Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Okay,

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: we are live. This is the Senate Education Committee on 11/12/2025. We are at the Cayden Elementary and High School in the far Northeast corner of the state of Vermont. And this is the first well, for you guys, just hang on. We'll get to you in just one second just to let the world know. This is the first of five schools that we're visiting or five districts that we're visiting, talking to some students, talking to teachers, talking to principals, and then at the end of every day, a couple of hours, we're publicly invited to come in and offer comments. And so what we're trying to do, before the session starts in January, is just get out, spend time with principals, teachers, etc, and hear what's on people's minds, some of the things that they think are going well, they're not going as well, that we can then take back with us when we begin meeting full time in January and use it to inform our work as we go forward. We do what we do because of all of you. You're the goal. And so we want to it's really great in a way that the first part of the first day is with students because I think that's actually the way it should be. So I know that we have everything, I think a six weeker to senior, so we have some elementary, a handful of elementary on this end and a handful of high school students are the boys?

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: This

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: We've a couple of high school boys out there.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: I represent.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So we'll start by introducing ourselves, we're then just going to ask you some questions, you can add things beyond what we have to do if you want to, because we'll do the best we can try to draw it out, but if you have something you just want to make sure you say, go ahead and say And so I am Seth Bongartz, I'm the chair of the Senate Education Committee. I live in Bennington County, I live in Manchester, so I had the furthest drive together today and really got to appreciate how big Vermont is. I wouldn't do it, but I still got to appreciate it. On my left

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Probably very accurate. I am Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale. I live in Shelburne, Vermont. I, in addition to serving on Senate Education, I serve on Senate Economic Development. I started in the legislature in the House when I was 22. So I hope some of you consider running for office. You're not just the future, you're the present. It's really valuable to hear your voices and to hear what you're up to. And we live in a very beautiful part of the state, you know, but one where we should be making sure we're listening to you. You probably have heard a lot about walking a mile in other people's shoes. As I was driving up here, I thought we need to drive 100 miles along these folks' commute because it gives us an appreciation for how far you and your parents and your families have to travel to be heard in

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: the state. We really appreciate you and I'm glad you're

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: I'm Steven Heffernan, I'm a senator from the Addison County District about three hours from here spent some time up here it's a beautiful country

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Can't wait to hear what the students have to say that can help inform this education committee to make better decisions in the future. Why don't we start with the elementary students? By the way, when we go around just tell us what your name is and what town you live in. Start with that every time. I don't know if you want to do it just by going down the line, but I guess we might as well know. What if you want to go first?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: And maybe your grade.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Yeah. And your grade.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: And your grade. Yeah.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Sorry. Are you

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: going to go first?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Sure. I'm Miguel Phillips. I'm in fifth grade, I'm going be Jane as well. Okay.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So we just wanted to get a feel from all of you about what you like about your school, whether you like coming to school, and what are some of the things that you really enjoy or maybe even some of the things that you wish you had at school but you don't because we want to learn those things so that we can help make it happen as we go along. Why don't we just start with that and maybe you can also tell us some of the things you're involved in like maybe after school.

[Miguel Phillips (5th grade student) [Override]]: Yeah, so I really like sports and it helps with the like one on one that we can get with our coaches but it doesn't help like we have to come behind schools for sports, which is really great. And if I had and if I was in a bigger school, we'd have more opportunities for sports. Mhmm. But it helps with being able to get, like, one of the trotions. And I I wouldn't say I enjoy coming to school, but, like, it's nice being able to have, like, being friends with everyone in the class. I don't dislike anyone, and I probably would if I had, like, so many people in my class. It helps with the one on one I get with my teachers. I don't really dislike any subjects except for math. Morning isn't a great time for me. Okay.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Thanks. That was really helpful. That that's good to ask.

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: Many how many students in your class?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: 12. 12. Can I ask who do

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: you play your sports again? Who's what do you play, and and what are your games?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: We usually play Cold Brook, which is tolerance away from here. And then we play Grofton, Lancaster.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: So you play mostly New Hampshire? Yeah.

[Autumn Tilday (6th grade student) [Override]]: I'm Autumn Tilday. I am a sixth grader and something that

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: You live in?

[Autumn Tilday (6th grade student) [Override]]: Oh, I live in Canaan.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Okay.

[Autumn Tilday (6th grade student) [Override]]: Things I really like about the school and going here is like seeing my friends which is always nice and I love

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: learning. What's your favorite class?

[Autumn Tilday (6th grade student) [Override]]: Probably, like, reading or writing, and then I also do sports. The only sport I do play is soccer, and you're combined with Pittsburgh.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Where do you when you combine with those schools, where do you go to play and do your do your workouts? Do you go do you do it here, or do you go to them?

