Waitsfield Elementary

Here's what's growing around WES these days. While the gardens are good company, we're looking forward to having growing people back in the building!

Dear friends and families,

The school year is just around the corner, with the first day for students on Wednesday, August 27th. The floors and classrooms are gleaming after their deep cleaning and I look forward to our school becoming vibrant again after the semi-dormancy of summer. The balloon arch will be waiting on the first day and the PTA will be hosting a light breakfast, outside the school, for parents/caregivers to enjoy after children are dropped off.

BACK TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY GATHERING Families and students are invited to join us Monday August 25nd, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Students and families can connect with classrooms and staff and families can connect with one another. There will be an optional activity to encourage exploration and connection and ice cream for everyone! We hope to see you all there.

SCHOOL DAY The school doors open at 7:25 a.m. We ask that all students are in their classrooms by 7:40 a.m.; dismissal is at 2:30 pm. All students enter through our main (front) entrance. Families are welcome in the school building. We find that students tend to be most successful when goodbyes are said at the front door, however. This helps build student independence and confidence.

PICK UP PATROL This year, we are using Pick up Patrol (PUP) to track student attendance and after school plans; you'll need to use only one tool to report absences, late arrivals, early dismissals or changes in after school plans. Look for a message in your email box soon to update PUP for this year (or sign up if you’re new to PUP). Putting your child's afterschool plans in Pick Up Patrol is critical for us to support over 100 students getting to the right spot at the end of each school day. Thank you!

POWERSCHOOL REGISTRATION An email was sent to parents/guardians last Friday from "Powerschool Enrollment" with directions on how to update your child's school enrollment information. This is done annually to ensure we have up-to-date contact, emergency contact and health information, as well as the opportunity to review and confirm various annual notifications (i.e. can we share pictures of your child in our newsletters.) THANK YOU for taking a few minutes to complete this. The program is set up to show most of the information you entered last year; we hope this makes it as easy as possible. Please reach out to Susan Laskaris at 496-3643 if you have any questions.

Look for BUS ROUTES (they will be much the same as last year's routes) and the SCHOOL MEALS MENU coming to your email boxes early next week.

I truly love the excitement and opportunities of the new school year that is about to unfurl. As I begin my 17th year as the principal at Waitsfield Elementary, I am struck by the continued vibrance of our school which places community, excellence and continuous growth at the center of all we do. I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Respectfully, Kaiya

BACK TO SCHOOL PREPARATION / SUPPLIES

Other than sneakers, a water bottle and a backpack, there are not supplies that your child needs for school. However, there are some steps that you can take to help prepare your child (and perhaps yourself?) for the transition to school life.

Help your child prepare by organizing their backpack for school and talking through your routines for the school year together. What does a great morning look like? Who has what responsibilities? What time does everyone need to get up to make it all work? What are after school plans? (while you’re at it, please update Pick Up Patrol with those plans).

Practicing going to bed on time, as well as getting up and eating breakfast before heading out the front door BEFORE the first week of school helps ease the transition back

Build your child’s confidence by revisiting all that he/she accomplished last year, as well as growth and accomplishments from the summer. From learning to ride a bike, to reading, to public speaking, to understanding division, our children accomplish such growth that we sometimes take it for granted. It’s good to celebrate the accomplishments and use that as a springboard to discuss what they hope to achieve in the coming year.

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

Each year, we share a directory of students and their family’s contact information JUST with other families in the school. We only share this information with your permission. To give permission for your family’s info to be shared this school year, please complete this short form. We hope to have directories ready to share soon after the school year starts.

Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.

Mad River Valley Fall Soccer Registration

In the fall, the Mad River Valley Soccer Association provides a recreational youth soccer experience for players from the Mad River Valley. The first games are held the weekend after Labor Day, and the final games are held the first weekend in November. The primary purpose of the Recreational Team is to offer instruction-based soccer. Recreational teams participate in intra- and inter-league play on a regularly scheduled seasonal basis. Matches are instructional and promote equal playing time for all participants. Recreational teams focus on skills development in a non-competitive environment.

Here is the link to register: https://system.gotsport.com/programs/L68467580

PreK4-Kindergarten Program: $75 Players must be 4 years old at the start of the program. The program is on Saturday mornings. Uniform is included in the program cost.
Grades 1-2 Program: $100 1 practice per week. 1 Saturday game per week. Uniform is included in the program cost
Grades 3-4 & 5-6 Program: $125 2 practices per week. Games on Saturdays with the possibility of an additional game on another day/evening. Please note: Uniforms are not included in the price for the 3/4 and 5/6 program; they will need to be ordered separately (link forthcoming). We are using the same kits from the spring travel league, so if you have a uniform from spring, you will not need to order another one.

Scholarships are available. Please reach out if you are in need of financial support.

Please reach out to registrar@madrivervalleysoccer with any questions.

New STEM show at Mad Arts

Stardust

The Big MAC (Mad Arts Collective)

August 21- October 31, 2025
Open: Tuesday - Saturday, 1-5pm
Reception: September 19, 5-7pm

Mad Arts is excited to present "Stardust", a new exhibition on view from August 21 through October 31st at the Gallery and coinciding with the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Stardust is rooted in an age-old inquiry “Where are we going”?, a journey about the Self through the Cosmos and The Quantum World. Artists in the group ‘The Mad 802 Collective’ express their interpretation of the immaterial while engaging with the scales of the unimaginably tiny to the infinitely large in measurable and mythical time and grounded in the essence of nature itself. The Quantum World is one of uncertainty. One can’t really talk about where a quantum object is, we can only talk about where we might find it. Yet, our seemingly solid reality is built upon this tiny world of possibilities, stuff has form, the universe has form and we are solid. This show looks at the behavior of photons, particles and mysterious patterns of quantum phenomena. It inspires us to think about the magic of the quantum fundamental basis to reality and asks us to be curious about where the human species is going. Artists open up to their interpretation of the immaterial while engaging with the scales of the unimaginable tiny to the infinitely large.

Mon Aug 25th, 4:30 - 5:30 pm Back to School Community Gathering

Wed. Aug. 27th First Day of School

Mon. Sept. 1st: Labor Day. No School

Wed. Sept. 17th: School Photo Day

Wed. Sept. 24th: All School Hike @ MRG

Fri. Oct. 10th: NO SCHOOL. Teacher In-Service

Mon. Oct. 13th: NO SCHOOL. Indigenous People's Day

Sat. Nov. 15th: Ski & Skate Sale at WES

2025-2026 School Calendar

About Us

Website: https://www.waitsfieldschool.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waitsfieldschool/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=waitsfield%20elementary%20school

Phone: 802-496-3643

Location: 3951 Main Street, Waitsfield, VT

Waitsfield Elementary