News from WES 3/16/18

UPCOMING WES EVENTS 

• ONGOING ~ Summer Soak Registration
• Tuesday, March 20 - Sixth Grade Parent Middle School Information Night, 6pm WUMS Gym (parents/guardians only)
• Tuesday, March 20 - WCUD board meeting, 6pm Windsor Central Office
• Wednesday, March 21 - Community presentation on drug awareness by Detective Sergeant Richard King of the Ludlow Police Department at WUMHS library, 5-7pm
• March 19-23 - Student-led learning celebrations and ART SHOW for Grades K - 4
• Wednesday, March 28 - Third Quarter Ends 
• Wednesday, March 28 - Show Your Stuff Try-outs 3-6pm Town Hall Theatre
• Monday, April 3 - Show Your Stuff Dress Rehearsal 3-6pm Town Hall Theatre
• Wednesday, April 4 - Understanding Anxiety in Children, WES 5:30-7pm
• Friday, April 6 Show Your Stuff (afternoon TBD)

2018 Woodstock Elementary School Family Wellness Series Three evenings of wellness workshops for the family! Dinner will be provided following each workshop.

Wednesday April 4th 5:30-7:00 PM Dalene Washburn, LICSW Understanding Anxiety in Children Dalene Washburn has a private counseling practice in Woodstock, and has worked with many families in the Woodstock area.  Dalene will present a workshop to parents about anxiety in children through the different stages of development.  She will offer ideas and strategies for helping children when anxiety becomes a challenge.  Children will work with WES’ school counselor, Erin Klocek, on anxiety-reducing tools and techniques that they can use at home. Dinner: Spaghetti with plain or meat sauce, salad, dessert

Wednesday, April 11th 5:30-7 :00 PM Clare Drebitko, MD Healthy Eating as a Family Dr. Drebitko is a pediatrician in Woodstock.  She will present a helpful workshop about how we eat.  Families will learn together how to shop for healthy foods and create healthy meals that are delicious and not costly.  Dr. Drebitko will also speak about whole foods vs. processed foods, additives and preservatives, and how our behaviors can be impacted by what we eat. Dinner: The Drebitko Family’s favorite Vegan Lentil Chili, salad, dessert

Thursday April 12th, 5:30-7:00 PM Susan Mordecai Recognizing Rituals Recognizing rituals, making meaningful moments that cultivate happiness.  As our daily lives have become busier, we miss opportunities to pause and celebrate some of life’s most precious moments.  Some days, we move along on autopilot.  Join with others as we take time to understand how rituals can help with overcoming those hijacked moments.  Susan is a certified mindfulness educator who works with students in a number of schools in our area.  Caitlin Eastman, a local teacher and artist, will work with children to craft ritual objects. Dinner: Vegetarian Cheese Lasagna, salad and dessert

SIXTH GRADE PARENTINFORMATION NIGHT 

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

6:00 PM

Woodstock Union

Middle School

Gym

Come meet the teachers and staff who will be working with your child.  Find out about the programs and curriculum for the seventh grade in 2018-2019. (Questions?  Call 457-1330 WUMS office)

 The evening is designed specifically for parents/guardians.

 Directions: The evening will begin in the middle school gym.  Follow the middle school walkway to the middle school lobby, turn left and go upstairs.  At the top of the stairs go left again.  After you pass the library, take another left. The gym will be on your right. 

Community Presentation on Drug Awareness 

On March 21 from 5-7pm in the WUMSHS library, there will be a community presentation on drug awareness by Detective Sergeant Richard King of the Ludlow Police Department.

This presentation will discuss drug trends in society and Vermont. We will cover the seven drug categories to include the indicators of use and paraphernalia commonly associated with each category. We have included sections on synthetic drugs, bath salts, cannabinoids, THC concentrates and edibles.

Presenter(s) are nationally certified Drug Recognition Experts with extensive experience in impaired driving enforcement and drug investigations.