[Autumn Tilday (6th grade student) [Override]]: Well, we have practices here. Okay. And I think that's pretty well summed up. Okay.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: And Pittsburgh is the name, Hampshire, right? Okay. And you, would you, are you involved in any, anything after school other than soccer?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Well, I'm currently not in any after school, but I have done like after school with like teachers and then we like go outside and do like some fun activity. Okay.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: What's the next? I will. Okay.

[Carson Byron (7th grade student) [Override]]: Name is Carson Byron. I live in Canaan, Vermont. I'm in seventh grade. So something I look forward to every day I come to school is English. I love how how we get to like regain ourselves after all our three quarters and how yeah it's just I look forward to it and I after school I'll meet my dad's a PE teacher so sports he's my coach and we I love basketball so he coaches my basketball team and every single day after school I go into the gym and work on it. In Okay. Here? Yeah.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Were you gonna ask about three you said three quarters? Yeah. Is that how your classes are structured?

[Carson Byron (7th grade student) [Override]]: Yeah. My I have four subjects, and then we're all organized into four quarters. And yeah four quarters of the day yeah four quarters of the day and then a one is a study hall in Blackburn. A flex is just to get help with a teacher and you need it.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: That's How how big is your class?

[Carson Byron (7th grade student) [Override]]: My class I only have nine kids so it's a very welcoming number like it's very nice to me. Yeah. Not a lot of arguments.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: It's true. I think it is.

[Carson Byron (7th grade student) [Override]]: You can look at it.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Okay, thanks. By the way, you can ask us questions too, I'm gonna just say that. If you have a question for us maybe at the end or as we go along, it's okay to ask us a question too.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Name is Rutland, and I'm from Bowling, and I mostly like academics. I do sports like soccer, love skiing.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Where do you skate up here?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Bird Mountain.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Or if you go to Bird Mountain. Yeah.

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: What grade again?

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Eight. Eight? And How many in your class? 14. 14? Nine. And are you looking forward to the next year being in high school? Yeah. Yeah, what kind of

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: transition is that for you? Because it's all under the same roof here, correct?

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So is

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: it a big transition?

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: No, no,

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: no, not really.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: It's just

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: when you go from elementary middle school. Yeah, middle school is in our high school. They're all in the same thing. I think the only thing that, like, transition wise is I believe that you guys have English and math all year around. Yeah. In high school, we don't. So, that's one thing we look for. We don't have all year round.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: It might if people want to add, it might be helpful to know what you want to do when you graduate if you've if you've gotten that level.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Get to that.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Okay. Yeah. Keep it if you're younger.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Well, that's true.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: They might have

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: a busking party. So do you did you have anything else you wanted to add?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I think so.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So you like coming to school, and you like academics. Yeah. Drink drinks after. Okay and margarine correct? Margarine. I'll add for the

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: the skiing we have a skiing program every Wednesday and it's nine weeks in the winter students get dismissed early if they want to do that. It's at Birth Mountain and then we offer we're thinking of ways to offer other enrichment opportunities for students who don't go

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: so it's something that's in progress. Could you now have a theme down where I live? You know that program. I don't know if you all know, it's okay to say that Mr. Sismesia went to high school right next to high school that I live in. His father was the principal and I knew him. So, have a connection in Bennington County.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: My name is Natalie Gilbert. My name is Greg and I live in Lemington Vermont and I do sports but I do not like camping. So So

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: do you find it not challenging enough? And I'm sorry, I didn't catch your first name.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Autley Gilbert. Autley? Autley.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: You have one subject among any of them that you zone out lab?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yes, ma'am. Okay.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Math was a little more easily for you.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yes, so.

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: Okay. Alright.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So tell me about, you mentioned after school, what did you say you liked doing?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I liked doing

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: sports. Okay, basketball and soccer?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yeah and softball. Okay,

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: and skating. Maybe we'll come back to you all for more questions, but why don't we move over to high school now? I mean, whatever order you want to start.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Want me to go? Okay, I guess

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: I'll My name is Regan Thibault, I'm a senior. I live in Lemington. I guess my favorite part about school is that there's really close connection with the teachers because it's a small school. And, like, you can have the time you have study hall and flex to go see your teachers if you need help. Just simple things like that is what I guess makes me enjoy it. My favorite class would probably probably be my integrated trades class, my CPE class. I would say that because I don't have to sit in a classroom all day. Can go out and do hands on work. Mhmm. We're doing brush. We're gonna get reeds for reeds. Yeah. That's one of our bigger projects. I like that it involves with the community.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So what tell us again about that. Your CTE class that you're doing is

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: Integrated trades. So last year, it was diversified agriculture and building trades, but this year, our diversified agriculture teacher retired. He's coming in how many days ago? Two? Two or three. Two or three. Depends on the day or week, I should say. And we learned tree ID last year. I did the state competition. I placed seventh in that. Wow. That's We do maple syrup sugaring. So we for our state convention, we placed first. Don't I know how many years in a row we do that. It's been many. First place five years in now?

