THE SCHOOL BELL
Williston School District / January 21, 2015
Caring Teachers Engaging Students in Meaningful Learning
A Message from the Administration
by John Terko, ABS Principal
It’s the middle of winter, can you tell? We are getting cold nights, slightly below average temperatures during the day and once again, no snow. That doesn’t stop our ski program. This past Friday was our first day of skiing and I heard it was very well organized. This gives me the opportunity to remind you of a couple of things. We are not allowed to bring skis on the bus so ALL skis must be dropped off at WCS in the morning and they are placed in the travel trailer. When skiing is over for the day, the bus drops everyone off at WCS so parents should be picking their child and skis up there. Allen Brook students should then come to Allen Brook and pick up their backpacks. Parents, you can come anytime and pick up your child’s backpack if you would like to do it before picking up your child at WCS. Let’s hope for more snow in the months ahead.
Thursday, January 22 is the last budget meeting before it goes to print. The meeting is at 4:30 at WCS in the dining room. This has been a long process, starting in October and finishing in January. We would like to thank the “budget buddies” for the time they have spent working with the board on the 2015-2016 school budget. Their input has been valuable from start to finish. Everyone has worked hard to keep the budget down and we hope you will support our efforts.
Lastly, report cards go home on Friday. You are probably aware that there is a new report card for grades K-4. One thing you may notice is different is the comment section, which will be brief verses a long narrative. The intent is for more detail to be shared at your next parent/teacher conference, which is a time to go more in depth about your child’s progress. Monday, March 23 is on the calendar for conferences; students don’t have school March 23 so teachers can schedule appointments. Remember, you can at any time set up an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher, even before the parent/teacher conference time. Communication is key to a successful relationship between home and school.
National Assessment of Educational Progress
The Williston School District has been selected to represent schools across the nation by participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers and the public. All 4th and 8th graders will have an opportunity to participate in a 90 minute assessment covering one of the following subjects: math, reading or science. The assessments will take place on Feb. 2nd for 4th graders and Feb. 9th for 8th graders. Letters have been sent home to families of these students with more detailed information. If you have questions please contact Liz Neeld at 871-6104 or lneeld@cssu.org.
Early Education Meet and Greet Playgroup
Sponsored by CSSU for residents of Hinesburg, Charlotte, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston.
Looking for something to do with your family on a winter morning? Join us to connect with other families in your community and meet early childhood educators from your school district. We will have early childhood games and activities, a snack and storytime. Activities include; gym play, play dough, art materials, puzzles, and blocks.
Early Educators will be available to share information on child development and local resources for families.
When: Saturday, January 24, 2015
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 11:00. a.m.
Where: Hinesburg Community School
Who: Children age birth to five years with an adult.
RSVP Encouraged: Kristin Eisensmith at 383-1226 or keisensmith@cssu.org
3rd/4th gr. Chorus Concerts
Wednesday, February 4th at 2:00pm and 6:30pm in the WCS auditorium.
Musicians are required to wear concert attire for both concerts. Musicians need to arrive at WCS at 6:10pm for the evening concert.
Click here for more information.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Danielle Trasciatti-Holmberg (Mrs. T-H) dtrasciatti@cssu.org
8th Grade Student & Parent Night
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL
AN INVITATION
To 8th Grade Parents and Students of the Class of 2019
8th Grade Student & Parent Night
Champlain Valley Union High School
CVU Gym, Thursday, January 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This evening will provide you and your son/daughter an introduction to the academic and elective programs they will experience in the 9th grade.
Marko, Master Magician and Hypnotist
Friday February 13th, 6:30 pm
WCS Auditorium
Please join us for a fun filled evening of magic and hypnosis with Marko the Magician sponsored by Swift House.
General admission tickets are $8 each.
To order tickets please fill out the following information and drop it off in the ABS or WCS front office with your payment. Tickets will be delivered to your childʼs house TA and sent home with your child. Checks should be written to WSD. For questions please contact Sarah Forbes at sarahforbesdesign@comcast.net
Student Name_________________________________
House/Teacher_________________________________
Number of Tickets ____________ Amount enclosed ($8/ticket) _______________
It's time to order your yearbook! Deadline March 2, 2015
The Williston Central School yearbook may be ordered online.
Students will receive information from their teams, but here are a few details for everyone to know.
- The yearbook is for Williston Central School students only.
- We ask that you "do not" order any extras on your yearbook, Just the book for$30.00!
- You will need to submit a separate order per child, per family.
- When ordering online, at the 'enter Homeroom' prompt, please enter the House name at WCS.
- All yearbooks will be PRE-PAID Orders. Limited extra copies ordered.
- Contact Ashley Beauregard or Jess Haskins for more information, 802-871-6063.
