THE SCHOOL BELL

Transition and Trees

by Williston Schools Lead Principal Greg Marino

As is a habit of mine when I write these articles, I look back at what I had written this month last year, or the year before that to provide some context, and perhaps a little inspiration for what to write about. This time around the exercise was a powerful reminder of the journey we have been on this last year and a half. In May of 2019, the article was jam packed with the typical springtime celebrations of school happenings, like the ABS Arbor Day celebration, Reading Restaurant events, and our amazing spring concerts and art shows. In May of 2020, it was more of a celebration of our strength as a learning community that was bent but not broken, tested by a pandemic and forced to do our teaching and learning from home. And today, it feels like the appropriate view and focus is not backward, but very much on the present, and on moving forward - forward to a strong and joyous finish to a school year that will go into the record books.

If there was ever a time when the abounding new life of springtime that surrounds us serves as a metaphor for new beginnings, a fresh start, hope and optimism for what is to come, and yes - joy, it is this year. Though the fatigue felt by all of us is undeniable, we know our students need us to continue to be fully present for them over these final days as they navigate the natural stressors of yet another transition. Amidst all the sunshine, warming temperatures, and end-of-year excitement, it is easy to forget that our kids sense the impending end of school routines that have served as the foundation of their schedules, even in this unusual year. As educators and parents, it’s important to keep this in mind as some of our kids may be experiencing these stressors in different ways, including the possibility of trying out new and challenging behaviors, or even struggling with sleep patterns. It’s our job as adults to do our best to provide a steady, consistent, and reassuring presence that helps to create a sense of safety. One of the best supports for someone who is dysregulated by stress is to feel the attentive presence of someone who presents as calm and steady (even if that person is masking their own stress and dysregulation). This is a truth that I rely on quite often.

This year’s Arbor Day Celebration provided a small taste of a return to normalcy. Arbor day is one of my favorite traditions to celebrate at school, and along with so many other things, it was a disappointment that we were not able to celebrate last year. There are countless connections to be made between Arbor Day and important core principles that we want our students to embrace: being stewards of the land we live, learn and play on, doing something for the benefit for future generations, taking care of a fragile living thing, pausing to be grateful for trees and our natural environment, the tree as symbol of strength and interdependence - just to name a few. Though we could not gather as an entire school community out on the lawn like we have done in past Arbor Day celebrations, we flexed in true Williston spirit to mark the event in a fun and creative way. Special thanks to members of the ABS DEI committee who helped to take the lead with coordinating the festivities with extra shout-outs to Matt Ries, Chris Sedic-Lawton, Justine Benoit, and Linda Scott for pulling the different elements together for us. The morning included a live tree planting beautifully done by a group of eager student ambassadors from each of our 2nd grade classes (pictured below). This was recorded and integrated into a fun twenty minute video students watched later in classrooms. In the afternoon, Angela and I got on the intercom and announced the start of the “celebration”. We read a brief poem and then handed it off to classroom teachers who facilitated the rest of the activities in classrooms, including the viewing of the video. Students also made tree wishes or gratitudes on recycled scraps of paper, which have been proudly hung on our new tree. This idea “stemmed” (sorry - I could not resist) from a Japanese tradition of hanging wishes on a tree as part of a festival called Tanabata. Some information about tree wish traditions can be found here. There was an exciting feeling associated with returning to a tradition that existed before the pandemic, even if it was modified a bit. Enjoy the photos below and please stop by after hours and visit our new tree just up the slope from the playground!

As we walk through these remaining days of school together please remember that your school community is here for you and your kids. When in doubt, please reach out - with any concern or issue. As always, thank you for your partnership.

Prior to this school year, CVSD released students in our K-8 schools every Tuesday an hour earlier than the usual dismissal time. This year, that was factored into the work that took place on Wednesdays. For the upcoming school year, we will reinstate the early release as part of the regular schedule, however, it will shift to Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays. This time allows for professional development, collaborative teaming, and other important work with our faculty and staff.

Starting with the 2021-2022 school year, K-8 students will be dismissed one hour earlier on Wednesdays. Preschool schedules will be posted. More specific dismissal times will be provided by your schools.

