RSVP Now for FREE Childcare/Dinner on Wednesday at t...

CSD Community Caregiver Event: Screenagers Viewing & Discussion What:  Screenagers  Viewing & Discussion Date: This Wednesday, November 5 Time:  6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Location: Colchester High School Performing Arts Center **Free childcare starting at 5:45 p.m. Come connect with other families to explore the challenges and opportunities that come with growing up in a digital world. Together we’ll watch and discuss  Screenagers , an engaging documentary that explores the impact of screen time and technology on children and families. Watch the trailer at the bottom of this message. We’re able to offer free childcare that’ll include a pizza dinner, courtesy of some wonderful CHS students. If you think you might bring children, please  RSVP using this form  as soon as possible so we can make sure we get enough pizza.  Children may begin arriving at 5:45 p.m.  This event is designed especially for caregivers of PreK to 5th-grade students, but it is open to everyone. After the viewing, a guided discussion will offer ideas for helping our kids develop healthy screen habits and balance technology use. We hope to see you on Wednesday!      

Monday, Nov 03 2025

The Compass: CSD Districtwide Newsletter for October

District Newsletter at a Glance Breaking Ground at PPS. Construction has begun. Outstanding Educator Awards. Congrats to Mrs. Rayner-Cyr and Ms. Vella! Community Caregiver Event. Screenagers Viewing & Discussion on November 5 From the Health Office. Time for vision and hearing screenings. Staying Safe with SRO Bressler. Checking in with seat safety for kids. Celebrating Our 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees. What a day it was! From Our Kitchen to Yours. Make a CSD kid-favorite dish at home. Upcoming Calendar Reminders. Our first Early Release Day on November 5. Open Positions. Van driver, certified occupational therapist assistant, behavior interventionist, maintenance worker, multilingual learner paraeducator, substitutes. See the full list: csdvt.org/jobs. Sailing Around the District. A quick check-in with our schools.   Breaking Ground at Porters Point School We've officially broken ground at Porters Point School! This week marked a special moment as we celebrated with students, staff, and community members. After inspiring remarks from Superintendent Amy Minor, School Board Director Ben Yousey-Hindes, and Principal Carolyn Millham, our students took the mic to share their excitement and vision for the school improvements. This project is now officially in motion, standing as a powerful example of our town's investment in our schools and our future. We’ll be uploading more photos and videos from the ceremony, along with future construction progress updates, to our dedicated website: csdbond.org.   2025 CSD Outstanding Educator Awardees Next week, the College of Education and Social Services at UVM, the Vermont Agency of Education, and the Vermont NEA will honor educators across the state for their accomplishments. We are thrilled that two Colchester School District teachers will be among the award winners! Anne Rayner-Cyr: MBS 3rd Grade Teacher We are proud to celebrate Mrs. Rayner-Cyr, who exemplifies teaching excellence through her skill, creativity, and dedication, crafting thoughtfully designed instruction that makes learning truly effective. Her students speak fondly of their third-grade experiences, demonstrating the deep respect she has earned in her classroom. Beyond teaching, Mrs. Rayner-Cyr is a vital leader in the building, mentoring new teachers and spearheading important initiatives in math and science, including the development of a schoolwide math word wall. Her commitment to sharing her expertise and strengthening the curriculum benefits all students at MBS, making her a truly deserving recipient. Amanda Vella: CHS Art Teacher Ms. Vella is being honored for the incredible passion and dedication she brings to her art classroom every day. She inspires students to develop a strong love and appreciation for art, guiding them to meet high standards while also building crucial transferable life skills. Students in her vibrant classroom are always actively engaged, reflecting an environment built on respect and purpose. Ms. Vella's deep investment in public education and connection with students (as evidenced by "MVP" chants at school events!) underscores the tremendous heart she pours into her work.   Community Caregiver Event: "Screenagers" Viewing & Discussion Date: Wednesday, November 5 Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Location: Colchester High School Performing Arts Center **Free childcare starting at 5:45 p.m. Come connect with other families to explore the challenges and opportunities that come with growing up in a digital world. Together we’ll watch and discuss Screenagers, an engaging documentary that explores the impact of screen time and technology on children and families.  This event is designed especially for caregivers of PreK to 5th-grade students, but it is open to everyone. After the viewing, a guided discussion will offer ideas for helping our kids develop healthy screen habits and balance technology use.  We’re able to offer free childcare that’ll include a pizza dinner, courtesy of some wonderful CHS students. If you think you might bring children, please RSVP using this form to make sure we get enough pizza. Children may begin arriving at 5:45 p.m.   This fall, our CSD nurses will begin mandatory vision and hearing screenings for students in the school nurse's office. These are done for grades K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12. These brief screenings are an important way to identify potential concerns that could affect your student's learning and development. If a potential concern is identified during a screening, a referral letter with next steps will be mailed home to your family.   Staying Safe with SRO Bressler Vermont’s Car Seat Law was recently improved to more closely align with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations. Here’s a visual graphic from our partners at the Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Transportation.  