Wildcat Buzz

1. PreKindergarten Lottery for 2026/2027 is now open

2. Be Winter Ready: Recess Gear, Bus Updates & Hills, School Messenger

3. December Williston Families as Partners Meeting on the 11th

12/08 - Socrates Cafe @CVU, 6:30-8:30pm

12/09 - Walk or Roll to School Day

12/11 - December WFAP Meeting, @WCS 8:30-10:30 or virtual

12/16 - 5-8 Chorus Concert, 6:30 - 7:30pm

12/16 - Howard Center Caregiver Mental Health Education Workshop, 5:45-7pm

12/17 - 5-6 Band Concert @5:30-6:30pm, 7-8 Band Concert @7-8pm

12/24 - 01/02 - Early Winter Break, NO SCHOOL

01/05 - Welcome Back, break over

01/19 - Martin Luther King, Jr Day - NO SCHOOL

01/28 - Middle School Open House & Celebration of Learning, Gradesa 5-8 @6:30p-7:30p

visit the CVSD food service page on our website for additional information and resources

• The "feels like" temperature is below zero
• Heavy rain and/or thunder and lightning
• Excessive ice - with no alternative locations that are deemed safe

Students should have appropriate outdoor gear at school. Boots and snow pants are required to play in the snow - any students without either will need to remain on the paved/plowed areas during recess.

**At ABS - anytime the "feels like" is 40 or below, students must wear a jacket during recess

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) is Circulating in the Community

The Health Department is reporting that cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, are on the rise in some areas of Vermont. While most cases have occurred in Washington and Lamoille Counties, cases have occurred across Vermont. Most cases have been among school-aged children. Now is a good time to make sure you and your family are up to date with whooping cough vaccination (DTap or Tdap). Be on the lookout for symptoms in your family. Please keep sick children at home to help protect our school community and if your child is diagnosed with pertussis, notify the school. Contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

About Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that spreads easily from person-to-person through the air in respiratory droplets when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes. While vaccination against whooping cough is effective, protection from the vaccine fades over time. People who are vaccinated can still get whooping cough, but their illness is often milder, and they are less likely to spread the illness to others.

Symptoms

Early in the illness, whooping cough appears like a common cold. Symptoms may include runny or stuffy nose, low-grade fever, and a mild cough. After one to two weeks, people may develop rapid, violent, and uncontrollable coughing fits that can last six weeks or more.

Coughing fits can cause people to:

• Make a high-pitched "whoop" when they inhale

• Vomit during or after coughing

• Struggle to breathe

• Stop breathing momentarily

• Have difficulty sleeping at night

• Feel tired

• Fracture (break) ribs

Whooping cough is very serious for babies. About one in three babies who are younger than one year old and get whooping cough need hospitalization. Many babies don’t have a cough at all. Instead, they may experience choking episodes or periods where they stop breathing.

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Be sure to check the Lost and Found before break! Any items still remaining after December 19th will be donated over the break.

Join CVU’s Threads Club on Monday, December 8, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for a student-led community discussion focused on the question, “What does it mean to live a good life?”

All community members are welcome to join. Please RSVP here.

SchoolMessenger is the system used by CVSD for mass notification to faculty, staff, families and caregivers.

Williston Schools often sends emails, text messages, and phone messages about bus changes or delays, road closures, snow days, important school events, and more...

If you are not receiveing these messages, check out this information to get on the lists

In the event that weather and/or road conditions make it unsafe for our buses to travel hill roads, we will notify parents and/or caregivers of students on those routes with as much notice as possible.

When hills are closed for afternoon bus runs, if no one arrives to meet younger students, they will be brought back to school until arrangements are made for them to be picked up. Please talk with your bus drivers to let them know if you are comfortable letting your child walk home from the drop off location.

We will use the automated SchoolMessenger system to notify families on the hill roads.

The CVSD Early Education Program is now accepting applications for a random prekindergarten lottery drawing for the 2026-27 school year. This lottery is for an opportunity to enroll in one of our school-based classrooms which runs 4 partial days per week. Our school-based prekindergarten classrooms are 5 STARs, licensed early education programs that provide play-based, developmentally appropriate environments for all children in an inclusive setting. Our curriculum is based on the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS).

