The School Bell
Williston Schools / Happy New Year
A Message from the Williston Schools Leadership Team
Co-Authored by Angela Filion, Allen Brook School Principal and Nicole Pfende, Social Emotion Learning
Social Emotional Support at ABS
We’ve made it to our first winter break, time to take a breath, spend time unwinding and gearing up for the start of a new year. When we come back to school in January, teachers may take some time to reestablish routines and norms, and will work on reintegrating students back into the school schedule and expectations. While this can be a fairly easy and seamless transition for some, other students (and adults) may struggle getting back into the school routine.
It is important for all of us at Allen Brook to accept students and meet them where they are at. What this means, is that some of our students are working on academic areas, while others are working on Social, Emotional and Behavioral areas. We would never remove a student out of class because they didn’t know their math, likewise, we work to keep students who are struggling behaviorally in the class, providing support and encouragement to work through their struggles. Of course, there are times when students need to take a break outside of the class. During this time, they receive support and processing which includes opportunities to restore any harm that may have been caused.
At ABS we work extremely hard to protect student’s privacy, and integrity. There are times where classrooms may be cleared, to remove the audience and keep others safe. There are other times where a student may walk out of a classroom yelling threats and swears. Sometimes students leave class without permission and run around the hallways. Some students make noises, cry loudly, or climb tables/chairs. Whatever may be the external behavior we are seeing or hearing, what we know is that students are doing what they think is the BEST choice for them at that moment.
We are very fortunate to have an amazing team of social emotional supports at ABS and we work proactively to support the various needs our young students may be presenting. All teachers use Second Step(a standards based SEL program) to teach explicit lessons in the classroom weekly. Students can access a variety of incentive plans that are tailored to their interests and individual needs. We offer small groups to practice prosocial skills, lunch bunch groups with our school counselor, restorative circles, we have two trained therapy dogs, provide lots of positive reinforcement and of course, lots of TLC!
If your child comes home and tells you something happened at school with a peer, here are a few questions you could ask/say: Tell me more about that, Did you let an adult know? If yes, what happened after that? If no, how come and who can you talk to in the future? Were you able to have time to talk with the student? What can you do differently if this happens again? As always, we are here to support all students to be the best version of themselves. Please reach out should you have any questions or concerns. We wish you a much needed break with lots of cuddles with family and friends! See you in the New year! -Angela and Nicole
Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming Events
1/3/23 - Welcome Back
01/11 - 4 Winds Training, 8:30 am, WCS Community Room
01/12 - Families as Partners January Meeting, WCS Community Room 8:30 - 10:30
Recess Gear Reminder
All grades will go outside for recess year round unless it is pouring rain, thunder and lightening or below zero.
Now that Winter has arrived, please make sure your student(s) has the following each day:
* Warm Jacket * Snow pants (optional for Middle School) * Mittens or Gloves * Hat or Hood * Snow Boots
If you need help locating Winter gear please contact your school guidance counselor.
SPARK Enrichment After School Session 3
We are excited to offer your child an opportunity to participate in Spark Enrichment, an after-school applied learning program for students in grades 5-8. Sessions will run for 5 weeks from 2:50 p.m - 4:20 p.m. with our 3rd session starting January 12th and ending February 9th. These small group classes will be facilitated by school faculty and staff. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that can be found on the link below. Students and caregivers will receive an email (using the email given on the form) informing them of the assigned workshop on Monday or Tuesday of the week that workshops begin. In order to take full advantage of this learning opportunity, students will need to make a commitment to attend all five Thursdays. If your child decides to not take part in this session after having registered please contact Julie Rogers so that others may fill the spot. The after-school activity bus will provide transportation home for students in need of a ride home.
The dates of the session are: January 12, 19, 26, February 2, and 9. When registering, students will be able to rank their choices for better placement! Students will be placed on a first come first serve basis. Please use this registration form and a listing of workshop descriptions. Contact Julie Rogers (jrogers@cvsdvt.org) with any questions.
CVSD Early Education Programs News
Preschool Lottery is now open for 2023-2024!
The CVSD Early Education Program is now accepting applications for a random preschool
lottery drawing for the 2023-24 school year. This lottery is for an opportunity to enroll in one of
our school-based classrooms which run 10 hours per week. Our school-based preschool
classrooms are 5 STARs, licensed early education programs that provide play-based,
developmentally appropriate environments for all children in an inclusive setting. Our
curriculum is based on the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS).
