***Schedule and Locations (Every Wednesday and Friday)***
BHS Parking Lot
![](https://horizons.bsdvt.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2021/06/Flier-Pick-up-locations-and-Food-Safety-Instructions-3-791x1024.png)
By relek
***Schedule and Locations (Every Wednesday and Friday)***
By relek
In response to the August 11th update to the Agency of Education’s “A Strong and Healthy Start Guidance,” we have created a tool in PowerSchool that will allow families to complete student health screenings at home each morning before leaving for school. Please check out the video for a look at how to complete the daily form, then login to your BSD PowerSchool account to complete the screening.
Remember, it will be important to complete the screening before 7:30 AM each morning, if possible, because at 7:30 each morning, staff will download a report to see who has completed the screening. Those who did not complete the screening prior to 7:30 AM will have to complete the screening on-site prior to building entry. Once students arrive, staff will verify which students still need to be screened and confirm students are fever-free.
By relek
BSD invites members of the community to participate in a School Safety Task Force as requested in the Board of School Commissioners’ resolution passed on June 25, 2020. The resolution charges the School Safety Task Force with reviewing the role of School Resource Officers (SROs) and presenting recommendations to further the district’s policy goals of implementing all elements of Restorative Practices (RP) as part of the district priorities of equitable and safe inclusive schools.
Those interested in joining the School Safety Task Force should complete the application today.
The School Safety Task Force’s charge is to present a plan that accomplishes the following objectives:
– Identify and document the original intention of the SRO presence in the schools and the functions SROs perform in the school.
– Determine whether any of these functions must be performed by uniformed law enforcement officials. Which functions are done jointly with BSD staff?
– Develop options for alternative approaches that reinforce a restorative model for all of Burlington’s students/youth during and outside school hours.
– Ensure the safety of all of Burlington’s students/youth during and outside of school hours using a Restorative Practices model that eliminates the traumatizing effects associated with weapons, uniforms, and a police presence communicated by some of the district’s students and community members.
Per the resolution, the School Safety Task Force must be comprised not more than nine people, including school district leaders, school commissioners or their designee, a city councilor or their designee, a student, a parent, and a community member with lived experience with SRO’s, restorative practices, law enforcement, criminal justice reform, and youth development.
The School Safety Task Force will meet for at least two hours a week for two months and produce a report of recommendations by December 2020. This is a voluntary role; there is no compensation for participating in this Task Force. Applicants will need to be available to attend all meetings, both in-person and remotely.
Interested? Complete the School Safety Task Force application today.
By relek
Hello Families,
Tuesday is the day! Here are a few more updates to help everyone be prepared for school this year.
Online Health Screenings: Before students leave home each day, all families should complete an online screening form through their PowerSchool account. The form contains four questions, including asking about fevers, other COVID systems, physical distancing, and travel. The form takes less than 30 seconds to complete per child, and includes instructions on what do if any of the questions are answered “yes” (in most cases, the student should not leave home for school). Step-by-step instructions can be seen here and a tutorial video is available on the District YouTube page.
Masks: As you know, masks will be required by all staff and students this year. Schools will be providing a few masks for all students next week. Please check out this quick resource for tips on how to wear and care for masks.
Bussing: At around 1 PM today we learned that GMT that that will be increasing the occupancy limits up to 30 passengers on their largest buses starting tomorrow, Saturday, September 5. This is great news for BSD and we are grateful. However, please remember that even with the increase, this is still only about half the capacity we usually have. We still encourage students to seek alternative transportation if at all possible.
Guidance: Please visit our website to access BSD Reopening Guidance, Version 2. This document has a lot of new information that you can find in green. We also used the strikethrough function so that you can see what changes have been made.
