THE SCHOOL BELL
Williston Schools /December 19, 2018
Happy Holidays! No School December 24 through January 1! School resumes Wednesday, January 2.
A Message from the Administration
By ABS Principal Angela Filion
As we move into the winter months, all schools face the challenge of an increase in absenteeism and tardies. Part of our job is to monitor and address student attendance. We do take into consideration that student absences and tardies happen for a variety of reasons. We understand when families are challenged by medical needs and we want to be supportive of those needs. With that said, it is important for us to remind families of the importance of regular attendance as it is our legal requirement to ensure it. We know the impact it can have on student learning when they miss too much school. Let's say for example a student misses 14 days of school per year throughout a K-12 career. They will have missed 182 school days, or an entire year of instruction, by graduation. Recently the school has sent attendance letters home, which come out ever so often. These letters are used to notify families when a student has reached 5, 10, or 15 days of (combined excused and unexcused) absence and chronic tardies during the school year. While we know that these letters can create some angst from families (even though they have notified us of their child's absences/tardies), they are a part of an effort to reduce truancy in our schools. This regular communication is our way of supporting our students and families the best we can! We will often reach out and see if there is anything we can do to support the families as we see this as a partnership! Recently a community member reached out to me and ask that I also remind people about not leaving their car engines idle. With winter here, it's way more common and it's not healthy for our kids and the environment. They shared this statistic: idling for just 10 seconds wastes more gas than restarting the engine and for every 10 minutes the car engine is off, you avoid one pound of carbon dioxide from being released into the air. They also shared this article on the topic if you are interested in more information. As we approach the holiday break we hope that you get some much needed time with family and loved ones. This is a great time for our students, faculty, and staff to rest up and recharge. We look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year!
*To order “general admission” tickets fill out this linked form (or below)/$10.00 per tkt.
*Return to House TA or drop off in school front office with your payment.
*TAs will deliver tickets to students to bring home.
*Tickets purchased after Friday, January 4th, will be available at the check-in desk the night of the show.
*Make check payable to CVSD.
*Tickets are also available for purchase in the WCS and ABS front offices.
*Questions call Lisa Barland, Swift House TA #871-6130
*Show is from 6:30 to 8:30, snacks will be available to purchase (cash only).
***********************************************************************
Marko Tickets
Student Name________________________________________________________
House_______________________ Number of Tickets _______
Amount enclosed ($10/ticket) _______ Ck#________ Cash$ _______
5th-8th Grade Concerts
5th-8th Grade Concerts are Wednesday, 12/19/18
5:30- Grades 5 and 6 (call time for musicians is 5:00)
7:15- grades 7 and 8 plus Stage Band (call time for musicians is 6:45)
Students will also perform during the school day. Please wear black bottoms and the performing arts shirt. 5th-8th Grade Concerts are Wednesday, 12/19/18
Kindergarten Lantern Walk
Thursday, December 20, 4:45 pm at ABS
Dress warm!
non-perishable food items accepted
Questions, contact Heather Scandale hscandale@cvsdvt.org
more info will be sent home with your child.
Practicing Happiness
FAP Speaker Series - Practicing Happiness
January 15th, 2019
6:30pm-8pm WCS Community Room
Andy Rosenfeld is a parent in the community and works as a psychiatrist at the University of Vermont. He will share some of the research and practices related to cultivating wellbeing in families - what concepts like gratitude, optimism, compassion, and others have to do with brain health and physical health.
Big Basket Raffle seeks committee members
Have you heard of FAP’s Big Basket Raffle and Silent Auction School Fundraiser? It’s attended by 300+ community members and last year it raised over $9,500 for educational programs that complement classroom learning. Over 55 themed baskets are raffled off and 25 other items are bid on through a Silent Auction. The Basket Raffle will be held in the evening on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
This fundraiser is the result of the efforts of many volunteers and planning efforts begin next month. AND WE NEED YOU!! Are you good at marketing/advertising? Are you good with computers and formatting documents? Are you creative? How do you feel about approaching businesses you frequent and asking for a donation for your children’s school? These are just some of the tasks that go into planning this significant school fundraiser.
Please contact Emily Downing Ponce at emilydowningponce@gmail.com for further information!
SPARK Enrichment After School ~ Session 3
The 3rd session of Spark Enrichment, an after-school applied learning program for students in grades 5-8, takes place from January 10 - February 7. These small group classes will be facilitated by school faculty and staff. Please access the link to the sign-up form below by January 8. You will be able to rank your choices for better placement!! read more
Important safety message for parents; new social media threat
The Momo Challenge: A Disturbing Social Media Trend
The Momo Challenge is a dangerous social media challenge targeted at tweens and teens that is spreading across sites like Facebook, Whatsapp, YouTube, and other social media accounts. The challenge encourages them to hurt themselves, others, and eventually to take their own life.
The avatar used by Momo is an image of a woman with creepy features and bulging eyes. When Momo is contacted it responds with threatening messages and violent images to the user. It also says it knows personal things about the user, and uses fear to threaten the user into taking the challenge.
What Can You do?
Check in and talk to your children. Explain how these videos are not real and that the challenges should not be taken seriously. If they don’t know about it, share the dangers associated with the challenge. Educate them on staying away from these dangerous challenges. Talk to them about what to do if they do if they receive a message with the Momo Challenge.
Check your child’s phone/ tablet /computer regularly. You should know the apps your child is using and have the right to check their devices.