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Five years in a row now,

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: I think. Hoping to get six.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So is all of that, is most or all that off campus or do you do it here at the school?

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: So we start in our classroom just to get an idea of what the day looks like or the week looks like and then we go up to the community for like two or three minutes away and we they just last year they built a brand new camp a building trace class Then this year, we're doing the interior of it. I heard you all have

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: a a wildfire fighting program.

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: Yes. Do Last yeah. Or

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: trying to find

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: EMS? Fire and EMS?

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Maybe, yeah. And I think there was an effort to try and do a Yeah. Tri state.

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: Do you want me to are you all done? Or do you want me Sure. I'm sorry. I don't care.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Do you I would love for all of you, especially at the high school level, say if you have a plan for when you graduate that you're looking forward Yeah,

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: I want to be an early childhood educator, so I'm going go to college. I want to stay somewhere close to home. Don't want to go too far. Probably going to do online. Oh, okay.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: I forgot what year you were. It's a senior.

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: I'm senior, yeah.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: You're a senior. How many in the class?

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: Nine. All graduated. Only one going. Okay. That's one going.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: By the way, I know about that, but four sisters. I know what that's like. Okay.

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: Yeah. Have Great. And my twins right there. My twins. I know. So Oh, also, I play soccer, softball. I do books for basketball. I'm in Key Club, so I guess whatever we, like, events we plan, I do that after school. Same with student council.

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: Are Are you all familiar with Key Club? No. No.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Oh. I'll hear what it is.

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: Key Club? So that's just for the older, like, out of high school people. That's Kiwanis. We're just the in schools as Key Club. And then K kids. Kids? Alright. I mean, do you have them? No? I have them speak on it, but I used to be in K kids too, so I guess. But you just work with the community, you fundraise.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Mentorship towards the younger kids? So it's connected to the Watts Club, but you do it here at school after Okay.

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: So like every Tuesday we have a meeting during lunch and

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Oh, do you get to go work with littler kids? Like, get your early childhood education fixed? I mean, I guess, HEAP

[Regan Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: Club just kinda does that. So it helps me because I wanna be an early childhood educator. Yeah. But yeah. In the summer, I help with the I last summer, I did the summer school program. I worked as a junior counselor. Yeah. So I did that. I'm probably gonna do that again this summer. Sounds great.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So let me we have we're okay for time. Let me go back to the elementary school kids just for one second. Tell us what you do during the summer. Are there activities that you're involved in during the summer connected to school or clubs or other things? Just do that really quickly for us. Some of the things that you do in the summer.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yeah, so we have this summer camp where each week it's like a different thing and we have like activities like, that is, like, related to that thing. And we did have this teacher named Liz Aldridge. She was our math teacher, and she did that for sixth grade through eighth. So we did that and it was she gave us math work and we made it and we even got to put on the play.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Did you come to the building? Did you do that here?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yes, we did that.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: And then

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: it's a field trip every Thursday.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Okay. And that goes on for both for summer?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yes. Four weeks.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Okay anybody have anything you want to add to that?

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: Should of after school programs and bus for opportunities? May be on the kids.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: A lot of cooking club, craft club. This is mostly for Willow kids, but there are some. There's a chess club, I think, too. Yeah. I know that there's a windy one for that element. And

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: if you stay after school to do the clubs, how do you get home?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Parents, most kids live walking distance in the Okay,

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: so the buses run at regular time, and then you stay, you get picked up. Okay, so back to high school.

[Riley Lynch (Sophomore student) [Override]]: My name is Riley Lynch. I'm a sophomore. I enjoy coming to school some days. Best part of school

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: is probably my CTE program back, but this administration technology. This was a really good teacher. I think that being in that helps a lot because it's just like a close close interaction with the teacher because there's not many kids in

[Riley Lynch (Sophomore student) [Override]]: the class, and there's only like nine of us.