Town Halls: To help answer questions, we have participated in and hosted a number of Town Halls this week and many are available on the District YouTube Channel including:
BSD Reopening Town Hall with Special Education Focus
City of Burlington Town Hall Focused on Reopening Schools, September 2
Reopening Town Halls for EL Families
Message of Patience: Finally, we want to remind you that this year will look different. Please remember that Tuesday will be our first attempt at welcoming students back in school since March. With new safety protocols, things may take longer than in previous years. If you’re doing drop off Tuesday or Thursday, please remain patient with us.
Thank you, we can’t wait to welcome students back!
The BSD Reopening Team
By relek
August 6, 2020
Hello BSD Community,
We’ve had another productive week focused on preparing for reopening. Thank you for your engagement (and patience!) through this process. We have received many thoughtful questions, suggestions, and offers of partnership from across the city. Our planning process has been and continues to be intentional and thoughtful; every decision we make prioritizes equity, engagement, deep learning, and the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and community.
This past week, I’ve been meeting with school faculty across the district and we are having positive conversations about reopening. Andrew Styles (Burlington Education Association President) and Becca McCray (COVID-Coordinator, Edmunds MS School Nurse, and President-elect of the School Nurses Association) are joining me in these meetings. As you can imagine there are a lot of questions, and all ideas we hear are making our plans better. From these conversations, it is clear to me that our staff are committed to serving our students and our community, and they are gearing up for in-person instruction in September.
We are also excited to provide BSD-specific reopening guidance this week, and a survey so we can hear your preferences around the start of the school year. Please see below for a number of important updates, including our Enrollment Survey, the new start date for school (September 8), and information regarding our Reopening Guidance document.
Sincerely,
Tom
Enrollment Preferences Survey – Parents, we are ready to hear your preferences regarding options for this coming fall, including whether you plan to have your student access their education through the hybrid model or through 100% remote learning. For those of you who are choosing the Hybrid model, you will also be asked if you prefer “A” Days (Mondays and Thursdays) or “B” Days (Tuesdays and Fridays) and why. Please remember, we will do our very best to accommodate schedules but there is a possibility not every family will receive their first choice of hybrid days.
The survey also asks about access to transportation, thermometers, food, and internet. The feedback obtained through this survey will be CRUCIAL to our planning team. Thank you for your response, please complete the Student Enrollment Survey in Powerschool today. Once you log-in, you will find the survey in the “Forms” section on the left side of the page. Click on forms and then scroll down to until you reach the “Reopening Enrollment” section where the form is located. Please note that you will need to complete this form for each of your students in the District. If you need help completing your students’ forms, please call our central office at 802-865-5332 ext. 1 or send us an email at bsdreopening@bsdvt.org.
New School Start Day, September 8 – On July 31 Governor Scott’s office issued an Executive Order (signed July 29, 2020) to delay the start of all schools in Vermont until Tuesday, September 8th. This will allow more time for staff to plan the reopening at their schools prior to school reopening. We will abide by Governor Scott’s Executive Order and are awaiting additional guidance from the AOE regarding the impact of the order on a number of decisions including but not limited to teacher workdays and student instructional days. At this time, we are planning for all teachers and paras to begin work on August 20 and will continue to communicate with staff and union representatives leading up then.
Guidance – As we prepare for Reopening BSD, we know parents and staff have many questions. Please visit our Reopening Task Force website for version one of our Reopening BSD guidance document. It is important to note that this document will be updated between now and the start of school. We still have additional details to put into our plans and as you know, guidance from state and federal agencies is continually changing. I hope this document provides a solid baseline understanding of our plans to date and I encourage all staff and parents to continue to reach out with questions, comments, and suggestions.
ABCAB Model – Last week I communicated the District’s decision to implement an ABCAB Hybrid Model, where “A” Days are Mondays and Thursdays, and “B” Days are Tuesday and Fridays. This is an example of a decision not made lightly, and one that prioritizes equity, deep learning, and safety.
After careful consideration, our Reopening Task Force decided upon the current model after consulting principals and health professionals. Ultimately, we decided the ABCAB model would better support social-emotional learning, allowing for more regular contact between staff and students, as well as students with their peers. In an AACBB model, we would have gone 5 days each week in-between seeing students. An ABCAB model allows us to reduce that large amount of time, which will better support student learning.
