FWSU Seeks Superintendent of Schools

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Franklin West SU

The Franklin West Supervisory Union (FWSU) Board seeks a full-time Superintendent to begin July 1, 2020. The previous Franklin West Superintendent approached this position with an ambition and vision that has made FWSU an active part of the global community. Within our three schools, this leadership created a culture of education that focuses on giving our students the tools they will need to create solutions for the problems of tomorrow by engaging in authentic learning today. The FWSU community is seeking a candidate that can continue to lead Franklin West with the same amount of energy, creativity, and vision, focusing on a “belief in what is possible.”

(left) Fletcher Elementary Students Rise to Top with Healthy Lifestyles, (right) A Colorful Collaboration at BFA Elementary

Located in beautiful Franklin County, Vermont, FWSU is pleased to serve the thriving communities of Fairfax, Fletcher, and Georgia by providing innovative, personalized public education for over 1,700 students. Franklin West Supervisory Union is comprised of three member school districts and serves Bellows Free Academy Fairfax (PreK-12), Georgia Elementary & Middle School (PreK-8), and Fletcher Elementary School (PreK-6). A leader in #VTED, FWSU is proud to be an Apple Distinguished Program, be recognized as a P21 21st Century Learning Exemplar District and an IVECA Distinguished Global School District, and an inductee into the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools.

Georgia Elementary & Middle School 4th Graders Work Through Design Process

SUPERINTENDENT LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT NEEDS

Bring to the FWSU a vision that will continue to foster the progressive goals of the SU and its individual districts.
Oversee the management and supervision of the Supervisory Union Central Office and its wide variety of financial, operational, and educational functions.
Provide supervision to and support of the leadership team (which represent the elementary, middle, and high schools in the supervisory union) so that the administration and staff of each school are inspired to maintain their focus and commitment to supervisory union and building-based goals for continuous improvement; special emphasis includes orientation, support and development of two principals who will be completing their first year in the SU.
Instill and maintain a positive, supportive working relationship with school boards based on shared values of transparency, effective communication, and collaborative problem solving.
Lead negotiations for collective bargaining agreements.
Create, modify, and oversee significant technology initiatives.
Conduct ambassadorial work on community-school relations.
Offer fresh eyes and insights on the SU for administrative and/or board consideration.
Demonstrate currency and experience in the areas of Vermont policy, law, union relations, and AoE interfaces.
Have specific knowledge, understanding and insight into state-wide AoE priorities.

BFA Fairfax Gr 6-7 Band and Chorus Celebrate “Superior” Ratings at Trills and Thrills

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

Carry out the policies adopted by the school board relating to the educational or business affairs of the school district.
Identify the educational goals and objectives of the school district and prepare plans to achieve those goals and objectives for adoption by the school board.
Recommend that the school board employ or dismiss persons as necessary to carry out the work of the school district.
Furnish the Secretary of Education data and information required by the Agency of Education.
Provide for the general supervision of the public schools in the supervisory union.
Act as link of communication among Board, schools within district (including staff, parents and students), and community members/groups. Maintains relationships with Agency of Education.
Organize, prepare for, and attend Board meetings as needed. Submit recommendations along with essential documentation that will assist the Board in making decisions. Alerts Board on all matters that require approval (policy changes, master agreements, etc) to ensure legal compliance. Develop and recommend long-range plans and vision for the school district which are consistent with Board objectives. See to the execution of all decisions of the Board.
Hire, supervise, and evaluate FWSU and school administrators. Conduct meetings supporting and directing Administrators as needed.
Oversee educational program with Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment on short and long term curriculum goals.
Assures school districts follow necessary state guidelines regarding Education Quality Standards and the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program.
In support of the Director of Support Services, assure appropriate programs are in place for students with disabilities and directs Administrator when needed.
Assure adequate records for the schools, including a system of financial accounts, business and property records, personnel records, school population and scholastic records. Act as custodian of such records and all contracts, securities, documents, title papers, books of records, and other papers belonging to the Board.
Be directly responsible for news releases and/or other items of public interest emanating from all District employees that pertain to education matters, policies, procedures, school related incidents or events. Approve media interviews of this nature with District employees. Acts as spokesperson as necessary.
Oversees Business Manager in areas of budget operations and annual/quarterly reporting. Confirms annual proposed budget and submits it to the Board. Assures all funds, physical assets, and other property of the District are appropriately safeguarded and administered by the Business Manager.
Assure effective relations with employees/organizations; assume ultimate responsibility for collective negotiations with employees of the District. Conducts negotiations with union(s) regarding contracts, disciplinary issues, master agreements, etc.
Assures proper licensure for all districts, including accurate contract offerings.
Ensure a safe and educational environment for all learners.