[Riley Lynch (student, Sophomore) [Override]]: So, when you're in that, you do like SBLA, learn how to like advertise for something on social media and stuff like that, which is going to help me when I'm older because I'm going to work

[Riley Lynch (Sophomore student) [Override]]: in a nail salon. My mom owns a nail salon, so I'm going work in there. And it

[Riley Lynch (student, Sophomore) [Override]]: just would help like, you know, if you have a nail salon, you probably should have like social media accounts to advertise like what

[Riley Lynch (Sophomore student) [Override]]: you offer and stuff. So that will

[Riley Lynch (student, Sophomore) [Override]]: help me a lot. You come out with some college credits, which I'm only a sophomore, so technically, I'm not supposed to be in the BAT program yet. So I'm a junior, but I don't have any college credits from it yet, but I get the electives from it. Next year, I'll get the college credits and my senior year.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Are you already helping your mother with with

[Riley Lynch (student, Sophomore) [Override]]: Once I turn 16, I'm allowed to apprentice. So in March, I'll be able to do that. So I'll apprentice under her and I should have my nail technician license before I graduate.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Oh, was thinking about the social media part too.

[Riley Lynch (student, Sophomore) [Override]]: Oh, yeah. I run the TikTok and the Instagram for the What's the Instagram for it? Sissy's Nail Salon.

[Riley Lynch (Sophomore student) [Override]]: Sissy's Nail Salon. Yeah.

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: And how many in the sophomore class?

[Riley Lynch (student, Sophomore) [Override]]: We have a big class. I think it's like 22 kids. Okay. That's I think we're half of the high school. Wow. Yeah.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: There's 46 high schoolers, I think.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So it's just that's okay. Yeah. So we can ask whether we get because then you can ask, but are there things that you wish you had the opportunity to do or that think you haven't? Maybe there wasn't by the way and that's okay. The reason we're not asking that, we want to know that so that we can then help think about how to make that happen later. Those are things you wish you'd had access to that you didn't. It sounds like there's a lot.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I think Keenan does a really good job at providing a lot of options and a lot of paths to take to help you get to where you wanna be after high school. So I don't really think that. Yeah.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: There's always, like, something for somebody in the school, which is really nice, especially because it's so small, kind of just proves that the teachers actually do care about.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Do you think a lot of

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: the students in the BAT program want to take over small businesses in the area or go far beyond? Know like Leo was working she's in the BAT program. She was working at

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: am currently in the BAT program. I worked at Jackson Lodge over the summer as an assistant manager working in the office. Yeah. I just got into St. Michael's College for business administration. Great. I'm not sure what I want to do if I want to go to a small business or big corporation, but it just makes me feel good that I have the opportunity to do either. Okay. Fantastic.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Yep. Yep.

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: Alright. So I'm Sienna Grondan. I'm a senior. I'm also part of the MAT program. Live in. Oh, I'm a senior.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: No. You still live.

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: Oh, I live in. I'm gonna be a MAT completer after this year, and I'm gonna be the only, MAT completer of the senior class, so that's kind of fun. I think that offers a great opportunity. Personally, I don't plan on going into a business I did when I was a sophomore and junior. I am going to be walking away with a lot of college credits, which is always nice, so I can use those towards, electives. I plan on being an occupational therapist when I'm older. And I plan to go to, probably a bigger college, not close to a year. I really away? Not too far, but, like, probably in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine. Think so. Just

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: I'm sorry. I missed the

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: first name again. Sienna. Sienna?

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: Sienna. Sienna.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Yeah. So I didn't really pick up or understand yet what BAT is. So tell us that again what it really is.

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: So BAT stands for Business Administration and Technology. Denise Woods teaches the class. She's a great teacher. She works really well with students. What's her name? Sienna Grondan. No. Oh, sorry.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Oh, Denise. Yeah. Denise. I'm doing a CTE work group, and I'd like to make sure Yeah. I include her, so who could Yeah.

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: Denise. What? What? Yep. She's on the right. Yep. Business. Administration.

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: Technology. Our BAT program also goes to national

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: Yes. So I have, competed at the state leadership conference along with the national leadership conference for FBLA, which is future business leaders of America. At the state conference, I placed, first place in graphic design and public service announcement, and and I got second place in digital video.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Is that was that all Vermont?

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: It's all Vermont.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So not by division or anything? Just

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: Yes. And then national, we compete go there's every month. And we went to Anaheim, California. It was a great opportunity. Yeah.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: How'd you do there?

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: We did not place. So we're gonna we're trying to make some changes in the Vermont kind of FBLA group this year so that we can learn and can continue to compete in the same group. This year, we can't. So, like, I can't compete in what I got first place in last year, so I can't make any improvements. I have to go to a different A different one. Yeah. Can I ask one more thing? Yeah.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Did did being in that help you decide that you don't wanna run your own business? Or do you think maybe as an occupational therapist one day you might want to be self employed or have a small business?