Additionally, we determined that in our District the ABCAB model makes it much easier to ensure food access for our food-insecure families by allowing for additional meal distribution days between remote learning days. And this model offers much better continuity of learning, particularly for our EL, special education, and high-need students.
And finally, the science now shows that this disease primarily spreads person to person through the air, not from surfaces to a person. As we will be wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and hand washing frequently, the cleaning done on a daily basis in our buildings is sufficient between pods. The deep cleaning on Wednesday will ensure our building remains extra clean every week, but we feel the possible benefits of deep cleaning between pods (the AABCC model) do not outweigh the negative effects of 5 consecutive days away from school every week. While no hybrid model is perfect, we feel an ABCAB model better ensures “whole health” (physical, mental, social-emotional) for every student.
New Hire – BSD is thrilled to have Quaron “Q” Pinckney join our team as our new District Coordinator – Head of Athletics. Quaron joins at an exciting time as we explore how to make athletics part of our larger reopening plans while ensuring the safety of our student-athletes and coaches. Welcome Q!
By relek
July 23, 2020
Dear Families,
I am writing to provide you with an update on our plans to reopen our school buildings. To start the school year, Burlington School District, along with all 16 school districts covering Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties who are members of the Champlain Valley Superintendents Association (CVSA), will implement a hybrid instruction model that will include both in-person and remote learning. This plan to return to school is student-centered, focused on social-emotional needs, and designed to keep our students learning at a high level. Most importantly, a hybrid model affords the ability to offer in-person learning in the safest environment possible while adhering to the best practices of the guidance issued by the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE). Here’s how the hybrid model will work:
Students will be divided into two groups.
Groups will attend school in-person two days a week and learn remotely three days a week.
Students and staff attending in person will wear masks and practice physical distancing.
Groups will be thoughtfully created so they best support families, including grouping family members together whenever possible.
We are working on scheduling and will have that information to families as soon as possible.
Almost all students will be learning remotely on Wednesdays. We will use this day to provide individualized support to students, engage in professional learning and planning for our staff, and deep clean our buildings.
While we all agree that nothing compares to the benefits that students receive from in-person instruction, after extensively reviewing the AOE’s guidance and evaluating how to operationally implement those requirements and recommendations in our schools, reviewing survey submissions from our families and staff, and consulting with our reopening committee, we feel the hybrid model will best address the health and safety of our students and staff given the current health data available.
Having fewer students in the building at a time will help reduce contact with others and allow for better distancing. The smaller groups will also allow teachers and staff more time to assess the academic progress and needs of our students. With fewer students in the building, we can better help them adjust to new expectations while fostering healthy routines throughout the day, such as regular hand washing. In these pandemic conditions, it is also imperative that we continue to improve our remote systems so that we can be ready to adapt if health data requires a shift to full remote learning again.
While we move forward planning to implement this hybrid model, we are also continuing to explore other options, such as offering remote-only options. More information regarding this will be available soon, though we do know that additional learning options will be determined by the capacity of our staff and our community’s needs.
We acknowledge the hardships that hybrid and full remote models may place on families, including our own faculty and staff. Although it will be a challenge, the overwhelming majority of families and staff surveyed preferred opening schools in a hybrid learning environment. By working together, openly communicating, and being creative and flexible, we can overcome these challenges together. That said, please understand there are many moving pieces to these plans, and we will need to adapt as the situation surrounding COVID-19 evolves and we receive further guidance from the AOE and the Department of Health.
Finally, in addition to academic work, I want to assure you that our teams will work tirelessly to support your child’s social and emotional needs through this transition. School is going to look and feel different this year, and we know all of our students will need support. We are here for your children and for your family.
