The School Bell
Williston Schools / September 30, 2022
Keep reading to find out about:
A Message from the Williston Schools Leadership Team
by Greg Marino, Lead Principal
We all know intuitively that first and foremost our schools need to be a physically and emotionally safe environment so that staff and students can focus on the crucial work at hand of teaching and learning. In order for faculty, staff, and students to invest completely and without distraction in that teaching and learning, they must first believe that they are coming to a place each day where their body will be safe from harm. In Williston, like in any school, we can never take our safety for granted. With this premise at the core, the faculty and staff at the Williston Schools, in collaboration with local and state emergency responders, continue our work with the Williston School District Safety Committee.
Our safety committee consists of a diverse membership involving key staff representation from both ABS and WCS, including staff who have specialized roles or more flexible availability in the event of a crisis. Our Mission is to continuously improve the knowledge, skills, and preparedness related to personal and institutional safety, especially in the schools of Williston. We maintain a regular monthly meeting time to keep the important work moving forward, review feedback from recent emergency drills, study possible emergency scenarios and tighten relationships with first-responder partners in the community. We access expert consultation from a safety consultant contracted by the VT Agency of Education. We are so grateful for our community partners and would like to thank the Williston Fire Department, Williston Police Department, Vermont State Police, Williston Town Recreation Department, as well as the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, who all participate faithfully in this important work
There is, however, one key player missing on our team currently; a Williston Parent. The parent could be from either ABS or WCS but should be able to commit to attending regular meetings (usually on the second Wednesday of the month, from 8:15 - 9:30am. Your job on the committee would be to work alongside other team members to move our work forward and to provide a parent’s perspective and insight to discussions and decision making. If you are interested, please complete this very short form.
PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT: We know that an important part of developing any skill is to provide opportunities for practice. Last week, Williston families received this letter outlining some of these important practice opportunities. Please give the letter a read if you have not already done so. Though these practices were scheduled for last week, they were postponed due to some staffing challenges. We plan for them to take place in each of the schools later this week.
PARENT / CAREGIVER EXPECTATIONS IN AN EMERGENCY: What history has shown us about safety, and what the experts reinforce, is that it must be viewed as a shared responsibility. All members of a community need to be aware of the habits, routines, and choices we make each day that can impact safety in our own community. One key element to maintaining safety in an emergency situation is effective communication to families. This document spells out how you can help in the event of an emergency: “Parent Expectations During an Emergency”. Please let me know if you have any questions after reading this letter.
In terms of school safety, we will never be “done” improving our habits, routines, and procedures in order to help us be prepared and stay safe in different types of emergencies. In Williston, we take the responsibility of ongoing improvement in this area very seriously. On behalf of the Safety Committee, I thank you for your partnership in this work.
Safety Team Open House
This month the safety committee will be hosting an open house / meet and greet event. The purpose of the event is to provide the opportunity for parents / caregivers to meet the team, including our community partners, and learn more about our work. There will be coffee / tea and some light breakfast goodies. We hope to see some of you there in the WCS Community Room, 8:00 - 8:30am. All are welcome!
Wed, Oct 19, 2022, 08:00 AM
Williston Central School, Community Room
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
It's Picture Time!
Williston Central - Monday, October 3rd
Allen Brook School - Friday, October 7th
Online ordering is available for school photos at:
Event: WCS
Password: wcs322 (case sensitive)
Event: ABS
Password: abs322 (case sensitive)
Ready for Recess!
If you need help locating boots, jackets, etc. please reach out to your school's guidance office.
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.
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
<<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
Thanks for leafing out WCS library's Poet Tree!
It was wonderful seeing students and families in the library for WCS Open houses last week.
Many families colored a bookmark to take with them and wrote a short haiku poem to place on our Poet Tree.
In library exploratory classes this year, 3rd & 4th graders will hear more poetry and explore a few formats to write their own poems!
What do you envision for CVSD schools?
We want every member of our community to be included as we design CVSD's strategic plan for the next 5 years. You are invited to help identify our shared values and priorities. The upcoming Community Forums and the accompanying survey are the first steps in that direction. We invite you to join us at any of the Strategic Planning Community Forums and you may use this survey link to share your thoughts.
- October 13, 6:00 pm, CVSD Strategic Planning Community Forum, CVU
- October 15, 9:30 am, CVSD Strategic Planning Community Forum, WCS
- October 17, 9:00 am, CVSD Strategic Planning Community Forum, Pierson Library, Shelburne
We look forward to hearing from you!
