EWSD News
News for EWSD Families and Community Members
January 17, 2023
*Click anywhere in the document for a mobile-friendly view!
In This Issue ...
District Updates
- The EWSD is Hiring!
- Grades K-5 Progress Report Letter
- Senator Sanders Visits EWSD
- Birner Named Summit Principal
- Discover CTE
- EWSD Operations Appreciation Week
- SEL VT (VT Agency of Education Resource)
- New Website Provider
- Board Presentation - 2022 Equity Inventory Data
- EWSD Calendar of Inclusive Holidays & Recognition Days
EWSD in the News
Happenings
Upcoming Events/Resources
- Essex Has Talent
EWSD Social Media
Grades K-5 Progress Report Letter
When progress reports are completed later in January, you will be able to see how your child is progressing at this point in time on the grade-level essential standards in mathematics and literacy. These essential standards are the foundation for your child’s learning in these areas at their grade level. To view the full letter, click here.
Senator Sanders Visits EWSD
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the incoming chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions visited EHS and the CTE to hold a student town meeting last Thursday.
“Last year, I was lucky enough to hear from thousands of Vermont students all across our state,” said Sanders. “Every time, I am impressed by their insights and ideas about how we move forward in our communities, in our state, and in our country. To my mind, if we are to address the many crises we face, we must listen to young people and encourage them to engage in the political process.”
Senator Sanders also met with educators and took a tour of CTE during his visit.
Birner Named Summit Principal
Discover CTE
All students in grades 7-11 can sign up for a Discover CTE Session now! These sessions are a great way to visit CTE, meet instructors, and participate in a hands-on workshop in a program of interest. For more information, and to sign up for a workshop, click here.
EWSD Operations Appreciation Week
Our schools, students, and communities recognize the ongoing hard work of our Operations co-workers and the effort it takes to accomplish this and we celebrate them! For that, we are immensely grateful to everyone in the EWSD Operations including Child Nutrition, Transportation and Crossing Guards, Facilities and Safety, Accounting and Finance, Human Resources, and Technology Support teams.
SEL VT (VT Agency of Education Resource)
The Agency of Education offers this free virtual platform with materials for educators, parents, and students. The professionally-developed modules on the site are designed to assist teachers in understanding the key elements of healthy social and emotional learning (SEL) and the building of SEL skills.
The site includes links that can be provided directly to students, and it also has relevance for parents who may want to understand the lessons being covered in school and continue to reinforce learning at home. Students, parents, and educators can register at sel.education.vermont.gov.
New Website Provider
To help improve our communication efforts across the EWSD, later this year we will be changing our web provider from Blackboard to Apptegy. Apptegy is a national company that serves more than 2,500 clients in all 50 states and is solely focused on K-12 districts.
This is an exciting opportunity to help us provide you with a more user-friendly online experience and consistency across our schools!
The District is looking at switching over and going live starting on Monday, April 24. That is the first day of April break when fewer people will be interacting with our websites and it will give us a little buffer to work through the transition. We will provide more information as we get closer.
Board Presentation - 2022 Equity Inventory Data
You may view the materials and minutes from this Board meeting (including the Equity Inventory slide deck) here.
EWSD Calendar of Inclusive Holidays & Recognition Days
The Chinese New Year and Korean New Year take place on January 22, 2023, and brings the Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese zodiac. The sign of the Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture. Korean New Year, also known as “Seollal,” is a festival and national holiday taking place on the second new moon after the winter solstice.
January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp from Nazi rule, and it is the day on which International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed.
Throughout February, the following awareness months are recognized:
You can utilize the resources associated with each one of these events to talk about and reflect upon the holidays and recognition days/months with your children and families.
EWSD in the News
- ‘It doesn’t feel equitable:’ National school bussing issue leads to parents missing work and some children missing school in EWSD (Essex Reporter)
- Vermont superintendent gets behind wheel amid bus driver shortage (WCAX)
- Test results have Essex Westford School District looking to math audit (WCAX)
- EHS senior announced as one of Vermont’s 2023 Presidential Scholars (Essex Reporter)
- EWSD families shared potluck food and enjoyed live performances at the December Multilingual Family Event (Essex Reporter)
- Essex Middle School physical education teacher Matt Bristol honored with teaching award (Essex Reporter)
- Students at Westford Elementary participate in the Traveling Mural Project (Essex Reporter)
- CTE Forestry & Horticulture program helps perform wetland remediation at Pearl Street park (Essex Reporter)
- Snowplow Spotlight: Ice Claw and Snowbe Bryant (WCAX)
- Looking back on 2022: Essex and Essex Junction’s top photos of the year (Essex Reporter)
- Essex high school boys' basketball holds off South Burlington comeback, win 54-47 (My NBC5)
- Health center seeks to recruit new dental workers (WCAX)
- Hiawatha Elementary students learn about serving their community through their annual Hand-to-Hand sale (Essex Reporter)
- Essex Middle School teacher named district teacher of the year in national program (My NBC5)
- EHS Senior and student School Board representative receives coveted scholarship and trip (Essex Reporter)
Sen. Sanders heads to Essex HS to learn from students (WCAX)
Bernie Sanders hosts town meeting with students in Essex Junction (My NBC5)
At Essex High School forum, Sanders warns students about drug use (VT Digger)
Sanders visits Vermont high schools to hear from teens (My Champlain Valley)
Essex's Ray named Vermont's Gatorade volleyball player of the year (Burlington Free Press)
Happenings
EHS Alumni Panel
EMS Dodgeball
Field Trip Fun!
STEM Internship Exhibition
Representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo
AVPA Capstone Night
Upcoming Events/Resources
Essex Has Talent
EWSD Board Meeting
More information on the work of the EWSD Board, which includes, agendas, minutes, and meeting takeaways, can be found online.
Tuesday, Jan 17, 2023, 06:30 PM
EHS Library/Zoom/Facebook Live
Archived EWSD Newsletters
EWSD Social Media
About Us
Email: aboutwell@ewsd.org
Website: www.ewsd.org
Location: 58 Founders Road, Essex Junction, VT, USA
Phone: 802-878-8168
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essexwestford/
Twitter: @EssexWestford