We will send more communication in the coming days and weeks as we finalize plans, but in the meantime, I encourage you to continue to reach out and stay engaged.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Tom Flanagan
By relek
Burlington School District and Winooski School District have teamed up to bring Erin Walsh, of Spark and Stitch Institute, to your computer screens. Join us on May 21st and May 28th for a short series of webinars regarding social media safety for students.
BSD’s most recent Climate Survey data showed that parents, teachers, and students were concerned about social media safety. These events are designed for parents and teachers to be able to better understand the world of social media and what adults need to know to help prevent, address, and respond to cyberbullying. Parents, if you think your student will also benefit from attending with you, please have them join you!
These presentations are free for all to attend via Zoom webinar (information coming soon) and are split into two presentations to address different grade levels. Can’t attend in person? We will live stream the Zoom webinar to our YouTube page where you will be able to access the presentation to watch when you are able. More information below!
Digital Safety and Wellbeing: Tackling Difficult Conversations in the Digital Age
May 21st, 6:30-8:00 PM: Presentation and Q&A focused on grades K-5. (Attend Via Zoom or visit our YouTube page during the presentation.)
May 28th, 6:30-8:00 PM: Presentation and Q&A focused on grades 6-12. (Attend Via Zoom or visit our YouTube page during the presentation.)
Children and youth today spend an average of 53 hours a week with entertainment media, more than any other activity but sleeping – and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s no surprise then that young people today are navigating the ups and downs of learning, relationships, kindness, and cruelty in both offline and online spaces. In this interactive and energizing webinar, Erin Walsh will explain how technology is changing the ways that children and youth grow up, socialize, and make decisions. She will cut through conflicting messages and walk through the latest evidence on topics like cyberbullying, online cruelty and how to cultivate focus amidst a sea of online distractions. Participants will leave with practical tools and strategies for tackling difficult conversations, building trust, and being the media mentor that kids desperately need to make better decisions online.
Participants will explore questions like:
By relek
If you or someone in your family is losing pay due to the coronavirus epidemic, you should fill out a Free and Reduced-Price Meals Application today, and apply for 3Squares Benefits, even if you have already filled out these applications this year or have never been eligible in the past.
The thresholds have been lowered and more benefits have been added.
More information on both below, please do this TODAY!
The new stimulus package passed by the Federal Government features increased benefits for anyone eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals. Filling out the application can help you get extra money for food in addition to any other benefits you may already have or be applying for. Even if your change in pay is expected to be temporary you should fill this application. Even if you have already filled out an application this year, you should fill one out again if your pay is now different. You can find applications at all BSD meals sites or you can fill out the application online.
Below you can also find applications that you may print out and drop off at any BSD meal site.
English: Free-Meal-Application_2019_2020
Arabic: Application
Instructions
French: Application
Instructions
Nepali: Application
Instructions
Vietnamese: Application
Instructions
3SquaresVT is Vermont’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP). 3SquaresVT can help you stretch your food budget so you can put three healthy meals on your table every day. If your income has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, please apply today.
Not sure if you’ll be eligible? Hunger Free Vermont has created a great tool to show families if they might be eligible before going through the process of filling out the application. Try it today.
By relek
On Monday, March 16, Superintendent Obeng sent the following note to BSD staff, families, and stakeholders regarding current preparations as BSD plans to follow Governor Scott’s directive to close all schools starting Wednesday, March 18. Please see all Superintendent updates and the most current information on our Coronavirus webpage.
Thank you again to all of you who have reached out with kind words, advocacy, and offers to volunteer. As we gear up to close Wednesday through April 6th in compliance with Governor Scott’s decision to close all schools in Vermont, I want to reiterate that there have been no confirmed reported cases of coronavirus in our District.
The purpose of today’s message is to provide you an update of the actions Burlington School District is taking related to this closure. Please note: We are working to roll these plans out as quickly as possible; I do anticipate more communication tomorrow and in the following days with more specific and updated information for many of these action items. We will also post information as timely as we can on our coronavirus webpage.
