THE SCHOOL BELL
Williston Schools /April 3, 2019
Notes, Thoughts, and Inspirations
by Angela Filion
As I look at this beautiful mural that is now hanging in our cafeteria I am reminded of how much time, effort, and collaboration it took to create this masterpiece! Thanks to our art teacher Sarah Beeken, our artist in residence Sally Duback, her son/parent Andy Duback, endless amounts of donations from the community, the FAP, our maintenance staff, and of course our students for making this possible! If you haven't had a chance to see it up close please stop by and check it out. Another masterpiece that comes together each spring is that of the placement process as we transition our students to the next step in their educational career. We have a building council that meets regularly with representatives from each team across our school to brainstorm, problem solve, and collaborate on a wide variety of topics. We decided to work on the vision of our placement process and the role that every stakeholder plays in this process. As a building council we felt it would be important to share this important work with you. Our purpose statement is: “The purpose of the placement process is to create classroom communities that are balanced, diverse, and positive for all students”. In order to achieve this vision teachers should have clarity about their role in the process, that they can follow, and which allows trust in our ability to keep the greater good for students in mind. Parents and Guardians should communicate a sense of their child’s well-being on the placement forms that we recently sent home and also trust the school’s placement process. Students should feel prepared for the upcoming transitions, be aware of new structures, practice their flexibility and social skills, and can express their feelings about the process. Administration should demonstrate consistency in their implementation of the placement process, be responsive to input and have awareness of the whole student body. We believe that we approach the placement process with good intentions, using clear and collaborative processes & communication for all involved parties within the school. We encourage you to use the placement forms to provide input to the placement team. As you can imagine creating this "masterpiece" of balanced and diverse classrooms is a very time consuming and thoughtful process. We appreciate you trusting and respecting our vision and look forward to helping your child/children transition to the next step in their educational journey!
Camp Rock !
WCS Drama Club is pleased to announce the upcoming presentation of Camp Rock!
Performances Friday April 5th at 7pm
Saturday April 6th at 2pm and 7pm
Tickets available through http://willistoncentral.seatyourself.biz
Enjoy the Show!!
2019-2020 Placement Input
Input deadline is Friday, April 12 for Kindergarten & grade 2; deadline for grade 4 is April 19.
More information and links to the input forms are available from the following:
Information for Kindergarten families
Help Needed with Basket Raffle
Creating beautiful baskets for the raffle, setting up and decorating, selling raffle tickets, making a food item for guests to enjoy – all of these are opportunities that are available between Friday, April 5th and Saturday, April 13th.
We depend on you to help us with one of the largest community fundraisers.
Please check out this SIGN UP LINK for information on how you can help with the Big Basket Raffle and Silent Auction, as it takes the support of many.
Classroom baskets are now in place for family donations. Here is the LINK to the list of all basket themes.
Baskets are only in classrooms until April 5th!!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 13th for the Big Basket Raffle and Silent Auction fundraiser – an event for grown ups only. If you have children in grades K-5th there is a Fun Night that same evening at WCS with Swift House!
Planning Committee Members: Rebecca Ashford, Karen Boutin, Emily Downing Ponce, Mary Jo DuBois, Sheri Gates, Stacie Morris, Julia Nesbit, Pam Niarchos, Kristin Patten, Lyn Porter, Christina Sicard, Brooke Thomas, Shani Varricchione, Michael Wayman
Any questions, please email
Substance Use & Prevention Forum
April 10
6-8:30 pm
Williston Central School
The Town of Williston is hosting a substance use and prevention forum with a focus on our community's youth. This will be the first in what is hoped to be an ongoing dialogue about the brain chemistry of addiction and strategies for prevention. Please sign up here:
Williston Community Substance Use and Prevention Forum
The forum will include the latest data from Christine Johnson, the Executive Director of the Chittenden County Opioid Alliance, new educational videos, break out group discussions and a facilitated full group discussion.
