January 15, 2016

Swift House Homework Club

We are pleased to report that the Swift House UVM interns (see below) have taken on the positions for Homework Club supervision for the winter.   However, they have class on Tuesday afternoons, and the teachers have faculty meetings too, so our Homework Club is shifting to Mondays and Thursdays through May.  This change takes place immediately, so our next Homeclub meeting will take place on Thursday, January 21st.

8th Graders' Meeting with CVU Guidance Counselors

Eighth graders met with CVU guidance counselors on Thursday afternoon.  The CVU folks provided an overview of the schedule and registration information.  Click here to see the schedule/slide show.  Each student received the following:

• A code for course registration
• A page of "Important CVU Vocabulary"
• A page of "Scheduling Tips for Incoming 9th Graders"
• The "9th Grade Course Request Worksheet"
• The CVU "Course Offering Booklet for 2016-2017"
• An invitation or a 8th Grade Student and Parent Night at CVU (see details below)

Bottle Drive

The bottle drive this past weekend raised $909.18, which was 15,153 cans and bottles!  Thank you so much to the drivers and students who worked hard to gather them all on Saturday morning.  The next NYC Field Trip fundraiser is our hosting Marco the Magician on March 18th.  We will be looking for volunteers to help with set up, tickets and clean up.

We will also be looking for parent chaperons and food donations for the Swift sponsored school dance on Friday, March 4th @ 6:30 pm.

UVM Interns

We have three excellent interns joining us full time this spring.  They will have the opportunity to work with all Swift students through core times, literature groups, math, science and social studies.  

Christiana Kousmanidis ("Ms. K") 

Hello, My name is Christiana Kousmanidis and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to be student teaching with Debbie Donnelly and working with all of your incredible children! I am a senior majoring in Middle Level Education and minoring in Consumer Advertising at the University of Vermont. I am working toward endorsements in both English and Social Studies. I grew up in Syracuse, New York where I had several opportunities working with children: I volunteered at Camp Good Days and Special Times, which is a camp free of charge for children who have been affected by cancer or any other sicknesses, and as a Counselor at a summer camp with children in grade levels K-8 for four years. Working in a classroom has always been a passion of mine and I have found through my various experiences that my energy level and enthusiasm connects well with middle school students! In my free time I enjoy staying active, reading, making people laugh, and drinking lots of coffee! Again, I am extremely thankful to be student teaching in Swift House and working with all of your children! Best, Christiana

Luisa Noordewier

I’m delighted to have the opportunity to be a part of this community this spring! My name is Luisa Noordewier, and I grew up in the neighboring town of Essex, Vermont. I have long aspired to be a middle school teacher, and will receive a degree in Middle Level Education from the University of Vermont in 2016. I will be “dual-endorsed” in English and Mathematics, and am additionally building my credentials to include a third concentration in Social Studies. I am currently working as a full-time intern at Williston Central School District, and am so excited to be part of the Swift family. I’ve always had a passion for working with children, and I believe that learning is one of the greatest joys in life. In my spare time, I love to explore my creative, artistic side, and spend a great deal of time working on the pottery wheel. I also love to spend time outdoors, and find that hiking, swimming, and fishing always do the trick. I look forward to getting to know my students even better, and am happy to answer any questions via e-mail (lnoordewier@cssu.org).

Abby Granoff

 Hello! My name is Abby Granoff, and I am so excited to be interning in Swift House this semester! I am a senior in the University of Vermont's Middle Level Education program with concentrations in math and science. I grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, just north of Boston. During high school I volunteered with some middle school groups and decided that this is the age I want to work with. I've always been passionate about math and science, and I can't wait to share my enthusiasm with you! I've been here less than a week and I already feel so at home! I can't wait to see how the rest of the spring unfolds.

A Note From Administration about After School Activities

• All students staying after school must be accompanied by an adult or WCS Staff 
• Students are to be packed up and ready for the 4:30 dismissal ( if a student is running late teacher can call 6100 to hold bus) 
• The activity bus departs at 4:35 activity bus is for students that are attending a WCS after school activity ( DAML is not a WCS Activity) 
• No Activity Bus on Fridays

  School Bell Link