Wildcat Buzz

1. No School on Monday, September 1st - Labor Day

2. Picture day is coming up in both school, keep reading for more details

3. Ice Cream Social hosted by WFAP on 9/8

09/01 - Labor Day, NO SCHOOL

09/04 - First Day of PreK

09/08 - ABS School Pictures

09/08 - WFAP Ice Cream Social @ WCS Playground Pavilion, 6-8pm

09/09 - WCS School Pictures

09/10 - Four Winds Training

09/11 - Williston Families as Partners (WFAP) Monthly Meeting

09/18 -- WCS Grades 3 & 4 Open House, 6:30-7:30pm

09/25 - ABS K-2 Open House, 6-7pm

10/02 -- Yom Kippur, NO SCHOOL

by Greg Marino, Williston Schools Lead Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

The Williston Schools are off to a fabulous start! It has been incredible welcoming back our students these past three days. Both schools have been buzzing with positive energy as classrooms and teams have been having lots of fun and doing the important work of building community together. It has been an absolute pleasure to have these past few days to be out and about taking it all in. Just this morning it was my privilege to co-host the 3rd and 4th grade Welcome Back Assembly with Miss Nadine. At the beginning of each year we are intentional about taking the time to bring groups together across both schools and connect about what our community is all about and what it means to take care of that community. With the 3rd and 4th graders today, we talked about how our school, our teams, and our classrooms are all different types of communities, and all provide us safety and comfort when we take care of them. We also talked about “The Wildcat Way”, which are the three very simple statements, now standardized across all of CVSD; We Take Care of Ourselves, We Take Care of Each Other, and We Take Care of This Place. What I love about these statements is that they are so intuitive and so straightforward. Our kids know what it means to feel “taken care of” and they know what it means to “take care of” someone or something else. Because we value these statements so much, we take the time in the first few weeks to explicitly talk about what it means to live them in different school settings, like the hallways, cafeteria, out at recess, and in the classroom.

Educating our kids is perhaps one of the best examples of how a community working in synergy can impact the world in a dramatic way. We value your part as parents and caregivers in this endeavor and know we cannot do it without your partnership and support. We value and need your input and want you to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Speaking of synergistic teamwork, 5-6 and 7-8 teams had the chance to work (and play) with Troy Wunderle, from Wunderle’s Big Top Adventures this week. Mr. Wunderle is a master of the Circus Arts and specializes in facilitating fun games and activities that encourage teamwork and team building. I snapped the pictures below when Oak House had their turn with the amazing Mr. Wunderle this morning. The activity demonstrated what it takes to come together and coordinate our efforts in a way that moves us forward down a path. The room erupted in laughter as the students struggled and failed at first. Then, with a little coaching and communication they were able to take forward strides. The teachers and staff then stepped in and made it look easy - well maybe not so much : )

We all know this endeavor of “school” and learning isn’t always easy, but it is absolutely essential. Lucky for us, in addition to failure and struggle, our endeavor in learning is also filled with joy and laughter, thanks to the humans involved - including you!

Thank you for all you do to support your students as we settle into what I think will be an amazing school year!

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

It is critical that the front office is aware of any and all changes in your student's schedule. This is a crucial part of our safety protocols, and helps prevent confusion at dismissal time. If they will be absent, leaving early for an appointment, following a different plan at the end of the day, etc we ask you to email the correct school office, and cc your core/classroom teacher.

PreK - Second grade: absattendance@cvsdvt.org

Third - Eighth grade: wcsattendace@cvsdvt.org

Order on-line with the links below, or watch for a paper copy to come home with your student.

Allen Brook School:

www.bsnap.hhimagehost.com

Event: Allen Brook School Fall 2025 Pre Sale

Access code: ABS325

Williston Central School:

www.bsnap.hhimagehost.com

Event: Williston Fall 2025 Pre Sale

Access code: WCS325

If your child is in grades K-4 we are looking for volunteers to lead monthly Four Winds

lessons starting this fall.

WHAT DO VOLUNTEERS LOVE ABOUT THE PROGRAM?

"I have learned how incredibly curious little people are, and how they can be scientists

at age 5! We need them for our future, for the future of our planet!"

"Receiving the lesson [during training] exactly the way we will pass it on, being with a good group of people who care about the kids and school."

“If you want to get to know your kids’ friends and teachers, or just generally connect with the community, consider becoming a Four Winds volunteer. I am living proof that you don’t need a science degree to be a volunteer, just an eagerness to learn and share.”

The first training session will be on Wednesday September 10, 2025 in the Community Room at WCS between 8:30-10:30 am.

Email us for more information and how to sign up:: wsdfourwinds@cvsdvt.org

The WCS 4th grade chorus is now called the Treble Cat Chorus! We will begin rehearsing soon! If your child is interested in checking it out, please review the information below.

When:

• Tuesdays after school, 2:50-4:00.

• Rehearsals for session 1 begin on Tuesday, September 30th.

• The first two rehearsals are “open enrollment.” (9/30 and 10/7) Students may come to sit in and check it out with no obligation.

• Starting Tuesday, October 14th, students must make a final decision to be a chorus member or not. Chorus members must attend all rehearsals. Absences due to medical, religious, or family reasons are excused.

• Non-members are not permitted to attend rehearsals.

Where:

• WCS Music/Chorus room

• Students should bring a snack to eat between school dismissal and the start of chorus rehearsal. No food is permitted inside the rehearsal room. Only water is allowed.

• There is a 4:20 activity bus available to take students home. Supervision is provided between 4:00 and 4:20.

Other Information:

• The chorus performances for session 1 will be on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2025 at 1:00pm and 6:30pm in the WCS auditorium.

• The chorus sings a variety of music from different time periods, cultures, and styles. The students will be singing in different languages, meters, and tonalities. The songs range in level of difficulty.

• No audition- just a love for singing!

• No cost.

If your child would like to join the 4th grade chorus, click HERE to complete the online form OR fill out the paper form that will be sent home in your child’s take-home folder and then send it back to school with your child.

Please contact Danielle Trasciatti-Holmberg (Mrs. T-H) with any questions or concerns. dtrasciatti@cvsdvt.org

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

• 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.