Our programs follow the CVSD school calendar. Children who will be age 3 or older by
September 1, 2023, who have not enrolled in kindergarten, and live in the communities of
Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston are eligible to enter the lottery.
Families who are selected for the lottery and choose to enroll their child in a CVSD program
access their Act 166 publicly funded pre kindergarten funds for the school-based program.
All applications must be received by February 3, 2023, and are located on the CVSD Early
Education website under 2023-2024 Preschool Lottery . Paper applications are available upon
request.
For additional information, questions about our program, or any concerns about your child’s
development, please visit our website or contact Director of Early Education, Erin Gagne at
egagne@cvsdvt.org. Our Early Education team is also available for developmental screenings in
the areas of communication, social-emotional development, motor skills, adaptive development,
and cognition.
🚍 Afternoon Bus Route Changes - Bus B and Bus C - as of Monday Dec 12th 🚍
Due to higher than anticipated ridership on Bus B, beginning on Monday 12/12, Pinecrest Village/Timothy Way will be moving to Bus C after school. The morning routes will remain the same.
This change will include: Cedar Ln, Rita Rd, Abby Rd, Balsam Cir, and Timothy Way.
Full Bus Details can be found online HERE
CVSD invites all community members to learn about and join in on the budget development process by attending upcoming School Board meetings. All members of the CVSD community are always welcome to attend Board meetings. See the topics and schedule in the image above and on the Budget page of the district's website. https://www.cvsdvt.org/budget
Links to join the virtual meetings will be available on that page and on the website calendar. We will also post the presentations on the Budget page afterward for those that cannot attend.
Food Service Substitutes Needed
We are looking for a few people to help out in the kitchen preparing and serving meals for our CVSD students and adults. No experience needed, we will train. Flexible hours. Fast paced and fun. Please contact Scott Wagner (swagner@cvsdvt.org) if interested. We would really appreciate your help making sure our customers get the best food and service we can possibly provide.
Support Our Schools - Box Tops for Education
Bus Information
Hill Closings Locations - Buses are not able to travel certain roads during inclement weather and will meet at the intersection
Williston Schools Food Service
Williston Schools Safety Team
Click HERE for meeting highlights and updates
Four Winds Nature Institute
This year's theme is Cycles in Nature
September - Insect Life Cycles
October - Traveling Seeds
November - Birds on a Wing
January - Winter Ways
February - Galls Galore
March - Trees in Winter
April - Songbird Songs
May - Dandelions
Training Schedule 22-23
Trainings held at the WCS Community Room, 8:30 - 10:30
■ Wednesday, January 11th
■ Wednesday, February 8th
■ Wednesday, March 8th
■ Wednesday, April 12th
■ Wednesday, May 10th
Contact Four Winds
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please contact: wsdfourwinds@cvsdvt.org.
Families as Partners
Basket Raffle is Back - April 15, 2023
We are looking for committee members to participate in organizing this wonderful event! Please contact Emily Downing Ponce at emilydowningponce@gmail.com if you’re interested. First meeting will take place in January.
- Connect to your child's school and enrich the experiences it offers all 1000+ PreK-8th grade students by joining the volunteers of the Williston Schools Families As Partners Organization!
- Be a part of this collaborative partnership whose focus is to enhance and support students, teachers and the community by providing materials, programs, field trips, guest artists, guest educators and innovative learning opportunities.
- Help elevate the potential for motivating, happy, healthy, and productive lifelong learners.
- For more information contact: willistonfap@cvsdvt.org
Arrival and Dismissal
Allen Brook School day begins at 7:50 am
Williston Central School day begins at 8:00 am
- To ensure all students are accounted for, everyone arriving after these times will be marked tardy and must stop at the office for a late pass.
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.
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.
Wednesday: Early Dismissal!
ABS @1:35 - WCS @1:45
Student May Not Ride Another Bus
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.
Sign Up to Receive SMS/Text Messages!
Please enroll to receive text messages from the district and our school. If you haven't done this yet or if you are new to CVSD, follow the easy steps on this flyer. We don't overuse this method of communication, but it is helpful for reminders and quick announcements. Don't miss out!
CVSD School Board
Information from your CVSD School Board here
Community Connections
Information in 1-Click
Family Resources
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.