Dear WSD Families,
This week’s updates and reminders are below.
Important Upcoming Dates:
- Friday, October 23 – 11am dismissal for all student and MHS parent-teacher conferences from 12-3pm
- October 26th – 1st and 3rd-grade students will start attending in-person four days per week.
- October 29th at 4pm – Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Capital Project (Join us via Facebook live!)
- November 2nd – Kindergarten and 5th-grade students will start attending in-person four days per week.
- Monday, November 23 – early dismissal at 11am (JFK parent-teacher conferences)
- Tuesday, November 24 – early dismissal at 11am (JFK parent-teacher conferences)
No School Days
- November 16
- November break – November 25-27
- Find the WSD’s updated school calendar here.
We Need You! The Challenges of Moving to Four Days per Week of In-Person Instruction for JFK Students – Staffing Shortages
Our district, like many other districts across our state, needs qualified Instructional Assistants and Support Staff. We will be monitoring our staffing levels weekly, and the decision to maintain four days per week of in-person learning for all elementary students will depend on whether we have sufficient staff.
If you, or someone you know, are looking for meaningful work and to make a difference in the life of a Winooski student, please consider applying. The rate of pay ranges from $16-25/hour, includes full benefits and schedules follow the school-break calendar.
As long as there are sufficient staffing levels, we will adhere to the schedule below for bringing students back to more days of in-person learning:
The days of instruction will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesdays will be remote for everyone. Kindergarten and 5th-grade classes will continue their hybrid schedule of Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday until they begin the four-day schedule.
- Next week, October 26th – 30th: 1st and 3rd-grade students will start attending in-person four days per week.*
- November 2nd – 6th: Kindergarten and 5th-grade students will start attending in-person four days per week.*
(*If staffing levels allow.)
Traveling Outside of Vermont: Important Guidelines to Follow
The next few months are typically full of cultural celebrations and traditional family gatherings. Are you and your family thinking about traveling outside of Vermont or welcoming guests from out of state? To keep everyone safe, please carefully adhere to the following restrictions from the Vermont Department of Health. Read more here.
Early release days and parent-teacher conferences for the months of October and November
- Tomorrow, Friday, October 23 is an early release day at 11am for all students. Middle high school student-led conferences will take place from 12-3pm.
- There will not be any afterschool programs running on early release days due to health restrictions. All students must be picked up by 11am.
- JFK student parent/teacher conferences will take place on November 23 and 24. All Winooski students will be released at 11am on those dates.
A note from the PTO President
Greetings Families,
The Winooski School District Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is committed to enriching the educational and social experience of Winooski students and the community. The Winooski PTO is open to parents/ guardians, teachers, and community members. Our goal is to work together to support all children PreK through twelfth grade, as well as the teachers and staff of the Winooski School District to help do our part in making the school experience the best it can be for all students. Please consider being a part of the PTO and joining a very committed group of volunteers. The Winooski PTO will continue to meet every third Wednesday of the month on Zoom from 6:00-7:30pm (April’s meeting is the second Wednesday of the month). Attending PTO meetings is a great way to keep informed of school activities and events and a great way to connect with others in the school district (parents/guardians and educators). With questions or for the Zoom meeting information please email us at [email protected]. All are welcome and encouraged to become a part of the PTO. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming meeting.
Thank you,
Laura Lee, PTO President
Antiracism Updates
Per unanimous board agreement, every regular WSD board meeting will allow for at least one hour in each agenda to discuss and make progress toward meeting the Winooski Students for Antiracism’s (WSA) demands. At the most recent regular board meeting (10/14/20), the WSD school board spent 75 minutes focusing on these goals:
- Building equal partnership between WSA, WSD LT, WSD Board, Spectrum and City of Winooski to move demands forward.
- Establish process, functioning, monitoring, and structure for inclusion of community and faculty in ‘demand groups’ to commence work.
WSD representative Evelyn Monje and Lindsey Halman of UP for Learning facilitated a discussion that focused on building a balanced youth-adult partnership. Read the notes from that portion of the discussion below:
When only adults dominate decision making: What do they potentially gain? What do they potentially compromise? What is required of adults to make a shift to partnership with youth?
When only youth dominate decision making: What do they potentially gain, What do they potentially compromise? What is required of youth to make a shift to partnership?
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Capital Project
We will be hosting a groundbreaking ceremony on October 29 at 4pm to celebrate the Capital Project. The tentative speakers’ list is below. While we must limit physical attendance to adhere to safety guidelines, all WSD staff and Winooski community members are invited to watch the ceremony via Facebook live.
- Welcome – Sean McMannon
- Land acknowledgment
- Alex Yin, WSD Board member, and Capital Project Executive committee member
- Kristine Lott – Mayor of Winooski
- Congressman Peter Welch
- State Director at USDA Rural Development Vermont and New Hampshire, Anthony Linardos
Stay Connected
For more school-specific highlights, remember to read our Middle High School news and JFK weekly Elementary newsletters.
I appreciate your ongoing partnership as we work to uphold the WSD ENDS statement – that all Winooski students will lead healthy, productive, and successful lives and engage with their local and global community.
Thank you,
Sean McMannon, Superintendent