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Today is the Winter Solstice - the official start of the winter season! ❄️🥶🌨️🧣🛷
🎥 The #EWSD Board Meeting on December 17 is now available to watch thanks to the Media Factory 👉https://www.mediafactory.org/?modal=77,episode,233975
🌿 The December EWSD family newsletter is out now 👉 https://bit.ly/3OynWcD
Are you interested in a career with the EWSD? Take a look at all the current job opportunities: www.ewsd.org/jobs 🌿😊
🔔 Reminder that there will be no school on Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1 for Early Winter Break. School will resume on Thursday, January 2.
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, December 19, from 3 to 6 p.m.
The pantry asks for proof of residence for each household in the form of a current utility bill with a physical address listed. In place of this, families may provide current correspondence from a government agency or other official mail. Identification for 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, additional food from the USDA is provided once a month to eligible families who fall below federally mandated guidelines.
The next food pantry distribution will occur on Monday, January 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Beginning in January 2025, those coming to the pantry will be asked to limit their visits to once a month.
In October, the National Junior Honor Society at EMS hosted the Fall Back Jamboree. As part of the event, students remembered Addi, a classmate who passed away. In her memory, the students took part in helping children who are experiencing a chronic medical crisis by writing messages of hope, strength, and friendship in encouragement cards, as well as coloring 'pet rocks' to help bring smiles to their faces.
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
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 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
🌨️❄️ 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
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!
🔔 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.
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, November 21, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Families will be given a number when they arrive and registered beginning at 3 p.m., then allowed to select their 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. Shopping carts will be made available for those within walking distance from 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. In place of this, families may provide current correspondence from a government agency or other official mail. Identification for 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, additional food from the USDA is provided monthly 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, phone number, number of people in household) so delivery arrangements can be made. A follow-up call to complete registration will take place on Thursday morning.
Families are currently able to visit the pantry each time it is open on 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). The next food pantry distribution will occur on Monday, December 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The #EWSD Board will next meet on Tue., November 19 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:
- Board Job Description
- Communication and Support of the Board
- Policy 4.3 Agenda Planning
To learn more about the EWSD Board, please visit: http://www.ewsd.org/schoolboard
🎥 The #EWSD Board Meeting on November 12 is now available to watch thanks to the Media Factory 👉 https://www.mediafactory.org/?modal=77,episode,233111
The #EWSD Board will next meet on Tue., November 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:
- Superintendent Search Update
- Literacy & Math Data with an Equity Lens
- Questions on FY25 1st Quarter Financial Update
To learn more about the EWSD Board, please visit: http://www.ewsd.org/schoolboard
EWSD Federal Grant Programs Manager Tamara Eklof and Hiawatha ELL teacher Terri Geffert presented at this year's World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) conference. Eklof co-led a workshop titled "Building Multilingual Programs in Rural Areas", and Geffert participated in a panel discussion focusing on instructional practices for equitable instruction of multilingual learners.