News From WES, March 12, 2018

UPCOMING WES EVENTS 

• Monday, March 12 - Summer Soak Registration opens!
• Monday, March 12 - 4:30pm WES Board meeting, WES library
• Tuesday, March 13 - 2:45 to 7:00 - Full WCSU Band Showcase at WUMSHS (Snow date Wednesday 3/14)
• Thursday, March 15 - WCSU School Choice applications due 
• March 19-23 - Student-led learning celebrations and ART SHOW for Grades K - 4

The WCSU summer program, Summer SOAK, is a wonderful opportunity for students entering grades 1st-high school. The session list is now available and can be found at this link: 

Summer Soak Sessions 2018

Summer Soak registration opens on March 12th! 

Please remember that child care subsidy is available for SOAK. We would love to have as many WES families as possible take advantage of this superb program! 

All the registration forms can be found on the SOAK website.  It requires creating a log in. (The website is currently being updated, be patient!) 

❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅

Winter at WES! 

Friday was the final day of Winter Workshops, but the snow lives on! Boots, snowpants, hats, and gloves make for recess fun!

WCUD Intra-District School Choice

If you want to stay at your current school, no action is needed - your child will automatically stay enrolled at your local school.

Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, the Windsor Central Unified District (WCUD) will be offering parents and guardians elementary school choice for their students within the district. The choice of the school venue will be guided by the needs of students, parents, and the district and will adhere to the WCUD process and guidelines. Choice may also be limited by transportation feasibility and classroom space availability.

LINK TO ONLINE APPLICATION

News from WES February 17, 2018

UPCOMING WES EVENTS 

• February 19 - 23 No School - February Break
• Monday, February 26 - Winter Wishes gifts due (slide show here)
• Thursday, March 1 - Whole School Winter Wishes exchange
• Monday, March 5 - In-Service Day, No School
• Tuesday, March 6 - Town Meeting Day, No School
• Wednesday, March 7 - Grades K-2 to Pentangle (Chocolate Milk, Por Favor)
• Wednesday, March 7 Summer Camp Expo in the Gym
• Friday, March 9 - Final Week of Winter Workshops
• Tuesday, March 13 - 2:45 to 7:00 - Full WCSU Band Showcase at WUMSHS (Snow date Wednesday 3/14)
• Thursday, March 15 - WCSU School Choice applications due 
• March 19-23 - Student-led learning celebrations for Grades K - 4

Follow this link to school choice site ~ Please note that if you want your student to stay at WES next year, do not fill any paperwork out! Returning students are automatically enrolled in their current school. 

🐾🐾SCHOOL SPIRIT! 🐾🐾

5th and 6th graders, in the spirit of The Flurry snow sculpture competition and WES Wildcat pride, created this Woodstock Wildcat snow sculpture on the front lawn. Thank you Adrian Tans for advising! 

NURSE NEWS

HEAD LICE PROTOCOL

It has come to the attention of the nurse and principal that the head lice management protocol in the school handbook is outdated and does not align with current WCSU practices. If a student is found to have head lice, we notify the parents and inform families of treatment options, but it is no longer required that the student leave school immediately. 

❄ SCENES FROM THE SNOWBALL ❄

Thank you  Ms. Grace, Mrs. Giller, Mrs. Kurash, Ms. Czaja, Gerry, Wes, and parents for a successful event! 

*FRIENDLY REMINDER* 

The front door of WES is unlocked at 7:30 each morning. Please plan your drop offs accordingly. If you or your student has an appointment with a teacher before 7:30, arrange with the teacher to be let into the building.

