•  Community

    Community Partnership Council

    The ACSD Community Partnership Council is made up of high school students, community members, parents, educators, and the district superintendent.  Our mission is to develop and strengthen relationships within our communities to create strong partnerships that support student success and to help ACSD realize the objectives of the Community component of the Strategic Plan. 

    The 2021-2022 Committee is working to establish their 2021-2022 priorities. 

    Committee Work During the 2020-2021 School Year

    The ACSD Community Partnership Council has shifted its work this year to focus on ways we can support our community through the pandemic. The Vital Supports Committee helped with the initial planning to assemble and deliver meal kits to schools for distribution before school breaks and also supported the effort to find volunteer help.  This committee distributed gratitude gift bags to ACSD staff across the district to express our appreciation for their dedication to our children and understanding of the incredible energy they’ve put into educating and supporting our youth during COVID.  They have also been working to expand school-based health services into ACSD schools.

    The Joy Committee has been working on ideas to connect ACSD students during the pandemic and create joyful experiences.  They led the way in Middlebury, working to bring a new outdoor skating rink to our community on the Mary Hogan fields by making connections with Middlebury Parks and Recreation, local businesses, and community members to open a well used skating rink on Valentine’s Day and was open to all.  They also helped bring a talent show to MUMS, bring improv classes to MUMS and MUHS after school, and came up with the idea of doing a Spring Fling at MUHS with a variety of fun events for students.  Members of this committee worked with these schools to support the planning and implementation of these events. 

    The Mentorship Committee has been working to develop a 1-to-1 mentoring program for 5th – 8th grade students over the past several years.  The committee formed a partnership between ACSD and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont to offer a mentorship program for 5th grade students at Bridport Central School and 6 – 8th graders at MUMS.  We are piloting this program in these two schools in September 2021 with plans to expand the program into ACSD elementary schools.  More information can be found on the MUMS website.

     

    Past Projects by the Council

    Helped launch a School-Based Health Center at MUHS where students can be seen by a medical provider for a variety of health reasons during the school day.  The committee did research on School-Based Health Centers and visited schools in Vermont that had SBHCs.  The committee formed a partnership with Porter Pediatric Primary Care and helped with the initial work to open the center in December of 2019.  

    Worked with the ACSD School Board to enhance the wellness policy.  

    Conducted a district wide communication survey to identify where communication was strong and areas that needed to be addressed.  The Council evaluated survey results and provided recommendations to the district to strengthen communication district wide.

     

    How to get involved

    Applications for the 2022- 2023 school year will open in the spring of 2022.  The Council meets monthly Sept-June from 6:00 to 7:30 the first Wednesday of the month; there is typically some subcommittee work between meetings.  Council terms are two-years and begin in September. We value a diversity of community voices and encourage all to apply!

    Contact Emily Blistein, 382-1183, eblistein@acsdvt.org, if you have any questions or would like more information.

     

    2021 - 2022 Community Partnership Council Members 

    Community Members

    Laura Basilli 

    Kymberly Breckenridge

    Nicole Curvin

    Lindsey Fuentes-George

    Christina Johnston

    Shannon Lyford

    Jennifer Nuceder 

    Erik Remsen 

    Bruce Perlow

     

    MUHS Students

    Talia Cotroneo

     

    ACSD Representatives

    Liam Battjes

    Emily Blistein

    Elizabeth Burrows

    Peter Burrows 

    Fernanda Canales

    Katree Fenster

    Brooke Jette 

    Kelly Landwehr