SHERBURNE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
686 School House Road
Killington, Vermont 05751

 
Principal:  Loren Pepe                                                              
Telephone:  802-422-3366 
Fax:  802-422-3367 
 Grades:  K-6 
74  Students                                                                    
Web site: sesvt.org


School History 

Sherburne Elementary School , built on School House Road in 1971, originated as Killington’s new school for the 84 students educated in a two-room schoolhouse on River Road.  Renovations in 1995 provided a gymnasium with a stage, a spacious library, a resource room and a specials’ room, which increased the building’s capacity to accommodate as many as 151 students.  From the two-room schoolhouse on River Road to the larger school on School House Road, the community support and pride in this school pass on from one generation to the next.   Sherburne Elementary School is the heart of the community. 

School Philosophy 

We consider community members, teachers, parents, administrators, and school directors as a single unit for educating the whole child.  This partnership fosters an educational environment allowing each child to develop a sense of academic responsibility, a positive self-image, pride and support for family, school and community, respect for the democratic process, and the motivation to reach his/her highest potential. 

Yearly goals are stated in the SES School Board approved annual Action Plan.  

Program Structure 

Sherburne Elementary School offers programs for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The building also houses a pre-school operated by the Vermont Achievement Center . Classes are separated by grade level, with classroom combinations occurring depending on the number of students enrolled in each grade and various student needs. Students are frequently presented with opportunities to work with students from other classrooms, fostering a sense of unity throughout the school. Students who are working above grade level are provided enrichment within the classroom, in a higher grade, or through other enrichment opportunities.  Children working below grade level receive similar support appropriate to their needs. 

Curriculum Highlights 

The Vermont Framework of Standards guides the Sherburne Elementary School curricula with many highlights offered to students. Students participate in the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Selection Program and the Red Clover Picture Book Program, sponsored by Mother Goose. The drama program supports the curricula with four performances each year.  The Big Friend, Little Friend program provides regular opportunities for sixth graders and kindergarten children to come together for academic and co-curricular activities. First and fifth graders meet regularly to enrich reading skills and to develop a relationship as “reading partners.” Guidance counseling services are provided to students through scheduled social skills classes and individual sessions. Health education classes are provided regularly. The Hike Technology Lab, with sixteen computer stations, offers students opportunities to gain technological skills in a classroom setting.  SMARTBoards, housed in most of the classrooms, provide state of the art technological advancement opportunities for all teachers and students and make daily technology integration across the curricula feasible.  The SES Student Council is involved in school governance, organizing and promoting activities throughout the school year.  A Discovery Program assists students who are below or above their grade level. In addition, students participate in Four Winds Environmental Program, Spanish, Chess Club, Art Club, Literature Lunch Club, physical education, music, art, and winter skiing. Instrumental music lessons are available to interested students. There is a district wide geography bee and spelling bee. Sixth grade students spend a week at Nature’s Classroom, a five day outdoor science program usually held at the Maine seacoast.  Fourth graders annually tap maple trees on the nature trail and boil the sap into syrup in the school’s sugar shack.  The school offers a hot lunch program.  An after school enrichment program is in place from 3:00 to 4:30 pm on a daily basis.  The Killington Recreation Department offers a variety of after-school athletic opportunities. 

Community Outreach 

The community and the school provide enriching experiences for the children and adults of Killington as well as for neighboring towns. The Killington Ski Area supports the school by offering student passes to all Sherburne Elementary School students and by offering use of their terrain during the winter ski/snowboard program. The Sherburne Memorial Library, on River Road, offers a wealth of information to students and to all members of the community. The Sherburne Education Foundation helps to support the school financially.  Parents teach Four Winds once a month to students in all grades. Teachers and students from neighboring schools find opportunities to unite to share learning opportunities.  Parents and community members use the school building and grounds to provide experiences in sports, scouts, and a multitude of child centered activities. Adult sports, parenting classes, community forums, and many Killington Recreation Department activities meet at the school. Kids’ Kingdom, a uniquely designed playground, offers the children in the community and neighboring towns fun-filled recreation, while simultaneously aiding in their physical, social and emotional development. The Benjamin Maxham Nature Trail offers children and adults an opportunity to escape into the Green Mountain forest to enjoy the environment and to learn from the educational stations provided by the teachers at the school.  The school’s website and parent newsletter are available for parents and community members. A brochure with interesting facts about SES is available to all.  

Long-Term Goals

·         To maintain a significant number of tuition students 
·         To stay current with technology and technology integration across the curricula 
·         To integrate the environment and the nature trail with curricula across all academic areas 
·         To provide on-going professional development to sustain and increase rigor in the classroom and develop leadership capacity throughout the school community