THE SCHOOL BELL

The above photo is my daughter Mira Filion teaching dance lessons to some little girls at ABS who have great rhythm and love to dance! She is who I will be highlighting through out this piece on children of divorced families.

Recently we had a parent reach out to us in hopes that we may write one of our notes acknowledging that some of our kids in school share life between two households. It is interesting that this is something many people don't talk about. Divorce is real for many people and yet it still remains to be a subject that many people tend to avoid.

I felt writing about this topic seemed relevant to me, as I have shared my daughter respectfully with her dad for about 16 of her 17 years of life. Mira has only ever really known her life as being in two homes, with two sets of expectations, celebrating occasions in twos, and with two parents who truly love and support her (just in different homes and in different ways). There is a lot of emotion that is involved when a family decides to part ways.

The most important lesson I have learned in co-parenting our daughter is that respectful communication and established routines are key ingredients for success. Over the years we had some difficult times trying to navigate how to raise Mira together, yet apart. From my experience, when you separate the emotion of the two adults having ended their partnership and truly focus on your child/children, things tend to go much better! As one parent writes, "There are so many issues that surface such as accidentally leaving homework at the other parent's house or clothing that you need for your after-school sporting activity." These are all things that take coordination and communication so that your child feels a sense of cohesion from one environment to the next.

Many families also merge and blend with other families. This can create a shift in beliefs, structures, dynamics, and bring up many emotions for everyone involved in that transition. It is important to take things slow and acknowledge any feelings your children may be experiencing among these types of transitions. At the end of the day, children who function under two homes are very resilient and well rounded humans. They are loved in many different ways, by so many people. They will adapt to transitions in life easier as this has been a familiar part of their journey.

My daughter Mira has been volunteering as a mentor this spring at Allen Brook. She has truly enjoyed spending time in small groups with children who may need a little extra TLC. She will be a senior this next year and hopes to go into special education and school counseling as her next step into adulthood. Her dad, her stepmother Dana, and I could not be more proud of the young woman she has become! Please enjoy some photos of Mira and her life as a child living in two homes with lots of love!

Remember that there are many families who function this way. If you happen to be one of them, just know you are not alone! Here are a few resources that I have found helpful should you like to read more about this topic: https://www.parents.com/parenting/divorce/coping/making-a-child-comfortable-in-two-homes/https://www.greatlakesdfs.com/blog/age-appropriate-childrens-books-about-divorce

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 19th: SBAC Make-Ups for Sterling and Swift House

9:15-11:15 Session One

12:00-2:00 Session Two

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 WCS garden is looking for a donation of a gas mower to help keep our space neat and tidy.

Please keep us in mind if you are looking to get rid of a well loved mower. If you have any questions, please let me know. lbrown@cvsdvt.org"

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.

Thursday, May 6, 2021 - 6:30 – 8:00 pm

A documentary film about mental health and anxiety including candid interviews with teens about anxiety, tools that help, and hope.

Screening will be followed by a panel discussion and Q & A - Free and Open to the Public

The event is free but registration for the Zoom webinar is required here or visit howardcenter.org

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenge in the U.S., impacting 54 percent of females and 46 percent of males, with age seven being the median age of onset, according to the World Health Organization.

"Everybody needs to know that anxiety disorders are real, common and treatable instead of viewing them as a personal choice or something to be ashamed of,” said Dr. Jerry Bubrick, Senior Director of Anxiety Disorders Center, Child Mind Institute. “Getting help early is crucial in giving people the tools they need to feel better. We just need to start the conversation."

More information about the movie, the trailer and resources can be found at:

https://angstmovie.com/

https://angstmovie.com/resources/

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

Here is a link from the Vermont Department of Health that is full of good information about ticks for you and your child. Please always contact your pediatrician if you find a tick and what to do with it and for your child after removal.

https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/tickborne-diseases/prevent-tick-bites-tickborne-diseases

The ABS Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) Committee is supporting staff and students in the use of gender-neutral language. In the Williston Schools, we believe that it is important to use language that is both inclusive and affirmative. In calling a group of students "boys and girls" or "guys," we are speaking to them based on assumed gender identity. In many instances, we may not know an individual's gender identity nor the gender identity of everyone in the group. Our goal is to be increasingly mindful about the words we choose when addressing groups of people, especially our students. See below for examples of some inclusive language featured on our "Bee Inclusive" bulletin board.

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

Kindergarten Registration for Fall, 2021 is underway at Allen Brook School.

Please submit registration paperwork, (preferably printed double sided) including proof of residency, birth certificate and immunization record.

Questions? Email absfrontoffice@cvsdvt.org or call 802-871-6200

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

Williston Families,

We currently have a need for additional staff to help support our students now that we have them all back to 4 days a week of in-person learning at Williston Central. The position will start immediately and run through the end of the school year. The pay rate is $15/hr.

Lunch/Recess Aid: We have several lunch/recess blocks between 10:45 and 1:30 on M, T, Th, F. This position involves being part of a supervision team that oversees the lunch recess periods for each house. Days and times can be flexible depending on your schedule.

If you are interested in this position, please contact Greg Marino, at gmarino@cvsdvt.org

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 April Adventurers!

We have a new and exciting lesson for you about plants and animals who use their Daunting Defenses to survive in the wild! Check it out HERE!

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

As the weather continues to get warmer, check out all the Four Winds lessons (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! There is so much to see in nature around 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

Bonus: Spring Scavenger Hunt

The theme for the year is Structure and Function.

Stay tuned for our last Four Winds lesson of the 2020-2021 year featuring Bees in May!

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

Be curious!

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

• 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