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, April 24, from 3-6 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 for food. 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.
As usual, there are no income requirements to visit the food pantry and a variety of food is available to everyone; however, additional food is provided by the USDA to eligible families who fall below federally mandated guidelines.
Families 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 household members, phone number) so arrangements for delivery can be made. A follow up call to complete registration will take place on Thursday morning. Families are currently able to visit the pantry once each 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.
The next food pantry distribution will be on Monday, May 12, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
🎥 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
🔔 The last day of school for students will be a half day on Friday, June 13, 2025. Here are the dismissal times for each school.
*** CTE's last day will be Wednesday, June 12.
🌿 The EWSD April Family Newsletter is out now 👉 https://secure.smore.com/n/2g4kz
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.
🔔 Reminder there is no school on Monday, April 21 to Friday, April 25 for Spring Break. School will resume on Monday, April 28.
📚 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
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.
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.
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 March Family Newsletter is out now 👉 https://secure.smore.com/n/wd0pf
Did you know that the recommended budget maintains the same level of net spending as FY25, a monumental task requiring $5.6 million in reductions? This ensures that property tax impacts will be determined solely by the statewide funding formula and the year-over-year increases in home values, rather than by local spending decisions.
Learn more about the proposed EWSD budget: www.ewsd.org/budget
Today is the first day of spring! 🌞🌿 The vernal equinox is when both hemispheres of the Earth get equal amounts of daylight. 🌷✨ What’s your favorite thing about spring? 🌼
✨ Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just getting started, the Dream Big 5K: Run, Walk, Roll is a race for everyone—of all ages and abilities! This exciting charity event benefits EDD Adaptive Sports programs for individuals with disabilities in our community. Together, we’re aiming to raise $14,000 to fund life-changing adaptive sports programs. ✨ So grab your family, friends, or co-workers, create a team, and get ready for some friendly competition and amazing prizes. Let's Dream Big together. For more information and to register: https://runsignup.com/dreambig5krunwalkroll