Click the link below to place online order....
BIG BASKET RAFFLE FUNDRAISER COMING
The Big Basket Raffle and Silent Auction is the Williston school district’s largest community fundraising event of the year. Between 50 and 60 themed baskets are prepared for this event and 25+ other items are bid on at the Silent Auction table. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2015.
Area Businesses: We start by asking our Basket Raffle Planning Committee members to solicit area businesses for donations (merchandise or gift certificates). If you have some suggestions for this, please send an e-mail to karenmaklad@gmail.com.
Family Contributions: Families purchase items for the themed baskets that are in classrooms. We are going to try to place the baskets in classrooms the week of February 16th.
Volunteer Hours: This event requires the assistance of lots of volunteers. Support is needed for creating and wrapping the baskets, setting up the gym and cafeteria, bringing in desserts and beverages, selling raffle tickets at the event, and cleaning up after the event. Please consider volunteering!!! A sign up link will be available soon.
Last Call…
Last chance to make sure that this year’s show can hit the stage! We are still in need of volunteers to help coordinate and organize Variety Show 2015. If this event is a must see for you and your family please consider volunteering for this committee. If we are unable to find someone to help coordinate this event, it will not happen this year. Please contact willistonfap@cssu.org.
Williston Runs! for Education 5K & Kids Fun Run
Become an Event Sponsor
Three years ago, Williston Families as Partners (FAP) started the Williston Runs! for Education 5K and Kids Fun Run event as a fun and active way for the community to come together to show support for Williston students and teachers. In addition to promoting physical fitness, Williston Runs! for Education is an important event that raises money to support educational school programs.
I am asking if you would show your support by considering becoming an event sponsor for the 2015 Williston Runs! for Education taking place Saturday, May 16, 2015.
With the generous support of our 2014 sponsors, last year’s Williston Runs! for Education boasted over 150 participants and raised over $2,700 to fund programs for Williston students.
This year’s Williston Runs! for Education is making some fun new changes. The 5K course is re-designed and the Kids Fun Run will be on a new course offering two distance options. We are also adding a 3-person team category.
By becoming a sponsor, you assist the Williston FAP in their work to support Williston’s children. There are several sponsorship levels available, designed to fit any size business.
The Williston FAP is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID# 45-2676472). Your donation to Williston Runs! for Education is tax-deductible and your support will be advertised as part of this community event. The post-race ceremony will celebrate the event participants, students, teachers, and our community with awards, a raffle, and a prize giveaway. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or donor and would like more information, please e-mail sue@willistonruns.org. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thanks for your consideration and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sue Scheer, Williston Runs! for Education Coordinator
Phone: 802-238-2474
Engineering Challenge
The second annual Engineering Challenge is scheduled for March 12th (5/6 grade) and March 13th (7/8 grade). As we think ahead to our days of design and construction, we are going to need a lot of materials that you might be discarding.
plastic grocery bags, plastic trash bags, coffee filters, newspaper, string, plastic spoons, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, ping pong balls, wooden skewers, rubber bands, styrofoam pieces, corrugated cardboard, straws, floral wire, pipe cleaners, plastic wrap, balloons, pompoms, recycled plastic containers (juice, yogurt, etc.), foam core (old trifolds), CDs, dixie cups, egg cartons, marshmallows (regular size), masking tape, duct tape, hot glue sticks (mini size), popsicle sticks, toothpicks, washers, brass fasteners, aluminum foil sheets, pennies
Thank you for your support.
$$$ January 2015 is "Reading Is An Investment” Month at WCS - $$$
WCS is among 137 Vermont schools participating in the “Reading Is An Investment” program, sponsored by the Vermont State Treasurer’s Office. It offers students in grades 3-6 the opportunity to learn about basic financial concepts and to think about how they use money. Each student is asked to read (or listen to) three money-related books and to record silent reading time in a personal reading log. At the end of January, we will mail all of the completed logs to Montpelier, where a random drawing in March will award a $250 savings account to twenty lucky winners. We are hoping for at least one winner from WCS! In the past four years of the program, WCS has been fortunate to have two winners chosen.
Harbor House 2015 Bottle Drive
Super Bowl Fans and Williston Families! ... Please save your bottles for a great cause. 8th Graders from Harbor House at Williston Central School will be collecting bottles Saturday morning, February 7 2015, between 9am-11am. 100% of the bottle revenue will help fund our trip to Washington DC this coming June. If you wish to contribute, place your bottles in a bag labeled "Harbor House" at the end of your driveway.
