•  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 Council is divided into two working committees:

    Whole Child Wellness - The Whole Child Wellness Committee formed a partnership with UVM Health Network-Porter Medical Center and the high school to facilitate the development of a school-based health center where students will be able to be seen by a doctor or nurse practitioner from Porter Pediatric Primary Care during the school day. This project has been in development for two years, and we have transitioned the work of developing the school-based health center from the Community Partnership Council to a steering committee at MUHS that also includes representatives from Porter. That steering committee is finalizing details around opening and operating the center and the opening date is December 5, 2019.

    We have also connected with Mountain Health Center and Shorewell Community Health to discuss the possibility of providing services at some of our outlying schools.   In addition to providing primary care services they also provide dental services. We are in the process of exploring how we can work together and continue to meet to discuss options.  

    Additionally, we worked with the ACSD Board Policy Committee to develop a comprehensive wellness policy for the district that enhances the current child nutrition and physical activity policy. The policy was approved by the ACSD board in July 2019.

    Mentorship - The Mentorship Committee has been planning a small pilot mentorship program for 7th graders, hopefully to launch in 2020. Our goal is to ensure students have ongoing access to adult support and connections with the broader Addison County community. The committee is currently working to connect with other similar mentorship programs in Vermont, to identify best practices for how to build and sustain a successful mentorship program, and for recruiting and matching mentors with students.  We are in the process of partnering with Mentor Vermont, formerly Mobius, to provide technical support as we build a mentorship program. We have also reached out to Middlebury College Community Friends and the United Way for partnership and guidance in this work. With the addition of three new high school members on the Mentorship Team, we are also exploring reestablishing a Peer-to-peer mentorship program at MUHS which would connect high school mentors with sixth grade student mentees.

    How to get involved

    Applications for the 2020 - 2021 school year will be open in the spring.  The Council meets monthly Sept-June from 5:30 to 7:30 the first Wednesday of the month; there is typically some subcommittee work between meetings.  Council terms are two-years (renewable once) and begin in September. We value a diversity of community voices and encourage all to apply!

    Contact Erika Garner, 382-1183, egarner@acsdvt.org, if you have any questions or would like to be notified when applications are open.

     

    2019 - 2020 Community Partnership Council Members 

    Community Members

    Laura Basilli 

    Kymberly Breckenridge

    Katree Fenster

    Christina Johnston

    Janet Lapiner

    Jennifer Nuceder 

    Erik Remsen 

    Cicilia Robison

    Ellen Whelan-Wuest 

    MUHS Students

    Talia Cotroneo

    Isadora Luksch

    Kyle Mitchell 

    ACSD Representatives

    Peter Burrows 

    Fernanda Canales

    Erika Garner

    Brooke Jette 

    Kelly Landwehr