Otter Creek Academy

OVUUSD SEEKS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER The Otter Valley Unified Union School Board is looking for interested parties to be appointed to the Goshen representative seat on the board. The appointed school board member for this seat must be a resident of Goshen and would serve through to the next election in March 2023, at which time they would be required to run and be elected to complete the remaining year of the term. Letters of Interest can be submitted to the board through Let’s Talk and are due by December 1, 2022. For more information, please contact Melinda Piper at mpiper@rnesu.org or (802) 247-5757 x 2722.

RNESU Honors Faculty and Staff: Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union recently hosted its annual Celebration of Contribution to recognize, honor and celebrate teachers and staff members who have made outstanding contributions and have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to excellence. Congratulations Honorees! Distinguished Licensed Professionals: Jennifer Hogan – Art Teacher & Academic Interventionist – Barstow Memorial School Melanie Parker – School Nurse – Lothrop School Katherine Kloss – Literacy Interventionist – Neshobe School Brenna Kimball – 1st Grade Teacher – Otter Creek Academy Alyson Callahan – HS Social Studies Teacher – Otter Valley Union Middle High School Susan Smiel – EEE Early Ed Teacher - RNESU Outstanding Support Staff: Heather Page – Paraeducator – Barstow Memorial School Sara Eddy – Secretary – Lothrop School Lisa Frasier – Paraeducator – Neshobe School Cretia Waldie – Paraeducator – Otter Creek Academy Stephanie Hull – Library Assistant/Media Specialist – Otter Valley Union Middle High School Emily Ferraro – EEE Paraeducator - RNESU

VEGGIE VANGO EVENT CHANGE - Due to the district wide convocation occurring at Otter Valley, the RNESU sponsored VeggieVanGo event will be held on Friday, August 26 from 10-11am at Neshobe School. To ensure a safe event, please do not arrive at Neshobe prior to 9:45am and following the signs to access the event. This event is open to all RNESU students and families. Thank you for your patience with the change in location.

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL! RNESU Students begin school on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. Online Student Registration is now open. Families of returning students have been sent their students' snapcodes for registration via email. If you have not received an email by Friday, Aug. 12, please contact registration@rnesu.org for assistance. Read Superintendent Hubert's welcome back message at the address below: https://rutlandnortheastsuvt.sites.thrillshare.com/article/802126 Please consider sharing your hopes for the year in a ThoughtExchange Survey at https://tejoin.com/scroll/279326332. See you all soon!

Dear Parents and Guardians and Staff This morning around 9 am, Lothrop School was notified of an external community threat. While the threat was not directly made against the school, upon consultation with law enforcement, we made a proactive decision to lock down Lothrop School while the police dealt with the threat. This meant the school was locked to all outsiders, students did not go to outdoor recess, but learning inside the school continued as normal. We also consulted with Brandon Police and did not see a need for a similar lockdown at our Brandon and Leicester schools, as the threat was local to Pittsford. However, the police were ready to assist if anything changed. Shortly after 11, we learned the threat was resolved and we were able to lift the lockdown. We deeply appreciate the partnership with law enforcement and the patience of parents as we worked through our protocols. We also appreciate the work of our staff to maintain a calm learning environment while the school was locked, following protocols and allowing the police to do their work unimpeded. I am proud to be part of the RNESU school and town communities. Thank you. Jeanné Collins, Superintendent, RNESU

UPDATED LINK - RNESU ANNOUNCES PRE-K VOUCHER LOTTERY Rutland Northeast has an approved PreKindergarten region for tuition subsidies which consists of any VT approved preK program, public or private, within our eight towns. Information on the preK region can be found on the RNESU.org website. If capacity within the region is met, a voucher outside of the region may be granted by the school board on a case by case consideration. In April, 2022, the RNESU school board agreed to continue to pilot a lottery for 5 slots for out of the region tuition subsidies. This agreement is for the school year of 2022-2023 only and the slots are filled on a lottery basis. There is no expectation that the tuition subsidy will continue into future years. TO APPLY FOR AN OUT OF DISTRICT PRE-K SLOT IN THE LOTTERY PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM. https://forms.gle/6kTVHgFiCRBbWPLF9

RNESU ANNOUNCES PRE-K VOUCHER LOTTERY Rutland Northeast has an approved PreKindergarten region for tuition subsidies which consists of any VT approved preK program, public or private, within our eight towns. Information on the preK region can be found on the RNESU.org website. If capacity within the region is met, a voucher outside of the region may be granted by the school board on a case by case consideration. In April, 2022, the RNESU school board agreed to continue to pilot a lottery for 5 slots for out of the region tuition subsidies. This agreement is for the school year of 2022-2023 only and the slots are filled on a lottery basis. There is no expectation that the tuition subsidy will continue into future years. TO APPLY FOR AN OUT OF DISTRICT PRE-K SLOT IN THE LOTTERY PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM. https://forms.gle/eZv5pLz4H

Thank you, Mrs. Coro! Teacher Retires After 43 Years https://brandonreporter.com/2022/05/04/oca-teacher-retires-after-43-years/

