Announcement: Cybersecurity Breach
Dear Slate Valley Families and Staff,
Slate Valley Unified Union School District was informed late yesterday about a cybersecurity breach involving our student information system vendor, PowerSchool. While we have limited details at this time, we want to share the attached letter from PowerSchool in the interest of full disclosure. We take this news seriously as it pertains to the security of private information. We will be providing more information as it is made available.
To clarify, this issue does not involve a data breach within Slate Valley but rather a data breach originating from PowerSchool. Furthermore, it affects a significant number of school districts across the country and state and is not limited to Slate Valley alone.
Thank you for your patience as we work to learn more about this situation.
Sincerely,
Brooke Olsen-Farrell
Superintendent of Schools
Notification from PowerSchool:
Dear Valued Customer,
As the Technical Contact for your district or school, we are reaching out to inform you that on December 28, 2024, PowerSchool became aware of a potential cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information through one of our community-focused customer support portals, PowerSource. Over the succeeding days, our investigation determined that an unauthorized party gained access to certain PowerSchool Student Information System (“SIS”) customer data using a compromised credential, and we regret to inform you that your data was accessed.
Please review the following information and be sure to share this with relevant security individuals at your organization.
As soon as we learned of the potential incident, we immediately engaged our cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized a cross-functional response team, including senior leadership and third-party cybersecurity experts. We have also informed law enforcement.
We can confirm that the information accessed belongs to certain SIS customers and relates to families and educators, including those from your organization. The unauthorized access point was isolated to our PowerSource portal. As the PowerSource portal only permits access to the SIS database, we can confirm no other PowerSchool products were affected as a result of this incident.
Importantly, the incident is contained, and we have no evidence of malware or continued unauthorized activity in the PowerSchool environment. PowerSchool is not experiencing, nor expects to experience, any operational disruption and continues to provide services as normal to our customers.
Rest assured, we have taken all appropriate steps to prevent the data involved from further unauthorized access or misuse. We do not anticipate the data being shared or made public, and we believe it has been deleted without any further replication or dissemination.
We have also deactivated the compromised credential and restricted all access to the affected portal. Lastly, we have conducted a full password reset and further tightened password and access control for all PowerSource customer support portal accounts.
PowerSchool is committed to working diligently with customers to communicate with your educators, families, and other stakeholders. We are equipped to conduct a thorough notification process to all impacted individuals. Over the coming weeks, we ask for your patience and collaboration as we work through the details of this notification process.
We have taken all appropriate steps to further prevent the exposure of information affected by this incident. While we are unaware of and do not expect any actual or attempted misuse of personal information or any financial harm to impacted individuals as a result of this incident, PowerSchool will be providing credit monitoring to affected adults and identity protection services to affected minors in accordance with regulatory and contractual obligations. The particular information compromised will vary by impacted customer. We anticipate that only a subset of impacted customers will have notification obligations.
In the coming days, we will provide you with a communications package to support you in engaging with families, teachers and other stakeholders about this incident. The communications package will include tailored outreach emails, talking points, and a robust FAQ so that district and school leadership can confidently discuss this incident with your community.
Today Ms. LeBrun's Adulting Class welcomed a fantastic guest speaker, Mr. Dave Carrabino, a Mortgage Loan Consultant from Community Bank, N.A.
Mr. Carrabino shared valuable insights into the world of personal finance, with a special focus on the home-buying process and mortgage loans. He walked students through key topics such as:
The steps to secure a mortgage.
How credit scores impact loan eligibility.
Budgeting for homeownership.
The importance of saving for a down payment.
Students had the opportunity to ask questions and learn firsthand from a seasoned professional in the financial industry.
A huge thank you to Mr. Carrabino for taking the time to invest in our students' futures!
🚨 Important Update: Benson Village School will close early today at 12:45 PM due to Green Mountain Power addressing downed trees in the area. 🌲 The Middle School and High School bus schedules will remain unchanged. 🚌 Thank you for your understanding!
Volunteers Needed! The FHU Booster Club needs your support! Click the link below to view available opportunities and sign up to help. Thank you for making a difference!
https://signup.com/mobileweb/2.0/vspot.html?accesskey=200c7d7c16e1151d110d0ef9de52148abadf9b28&activity=5590920&prompt=true#participant_confirm_page
Slaters Wrestling hosted their annual Slater Duals event on December 31st, welcoming top-tier competition from Vermont and New York for an outstanding day of matches. This year’s event featured a special tribute to long-time head coach Scott Shaddock, celebrating his over 30 years of dedication to the Slater wrestling community.
During the event, it was announced that Coach Shaddock had been named the 2023-24 Vermont Coach of the Year by both the Vermont Principals' Association and the National Federation of High Schools. In honor of his remarkable contributions to the program and his enduring love for the sport, Slater Athletics also revealed that this annual event will now be known as the Shaddock Duals.
Adding to the day’s highlights, Slater sophomore wrestler Anthony Szabo was recognized as the inaugural Shaddock Duals Most Outstanding Wrestler, finishing the day with an impressive 5-0 record on the mats.
Congratulations to Coach Shaddock and Anthony Szabo! Your achievements and recognition made this a truly memorable day for Slater Nation.
Thank you to Cindy Lee for use of her photos
Please join us tonight for our next Community Advisory Council Meeting, 5:45 - 6:45 PM in the Central Office Conference room located at Fair Haven Union Middle & High School. All are welcome! Hope to see you there! Agenda and more information at: https://www.slatevalleyunified.org/page/slate-valley-community-advisory-council
Design students are maximizing their short week by constructing Spaghetti Towers, an engaging activity that sets the stage for diving into their larger Future City projects next week.
