Weathersfield Weekly

Due to the upcoming snowstorm, we are rescheduling the Town Challenge to Sunday, March 24th at 4pm. Please reach out to your teams and let them know about the change. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Deb Richardson. debrichardson8097@gmail.com

Kindergarten Registration/Screening for the 2024-2025 School Year will take place on Friday, April 5, 2024. If your child will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2024, it is time to enroll them at Weathersfield! Please call the school (802) 674-5400 to schedule an appointment for this year’s screening. We look forward to hearing from you.

The school informational meeting for our budget was postponed due to changes from the state. The school board made some adjustments to the proposed budget and will formally present it to the town on Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Weathersfield School. You will have the opportunity to vote on the new proposed budget on Tuesday April, 2, 2024 from 10:00 AM-7:00 PM. I have provided the link with the new proposed budget. If you have questions, please reach out.

Student led conferences are coming up starting on Monday, March 25th. Teachers are sending home schedules today, so that families can sign up. As a reminder Thursday, March 28th is an early release day and there is no school on Friday, March 29th. Some of you may be wondering about student led conferences and what is the power of a student led conference? Students have greater engagement and ownership of their learning.

What is the power of student led conferences?

Students have greater engagement and ownership of learning. They understand the purpose of their work. Prepare students to be reflective about their work and progress toward learning targets. Make reflection an ongoing classroom practice.

What does the research say about student led conferences?

The results of the survey determined that both parents and students consistently and usually felt that student led conferences allowed the student to take ownership of their academic achievements.

We are pleased to announce we will be offering a PAWS Summer Camp and STEAM Camp at WS! We will offer four weeks of fun and learning…shhh, don’t tell the students!

Camps will run Monday through Friday, beginning July 8th and ending on August 2nd. The camps will be broken into two sessions.

Session #1: PAWS Summer Camp, which will be held from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Session #2: STEAM Camp, which will be held from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm

PAWS Summer Camp will offer a variety of activities such as crafts, nature activities, sports, cooperative games, and MORE.

STEAM Camp will offer a variety of hands-on activities that involve Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Here are the themes this year:

Week #1 (July 8th - 12th): Rube Goldberg Machines

Week #2 (July 15th - 19th): Enchanted Forest

Week #3 (July 22nd - July 26th): Kitchen Academy

Week #4 (July 29th - August 2nd): STEAM Olympics

Space will be limited to #25 students per camp for each session.

Students can join both camps or just attend one of the camps each week!

The cost for the camps will be $50/week per child for each session ($100/week per child to enroll in both sessions). Sign-ups are offered on a first come, first serve basis. A $25 registration fee will be required to hold your child’s spot in the camp.

Stay tuned for more information about signing up for this exciting opportunity!

Background:

Student agency is that sense of ownership and control that a student feels over their school experience. The WSESU strategic plan outlines various strategies that address Student Success and Engagement as well as Culture and Student Wellness. Student agency is at the heart of realizing these goals.

The 3-D Student Agency Survey comes to us through our Learning Inspired consultant, Mike Nicholson. Mike has been working with our staff in various capacities over the past several years, since he helped us develop our strategic plan. The following is a summary of what we hope to accomplish with this survey.

Why "3-D"?

We call our study "3-D" because it looks at education from the viewpoint of the three main groups: parents, students, and teachers. This way, we get a full picture without sharing anyone's personal information, focusing on what everyone thinks as a group.

We want to find out:

• What parents, students, and teachers agree and disagree on.

• Deep insights on student decision-making, motivation, the role of teachers, and what education should achieve.

Important Topics:

Questions in the survey cover how students feel about their role in learning, the goal of going to school, how relationships in school are changing, and personal challenges like stress and how they feel about their achievements.

Support for More Schools:

With help from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, we can include more schools in this study without asking them to pay. This means we can learn from a lot of different places.

Making the Survey:

We talked to lots of parents, students, and teachers to make sure the survey asks the right questions. An expert in studying cultures helped us too.

It only takes about 15 minutes to complete the survey.

After the Survey:

Schools that join in will get to see what was learned quickly, within two weeks after they finish. After every school has taken part, we'll share what we found out with everyone.

Let's work together on this exciting project to make education even better by understanding the choices students make in their learning. If you have any questions about this student agency inquiry, please contact Mike Nicholson (mnicholson@learninspired.org, 614-815-6608).

Here is the link to the survey.

