Sunday, February 11, 2018

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.


Monday, January 22, 2018

News from WES 1/22/18

UPCOMING WES EVENTS 


  • Wednesday, January 24 - 1st and 3rd grade to Pentangle for "Nugget and Fang"
  • Friday, January 26, 6:30-8pm SNOW BALL for 5th and 6th grade, WES CafĂ©
  • Friday, January 26 Show Your Stuff Master of Ceremonies applications due to Mr. Mumford
  • Monday, January 29, 6pm Girl Scout informational meeting in WES library 
  • Week of January 29 - report cards mailed home
  • February 2nd - Show Your Stuff Sign up due (click here to sign your child up!)
  • Thursday, February 8, 7:00 p.m. Documentary: “Most Likely to Succeed” (followed by panel discussion) at the Woodstock Town Hall Theater
  • Monday, February 12, 4:30pm - WES Board Meeting, WES library FINANCE DIRECTOR WILL PRESENT BUDGET INFORMATION AND TAKE QUESTIONS
  • Monday, February 26, Winter Wishes gifts due
  • Thursday, March 1 - Whole School Winter Wishes exchange

SHOW YOUR STUFF 2018 INFO



Every year WES holds a celebratory, community-building talent show called Show Your Stuff in which students are given the opportunity to demonstrate a talent or skill on stage. This performance is just about two months away. Students interested in participating in this action-packed, fun-filled, mind-bending spectacle should have a parent complete Show Your Stuff Sign-Up & Contract by Friday, February 2. Please keep in mind that the contract is a commitment by parents and participants that the act will be practiced regularly and performed as it has been described.
                                   
Presenting a talent on stage before the entire school community is a major commitment! Parents, be sure that if your child is interested, s/he, along with other participating members of the group, is willing to put in the necessary time to make the performance a successful one. The mandatory try-out on Thursday, March 29, is where students obtain final approval to perform their act at Show Your Stuff. Students unprepared at this time will be invited to wait until next year to participate in the show.
Mark the following dates on your calendar:
  • Try-Out at Town Hall Theater—Thursday, March 29, from 3:00 -  6:00ish
  • Dress Rehearsal at Town Hall Theater—Monday, April 2, from 3:00 - 6:00ish
  • Show Your Stuff at Town Hall Theater— Friday, April 6, TBD (mid-day)
If you have questions, contact Jay Mumford at  jmumford@wcsu.net

Say "Cheese!" 


Thank you to the Vermont Farmstead Cheese company for supplying WES with three different cheeses to try during this month's taste test. Students and staff were delighted to learn about how the cheese is made and about the different breeds of cows. Students were also given a cow trading card to take home. We are so fortunate to be connected to this is amazing local food producer. 


WES Explores Robotics and Programming 

Fifth and sixth grade STEM students are learning about programming and robotics using Hummingbird microprocessors. Students are working on Chromebooks to create computer codes that create a response to a sensor. For example, students programmed an LED light to flash a given number of times when the sensor recognizes sounds at a particular volume. Students were able to relate these codes to technology found in safety features of cars such as blind spot detectors and center line crossing indicators. 





NURSE NEWS 

As many of you have heard, this year's flu season is off to a running start. At the moment, our state still has some of the lower rates of flu being seen around the country. The CDC would like to remind people that 3 basic precautions can greatly reduce your chance of getting the flu. These are:
1) Keep your hands out of your T-Zone (eyes, ears, nose and mouth).
2) Wash hands often with soap and water, scrub for 20 seconds.
3) Get the Flu Vaccine. It's not too late. The vaccine is about 30% effective this year but can decrease the severity of the illness even if you get the flu.

Have your children wash their hands when they come home from school. Adequate sleep, exercise and good nutrition also help boost immune systems and help keep kids healthy! Seek medical attention from your child's pediatrician (please avoid emergency rooms whenever possible) if they have a fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit, persistent cough, extreme fatigue or exhaustion, body aches or severe headache. If in doubt, call your child's pediatrician office. They will help determine if your child should be seen. Stay well! Jamie Sudol MEd, RN - School Nurse

THANK YOU FROM THE WOODSTOCK FOOD SHELF



WINTER WORKSHOPS OFF TO A GREAT START! 

