2024 Principal's Report
January, 2025
It is with great pleasure that I submit my annual report to the Cambridge community with this report marking the twenty fourth year I have done so. Time has passed by quickly, but what has remained unchanged during my tenure is the remarkable education offered to our students. In fact, the opportunities bestowed upon our students are the envy of many and I welcome any opportunity to describe the exciting things happening here as well as our challenges and targets for growth. The support of our community combined with a top-notch staff are at the core of this institution and the success of our students. In this report, I will highlight some of the exciting strategies and activities at CES and how our school budget proposal for this coming year supports our efforts.
One of the questions we frequently ask ourselves at CES is “How do we know if our students are meeting the goals we have developed for them?” Observation and assessment, both classroom based and state assessments provide the answers to this question. Our students have participated in the new state level assessment, Cognia for the past two years. Despite the fact that the state’s rollout of this new assessment felt unorganized to those tasked with its administration, our talented staff and resilient students rose to the challenge. This assessment measured our student’s acquisition of math and language arts skills as compared to grade level standards in grades three through six and science skills in fifth grade. It is administered on the computer and based upon a child’s initial responses to questions, the questions adapt accordingly to an individual child’s instructional level. Our teaching staff has taken time to dig into the results and look for areas where changes should be made to their instructional practices. We are proud of the fact that despite the lack of familiarity our students have had with this assessment, they have outscored the state average in many areas. At CES we are experienced enough to realize that we should never place all of our eggs in the standardized assessment basket to determine if we are doing things correctly, but these results do indicate that we are on the right track to ensuring student success for all.
2023 Assessment Results
We have achieved our strong student assessment results by remaining focused on supporting individual students through dedication and deployment of supports tailored to address their unique strengths and challenges. Teachers meet in teams weekly to analyze student assessment data to plan groupings and instruction that will meet the needs of individual students. Our faculty is composed of highly skilled, competent, and caring instructional staff who are constantly assessing, teaching, re-teaching, enriching, and collaborating with their fellow staff members to determine if interventions are necessary for students. Our school is lucky enough to possess a talented “fleet” of interventionists, counselors and support staff, all highly trained and adept at flushing out the academic and emotional challenges and strengths of the students that are recommended to them. Our enrichment program offers high quality enrichment opportunities to all of our students through our art, music, library and after school programs and residences and workshops. I have personally observed remarkable academic growth made by our students during their tenure at CES. A leading reason for this growth can be attributed to our ability to determine when a child needs help or challenge followed by collaboration between staff, families, and of course our hard-working students!
The children of this community are the beneficiaries of a rich, diverse education that stretches far beyond the walls of our school building. We are always brainstorming new opportunities for our students to learn new skills and discover activities that are interesting to them. All of our students have access to meaningful and varied enrichment experiences with the goal of broadening their horizons, teaching problem solving, and providing them with a glimpse of what the future holds for them. Fifth and sixth graders can become technology ambassadors allowing them opportunities to use their technology skills to help others and the school while also learning to use different kinds of applications and equipment. Students in fifth and sixth grade are also able to join drama club or an Iron Chef team that will ultimately participate in a statewide competition. Sixth graders accompany me to volunteer at North Country Animal League in Morrisville or at the Cambridge community lunch. Fourth grade students lead a toy drive to benefit the Vermont Children’s Hospital. Our younger students have the opportunity to showcase their math and science skills during engineering classes. This year our first graders led a very successful food drive to benefit the Cambridge food shelf. Our school garden is thriving once again and offers our students hands-on opportunities to learn about growing your own food, sustainability, and nutrition. One of my favorite sights at school is when I see a child skipping down the hallway which is an indicator to me that they love being here. This is one of the ways I “assess” that our students are doing well and I am proud to say that I frequently see this joy on display at our school.
We at CES are pleased to continue and expand upon our symbiotic relationship with the Cambridge community. Our doors continue to usher in dozens of talented, generous, and compassionate citizens who lend their talents to us every day. The list of volunteer opportunities is lengthy including, Four Winds, the CES PTA, Rotary Reads, mentoring, after school enrichment, Winter Wellness, the Cambridge history project, the MacGriff reading program, library volunteers, and much, much more. Additionally, volunteers from the Cambridge Rotary Group and Cambridge Recreation committee offer our students high quality opportunities to engage in healthy, seasonal athletic programs such as skiing and snowboarding, soccer, and basketball. Deb Nevil and friends raised funds to build an outdoor pavilion accompanied by a “Joy” sculpture, which will be used and enjoyed by the entire community for many years to come. The broad commitment from this town towards our students and school has created motivation for them to give back to our community. This year, we have worked to contribute to the betterment of the town in a variety of ways including green up day, the food drive led by our first graders, serving at the community lunch, and other events.
For good reason, there is much discussion in and outside of school about the importance of paying attention to mental health. I feel strongly that our students will fail to experience academic success if their emotional needs are unmet. To that end, over the course of many years, our school has built and maintained a strong foundation of mental health supports including many safety nets that are available to anyone who needs them. Social skill development is taught on a regular basis through our guidance programming. Students are taught strategies on how to respectfully interact with one another, self regulate, and problem solve. Responsive Classroom and Restorative Practices form the backbone of our approach to creating a healthy school climate. Small group and one on one counseling is offered onsite. Students are offered quiet spaces to work when they need them. Staff members, no matter what their position, take special care to provide love and extra attention to any child who demonstrates to us that they need it. We take time to get to know our students - their likes and dislikes, earn their trust, and create a safe space where they can thrive because they feel a sense of belonging and as a member of a supportive community.
Every person in our school, no matter what position, plays an important role in the development of our students. This year we are preparing to say goodbye to a number of teachers who have announced their retirement. Laura Edgerton, Ellen Koier, Theresa Aiosa, Morgan Baumann, and Paul Legris have all decided that after decades of service to children, it is time to slow things down a bit and join the ranks of the retired or in most of their cases “semi” retired. All of these individuals will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come and we will miss them dearly. Their impact on our school is vast and our future students will be the beneficiaries of their exceptional talents and service. I would also like to recognize the contributions made to our school and students by the late Jim Kinney. Jim served as a fixture of our Cambridge history unit taught to CES third graders every year. Jim was passionate about preserving the history of his beloved town and appreciated how this can be done by sharing the treasured tales with our youth who in turn will share their knowledge with others. In addition to serving as a historian for the interviews, Jim took over the microphone for the late Roberta Marsh and Matt Safford, narrating the Cambridge history bus tour for our students. Jim was also a faithful employee of CES for many years. I would like to thank Jim for his service and commitment and for serving as such an outstanding example of a community member. The world is a better place because of him and he will be greatly missed by all who loved him.
In closing I would like to thank our countless volunteers and supporters who contribute to the wellbeing and development of our students in so many ways. The budget that we have crafted for next year is one that will support our students while also remaining mindful of the financial pressures that face many of our community members. Over the course of several years, we have experienced a decline in student enrollment and as a result, we have eliminated 3.5 teaching positions in this budget proposal. Despite these personnel cuts, I am confident that we have adequate staffing to continue offering our students a strong, well-balanced education. The winds of change will continue to blow, but what will always remain the same is my devotion to your town and respect for your tremendous community spirit. On behalf of the Cambridge School community, I thank you for your continued support.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mary Anderson