We are still seeking Swift House elves (children and adults) for the Polar Express. Sign-up by Monday, October 31st if you wish to participate. The Vermont Children's Foundation will place our t-shirt model on November 1st. Click here to sign up or for more information. Add each elf's name on a separate form. You will be prompted to submit another form when you finish the first.
Washington DC Trip
June 5th-9th, 2017
Extended educational field trips have been a core component of the Swift House learning model since it was founded 25 years ago. Student learning rises to new levels when they connect their research to real-world locations and people. With this history and learning goal in mind, we are pleased to announce....
The WCS School Board has approved the Swift House trip to Washington DC from June 5th to 10th! We introduced the trip to students in kiva this week, focusing on this four part commitment:
Research- An independent project or 8th Grade Challenge connection to a location in DC
Fundraising- Participation in at least 3 fundraisers
Deposits, Forms and Permission Slips- required by November 11th
Behavior Expectations- Specific expectations based on school systems
We also passed out permission slips and contracts. If your child is interested in attending the trip, they should bring home a packet with the forms and permission slips linked below. We have these packets all copied so you don't have to print them at home.
Parent chaperones truly make these trips work! Help us keep those chaperone to student ratios high (we historically have between 1:3 and 1:2 ratio). Please contact Stephanie Bliss for chaperone paperwork (not Liz Neeld, as indicated on the original paperwork).
Theater Details
Showtime: Thursday, November 3rd @ 6:30 pm
Midsummer Night's Dream Cast Call: 5:00 pm (costumes and make-up)
Phantom Tollbooth Call: 5:30 pm (costumes and make-up)
Please plan on staying for both shows
Costumes
Costume pieces were due on Thursday, October 26th. These pieces are the layers for wearing under the fancier pieces that we provide here. See the list here as to what we'd like students to bring in from home.
Thank you!
Thank you for your help with sets, props and sending in costume pieces. Also, a special shout out to Patrick Clow we helped us block the battle between demons and Milo's crew for the Phantom Tollbooth.
Patrick Clow demonstrates stage punch
Delia practices her stage punching
WCS Musical: Sound of Music
Information Meeting
On Monday, November 14th at 6pm
Come find out about the spring musical “The Sound of Music”. The meeting will take place in the auditorium and will answer your questions on auditions, stage crew, stage managers and the show in general.
Students in grades 6-8 can audition for the play. Students in grades 5-8 can be part of stage crew. The stage crew builds and paints the sets and helps run the show during production week.
There will be a workshop for the auditions on Tuesday, November 29th at 3pm. Come learn the music and practice the readings to prepare for the auditions the following week. Rehearsals will start in January after the Christmas break. Auditions will take place December 5-9. “Sound of Music” will run April 7-8, 2017!
“Sound of Music” is looking for
Stage Managers
Are you interested in becoming a stage manager for the spring musical? Are you free afterschool? Sound of Music needs you!
Stage managers must be available for afterschool rehearsals and have no commitments the time around the show, April 1-9. The stage managers will take attendance, take blocking notes from the director, keep track of props needed and how they are used, help run music for dance and fill in for actors who are absent at rehearsals.
We are looking for a total of 3 stage managers usually in grades 7-8. If you are interested, get a form from the drama board outside the theater and return it completed to the drama mailbox in the main office by November 4th. You will need to have your core teacher and a parent sign off on the form.
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Rylant at 310-5900 or crylant@cssu.org.
Our theater unit is well under way. We are excited to be gathering costume pieces from our closets here at school, and we are ready for students to bring in their pieces from home. Click here to find the costume basics that your child needs to bring in. Please check carefully if your child is an actor in The Phantom Tollbooth. Many students are playing more than one part and will need the costume pieces for each character. Student costumes should be brought to a school in a bag, clearly labeled with your child’s first and last name. If your child needs a costume piece that you do not have at home, please just let us know and we will find something here at school. We do not want you to have to go out and buy items for these costumes! The costumes are due on Wednesday, October 26th, but if they are ready earlier, please feel free to send them in!
We are also looking for a few items listed below:
Adult sized dog costume pieces
Two Long Raincoats
2 Sparkly Princess Dresses
A Yellow/Road Construction Worker Vest
Bumble Bee Costume Pieces
7 White T-Shirts and a
Tie Dye Kit
If you have something that you think would work and you’re willing to let us borrow it, please send it in with your child (labeled with your name if you would like it returned!) as soon as possible.
Click here to see the costume needs, listed by character.
