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Dear Slate Valley Families,
On Friday, October 29th, 2021 we learned about an individual in our learning community with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Fair Grade School.
Please read the letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/117zf
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***Update: The lockdown in Orwell Village School has now ended. ***
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
This is to notify you that Orwell Village School is in lockdown due to an incident at Buxton's Store. All students and staff are safe. Please do not call or come to the school at this time. We will notify you when the lockdown is over.
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Join us virtually on November 3rd from 6:00-6:45 p.m. when we discover how Google Classroom works to provide learning to students wherever they may be.
We will also be looking at how to best use the PDF file editor, KAMI. There will be time for questions at the end of the session.
Link to join: https://bit.ly/3G2TlhL
![Google Classroom - Graphic](https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/live_feed_image/image/1797449/large_Organic_Educational_Technology_Classroom_Agreements_Instagram_Post__1_.png)
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October 26, 2021
Dear Slate Valley Families,
I am writing with great sadness to inform you that one of our Fair Haven Union High School students, Kristopher Severance, has died in an automobile accident. Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family and friends.
We do know another student and a staff member that are part of our school community were involved in the accident as well. The staff member was treated and released at the scene and the other student has been hospitalized. We are not releasing their names at this time but our thoughts are with them.
All of the students were given the news of the death by the school counselors and administration this afternoon.
The school acknowledges that there are many responses to grief. A Crisis Response Team of school and other district/community counselors has been assembled to provide additional support as needed. The members of this team are available to meet with students individually and in groups, today as well as over the coming days and weeks. Please contact the school office at (802)265-4966 if you feel your child is in need of further assistance; we have a list of additional school and community mental health resources. Please feel free to utilize Rutland Mental Health Crisis at (802)775-1000 at any point in time. Pictured is some information to support you while talking with your child about grief.
If there are memorial services and your child wishes to attend, we strongly encourage you to accompany them to the service. If these services are scheduled during school hours, students who wish to attend will need parental permission to be released from school.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or the school counselors with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Ben Worthing
Principal
![Addressing Grief in Children - Infographic](https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/live_feed_image/image/1820869/large_Addressing_Grief_in_Children_Infographic_Flyer.png)
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Tonight! October 25th
You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Fair Haven Grade School Learning Center. This meeting will be in person or you may virtually connect by going to https://meet.google.com/dve-dwqc-tmc or join by phone (US) +1 617-675-4444 PIN: 157 773 867 2874#
Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/10t1s
Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/10p2y
Next Board Meeting: November 8, 2021, 6:30 p.m. at FHUHS
![Board Meeting Spotlight](https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/live_feed_image/image/1812295/large_Board-Spotlight-October25.png)
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
I hope everyone is staying healthy as the cold weather begins to take hold. Again thank you for your patience, understanding and willingness to collaborate as we navigate these trying times. We know it isn’t easy and every child, staff member and family is experiencing the pandemic differently. Our commitment is to meet every child everyday where they are academically, socially/emotionally and grow them.
Please read the full letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell for a COVID update here: https://5il.co/10uqr
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
On Friday, October 22nd, 2021 we learned about 2 individuals in our learning community with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Fair Grade School and Castleton Elementary School.
Please read the letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/10ug6
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Dear Slate Valley Staff and Families,
If you or your child are participating in our weekly COVID-19 surveillance testing on Wednesday please check to see if your results are in prior to coming to school on Friday.
If you are still interested in signing up for the weekly surveillance testing the information is below:
Weekly COVID testing on Wednesdays will be offered for ages 5 and up for both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated individuals. It is completely voluntary. If you are interested you need to complete a consent form on-line: https://www.cic-health.com/consent/vt. After consenting you should receive an email from COMMUNICATION INTEL. Your building nurse will be organizing the testing.
Frequently asked questions about the testing program: https://education.vermont.gov/news/covid-19-guidance-vermont-schools/school-staff-covid19-surveillance-testing/school-staff-resources
Please reach out to your school nurse if you have any questions.
Best,
Brooke
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
On Thursday, October 21st 2021 we learned about an individual in our learning community with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Fair Haven Union High School.
Please read the letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/10s8s
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Join us virtually on November 3rd from 6:00-6:45 p.m. when we discover how Google Classroom works to provide learning to students wherever they may be.
We will also be looking at how to best use the PDF file editor, KAMI. There will be time for questions at the end of the session.
Link to join: https://bit.ly/3G2TlhL
![Google Classroom - Graphic](https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/live_feed_image/image/1794823/large_Organic_Educational_Technology_Classroom_Agreements_Instagram_Post__1_.png)
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
As we head into flu and cold season, we are seeing more and more illness. If your child is sick, please keep them home. Please understand that this year, even with allergy symptoms, you need to keep your child home and if it lasts more than 24 hours, they also require a Covid test per the Vermont Department of Health. Please do not send them in and tell them to go see the nurse.
Students with any symptoms will be sent home. This year, even seemingly innocent symptoms can spread illness and students need to stay home to prevent the spread of not only Covid, but other illnesses like colds, flu, and other viruses that end up spreading, requiring others to have to stay home. By keeping your child home, some of that spread is stopped. Please read the following document from the VT Department of Health, it should answer any question you may have about safe return to school with illness: https://5il.co/10qu5.
Thank you very much for you cooperation with this important issue.
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Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
Did you know? The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program) is a temporary federal program to help eligible households pay for internet service during the pandemic.
To see if you qualify for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, please visit https://getemergencybroadband.org/do-i-qualify/.
If you have questions about the EBB Program, your eligibility to participate, or to find information about participating providers near you, please visit https://getemergencybroadband.org, call 833-511-0311, or email EBBHelp@usac.org.
To apply, you can fill out an application either online, by mail, or through a participating service provider https://getemergencybroadband.org/companies-near-me/.
![Emergency Broadband Benefit Program](https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/live_feed_image/image/1782681/large_EBB_Program_Flyer_PNG.png)
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Tonight! October 18th
You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Fair Haven Union High School. This meeting will be in person or you may virtually connect by going to https://meet.google.com/ehd-nyzc-hhm or join by phone (US) +1 617-675-4444 PIN: 634 020 265 3536#
Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/10hiu
Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/zp13
Next Board Meeting: October 25, 2021, 6:30 p.m. at FHGS
![Slate Valley Board Meeting - Graphic](https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/live_feed_image/image/1781622/large_Board-Spotlight-10-18-21.png)
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
On Friday, October 15th 2021 we learned about an individual in our learning community with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Castleton Village School.
Please read the letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/10ifv
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
On Thursday, October 14th 2021 we learned about an individual in our learning community with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Fair Haven Grade School.
Please read the letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/10gkp
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A Reminder about Free Meals - All students 18 and under are able to eat free breakfast and lunch with the Abbey Group every day.
Families do not need to fill out any paperwork to access free meals for students. Breakfast and lunch will be available free for the 2021-2022 school year!
![Free Breakfast and Lunch Poster](https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/live_feed_image/image/1768181/large_Free-Meals-Graphic.png)
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
On Tuesday, October 12th 2021 we learned about an individual in our learning community with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Castleton Village School.
Please read the letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/10df6
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
On Friday, October 8th 2021 we learned about 4 individuals in our learning community with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Castleton Elementary School, Castleton Village School and Orwell Village School.
Please read the letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/1076q
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Dear Slate Valley Families,
On Thursday, October 7th 2021 we learned about an individual in our learning community with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Castleton Elementary School.
Please read the letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell: https://5il.co/104rq