🎥 The #EWSD Board Meeting on April 15 is now available to watch thanks to the Media Factory 👉 https://www.mediafactory.org/?modal=77,episode,235648
Several students at Hiawatha participated in the Youth Art Month Show: Brushstrokes for Wellness at the Vermont Statehouse. Their artwork was on display for all to see! This art show is an excellent opportunity to celebrate creativity alongside young artists across Vermont.
The Heavenly Food Pantry, located at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Essex Junction, will be open to families residing in Essex, Essex Junction and Westford on Monday, April 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Families can visit the pantry once each calendar month- either the 2nd Monday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. or the 4th Thursday of the month from 3-6 p.m. (except for November and December when it is the 3rd Thursday).
The next food pantry distribution will be on Thursday, April 24, from 3-6 p.m.
ADL students showcased their science projects during their science fair in the gym. Each student had the chance to present their project and explain their findings. Teachers and classmates got to explore, ask questions, and celebrate all the hard work that went into these amazing projects! 🔎💡🐾
All Hiawatha students went outside to cheer on the third graders who are taking the Vermont State Assessment for the first time. Students cheered with positive affirmations and signs! 🎉🎉
🔔 Reminder there is no school on Monday, April 21 to Friday, April 25 for Spring Break. School will resume on Monday, April 28.
The EWSD is pleased to report that the Commission on Public Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges has granted Essex High School continued accreditation. 🐝👍
Learn more: https://www.ewsd.org/o/ehs/article/2130147
A group of EHS students, known as the Hornet Hibachi Team, entered the Jr. Iron Chef Vermont Competition. 🍽️👏🐝 Their dish, Gochujang Mushroom Tacos with VT Rainbow slaw, pickled onions, and mango salsa, earned them a top contender badge.
The team executed the recipe perfectly, adapted as needed, and had a lot of fun working together. As an entirely 9th-grade team, they have a lot of motivation for next year! Congratulations to team members Avery, Claire, Emma, Nina, and Will.
Essex High School Counselor Aaron Mason was honored with the Vermont School Counselor Association Rising Star Award. This award recognizes an individual who has entered the school counseling profession within the last five years. The award winner is a model for new counselors, demonstrating the highest standards of professional competence, outstanding contributions to the school community and/or profession, and has demonstrated strong rapport with students, parents/guardians, and school personnel.
📚 Today kicks off National Library Week! National Library Week is a time to celebrate our nation's libraries, library workers' contributions and promote library use and support. Share a memory or shoutout an EWSD librarian 👉 https://bit.ly/42pnXah
Essex High School student Ari Glasser placed second in Sen. Bernie Sanders' fifteenth annual State of the Union Essay Contest, which gives Vermont high school students the opportunity to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve it. Glasser wrote about the influence of billionaires in our political system. EHS student Emilee Brownell was also a contest finalist.
Tonight is the EWSD Fine Arts Night! This event will be held at Essex High School. The evening performance schedule begins at 5:30 p.m. with opening remarks, followed by the orchestra, band, chorus, and then a theater performance. For more information, visit www.ewsd.org/fineartsnight 🖌️🎨🎭🥳👏💙🎶🎤🎻🎷
The EWSD held five virtual BudgetTalk sessions where Board members and administration had conversations with the public to talk about the proposed budget. If you missed any of those, you can view each of the recordings on the EWSD budget webpage (www.ewsd.org/budget).
One week from today, the polls will be open, and you will be able to vote on the FY26 EWSD budget. Visit www.ewsd.org/budget to learn more about the budgeting process, including the latest updates and answers to many frequently asked questions.
As we get closer to the budget vote, we want to explain some of the language you will see on the ballot to help avoid confusion. The proposed budget keeps school spending at the same level as this year, which was a big challenge. To do this, we had to cut $5.6 million. This means that any changes in property taxes will come from the state’s funding rules and rising home values, not from local school spending decisions. 👇👇
Voting will take place today, Tuesday, April 8, from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. at the following locations: City residents at the Champlain Valley Expo; Essex Town residents outside the City at Essex Middle School; and Westford residents at Westford School.
Essex Middle School students participated in the Vermont STEM Fair at Norwich University, presenting independent research alongside 200+ projects. Judges from diverse fields evaluated entries then awarded cash prizes and scholarships.
The 2024-25 EWSD annual report is now available online: https://bit.ly/FY26EWSDannualreport
Hard copies of the annual report will be available at the following locations starting on March 28, 2025: Brownell Library, Essex Free Library, EWSD District Office, City of Essex Junction Municipal Office, Westford Public Library, Essex Town Clerk’s Office, and Westford Town Office.
The EWSD Board and administration invite you to join them for a virtual conversation as part of the District’s BudgetTalk series (https://bit.ly/EWSDbudgettalkseries) on March 27 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Learn more about the proposed EWSD budget: www.ewsd.org/budget
The Heavenly Food Pantry, located at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Essex Junction, will be open to families residing in Essex, Essex Junction, and Westford on Thursday, March 27, from 3-6 p.m. Those arriving will be given a number, asked to wait in the
sanctuary for their number to be called, and registered before being directed to the pantry
where a volunteer will greet and escort them around the pantry, allowing them to make food
selections for their household. After food is gathered, it will be weighed (information for
pantry use only) and another volunteer will bring the food to the family’s vehicle. Shopping
carts will be made available for those within walking distance of the pantry.
As usual, there are no income requirements to visit the food pantry and a variety of food is
available to everyone; however, additional food provided by the USDA is available once a
month to eligible households that fall below federally mandated guidelines. People who are not able to attend the pantry may call the Church office at 878-5745 Ext. 4 between 9 a.m. and noon today through Thursday to leave contact information (name, address, number of people in household, phone number) so arrangements for delivery can be made. A follow-up call to complete registration will take place on Thursday morning.
Families can visit the pantry once each calendar month on the 2nd Monday of the month
from 5:30-7:30 p.m. or the 4th Thursday of the month from 3-6 p.m. (except for
November and December when it is the 3rd Thursday). The next food pantry distribution will be on Monday, April 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.