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Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff, |
Before Spring Break begins, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on this year and the challenges and successes we’ve had, not just in South Burlington, but in the world.
With the Secretary of Education recently signing the letter certifying Title VI, I want to reaffirm that we are deeply committed to fostering a school environment that is inclusive, respectful, and equitable for all students and staff.
And even with our budget passing, there is increasing uncertainty at the state and federal level on education funding. As a result, I am forming an advisory group made up of a diverse group of South Burlington School District staff. I’ve asked them to propose a new budget and staffing model and an annual process for budget development that puts community input front and center. As they do this important work, they need to hear from you. I hope you will take 5-10 minutes to complete a brief Budget Process Community Survey by Thursday, May 1. The feedback received in this survey will shape how SBSD distributes its funding for years to come. Please make sure your voice is heard. |
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We are also extending the deadline for the Panorama Survey to Friday, April 18th before 10 am. We greatly value family and staff feedback and would love to hear from you as we will use your feedback as we plan for next year to best support students, staff, and families. Please find the links to the survey along with more information and FAQ’s in the letters below. Students will be taking their surveys during school hours.
Panorama staff letter Panorama family letter |
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After the recent retirements of Karen Dantzscher and Maura Sawtelle, I wanted to introduce our new HR team.
Daisy Brayton – Human Resources Director- (dbrayton@sbschools.net)
Daisy brings over 25 years of Human Resources experience and has led HR teams in municipal government, higher education, and hospital administration. Most recently, Daisy was the Human Resources Director for the City of South Burlington. She is passionate about fostering a positive, collaborative, and inclusive workplace culture and is eager for this HR team to be a strong resource and business partner for the SBSD community.
Lisa Barron – Benefits Manager (libarron@sbschools.net)
Lisa brings a strong background in human resources and employee benefits administration and is looking forward to ensuring staff are well-supported and have a valuable resource in HR. She comes to us from Gifford Medical Center, where she served as the Human Resources Director.
Alanah Rockwell – Employment Specialist (arockwell@sbschools.net) Alanah joined the HR Team in December of 2024. She leads our talent acquisition efforts and manages our job postings, search processes, and onboarding. Alanah is all things recruitment oriented and is your best resource for recruitment, hiring, and onboarding questions.
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In other retirement news, our current Director of Learning, Jody Vaillancourt will be leaving at the end of this school year. We will be sad to see her go but are happy for stepping into her next chapter. In this open role, I’ve hired Nicole Carter. Nicole began her career as a high school social studies teacher and school reform coordinator before transitioning into clinical social work, and serving as a school-based clinician. Since moving to Vermont in 2012, she has held a range of leadership roles, including School Director and Principal, Director of Equity and Student Services, and Assistant Superintendent. I look forward to welcoming Nicole in June. |
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At last night's board meeting, Gretchen Edwards and Leela Sides both SBHS freshmen who participated in the National History Day competition, spoke about the competition. They won the Military History Prize for their project on the Navajo Code Talkers during WWII. You can see the website they created here. Also on the team with Gretchen and Leela was Mia Konefal. SBHS Social Studies teacher spoke about Mia recently attending a roundtable with Senator Bernie Sanders as a finalist in his State of the Union Essay contest. Congratulations to Gretchen, Leela, and Mia for all their accomplishments as well as all the other students who participated in National History Day. |
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Rhonda Ketner is our Director of Nutritional Services, and her work is integral to the district. School days are not considered official by the Agency of Education unless lunch is served. Rhonda and her incredible team keep lunch running on time and ensure all students who would like a meal receive a meal. They also maintain the daily menus on the website and run the Free Lunches program throughout the summer. Recently, the Agency of Education completed our Child Nutrition Program Administrative review. The team from the AOE was incredibly complimentary of the department, in particular of Rhonda’s management and her team. Thank you to everyone in the Nutrition Department for the challenging and rewarding work they do every day. |
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Mark your calendars for our next Donuts and Discussion on Thursday, May 1st from 4-5 pm at 577 Dorset Street. I look forward to seeing you there! |
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You are invited to join the South Burlington Multilingual Advisory Council! The Advisory Council will share ideas about how to improve the multilingual program. Meetings will happen once a month April - June 2025. Payment will be offered to council members. If you are interested, please complete the form linked below. You may also contact a liaison, call, or send a voice recording or WhatsApp message in your language to Alex O'Brien 802-652-7283 or sign up here. |
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The district is hiring! Please follow the links to read the full descriptions for these roles.
Interventionists
Bus Drivers (and Bus Aides) Training available obtain Commercial Driver's Licenses to eligible candidates, full and part time positions available as well as van drivers and bus monitors
Traffic Monitors
Full job descriptions are available on School Spring. If you have questions on hiring processes or on employment, please contact Alanah Rockwell, Employee Specialist (arockwell@sbchools.net) at (802) 652-7247.
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Thank you for reading and have a nice break! Violet |
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For information about each school please visit our website or download our app. If you are new to the district or haven’t had a chance to explore, the website is the best place to find all the information on the district and your students' schools. You can also follow us on social media: @SBSchoolsVT on Twitter, @southburlingtonschoolDistrict on Instagram and on Facebook.
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Along with the website, the dedicated app will be your best resource for updated menus, schedules and other important information in the event of school closures and delays.
Stay in the loop with our Live Feed
- Access breakfast and lunch menus
- Get your daily dose of news
- Stay updated with the events calendar
- Connect with our staff directory
- Receive important notifications, like school closures
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The South Burlington School District is on Social Media! Please follow us for updates and District happenings: |
 | South Burlington School District | |
 | @SBSchoolsVT | |
 | @southburlingtonschooldistrict | |
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 | South Burlington School District We inspire all learners to make a difference in the world. |
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