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: So my parents own their own restaurants.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Okay. I grew up in my parents' restaurant. Yeah.

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: So I've kind of grew grown up in the business industry. I can't say that it's something I wanna continue in. Mhmm. I've seen pretty much all aspects of it, and it's something it's just not for me.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: It's very hard. The restaurant industry is very different than

[Sienna Grondan (Senior student) [Override]]: other industries. I've studied accounting, marketing. It's something that I'm in like, I'm interested in it, but I don't think it's something I could do for rest of my life. But, yeah, opening my own practice is definitely something I'm in. For after school programs, I'm a three four athlete. I play soccer, basketball, and softball. I am the president of our student council, and I'm also a part of.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: That's great.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yeah. Alright. I'm Riley Phillips. I'm a senior, and I live in Canaan, Vermont, but I also travel from Newport a lot. I've always had the choice to go to Newport School, but I've always came back to Canaan.

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: Canaan is where I've always been, and I love it here. We have a lot of opportunities. I'm also part I'm in my second year of fire and EMS. We spend Mondays here at the school doing our didactic, someone to call it. So we do our slideshows, we bring in the knowledge, and then the rest of the week, so Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, we're at the fire station in Beecher Falls, And then every other Friday, so this Friday, we'll be going through the 45th Parallel, which is our ambulance. It's EMS system. I just so our class was cut because we lost the numbers for it. So it used to be all afternoon, Monday through like Monday through Friday, we would get the graduation for block three and four, But we lost interest with students not participating in it. So we got cut to one block, which is just unbelievable to me. We don't get the hours that we need. So and this is also the last year that offering it because of student interests lacking. We have one junior, Ella Gilbert, she's in the class, and she doesn't have the opportunity to take it a second time to really get the knowledge down. And so when she turns 18, it's gonna be she's hadn't taken the class in almost a year. So it looks a little weird when you go to take your national registry. But I was told that there is a bunch of younger kids that are interested in the class. And our EMT instructor would love to keep the class going and just not end it necessarily. So one Ella can get her second year and these other students also have the opportunity to take it once they become high schoolers. He it's it's just really I don't know. Who who's your EMT instructor his name is Todd Nichols Todd Nichols a teacher here at the

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: school that's somebody else I'd like to reach out to as we figure out CTE

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: both of those teachers are going to be on the teacher panel great okay

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So that's one place where the smallest of the school is in?

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: Yeah, so I'm already 18. I could test for my national registry but I'm waiting until I'm finished my second year so I can And then once I graduate, I plan on working part time as an EMT, and I'm also currently taking my first year of online nursing school. So I'm going to go to White Mountains Community College, and I'm going to finish my nursing program and hopefully become a nurse through their program. But I'm gonna the way I'm gonna, you know, pay through that is gonna be an ENT. And actually, last night, I was with my friend Reagan, and we were on our way to Facebook market deal. Okay. Anyways, I'm just gonna say that. Good friend.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Trust me now. And

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: there was an accident with my certificate, I'm BLS certified. I think that's all I have right now. I actually have to go get that renewed next week. Anyways, I was able to help her and help you know, the situation de escalate through my knowledge of this class. My biggest thing for it is that it leaves you with a job after you leave high school. Like there's really no excuse after like, I don't work, whatever, I can't get a job. No, you are going to become an EMT. Like that, that's just it. It leaves you with a great opportunity. And so leaving that, I'm also a three sport athlete. We play with Pittsburgh students, so they're smaller school and Pittsburgh, New Hampshire. We joined them in 2011. Then I want to say so there's been 84 teams have passed through. Not one of them has gotten. We like to call it a banner, so that's championship or runners up. Our softball team last year was the first team in Yellow Jackets history to make it to the championship. I just wanted to point that out. If we did not have Pittsburgh, we would one not have a team and we would not get to play with these wonderful girls. I play three sports, so I see the same girls all year long. I wouldn't change that. If we went to a bigger school, why don't we have playoffs? I'm gonna say I probably wouldn't make it. I'm a really Try Try Try Whatever you want, Kyle. Try it. I wouldn't make the team, but with their small school, I'm able to make the team, and I'm able to play with these girls. It's it's just a really big opportunity here to have our small school and our small district.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Which of the two schools is subject to all of the practices and the is this the home school?

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: No. So actually, basketball season, we're heading into basketball season. We do half and half. So we'll play half the games in Pittsburgh, half the games here in Canaan. Same thing with practice for one week here in Canaan, the next week in Pittsburgh. And then softball is entirely in Pittsburgh, and then soccer is entirely in Canaan.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Good. How far away?

