Superintendent's Office

This school year we will continue our work in social-emotional learning and wellness, restorative practices, equity, student and family engagement, and academic rigor through effective multi-tiered/layered systems of support for all students. You will see expanded opportunities for student voice and choice, school safety, a renewed commitment to family/caregiver conversations, community forums, and all things necessary to ensure that our students come to school each day feeling safe and connected, understanding expectations, and ready to learn. Our K-12 curriculum has been realigned and can be found on our website under the Curriculum department heading. You will be able to see what is taught at each grade level and in each content area as specified by the Vermont Agency of Education’s (VTAOE) Education Quality Standards. This work has been an almost two-year process and we commend the work of our Curriculum Director, Val Sullivan, and all of the teachers in each building who worked to redesign and realign this document.

We are pleased to offer universal meals, both breakfast and lunch, to all students this year. We thank the Vermont legislature for making this a reality for the families in our community and beyond. Please see the nutritious and wonderful menus for our schools on the Lamoille North Supervisory Union website or HERE.

Our school teams are unwaveringly committed to a safe and supportive learning environment for our students and staff. We continue to build safe and inclusive communities that extend beyond our hallways. Last year, we hosted multiple community forums, worked closer than ever with community partners, and shared community resources with our families in our newsletters. The most important way we can foster safety is by knowing our school community members well and ensuring that school is a place that fosters belonging and connection. However, we are also held to other safety mandates. In the spirit of communication, we ask that you view our safety information HERE. Each of our buildings and Central Office has a Crisis Planning Team, consisting of representatives from the school administration, teachers, guidance/behavioral specialists, support staff (e.g. facilities, nutrition, and transportation), and the School Resource Officer (SRO). Furthermore, the school district has a broader Crisis Planning Team that includes senior representatives of the district as well as a number of community partners further outlined on our website.

Lamoille North is focused on adhering to the Vermont Agency of Education Recommended School Safety Best Practices.

Please note: We do not share detailed information about our safety plans and procedures for the protection of everyone in our facilities. This is done intentionally as a safety precaution so our responses cannot be anticipated. 

VT S.138 (Act 29)

Governor Scott recently signed VT S.138, which requires all public and independent schools to develop “access control and visitor management” and “all-hazards emergency operations plan” policies according to guidelines set by the Agency of Education. The access policy must at minimum require that all school sites and supervisory union and district offices lock exterior doors during the school day and require visitor sign-in. Also, the bill sets a schedule for the widespread phase-in of schools’ use of behavioral threat assessment teams, with a model set of policies and procedures developed this year, and implementation by July 1, 2025.

Last year, we received much feedback from our communities about the need to have more support in our schools from law enforcement. To that end, in April we hired Waterville community member, Warren Lyon, as the SRO for our middle, high school and GMTCC. You can find his biography HERE. We have also hired an SRO for our elementary schools. Chris Turner is a parent in our district and will begin working in this role later in the year. You can see his biography HERE. Until the time that Chris begins, Warren will be available as support to all of our schools as needed. Both SRO’s share our schools’ philosophy about restorative practices and are committed to supporting our families and acting as home-to-school liaisons. The primary focus of the SRO’s will be to create positive relationships with our students and all members of the school community, to offer mentorship, and to foster a supportive learning environment. Their presence will aim to bolster a sense of security, allowing students to thrive academically and personally.