Dinner Provided: Come at 6 PM for a free meal and to network with members of our community before the main program starts at 6:30 PM.
Child Care Available: Please reserve ahead of time by contacting Erik Wells at ewells@willistonvt.org or 876-1168.
Sponsored By: The Town of Williston, Champlain Valley School District, Williston/Richmond Rotary Club, Chittenden County Opioid Alliance and the Williston Observer
FAP Speaker Series Presents Appreciative Parenting
Wednesday, April 17th from 6:30-8pm
WCS Communy Room
This is a date change from April 9th, same time.
Intro to Appreciative Parenting
Join us for this interactive session where we will begin to explore your personal character strengths and how you can leverage them as a parent. We will also discuss key questions to help identify and develop your child’s individual strengths and help you both have a conversation worth having.
Shelly Masson Bio: Shelly is currently part of the faculty of practice at the David Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry at Champlain College and also teaches in the Positive Organizational Development certificate program. She has been working with the concepts of Appreciative Inquiry and Parenting for the past 7 years.
Nicole Morris Bio: Nicole has been a faculty member at the Stiller School of Business at Champlain College, teaching in disciplines of accounting and management, for the last decade. Nicole holds a Appreciative Inquiry Certificate in Positive Business and Society Change from Case Western University and has taught Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry.
“Dining for a Cause” at Grazers
Thursday, April 18th, Open to Close
Grazers Restaurant in Maple Tree Place is generously donating
10% of all sales (including take-out)
towards the WCS student trip to Washington, D.C.
This end of year trip provides an educational opportunity outside the traditional school environment and complements our academic curriculum. Please help support our students!
DAML Art Show
Congratulations to the following Allen Brook and Williston Central School students who have art on exhibit at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library through the month of April:
Clothing Donations Needed
Please donate clean unwanted clothing. A collection box is located in the WCS front lobby. Donations will be used to make blankets for COTS as a part of Swift House Sustainability Action Project. Any clothing that is not used for blankets will be donated to COTS..
Any questions, please contact Debbie Donnelly @ ddonnelly@cvsdvt.org
Thank you,
Samantha, Jasmine, Mitchell, Grace, Allison, Sally
Going Home Sick
We have had some incidents when students who report being sick go home bypassing the Health Office either calling home from the classroom or texting/calling from their cell phones. We also see increased absenteeism. We just want to remind you of our school procedure for going home sick.
If a student is feeling sick in school, they need to see the nurse. If students want to call parents and go home, this has to be done from the Health Office. They cannot be using their cell phones to arrange to be picked up without the nurse knowing.
If students are going home sick, they will be asked to present a pink Nurse’s pass that indicates that they have permission from the Health Office to go home. If they don't have a pass, the front office will send them to the nurse to obtain the pass even if parents are already waiting for them at the front office. Parents can walk with the students to the nurse together.
Thank you for your support and understanding and please reach out to us if you have any questions. Nurse Maria and Nurse Carol
Maria Kapetanovic, RN, BSN, MSN/Ed
ph: 871-6170
fax: 871-6101
Carol Albertelli, RN, BSN
ph: 871-6171
fax: 871-6101
Upcoming Concerts
Stage Band at CVSD Jazz Fest - Monday, 5/13 at &:00 pm at CVU
(6:00 call for 8th graders, 6:30 call for 6th-7th graders)
Grades 5 and 6- Wed, 5/22 at 5:30 pm (5:00 call)
Grades 7 and 8- Wed, 5/22 at 7:15 pm (6:45 call)
Beginner Band Thursday, 6/6 at 6 pm (5:30 call)
Kids Heart Challenge - NEW!