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: Pittsburgh? Yeah. It's about fifteen minutes.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Okay. Not very fast.

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: No. It's

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: not. And do you want to be a nurse around here? Do you have a hospital in mind?

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: Or practice? So I kinda wanna be an ER nurse. So I wouldn't wanna be around here because, I mean, I mean, there's a lot of faces I know, and I would hate to see someone that I know personally come in

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: with just life changing things. Yeah. Police officers that comes up a lot too. Do you is there a hospital that is really attractive for you?

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: I probably would want to be around like Dartmouth area or Hanover over in that area it's not too far away from home and I have I also have family down there so it works out well.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: And did your did your interest in becoming a nurse come through the CTE program? Were you ambulance work?

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: I've always wanted to be part of the medical field. My mom is a nurse. She is the only person in the state of Vermont that runs the MAT program at present. So I'm not exactly what that stands for, but It was medication assisted treatment. Yeah. I was gonna say

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: we all know, I'm actually not sure,

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: but Medication assisted treatment. Yes. She she runs that in Vermont. She's just a really big inspiration to me. Yeah. But yes, she was also an EMT when she graduated high school in California, actually. We lived in California for quite a while. And we came back to Vermont with family. But how

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: big area in California do you live?

[Riley Phillips (Senior student) [Override]]: I live on a military base there on Camp Pendleton. I live in San Diego District. A

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: lot more people. Okay.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I'm Leah Thibault. I'm a senior. I think what I look forward to most when I come to school is the people. Every single one of my classes usually has these four these three other seniors in it. Our class is small, but keep them close to my heart.

[Leah Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: They've been here since kindergarten. And the teachers, four, four, the teachers make it so easy and interesting and fun to learn. I've been in two of the CTE programs that we had. My junior year, I was in diversified agriculture. Now it's integrated trades. While I was in diversified ag, I competed in, like, it was a project for human distribution on population and pollution, and I placed third third or second in the state with that. And worked on our sugar bush, which has over 700 trees, I think. It started with six fifty and then we added a lot. So we just found them. And then I changed from Diversified Ag to our business program, which this Friday actually we're going to the state conference at St. Michael's in Vermont. I'm involved in Key Club. Last year I was the president and got our club to the International Convention in Florida, so in July, Shelby and I actually went to Florida. So I was the President then, now I'm the Treasurer and Secretary. I'm the Vice President of our Student Council. I'm in our FFA, I'm in our SBLA, and outside of school, I'm on the Vermont State Youth Council working on the Education Committee. Actually, have a meeting tomorrow. Met with Leanne. Herkel? Yes, I met with her two weeks ago. She gave us a rundown of all the maps and everything. Mhmm. So I work a lot with And I this year, I managed soccer. I did books for soccer. I'm doing the books for basketball, and I play for softball and did books for softball at the same time. Is FFA a future farmers of America? And are you thinking of what are you thinking of going into It

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: was a part of the diversified agriculture

[Leah Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: company. Yeah. And when I left it, our instructor gave me the choice to stay in it or not be in it. All students would just be like, no, I don't want to do that anymore, but I stayed. And two weeks ago, we went to Indianapolis for the International Convention. Mhmm. So it was an I mean,

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: it sounds like you all are finding trips, which

[Leah Thibault (Senior student) [Override]]: sounds awesome. Yeah. Out This and see the past year, we went Sienna went to California for FBLA. We went to Florida for Key Club, and then we just two weeks ago went to Indianapolis. I think I'm gonna be the only student that's gone to all international conferences for Key Club, FFA and FBLA, so all the programs that we have that can have international conferences.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: How do you afford those?

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: Fundraisers?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Fundraisers for Cheap Club, it was kind of a big mess. So our advisor applied for an award that we could get at the district convention. And we didn't even we didn't have the funds to even go to the state or the district convention. So we just put our app, like our award, our like submissions in and then we didn't even go. So we didn't know if we won or not. And then one of the members from the Kiwanis that we work with came to us and was like, you guys got first place, you're going to Florida, but you need to put down a deposit of $4,000 in two weeks. So there was that. Yeah. Was 4,000. Half of it. So $4,000 in two weeks. We had less than 2,000 in our bank account. So Kiwanis gave us a loan to pay that 4,000. And then the week after, we did a fundraiser at a restaurant up in Pittsburgh. It was an EduAate. So for we students were the wait the waiters and everything, and the restaurant gave us a certain amount of profit from certain amount of food, and then people there would donate, and the other waitresses that were employed there gave us all their tips that they got that night, and we raised that 50% deposit we needed in that one night.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: How much did we raise?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: How much able to instantly pay How back

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: much money did you raise that night?

