The #EWSD Board will next meet on Thurs., December 12 starting at 6:30 p.m. The full meeting will be available to watch on Facebook Live thanks to the Media Factory (https://www.facebook.com/BTVMediaFactory).
Agenda items for the meeting include:
- FY26 Budget Development Update
- Superintendent Search Update
- 2.7 Compensation and Benefits
To learn more about the EWSD Board, please visit: http://www.ewsd.org/schoolboard
EHS Math teacher Kristin McNamara gave EHS STEM Academy students an inside look at her graduate school experience. She shared what to expect as a grad student, offered advice from former students and EHS alumni, and even highlighted excerpts from her Master’s Thesis. She proudly sported her JMU and Tennessee gear, too!
Members of the EHS Girls Cross Country team, running under their club name The Swarm, won the Nike Cross Regional Northeast Open race with 3 girls placing in the top 21! The race was held at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, NY and included runners from NJ, PA, CT, RI, VT, NH, MA and ME.
EHS School Counselor, Siobhan Barber, was recently spotlighted by the Vermont School Counselor Association 👉 https://vermontschoolcounselor.org/spotlight
ADL 7th grader Tsering Lama was recently celebrated as the winner of both the Local Lions Club Peace Poster Contest and the State of Vermont Peace Poster Contest. Additionally, fellow students Jenny To and Hadley Dion will receive special awards of recognition for their poster submissions!
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, December 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Families will be given a number when they arrive and asked to wait in the sanctuary. When their number is called, they will be registered beginning at 5:30 p.m. A volunteer will greet and escort them around the pantry, allowing them to make selections of their choosing.
After food is gathered, it will be weighed (information for pantry use only) and another volunteer will bring the food to the person’s vehicle. Shopping carts will be made available for those within walking distance of the pantry. The pantry asks for proof of residence for each household in the form of a current utility bill with a physical address listed. Instead, families may provide current correspondence from a government agency or other official mail. Identification of each household member may consist of a driver’s license, hospital card, insurance card, school-issued ID, social security ID, or birth certificate.
As usual, there are no income requirements to visit the food pantry and a variety of food is
available to everyone; however, eligible families who fall below federally mandated guidelines may access additional food provided by the USDA once each month. Those not able to attend the pantry may call the Church office at 878-5745 Ext. 4 between 9 a.m. and noon today and Monday to leave contact information (name, address, phone number, no. of people in household) so delivery arrangements can be made. A follow-up call to complete registration will take place on Monday morning. People are currently able to visit the pantry each time it is open: the 2nd Monday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and the 4th Thursday of the month from 3-6 p.m. (except for November and December when it is the 3rd Thursday). Beginning in January 2025, households will be asked to limit their visits to once a month.
The next food pantry distribution will occur on Thursday, December 19, from 3-6 p.m.
ADL and EMS teachers Melanie Tupaj and Heather Covillon set aside class time each day for two weeks to participate in the 2nd annual Francomanie song tournament hosted by Roxxem; a language learning program that uses popular music to engage students in language acquisition. Out of 737 classes participating in the tournament, Mme Covillon's 8th grade classes placed 12th, the 7th grade placed 20th, and the 6th placed 99th. Mme Tupaj's 7th grade classes placed 15th and 18th, her 8th graders placed 21st and 155th, and her 6th graders placed 29th and 76th.
The Westford kindergarteners have been learning about mandalas; a circular art form found in many cultural practices and is also a symbol of connection. They spent time outside creating mandalas using natural materials they found. Through this experience, they learned more about Indigenous cultures, built meaningful connections across their school community, and shared a love and appreciation for their outdoor space. 🌳🪨🌼
The EWSD Budget Survey will close this Friday, December 6! This is the first, most accessible, and comprehensive way for you to share your input on the budget and the priorities for our District. We ask and encourage each of you to take this opportunity to make your voice heard: https://forms.gle/rkfBsqoahmetRbSs7
The Computer Animation Web Design program at CTE visited WCAX on a field trip to explore careers and the post-secondary education it took to obtain them. Working with Jay Barton, the Vice President and General Manager of WCAX, students had a tour of the facility, learned about their workflow, and met with content creators.
Westford students participated in an all-school assembly where they were able to paint pumpkins! Thank you to Sam Mazza's Farm for their generous pumpkin donation. 🎨🖌️
First grade students at Hiawatha painted kindness rocks for their community. Each student carefully planned an image and words to share an important message. Then, students used acrylic paint and paint markers to paint their rocks! 🎨🪨
🌨️❄️ As temperatures drop and the snow starts falling, have you ever wondered how we decide to call a snow day? Learn more about the process and what factors come into play when making this important decision! ❄️🌨️👉 https://www.ewsd.org/article/1870274
ADL 7th grader Tsering Lama was recently celebrated as the winner of both the Local Lions Club Peace Poster Contest and the State of Vermont Peace Poster Contest. Additionally, fellow students Jenny To and Hadley Dion will receive special awards of recognition for their poster submissions!
Sixteen EHS band students participated in the District III Band Festival at Colchester High School! 👏👏
CTE's Computer Systems Technology students attended the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) event hosted by Champlain College. This summit is a platform for students, professionals, and enthusiasts in cybersecurity to come together, share knowledge, and forge meaningful connections. The keynote speaker for this year's event was Lynn Dohm, the Executive Director of WiCys.
The EMS 8th grade Galaxy Team students recently tapped into their creative side with a unique math project—barn quilts! Using concepts like reflections, angles, and fractions, they designed and painted quilt squares on aluminum composite. After drafting patterns on graph paper, they transferred them to 10"x10" panels and painted in the traditional barn quilt style. Huge thanks to Kimberly Hess for leading the project and to Ace Hardware and Sherwin-Williams for donating supplies!
Summit Street School and Founders Memorial School were among 52 schools in Vermont honored for exceptional Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support work during the 2023-2024 school year.
As part of the EHS AP Environmental Science curriculum, students conducted water quality testing of Indian Brook. Students applied their classroom learning to determine the health of the watershed and to enhance their understanding of the complexities of watershed ecosystems.
🔔 Reminder that there will be no school on Monday, November 25 through Friday, November 29 for Fall Break. School will resume on Monday, December 2.