As the end of the school year approaches, we want to alert families that ALL K-8 school-provided devices - Chromebooks or iPads and their respective charging cords - need to be returned to school by June 10th. Most of these devices, which pre-COVID were always in the buildings, have been going back and forth between school and home, and in some cases, remaining at home, for more than a year. Our industrious IT staff needs to access each and every device to check on the status and condition and provide any needed repairs. Please return all devices, along with the charging cord, to your child’s classroom teacher(s) by June 10th.

If your child attends the Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) please return their device and charging cord to their brick and mortar school on June 16 or 17. This was detailed in a recent letter to VLA families.

If your child will be participating in a summer school-based program that requires a Chromebook, one will be provided to them at that time. Other possible device needs for the summer will be determined soon and a check-out system will be in place. Watch for future communications!

Thank you for your help and understanding.

Please join us for our next virtual ParentIN event:

"Let's Talk." Having Good Conversations with Kids

Wednesday, May 19th from 7:30-8:30pm

Talking to children of all ages can have its challenges, particularly when it’s about difficult or sensitive subjects. In this presentation, child psychiatrist and author Dr. David Rettew will share general concepts and specific suggestions to help have meaningful and connected conversations with children and adolescents. He'll include everyday subjects such as, moving beyond, “How was school?” to more sensitive dialogue regarding sex, substance abuse, racism and others.

This is a virtual event. Everyone who registers will be emailed a link to attend the live online event on May 19th from 7:30-8:30pm. If you are unable to attend at that time, register anyway! We'll follow up to all who registered after the event with a recording you can watch on your own time.

REGISTER HERE

If you are a parent or caregiver with youth in the Burlington or Champlain Valley School Districts and want tips, resources, and connections to help you parent INspired, INformed and INvolved find us on social media through:
parentinburlington.org
parentincvsd.org

Parents and caregivers with children in grades 6 - 12 are encouraged to take the 5 minute survey at the link below. We want to learn from you. Help us improve resources for CVSD youth and families AND be entered in a raffle to win one of 3 possible $50 grocery store gift card prizes.

CVSD Parent Survey link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6296305/2021-CVSD-Parent-Survey-on-Youth-Substance-Use

More info: ParentIN CVSD is working with the Champlain Valley School District to better understand the perspectives and needs of parents and caregivers of tweens and teens in our district.

Your honest opinions on the questions in the survey are appreciated. Your answers are completely anonymous and will not be used to identify individual respondents in any way.

Results will help us evaluate current programs and plan new ways to support youth and families in our area. If you have any questions about this survey, please reach out to Amy Sayre at asayre@cvsdvt.org or 802-482-6290.

In appreciation of your time, at the end of the survey you will find a link to be entered into a raffle for a chance to win one of three $50 gift cards to a grocery store of your choice! The contact information you provide for the raffle is kept separate from the survey response and cannot be tied to your survey answers.

WCS will be holding SBAC make-up for students that miss a testing session on Wednesdays in May. This will ensure that students don’t miss additional class time while taking the SBAC. Transportation will be provided to and from school on the SBAC make-up days. The exact transportation times will be determined once the specific SBAC make-up needs are identified, but generally pick-up will be around 8:30 am with the drop-off being approximately 11:30 am. If a student needs to make-up two sessions, then they would remain at school for the second session and be dropped off at approximately 2:15 pm.

Wednesday, May 26th: SBAC make-ups for Equinox, Kaleidoscope, Voyager, Harbor & Summit House

9:15-11:15 Session One

12:00-2:00 Session Two

Wednesday, June 2nd: SBAC make-ups for Mosaic, Summit and anyone else that has not completed it.

9:15-11:15 Session One

12:00-2:00 Session Two

The CVSD early education program is looking for a summer paraprofessional at the Allen Brook School in Williston for our summer school. The program runs on Wednesday and Thursday mornings for 4 weeks, July 14- August 5. Hours are 7:30-11:30.

We are looking for a dynamic person, 18 years or older, to support our youngest students in a play-based classroom program that provides new students an opportunity to learn about the school and returning students the opportunity to maintain the flow of coming to school. The group will be spending time outside daily as well as in the classroom.

If you are interested, contact Shelley Henson, Director of Early Education at shenson@cvsdvt.org.

Hi, my name is Maeve Serinese and I’m an 8th Grade student in Swift House.