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: 3,000

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Oh, that's amazing.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: 900 something. Yeah. And then we would do big sales and sales just

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Sure.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Every Yeah. Single weekend, we were out there selling because we needed to pay $8,000 the full of it in less than a month and a half. Okay. Then Fundraising's

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: a really good skill. That sounds difficult, but, you know, at the same time, really good skill to build, whether you're going to business or farming or Yeah. Or campaigning. Campaigning, running for office. For

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: FFA, we knew we were gonna we knew we wanted to go and then over the summer when we were planning it out, we got to school here and we're like, oh, we kind of need the money to do this. So I met with Ms. Bosworth and we, our superintendent, her and I wrote some grants together with Mr. Mason and we got grants, we used some of our own funding, so

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: How many in FFA?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Oh nine, nine, well eight students currently but nine of the students went on the trip because one graduate from last year went because people in the process that let us go

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: years ago I went out but we got it

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: in Kansas

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: City quite the event well the last person Last but not least, of course.

[Shelby Godin (Junior student) [Override]]: My name is Shelby Godin. I'm a junior. I live in Georgetown, New Hampshire. And my favorite thing about this school is probably, like, the relationships that you go with, like, all the, like, staff and, like, the students. Like, we know everybody in our school. It's so small. It's it's kinda cool, actually. You know, you, like, build, like, these nice relationships with, like, your teachers. So that's what's pretty cool.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So you're from New Hampshire. How did you how did you come here? Do have

[Shelby Godin (Junior student) [Override]]: So my dad or when we first moved here, we lived in Canis. And then my dad moved to Pittsburgh, so we used my mom's home address in Canis to continue here. And then my dad moved back to Canis, so we used his address. And now we're in Stewardstown. So Stewardstown, he has a choice. Okay.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: I was, Okay. And you've been here since kindergarten? Fifth grade. What? Fifth grade.

[Shelby Godin (Junior student) [Override]]: Okay. Okay.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So I interrupted you. So I'm really you're

[Shelby Godin (Junior student) [Override]]: Oh. I'm involved in all three sports, so soccer, basketball, softball. So it's like, we grow really close with, like, the Pittsburgh students as well. Because, like, we see them all year long. I'm in FFA. I'm the vice president of key club and office council. So those are great clubs that I do in Roseland as well.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So a lot of you, especially high school students, are here after school almost every day? Yes. Even a lot of the elementary school kids are here after school some of the time, right? Yeah. Yeah. But more as you get into high school.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yeah. So I guess I have a question. Since we're so unique here in the Northern Vermont, if we were the school was just no longer a thing and they had to go to Newport, how do you expect the students to participate in student council, key clubs, sports, all these after school programs? Because I mean, it's I drive to Newport already back and forth. It sometimes takes me an hour and a half. The roads are cutting. To remind me what you drive to Newport for. My mom lives in Newport. Okay. Okay. So I I I didn't wanna leave Canaan. I didn't

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: find out an address. I didn't know if one of your programs was in No.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: My my mom lives in Newport. I I drive there with my brother. I have a younger brother. I have two younger brothers that are in the school. One of which is in second grade, and the other one is a ninth grader. So I drive my my older older brother anyways, back and forth from Newport. And I mean, Mr. Seek and Bausch, I'm late. I'm very late when I come from Newport. I don't

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: This means you gotta get up earlier.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I mean, it doesn't matter what time I leave when it's snowy out. I get stuck behind a plow. I mean, the the spring or summer, I get stuck we get stuck behind the tractors in the water. Like, there is always something on that stretch because it is so rural. I mean, there's farms. It's just farms. No So you've

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: identified in part, the reason we're doing this, to just hear about these schools that are all very different across Vermont and the relationships they have with other schools and distances. That's why we're doing this, to make sure that we understand it before we make decisions that will affect. So let me pose you a question okay yours like how could and we're not talking about closing any schools well no however at

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: what point do you worry about what your parents burdens are from taxes and that and that it would save them that if you went to Newport when when's that balance shift to saying god mom and dad can't afford to even live here anymore yeah

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So you see the the conundrum that we're

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: in, I

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: think is that we really have to try to help balance that.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I think seeing parents I if I was a parent, I'd want to put my my students or my child's success over anything. Yes. Over money, pain. I would want to I would want my kid to have the same education I've had, to have all these opportunities because I have been all of us, we've been so fortunate with the opportunities that Canaan has given us.

