic calendars distributed at the start of the school year indicated Feb 14. That was an error. We apologize this was not caught earlier! https://tinyurl.com/vy56p2wk
Opportunity to Participate in Equity Audit Focus Group! You are invited to participate in a focus group on December 6th from 5-7 PM. The (approximately 90 minutes) focus group for Parents/Community are part of a study being conducted by the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC) to understand how RNESU can support a learning environment focused on safety, belonging, and equitable access to high-quality instruction and supports across our district. Feedback and thoughts will be kept STRICTLY confidential and anonymous. If you are willing to participate, please email swhite@rnesu.org.
Feedback Requested! RNESU has posted the draft ARP ESSER plans for COVID recovery funds on our website, and are actively seeking family and community input. Please visit the page below👇 for more information on our COVID Recovery Planning and/or to provide feedback! https://www.rnesu.org/page/covid-planning-recovery
REMINDER! Tomorrow, November 19th Early Release Day for Grades K-12.
➤ PreK will NOT have an early release day and will be in session on November 19th.
#BarstowVT has also named a VT Snowplow. Watch the streets for Frostbite!
School Board Meetings and Board Openings: In August, Board meetings returned to in-person meetings with a zoom option for those who wish to attend virtually. Meeting information can be found on the district calendar or: BUU Board meets tomorrow, Nov. 15, 6 PM, RNESU Board meets Nov. 17, 5 PM @ Neshobe School, OVUU Board meets Nov. 17, 6 PM @ Neshobe School. Interested in serving on a school board? Go to the school board page on rnesu.org to learn what seats are open and to get a petition.
School Board Meetings and Board Openings: In August, Board meetings returned to in-person meetings with a zoom option for those who wish to attend virtually. Meeting information can be found on the district calendar or: BUU Board meets tomorrow, Nov. 15, 6 PM, RNESU Board meets Nov. 17, 5 PM @ Neshobe School, OVUU Board meets Nov. 17, 6 PM @ Neshobe School. Please join us!
Winter Sports Protocol: As winter sports begins, please know we will be following the guidance from the Agency of Education’s Memo on Winter sports, masking, tracing and contact tracing. See the full breakdown of expectations in the superintendent update from November 5.
Snow Day Protocol: Yes, it is time to talk about snow days. The weather has gotten cold and we have had hints of snow over the past few days. Here is our protocol: On bad weather days, we are not able to send our buses out if conditions to drive are unsafe. That decision is usually made between 5 and 6 AM after consulting with town crews and NOAA and our transportation coordinator. When possible, we decide the day before but we have to feel pretty certain the forecast will be accurate. Once the decision is made, a robocall goes out and we post on the TV and radio stations and social media. This year, snow days will be snow days and not remote learning days.
Social Emotional Learning Resource for Parents Access: As part of Vermont’s COVID-19 education recovery efforts, the Agency of Education (AOE) is providing educators and parents with SEL VT, a virtual platform of free materials for understanding key elements of healthy social emotional learning (SEL). Strengthening students’ SEL skills and well-being are an important focus of Vermont’s statewide recovery plan. SEL VT contains a series of professionally developed modules to help educators easily incorporate materials into their own lesson planning. In addition, classroom teachers can provide a link to their students so they can directly access materials for lessons. This platform also provides parents and caregivers with free access to the materials so they can help with continued learning at home. Please visit the SEL VT Platform to register and access the tools and content: https://sel.education.vermont.gov/
Update on Test to Stay: As we continue to need to quarantine classrooms for a positive case, we are also working on getting the system up for a Test To Stay program. Once we are approved and receive kits, students who are identified as an unvaccinated close contact may choose to come to school and take a rapid antigen test at school each day for 7 days and remain in school as long as the test is not positive. This would minimize the time out of school for quarantines. We anticipate being able to do this when quarantine numbers are 20 or less; much larger outbreaks may take more staffing than we have available. Stay tuned, we will let you know when this program may begin as we wait to hear from the state.
Optional Testing Available for Students Ages 5 and Up at Schools: Students may participate in optional PCR testing available at schools, every other Wed with the next date being Nov. 10. The testing is optional and not required. To participate, an initial consent form must be on file from a parent. Testing will be done in school using a nasal swab and test results will be sent to parents by email from the lab. Please click to give consent: https://www.cic-health.com/vermont
WHAT TO EXPECT:
➤ You will get a verification email from Binx, the lab that processes the tests, after signing up.
➤ The Binx email will tell you how to set up an account to get your results. Results should be in your account early Friday morning.
➤ Here is a video that explains the process of testing. COVID-19 testing in Vermont: How take your own sample - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aVTu2rja5k
VACCINATION UPDATES & CLINICS: Children ages 5-11 are now eligible for a vaccine. The VT Department of Health web page is full of resources for parents about the vaccine. Local pediatricians are also ready to answer questions and help parents with their decisions and can even give the shots. VDH has chosen two of our schools to hold vaccination clinics, thus far:
➤ Leicester (OCA): Thursday, Nov. 18 (1st dose with the second dose scheduled for Dec 9)
➤ Neshobe: Tuesday, Dec. 14 (with the second dose scheduled for Jan. 4)
TO REGISTER: Although we were first told these clinics would be closed just for our families, the state has opened registration to the public and slots are limited. Please use the state registration website VDH COVID-19 portal (linked below👇) to register or call the Dept of Health 855-722-7878, Mon - Fri 8 AM - 4:30 PM, Sat and Sun 10 AM - 3 PM to register, give consent, or if you have problems with registration. We cannot register students ourselves as parents must give consent.
https://vermont.force.com/events/s/selfregistration