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Teachers describe clubs, language programs and literacy work that foster connection and opportunity
Summary
Teachers told visiting senators about social-emotional learning, club choices, language programs including Latin and study-abroad options, AP and arts offerings, and a district literacy push; they emphasized outreach and grants to ensure access for underprivileged students.
During a school visit by state senators, several teachers described classroom and schoolwide practices intended to provide "excellent educational opportunity for every Vermont child," focusing on social-emotional learning (SEL), language and literacy programs, and flexible pathways.
Laurie Smith, the school's social-emotional learning specialist, said excellence for middle-school students looks like connection, belonging, safety and joy. "Are our students feeling connected? Are they feeling supported? Are they feeling safe? Do they feel like they belong? And do they have joy?" she asked, then described a club program where students pick from about 15 activities three days a week and routinely get their first or second choice.
Sarah Allen, chair of the modern and classical languages department and a literacy-support teacher, described language offerings (Spanish, French and Latin), study-abroad and exchange programs that some students attend for a week or for a full semester, and a literacy-focused approach that builds English skills through foreign-language instruction. Allen said the school also offers multiple daily blocks that allow students to take electives while receiving extra math or literacy support, and she cited AP, theater and arts programs as further opportunities for students to challenge themselves.
Teachers described specific supports for inclusion. The school runs an advisory program and has flexible pathways and team structures in grades seven through nine to ensure students who need extra help are identified and supported. Teachers said grants and community partnerships help underprivileged students participate in travel or enrichment programs.
Staff pointed to student outcomes and celebration of teacher-led efforts: the middle school was recently recognized as a "school of distinction" and teachers publish a student newspaper weekly. Staff said that while programs are robust, better facilities would amplify their impact by enabling full-grade team meetings, cross-curricular projects, and more reliable intervention spaces.
The senators' visit included time for teachers to demonstrate practices and materials and to discuss how building condition interacts with programming. No formal policy action occurred at the meeting.