Something to Smile About: Dental Screenings Available for Students in Kindergarten and Third Grade
This year our school was one of 32 schools chosen to take part in Vermont’s Children Dental Health Survey. Schools are chosen at random to represent the general population of our state, this is how the Health Department gets important data about the oral health of Vermont children. Here is the link to the last survey that was done so you can see how the information is used. Children in Kindergarten and Third Grade will have the opportunity to get an oral health screening by a dental hygienist; the results of the screening will be sent home to parents/guardians, and all participating students will get a dental health kit. The screening is limited to children in K and 3rd grade because the Health Department can get all the data they need by screening these two age groups. Good dental health is an important part of being healthy; we’re excited that our school was chosen to participate in this important activity!
If you do not want your child to take part in the survey, please contact your child’s school nurse.
If you want your child to take part in the survey, you don’t need to take any action.
WCS - Grade 3 - Wednesday 10/12 @ 9am
ABS - Kindergarten - Wednesday 10/19 @ 8:30am
Williston Central Nurses - Maria Kapetanovic, MSN, RN and Carol Albertelli, BSN, RN WCSnurse@cvsdvt.org
Allen Brook School Nurse - Sylvia Love, BSN, RN slove@cvsdvt.org
Survey Coming for Parents/Caregivers of Students in Grades 6-12
ParentIN CVSD is working with the Champlain Valley School District to better understand the perspectives and needs of parents and caregivers of tweens and teens in our district. Those with students in grades 6-12 will soon receive a survey via email.
Your honest opinions on the questions in the survey are appreciated. Your answers are completely anonymous and will not be used to identify individual respondents in any way.
Results will help us evaluate current programs and plan new ways to support youth and families in our area. If you have any questions about this survey, please reach out to Amy Sayre at asayre@cvsdvt.org or 802-482-6290.
Looking for Lunch & Recess Supervisors at WCS & ABS
Come and join our lunch and recess teams. Work with school staff to supervise and support students during lunch and recess times.
- 3 hours per day - up to 5 days/week
- $16 per hour
- no experience needed
- follows the school calendar
For WCS contact lneeld@cvsdvt.org and for ABS contact svarricchione@cvsdvt.org
Calling All Guest Teachers!
Visit our district website for more information about becoming a Substitute/Guest Teacher in our schools.
CVSD School Board
Information from your CVSD School Board here
Community Connections
Upcoming Youth Programs
Please Note: Children in 5th grade and up may use the library unattended, while those in grade 4 or younger must be supervised by a person over 16 years of age.
Hello from the Youth Department at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library! Please join us for a program soon! Visit www.damlvt.org or call us at 878-4918 for more information.
Preschool Story Time
Tuesdays, 10:30-11 a.m. Join Danielle for stories, songs, and rhymes.
Preschool Music & Preschool Playtime
Thursdays, 10:30-11 a.m. Sing and dance with Linda Bassick! Followed by preschool playtime on the patio from 11-11:30 a.m.
Teen Night: Dungeons and Dragons
Mondays, October 3, 17, and 24, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12+. Get ready for our first month-long campaign at the library!
Planetarium Visits*
Tuesday, October 11, multiple times and ages. Visit our website to sign up for your age group. Meet at the WCS gym and experience a travelling planetarium with stories and facts about the night sky! Registration required.
After School Movie
Wednesday, October 12, 2-4 p.m. Suggested ages 7+. Rated PG. This family is creepy and they’re spooky, mysterious and kooky!
LEGO Time
Thursday, October 13, 3-4 p.m. Build something new and exciting with the library’s LEGO collection!
Teen Night: Food for Thought
Thursday, October 13, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12+. Meet with teens and a librarian to help plan events and volunteer opportunities at the library. You bring the thoughts, we bring the food!
Teen Genre Book Club
Friday, October 14, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12+. Read any suspenseful or scary book and come discuss it with the group! Vote on December’s genre.
Mark Your Calendar!
Upcoming Events
10/03 - WCS School Pictures / Deyo & Laberge Classes to Chapin Orchards
10/04 - Dyer & Read to Chapin Orchards
10/05 - NO SCHOOL, Yom Kippur & Dashian
10/07 - ABS School Pictures
10/10 - NO SCHOOL, Indigenous People's Day
10/11 - NO SCHOOL, Parent Conferences
10/12 - Grade 3 Dental Screenings / CVSD DEI Virtual Town Hall @ 6:30pm
10/13 - CVSD Strategic Planning Community Forum at CVU @ 6pm
10/15 - CVSD Strategic Planning Community Forum at WCS @ 9:30am
10/17 - CVSD Strategic Planning Community Forum at Pierson Library, Shelburne @ 9am
10/19 - Kindergarten Dental Screenings
10/20 - CVSD School Board Meeting @ 6:00 pm
10/27 - Kaleidoscope to VT Statehouse
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.