Castleton Elementary School

08/25/2026

⚽ Reminder: Grades 5 & 6 Fall Sports Meeting! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

A reminder for families of 5th and 6th grade fall athletes! Our Fall Sports Informational Meeting is coming up this Thursday, August 27, at 6:00 PM in the Fair Haven Union Middle & High School gym.

Families of students planning to participate in fall sports are encouraged to attend to get the information they need for the upcoming season.

📌 Important: A copy of each athlete’s Athletic Physical Exam must be on file with the school in order to participate.

We’re looking forward to a great fall sports season! 🍂⚽

08/24/2026

🌟 Celebrating Our 2026 SVUUSD Instructional Assistants of the Year! 🌟

Behind every successful school community are dedicated individuals who make sure students feel supported, encouraged, and ready to learn. Today, we are proud to celebrate our 2026 Slate Valley Unified Union School District Instructional Assistants of the Year!

Each year, administrators at our schools select an Instructional Assistant whose dedication to students and willingness to go above and beyond make a meaningful difference in their school community.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees:

👏 Benson Village School: Cris Andronaco
👏 Castleton Elementary School: Eileen Hurlburt
👏 Fair Haven Grade School: Brianna Norton
👏 Fair Haven Union Middle & High School: Diane Roberts
👏 Orwell Village School: Barbara Young

Whether providing one-on-one encouragement, supporting learning in the classroom, helping students navigate their day, or simply being the caring adult a student needs in that moment, our Instructional Assistants play an invaluable role in Slate Valley.

Please join us in congratulating Cris, Eileen, Brianna, Diane, and Barbara on this well-deserved recognition and thanking them for all they do for our students! 💙💚💛❤️

08/24/2026

Celebrating Our 2026 SVUUSD Teachers of the Year! 🍎

As we begin a new school year, we are proud to recognize the 2026 Slate Valley Unified Union School District Teachers of the Year!

Each year, our school administrators select an educator from their school whose dedication, commitment, and impact on students exemplify the very best of Slate Valley. This year’s honorees are:

🏆 Benson Village School: Laura Budde
🏆 Castleton Elementary School: Jordan Perry
🏆 Fair Haven Grade School: Tiffany Manning
🏆 Fair Haven Union Middle & High School: Michael Lenox
🏆 Orwell Village School: Emily Slote

These educators make a difference every day through the relationships they build, the opportunities they create, and the care and commitment they bring to their students and school communities.

Please join us in congratulating Laura, Jordan, Tiffany, Michael, and Emily on this well-deserved recognition! We are fortunate to have you as part of the Slate Valley team. 💙💚💛❤️

08/24/2026

🏆 Congratulations to Our SVUUSD Executive Board Award Recipients!

As part of our Opening Day celebrations, we were proud to recognize this year’s Slate Valley Unified Union School District Executive Board Award recipients!

This special award recognizes faculty and staff members who have truly gone above and beyond in their service to students, colleagues, and their school communities. Recipients are selected collectively by Slate Valley’s district principals, making this recognition especially meaningful.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients:

🌟 Elizabeth Schuyler — Benson Village School

🌟 Laura Brayton-Illinski & Emily Klee — Castleton Elementary School Clinician Team

Each of these outstanding educators has demonstrated the dedication, compassion, teamwork, and commitment that make a difference every day in our schools.

Please join us in congratulating Elizabeth, Laura, and Emily on this well-deserved recognition—and thanking them for all they do for the students and families of Slate Valley!

08/24/2026

🍎 Celebrating Slate Valley’s UVM Outstanding Teachers of the Year!

We are proud to congratulate Margaret Quinn, Grade 4 Teacher at Fair Haven Grade School, and Michael Lenox, Special Education Teacher at Fair Haven Union High School, on being named this year’s University of Vermont Outstanding Teachers of the Year! 🎉

This recognition honors educators whose dedication, talent, and commitment make a meaningful difference in the lives of their students and within their school communities.

Margaret and Michael exemplify the care, creativity, and commitment to students that we are so fortunate to have throughout Slate Valley. Their impact extends well beyond the classroom, and we are thrilled to see them recognized for the important work they do each day.

Please join us in congratulating Margaret and Michael on this well-deserved honor! 👏

08/24/2026

🏀 Celebrating Leadership, Inclusion & the Power of Unified Sports! 🏀

During Slate Valley’s Opening Day Inservice on Friday, August 21, Superintendent Brooke Olsen-Farrell presented the inaugural Superintendent’s Award to Margaret Hayward of Fair Haven Union Middle & High School.

This new award was created to recognize extraordinary leadership and the dedication it takes to turn a new idea into something meaningful—and Margaret’s work in launching Unified Sports at Fair Haven Union exemplifies exactly that.

Unified Sports is built on a simple but powerful idea: sports can bring people together, break down barriers, and give every student an opportunity to belong, participate, and shine.

Margaret’s vision, drive, and countless hours behind the scenes helped turn that idea into reality. But she didn’t just help launch a new athletic program—she helped create a community where athletes of all abilities can compete together, support one another, build friendships, and experience what it means to be part of a team.

The recognition was also an opportunity to thank the many faculty and staff members who helped bring Unified Sports to life. Their enthusiasm, encouragement, and commitment have shown our entire Slate Valley community what inclusion in action looks like.

Congratulations, Margaret, on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you to everyone who has helped make Unified Sports such a special part of Fair Haven Union! 💚💙

We all play on the same team!

08/23/2026

📚 CES Title I Meeting

Families of Castleton Elementary School students are invited to join us for a Title I Meeting to learn more about the Title I program and how it supports student learning at CES.

📅 Tuesday, August 25
⏰ 5:00 PM - Immediately Following Open House
📍 Castleton Elementary School

Mr. Casey O’Meara, Slate Valley’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, will share information about Title I services and answer questions from families.

We hope you’ll join us to learn more about the resources and support available to our students through Title I!

08/22/2026

08/20/2026

🍎 Back Together & Getting Ready for a Great Year! 📚

While students are enjoying their final days of summer, some familiar faces are already back in our schools!

Today, Slate Valley’s special educators came together at Castleton Elementary School for a day of professional learning and collaboration as they prepare for the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

There were plenty of smiles, laughter, conversations, and opportunities to reconnect as the team worked together to get ready to welcome students back. We’re grateful for the dedication these educators bring to supporting students across Slate Valley every day. 💚

Welcome back! The countdown to a new school year is officially on! 🎒✏️