Our programs follow the CVSD school calendar. Children who will be age 3 or older by September 1, 2026, who are not eligible for kindergarten, and live in the communities of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston are eligible to enter the lottery. Families who are selected for the lottery and choose to enroll their child in a CVSD program access their Act 166 publicly funded prekindergarten funds for the school-based program.

All applications must be received by February 5, 2026, and are located on the CVSD Early Education website under PreK Enrollment. Paper applications are available upon request.

For additional information, questions about our program, or any concerns about your child’s development, please visit our website or contact Director of Early Education, Erin Gagne at egagne@cvsdvt.org. Our Early Education team is also available for developmental screenings in the areas of communication, social-emotional development, motor skills, adaptive development, and cognition. More information about an Early Multi-Tiered System of Supports is also available on the website.

Therapist providing services at ABS-This resource is housed at ABS; however is billed through the child’s insurance. A conversation between the family, Heather Scandale (school counselor), and Courtney needs to occur before services start. Courtney uses Heather’s office space on Thursdays.

Courtney Roman

Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW (she, her)

A little about Courtney-

“I take an authentic & collaborative approach to therapy, blending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, and narrative work. My goal is to create a space where you feel truly seen and supported as we make sense of your experiences together. We'll uncover the patterns that may be holding you back and work on practical strategies to help you feel more grounded, empowered, and well.

Please contact Heather Scandale, School Counselor, for more information

Williston Central School Athletics are open to all students grades 6th-8th. All practices start at 2:50 and end around 4:20. Students can be picked up at the rear entrance to the school, or take the activity bus.

Visit the athletics website for everything you need to know about playing on a sports team at WCS. WCS Athletics

The WCS Drama program is open to grades 6, 7, and 8 and currently includes a Fall Play and a Spring Musical.

Visit the drama webpage to learn more about upcoming productions and the WCS Drama program.

Williston Rec & Parks Continued...

Learn to Ski/Ride

Grades K-8th. Early-Bird Discount Deadline is December 21. Registration Deadline- Sunday, December 28. Be sure to register now and don’t miss out on the Equipment Rental nights on November 19 and December 11. You need to register your family for one night and one-time block.

Swim Lessons- Splash

Age 6 mos-2.5 yrs. The Recreation Dept. and The Edge on Morse Drive in Essex are teaming up to offer Tot-Preschool group swim lessons. The lessons introduce swimming techniques and increase safety skills around the water. Group lessons run year-round in the indoor pool at the Edge.

Cookie Decorating- Grade K-8. Join us for a fun-filled afternoon of cookie decorating! With no school on Monday, December 29, it’s the perfect opportunity to be creative and enjoy some quality time together. Each registered participant will receive a cookie decorating kit featuring six delicious, winter-themed cookies, three bags of icing, a sprinkle set, and a handy cookie tool. While decorating, enjoy a special feature that will keep everyone entertained. Register Here

Winter Culinary 3-Day Adventure- Age 8-16. Wintry sabotage comes with each recipe. Scavenger hunts, word puzzles, carnival games, equipment swaps, etc., await each participant as they work together to overcome obstacles. Recipe-building skills will be acquired during this camp. Instructor: Lynn Brown. Register- Register Here

• First Call - 488-7777: phone support, crisis intervention, assessment and referrals
• In Crisis: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) (National Hopeline Network: USA)
• National Suicide Prevention Life line- 1-800-273-TALK (8255), call or chat online
• Crisis Text Line - text HOME to 741741 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
• Outright Vermont - support for LGBTQ+ community
• Vermont 211 -Vermont database of resources and services
• Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide - Website where you can find information to help yourself or a friend who may be having thoughts of suicide.
• Trevor Lifeline - 1-866- 488-7386 - provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. It offers free, 24/7, confidential counseling. TrevorText—text START to 678-678; TrevorChat—instant messaging at TheTrevorProject.org/help. It also runs TrevorSpace, an affirming social networking site for LGBTQ youth at TrevorSpace.