EWSD News
News for EWSD Families and Community Members
EWSD Budget Community Engagement Tonight!
Starting tonight at 6 p.m. in the Essex High School library, the EWSD Board will be hosting a community engagement event before their regularly scheduled meeting. The public is invited to attend and connect with the Board.
Visit the new and improved EWSD budget website! The page features many recent updates, including proposed line item budget details, presentations, and school budget news stories!
Winter Break Reminder
There will be no school on Monday, February 26 through Tuesday, March 5 for Winter Break. School will resume on Wednesday, March 6.
For a complete look at upcoming school vacations and closures, visit the EWSD school calendar on our website.
April 8 Solar Eclipse - Early Release
As previously communicated, students will be dismissed early on April 8 due to the solar eclipse and anticipated traffic in the area. The times each school will dismiss on that day are listed below:
School Early Dismissal Time
EES / HIA - 11:30 a.m.
FMS / SUM - 11:40 a.m.
FLE - 11:45 a.m.
CTE - 11:45 a.m.
WES - 12:15 p.m.
EHS / ARC - 12:15 p.m.
EMS / ADL - 12:35 p.m.
*Please note that all P.M. preschool programs are canceled on April 8.
National School Breakfast Week
Starting on March 6, the Child Nutrition Team will be putting a spotlight on school breakfast by encouraging all students to participate in the EWSD Breakfast Participation Challenge for the entire month of March.
The rules of the challenge are simple - start each day by accessing school breakfast! The school that increases their breakfast participation the most, by the end of the month, will win an all school recognition prize. Only one breakfast per student will be counted, so make sure to encourage your students who don’t typically eat breakfast to access it!
Did you know children who eat breakfast are more likely to:
Reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math
Score higher on standardized tests
Have better concentration and memory
Be more alert and maintain a healthy weight
EWSD Every Day Counts!
We recently passed the 100th day of school, and winter in Vermont brings its own challenges to student attendance. Your EWSD school team is here to partner with your family on barriers to daily school attendance, assist your family with any challenges your child is experiencing, and improve attendance and on-time arrival at school for our students.
Please contact your child’s school counselor, nurse, principal, or other school resources if you have any questions or need additional information to assist your child in developing a habit of daily attendance and on-time arrival at school. We are committed to working with you to ensure your child has a successful school year. Thank you for your partnership and everything you do daily to help our students succeed.
Regular attendance and on-time arrival help students build strong relationships with teachers and peers.
- If your child has an appointment, please have them attend school before and after the appointment to prepare them for success in the school week.
- Students who miss one to two days of school a month are at significant risk of challenges in achieving academic and social-emotional goals.
History Months in February
Throughout February, the following awareness months are recognized.
African American Heritage Month
Black History Month
LGBTQIA+ History Month
Visit the EWSD calendar listings on February 1 to learn about the historical relevance of the months and to utilize resources from reputable sources.
Social Justice Read Aloud
Summit focused on their Social Justice standard: I care about those who are treated unfairly. Every class at Summit read The Artivist and all students created equity flags. During an assembly, Summit discussed the book and students were able to see all of the equity flags created! They also heard several students share the action steps written on their equity flags.
Culture Day at ADL
A group of ADL students have been planning and organizing ADL's first-ever Culture Day. Students presented their work to the staff and explained that Culture Day is an opportunity for our school community members to explore both personal culture and heritage as well as those of peers. The most significant detail about Culture Day is that both the initial idea and subsequent work has all been student-driven.
Essex Rotary Speech Contest
EHS was represented by five students at this year's Essex Rotary Speech Contest. EHS sophomore Ari Glasser won with his eloquent speech on how schools can increase hope by setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. Ninth grader Evelyn Johnson, tenth grader Emma Egan, twelfth grader Charlee Olio and tenth grader River Hamlin also attended. Glasser won $200 and will compete in a few weeks in the second round.
EHS Receives New Science Equipment from GlobalFoundries
GlobalFoundries donated $10,000 to the EHS STEM Academy and recently they unveiled the new science equipment. EHS students will now have the capability to work with different model systems, to extract, process, and analyze DNA, and to go out into the field and collect meaningful data about Vermont's biology.
Early Educators Training with UVM I-Team
The EWSD early educators and support staff are participating in a year-long training with the University of Vermont I-Team. They are learning about inclusive practices that support increased communication, participation, and engagement with early learners.
Fleming Dance-Off
Fleming students participated in the annual Dance-Off! All students choreographed, designed their outfits, and competed against other classes! The winners were decided by guest judges, and students performed their routines in front of the school and their families. This year guest judges were UVM students on the Men's soccer and Women's Basketball teams. At the end of the Dance-Off, the faculty and staff participated by performing their own dance!
Harvard's Secondary School
EHS sophomore, Gabrielle Stevenson, was recently accepted to the Harvard Summer School's Secondary School Program for the summer of 2024. The Secondary School Program is a 4- or 7-week academic program for motivated high school students ready to excel in academically rigorous college courses for college credit.
Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
The EWSD SEPAC is recruiting new members and we want you to join us! All parents, educators, students, district leaders, and community members are invited to participate and help improve special education policies, programs, and services.
To apply, submit your applications online by March 5! Information about SEPAC is available on the EWSD Special Education Website.
Empowerment Self-Defense Instructor Training
Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) is a proven evidence-based sexual violence prevention approach that integrates psychoeducation with the physical and mental violence prevention skills taught in a safe environment. The Safety Team’s mission is to prevent violence, heal trauma, foster resilience, and build safe communities and this is the foundation upon which the program was designed.
Trainees will learn how to organize, prepare, and teach a community-based ESD workshop that is culturally responsive and trauma-informed, through a mixture of lectures, discussions, role-play, videos, and practice. To learn more, contact Geneviève Henry at genie@thesafetyteam.org.
About Us
Email: aboutwell@ewsd.org
Website: www.ewsd.org
Location: 76 Pearl Street, Suite 201, Essex Junction, VT 05452
Phone: 802-878-8168