EWSD News
News for EWSD Families and Community Members
Dear EWSD Families,
I hope this message finds you well. I am pleased to share that I have returned from my medical leave and am excited to reconnect with our school community. It feels great to be back!
I want to express my deepest gratitude to our leadership team, District Office support team, and School Board for their unwavering support during my absence. Their dedication and hard work ensured that our District's important work continued seamlessly, allowing me to focus on my recovery and health.
Thank you as well to all of you for your understanding and patience during this time. I am energized and ready to continue our shared journey, working together for the success and well-being of all our students.
Warm regards,
Beth Cobb
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
October is National Principals Month, and we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the amazing EWSD principals who lead our schools. Their dedication, passion, and commitment shape the educational experiences of our students and foster positive school cultures. Every day, our principals inspire teachers, staff, and students to strive for their best. They navigate challenges with grace and create environments where every student can thrive.
This month, join us in recognizing and thanking these remarkable leaders. To our wonderful principals, thank you for all that you do. Your leadership and tireless efforts make a profound difference. Let’s all take a moment to thank a principal and show our appreciation for their invaluable contributions to our EWSD schools and community.
The EWSD superintendent search process is underway and you can take part in many different ways:
- Complete the Superintendent Search Survey
- Join us at the Community Gathering - Wednesday, October 23, from 6-7:30 p.m. at EHS. This session will start as a large group and break into smaller focus groups.
- Can’t join in person? Join the Virtual Community Gathering - Tuesday, October 29, 6-7:30 p.m. Please register here for the virtual session. This session will start as a large group and break into smaller focus groups.
As a reminder, you can check the EWSD Superintendent Search webpage for regular updates.
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.
We invite the EWSD community to nominate an outstanding employee for our EWSD Employee Spotlight! Whether it’s someone who consistently goes above and beyond, makes a positive impact, or has achieved something extraordinary, we want to hear about it.
This is your chance to recognize the dedication, hard work, and contributions that make a difference in our community. If you are an EWSD employee, don’t be shy—if you believe your own efforts deserve recognition, feel free to nominate yourself. Use this form to nominate an EWSD employee and look for them to be featured on our EWSD social media accounts.
During October, the EWSD Technology Department wishes you a safe CyberSecurity Awareness Month. We are practicing some phishing exercises with our staff and while we do not support home computers, we would like to remind you to be diligent at home with your own cyber footprint.
Homeland Security provides a wealth of tips and tricks for staying safe. Check out their tips, webinars, and other resources for keeping your information and data safe!
Reminder that there will be no school on Friday, November 1. Please plan accordingly.
School will resume on Monday, November 4. For a full list of planned school closures, visit our school calendars online.
October/Early November Dates of Note:
Birth of Baha'u'llah - October 16-17
Dussehra/Dashain/Dasara - October 24-November 1
Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos - November 1-2
View all of the inclusive holidays/recognition days and access links to relevant resources on the EWSD Calendar!
The District is currently hiring Mainstream Instructional Assistants at all grade levels. Please share the job descriptions for these roles with anyone who you think may be interested in joining our team.
While the EWSD works with all students to better understand their impact on others and seeks to grow the social-emotional skills needed to be an upstander, get support when needed, and be kind and supportive community members, incidents of harm still happen.
We encourage families to discuss concerns with teachers as they arise. In addition, we ask for your partnership in supporting students in reducing unkind behaviors and being a part of their school community. It is important that students and families understand definitions of behaviors that meet the definitions of bullying and harassment. Definitions of bullying and harassment can be found within the EWSD Policy on the Prevention of Harassment, Hazing and Bullying of Students.
Dance Education
Fleming fourth and fifth grade students participated in the Kickline Program at Burlington's Waterfront Park. Through this program, students and teachers joined other schools in dance and play movement-based games!
Lego Robots
The EMS seventh grade students on team NOVA used Lego Spike Prime kits to build and program robots!
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 7-12, including the Essex Jazz Collective, EHS Symphonic Band, EHS Wind Ensemble, and seventh/eighth grade musicians from ADL, EMS, and Westford. This event is free and open to the public.
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 6-12, 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.
About Us
Email: communications@ewsd.org
Website: www.ewsd.org
Location: 76 Pearl Street, Suite 201, Essex Junction, VT 05452
Phone: 802-878-8168