We will drive through the following neighborhoods to pick up bags: Sunrise, Southridge, Brennan Woods, Turtle Pond Rd, Pleasant Acres, Wildflower Circle, Southfield Drive, Chamberlin Drive, Ledgewood, and Lamplite Lane. If you have any questions and would like to request that we pick up at a location not listed here, please contact Jess Haskins at jhaskins@cssu.org
Beginner Band News
Beginner Band lessons are in full swing! Students are moving beyond the preliminary steps of instrument assembly and tone production and are now reading music notation. They will need to continue to develop physical skills, apply what they read, and have elements to memorize. The coordination of these skills takes practice. Practicing often for short periods of time is the key to success. Please continue to encourage your students to practice regularly to build skills and perseverance. Keeping up with a practice routine also helps keep playing an instrument fun.
They should be writing their homework down before they leave class. Homework will also be posted on the WCS Band blog (http://willistonband.blogspot.com/p/beginner-band.html) This is a great place to check if you miss a lesson.
Happy practicing!
Health Office
The Health Offices at both ABS and WCS are seeing a number of students with a stomach virus or gastroenteritis. For more information about the viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea please click on the link below:
http://healthvermont.gov/prevent/norovirus.aspx
If your child is sick with a respiratory illness, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or flu-like symptoms they should stay home from school. Fever should be gone for at least 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
Take these simple precautions to help keep illness from spreading:
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away.
- Wash your hands often, especially after you cough or sneeze.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Use alcohol-based hand wipes and gel sanitizers if soap and water are not available.
Dental Cleanings
During the months of January and February, your child can receive a dental cleaning, exam, and fluoride rinse for $20. Click here for more information and sign up form.
HANDWASHING CAN SAVE LIVES!! Students are doing the GlitterBug Challenge. Glitterbug lotion that is jazzed up with a UV fluorescent powder is applied to hands. Students wash their hands and then place hands in a disclosure center with an ultraviolet light to reveal how well they cleaned their hands. Most students are not washing their hands properly, especially between the fingers, under nails and around nail beds.
Handwashing is like a "do-it-yourself" vaccine—it involves five simple and effective steps (think Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) you can take to reduce the spread of diarrheal and respiratory illness so you can stay healthy. Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.
Learn more about when and how to wash your hands, the importance of using soap and water, and what you can do if soap and clean running water are not available.
http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/ABS: 871-6248 / Sylvia Love, RN
Humane Society Fundraiser
Hello my name is Caleb Jenson. I am an 8th grader in Harbor House. For my 8th grade challenge I am working with the Humane Society. I am doing a fundraiser for treats and toys for the animals in the shelter. Most animals brought there are experiencing traumatic events as they learn to live in the shelter. One way to help the situation is by giving them distractions and comforts such as treats and toys. There will be a bin in front of the front office. Any donations are greatly appreciated. The bins will be available from the 8th of December to the 20th of February.
Free Tutoring for Eligible Students
Supplemental Educational Services (SES) are additional academic instruction (tutoring) outside the school day or during the summer designed to increase the academic achievement of students. These services are free of charge to eligible* students to improve academic performance in schools such as Williston School District that did not achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in mathematics or literacy.
If you are eligible* and choose to participate, you must submit an application to Allen Brook or Williston Central School by February 21, 2015.
Here is the link to view the Approved Providers.
Please look for more information under Support Services - Supplemental Educational Services.
*all students receiving free or reduced meals are eligible for Supplemental Educational Services.
Items you may have missed previously...
EEE Peer Selection Application (deadline Wed. Feb. 18)
Penguin Plunge Sat. Feb. 7 Join the WCS team (click the black "Join Team" to register)
Upcoming Events
School Board Budget Mtg. / Thurs. Jan. 22 / 4:30-6:30 pm /
Ski / Ride at Cochrans / Fri. Jan. 23 / 2 pm / Cochrans, Richmond
Early Ed Meet & Greet Playgroup / Sat. Jan. 24 / 9:30 - 11 am / Hinesburg School
8th Gr. Student & Parent Night / Thurs. Jan. 29 / 6:30-8:30 pm / CVUHS Gym
4th Gr. NAEP Testing / Mon. Feb. 2
Chorus (gr. 3-4) Concert / Wed. Feb. 4 /6:30 pm / WCS Auditorium
8th Gr. NAEP Testing / Mon. Feb. 9
Marko the Magician / Fri. Feb. 13 / 7-9:30 pm / WCS Auditorium
WCS Theme Week / Feb. 16-20
Winter Break - Feb. 23-March 2
Click here for athletics
Dorothy Alling Memorial Library Programs for Kids
Click here for the Bell listing of DAML events scheduled for children.
Click here for the DAML newsletters.
Previous Newsletters
Williston School District
Email: cpavlik@cssu.org
Website: www.wsdvt.org
Location: 195 Central School Drive, Williston
Phone: (802) 878-2762
Twitter: @wsdvt