Slate Valley Unified School District

Slate Valley District Newsletter: April 18, 2025 https://mailchi.mp/04a780490ff8/slate-valley-district-newsletter-april-18

That's a wrap! Slate Valley UUSD wishes all of our amazing students, staff, and faculty a fun, relaxing, and well-deserved April break! Enjoy the time off, and here's to hoping for many sunny days! See the Reel at: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DImQc0wRdYJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Help Us Collect Slater Spring Sports Photos! We need your help capturing the energy, excitement, and unforgettable moments of our spring sports season! From big plays and team huddles to spirited fans in the stands, your photos help tell the story of our amazing student-athletes and school community. We’re gathering photos from Fair Haven Union Middle and High School (FHUMHS) Spring Sports teams to feature on our district websites and social media. It’s a great way to showcase the talent, hard work, and school pride of our Slaters! How to Share Your Photos: Look for flyers posted on dugouts and fence lines around the high school. Simply scan the QR code to access the submission form. Or go directly to: https://bit.ly/SlaterSportsPhotos Tip: Save the link on your phone so it’s ready to go at your next game or meet! 📸 Thank you for helping us highlight and celebrate more student achievements throughout the district! Note: A Gmail account is required to upload photos.

Another Successful Potty Time! We had an amazing turnout for our second Potty Time event — 5 wonderful families joined us, including some with three generations present! There were 7 littles soaking up the fun, with 6 incredible high school volunteers helping to keep them entertained. Huge THANK YOU to everyone who made this event possible — from our volunteers to our families, and everyone behind the scenes. We couldn't do it without you!

On behalf of the Slate Valley Unified Union School District, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our communities for their support in passing (824 yes, 631 no) the school budget on the second vote. Your engagement, advocacy, and belief in the importance of public education make a profound difference in the lives of our students, staff, and families. We recognize that arriving at a successful outcome required thoughtful dialogue and collaboration, and we deeply appreciate the time and effort so many of you contributed throughout this process. Your vote allows us to move forward with the resources necessary to provide a high-quality, student-centered education while remaining committed to continuous improvement and fiscal responsibility. As we continue to navigate a time of significant uncertainty in public education—both at the state and federal levels—your partnership remains more important than ever. We are committed to maintaining transparency, fostering open communication, and working together to ensure Slate Valley remains a place where all students can thrive. Thank you for investing in the future of our schools and for standing with us as we face these challenges together. Sincerely, Brooke Olsen-Farrell

We're proud to share that 33 of our talented students—18 from middle school and 15 from high school—are participating in the student art show at the Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester! A total of 34 pieces are on display (one high schooler submitted two). The exhibit runs through May 4th—don't miss it! https://www.svac.org/class/art-from-the-schools-2025/

TONIGHT: Please join us (Monday, April 14, 2025) for the Budget ReVote Information Meeting, 6:30 PM in the FHUMHS Band Room. Attend in person or virtually. https://meet.google.com/aek-pdby-ndv

Tomorrow Night: There's still time to sign up, go to: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48ABA929A1F8C43-52788129-its#/

TONIGHT: Budget Revote Informational Meeting - 6:30 PM at FHUMHS Band Room TOMORROW: Budget Revote - All Polls open by 10 AM - Castleton opens at 8 AM.

Follow the link to see Slate Valley's feature in Business View Magazine: https://businessviewmagazine.com/brochures/jan-2025/svusd/

Slate Valley District Newsletter - April 11, 2025 https://mailchi.mp/a06ba0ae8b8a/april-11-slate-valley-newsletter

A heartfelt thank you to the Castleton Lions Club for their generous $2,000 donation toward our clothing program! This support helps provide essential items like back-to-school supplies, shoes, winter gear, and summer camp clothing for local children. Pictured: Lions Club representative Pat Schroeder with our Home to School Liaison Carrieann Wolcott.

REMINDER: Engage, Connect, Be Informed! Join us on Monday, April 14, 2025, for an important discussion with our representatives as we continue exploring updates on the Governor's education plan. This is your chance to stay informed, ask questions, and make your voice heard! 📅 Date: Monday, April 14, 2025 📍 Location: Fair Haven Union Middle and High School Library ⏰ Time: 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM We look forward to seeing you there! This meeting precedes the Budget ReVote Information Meeting, which begins at 6:30 PM in the FHUMHS Band Room.