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: And I think the Education Committee's job is to ask a different question, which is, is there any point at which you feel like you couldn't be successful in school because opportunities are disappearing? So I think what we heard loud and clear is that the smallness is a benefit to you. You mentioned the EMS program is disappearing. Is that something where you envision students would travel to get that kind of training? Or if it disappears, would that have made your experience, you

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: know, different? I don't think that I don't think students would travel for the program. Mhmm. We have the resources there. I mean, we go to higher education. Like I said, they are I I don't know what to say about them, but they just support us so well. I mean, their school obviously helps get our supplies. I mean, we get these nice tech sweaters. We get pants. I I even have a t shirt. Like, it

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: So it's not money but interest. There's just no students who want to

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: And I think when students have that interest, like she said, they're students in elementary. Our fire department in Beecher Falls is a volunteer fire department. So once you're 16, you can volunteer there. And you have to be 16, 17 to take the class anyway. So it's not like it's it disappearing completely shuts out that opportunity for the students, and it wouldn't force them to travel. But when those students come up and they're 16 anyways because they can't volunteer until they're 16, the class could potentially be there as instructors still willing to do that. I also before I even started the EMS class, I was going to intern at the hospital in Newport. They are no longer a student hospital. Oh, a teaching hospital. A teaching hospital. I mean, if I were to theoretically go to Newport, I would have to find a different hospital to learn at because right now in my EMS class we get we have to get patient contact so we can either do right along time which means right in the ambulance with the sorry with the other EMPs or we go to the hospital here in Coalbrook which is ten minutes away and we can get our patient contacts that way. If I did the EMS class in Newport, I could one ride with them or I could go to a hospital, but what hospital in Newport because they are no longer taking my students. I would probably directly have to come all the way down here to go to the hospital.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So we are on the 11:00 hour, and you probably have places you're supposed to be, but did anybody over on this end think of anything you wished you'd said to us that you want to add after hearing everybody else? I'm to give you one more chance if you have.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Yeah. I also am the vice president of my class. We do a lot fundraising, and we're running for class

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: trips when we're seniors.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Long ways away. But I also am in Builders Club, which is a younger version of Speed Club. It's like three

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: or four pages. Okay.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: There's what's the kids play in? K K kids. Which is for elementary. There's Builders Club for middle school and e club for high school. I am the vice president or president. We have to reelect this year. But last year, I was the president of the club. We do a ton of fundraising for our community. This year, we've done a kids elementary dance for Halloween, and we really enjoyed that. Made some money off of it selling stash.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: You went in the gym?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Did it in the cafeteria.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Okay. And you decorated it?

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Decorated and made snacks.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: All that.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: Drinks. We sold boats. So that was really fun. And a lot of our fundraising for classes comes from our community, and a lot of our community is this. So,

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: you have to, you have to stop. Go ahead. Really quick, write down

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: through the line. Want to see what you're thinking about what you, when you're going be seniors all the way down to you, what you think you want to do. Your dream job. Your dream job.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I want to run a business. Don't know what kind of business but I want to run it. I'm working on nursing school and I'm also going to be a registered ENT by the end of this year. An occupational therapist. Wanna work in

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: my mom's nail salon. I look up to her a lot, and I'll take that over one day. Cool.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I wanna be an early childhood educator. Yeah. I wanna own a business. Like a restaurant business. I like cooking a lot. So that's Cool. Nice. I wanna be a nurse or something like that.

[Sen. Steven Heffernan]: Medical field? Oh, people in medical field.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I like being an author.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: I want

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: to be a lab life biologist.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Cool. Okay.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: I want to be a pediatrician.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: That's crazy. That's awesome. That's crazy. We have gotten a lot out of this. We've learned a lot about your school and training through your operations, the way the school's helping you get there, and your connection to other schools has really been helpful for us to understand as well in both directions, I think, maybe more to one direction. Thank you for your time. All of you, thank you so much.

[Various students and school participants (Canaan Schools)]: And if

[Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: I could just add, Essex County just naturally has low representation. You know, you have your one senator, you pretty much have your one house member. And so I've heard that loud and clear from some of the adults in the area that it's helpful for you to have a direct line of communication to other other senators and other leaders. And so you have my contact information. I'm happy to pass along any of your stories or ideas or concerns. But you should feel free to reach out to us. It's important that you're heard in this process.

[Sen. Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: And just for those watching, we are now going to take a break because we're going go on a tour of the school and we're going to have lunch with students, and then we'll be back here for a discussion similar to this one with educators and Gleason. For people watching at home, we'll be back at noon.