Each year, we pause to take a moment to reflect on what our staff did well and to share our appreciation with them. We invite you into this process this year. Could you please take a moment and share your own reflections of appreciation? It will mean the world to the teachers, administrators and staff as we continue to work hard to meet the needs of your child(ren). Thank you for being part of the RNESU community! Please note this will be a public document that goes beyond a particular staff name. Feel free to use names with appreciation if you wish; negative comments will be archived and not be part of the report. https://tejoin.com/scroll/384014412

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF PERSONNEL RECORDS RUTLAND NORTHEAST SUPERVISORY UNION Brandon, Chittenden, Goshen, Leicester, Mendon, Pittsford, Sudbury, Whiting (RNESU, Otter Valley & Barstow Unified Union School Districts) Let this serve as notice that Personnel Records of employees who were employed at Barstow Memorial School, Lothrop Elementary School, Neshobe School, Otter Creek Academy (formally known as Leicester Central, Sudbury County and Whiting Elementary Schools), or Otter Valley High School prior and up to the 1992 school year are being destroyed in accordance with Federal, State and Local Guidelines. Anyone who would like their record should call Pam Reed at the RNESU Office at (802)247- 5757 prior to December 31, 2022 to make arrangements to pick up.

The April 26, 2022 Special Election results are in. The OVUUSD FY23 Budget Passed. THANK YOU to all who voted and helped spread the word to remind others to vote as well. With the budget passed, we are able to continue to hire quality educators and serve the needs of our students. Thank you for your support!

OVUU needs your voice! There are just 2.5 hours left to vote with a low turnout at the polls today. The future of OVUU education programs are at stake. Please let us hear your voice! Vote today! Taxes are down by 5.5 cents, spending is under the statewide limit. See rnesu.org or the Brandon Reporter for more information.

OVUU Virtual Information Meeting tonight April 25 6:30 pm. See llink on webpage rnesu.org. Vote today or tomorrow on the OVUU budget!

COMMUNITY COVID TESTS AVAILABLE: While our nurses continue to conduct diagnostic testing in school and make take home antigen tests available on an as needed basis, there are times families want to have more testing done, such as before or after an event. We have been told that by April 4, families who wish to have antigen tests may make an appointment at a State of Vermont testing site to obtain up to eight rapid antigen tests or one LAMP test per appointment for their use at home.

COVID INCREASE IN SCHOOLS: Once again, we are seeing an increase in COVID cases in our schools. Students and staff alike are testing positive on a daily basis. The latest variant causes illness from mild to severe. Please continue to monitor your child’s health and do not send them to school if they have symptoms! We will send a student home who has symptoms as we want to limit the spread in the schools. We need to take care of each other. Staying home when sick, wearing a mask, and avoiding crowded situations are all personal mitigation measures that can help! If you need an antigen test, please see your school nurse. For more information: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/symptoms-sickness.

INPUT ON USE OF COVID FEDERAL FUNDS APRIL 26: On Tuesday, April 26th from 6 PM - 7 PM, Director of Curriculum Kristin Hubert will be hosting a virtual meeting to gather input on the potential use of federal funds within RNESU for the 2022-2023 school year. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87238186814?pwd=dUc1VVdjYXF1QmRGRUt6a1JJa2ZtZz09

COVID INCREASE IN SCHOOLS: Once again, we are seeing an increase in COVID cases in our schools. Students and staff alike are testing positive on a daily basis. The latest variant causes illness from mild to severe. Please continue to monitor your child’s health and do not send them to school if they have symptoms! We will send a student home who has symptoms as we want to limit the spread in the schools. We need to take care of each other. Staying home when sick, wearing a mask, and avoiding crowded situations are all personal mitigation measures that can help! If you need an antigen test, please see your school nurse. For more information: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/symptoms-sickness.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS: School Board meetings are open to the public. Meeting information can be found on the district calendar or on the district website www.rnesu.org. Upcoming meetings: Barstow Unified Union Meeting April 18, 6 PM Virtual; RNESU Meeting April 27, 5 PM Virtual; Otter Valley Informational Meeting for Budget Re-vote April 25, 6:30 PM Virtual; Otter Valley UUSD Meeting May 4, 6 PM at OVUHS Library, Virtual and In-person

04/19/2022 - RNESU Central Office - Phone lines are down! The Central Office is currently experiencing phone system outages causing some incoming calls to not connect and outgoing calls to be dropped unexpectedly. Please be patient as we address these issues and resolve them as soon as possible. During this time, Central Office staff can still be reached through email and Let's Talk. Thank you for your patience.

OVUUSD - Please Vote! The OVUUSD Special Budget Re-vote is April 26, 2022. Ballots are available now at your local town clerk’s office. Call your town clerk’s office to make an appointment to vote at your convenience or stop by your polling location on April 26, 2022. Attend the virtual OVUUSD Special Informational Meeting on Monday, April 25,2022 at 6:30 PM to hear the budget presentation. To learn more about the budget re-vote, please visit www.rnesu.org.