VERONA — The Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Board of Education held its regular November meeting on Monday, hearing several presentations on district programming and the Library Media Department.

The first presentation under the superintendent’s report was for the VVS Summer Programs. Laura Rouse, the district’s director of curriculum, introduced the team of summer program leaders.

“We have many dedicated teachers behind these programs, which attest to how much they value our students. It has been a successful community effort,” Rouse said.

Over the summer, VVS teachers hosted 17 summer programs, ranging from athletics camps to virtual book clubs, band, orchestra and art camps, Junior Iron Chef, “Relax, Unwind and Chill SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) CAMP, Robotics, Summer LEAP, EPIC (Empower, Prepare, Inspire, Connect), Camp Invention and more.

Each program was offered to VVS students free of charge and included free meals and transportation, officials said.

Two of the programs, LEAP and Camp Invention, were long-standing programs, but the additional 15 were completely new camps designed to help students stay engaged and motivated over the summer, officials said, adding that all of these new programs were built from the ground up by passionate teachers determined to give students meaningful learning experiences.  

“Thank you for taking on something new and letting us try a new exciting adventure.” Jennifer Rossi, co-creator of EPIC, said to the board. “We were able to engage our students and build great relationships with them and their families.”

Next, the VVS FFA Chapter gave a report on its trip to the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. During the conference, students learned about public speaking, career opportunities, entrepreneurship skills and new FFA opportunities for chapters.

“You don’t necessarily know what you are walking into at your first nationals, but you meet people from all over the country and it’s a great experience for everyone,” said Elizabeth Schieferstine, VVS FFA president. 

The last presentation was from the Library Media Department.

Teacher Leader Tina Laramie introduced the department and the work they have been doing over the past few years. Topics included research skills, college experiences, digital books, book fairs, technology collaborations, and building a culture of literacy and lifelong readers.

“Every time my kiddos walk into the library, I make sure they get lost in the magical world of books,” said Kaylyn Rose, librarian at J.D. George Elementary. 

“We make our libraries safe spaces in the school and we always welcome all students,” said Laramie. “Making our space warm and welcoming is a deeply held belief shared by all VVS librarians.”

“I want to thank you for everything you do,” said Superintendent Martha Group.

“I am in awe of and grateful for the work you do in your buildings.”

It takes a certain mind to be a librarian because there are so many things going on simultaneously and you support everyone across your buildings,” Group said, adding “I always say the library is the backbone of the school, because without you all, the work of everyone would be diminished. Your innovative thinking, dedication, and support helps everyone.”