Does YOUR school have what it takes to earn the title of Food Drive State Champion?

With generous support from Market 32 and Price Chopper, we will be awarding “State Championships” for high school communities that collect the most food donations over the course of the 2025-2026 Academic Year. Winning high schools from four divisions (based on your high school’s basketball alignment) will receive a $500 Gift Card from Market 32 and Price Chopper and an exclusive Food Drive State Champs sign to be hung in your school! Plus, the school with the overall highest donation total will earn an additional $1,000 in gift cards!

Sign Up Your School Here

We encourage your schools to continue whatever Food Drive or Food Security campaigns you historically have organized but please count the items listed below toward your VPA Food Drive State Championship total.

Items that will count toward the final total include:

• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Canned Soups/Meals
• Cereal/Oatmeal/Granola Bars
• Canned Fruit/Vegetables
• 100% Juice
• Canned Protein: Tuna, Chicken
• Beans
• Pasta
• Macaroni and Cheese

We ask that you prioritize low sodium low sugar and whole grain product. We CANNOT accept glass containers as donations.

Monthly request for updates will come from Will Cook, Sponsorships (will.cook@teallpropertiesgroup.com) and will be tracked on VPA social media channels and VPAOnline.org. Be sure to follow along to see where your school stands!

We thank Market 32 and Price Chopper for their support of Vermont’s communities and the VPA. And we thank YOU, our school leaders, for your tireless efforts in providing quality and equitable educational experiences for Vermont students.

Please reach out to Will Cook with any questions!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Northwest Designs Announced as the Official Merchandise Provider of the Vermont Principals’ Association The Vermont Principals’ Association is the governing body of high school athletics for Vermont. Today it announced that it has signed a multi-year Partnership with Northwest Designs as the Official Merchandise Provider of all VPA Championships.

Northwest Designs will be on site at all State tournaments—providing a wide selection of apparel offerings and giving each athlete, parent and fan the opportunity to customize their garments on demand. In addition, all Championship Gear will be available for purchase online before and after the tournament. Their ability to print all the products on demand means they will have sufficient inventory and make sure no one goes home without an item!

Northwest Designs has had successful Partnerships in the NFHS Section 1 with the NJSIAA (New Jersey), NHIAA (New Hampshire), MPA (Maine), MIAA (Massachusetts), CIAC (Connecticut), NYSPHSAA Section VIII (New York). We look forward to serving the VPA with local representatives out of the Burlington Area.

“We are so excited to be able to provide the best merchandise experience to the student-athletes, Families, and Fans of Vermont. We cannot wait to bring a new look to the Championship experience! Merch is a way for the kids to commemorate their accomplishments and to remember the memories that come with it. We look forward to serving the Vermont Community.” said Victor Sviridyuk, Director of Sales & Business Development for Northwest Designs.

ABOUT NORTHWEST DESIGNS
AS THE ORIGINAL ON-SITE EVENT APPAREL COMPANY since 1983, Northwest Designs specializes in on- site & online event specific apparel at the largest Youth & Collegiate Championships in the country. Today we partner with 22 NFHS High School Associations/Affiliate Associations, California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), 6 NCAA Conferences, & we look forward to welcoming the VPA to our growing list of successful long-term partnerships. To learn more please check us out online at https://nwd.ink/

A walk through of the some example existing policies in Vermont schools and the need for care consideration of the bill’s language going forward. Click here, for the full presentation and youtube video

Elevating and credentialing the early childcare profession can provide assurances, accountability, and oversight that is transparent and distinct from the professional educator license granted by the Agency of Education. This should not result in regulatory duplication, increased costs, or application to any statute or rule that currently uses the term “educator license.” (click to view full presentation and youtube)

A walk through of the some example existing policies in Vermont schools and the need for care consideration of the bill’s language going forward. Click here, for the full presentation and youtube video

My comments for this committee are around governance, scale, and opportunity for students as I believe these issues are most germane for the committee on education. My comments are related directly to H.454 as passed in the House and related considerations. Full Senate Ed Written Testimony and Link to Youtube Version, Full Senate Finance Written Testimony and Link to Youtube Version.

“I have previously testified in this committee with comments related to finance and a foundation formula. I’ll try to keep my comments focused on the recent testimony I’ve seen and the latest language and figures as they pertain to school finance. I will submit some written testimony but will spend my limited time here on what I heard related to testimony from Dr. Kolbe today.” (Full Written Testimony & Youtube)

On March 24th, the VPA welcomed 81 spellers from around the state to compete in this year’s annual Spelling Bee. We are grateful to our co-sponsor WCAX, who ran this linked great story of the event, and has the full playback available here.  “The reigning champion of the Vermont State Spelling Bee defended her title on Monday! Phoenix Newell, a student at Lyndonville’s Riverside School, won the state bee last year and she just won it again. Students from across the state in grades 1 through 8 competed at St. Michael’s College in Colchester for the chance to win a trip to represent Vermont in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.” 

From the VPA’s perspective, the concept of a Foundation Formula is something we can certainly work with. However, as I have mentioned previously, the details really matter. View full written testimony and youtube recording of testimony here.

Principal of the Year 2025 Winners

The Executive Council of the Vermont Principals’ Association is proud to announce the 2025 Principal of the Year award winners. These outstanding school leaders will be honored at our Annual Leadership Academy on the evening of August 5, 2025 at the Killington Grand Hotel. Reminder that last year, Scott Blood, principal of Blue Mountain Elementary School, was selected as the National Association of Elementary School Principals winner of the year and will represent Vermont in Washington D.C. This year’s winners are:

• Jason Di Giulio who has been selected as the National Association of Secondary Schools Principal of the Year. Jason is the principal of Hazen Union High School in Hardwick, VT.
• Bobby Riley has been selected as the Vermont High School Robert F. Pierce  principal of the year. Bobby is principal of the Eagle Bay Academy in Burlington, VT.
• Sarah Welch has been selected the Henry Giaguque Vermont Elementary Principal of the Year. Sarah is the principal at Danville Elementary School.
• Erik Remmers has been selected the Vermont Career Center Director of the year. Erik is the CTE Director at Green Mountain Technology & Career Center in Hyde Park, Vermont. 
• John Craig has been selected at the National Association of Secondary Schools Assistant Principal of the Year. John is the Assistant Principal at South Burlington High School. 

(Press Release)