A key update is that any child under the age of 13 must, if practical, ride in the back seat. Additionally, children under two years old now require a rear-facing harnessed seat, and children under eight who are not in a harnessed seat must use a booster seat.  For more information, visit www.BeSeatSmart.org or reach out to SRO Bressler, who is a certified car seat technician.   Congratulations to the 2025 CHS Hall of Fame Inductees We were absolutely honored to celebrate the inaugural class of inductees into the Colchester High School Laker Hall of Fame! It was a truly joyous and inspiring day as we welcomed these outstanding Lakers and their families back to CHS. The celebrations included a luncheon with students, a building tour, a warm welcome at the pep rally, a special ribbon-cutting, and formal recognition at halftime of the boys' soccer game. We couldn't have asked for a better group to start this new tradition! Congratulations to our 2025 CHS Hall of Fame inductees: Merritt David Janes, Class of 1999 Alan Laroche, Class of 1992 Leigh Mallory, Faculty/Coach/AD (1975-2008) Lindsay McNall, Class of 2013 Jennifer (Guerin) Riordan, Class 1992 Daniel Westover, Class of 1992 Learn more about these amazing individuals and their achievements on the CHS Hall of Fame website. Know someone who should be in the CHS Laker Hall of Fame? Complete a nomination form for 2026!   Next Thursday, our kitchens will serve creamy cheeseburger pasta with garlic butter broccoli. Many meals from our kitchens are made from scratch and this pasta has been dubbed a “Colchester Kid’s Favorite,” so here’s the recipe in case you want to make it at home. Enjoy! Creamy Cheeseburger Pasta Servings: 12 Portion Size: 1 Cup Ingredients: ¾ lb Penne Pasta 1 TBSP Veg Oil ⅔ cup raw onions, diced 1.5lb ground beef 2 tsp garlic powder 3 cups diced tomato 3 TBSP tomato paste 2 tsp dijon mustard 3 tsp Italian seasoning 1 cup milk ⅓ cup American cheese ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper Instructions: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender. Drain. In a large sauté pan or a tilt skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Add beef and brown, breaking up into crumbles. Drain the beef and return it to the pan. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, mustard, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to the beef, stirring well.  Add pasta to the pan, add milk, and stir to combine. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the juices have thickened and been absorbed by the pasta. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper.   Upcoming Calendar Reminders Here are some upcoming dates to mark on your calendar. For a complete list that’s continuously updated, visit csdvt.org/calendar. Early Release: Wednesday, November 5. Grades 6-12 will dismiss at 12:00 p.m. and grades K-5 will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. No School: Monday, November 24 to Friday, November 28 CSD School Calendar   Sailing Around the District Highlights From Our Schools Colchester High School Amanda Hughes, Colchester High School Humanities teacher, is offering tenth grade American Experience students the opportunity to take part in an honors orbital project. Students will write about an artifact that connects to their identity, interests, or heritage. The multimedia projects could then be published on the Your Story, Our Story online museum exhibit. Colchester Middle School CMS's Student Spirit Committee organized a great school wide assembly last week! We held the finals to our school-wide rock-paper-scissor bead challenge, gave out kindness awards, and heard performances from our concert choir and one of our modern band classes. Next week, we will have our first spirit week, which was kicked off with a Spirit Week Fashion Show put on by staff and students at the assembly, it was a hit! Malletts Bay School Our third graders enjoyed their annual fall trip to Mazza’s Farmstand, a beloved MBS tradition! Students had the opportunity to learn more about a local business, explore the pumpkin patch, and select their very own pumpkin to bring back to school. The trip also connected to classroom learning, as students will use their pumpkins for hands-on lessons in measurement and other academic activities. It was a fun and educational way to celebrate the season of fall and our Colchester Community. Union Memorial School The entire UMS community had a good time creating the yearbook cover. Watching the drone as it took pictures and video was a lot of fun. We can't wait to see the final image. Porters Point School This year, one of our Continuous Improvement Plan goals includes a special focus on reading comprehension—helping students think deeply about what they read and share their ideas with others. Activities like the one pictured here help students understand characters by guiding them to identify what those characters do, say, think, and feel in the story.  Students are excited to see how this thinking routine is helping them to become more thoughtful, confident readers and thinkers. Preschool at MBS Preschool art is a time for children to explore materials, engage their imagination, and take ownership of their creations. The focus is on the process of creating the artwork and not on the final product. These opportunities strengthen physical development, language and literacy development, and social-emotional development. During our study of trees, the children had the opportunities to create art using a variety of natural materials.   Join the Colchester School District! Our schools couldn’t run without the dedicated people behind the scenes who care for our students every single day. We’re hiring for positions such as: 🚐 A Van Driver 🔧 A Maintenance Worker 🚶 Occupational Therapist Assistant 🍎 Multilingual Learner Paraeducator Visit csdvt.org/jobs to hear directly from our employees about what it’s like to work here, learn more about pay and benefits, and apply. Questions? Call our Central Office at (802) 264-5999. We’d love to hear from you!   Follow Along! If you're on Instagram or Facebook, we are, too! Follow along with our students on their educational journeys and see what makes our Colchester community such a great place to learn and work. Facebook: Colchester School District Instagram: @colchester_schools

