THE SCHOOL BELL
Williston Schools /November 28, 2018
Tradition
By Sarah Crum, Director of Student Services
Someone asked me the other day if my family celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving. Certainly enjoying good food and time with family and friends is part of our family tradition. It made me reflect on what that idea of “traditional” might mean. The word tradition is derived from Latin roots: trans = across and dare = give. Merriam Webster defines it as ”the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction; cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions”. In many ways, our experience at school is tradition magnified.
Traditions provide us with two vital things: shared experiences and a sense of belonging. We share field trips and classroom routines, favorite books, and silly songs. We learn what it means to share a story and listen to a friend. We learn about our place at school, in our town, in our state and country and in the bigger world around us. We talk about the things that matter to us and think about how we can help others with things that matter to them. We explore music, art, languages, family and consumer sciences, and tech ed as we search for our passions. We take pride in our mascot and cheer for our sports teams. We learn to communicate, to problem solve, to hypothesize, and to analyze. Through all these shared experiences, we develop both a sense of who we are as individuals and how we fit in to the larger community.
Many of these school traditions will become the most beloved and cherished memories, the stories we told about our own school experiences and the stories our children will tell. And even if how we teach math changes or there is a different method for memorizing spelling rules, the traditions that make school the place we know and love will keep “giving across” the generations.
I hope this holiday season brings you good food, shared experiences with loved ones, and a little time to pause and enjoy your own traditions.
Here are some of our school traditions:
WCS School Musical - long tradition of Drama program at WCS
Student vs. Faculty Basketball game
Friday Morning Sing-A-Long at ABS
ABS Stone Soup/WCS Garden Harvest Celebration
WCS Theme Week-led by Essential Arts team
Varietones/Band Holiday Caroling at local Retirement Centers/Annual Rotary Breakfast
Last day of school Student send off
ABS Arbor Day
Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser for the American Heart Association
WCS 3rd & 4th grade Dance-A-Rama led by P.E.
Fun Day - led by P.E.
Staff Holiday Sing along at ABS/WCS day before Winter break
John Churchman to Visit ABS Dec. 6
John will be signing books after his presentation. Phoenix Books is offering our school a 20% discount.Take advantage of this offer and order a book, or books, for your child. Autographed books make great gifts! Please make checks payable to Allen Brook School.
Payment and order form are due back to school by Friday November 30th.
CAMP ROCK Information Meeting
On Monday, December 10 at 6:30pm come find out about the spring musical “CAMP ROCK”. The meeting will take place in the auditorium and will answer your questions on auditions, stage crew, stage managers and the show in general.
Students in grades 6-8 can audition for the play. Students in grades 5-8 can be part of stage crew. The stage crew builds and paints the sets and helps run the show during production week.
There will be a workshops for the auditions on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 11th and 12th after school till 4:30. Come learn the music, dance and practice the readings to prepare for the auditions in January after the break. Auditions will take place January 7-11. Rehearsals will start January 14th. “CAMP ROCK” will run April 5-6, 2019!
“CAMP ROCK” is looking for Stage Managers
Are you interested in becoming a stage manager for the spring musical? Are you free after school?
Stage managers must be available for after school rehearsals and have no commitments the time around the show, April 1-6. The stage managers will take attendance, take blocking notes from the director, keep track of props needed and how they are used, help run music for dance and fill in for actors who are absent at rehearsals.
We are looking for a total of 3 stage managers usually in grades 7-8. If you are interested, get a form from the drama board outside the theater and return it completed to the drama mailbox in the main office by December 14th. You will need to have your core teacher and a parent sign off on the form.
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Simons (Rylant) at 310-5900 or crylant@cvsdvt.org.
Swift House Bottle Drive
Saturday, December 1st
9:00 am-12:30 pm
Please save bottles and cans
We will be collecting in many Williston neighborhoods!
All proceeds benefit the Washington, DC trip
Pleasant Acres, Maple Tree Place, Brennan Woods, Lefebvre Lane, Southridge, Meadow Run, Talcott Rd, Seth Cir., Isham Dr, Katie Ln, Ledgewood Dr., Chelsea Place, Southfield Dr., Wildflower Cir., Oak Knoll Rd., Nob Hill, Porterwood, Golf Links, River Cove Rd, Palmer Court, Shady Ln., Shirley Cir., Twitchell Ct., Terry Ln, Hillside Dr., Sundown Dr.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.
Thank you to our Transportation Department!
School Buses and hills when roads are difficult
On the occasions it is determined a Williston school bus will not be driving on a hill* road during the morning pick up, we hope to be able to contact families early enough for you to get students to a stop at the start of the hill to catch the bus. When the hills are closed for the morning bus runs, the preschool bus will also avoid hills.
Alternatively, during the afternoon bus runs, we will contact families to advise you that the bus will need to drop children off at the start of the hill, and you can meet the bus there if necessary. If no one arrives to meet younger students, they will be brought back to school until arrangements are made for them to be picked up. Please talk with your bus drivers to let them know if you are comfortable letting your child walk home from the drop off location.
We will use the Connect 5 automated calling system to send a voice message to families on the hill roads.
*These are the hill roads: Butternut, Highlands, Porterwood, Oak Knoll, Rabbits Run, Evergreen, Fortier, Douglas, Yantz Hill, lower River Cove, Meadow Ridge, Ledgewood, Bayberry, Terrace, Jasmine, Wild Ginger, French Hill**, Sunrise Drive**, Sunset.
**Students who live on or off Rt. 2 beyond the 4-way intersection at the Federated Church should be picked up from school, as the bus will not drive toward French Hill in bad weather.
Submit Hannaford Helps Schools $ by Dec. 8
Thank you from Hannaford Helps Schools 2018!
With just a couple weeks to go, we wanted to remind yo that school dollars MUST be turned in to stores by Saturday, December 8, 2018. Thanks for helping to earn money for our schools!
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!
Williston Schools Wildcat food service program
Welcome to the Williston Schools Wildcat food service program. Enrollment is automatic for all students to access the meal program or use their lunch account. Accounts are created when students enroll.
New students at ABS are issued a meal card that will stay in the kitchen and cafeteria for their use during meal service time. Students find their cards in the card pouches hanging on the cafeteria wall. They hand their card to the cashier to purchase a milk, breakfast, or lunch.
WCS students come to the cash register with their meal and give their last name and first name to the cashier. At both schools we will confirm the identity of the student verbally or by looking at the picture on the screen.
read more about
Adding restrictions to account use
Scott Wagner, Food Service Director
swagner@cvsdvt.org 871-6198
Yearbooks
Order your student a yearbook before they run out!
Order at www.jostens.com
Contact ABeauregard@cvsdvt.org with questions.
ABS Start time
Students arriving after 8:10 am should check in the office and pick up a late pass. They are considered tardy, and their arrival time will be recorded.
Supervision is provided in the cafeteria for students arriving between 7:30 and 7:45 am.
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
Sat. Dec. 1 / Swift Bottle Drive / 9 am to noon
Tues. Dec. 4 / CVSD Budget Board Mtg. / 6:00 pm / CVUHS Rm. 160
Tues. Dec. 4 / Ski Ride info meeting / 6 pm / WCS Community Room
Thurs. Dec. 13 / FAP / 8-10 am / WCS Community Room
Wed. Dec. 19 / Winter Concerts
Fri. Dec. 21 / Sterling Open House / 8:30-9:30
Holiday Break - Mon. Dec. 24 through Tues. Jan. 1
Fri. Jan. 4 / School Dance
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