The Jump Rope for Heart has changed. There is no longer a Jump Rope for Heart Event. There is a new event called Kids Heart Challenge. This event is similar in Fundraising. This is an event to support the American Heart Association. We will be piloting this event this year at Allen Brook School with the first and second graders. The purpose of this event is to teach children about their own heart health while helping raise money to help others who have heart or stroke issues. The money raised goes to research, education and support for people dealing with cardiovascular issues. The event will take place during the regular PE time for all students. If all students combined raise $7,500, both Mr. King and Ms. Porter will take a pie to the face. If the students raise over $10,000 Ms. Porter will dye her hair purple. There will be additional heart healthy activities leading up to the May 2nd and May 3rd Kids Heart Challenge Day.
If you would like your child to participate in the fundraising to support the American Heart Association they will need to bring back this permission slip. Once your child has turned in the permission slip he/she will be given a collection envelope. Once they receive their envelope they may begin collecting. There is also information on how to create an online account. The online account is a secure account just for your child through the American Heart Association. People can donate through the online account with a credit card. This has worked well in the past. If you do the online donation we will need a printed copy of the summary page.
Job Opportunity at Allen Brook School
Allen Brook School is seeking an energetic, child-centered adult to assist with supervision to our elementary students during lunch and recess. We are looking for candidates who love to work as part of a team, will provide positive reinforcement and redirection, and follow established protocols to keep children safe. This position is Monday through Friday 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM when school is in session.
Interested candidates should submit an application or contact Cindy Pavlik, cpavlik@cvsdvt.org, 871-6203.
Girls Science Discovery at the UVM College of Medicine
The University of Vermont College of Medicine’s Chapter of the American Women’s Medical Association will be hosting their annual Girls’ Science Discovery Day on Saturday, May 11th, 2019 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the UVM College of Medicine in Burlington, VT. Williston Central School has been invited to bring three seventh or eighth grade girls to the event.
The day consists of a keynote address, interactive workshops run by faculty and medical students, and an ice cream social. Workshops from previous years have included learning about the immune system, medical imaging, and anatomy. Activities have included viewing human organs, casting an arm and drawing blood from a dummy. For more information, click here.
Any girls interested in attending should complete the Google Survey found here before 3:00 pm on Thursday, April 5th. Further questions can be directed to Amy Skapof at askapof@cvsdvt.org. If we have more than three interested and enthusiastic candidates we will draw names on Friday, April 5th. Those chosen to attend will be contacted by April 8th with more details.
8th Grade Challenge
Hi my name is Isabella Nash and I am doing my 8th grade challenge on premature birth since I was born 4 months early. .As part of my project, I am doing a fundraiser for March of Dimes. Please use the link to donate to March of Dimes. Your donations can help create more medical advances to help keep premature babies alive. Thank you so much.
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
Please make payment checks out to 'CVSD - ABS' or 'CVSD-WCS'
Monthly Fitness Fun
More Links, More information
Upcoming Events
April 3-5 / Incoming Kind. Meet & Greets / ABS / am & pm sessions
Fri. April 5 / Camp Rock / WCS Auditorium / 7 pm
Sat. April 6 / Camp Rock / WCS Auditorium / 2 pm & 7 pm
Tues. April 9 / 4th gr. Parent Mtg. / WCS Auditorium / 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Wed. April 10 / Four Winds/ WCS Community Rm / 8:30-10:30 am
Thurs. April 11 / FAP / WCS Community Rm / 8-10 am
Sat. April 13 / Big Basket Raffle & Fun Night / WCS / 6-8 pm
Tues. April 16 / CVSD School Board Mtg. / CVUHS rm. 160 / 6 pm
Wed. April 17 / Synergy Family Event / 5:30 - 7 pm
Tues. April 17 / FAP Speaker Series / WCS Community Rm. / 6:30 - 8 pm
Thurs. April 18 / Horizon Reading Restaurant / 6 - 8 pm
April 22-26 NO SCHOOL
Fri. May 3 / School Dance / WCS / 6:30-8:30 pm
Thurs. May 9 / FAP Mtg. / WCS Community Rm / 8-10 am
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
Dorothy Alling Library Show
Congratulations to the following Allen Brook and Williston Central School students who have art on exhibit at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library through the month of April: