Essex Westford School District

Westford 5th and 6th graders worked together to create a Freedom Quilt as they learned about the history of the underground railroad.

Watch this 1-minute video to learn how the Homestead Education Tax Rate is calculated for Essex Junction, Essex Town, and Westford 👉 https://bit.ly/3xnRjJ3

The McFadden Academy of Irish Dance performed for Essex Elementary School students and faculty. The dancers included current Essex Elementary students, Founders Memorial students, Essex Middle and Essex High School students!

A group of EMS students, known as the Crispy Bakin' Team, entered the Jr. Iron Chef Vermont Competition. They won the Crowd-Pleaser award with their Bao with crispy Asian mushrooms recipe. This award goes to the team that best incorporates color, texture, and taste. Well done!

The net education spending in the FY25 budget is increasing by $7,440,175 which increases our tax rate by $0.083. The increase in property values across the three towns in our District (Essex Junction, Essex Town, and Westford) is resulting in an added increase to our property tax rate of $0.1977 to $0.2975. For more information, visit www.ewsd.org/budget

Hiawatha second and third grade artists are finishing up their Rya Knot Tapestries. The students have been learning and practicing this loom weaving technique using yarn and sticks! 🧶👍

The #EWSD Board will next meet on Tue., April 2 starting at 6:30 p.m. in the EHS Library. The full meeting will be available to watch on Facebook Live thanks to the Media Factory (www.facebook.com/BTVMediaFactory). Agenda items for the meeting include: * Onboarding of New Board Members * 4.6 Board Committee Principles * Policy 4.3 Agenda Planning To learn more about the EWSD Board, please visit: www.ewsd.org/page/schoolboard You can also stay up to date with information on the FY25 budget by visiting: www.ewsd.org/budget

The EWSD Board Meeting on March 26 is now available to watch thanks to the Media Factory 👉 https://bit.ly/3VCMiGJ #EWSD

Kindergarten students at Summit participated in a STEM project, where they had to build a structure using cardboard and tape to hold their pet potatoes. This project was inspired by the book they read called The Pet Potato by Josh Lacey.

👉 Here is a glimpse at how education is funded in Vermont. For more information, visit www.ewsd.org/budget

Westford kindergarten students have been working on a year-long "I am" project where they learned the importance of words and how to become a word collector. Through their ongoing journey, they made connections to essential standards around speaking and listening, letter-sound relationships, word awareness, and affirmations. https://bit.ly/3IJ6WNY

🔷 The EWSD annual report is now available online! Visit www.ewsd.org/budget to view the report as well as budget presentations, recorded Board meetings, and more. 🔷 You can also pick up a hard copy at your local public library, city/town office, or at the District's Central Office location.

You may be eligible for an education property tax reduction if your household income is less than $128,000. Visit the Vermont Department of Taxes website to learn more: https://bit.ly/43x5uI0 🏠🏠

EHS sophomore, Ari Glasser, won the second round of the annual Rotary speech contest earning $300, and advanced to the third round, where he was one of two finalists selected from a field of eight speakers throughout the state. He has accumulated $1,000 in prize money for his speech about creating hope in our schools. Ari has advanced to the final round which will be held on April 20 in Lake Morey. 🏅🏅

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 28, from 3-5:30 p.m. Families 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 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 family’s vehicle. Shopping carts will be made available for those within walking distance of the pantry. Due to the solar eclipse happening next month, the next food pantry distribution will now occur on Monday, April 15, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Two FMS fourth graders, Finley and Clara, worked on a math project they entered into a statewide math fair at the University of Vermont. At the fair, 48 Vermont students participated and 32 projects were presented. 👏👏

💫Registration is now open for the 8th annual Dream Big 5K: Run, Walk, Roll on April 28, 2024! The Dream Big 5K in Essex, VT is an inclusive running event with general and adaptive divisions. 💫 The race brings together the Essex Westford community for a morning of friendly competition and is an opportunity for athletes with disabilities to experience racing in a supportive setting. Join us in person at Essex Middle School - or virtually anywhere – to support EDD Adaptive Sports programs. Register online today!

The #EWSD Board will next meet on Tue., March 26 starting at 6:30 p.m. in the EHS Library. The full meeting will be available to watch on Facebook Live thanks to the Media Factory (www.facebook.com/BTVMediaFactory). Agenda items for the meeting include: * 2023-2024 Last Day of School * 2024-2025 School Calendar * Restorative Practices * 3.2 Accountability of the Superintendent To learn more about the EWSD Board, please visit: www.ewsd.org/page/schoolboard You can also stay up to date with information on the FY25 budget by visiting: www.ewsd.org/budget

🎉 The Arts Faculties of Essex Westford School District will host the annual Fine Arts Night “Celebrating Creative Minds” at Essex High School on Thursday, April 11 from 5:30-8:15 p.m. 🎉 This exceptional production will feature the outstanding artistic work of our talented youth from EWSD schools in various disciplines including visual arts, music, theater, and film.

Be on the lookout for the EWSD budget mailer arriving in your mailbox over the next few days! If you would like to learn more about the District budget, please visit: www.ewsd.org/budget