For my 8th Grade Challenge, I chose to study sustainable alternatives to everyday objects. I learned about eco-friendly products that can make a difference in your daily routine and reduce waste.

For my Community Connection, I'm holding a basket raffle full of sustainable products in order to raise awareness about eco-friendly alternatives while raising money for Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. I will draw the winner after I give my final 8th Grade Project presentation in Swift House sometime in mid-June.

To learn more or buy a raffle ticket, please follow the link http://serinese.com/basket/

Again, all proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

Hi, my name is Caleb Izor and I am an 8th grader in Swift house. For my 8th grade challenge, I am focused on the importance of sustainable materials and the benefits they have in architecture. I chose this topic because it is important for people in the community to know about what sustainable materials are, and how they can impact our community.

Interestingly, sustainable materials have always existed, however, it isn’t until recently that the importance of using them has been highlighted. While using sustainable materials is important in many ways, being sure sustainable materials are used in architecture as the world moves forward is paramount. Sustainable architecture is an eco friendly way to build buildings that directly aligns with the United Nations Global Sustainability Goals (17 goals to make the world a better place).

You may ask, what materials are sustainable? There are many, such as recycled wood, precast stone, and cotton to name just a few. Many historic buildings to date showcase sustainable materials, like the Trinity Church in Boston. Others take sustainable architecture a different route such as a skyscraper in Japan which reuses rain water for their sprinkler system.

Why is this important? Sustainable materials are very important and can impact Vermont’s carbon footprint in a big way. Using sustainable materials can also help reduce waste and our footprint on the beautiful environment that we live in, here in Vermont.

What can you do? There are simple things we all can do as Willison community members to help. For example, with Spring finally here, many folks are considering updating their homes or getting outside to complete projects. Doing a little research before embarking on these projects can go a long way in helping Vermont remain sustainable. Some of these items could include, but are not limited to: sustainable materials for patios and decks.

In conclusion, using sustainable materials is critical to moving forward in a healthy and sustainable world.

Amy Sayre is a SAP counselor and ParentIN coordinator for CVSD. She is available online on Wednesday evenings from 7-8 pm to help support parents.

If you have a child who is experiencing anxiety, depression or other social and emotional challenges, Amy will be on hand to offer her support and guidance and be armed with useful resources in the community if you need/want them.

You can pop in for a quick question or to chat through a situation. Amy would love to try to help! Here is the link to join: meet.google.com/qvq-nwzz-hfm

From our Williston Schools Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coaches, Cara Clopton and Ryan Batche:

In the Williston Schools we believe that the work for racial equity and justice needs to be ongoing and continuous and cannot be limited to individual lessons or actions during a particular time of the school year. We offer these resources for families and caregivers to support the engagement in conversations about racial equity in your homes.

TED Talks to Build Awareness:

Colorblind or Color BRAVE?

Let's stop talking about diversity and start working towards equity

Children entering grades K-8 who live in the towns of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George and Williston may exercise school choice. Our goal is to both allow options for families and also make balanced class sizes to provide a positive learning environment for all of our children. Processes for intra-district choice of school will be guided by the needs of students, space availability, and existing resources. Given this, we will work to meet as many families’ needs as possible. Guidelines and Application

Every enrolled student who qualifies for free/reduced meals is also entitled to an additional $60 - $100 per child per month - retroactive to September.

Many families who did not qualify for free and reduced meals last year may qualify this year due to a change in family circumstances. Because meals are free for everyone, you may not have completed the application. In order to get this additional benefit, you will need to apply now.

Families who were qualified last year are automatically enrolled. You do not need to do anything but are being asked to check the 'head of household" name and address so the electronic-benefit-card gets delivered to the right person/house.
Please see this letter for additional information. If you need assistance applying, look for the contact information in the letter or contact your school.

We are reminding all parents and caregivers who drop off or pick up students to be extra mindful about your driving in the school parking lots. We are asking that all drivers please drive with extreme caution, courtesy, and at slow speeds. We have noticed some dangerous situations pop up as a result of distracted driving or elevated driving speeds. We thank you for your help in keeping all students, staff, and drivers safe.

Hello Busy Bees!

Our final Four Winds lesson of this school year available for you! This one focuses on how amazing Bees are! (How especially fitting for all of you ABS families and students).

Check out the presentation and all the fun activities HERE! Remember you can share your findings and photos with us on our Padlet.