BFA Fairfax 8th Graders at Boston Science Museum

REPORTS TO Franklin West Supervisory Union Board of Directors

EVALUATION Performance in this position will be supervised and evaluated by the FWSU Board of Directors.

SUPERVISES/EVALUATES Supervises all school and district administrators and staff; evaluates all FWSU Administrators, School Principals, Executive Assistant.

BFA Fairfax HS Students Travel to Alaska
(left) Schuur Lab Ecosystems and Dynamics Research site near Healy, AK
(right) Students after setting up camp near research cabin

Job Requirements

The successful candidate will possess:
- A proven record of accomplishment as an educational leader
- A solid vision for creating 21st Century learning environments in our schools
- Comprehensive understanding of best practices in curriculum/instruction
- Knowledge of Vermont education law
- Exceptional communication and human relation skills
- Innovative problem-solving and effective decision-making abilities
- Superior planning/organization/time-management skills
- Demonstrated capital and fiscal management experience
- Healthy sense of humor

Evidence of Vermont licensure as superintendent of schools or being appropriately licensed on or before the first day of employment.
Salary will depend on experience.

The famous BFA Fairfax Senior Walk through the halls of the Elementary School

Franklin West is a strong and functional supervisory union known for its progressive and forward-thinking approach to learning. The SU’s vision and direction is well established, and the result of this is a highly student-centric organization that has earned the respect and support of its communities, as well as national and international recognition. Teachers work collaboratively, staff is committed to student learning, and the administrative team consists of both relatively new and veteran members. Individual boards thoughtfully govern their respective districts, which then work together to create equity across the SU. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high-quality district committed to partnering with its schools and communities, to influence education for its students and staff in a positive way.

Fletcher Elementary STEAM Night Focuses on Sustainable Development

For More Information and to Apply, click here to view the listing on SchoolSpring.

The FWSU Story: Introducing BFA Fairfax’s New Sensory Path

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Franklin West SU

BFA Fairfax is excited to share the news of our new sensory path in the Elementary School. This resource was the brainchild of our Guidance Counselor, Saybra Varisano, who advocated for a sensory path and the benefits it would provide for all students. Our new sensory path has been in place for the past two weeks and our students are frequently engaging with the various activities during “Brain Breaks”.

A sensory path is a fun series of activities that require students to use both gross and fine motor skills. The sensory path has activities that require students to hop, step, and jump. Students complete wall push-ups, jumping jacks, practice balance and coordination, and trace labyrinths with their fingers.

Our students arrive each day with a range of social-emotional needs and experiences. We are purposeful in our daily schedule to incorporate mindfulness practices and to embed social cognition curriculum throughout the school day. Through the use of the Zones of Regulation language, Yoga 4 Classroom resources, Go Noodle movement breaks, and Calming Corners we strive to provide research-based strategies to increase access to learning, develop self-regulation skills, and support healthy student growth.

We know from research that movement and sensory regulation opportunities are necessary for increasing engagement, focus, learning, self-awareness and positive behavior outcomes. We are excited to see how this resource provides additional opportunities for our students to grow and thrive.

