The EWSD Leadership Team was grateful to have Essex Police Chief Ron Hoague and Colleen Ballard from Essex Rescue attend a recent meeting. Both provided updates from their departments and talked about how we can continue to collaborate.
The Vermont State Board of Education met in the EHS Library. Prior to their meeting, the State Board took a tour of EHS and CTE. EWSD Director of Equity & Inclusion Erin Maguire also gave a presentation to the group on the District's equity journey. 👍👍
Daylight Saving Time Ends on Sunday, November 3! ⏰⏰
The Essex Westford School District is seeking a full-time Mainstream Instructional Assistant for grades K-8. This role assists and supervises assigned students instructionally, behaviorally, and physically in the general mainstream program. This position requires working with a student individually in collaboration with a special educator. For more information, and to apply, visit www.ewsd.org/jobs
🔔 Reminder that there will be no school on Friday, November 1. School will resume on Monday, November 4.
Representatives from Alma, the firm helping search for a new EWSD superintendent, visited on October 22 and 23. They had the opportunity to meet with students, parents, and staff in person and talk about the most important qualities for our next superintendent.
We are so grateful to everyone who has shown up to give input that will help inform the position of the new superintendent. There is still a remaining opportunity to take part: https://www.ewsd.org/article/1838253
🎤 EWSD Music presents its Choir Prism Concert on Thursday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Essex High School Auditorium.
🎤 This concert features musicians in grades 6-12th, including the Westford School Choir, ADL Choir, EMS Choir, EHS Concert Choir, and EHS Chamber Choir. This event is free and open to the public.
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, October 24, from 3-6 p.m. Beginning at 3 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. 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 families who fall below federally mandated guidelines. Families not able to attend the pantry may call the Church office at (802)878-5745 Ext. 4 between 9 a.m. and noon today through Thursday to leave contact information 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 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, November 11, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
✨ Nominate an EWSD employee for our Employee Spotlight! 🌟 Whether they go above & beyond, make a big impact, or have done something extraordinary, we want to hear about it! Fill out this form! 👉 https://forms.gle/Aykx7NNp6bzdLgcB9 📋 Let’s celebrate the dedication that makes a difference in our community! 💙
🚨 The EWSD utilizes an automated emergency calling system that is currently intended only for emergencies, such as an unscheduled early release or a school closing. An annual test of this system is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 21 at 6 p.m. At that time, families, staff, and high school students will receive a brief message from the system based on contact information provided to the schools. The system will contact users through email and a phone call.
🚨 If you do not receive a message and you feel you should have, please contact the school that your child attends to confirm that your contact information is correct. If you are an employee, please make sure that your contact information is up to date in the employee access center.
Join our team! The EWSD Child Nutrition Program is seeking School Nutrition Workers! EWSD is pursuing candidates with a genuine commitment to providing nutritious food options to students of all ages within the District. For more information, and to apply, visit ewsd.org/jobs.
🎶 EWSD Music presents its Band Prism Concert on Tuesday, October 22 at 7 p.m. in the Essex High School Auditorium.
🎶 This concert features musicians in grades 7-12th, including the Essex Jazz Collective, EHS Symphonic Band, EHS Wind Ensemble, and 7/8th grade musicians from ADL, EMS, and Westford. This event is free and open to the public.
🎥 The #EWSD Board Meeting on October 15 is now available to watch thanks to the Media Factory 👉 https://www.mediafactory.org/?modal=77,episode,232598
As we proceed with the superintendent search process, the Board strives to keep our EWSD community updated. We have received many questions as to how families can give input into the search process. Visit the EWSD website to learn about the four primary ways to engage in this process: https://www.ewsd.org/article/1813456
The #EWSD Board will next meet on Tue., October 15 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:
- Committee Reports
- Superintendent Search Presentation by Alma Advisory Group
- Model Policy Review: C9. Local Wellness Policy, First Reading
- FY26 Budget Development Update
To learn more about the EWSD Board, please visit: http://www.ewsd.org/schoolboard
October is National School Principal Month! 🎉 Join us in celebrating our awesome EWSD School Principals! 👏👏
Vermont has successfully implemented Universal School Meals since 2022. This program enables schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of household income. However, even though meals are now free to all students, our schools still need to gather household income data.
This data helps Vermont access the maximum possible federal dollars for school meals, reducing the burden on Vermont taxpayers. Please complete the Household Income Form for your household. This form is designed to only take a few minutes to fill out. 👉 https://education.vermont.gov/householdincome
All EWSD employees and their families were invited to skate for free at the Essex Skating Facility! ⛸️