🎉 Basket Raffle Fundraiser 🎉
📅 Date: Sunday, January 26, 2025
🕙 Doors Open: 10:00 AM
🕛 Basket Raffle Drawings: 12:00 PM
📍 Location: Fair Haven Union Middle and High School
Join us for an exciting Basket Raffle to support the Fair Haven Union Class of 2028!
Enjoy a wide variety of beautifully themed baskets, perfect for all ages and interests. Come early to browse, grab some tickets, and increase your chances to win!
Your participation helps fund important activities for the Class of 2028. Let’s make it a success together!
Spread the word, bring your friends and family, and we’ll see you there!
Our 2024 Vermont State Champion Football Team was honored at Fenway Park during the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Saturday, December 28th! Fans also witnessed UConn's impressive 27-14 victory over the University of North Carolina.
Holiday Greetings from Slate Valley Unified Union School District!
As we take a break to enjoy this special time of year, we hope you find joy, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school in the new year on January 2nd, refreshed and ready for the next chapter of learning and growth.
Wishing you all a peaceful and joyful holiday!
After exploring the history and significance of ancient Ziggurats, Middle School students in Mrs. Alexander's Social Studies classes took on an exciting hands-on project. Each student designed and built their own Ziggurat using a mix of recyclable materials, along with items like Legos, marshmallows, and graham crackers. The creativity and effort they put into their work were truly impressive. Check out some of their amazing creations in the photos below!
Slate Valley District Highlight in today's Rutland Herald
Copy:
Discover the Dynamic Classrooms of Slate Valley Unified Union School District
In Slate Valley schools, education is alive with curiosity and creativity. Each classroom reflects a commitment to blending foundational skills with innovative thinking, fostering a lifelong love of learning. Here’s a glimpse into what students are exploring this semester:
Benson Village School: Crazy8’s Math Club - Students are diving into math challenges like building tetrahedrons with glow sticks, exploring probability with dice games, and mastering multiplication through interactive activities. The club inspires students to push their limits and encourage one another.
Castleton Elementary School: Community Helpers - Kindergarteners learned about community jobs through engaging texts and activities, focusing on the police station, fire station, post office, doctor’s office, construction workers, and their school.
Fair Haven Grade School: Creative Writing - Fourth graders studied narrative and opinion writing, culminating in a fun project where they disguised a turkey and wrote persuasive pieces about it.
Fair Haven Union High School: AP Psychology - Celebrity Brains -
Mr. Bruce’s AP Psychology students explored brain functions by analyzing how specific parts contribute to a celebrity’s success. They created detailed posters with creative diagrams and celebrity insights.
Fair Haven Union Middle School: Website Design - Library Media students learned HTML and CSS to build multi-page websites, incorporating text, images, links, and graphic design elements for a polished look.
Orwell Village School: Election Process - The student council embraced the U.S. election process, running campaigns and hosting a school-wide election. Check out the inspiring video by Raspberry Shrub Productions at https://bit.ly/OVSscdoc.
Across Slate Valley Unified USD, students are engaging in activities that spark curiosity, foster creativity, and build critical skills.
From exploring math and coding to learning about community roles and civic processes, these experiences prepare students for a bright and promising future.
Collaboration in Action!
FHUMHS School Nurse, Ms. Alexandra Foley-Bowen, teamed up with Ms. Jen Clement, our Family & Consumer Science teacher, for an exciting health project! Students dove into research to learn about important health topics and then applied their knowledge by creating informative and engaging health posters.
A big shoutout to our students for their hard work and creativity, and to Ms. Foley-Bowen and Ms. Clement for guiding this meaningful project!
🏀 Join us for a Special Moment! 🎉
Fair Haven Union High School invites the community to celebrate our Division II Girls Basketball Team's incredible achievement! 🏆
📅 When: December 20th
⏰ Where: FHUHS Gym (before tip-off) - Game starts at 7:00 PM
Come cheer on our champions as we unveil their championship banner and honor their hard work and dedication. Let's pack the gym with pride and support for our team!
See you there!
💚 A Reminder from Hunger Free Vermont 💚
Did you know there are local food shelves, pantries, and meal sites at churches and community centers all across Vermont? If you or someone you know needs access to meals, help is just a click or call away!
📍 Visit www.vtfoodbank.org/gethelp
📞 Dial 2-1-1 for assistance finding resources near you.
Together, we can ensure no one goes hungry.
The Slate Valley Unified Union School District is currently planning and discussing the FY26 Budget, and we value your input! We invite you to share your suggestions and questions to help shape the budget and provide guidance on community concerns.
How to Submit Your Input:
Online: Submit your suggestions or questions using this link: https://bit.ly/FY26Suggestions.
In-Person: Drop a submission in one of the suggestion boxes located throughout the district. Boxes can be found at:
Benson Town Hall
Orwell Free Library
West Haven Town Hall
Hubbardton Town Hall
Castleton Free Library or Town Hall
Fair Haven Town Hall
Your submissions will be shared with the school board and administration for review, discussion, and response. We are committed to transparency and will provide updates and responses via:
Our district website
Local news outlets
Social media platforms
To view responses to submissions, visit: https://bit.ly/FY26SQResponses.
Your opinion matters, and we sincerely appreciate the time and effort you take to share your thoughts.
A big thank you to the United Way of Rutland County for their incredible generosity in providing winter jackets for local children in need. Through their Welcome to Winter program, over 100 students across three districts in Rutland County received new jackets and snow pants. We are deeply grateful to our Rutland County donors for making this heartwarming initiative a reality!