Thomas Walsh is currently Principal of BFA Fairfax Elementary School and is a regular contributor to THE FWSU STORY. You can follow him on Twitter @educatamount

THE FWSU Story: GEMS Students Use STEM Problem Solving Methods

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Franklin West SU

STEM is an interdisciplinary and applied approach that keeps students engaged and learning through a “plan, design, and improve” method of solving a problem. Throughout this flow students apply their current knowledge, build and test their thinking, and then make improvements from information they’ve attained.

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The incorporation of these content areas along with “problem-solving” questions provides a great learning opportunity for students that becomes engaging, collaborative, and thought-provoking.

In Georgia, teachers work exclusively with their STEM coach to plan and collaborate on the implementation and cross cutting approach to embedding all disciplines.

Here, 4th graders work to answer the question, “How to create an earthquake resistant building incurring the least amount of damage.”

To test their thoughts…..Their structures will undergo this earthquake test:

Many modifications to existing structures occurred as students discussed why structures failed and how they could make improvements.

Steve Emery is the Elementary Principal of Georgia Elementary Middle School. He is a regular contributor to THE FWSU STORY.

The FWSU Story: Fletcher Elementary Named PBIS Exemplar School for Second Year

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Franklin West SU

For the second consecutive year, Fletcher Elementary has earned Exemplar status as a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) School. The designation was awarded by the state level VTPBIS Team of the Vermont Agency of Education and the UVM Center on Disability and Community Inclusion Collaboration at the annual PBIS Forum in Killington on October 10. Fletcher’s PBIS Coordinator and School Counselor, Lisa Coale, accepted the award on behalf of the school.

“We are excited to have the hard work of our students and staff recognized at the Exemplar level again this year,” Coale said. “Creating a respectful, responsible, safe and caring school climate is a priority at Fletcher and the results not only create a more positive environment for all learners, but pave the way for increased academic teaching and learning time, as well.”

Exemplar designation represents the highest of three tiers of PBIS recognition and affirms Fletcher School’s unwavering commitment to supporting a positive school climate. Of the 156 Vermont schools using the PBIS approach, Fletcher was one of only 28 schools that received Exemplar status this year. Slightly more than half of Vermont schools and about one in three schools across the US use the PBIS approach. Fletcher school is in it’s sixth full year of PBIS implementation.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an approach to creating proactive, school-wide systems that support students’ behavioral and academic success. It begins with the teaching, modeling, and practicing of school-wide behavior expectations with all students and staff and a formal system of recognition when students meet those expectations and supports when challenges arise. The Fletcher School has created clear and concise behavior expectations for each physical area of the school, on the school buses and for field trips. The school emphasizes respectful, responsible, safe and caring behaviors.These school-wide expectations are modeled and taught to students throughout the year. Individual classroom and school-wide successes are recognized and celebrated regularly.

The school’s PBIS Team uses data from classroom and office behavior referrals to identify students, locations around the school, times of day, problem behaviors and other demographics needing additional support. Behavior data is provided to families throughout the year as part of parent conferences.

Students are intermittently recognized when they meet school-wide expectations. The recognition comes in the form of small wooden “falcon” tokens, representing the school mascot. Tokens accumulated in classrooms and other locations around the school result in class and school-wide celebrations.

“Being data-driven is an important part of the PBIS approach,” Coale said. “We track both major and minor behavior referrals and gather information such as the perceived motivation, location, time of day, type of behavior, and more. Using specific information allows us to more precisely target our interventions and supports.”

The school also involves families in the PBIS approach. During Open House, families were given tokens to give to participations whom they spotted meeting the school-wide expectations. The school also sends home tokens before school vacations and encourages families to award them at home, keeping up the momentum of positive behavior across settings and when students are away from school.

Coale has even engaged students in analyzing their own PBIS behavior data. Last year, fourth and fifth graders identified celebrations and challenges in their class-wide behavior, speculated on the root causes, and suggested solutions.

