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WCSU SuperNews December Edition

Posted Date: 12/01/25 (07:00 AM)
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WCSU Super News December Edition

Super Message

A Note from Bob Thibault, Superintendent

With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror and 2025 coming to a close soon, things are just starting to get interesting with regards to the Vermont Redistricting Task Force. Their report to the legislature has been (just about) completed and submitted and there don't seem to be any immediate implications for WCSU. The Task Force took the position that forced mergers shouldn't be used as a tool but that regional cooperative services should be utilized to save money and voluntary mergers should be incentivized. We'll have to wait and see what the legislature does with that!

On a related note, at the October WCSU board retreat, our supervisory union joined the Southeast Region BOCES (board of cooperative education services) so that we can begin moving forward with saving money on shared services with our other regional SUs. This BOCES is the first in Vermont, and we are proud to be a part of it!
 

Parent Resource

Vermont Family Network

Parents' Right in Special Education

"Parents' rights enable you to participate fully in your child's special education program. Parents' rights are guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Vermont Special Education Regulations. In the attached fact sheet, we summarize parental rights regarding children ages 3 through 21 who are eligible for special education."


 

WCSU News

At the last WCSU Full Board meeting in November, the board approved the two WCSU budgets (General Fund and MTSS Fund) which cover the central office and special education and support services, respectively. The expenses from these budgets will be seen directly in each district's budget as an "assessment" and the cost is divided by the number of students in each district.

In other news, the Marlboro School District is grappling with some declining enrollment numbers and some hard choices about whether the school is sustainable longer term. The Marlboro community has already held one public information meeting, and will be having another on Saturday, December 13 at 10am. We wish them the very best as they wrestle with this very consequential decision.
 

Board Business

School Board Meeting Calendar
 

Curriculum Corner

A Note from Renee Merluzzi, Director of Curriculum

 Greetings from the Curriculum Department! A lot has happened SU wide since the beginning of the year for the curriculum department that I want to share with you as well as some exciting opportunities that have happened in the past month.. 

    In November, we completed our second round of district wide PD that also included our very first SU wide equity day. David Cohn, our new Director of Social Emotional Learning, organized a wonderful day with a variety of workshops that were relevant to various roles. The workshops included were; Gender Inclusivity, Race and Racial Identity, Habits of Character, Total Participation Techniques, Equitable Practices in Math, and a workshop around Panorama, our SU wide SEL software. 

   Additionally, I was able to take a team of teachers to a literacy training for the program UFLI on November 8th and 9th. These teachers are in a pilot group for the district this year, testing out the phonics program UFLI to see if a replacement of our current phonics program, Fundations, would better suit our students' reading needs. The team found it very valuable to get the expert information from the literacy institute and fine tune their practices with the program. 
One big takeaway is the “Every Minute Matters!” picture I took of one of their slides. It;’s pretty shocking to see how much 2 minutes a day can make a difference! 

Have a great holiday season and be well,
Ms. Renee Merluzzi
Geography Bee sign up for classes and poster competition for protecting youth from tobacco:
VPA Geography Bee Competition
Geography Bee Poster Competition
 

Staff Highlights

Meet Kate McAllister, Behavior Analyst

Hi! I'm Kate McAllister and I’m new to the WCSU this year as the Behavior Analyst for all schools.  I’m a Vermonter through and through.  I live in South Londonderry with my husband and am the very lucky mom of two awesome little boys. My family and I love spending our time camping, going to shows, skiing/snowboarding, and playing in the rivers. I grew up in Chester and attended Green Mountain before moving north to Burlington to earn my undergraduate degree in Social Work from Champlain College.

I’ve always been drawn to working with young people who need a little extra connection. My journey into Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) began when I worked with a young man with Autism Spectrum Disorder and quickly fell in love with the positive, strengths-based approach - celebrating students’ successes and using what truly matters to them to help them learn and thrive. I went on to complete my graduate and certificate program at Antioch College and worked as a Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in a high school program for students with developmental differences.

This year, I’m thrilled to be part of WCSU! My favorite part of the job is teaming up with students and staff to get creative - finding meaningful ways to support, motivate, and empower students to become the absolute best version of themselves.
Kate McAllister, Behavior Analyst
Kate McAllister, Behavior Analyst
 

Central Office Corner

Meet Kris Peoples, Director of Student Services

I am excited to join Windham Central Supervisory Union as the new Director of Student Services. I come to this role with over 30 years of experience in special education, including work in behavioral programs, K–2 and upper-elementary specialized instruction, and districtwide diagnostic support. I am a Level II licensed special educator in Vermont, a certified Wilson Reading instructor, and someone who is continually learning and staying current with special education regulations, evaluation practices, and effective intervention approaches.

Throughout my career, I have taken pride in being a “teacher’s teacher”—someone colleagues can rely on for mentorship, honest questions, collaboration, and support. I strive to bring steadiness, compassion, and strong instructional knowledge to every team I work with, always keeping students at the center of my decisions.

I am truly looking forward to partnering with staff, families, and administrators across WCSU to support high-quality services and equitable outcomes for all students.

Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, being outdoors, golfing with my husband, gathering with friends, and enjoying lively discussions in my two book clubs.

I am grateful for the warm welcome and thrilled to begin this new chapter with the WCSU
community.
 

Coming Attractions

WCSU Events, December

December 3 - Teacher In-Service, Early Release
December 22-31 - December Break, No School
January 1-2 - New Year's Day, No School
 
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