Talk with your kids (with curiosity and open minds, ideally, not fear and confrontation) to find out what their reality is. Spend time with them daily, and keep the flow of communication open and consistent. Make sure they know and feel how much you love them.
Take social media seriously, it has very powerful influence in our children’s lives. Social media can be used to build friendships and connect with others, but it also is a place where many children are cyberbullied. If your child is on social media, they need guidance and accountability. Click here for more information on Keeping Kids Safe Online.
8th Grade Student & Parent Night
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL
AN INVITATION
To 8th Grade Parents and Students of the Class of 2023
8th Grade Student & Parent Night
Champlain Valley Union High School
CVU Gym, Thursday, January 24, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
This evening will provide you and your son/daughter an introduction to the academic and elective programs they will experience in the 9th grade.
2019-2020 Kindergarten Registration
Pre-Registration for Fall 2019 Kindergarten has begun for Williston and St. George children who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2019.
Champlain Valley School District (CVSD) is asking families to register their Kindergartners earlier this year, in an effort to get more accurate enrollment numbers for our schools. These enrollment numbers help us to plan our staffing needs for the upcoming school year.
We start the process by asking families to complete this pre-registration form.
Following submission of the pre-registration form, we'll collect registration forms* and paperwork (copy of birth certificate, proof of residency, and immunizations) in advance of Kindergarten screening in early 2019. *Families with children enrolled in the ABS EE program will only need to provide a copy of the birth certificate and these forms.
Please reach out to Laura (871-6200; lgigliotti@cvsdvt.org) or Cindy (871-6203; cpavlik@cvsdvt.org) with questions.
Williston Schools Penguin Plunge
Williston Schools Penguin Plunge Team welcomes you….on Saturday, February 2, 2019 the Wildcats will take the plunge into icy Lake Champlain. We welcome all parents, students and staff to join us in taking the chilly dip.
Now in its twenty- fourth year, the Special Olympics Vermont Penguin Plunge event series supports sports training and competition, health screenings, and leadership opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Vermont. These fundraising efforts support Special Olympics Vermont and our WCS Unified Sports Team. In 2018, Penguin Plunge events raised $542,706, nearly 40% of their operating budget. Register Here
Recess Clothing
Thank you for sending your child to school with the appropriate gear for recess. The children have been having a great time with all the new snow. We go out every day unless it is below zero. They will need to continue to bring jackets, snow pants, hats, gloves or mittens and boots. It's a good idea to add your child's name on the labels of the gear so they can be returned to you in the event they are left at school.
Fundraiser for All Breed Rescue
We are 5th & 6th grade sisters in Swift House and this year we are choosing to fundraise for the All Breed Rescue in Williston. Please consider sending in items with your son/daughter from All Breed Rescue's wish list which can be found here. The list includes: baby wipes, dog toys, dog treats, coconut oil and cleaning supplies, etc. There will be a bin outside the front office until February 1st so as you are out shopping, please keep these needs in mind. Many thanks and Happy Holidays! Emma Rich & Jaden Miller-Young
Library Books to Unwrap and Share this Season
This gift-sharing season, consider checking out library books to unwrap and read together!
Perhaps you'd select 8 books for Hanukkah or 24 books for Advent.
Families can check out as many items as they would like from our Allen Brook School collection.
Cozy up in pajamas, grab a hot cocoa, and share some library stories!
Then return them in January when we return to school.
Season's Readings!
Yearbooks
Order your student a yearbook before they run out!
Order at www.jostens.com
Contact ABeauregard@cvsdvt.org with questions.
Box Tops for Education
FLU SEASON IS COMING FAST
Below are links from the CDC for your information.
If your student receives the Flu vaccine please be sure to let your schools Health Office know.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".
Mobile App
Download the WSD App and get notifications for groups, sports teams, 3-4 Chorus, etc. to keep informed.
Open App, tap on the 3 horizontal bars in the top right and select Notifications. Tap on the group boxes for those you want.
Families as Partners
Tuesday Early Dismissal
Dismissal at ABS is 1:35 pm.
Dismissal at WCS is 1:55 pm.
The Tuesday schedule for morning Preschool is 8:00 to 10:15 am. Afternoon preschool is 11:15 am to 1:30 pm.
Four Winds Nature News
School Lunch Menus
Monthly Fitness Fun
More Links, More information
Upcoming Events
Wed. Dec. 19 / Winter Concerts / WCS Auditorium / 5:30 / 7:15 pm
Fri. Dec. 21 / Sterling Open House / 8:30-9:30
Holiday Break - Mon. Dec. 24 through Tues. Jan. 1
Fri. Jan. 4 / School Dance / 6:30-8:30 pm / WCS
Tues. Jan. 8 / Ski / Ride Cochran's program starts
Tues. Jan. 8 / CVSD Budget mtg / CVUHS rm. 160 / 6:00 pm
Wed. Jan. 9 / Four Winds training / WCS Community Rm. / 8:30 -10:30 am
Thurs. Jan. 10 / FAP mtg. / WCS Community Rm. / 8-10 am
Fri. Jan. 11 / Marko the Magician / WCS Auditorium / 6:30 pm
Mon. Jan. 21 / No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Tues. Jan. 22 / CVSD Board Budget Mtg. / WCS Community Rm. / 6-7 pm
Upcoming Events on the School Web CalendarDAML Programs
Click here to access the DAML web site listing of events.
Recreation & Parks Offerings
Community Events
Williston Schools
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