Welcome Back!

Ludlow and Black River Schools

45 Main Street

Ludlow, Vermont 05149

Karen Trimboli  

Principal

802-875-5151

John Davis

Asst. Principal
802-875-4721


Dear Parents,

I hope your summer was filled with family, friends, fun and relaxation.  The faculty and staff are looking forward to a great school year.  Both the Ludlow Elementary and Black River Union High School and Middle School have been preparing for the start of a new school year.

This year the Union 39 and Ludlow School Boards have taken the first steps towards a more efficient and collaborative practice with the restructure of the administration in both buildings. There is now an Administrative team for the schools.  John Davis is the Assistant Principal and I am the Principal of the pre-k through 12th grade system.  Melissa Ryan will remain the Leadership Liaison for the elementary level.

It is this administration’s vision that moving towards a pre-k through 12 program will create more learning opportunities for all students, faculty and staff.   This undertaking will take time, and collaboration between boards, faculty and the community.,  Sso looking over the next several years the Ludlow and Mount Holly school systems can develop a system that is collaborative and efficient.

The first of many steps for this year is the full implementation of Proficiency Based Education (PBE) and expanding Personalized Learning Plans (PLP).  The PBE will be in full swing at the secondary levels (grades 7-12).  The secondary levels have worked on these proficiency standards for over two years and are excited to move this work forward.

At the elementary level the work is just beginning.  The teachers will be working throughout the year identifying the enduring proficiencies that students will need to be successful in the following year.  This is extremely complicated and requires collaboration with the other 3 elementary schools in the Two Rivers Supervisory. Union.   This year this work will be done on early release days and winter sports days.   The early release days will be the first Tuesday of the month starting in November.  Please look over the calendar carefully for those days.

As we move forward in the future planning, the Ludlow School Board has charged the administration to find innovative ways to become financially efficient, meet the present tax structure, and to continue a strong school community.  

One example of the change in this direction is piloting a cluster class with grades 4 and 5. The fourth and fifth grade class will combine for science.  This will allow both classes to have the benefit of two teachers’ planning and collaborationg. The one teacher is a nationally awarded Science teacher and the other teacher is a Highly Qualified special educator who will support all students in the classroom.  To further explore opportunities to be more collaborative and to maintain a strong school community, the entire school will meet on the playground and gather around the flag pole for morning meeting and announcements as well as having schoolwide recesses and lunches.

With change comes anxiety and excitement.  At both levels the faculty, staff and administration is up to the challenge.  We truly appreciate our students’, parents’, community’s and Boards’ support as we move forward over the next several years.

Please mark on your calendar for Thursday, September 7th, for our school wide pre-k through 12, Welcome Back barbecue and informational night.

Best regards,

Karen Trimboli, Principal