March 22, 2024

Subject: Kids Heart Challenge Who: Weathersfield Students in Grades K-8

Our school is participating in the Kids Heart Challenge, a very special community service program to raise funds for the American Heart Association. It's your child's chance to be a Heart Hero. Students can learn how to keep their hearts and brains healthy while raising funds to help kids with special hearts. By completing Finn’s Mission, they will also learn the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only CPR and how to recognize a stroke. Have your child go to: http://www2.heart.org/goto/weathersfield. Your child will earn a wristband just for registering online and taking the challenge!

As a thank you for participating, I will conduct a glow-in-the-dark sports week during the student's regularly scheduled PE class from April 15th to April 19th. The week will include games like glow basketball, badminton, volleyball, Ultimate Team Battleship, and bowling.

Donation online & collection envelopes due: Friday, April 19th

Please register and complete Finn’s Mission

to help our school out!

• If 18 or more students at our school complete Finn’s Mission, we will be entered to win a $10,000 gym upgrade!

• If 50% of our student population register online, we will receive an extra $500 in USGAMES gift certificates for PE equipment!

• Every student who completes Finn’s Mission will be entered to win Super Bowl tickets.

Sincerely,

Laura M Berry

Physical Educator - W.S. / Kids Heart Challenge School Coordinator

Track & Field (5th-8th): https://weathersfield-athletics.sportngin.com/register/form/215736963

Softball (3rd-8th): https://weathersfield-athletics.sportngin.com/register/form/240357635

Baseball (K-2 T-ball/coed) (3rd-8th): https://weathersfield-athletics.sportngin.com/register/form/628479970

Coaches application: https://weathersfield-athletics.sportngin.com/register/form/299461426

WSESU is hiring support staff to work with students in our schools. Positions include elementary and middle school staff supporting students in academics and social emotional skills. We offer flexible working hours. Please reach out to Katie Ahern Director of Student Support Services with your resume and three names of references with contact information; katie.ahern@wsesu.net.

Every household can order 4 free COVID-19 test kits mailed to their home. Here is the web link: https://www.covid.gov/tests

The next School Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 6:30 PM. The board meeting will be in the music room at Weathersfield School. www.wsesu.net

The Weathersfield Leadership Team is planning a movie night for you and your student(s) to enjoy. This form is an RSVP for your family to come and enjoy Disney's "Beauty and The Beast" (Cartoon Version). Doors will open at 6 pm and the movie will start at 6:30 pm. Seats will either be on the floor so you can bring blankets and pillows or the bleachers. Seats will be limited. Admission and snacks are by donation. We hope you'll come and enjoy. Please follow the link.

Beauty and The Beast Jr. T-Shirt Fundraiser- This year we will be offering Beauty and The Beast Jr. T-shirts for sale at this link as a fundraiser for our program. All proceeds will go towards costumes and sets for our productions. You can add CREW or CAST to the back of your shirt for an additional $3. You can opt to have the shirts delivered to school, or have them shipped directly to you. Feel free to share the link with your friends and family who would like to support our Weathersfield School Drama Club.

A very big thank you to Lisa Gleeson and Clever Cow Designs for making this happen!

Monday Breakfast -Assorted Cereal Milk, Juice, and Fresh Fruit Cereal

Lunch- Baked Ham and Cheese Croissant, Potato Chips, Pickle, Fresh Cut Fruit

Tuesday Breakfast-Breakfast Sandwich w/ VT Sausage Patty Roasted Potatoes Milk, Fresh Fruit, Juice

Lunch- Chicken Fajita w/Onions and Peppers, Spanish Rice, Seasoned Roasted Corn, House Salsa and Sour Cream

Wednesday Breakfast- WW Cinnamon Roll Milk, Fresh Fruit, Juice

Lunch- American Chop Suey Roasted Brussels Sprouts Garlic Knot

Thursday Breakfast-Banana Bread w/ Cheese Stick Milk, Fresh Fruit, Juice

Lunch- Pizza Pepperoni or Cheese Caesar Side Salad

Friday No School

March Menu

• March 24th Town Challenge at 4:00 PM
• March 25th-29th Student Led Conferences
• March 28th Early Release Day for Students
• March 29th No School for Students
• March 30th School Budget Meeting at 10:00 AM
• April 2nd VTCAP testing starts Grades 5 and 8 Science
• April 5th Kindergarten Registration
• April 5th No School for Kindergarten Students
• April 8th-12th Spring Break
• April 16th-April 19th VTCAP Testing Math Grades 3-8
• April 19th Family Movie Night
• April 23rd-April 26th VTCAP Testing ELA Grades 3-8
• April 26th P.R.I.D.E.Assembly
• April 26th and 27th Beauty and the Beast Jr. at Weathersfield
• May 1st Early Release Day for Students
• May 24th Leadership Day/Early Release Day for Students