Bridge Building Teams



Chess Club 





Food Lab





Cardio Club 


Hands On History 



Monday, January 15, 2018

News from WES 1/15/18


UPCOMING WES EVENTS 

  • Tuesday, January 16, 6:00 p.m. - WCSU/WCUD Board Meeting in WCSU conference room
  • Friday, January 19 - Second quarter ends
  • Friday, January 26, 6:30-8pm SNOW BALL for 5th and 6th grade, WES CafĂ©
  • Week of January 29 - report cards mailed home
  • Thursday, February 8, 7:00 p.m.
    Documentary: “Most Likely to Succeed” (followed by panel discussion)
    at the Woodstock Town Hall Theater

❆ SNOW BALL ! ❆

The WES Student Council would like to invite all 5th and 6th grade students to attend a social gathering dance party in the WES CafĂ© on Friday, January 26th from 6:30-8pm. The event will include music, karaoke, dancing, and cookies to decorate. The student council plans to send home a notice to 5th and 6th grade families with further details. 

Invitation to Participate in a WCSU Project


Windsor Central Supervisory Union is launching into the important work of defining the critical skills and knowledge students need upon graduating from high school. WES parents and staff are highly encouraged to apply to be part of the team. Applications are due 1/26. Click here to apply. Please review the flyer below for more information about this group and project.






















































































INNOVATION IN EDUCATION COMMUNITY FILM SCREENING


WCSU will have a community showing of the documentary film Most Likely to Succeed followed by a discussion related to the film and its urgent call for the re-imagining of American education. The film is quite relevant to work currently happening in our district to study models of effective 21st century learning environments and innovative programs  with the goal of creating learning environments in our district that clearly reflect the demands of the 21st century. Here are some details.


Documentary: “Most Likely to Succeed” (followed by panel discussion)
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
7:00 pm at the Woodstock Town Hall Theater


  • 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm - Introduction and Showing of “Most Likely to Succeed”
  • 8:40 pm - 9:30 pm -  Panel Discussion - How are we re-imagining education in Vermont to better equip students for the realities of the twenty-first century economy?

The film trailer may be found here: https://vimeo.com/122502930






Sunday, January 7, 2018

News From WES 1/8/18


UPCOMING WES EVENTS 

  • Monday, January 8, 4:30 p.m. - WES Board Meeting in WES Library 
  • Friday, January 12 - Winter Workshops begin grades 1-6
  • Tuesday, January 16, 6:00 p.m. - WCSU/WCUD Board Meeting in WCSU conference room
  • Friday, January 19 - Second quarter ends
  • Week of January 29 - report cards mailed home
  • Thursday, February, 7:00 p.m.
    Documentary: “Most Likely to Succeed” (followed by panel discussion)
    at the Woodstock Town Hall Theater

Invitation to Participate in a WCSU Project


Windsor Central Supervisory Union is launching into the important work of defining the critical skills and knowledge students need upon graduating from high school. WES parents and staff are highly encouraged to apply to be part of the team. Applications are due 1/26. Click here to apply. Please review the flyer below for more information about this group and project.






















































































INNOVATION IN EDUCATION COMMUNITY FILM SCREENING


WCSU will have a community showing of the documentary film Most Likely to Succeed followed by a discussion related to the film and its urgent call for the re-imagining of American education. The film is quite relevant to work currently happening in our district to study models of effective 21st century learning environments and innovative programs  with the goal of creating learning environments in our district that clearly reflect the demands of the 21st century. Here are some details.


Documentary: “Most Likely to Succeed” (followed by panel discussion)
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
7:00 pm at the Woodstock Town Hall Theater


  • 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm - Introduction and Showing of “Most Likely to Succeed”
  • 8:40 pm - 9:30 pm -  Panel Discussion - How are we re-imagining education in Vermont to better equip students for the realities of the twenty-first century economy?

The film trailer may be found here: https://vimeo.com/122502930







News from WES 6-20-19

Dear WES Families,  Happy Summer! I hope this email finds you well. Please see updates below about the playground, report cards, and mor...