In 2014, the Fletcher School was designated a Vermont PBIS School of Recognition based on its strategic use of data to support student behavior, celebrating school-wide and individual successes and working to support behavioral challenges, as well as noted decrease in behavior issues overall. In the following three years, the school received the PBIS School of Merit designation based on a continuation of that work, as well as receiving exceptional scores on its state-conducted school-wide evaluation of its PBIS implementation. This year’s Exemplar designation, the second in two years, recognizes both a continued decrease in rule-breaking behaviors and an increase in academic performance and comes following a rigorous selection process that included documenting both improved behaviors and increased academic achievement.

“Fletcher is a ‘go to’ school for model PBIS practices and implementation fidelity. They are truly an Exemplar school, and they should be very proud of the recognition for the work they have done on behalf of their students to ensure safe and responsive learning environments,” FWSU Director of Curriculum Linda Keating said.

In addition to receiving the Exemplar designation, members of Fletcher’s PBIS Leadership Team presented to schools from around the state on parent engagement and student voice at the annual statewide PBIS Forum.

“As a classroom teacher, I’ve noticed substantially more positive behaviors since I started using the PBIS approach,” third and fourth grade teacher Tracey Godin said. “Students understand what our schoolwide expectations look and sound like across locations and because of that they just behave more positively and responsibly. The time we have put into modeling and teaching behaviors has given rise to a community that cares about each other.”

Christopher Dodge is the Principal of Fletcher Elementary School and is a regular contributor to THE FWSU STORY. You can follow him on Twitter @FletcherFalcon

The FWSU Story: BFA 7th Graders Design Their Own AR Experiences

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Franklin West SU

Mr. Psaros’ class has been learning how to design augmented reality experiences with the new Macbooks along with their assigned iPads in the Augmented Reality Platform, Metaverse Studios.

Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience in an environment where the objects in the real world are augmented by digitally generated items. Using computational skills, the students challenged themselves to design digital items to enhance their real world classrooms.

This activity was an exploration into how might BFA could embrace creative and innovative uses of technology by our students in designing projects and opportunities that leverage Macbooks, iPads, and the augmented reality platform, Metaverse.

Angelique Fairbrother, FWSU Digital Learning Specialist

Angelique Fairbrother is the Digital Learning Coach at Franklin West Supervisory Union. She is a regular contributor to THE FWSU STORY. You can follow her on Twitter @FWSUtech

The FWSU Story: Hiram Bellows Community Service Day

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Franklin West SU

On October 17th, BFA high school students engaged in a day of community service to honor our benefactor, Hiram Bellows. BFA has been participating in Hiram Bellows Community Service Day for the past two years with our 9th grade students, but this year the entire high school was involved in service projects. Since the 17th was an “early release day” for students, the high school faculty decided to make the day a special event rather than just having a condensed version of a regular school day.

The day began with a brief lesson about Mr. Bellow’s gift to the Town of Fairfax to build a “fine school” for the students of Fairfax. The students enjoyed donuts and apples which were funded by the BFA Trustees as they heard about Mr. Bellows donation of railroad stocks to fund and build a school with the “means and facilities as the times demand”.

Students then broke into their selected groups to begin work. Some students boarded buses to perform service at Georgia Elementary and Middle School, Fletcher Elementary School and the 100 Acre Woods in North Fairfax. Others worked outside cleaning up trash and debris from the roads surrounding the school. A group worked to clear the courtyard outside the cafeteria as part of a student generated plan to make the space usable.

“They did amazing things @gemsvt today! Thank you @BFAFairfaxHS students for service to our school and community. Making @FWSU proud”
– Julie Conrad Georgia Middle School Principal (via Twitter)

Students cleaned the Multi Purpose Room,organized trophy cases and read to BFA Elementary students. A small group created some artwork for a stairwell and another documented the work for a presentation.

Outside of the FWSU school system, students worked with Fairfax Recreation Director to provide input into the uses for a community center, worked with Fire and Rescue personnel, and prepared baked goods for nearby seniors.

