Calais Cougar Chronicle
March 21, 2024
Chat with Ms. Cat
Hello Calais Cougars,
I have spent the last week thinking about what brings our community together. I spent some time at two different events last Friday night between the Friends of Calais' sponsored Spaghetti Dinner and Raffle followed by the U32 Girls and Boys Alumni basketball games. These events brought out community members across all five of our towns - and from all ages! This week has been filled with family conferences and my involvement in the Superintendent Search and Interview Committee has kept me busy thinking about the future of our school district. I'm also excited about the U32 Spring Craft Fair coming this Saturday, weather permitting. When you find yourself in a time of budget challenges, and we do, it's even more critical to pause and reflect on the things that bring this strong community together.
If I haven't seen you this week, I hope to see you tomorrow during our final day of conferences.
Enjoy your long weekend,
Ms. Cat, CES principal
Important Dates
3/21 - Fiber Friends at the Calais Town Hall
3/22 - Family Conferences - No school for students
3/23 - U32 Spring Craft Fair
3/23 - Berlin Elementary Craft Fair
3/25 - The Calais Selectboard will be appointing and reappointing volunteer positions
3/27 - Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery
3/28 - Nurturing Fathers Program
3/28 - Nurturing Skills for Families
3/29 - "Unspoken Word" performed by Stage 32
4/2 - Strengthening Families Program for Families with Teens
4/2 - Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery
4/7 - Music and Storytelling Show
4/8 - Solar Eclipse - No school for students
4/11 - Friends of Calais meeting
5/15 - Pre-K play-based introduction and screening
WCUUSD Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration
Information, Registration, Introductions, and Screening
The Washington Central Unified Union School District registration process is available and open online for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Pre-K and K registration process must be completed for students who are attending our public school programs and students who are attending private, pre-qualified programs through Act 166 in 2024-2025.
Registration for Pre-K 3 is for students who are 3-years-old on or before September 1, 2024. Pre-K 4 is for students who are 4- or 5-years old (5-years old and not enrolled in Kindergarten) on or before September 1, 2024 from towns of Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex and Worcester.
Kindergarten is for children who turn age 5 on or before September 1, 2024. If you have not recently moved in to our district and your child already attends public Pre-K, they are already registered for Kindergarten in our district.
Please go to the our website at www.wcuusd.org and follow the directions after clicking the icon titled “Online Registration” located under the slides on the right hand side of our website or you will find more information under the “Pre-K Information” in the same area.
If registering for public Pre-K in your local elementary school, it is strongly suggested that families complete the online registration process by 3/29/2024 if possible. We will begin offering placements to students in the late spring. For Pre-K placements 4 year olds are given priority until the 3/29/24 date and then students are placed on a first-come-first-served basis, space is limited. If necessary, we will create a waitlist and will offer spots in our public Pre-K programs, also on a first come, first served basis. All registration paperwork must be completed before a placement will be offered.
WCUUSD offers childcare options through Community Connections in order to increase access to public Pre-K programs.
Please contact Kim Bolduc, Coordinator of Early Education and Expanded Learning Opportunities at Kbolduc@u32.org or 223-7936 ext. 305 if you have any questions regarding Pre-Kindergarten, Act 166, or Community Connections before or after care options.
We will be offering Pre-K play-based Introduction and Screening opportunities for each school as follows:
Berlin: Monday, March 25th & April 1st call 802/223-2796
Calais: Wednesday, May 15th call 802/454-1111
East Montpelier: Monday, April 15th call 802/223-7936
Rumney/Doty (Middlesex): Monday, May 20th call 802/223-5429 or 802/223-5656
Doty/Rumney (Worcester): Monday, May 20th call 802/223-5656 or 802/223-5429
Should you have any concerns about your child’s development, please contact our Special Education Teachers Bess Powers and Dawn Bates at bpowers@u32.org or dbates@u32.org or call 802/223-2796.
Students of the Week
Astrid, Cole, Clara
Pictures from the Spaghetti Dinner & Raffle
Pictures from the U32 Girls and Boys Alumni Basketball Games
Pictures from this week at school
Community
Montpelier Food Pantry
The Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am to noon. Click here for more information.
Family Support Programs
Free online Parent Education Programs to any parent/caregiver in Vermont who wants support and/or to learn new parenting skills.
Do you or someone you know want to learn more about the programs we offer? Visit our website at: www.pcavt.org/family-support-programs, email us at familysupport@pcavt.org or call 1-800-CHILDREN
Nurturing Parenting®, Strengthening Families Programs & Circle of Parents® Curriculum-based, parenting education programs for families experiencing stress. Upcoming Parent Education Programs: All programs are offered virtually and FREE! Programs are 2 hours per week for 12-18 weeks Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery starting March 27th, Wednesdays 5pm starting March 28th, Thursdays 12pm Nurturing Skills™ for Families - starting March 28th, Thursdays 1pm Strengthening Families Program for Families with Teens starting April 2, Tuesdays 9am Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery starting April 2nd, Tuesdays 5pm Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery starting April 16th, Tuesdays 9am Nurturing Skills™ for Families - starting April 16, Tuesdays 11am Nurturing Skills™ for Families - starting April 17th, Wednesdays 1pm Nurturing Skills™ for Families - starting April 17th, Wednesdays 5:30pm Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery starting April 18th, Thursdays 9:30am IN PERSON TPC Barre Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery starting April 22nd, Mondays 12pm Strengthening Families Program Birth-3 starting May 1, Wednesdays 6:30pm starting May 13, Mondays 5pm Nurturing Skills™ for Families - starting May 21, Tuesdays 5pm Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery starting May 27, Mondays 11am Upcoming Circle of Parents Support Groups: Circle of Parents® is a network of professionally facilitated, peer-led, self-help support groups for using a strengths-based approach and a shared leadership model. All Circles are offered virtually and FREE! Circles meet weekly for 60-90 minutes and are ongoing *Participants may join anytime Circle of Parents/Children with Special Needs Mondays 12pm Mondays 5:30pm Circle of Parents/Open to all Parents Wednesdays 9am Wednesdays 12pm Circle of Parents/Children 0-5 Wednesdays 530pm Wednesday 630pm Thursdays 515pm Reach out to familysupport@pcavt.org for more information