Recognizing Jill Christiana & Celebration of Her Many Years of Service
Jill Christiana is leaving Slate Valley School District after a total of 23 years of service to our “Littles.” Mrs. C, as they all called her, has been an integral part of the lives of countless children. Her work at identifying their needs and then programming to help them become independent individuals is to be lauded. She has made a difference in so many young lives and has been key in helping parents with everything from toilet training, to social emotional and behavioral support, to helping children find their voices using her vast knowledge of language skill development. She has been a tremendous resource to countless families, helping them to secure services as well as supporting families on how to hold their children to high expectations by setting goals in all areas of development that she knew they could achieve. She was firm but fair while supporting families, and made believers out of many of these folks.
Jill is an extremely skilled educator. Her ability to observe children and identify what her children need to thrive is nothing short of amazing. She has held many roles from Early Childhood Special Educator to U-Pre-K Classroom Teacher. She is a gifted evaluator. She knows how to navigate the world of licensing and has earned 5 stars in her programming numerous years in a row at Castleton Elementary while running one of the best district Early Ed programs. She is a mentor to staff as well and a valued colleague. Her ability to work with a multi-disciplinary team on behalf of her students has been nothing short of extraordinary. We will truly miss Mrs. C., her can-do attitude, and the belief she had in all students. We are thrilled that she is going to retire and finally take time for herself, her hobbies, and enjoy her family! We will strive to carry on her legacy, but there will only ever be one Mrs. C!
Donna Fabricius, aka “Miss Donna'' has served as a speech and language pathologist in our school district since August of 2005 after receiving her Master’s of Science degree in Communication Disorders from Plattsburgh State University. Donna came to the educational field as a 2nd career and in one of her letters of recommendation it was stated, ‘Donna is an energetic, committed, empathetic person with a professional demeanor. Her interpersonal skills are exceptional! Positive effects of these abilities were evident in her relationships with patients, family members, staff , children, and supervisors. Donna is flexible and easy to work with. In the clinical setting she anticipated what needed to be done, and independently completed those tasks; she was always willing to do more than her share. Her foundation of knowledge was more than adequate, enabling her to diagnose and treat various communication and swallowing disorders. Her positive attitude and willingness to work hard make her a desirable addition to any team. I anticipate that she will become an outstanding speech and language pathologist.” Every word of this letter was proven to be true during Donna’s tenure with our organization. Donna Fabricius is an outstanding speech and language pathologist and has served our district well!
Throughout the last 16 years, Donna has served as an SLP in every school in our district. She has served at every grade level throughout the grade span from preschool through high school. She has served students with a variety of skills and abilities and always demonstrated a strength based approach. She has worked school year and extended school year programs, always serving as an advocate for students. She has been the voice of many children while they developed the skills and abilities to use their own. Always an outstanding educator, Donna was formally recognized as the ARSU Outstanding Teacher of the Year for Orwell in 2009. In recent years, Donna has worked extensively with our younger and more complex students. She has been a valued member of our early education and special education team. She has been our local expert in communication and augmentative communication and helped many families acquire the equipment needed to support children across environments. Donna will go to great lengths to see a child succeed!
We wish Donna the best of luck in this new chapter or her life. We thank her for her service to our schools, our communities and our kids. Her spirited smile, her positive attitude and her professional expertise are all things that we will miss about Donna! Best wishes to Donna Fabricius!
Check out these ladies, equipped for Starbase Rocket Launch back in May!
Reminder! Tonight, June 7th:
You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Fair Haven Union High School in-person or virtually connect by going to https://meet.google.com/xxb-ijaf-teh or join by phone (US) +1 617-675-4444 PIN: 692 154 434 9469#
Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/tmal
Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/tc3e
Up for Learning at CES! https://youtu.be/xgA705aX-2Y
CES June Awards Assembly 2021: https://bit.ly/3ieDCTf
Tie dying at CES!
A few pictures from our Celebration of Learning at CES last week!
Last Thursday was Dress as your Favorite Teacher or Future Career day!
Slate Valley Summer Camp 2021
Ages 6-12
Slate Valley is partnering with Fair Haven Recreation Department at NO COST to any Slate Valley family providing the following Summer Camp options at Fair Haven Grade School for the summer of 2021. Each option includes free breakfast and free lunch, tuition, transportation from our sister schools, all needed supplies, and three weeks of learning activities run by Slate Valley teachers. Register at https://tinyurl.com/SVSummerCamp or email summercamp@svuvt.org or call your child's school to register before June 1st, 2021.
Wednesday was "Dress as a Favorite Decade Day" at CES!
Please join us this afternoon for a Celebration of Learning from 3:30-5:30pm!
A special thank you to the businesses supporting our Celebration of Learning:
*John Rehlen's Castleton Pizza Place & Deli & Birdseye Diner
*Castleton Pet Supply
*Gilmore Home Center
*Roxie's
*Jiffy Mart Gas station
Tuesday was Twin Day as part of School Spirit Week at CES!
Good Morning,
In coordination with the Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Emergency Management, and the Agency of Education, Slate Valley Unified School District is hosting a vaccination clinic at Fair Haven Union High School today.
Clinic Details:
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Fair Haven Union High School
33 Mechanic St
Fair Haven, VT
This clinic will serve students ages 12 and up in our district, as well as members of the community. Currently, walk-ins are being accepted. Therapy dogs will be available at the clinic.
School Spirit Week is this week at CES! Monday was Sports Day!
Reminder! Tonight (May 24th)
You’re invited to the (virtual) Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Participation will be virtual only. Connect by going to https://https://meet.google.com/drs-woyk-irm or join by phone (US) +1 617-675-4444 PIN: 740 586 770 3200#
Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/stz1
Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/so89
Slate Valley Summer Camp 2021
Ages 6-12
Slate Valley is partnering with Fair Haven Recreation Department at NO COST to any Slate Valley family providing the following Summer Camp options at Fair Haven Grade School for the summer of 2021. Each option includes free breakfast and free lunch, tuition, transportation from our sister schools, all needed supplies, and three weeks of learning activities run by Slate Valley teachers. Register at https://tinyurl.com/SVSummerCamp or email summercamp@svuvt.org or call your child's school to register before June 1st, 2021.
Mrs. Lucci’s 5th grade class created mandalas for their Come Alive Outside Passport booklet. The activity was called Create Nature Art.
More mandalas from Mrs. Lucci's class as part of their Create Nature Art activity.