Thursday, Oct 23 2025

Watch the Video: What You Need to Know About Your Ch...

Whenever possible, we want our students to be here with us in school. Missed school days and tardies can add up quickly. To help everyone be on the same page, we have worked to partner with families over the past few years to make sure they have easy access to attendance information for their children. In this new video, "Showing Up for Colchester," hear a few stories from our students about how they overcame attendance struggles, why they show up to school, and how our faculty helps them stay on track. Also, learn more about why chronic absenteeism has become a public health concern. Monthly Attendance Reports Now that the school year is well underway, the district will begin sending parents/guardians a monthly attendance summary report for each student. The report pulls attendance data directly from PowerSchool and includes both unexcused and excused reasons. Just like in previous years, the focus of these reports is informational only. We just want to make sure caregivers are aware of the amount of time their student has been away from school, regardless of the reason. For students in grades K-8, the report will show: The total number of days your student was not present at school. The total number of days your student was tardy (less than 30 minutes after the bell), late (more than 30 minutes after the bell), or dismissed early. For students in grades 9-12: Attendance at the high school is taken by individual course, rather than for the entire day. The monthly summary reports will list the number of times your student missed some or all of a course they are enrolled in during the current semester. Need Help? We're six weeks into school. If you're starting to struggle with getting your child to school for any reason, please reach out to someone at your school to be connected to resources. We are here to help!

Wednesday, Oct 08 2025

Announcing the Inaugural Class of the CHS Hall of Fame

Announcing the Inaugural Class of the CHS Hall of Fame To continue the celebration of Colchester High School’s 50th anniversary, we are proud to announce the first-ever inductees into the CHS Laker Hall of Fame! The Hall of Fame will be an annual tradition recognizing alumni who have achieved significant success, as well as other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to our schools and community. This inaugural class of inductees truly represents the Laker spirit. To learn more about each inductee, visit the CHS Hall of Fame website. Merritt David Janes, Class of 1999 Alan Laroche, Class of 1992 Leigh Mallory, CHS Faculty, Coach, Athletic Director (1975-2008) Lindsay McNall, Class of 2013 Jennifer (Guerin) Riordan, Class 1992 Daniel Westover, Class of 1992 Recognition Ceremony On Friday, October 3, at 6:00 p.m., we welcome the entire community to the CHS Boys Soccer game. We will formally recognize each inductee during halftime.  You can also follow CHS Director of Athletics and Activities, Olu Sowunmi, on Instagram @chslakersaad as he highlights each honoree leading up to the big day. Nominate a Future Inductee Do you know someone who has achieved success after graduation or made a significant contribution to our Laker community? The committee is now accepting nominations for the next class of the Hall of Fame. Submit a nomination form through this link or on our Hall of Fame website. 

Tuesday, Sep 23 2025