“What an amazing conversation and overall exercise I just had with the students at the Community Center! It is so valuable to have their input and to be able to hear the youth perspective on some of the bigger issues that we all deal with. I would absolutely want to do this again and look forward to another opportunity to work with the BFA community.”
– Brad Docheff, Fairfax Town Manager

At 11:30 students returned to school energized and excited by the work done and connections made. They grabbed a quick lunch before heading off to their buses (which some of our students spent the morning cleaning!) with the pride of having given back to their community in the spirit of Hiram Bellows.

This day would not have been possible without the organizational efforts of Jensen Welch, Katherine McElroy, and Lisa Koval, the flexibility of our teachers and paraprofessionals (who worked alongside the students), and the financial support of the BFA Trustees. Special thanks to Fairfax Town Manager Brad Docheff, Recreation Director Brian LaClair, Principals Chris Dodge of Fletcher, Julie Conrad and Steve Emery of GEMS, and Tom Walsh of BFA Elementary for working with our students.

We know that this day will be an annual event and are planning similar activities for our remaining release days in January and March. Students and staff were excited to perform service that, in the words of Mr Bellows, “may be a lasting benefit to rising generations”.

John Tague is the Principal of BFA Fairfax High School and is a regular contributor to THE FWSU STORY. You can follow him @jtague252

The FWSU Story: Do you Mindstorm? We do!

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Franklin West SU

In fifth grade at BFA Fairfax, every student completes a 6-7 week Lego Mindstorms robots unit. This opportunity grew from the makerspace that was created by Rhonda Siemons, Kendra Myers, Victoria Reynolds and Sandy Brown in 2016 with the encouragement and support from then FWSU Superintendent, Ned Kirsch and current elementary principal, Tom Walsh. The makerspace was designed to meet the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) standards for all students in grades 3-5. One of the resources used to help students learn were Lego Mindstorms EV3’s. We are fortunate to have enough kits available so that students can work in pairs with one kit. The kits were obtained through grants, one of them being the STEM Challenge Initiative, Inc. abbreviated as SCI. The goal of the SCI board is to provide affordable and meaningful STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational opportunities for the communities in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. It is a great resource for educators.

By working with the robots, from building to programming them, the students learn to investigate problems and find possible solutions. In addition to content specific skills, essential transferable skills such as collaborating and communicating are learned and practiced. From the first lesson on through to the end, students have to understand and interpret two-dimensional learning to create three-dimensional robots. Troubleshooting and perseverance is the name of the game. Mathematical concepts such as estimating and measuring distance, time, and speed are practiced. Fifth grade students will also be programming using Mindstorm EV3’s as part of their Starbase program in the Spring.

Each trimester, one class works with the Mindstorms for an hour a week for 6-7 weeks. Lessons are co-taught by both Sandy Brown and Rhonda Siemons. Students are excited for the “Mindstorm Day” to come. They assemble the robot together and by the end of the unit are programming it to do their bidding (within reason). The hour goes by quickly because students are engaged and challenged.

In the new configuration of grades 5-8, we are grateful to Sandy Brown for growing this wonderful opportunity and expanding it into BFA Fairfax Middle School. When I asked Ms. Brown to to share a little about herself, she offered the following (next time you see her, please thank Sandy for all that she does-and has done for students over the years):

“Over a 24 year time span, I have taught in grades 3-8, with 5th grade being the one I have taught the longest. I have a master’s degree in science education. I lived in Fairfax with my husband and two daughters for 30 years, both daughters graduated from BFA. Our family has grown to include 2 son-in-laws and 2 grandchildren with one on the way. My husband and I now live in Winooski. I am so glad I can still be in Fairfax five days a week. Teaching has provided me with the special opportunity to be with children and work in science and social studies, two subjects that I absolutely love.”

Justin Brown is the Principal at BFA Fairfax Middle School is a regular contributor to THE FWSU STORY.

THE FWSU STORY

A belief in what is possible.

Category Archives: FWSU