The School Bell

A Message from the Principal - Williston Families as Partners - Grazers Swift Fundraiser - ABS Sweatshirts and T-Shirts - Budget Development Meetings - CVU Play - Play Therapy Center Open House - and more...

by Jacqueline Parks, Williston Central School Principal

“Since the start of the pandemic, teachers across the country have retired early or quit for other professions, exacerbating a long-standing substitute and teacher shortage. Now increased absences have pushed the situation to a breaking point: There simply aren’t enough substitutes.” The Atlantic Jan. 2022

“Ongoing substitute teacher shortages affect schools’ ability to function.”

DC Policy July 2022

“Substitute Teacher Shortage Causes More School Disruptions”

National Education Association October 2021

The headlines appearing in publications across the nation are painting an accurate picture of what our local schools, including Allen Brook and Williston Central, are facing on a daily basis. Despite ongoing creative recruitment efforts, we simply do not have a sufficient pool of substitute teachers and this is impacting the system in a variety of ways.

Problem-solving the daily dilemma of covering our classrooms takes a substantial amount of time for school leaders even with our amazing secretarial staff going through their standard coverage procedures first. Ultimately, decisions need to be made as to who we reassign to cover our classrooms. Unfortunately, this often means that our intervention teachers are covering classroom openings and their intervention services are put on hold. Beyond a disruption to intervention services, other teachers and support staff are filling in when they have time in their schedules, which ultimately means the work they were planning to do doesn’t get done or gets done well into the evening from home.

Our system is being stretched thin and the stress in our building is felt by everyone. We had hoped that this school year would have a more normal flow with the pandemic in the rear window. However, as many of us have experienced, a variety of illnesses have impacted our students, families, and staff since the start of the school year. Of course, we still want students and staff to stay home when they are sick to take care of their health and prevent the spread of illness. Additionally, Covid-19 is also still having an impact on our lives. Each time a staff member comes down with Covid, they are in quarantine for 5-days which increases our need for substitutes.

Mr. Marino shared about this issue at the latest FAPAC meeting in hopes to increase the awareness within our parent community. The school has also had recruitment tables at our School Open House events. In spotlighting this issue, our hope is that more parents, care-givers, and community members consider signing up to become a substitute. Though challenging work for sure, it can also be extremely rewarding and gratifying. Substitute teachers can sign-up for subbing ahead of time and/or the morning of. “Subs” can select the type of jobs they prefer and are never required to accept a position on any given day. Once you are on the list, the substitute is in full control of when they work and which jobs they accept.

Are you interested in signing up? If so, please call the CVSD office to set-up an appointment with Jessica Houriet - 802-985-1900.

11/11 - Veterans Day / CVSD Strategic Survey deadline

11/16 - Picture Retakes, Morning @ ABS, Afternoon @ WCS / Explorers to Fire Station

11/21 - 11/25 - NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING BREAK

12/08 - Families as Partners Meeting, WCS Community Room 8:30 - 10:30

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.

Last March, the school district softly rolled out a new communication tool called Let's Talk. Let’s Talk makes it easy for parents, students, staff, and community members to ask questions, request information, and share feedback. Over the summer, we added topics for each of our schools. See this blog post to learn more and view a short video that explains how easy it is to use Let's Talk.

Join the #BigLibraryRead digital book club! Borrow the ebook or audiobook of A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger with no waitlists or holds November 2-16 on SORA

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.

Please click here for this month's meeting highlights

• 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

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

ABS Arrival & Dismissal - WCS Arrival & Dismissal

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.

Dr. Lee Chasen RDT LCAT is a New York State Licensed therapist with over 30 years’ experience providing effective treatment for children and families, combining child-centered techniques with strong cognitive behavioral foundations. Dr. Lee is the author of four texts used internationally as clinical templates and was the recipient of the 2013 NADTA Research Award recognizing his groundbreaking work with children on the Autism Spectrum.

For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November. The Great American Smokeout is an opportunity for people who smoke to commit to healthy, smoke -free lives – not just for a day, but year round. The Great American Smokeout provides an opportunity for individuals, community groups, businesses, health care providers, and others to encourage people to use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and initiate a smoking cessation plan on the day of the event. The Great American Smokeout event challenges people to stop smoking and helps people learn about the many tools they can use to help them quit and stay quit.

Quitting smoking is a process. Check out 802Quits.org for tips, resources, and support available free to all Vermonters every day. The Tobacco Treatment Specialists working as Quit Partners in our area can be contacted through the UVM Medical Center's Community Health Improvement Office at 802-847-2278 or CHITTS@vtmednet.org.

The 802Quits Vermont Quit Partners offer:

• Group cessation classes - a forum for peer support, encouragement, and goal setting.

• Tools, such as distraction putty (to relieve stress and keep hands and minds busy) and pedometers (to track steps between cigarettes).

• Free nicotine replacement therapy - including gum, patches, or lozenges

Did you know smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world?? According to the Vermont Department of Health, smoking costs the state approximately $348 million in medical expenses and results in about 1000 smoking-attributable deaths each year.

The health benefits of quitting smoking are significant. Check out this graphic showcasing these health benefits.

October 20, 2022

It’s Turkey Time Again! The Williston Community Food Shelf is hoping to collect 150 turkeys for our

clients for Thanksgiving. We would appreciate it, if you would put this notice in your weekly

Bulletin/Newsletter, or post it on your bulletin boards, for the next few weeks.

The Williston Community Food Shelf will be hosting our annual “Turkey Drive” this year on Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 8:00-11:00 am at the Food Shelf, for the collection and distribution of turkeys. We are asking interested groups, and citizens, to drop off a turkey to the Food Shelf. The Williston Community Food Shelf is located at 400 Cornerstone Drive, Suite 130 (down behind the Williston Coffee Shop) in Williston. Alternately feel free to donate gift cards ($15 are best) from the local grocery stores, which we will give our clients to purchase their own turkeys. Gift cards can be

dropped off, or mailed to the Williston Community Food Shelf at P.O. Box 1605, Williston, VT 05495. Your kindness is appreciated.

With the recent increases in the costs of food and fuel, the number of clients seeking assistance at the Williston Community Food Shelf has risen rather dramatically in the last three months. We are expecting a large number of people to look to us to provide turkeys this year.

Please help us to reach our goal of having a turkey for each one of our less fortunate neighbors. If you have any questions, or need more information, please feel free call me. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Ginger Morton, President

Williston Community Food Shelf

info@willistonfoodshelf.com, (802)578-0586

Grazers is supporting the Williston Central School and the Swift House Team’s trip to NYC.

For every “Swift Smacker Deluxe” burger sold during the month of November, Grazers is donating $1.00 to help with our fundraising. Swift student Alissa Pavlov came up with the winning name and ingredients. Congratulations Alissa!!!

Join us in Paris….via the CVU main stage…for Amélie.
Amélie is an extraordinary young woman who lives quietly in the world but loudly in her mind. She covertly improvises small but surprising acts of kindness that bring joy and mayhem. But when a chance at love comes her way, Amélie realizes that to find happiness she’ll have to risk everything and say what’s in her heart. Be inspired by this imaginative dreamer who finds her voice, discovers the power of connection, and sees possibility around every corner.

Showtimes are Friday, November 11th at 7pm, Saturday, November 12th at 2pm and again at 7pm, and Sunday, November 13th at 2pm at the CVU theater. Purchase tickets ahead of time online at: https://www.ticketsource.us/cvutheater or at the door the day of the performance. Be sure to check the ticket site to see if the show is sold out. $10 General Admission; $8 Students/Children/Staff. All ages show.

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.