There is also a Bonus Spring Scavenger Hunt for you to print it out. See how many items you can find by you!

THANK YOU for joining us virtually for the Four Winds Nature Institute - Nearby Nature from Home Program this year. We look forward to joining YOU our wonderful volunteers, teachers and students back in the classroom this fall!

It's not too late to check out all the Four Winds lessons from this school year (if you haven't already)! They are full of fun facts, photos, hands-on activities, games, read alouds, science show episodes, and even the videos of the beloved PUPPET SHOW! Pick and choose the activities that are right for you!

Unit 1: Spiders

Unit 2: Tremendous Trees.

Unit 3: Predators and Prey

Unit 4: Skulls and Teeth

Unit 5: Birds of a Feather

Unit 6: Calling All Owls

Unit 7: Daunting Defenses

Unit 8: The Buzz on Bees

Bonus: Spring Scavenger Hunt

The theme for the year is Structure and Function.

Feel free to email, visit our website, or share your findings and photos on our Padlet.

Be curious and have a great summer!

Deb & Amanda, Your Four Winds Williston Coordinators

Return to School Following Illness Guidance

What Families can Expect when a Student is Sick

COVID-19 Parental Resources Kit

test positive and have symptoms

test positive but do not have symptoms
close contacts with someone who has tested positive

We are sending this out again, as we have been getting parent feedback indicating that this routine can at times be a safety concern. Please be sure to do your part during our arrival/dismissal procedures so we can ensure a safe environment.

● Please drop off and pick up your child at their team’s designated location ensuring that you leave space for the other team locations.

● Parents must remain in vehicles for drop-off

● Please arrive between 7:50 and 8:10

● Please drive attentively, slowly, and safely, following directions of school staff

● For safety, all students must exit the passenger side of the vehicle

● Temperature taking will happen once your child enters the school

● Your child must have their mask on when entering the school

Please refer to this map for the correct location to drop off/pick up your student:

Arrival /Dismissal Map / Diagram

Please visit the Food Service website for the remote learning days order form and more information.

We are excited to be able to serve your children hot food at school once again as well as continue to offer grab and go and delivery of meals for those students who are learning remotely. CVSD will be able to continue to offer free meals for all children 18 years of age and younger as we start school.

If your student has special dietary requirements please let us know. We will be happy to make reasonable accommodations (prepare a vegetarian version, substitute gluten free grain, bread or crust, soy milk or offer an alternate meal) to make sure they can have something nutritious and delicious to eat.

May Menu

No School (Memorial Day): Monday, May 31

Canfield class to ABS: Wednesday, June 2; 10:00-10:45 am

8th Grade Meet with CVU: Wednesday, June 2, 10:30-11 am

7/8 Band Concert: Wednesday, June 2; 6:30-7:30 pm

5/6 Band Concert: Thursday, June 3; 8:45-10:45 am

Harbor to Sandbar: Monday, June 7; 9:30 am - 1:30 pm

Summit to Airport Park: Mon. June 7; 9:30 am - 1:30 pm

Equinox to Catamount: Mon. , June 7; 11:15 am - 2 pm

Swift to Oakledge Park: Tuesday, June 8; 4-5 pm

Student device (Chromebooks & iPads) return: by June 10 (June 16/17 for VLA students)

8th Grade Spirit of Ethan Allen Cruise: June 9th

Horizon Field Day: Thursday, June 10

Swift to Sandbar State Park: Thursday, June 10; 9:30 am - 1:30 pm

8th Grade Graduation: Thursday, June 10th

Synergy Field Day: Friday, June 11

Sterling to Knight State Park: June 14; 9:30 am - 1:45 pm

Last School day: Tuesday, June 15

• Williston Facebook Page
  
• CVSD Facebook Page

• CVSD on Twitter
  

• CVSD on LinkedIn
• Did you know CVSD has a blog? http://cvsdstory.blogspot.com
  
• CVSD Handbook
• Bus Information
• Technology Help Desk

Allen Brook School and Williston Central School

Email: cpavlik@cvsdvt.org
Website: https://www.cvsdvt.org
Location: 195 Central School Drive, Williston
Phone: (802) 878-2762
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Williston-School-District-1483758238612170/timeline/
Twitter: @wsdvt