News from WES 2/12/18

UPCOMING WES EVENTS 

• Monday, February 12, 4:30pm - WES Board Meeting, WES library FINANCE DIRECTOR WILL PRESENT BUDGET INFORMATION AND TAKE QUESTIONS
• February 19 - 23 No School - February Break
• Monday, February 26 - Winter Wishes gifts due
• Thursday, March 1 - Whole School Winter Wishes exchange
• Monday, March 5 - In-Service Day, No School
• Tuesday, March 6 - Town Meeting Day, No School
• Wednesday, March 7 - Grades K-2 to Pentangle (Chocolate Milk, Por Favor)
• Friday, March 9 - Final Week of Winter Workshops
• Tuesday, March 13 - 2:45 to 7:00 - Full WCSU Band Showcase at WUMSHS (Snow date Wednesday 3/14)
• Wednesday, March 14 - 3:30 to 6:00 - Summer Camp Expo in the Gym
• March 19-23 - Student-led learning celebrations for Grades K - 4

❄❄ WINTER WISHES❄❄

a gift recipient from last year's exchange

Winter wishes is an annual community building tradition at WES now in its seventh year. This tradition is brought to us by the student council. Each student brings home the name of another student in the school and has the opportunity to make a thoughtful, homemade gift for that student. Gifts are brought to school on Monday, February 26th and will be exchanged on Thursday, March 1st. No edible gifts are to be brought due to allergies. Your student should have brought home the name of the student s/he will make a gift for on Friday 2/9. Students viewed a slideshow of homemade gift ideas that can be viewed here. The school can provide some assistance with materials if you contact your child's teacher early this week. 

NEW SCHOOL MEAL PAYMENT POLICY

5th and 6th graders in the cafe preparing for their Snow Ball social event

In December of 2017,  Windsor Central Supervisory Union adopted a new school meal program balance policy in order to manage food service debt district-wide. As stated in the policy, once a family has been notified of their balance due, if it is not paid within 10 days, the principal will call you to discuss a payment plan. Families are encouraged to prepay for meals on a monthly basis to avoid large meal charges. A month of school lunch is 25 days totaling $70.  A month of snack milk totals $12.50. Paying ahead and paying meal balances on a regular basis helps ensure that the WES meal program can continue to provide nourishing and engaging meal experiences for our students. High balance notices will go out monthly, and you can always learn your balance by emailing or calling David Miles in the office.

Participation in the free and reduced program can also assist our school in becoming eligible for grants and services. Free and reduced information and applications are available in the front office, on our website under the meal plan tab, and can be found here. Please note that school meal program balances include charges for snack milk even if a child is eligible for free or reduced meals. Snack milk is not included in the free and reduced program.

GOING SOMEWHERE?

February, March, and April tend to be months where Vermonters look to travel away from the cold, slush, and mud. Travel deals and family events do not always line up with the two scheduled school vacations in February and April. Please consider, before you book a trip, that missing school for several days in a row can become a source of anxiety for students, create gaps in their learning, and make it difficult to assess their skills and assign grades. Attempting to complete work on a trip without attending the accompanying lessons or having a teacher available for guidance creates stress during what should be an enjoyable family time. Much of the work we do in school cannot be sent with students. Students return and face the stress of being behind on assignments and having missed lessons that are essential for understanding what is happening in class when they return. Teachers work very hard to support students who have been absent, but there is limited time to do so. There is simply no substitute for being in school.

MUSIC NOTES

The Soundtrap Recording Studio program in 5th and 6th grade music is in week three of five weeks. All students in grades 5 and 6 are engaged and learning great new music recording computer skills. Students are able to continue their work at home on their home computers by logging into Google Chrome. The goal for each student is to create one song that s/he has really worked on and is very proud of. Each class will curate the songs in order and create an 'album', with one song from each member of the class.  They will each get a collection of their class's 20 songs.

Girls and Women in Engineering Event 

The American Precision Museum in Windsor, Vermont is hosting an “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” event on Saturday, February 24th at 1pm during National Engineering Week. Girls and young women of all ages are invited to come and talk to professional women engineers about what it’s like to be an engineer. Women engineers and women engineering students in all areas of expertise are invited to attend and inspire girls and young women to consider becoming an engineer. Inspire a girl's future! This event is free. The museum will supply fun activities and refreshments.