Weybridge Family News

Monday, 1/19 - no school in honor of Martin Luther King

Tuesday, 1/20 - no school - teacher prep day for progress reports

Monday-Friday, 1/21-23 and Tuesday 1/26 and Wednesday, 1/28 - schoolwide engineering project - see below

Tuesday, 1/27, 9:00-10:30 - National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) - 4th grade assessment in math or reading

Tuesday 1/27 or Thursday 1/29, 6:30-7:30 (weather conditional) - 4/5 trip to the Middlebury College observatory (see below)

Friday, 1/30 - progress reports will be sent home with students

Friday, 1/30 - final day of Middlebury College student residency at WES

Wednesday, 2/4, 1:00 - Early release

ACSD Board dates - MUHS - 73 Charles Avenue, Middlebury

Please click the link to join the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86073983740

Monday, January 26, 6:30-8:30

Monday, February 9, 6:30-8:30

Dear Families,

Ice Skating Rink update: The weather and ice conditions have not been good for skating this week. Additionally, due to insurance constraints that have surfaced, we can, at this time, no longer allow community skating after school or over the weekend. I will be trying to figure out if there is a work- around next week, but for the time being - no community access.

Handicap parking: I had noticed, particularly in the morning, that parents were pulling into the handicap parking space. This week was way better! Thanks! Modeling respect for these spaces is really important. The 2/3 class is deep into an inquiry about the accessibility of the school and, while they have learned that the school is in compliance with ADA standards, they have found several areas of concern and will be developing a report to share with ACSD leadership.

Engineering Project - designing weight-bearing bridges: Students got together Friday afternoon to learn a bit about this winter’s design project and then had an opportunity to work with their teams, as a warm up task, to build a weight bearing tower with JUST note cards - no adhesives! The challenge they will work on over the next two weeks is to construct weight-bearing bridges using different materials and structures. Students will work on a team throughout the project to come up with designs that work. Each team has 3 members from across the grades. They will be applying the engineering problem-solving process: ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve. In addition, because it is a highly collaborative process, involving all team members, communication is key, so we will follow what we call the LETSC principles of practice developed in the past by WES students for engineering projects: Listen to everyone. Everyone participates. Take turns. Share the work/job equally. Compromise.

Bridge homework - looking for bridges over the long weekend and throughout the project: As you move about with your children over the weekend and the next couple of weeks, please look for bridges and, if possible, take a picture and send it to me cjohnston@acsdvt.org. If you have pictures of bridges from earlier travels, please send those on as well. The bridges can be as simple as a plank or log across a stream to a culvert to the Champlain Bridge or even the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge across China! When/if you see a bridge, think with your children about how they work.

Bridge design schedule:

Wednesday, 1/21 - 12:20-1:20

4/5 observatory Middlebury College opportunity (1/27 OR 1/29, 6:30-7:30): The 4th and 5th graders have an opportunity to go to the Middlebury College observatory on the top floor of the science building (McCardell Bicentennial Hall). I had the opportunity to do this with my fall college class and it was truly wondrous. The opportunity is weather dependent - travel conditions, cloud cover, and/or the ice/snow cover on the viewing area.

I will be sending a college permission slip home later today. Siblings will not be able to attend. We will need some drivers. If you are interested and able to do so, please let me know if you are available 1/27 and/or 1/29 and how many you could transport.

Lunch help: We’re all set for this coming week but need volunteers for 1/27 and 1/30. If any of these days work for you please let me know or sign up directly on the January/February lunch calendar. If you can schedule ahead into February, please do.

Please email me cjohnston@acsdvt.org or call if you have any questions (802-545-3301).

Christina

In November, the ACSD Board voted to educate Shoreham and Bridport together at Bridport school beginning in August 2026. The Shoreham building will also begin a new chapter, educating preschool students. We want to share the principal update with all members of our community:

• Jenny Urban will continue as the full-time principal at Bridport Central School, and Lashawn Whitmore-Sells will join her as a 0.5 principal.

• Principal Whitmore-Sells will also be the preschool administrator at Shoreham, working with our preK team to stabilize and grow our early childhood programming by relocating our Bridport PreK classroom to Shoreham Elementary School, expanding preK offerings, and exploring birth-to-3 partnerships to best serve our communities.

• Principals Urban and Whitmore-Sells both bring exceptional care for our students and staff, and we are incredibly lucky to benefit from their expertise as we move forward.

Help shape the future of education in our community! The ACSD Board will have open School Board seats this year in Bridport, Middlebury, and Salisbury. If you're interested, gather signatures* on your nominating petition and submit the petition and your Candidate Consent form to your Town Office by January 26, 2026.This is also a great time to reach out to encourage someone you think would be a great candidate! Board elections occur on Town Meeting Day, March 3, 2026. Terms are 3 years. You must be 18 or older and a resident of the respective town to run. You'll play a crucial role in enhancing our schools and advocating for every student. Learn more on the Running for School Board page of the Vermont School Board Association website.

* Petitions must be signed by 60 voters or one percent of the ACSD checklist—whichever is less. Petitions and the Candidate Consent Form are available with the links above, at your Town Hall, or the ACSD District Office (49 Charles Ave, Middlebury). ​​​​​​​