Fair Haven Grade School

Dear Slate Valley Families, Due to the high number of COVID cases we are seeing in our schools and community we are going to temporarily suspend notice to all families regarding positive cases. We do not want to be inundating families and staff with emails regarding COVID cases several times a day. For right now please assume we are seeing COVID cases in several schools in our district daily. We do not anticipate the slowing down of cases until the new year. We are continuing our normal contact tracing process. The COVID Test to Stay Program is working well, BUT, due to the large number of cases we are seeing, it is taking an enormous amount of staff to implement and is pulling them away from their regular duties. It is very important to us that students are in person. That being said, if you have a child participating in this program and they test positive at school, you need to pick them as soon as possible. Otherwise we will need to start requiring parents to be present for testing so they can immediately take a positive student home. We only have 1 isolation room for COVID positive students in each building. Please know that we continue to try our very best given the state parameters that are put on schools. We need continued cooperation from families and the community to continue to operate our schools and have our children in classrooms where they need to be. We can’t do this alone and we appreciate your partnership. Best, Brooke Olsen-Farrell Superintendent

Dear Slate Valley Families, Due to the high number of COVID cases we are seeing in our schools and community we are going to temporarily suspend notice to all families regarding positive cases. We do not want to be inundating families and staff with emails regarding COVID cases several times a day. For right now please assume we are seeing COVID cases in several schools in our district daily. We do not anticipate the slowing down of cases until the new year. We are continuing our normal contact tracing process. The COVID Test to Stay Program is working well, BUT, due to the large number of cases we are seeing, it is taking an enormous amount of staff to implement and is pulling them away from their regular duties. It is very important to us that students are in person. That being said, if you have a child participating in this program and they test positive at school, you need to pick them as soon as possible. Otherwise we will need to start requiring parents to be present for testing so they can immediately take a positive student home. We only have 1 isolation room for COVID positive students in each building. Please know that we continue to try our very best given the state parameters that are put on schools. We need continued cooperation from families and the community to continue to operate our schools and have our children in classrooms where they need to be. We can’t do this alone and we appreciate your partnership. Best, Brooke Olsen-Farrell Superintendent

Dear Slate Valley Families, On Tuesday, November 9th 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/11mv3

Today, Tuesday, November 9, Fair Haven Grade School completed an All Options Drill. We practice these drills on a regular basis, just like we practice our fire drills. It is important that we know what to do if faced with an emergency situation.

Reminder - tomorrow! Casey O'Meara, Slate Valley Director of Curriculum, will be hosting an informal meeting on Leveraging Title I Schoolwide Programs to Address Barriers to Academic Success on November 10, 2021 at 1:00 pm. Abby Wald, Slate Valley Instructional Coach, will be hosting a presentation on Leveraging Title I Schoolwide Programs to Address Barriers to Academic Success on November 10, 2021 at 6:00 pm. 2021-22 Annual Title I Meeting ( slides & survey ): https://bit.ly/3BhWZAU Please join EITHER virtual meeting for Title I using the following link: https://meet.google.com/xza-xpkp-zvx

Join us for a screening of the documentary ‘LIKE’ Understanding and Creating Balance in Social Media. Read the letter from Kristin Benway, Slate Valley Special Service Director: https://5il.co/11k7r Monday, November 15, 2021 6:30PM Register: https://bit.ly/3woW2G9 'LIKE' breaks down why we find social media so irresistible, examines who is controlling who, and gives you the tools to pivot to a more balanced and contented relationship. It features Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, including the co-creator of the ‘LIKE’ button, experts in brain science and regular teenagers. Includes a post-film panel discussion and Q&A. Film plus discussion will last approximately 90 minutes.

Tonight! November 8th You’re invited to the Slate Valley Unified Union School District Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Fair Haven Union High School Cafeteria. This meeting will be in person or you may virtually connect by going to https://meet.google.com/ozg-hwua-mge or join by phone (US) +1 617-675-4444 PIN: 869 909 550 5618# Tonight’s Agenda: https://5il.co/11jaj Previous Meeting Minutes: https://5il.co/1150i Next Board Meeting: November 22, 2021, 6:30 p.m. at Orwell Village School

November 8, 2021 Dear Slate Valley Families, We have seen an uptick in COVID cases over the weekend impacting our students, staff and families in Slate Valley. Our schools have either started Test to Stay or are planning to this week. For those schools that started it this morning it went very well. If you plan to have your child participate in this program if they are a close contact PLEASE REGISTER your child ASAP as it makes it much easier for us if they are already in the system. This is a large undertaking and we are short on staff so your cooperation is greatly appreciated. We want our students to be safe and participate in in-person learning. For more information on TTS please read the following: https://5il.co/11jmn Best, Brooke Olsen-Farrell Superintendent

Mrs. McCrea's Kindergarten Class, was one of three classes to earn lunch with the principal as a PBIS Celebration. Lunch was enjoyed by all. The other two classes will have their lunches with Mrs. Infurna next week!