Feel Good Friday: Meet Isabella, a vibrant kindergartener from Benson Village School who epitomizes the joy and spirit of feeling good! 😄✨ Isabella's energy is absolutely contagious — the kind that lights up a room and brings smiles to everyone around her. She recently performed alongside her classmates at the school’s Night of the Arts, and let’s just say… she brought that extra sparkle. 🌟 With every move and note, Isabella added a special kind of excitement that draws you in — a reminder of how powerful joy, passion, and youthful energy can be. Thank you, Isabella, for reminding us all what it means to feel good and spread happiness! 💛🎭🎶 #FeelGoodFriday #BensonVillageSchool #NightOfTheArts #weareslatevalley

🌿 Need a Hand? Let Slate Valley High School Students Help! 🌿 Spring is here, and that means it’s time to tackle those yard projects, clean-ups, and small home improvement tasks! Luckily, hardworking high school students in the Slate Valley community are ready to lend a hand. Whether you need leaves raked, a garden bed prepped, a shed organized, or even some firewood stacked, these students are eager to help—and gain valuable experience while giving back to their community! To have your project added to the list for Green Up Day, contact Jackie Phillips at jphillips@svuvt.org or call her at 802-265-4966.

Throwback Thursday: As we celebrate the start of this year’s spring sports season, we’re throwing it back to 1985! ⚾🥎⛳🏃‍♂️ Take a look at our FHUHS athletes in action from the baseball, softball, track, and golf teams—showcasing Slater pride with timeless team spirit. Here's to honoring the past and cheering on the future! #takingitback40years #weareslatevalley #slaternation

“Slate Valley Style” is a song that celebrates the heart of the Slate Valley School District—its students, teachers and staff. It highlights the strong bond between educators and learners, the challenges they overcome together, and the pride in their shared achievements. With uplifting melodies, the song captures the spirit of collaboration, resilience, and hope for the future within the community. #weareslatevalley #slaternation https://youtu.be/hdXeTpmJZFk?si=FwF6BYigBrUFd11K

WHERE Are They Now WEDNESDAY: Daniel Hall Daniel Hall, a proud member of the Fair Haven Union High School Class of 1987, has carved out a remarkable path in both music and technology, despite never attending college. Entirely self-taught, Daniel has cultivated a successful career as a Senior Level Software Engineer for a private firm while maintaining a deep passion for music. During his time at Fair Haven Union, Daniel excelled in music and computers, finding inspiration and mentorship from his music teacher, Richard Dodd. His high school years were filled with musical achievements, participating in keynotes, district festivals, All-State music festivals, and earning the prestigious honor of being 1st seat, 1st chair in the All New England ensemble. After graduation, his musical talents took him across Europe, performing as the 2nd seat, 1st chair with the All American Winds Concert Band in Italy, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. Today, Daniel continues his musical journey, overcoming the challenges of dyslexia with the help of AI technology to compose instrumental music reminiscent of legendary composers Hans Zimmer and John Williams. Fans can follow his work on SoundCloud under his alias, Spotapod. Beyond music and technology, Daniel is the author of the global bestselling book Top 100 List of Lies on Social Media. A free e-book download is available until April 30th. You can redeem this offer by going to: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1646794. He also finds joy in bowling and, most importantly, in his role as a husband and father to seven foster and adopted children. Daniel's favorite quote, passed down from his mother, Maggie Hall, is a guiding principle in his life: "Life is not defined by how successful you are, it's defined by your mistakes and how well you learn from them." His advice to current Slate Valley students is simple yet profound: "Take some time to evaluate your life."

Trivia Tuesday: Did You Know? With the revised FY26 proposed budget, all six of our towns are projected to see a TAX DECREASE! 🙌 This is great news—even with a 3.69% increase from last year. The updated budget, going to vote on April 15, now totals $31,623,010—that’s $463,256 less than the original proposal after recent cuts. Visit https://www.slatevalleyunified.org/ for more detailed information.

MEET Faculty and Staff MONDAY: Featuring Erin Haley Erin has been a dedicated member of the Slate Valley School District since 2011. She began her career as the Receptionist at Castleton Elementary School, where she also served as the Athletic Director for two years and pitched in with summer custodial work. After getting married in 2014, Erin and her husband considered moving south, but ultimately chose to stay close to family. She returned to CES as a substitute teacher, then transitioned into the role of Nursing Office Assistant and also worked as an Instructional Assistant for several years. Erin’s passion for working in the schools led her to Fair Haven Grade School, where she became the Administrative Assistant. After three years there, she moved into her current role as the District Middle School Administrative Assistant in 2022. Outside of work, Erin loves spending time with her children and attending all of their activities. She makes the most of summer with adventures like hiking, kayaking, and soaking up the sun on beach days—especially when there's a salty ocean breeze involved.