Afterschool and Pre-K on Tuesday, March 17 – Due to staffing shortages, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all Afterschool programs and pre-k offerings. We recognize that several parents were depending on having one more day of these services and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Access to Meals – Our food services team has taken steps to ensure that we can continue to feed students and receive federal reimbursements during our closure. Through partnerships with Burlington Parks and Recreation and the Boys & Girls Club, we will offer grab-and-go meals at a variety of sites starting Wednesday.
SCHOOL ADJACENT MEAL SITES
At the locations below, we will provide service M-F. We will be providing one breakfast and one lunch each day M-Thurs for each eligible participant who drops in for meal pick up. On Fridays, we will be providing 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches to each eligible participant to cover meals for the weekend.
From 9:00 AM- 10:00 AM
North Avenue Alliance Church
The Edmunds Complex horseshoe on Main Street
From 10:30 AM-11:30 AM
The Sustainability Academy parking lot
The Champlain Elementary parking lot
From 9:30-11:00 AM
Boys and Girls Club
HOUSING ADJACENT MEAL SITES
We will host grab-and-go meal service on M, W, F for the following housing developments from 9:30-10:30 am. At these M, W, F sites, we will be providing 3 Breakfasts and 2 Lunches to each eligible participant on Monday and Wednesday. We will provide 3 breakfast meals and 3 lunch meals on Friday to cover meals for the weekend.
Riverside
Bobbin Mill
Salmon Run
Franklin Square
South Meadow
North Gate
Please note: these plans are subject to change; we will communicate out any changes as they occur.
Curriculum and Continuation of Learning – There will be a lot of resources that come your way in terms of social media and friends in regards to online learning or “homeschooling”. This can create a lot of uncertainty around what is the best strategy for maintaining your child’s learning. Let us take that worry off your plate. We have created District-approved resources to help keep your child’s mind active and engaged in learning during this time.
Online Resources:
K-8 Online resources have been posted on the district Coronavirus webpage
9-12 Online resources will be shared with students via email and Unified Classroom
Hardcopy Resources:
K-8 Instructional Coaches will be in schools during the morning on the first day of closure (Wednesday morning). Coaches will have hard copies of curriculum resources to share with families who prefer this format.
9-12 Hard copy resources will be available for students to take home as needed in the main office on 3/17.
Follow these resources to the best of your abilities. In the coming days and weeks, we will be sending updated plans that will allow you to engage with your child academically but designed to be simple and effective. The state may also have more guidelines that come our way around this topic.
Childcare – As a pre-k-12 institution, we have hundreds of children who will not be able to stay home alone and we have several parents in our District who will still need to report to jobs while schools are closed. We have a team in place looking at ways to provide childcare for our community. Right now we are working to prioritize services to essential Burlington City and Burlington School District employees, first responders, and medical providers. We expect to have more information by the end of the week.
Special Education Services – All student Support Services staff, including teachers, paraeducators and service providers, will be available by phone and email during school closure. Staff will check email daily at approximately 8 AM and 1 PM. Whenever possible, all special education meetings will be held by phone or virtually as scheduled. IEPs and Evaluations must be completed or appropriately delayed as directed. Laura Nugent, Director of Student Support Services, will contact you as needed. Be sure to contact Laura via email with any questions.
English Learners – Our Multilingual Liaisons will continue to be employed during this time and will continue to help our families with a variety of things, including accessing the internet, curriculum resources, and translation of BSD and school-based messages where appropriate. At this time each New American family is being called individually to communicate about school closure and ascertain needs. We have translated previous messages and will continue to do so moving forward.
School Resource Officers – Since our buildings will be closed, our SROs will shift back into the Burlington community, making themselves available where students often gather. To be clear, it is not recommended and we do not want students meeting up or hanging out in groups during this closure, but our resource officers will be present and available for our students if needed.
Internet Access – Both Burlington Telecom and Comcast are offering free services for low-income families in Burlington.
Comcast: https://www.
Burlington Telecom: https://www.burlingtontelecom.