On Tuesday, November 9th at 12:00 pm the Boston Children's Hospital is hosting a virtual event to provide information about COVID-19 vaccines for 5-11 year olds. You’ll learn about: • Safety of the vaccines in this age group • How the COVID vaccine can benefit younger kids • And much more! To register for the Zoom event, visit the following link: https://bit.ly/3k4mujl

Good Morning Slate Valley Families, Below please find a letter from Superintendent Brooke Olsen-Farrell regarding an incident where a car was broken into in the Fair Haven Grade School parking lot yesterday. https://5il.co/11gp7

Save the Date! Screening of the Documentary 'LIKE' Understanding and Creating Balance in Social Media: Monday, November 15th at 6:30 p.m. You can register for the viewing at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f3MQOJDsRVCh4_LT-aplmw LIKE breaks down why we find social media so irresistible, examines who is controlling who, and gives you the tools to pivot to a more balanced and contented relationship. It features Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, including the co-creator of the 'LIKE' button, experts in brain science and regular teenagers.

Save the Date! Casey O'Meara, Slate Valley Director of Curriculum, will be hosting an informal meeting on Leveraging Title I Schoolwide Programs to Address Barriers to Academic Success on November 10, 2021 at 1:00 pm. Abby Wald, Slate Valley Instructional Coach, will be hosting a presentation on Leveraging Title I Schoolwide Programs to Address Barriers to Academic Success on November 10, 2021 at 6:00 pm. 2021-22 Annual Title I Meeting ( slides & survey ): https://bit.ly/3BhWZAU Please join EITHER virtual meeting for Title I using the following link: https://meet.google.com/xza-xpkp-zvx

Next week, on Wednesday, November 10th, we will have our first early release day of the school year. Below, you will find the schedule for our early release days. Thank you and as always, reach out with any questions.

Caring Canines were in to visit our FHGS students again this week. Students are always excited to see them!

Join us virtually this evening (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

Reminder - Tonight! Link to Join: http://meet.google.com/kqu-ysaf-buv

Vaccine Registration for 5-11 Age Group At his press conference yesterday, Governor Scott announced that at 8 a.m. the morning after the CDC authorizes use of COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5-11 vaccine appointments will be available for that group. The CDC authorized the use yesterday afternoon. Registration is now open for vaccination appointments. Parents can learn more about registering for vaccine appointments at http://www.healthvermont.gov/myVaccine. Any families without internet access or who other would like assistance to make their appointment should contact the Health Department call center at (855) 722-7878, Mon - Fri 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Sat and Sun 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. -To speak with someone in a language other than English, dial the call center, and then press 1. -People who are Deaf or hard of hearing can make a TTY call to this number by dialing 711 or 1-800-253-0195. Vaccine appointments are also available through pharmacies and later through pediatrician offices. We are expecting to host school based clinics but do not have all of the information on those yet.

Dear Slate Valley Families, The winter sports COVID guidelines for Slate Valley can be viewed here: https://5il.co/11d7m. These guidelines will also be followed for other school events. We appreciate your continued support and cooperation as we continue to navigate the operation of school during a pandemic. As always if you have any questions please feel free to reach out. Best, Brooke Olsen-Farrell

November 2, 2021 Dear Slate Valley Families, We are getting ready to begin the antigen Test to Stay (TTS) program. Your child's school will notify you when they are ready to begin which will be at the earliest November 8th but definitely by November 15th. Please note that we can only staff this if we have manageable numbers of quarantined students. If we have large numbers then this program will be difficult to staff. That being said, we will continue to do our very best. The TTS program is activated when a student or student(s) are identified as a close contact to a confirmed case of COVID-19 inside school. The intention of the TTS program is to allow students that would otherwise be required to quarantine to remain in school. A detailed description of this program can be found on the Agency of Education Test to Stay website (https://bit.ly/3nPFnHK) and you can also take a look at how the program will work in this flowchart (https://bit.ly/3GGn14N). Please read the complete letter from Superintendent Olsen-Farrell for important information on the Test to Stay Program: https://5il.co/11cwl