Slate Valley Innovation Committee Community Forum April 22, 2019
District Vision: All students are engaged in rigorous, authentic, experiential, individualized learning that is supported or accelerated to ensure that they meet or exceed standards.
Members of the Innovation Committee: Brooke Farrell, Superintendent (Hubbardton) ● Chris Cole, Director of Operations Amy Munger, Board Member ● ● (Benson) Cheryl Scarzello, Director of Finance ● Tim Smith, Board Member ● Linda Peltier, Principal CVS ● (Castleton) Jason Rasco, Principal FHUHS ● Mark Grossarth, Parent (Castleton) ● Mike Bache, Board Member (FH) ● Jillian Towle, Parent (FH) ● Rick Wilson, Board Member (FH) ● Gerry Volpe, Parent (Benson) ● Julie Finnegan, Board Member ● Chad Legault, Parent (Orwell) ● (Castleton) Peter Clarke, Consultant ● Angela Charron, Board Member ● (WH) Josh Hardt, Board Member ●
Sub-Committee Structure: All committees had staff and administrative representation: Elementary Design Committee ● Middle School Design Committee ● High School Design Committee (also included students) ●
Work to Date: September 2018 - March 2019 Parent/Community Survey ● Administrative, Faculty, Student Committee Work ● Innovation Committee – Reviewed Input ● Development of Project Goals and Building Needs ● Board and Community Review of Work to Date ●
Creating a District Innovation Committee: The rationale for developing a long-range facilities plan for Slate Valley was grounded in two important challenges facing the schools in our district: 1. Our current facilities, in varying degrees, have serious problems that need immediate attention related to aging infrastructure. 2. Our schools no longer fully support either the existing or future educational programs that this community desires
The Committee’s Charge: Explore the educational costs and benefits of: • Addressing the current facility and infrastructure needs of all schools across the district (including core maintenance). • Identifying facility enhancements to support the educational and instructional vision of the district. • Creating a new district middle school. • Enhancing the delivery and quality of district preschool educational programs through a collaboration with Castleton University (for future consideration).
Community Survey: Highlights • Need for separate locations for middle school and high school students. • Improved appearance and infrastructure in existing buildings. • Desire for more performance spaces in existing buildings. • Increased access for community use of facilities. • Decisions need to be centered on students. • Increased opportunities for extracurricular activities (sports for younger students, 4-H Program, etc.) • Questions around the impact of relocating 7th and 8th grade students to a district-wide middle school. • Ensuring opportunities for public input throughout the process. • Concerns over travel time for students if there were to be a district-wide middle school.
Elementary Infrastructure Needs: Overview • • HVAC Bathroom Upgrades • • Security Paving • • ADA Compliance – Elevator Upgrades to Gym, Cafeteria, Kitchen • Roof Replacement • Flooring • Interior Lighting • Windows Note: See Interim Report for building-specific list.
High School Infrastructure Needs: Overview • HVAC • Security • Electrical, Plumbing Upgrades • ADA Compliance/Elevator • Flooring • Kitchen Upgrade • Windows
Middle School Instructional Vision and Goals: • Create a larger population of students to enhance educational opportunity. • Forge new friendships and a sense of community for students and parents across the district. • Create a modern facility that supports the district’s vision to: Increase student engagement and mastery. Expand current program offerings. Develop programs that teach students how to learn and to make that learning “stick”. • Provide facilities that welcome, encourage and enable families and community members to become active partners in the education of our community’s children.
Why 7/8 Middle School Configuration? The developmental and educational needs of 6 th graders will be met within our • current elementary school structure. It is not cost-effective to construct new space to house 6 th graders when there is • sufficient space to house them in our current elementary schools. • Vermont teacher licensure requirements (7-12 certification) make staffing a 7/8 middle school easier and allows for sharing instructional staff with the high school. A 7 th and 8 th grade middle school aligns with the current structure for delivering • athletic programs and other co-curricular programs within the district and region.
Location: Fair Haven Union High School Complex: • Only educational complex in district large enough to meet the requirements for a self-contained, adjoining middle school. • Provides students with additional opportunities for academic acceleration, access to arts, co-curricular programs, and student support. Constructing a middle school on the grounds of the current high school would also support: • Greater operational efficiency – space utilization, staffing, field space. • A more cost-effective district- wide renovation plan to address our school’s current facility needs.
Proposed PK-6 Facility Upgrades: Creating a middle school would open up space in elementary schools for new/expanded instructional areas and program enhancements including: • Maker spaces to support new instructional programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). • Expanded/upgraded arts, music, and performance/exhibition areas. • Reconfigured instructional areas to support grade level teams. • Upgraded kitchen/cafeteria/gym areas. • Expanded student support areas. • Conference spaces. Note: See Interim Report for building specific list.
Proposed High School Facilities Upgrades: Highest Priority: • Reconfigured/re-designed Art and Music areas. • Upgraded Science Rooms – furniture and fixtures. • Multiple fabrication/maker/technology spaces for student projects – different focus/use. • Student gathering/social spaces – renovation of cafeteria for and multi-use (and kitchen), study areas, conversation areas, small exhibition/performance spaces for student exhibitions and presentations, coffee houses, etc. • Upgraded athletic locker and team rooms • Additional field space. Note: For additional items under consideration, see Interim Report
Next Steps: • Parent, community, staff, and student input on Facilities Proposal – April/early May. • Revise Project Goals and Facility Needs to reflect board and community input. • Review of Architectural Drawings vis a vis revised goals and needs. • Energy Audit. • Review Preliminary Cost Estimates. • Second round of proposal review by board and community (e.g. preliminary drawings and cost estimates). • Preparation for Bond Vote – Fall of 2019.
Questions: For more information please refer to our website: ● www.slatevalleyunified.org Email any questions to Brooke Farrell at bfarrell@arsu.org or Julie ● Finnegan at julie.finnegan@arsu.org Please make sure to leave your email address with us. We will be ● sending out a brief survey.
Middle School Program Highlights: • Enrollment: 180 – 200 • Multiage 7/8 Instructional Teams (2-3 teams) • Team Structure: Four core teachers per team: Language Arts; History/Social Studies; Math; Science; Special Education. • Expanded offerings in Arts, Music, Theater, Dance, Technology, World Language. • Flexible Block Schedule: Capacity for teachers to adjust daily instructional plan and groupings. Teacher Planning Time Team Planning Time Flex Period: Instructional Support/Enrichment; Advisory; Team Meetings
Middle School Design Requirements: • A separate middle school. • Room organization built around team structure. • Flexible core instructional spaces; small and large group instruction; capacity to open one core classroom to another. • Student gathering areas - capacity for team and all-school meetings. • Resource centers for books, media, and technology. • Multiple small-group, maker, and conference spaces for each team. • Small group/maker spaces with specialized uses – arts electives, technology, life skills, STEM, etc. • Individual student project and exhibition areas . For a complete overview of design requirements, see Interim Report
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