Information from our School Nurses – School Nurses will be reaching out to families to pick up their student’s medication that they will need at home during the school closure. Doctors’ offices would like to remind families that if they are sick to call their doctor’s office BEFORE going to the office so that staff can be prepared for their arrival. Please visit our website for a growing number of resources on how to talk to your children about Coronavirus.
Green Mountain Transit – GMT is suspending neighborhood specials bus routes as of Wednesday. In addition, to discourage/remove any incentive for students to be traveling or gathering, students will not be able to ride regular bus routes for free during our break.
Employee Benefits and Pay – It is my goal to be as compassionate in this process as possible. I have instructed HR to present a plan to our Board of School Commissioners that keeps in place pay and benefits for our employees whenever possible. For areas where this may not be a possibility, we are working with our lawyers to allow employees to find solutions. I expect to send more communication regarding this to staff tonight or tomorrow.
Volunteers and Outside Visitors – We have received several offers to volunteer to help with all of the items above. At this time, in the spirit of Governor Scott’s executive order and efforts to flatten the curve, we will be relying on District staff to help implement these measures. In addition, we are asking that people not visit our buildings or District offices during this closure, outside of the days and times we have allotted to pick up hard copy materials. We are grateful for the offers of help and will communicate if our needs change.
In closing, I know this is a tremendous amount to process and several families are feeling the pinch and stress involved. I want to take a second to remind you that we will get through this together. To our Senior students, I know this is not the year you envisioned ending your school career. I am sorry and feel for you. We are fortunate to live in a time where we can connect virtually easier than ever with our friends and loved ones. Call each other often and keep in touch, pay attention to your mental health needs, and wash your hands.
Thank you for reading and continuing to be engaged,
Superintendent Obeng
Updated Chart from the Vermont Department of Health:
Vermont cases of COVID-19 |
8 |
Vermonters tested negative for COVID-19 |
421 |
Vermonters being monitored |
274 |
Vermonters who have completed monitoring |
143 |
By relek
School Board Votes Unanimously to Appoint Flanagan to Position
The Burlington Board of School Commissioners is pleased to announce Tom Flanagan will be the next Superintendent of the Burlington School District. On Thursday, March 12, the Board voted unanimously to approve a resolution and contract to appoint Flanagan to the position
“We are thrilled that Tom Flanagan has accepted the offer to be the next Superintendent of Burlington School District,” said BSD Board Chair Clare Wool. “Mr. Flanagan was selected after a thorough, nationwide search. He brings years of experience leading curriculum efforts and has significant expertise in special education. We are looking forward to Mr. Flanagan’s leadership and welcoming Tom and his family to Burlington.”
“I am delighted to accept the offer of the Board of School Commissioners,” said Tom Flanagan. “I’m very much looking forward to working with the community to build on the strengths of the school system and to improve outcomes for the students of Burlington.”
Currently, Tom Flanagan is the Chief Academic Officer of Providence Public Schools, a position he has held since June of 2016. Previous to that, he was the Deputy Chief of Specialized Instruction for Washington, D.C. Public Schools from 2012-2016. He also worked as a Principal for three years in Washington, D.C. In addition to being certified as a Superintendent in Vermont, he holds a Master’s degree in Special Education and also a Master’s in Educational Administration from Trinity College in Washington, D.C.
Following the October announcement that current Superintendent Yaw Obeng would be stepping down at the end of the school year, the Board of School Commissioners launched a national search for a new Superintendent. More than 20 individuals applied for the position and a search committee comprised of board members, staff and parents worked to narrow the field to three qualified candidates. Last week, those three candidates were interviewed by the board and participated in a community forum.
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Burlington School District (BSD) is a pre-k-12 public school system of about 4,000 students in Burlington, VT. BSD’s mission is to graduate students who: value different cultures, engage with the community, communicate effectively, think creatively, skillfully solve problems, and achieve at their highest academic, intellectual, and personal potential. Join the Journey! www.bsdvt.org
Cultivating caring, creative and courageous people. Join the journey!