Lions Club Vision Screening at ABS - Families as Partners - Scholastic Book Fair - WCS Performing Arts Shirt Order - Global Read Aloud for Grades K-4 - CVU Cookie Love - Rotary Trunk or Treat and more...

by Lauren Goracy, Director of Student Services

Hello Williston Community!

It has been almost two months since the start of the school year! Students and staff are falling into the swing of things and classroom routines are now developed and practiced. Learning is happening and relationships are now established and growing, all while the leaves are turning into bright colors outside the buildings. I continue to witness and experience the incredible work that educators are doing to ensure students are included and have a sense of belonging in our community. At Williston schools, we hold a strong belief in providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. They believe that all students can learn, but what do we really mean when we say the word “inclusive”?

Inclusion is a mindset and is not a program or a favor we do for someone. Inclusion is embracing the fact that everyone has value to add. It is not about fitting into the social norms of a majority. Inclusion is building a community that is accessible to everyone. It looks like adapting the environment, adapting the method of instruction, and adapting the conditions to meet the needs of all students. Inclusion is finding student’s strengths and intentionally planning for their success. It is an attitude, a belief, and a mindset. Inclusion is a true sense of belonging.

All students are welcome at Williston Schools. Inclusion at Williston looks like teachers greeting and welcoming all students into their classroom. Inclusion looks like a student practicing skills ahead of time in order to be prepared for their class with their peers. Inclusion looks like asking someone to play on the playground who may appear lonely. Educational justice is part of inclusive practices and starts by removing systemic barriers. This looks like practicing the first Fire Drill or Lockdown Drill without the alarm system going off and giving students time in advance to prepare for this change. If a visitor were to walk in on a lesson, they would see all students meaningfully engaged and would not be able to distinguish students because they were, “doing something different.” These are examples of inclusion in our schools and is one step closer towards Educational Justice.

Inclusion is everywhere around us, but can always be improved in our schools and overall community. It starts by recognizing our own privileges. Take a step back and think about the privileges you may have that others may not. Pause before you walk into that grocery store or public building and ask yourself, “how would someone be able to enter this building if they were in a wheelchair? Would they have to go through a back door? Would they need to go all the way around the entrance in order to get into the building? What is the lighting like in the store? Is it really bright? Really dark? Is the music loud? Are the aisles or walkways wide enough? Are there visuals? Is the writing small or big? Reflecting on these moments takes us one step closer towards inclusion and Justice. Empathy, patience, reflection, and understanding are all ingredients needed in order to ensure inclusion for all.

As part of the Global Read Aloud, Williston K-4th grade students are learning about the work of Caldecott Honor award author/illustrator Christian Robinson during their weekly library visits.

Over six weeks, students will experience these wonderful books with artwork by Christian Robinson and learn more about the illustrator.

We will go outside for recess every day unless there is heavy rain, thunder and lightening, or below zero temperatures. Please be sure to send your child with all necessary clothing and footwear.

If you need help locating boots, jackets, etc. please reach out to your school's guidance office.

Volunteers Needed! Please help us with the Fall Craft Show on November 5th. Volunteers are needed for set-up on Friday evening November 4th and during the event on Saturday November 5th. Find more information and available shifts on the sign-up link:https://signup.com/go/cQtyKze Or contact Karen and Paula at wsdcraftshow@cvsdvt.org. Thank you for helping with this important school fundraiser!

Welcome to a new school year. We are excited to have back our old friends and welcome our new friends. Each school year brings about a great deal of changes and new adventures. In Physical Education we are always encouraging healthy lifestyle choices. We have had a walking program in place for several years and are excited about beginning another year of walking for fitness.

The walking program this year will be an adventure along the Appalachian Trail. As a school we are going to try to walk 2190 miles to equal the distance of all of the Appalachian Trail. This program is designed to get the children moving as well as the greater community. Each class will have times during Physical Education when they will try to walk or run to accumulate miles to add to the map hanging in the gymnasium. The map is updated regularly to show the school’s progress along the trail. In addition to Physical Education there are other ways the students can accumulate miles. For example, at school the teachers might choose to take the class out for a walk. Then all the teacher needs to do is send the PE department a quick note and those miles will be added to the map.

The way the community can become involved is simply take a few minutes to walk or run with your child. If your family chooses to go for a walk your child will get miles to add to the map. Additional walkers count as well. If you go for a walk of 2 miles and have 3 people, please write a note for 6 miles. The note can be very simple. My child “insert child’s name” walked (location of walk) number of miles (a good estimate is close enough). This note then gets brought into school and the student places it in the walking mailbox located outside of the gymnasium door.

Continue reading... click here for the full letter

The Health Offices at WCS and ABS have started to test students' vision and hearing. Vermont schools are required by the state to test students' vision and hearing in Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th grades.

This year we are very lucky again to be selected for Vermont Lions KidSight program and Middlebury Lions Club will be coming to our schools on Tuesday October 18th (WCS) and Tuesday October 25th (ABS) to perform vision screening.

The vision photoscreening will only happen on indicated dates. It is a one-day event and we strongly encourage your child not to be absent from school on that day. There will be no make-ups.

Vermont Lions KidSight program uses a photoscreening digital device called a SPOT to objectively check for vision problems. The photoscreener is like a large camera. It takes a picture of your child’s eyes. With that and the measurements obtained from the images, SPOT can detect a number of potential eye conditions.

