August 24, 2025
Dear Eden Central School Families and Caregivers,
One of the best days of the year is here! - when our K-6 students return to school! (We look forward to seeing our awesome preschool students in a few days!)
As your new principal, I am incredibly grateful and fortunate to have the opportunity to work with all of Eden’s amazing students, families, caregivers, community members, and of course, our school’s dedicated and highly skilled teachers and staff. While I have been here as your principal just a short time, it is already clear how passionate everyone is about providing the very best academic and social learning experience for students, creating strong relationships between school, home and the community, continuing to establish a safe and positive school climate where every student and adult belongs, and having a blast while we accomplish all of it! It is my privilege to be one of the many adults helping to curate this work.
I would like for you to know just a bit about me. This school year is my 21st year as an elementary school principal in Vermont, and my 30th year in education. And, it all started right here in Eden! My first student teaching as an undergraduate student was here at ECS in kindergarten with Mrs. Tobin! I fell in love with Eden School then, and that has never changed. Since that time, I’ve taught second, third and fourth grade, worked as an art teacher, school counselor and administrator. Now, as life tends to do, I’m feeling so incredibly blessed to come full circle, back to Eden. Outside of school, I enjoy art and am an amateur potter (wheel-throwing, mostly), writing, cooking, gardening and walks and snuggles with my 140-pound Bernese Mountain Dog, Jackson, who was named after the artist, Jackson Pollock, after spilling an entire gallon of paint shortly after coming home. The room looked like a Jackson Pollock painting! We both appreciate a good creemee now and then!
As we prepare for day one and beyond, here are just a few ways that we can work together for a smooth opening:
- Please remember that students may enter the building at 7:25 AM. There is no supervision, inside or outside, before that time. We appreciate students arriving at that time.
- Please be certain that your child’s information is updated in the Infinite Campus online portal, particularly contact information and emergency contacts.
- Please be certain that your child’s dismissal plan is updated in Pickup Patrol, the online portal that helps organize dismissal for all students.
- If we can assist you with either Infinite Campus or Pickup Patrol, please contact Jerri Hurlburt, Administrative Assistant, at 802-521-5500 or jhurlburt@lnsd.org.
- ECS offers a robust, licensed after-school childcare program for students in kindergarten through grade six (ages 5-12.) Pre-registration is required using this online form. Subsidy is available and may be applied for using this online application. Please be certain that Pickup Patrol reflects your child’s plan to attend this program.
- The August and September school meals menus are available online. Meals remain free for all students this year, regardless of household income. We ask all families - whether or not your child takes school breakfast or lunch - to please complete the household verification form online. This data is used by the state to help financially support our school programs and remains strictly confidential.
As we begin the year, I know that so many of you have talents, skills and interests that would fascinate and benefit our students. I encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher and/or to me to make arrangements for our students to benefit from all of your unique and wonderful experiences. I truly appreciate that every one of our Eden community members has something great to offer our school and students.
I have so much positive anticipation about the upcoming school year and the work we will do together to support your children and our students. In the words of Henry Ford, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
Tomorrow is just the beginning of all the great work we will accomplish together!
In Partnership and with Gratitude,
Chris
Chris Dodge
Principal