If we find a problem, we will send you a referral letter. If your child’s SPOT results form states “Complete Eye Exam Recommended” at the top right of the page, it is a referral and we recommend that your child visit an eye care professional.

On the SPOT referral, you will see a section on the right side of the page called “Potential Condition”. This includes

information about the potential eye condition(s) detected by the SPOT device.

If you do not hear from us, your child passed the screenings.

If you have any concerns, please contact the Health Office.

Thank you so much!

WCS Health Office

WCSnurse@cvsdvt.org

Maria Kapetanovic, RN

Carol Albertelli, RN

871-6170

Allen Brook Health Office

Sylvia Love, BSN, RN slove@cvsdvt.org

ph: 871-6248

Mark your calendars! Families as Partners (FAP) is bringing BACK a student favorite, the Scholastic Book Book Fair.

This will be the first of two Book Fairs for Williston Schools and will be held at Williston Central School from 10/24-10/27. All students at WCS (3rd-8th grade) will have a chance to shop the book fair with their classes.

Does your kiddo attend ABS?! No problem. The evening of 10/25 we will be holding a special ABS night from 6-8 pm which will include games and prizes just for coming. The Spring Book Fair in April will be at ABS as FAP is committed to making the fair equitable and accessible to all of our students, without having to bus students back and forth eating up precious classroom time.

The Spring Book Fair theme is being a BOLDER, PROUDER and STRONGER reader! We have lots of fun planned!

Our Fall Book Fair will be the perfect opportunity to stock up on gifts for the Holidays! There is no better gift than a book! We are looking for parent volunteers to help with set up, during the book fair and clean up. Please sign up at if you are interested in helping. Hope to see you there!

<<Attention ABS Families: Help us keep everyone safe by going to the designated areas for pickup and keep the sidewalks near the main entrance clear. This helps ensure adults can account for each and every pick-up that happens.>>

Be sure to read the arrival and dismissal procedures for your student(s) school [linked below] if you plan to drop off or pick up your child. We appreciate all you can do to follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and smooth transition in and out of school!

Thank you for your continued cooperation during arrival and dismissal.

Wednesday: Early Dismissal!

ABS @1:35 - WCS @1:45

ABS Arrival & Dismissal - WCS Arrival & Dismissal

Just a reminder that we are not allowing students to ride on buses other than their regular route(s). This ensures all students are safe and accounted for. Seating charts will be used on all buses.

October 20, 2022

It’s Turkey Time Again! The Williston Community Food Shelf is hoping to collect 150 turkeys for our

clients for Thanksgiving. We would appreciate it, if you would put this notice in your weekly

Bulletin/Newsletter, or post it on your bulletin boards, for the next few weeks.

The Williston Community Food Shelf will be hosting our annual “Turkey Drive” this year on Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 8:00-11:00 am at the Food Shelf, for the collection and distribution of turkeys. We are asking interested groups, and citizens, to drop off a turkey to the Food Shelf. The Williston Community Food Shelf is located at 400 Cornerstone Drive, Suite 130 (down behind the Williston Coffee Shop) in Williston. Alternately feel free to donate gift cards ($15 are best) from the local grocery stores, which we will give our clients to purchase their own turkeys. Gift cards can be

dropped off, or mailed to the Williston Community Food Shelf at P.O. Box 1605, Williston, VT 05495. Your kindness is appreciated.

With the recent increases in the costs of food and fuel, the number of clients seeking assistance at the Williston Community Food Shelf has risen rather dramatically in the last three months. We are expecting a large number of people to look to us to provide turkeys this year.

Please help us to reach our goal of having a turkey for each one of our less fortunate neighbors. If you have any questions, or need more information, please feel free call me. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Ginger Morton, President

Williston Community Food Shelf

info@willistonfoodshelf.com, (802)578-0586

10/24 - Scholastic Book Fair, WCS

10/25 - Scholastic Book Fair ABS Night, 6-8pm at WCS

10/26 - Scholastic Book Fair, WCS

10/27 - Scholastic Book Fair, WCS / Kaleidoscope to VT Statehouse

10/27 - CVSD Strategic Planning Community Forum at CVU @ 6:00 pm

11/03 - Clover to VT Statehouse

11/04 - WCS Craft Fair Set Up

11/05 - WCS Craft Fair

11/21 - 11/25 - NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING BREAK

Resources to keep accessible:

• First Call - 488-7777: phone support, crisis intervention, assessment and referrals
• In Crisis: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) (National Hopeline Network: USA)
• National Suicide Prevention Life line- 1-800-273-TALK (8255), call or chat online
• Crisis Text Line - text HOME to 741741 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
• Outright Vermont - support for LGBTQ+ community
• UVM Breathe In Breath Out - How to deal with stress due to COVID-19
• Vermont 211 -Vermont database of resources and services
• Vermont Support Line (833) 888-2557) - peer support warmline open 247 - 365 for call or text
• COVID Counselors @ VT-211
• Teen Crisis Text Line - Crisis Text Line provides free emotional support and information to teens in any type of crisis, including feeling suicidal. You can text with a trained specialist 24 hours a day. Text “HOME” to 741741.
• Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide - Website where you can find information to help yourself or a friend who may be having thoughts of suicide.
• Trevor Lifeline - 1-866- 488-7386 - provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. It offers free, 24/7, confidential counseling. TrevorText—text START to 678-678; TrevorChat—instant messaging at TheTrevorProject.org/help. It also runs TrevorSpace, an affirming social networking site for LGBTQ youth at TrevorSpace.