Diego and Gunner, as Milo and Tock, in their "car"
Midsummer Night's Dream in rehearsal
Fun Night- Our First Fundraiser
Friday, October 28th @ 6:00 pm
1) If you haven't already signed-up to volunteer and are thinking about attending the DC trip, please sign-up here. Although we have a great start in supervision we still needs lots of adults and students to supervise the various activities.
2) Keep those donations rolling in anytime in the next two weeks. We have quite an awesome prize-collection growing in the Swift Project room!
Small Prizes, Big Prizes- Unload your unwanted trinkets with us!
Swift Elves getting their instructions from the "conductor"
Swift House has a long tradition in helping with The Polar Express, which raises over $100,000 each year for the Vermont Children's Trust Foundation. Last year we brought 77 elves to the event!
We will meet at the downtown Burlington train station. Shirts and elf hats are provided if needed. Gary Howard, our beloved retired Swift Facilitator, will be the "Santa" on this day and we will get our traditional Swift House photo with him.
Please note that we need all elves to stay through the entire shift.
Please complete the form here for each elf in your family so we get the proper head count. Once you have entered one name you will be provided a link to submit another response. Friends from outside Swift are welcome to come along. Parents, we need you as adult elf/chaperones, too!
More about Vermont Children's Foundation, from their website: "VCTF is a non-profit organization that funds programs for Vermont kids all over the state, such as The Milton Mentors Buddy Program, The Learning Together Program at the Springfield Area Parent Child Center, and Brattleboro Youth Services Big Brother/Big SisterProgram. VCTF believes each child deserves the chance to reach his or her innate potential; to grow up in a nurturing environment with opportunities that feed the body, mind and soul; to have a meaningful connection to the community in which they live; and to be protected from harm. Visit www.vtchildrenstrust.org to learn more about the programs VCTF funds."
Swift Elves Posing with Santa
Candidate Debate
*5th and 6th grade students had their posters signed by candidates!
*The debate is airing on RETN at the following times:
Picture Retakes are scheduled for Wednesday, October 26th, from 9:30 to 10:30 in the courtyard if weather permits. Back up location is the auditorium stage. Students received their school photos this week.
Conferences
Friday, October 21st is scheduled for "Hopes and Dreams" conferences that haven't already been completed. Swift House parents and teachers began these conferences in August and are wrapping up now, so we wont be asking you to come in that day.
We will be scheduling our next round of conferences in November/December so that your children can share their first trimester portfolios with you!
Google Classroom Guardian Notifications
Many teachers and parents across the country are asking the same questions we are! Parent invites are not showing up in inboxes of spam folders. We are waiting to hear about updates from Google. In the meantime, if you would like access to your child's Google Classroom, where all assignments and due dates are posted, add the app to a mobile device and have your son or daughter log in. This will provide ongoing access to the live classroom.
Accessing Classroom is by no means a requirement. The one system we ask all parents to use is the weekly Greensheet
Our Swift FAP representative, Shelly Masson, will be hosting the fundraising brainstorming meeting on Wednesday, October 12 at 7:30 PM at 173 Raven Circle in Williston. Anyone is welcome to come. Please e-mail Shelly if you have questions.
Please mark your calendar for October 28th- our first Fun Night. We will need trinkets for prizes and many parent and student volunteers.
Theater Update
We have stage managers and technical roles determined for both Midsummer Night's Dream and Phantom Tollbooth. Those students with large leadership roles will begin in these roles on Monday.
We also completed auditions on Friday and working to finalize our casts, which will be posted Monday. Any student who auditioned for a speaking role will have lines on stage! Those with smaller parts will start with a literature group focused on their play on Monday while those in larger parts will begin rehearsals immediately. We thank you in advance for supporting students to be accepting of the roles they receive. Not everyone will get their dream part but we have found parts for all!
WCS Candidate Forum
Eight candidates for various Vermont offices came to WCS Friday morning to field questions from our students. The candidates include Senator Leahy, Congressman Peter Welch, Deb Bucknan (running for Attorney General), David Zuckerman (running for Lieutenant Governor), Scott Milne (running for US Senate), State Treasurer Beth Pearce, Randy Brock (running for Lieutenant Governor), and Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan.
Seventh and eighth graders prepared questions and each team selected two students to address the candidates. Claire Goldman and Matt Yandow represented Swift House quite professionally.
Fifth and sixth graders created hand-drawn posters for the candidates which lined the hallways, the auditorium and the front of the stage. Candidates signed many of these posters which students may now bring home. You can see the full forum here on the RETN website.
The panel responding to student quesitons
Claire G addresses the panel with her question
Franny K and Philip N assisted RETN produce the live stream
Senator Leahy with Emma, Taylor and Shelby
Senator Leahy with Aria, Gabby and Kahlyn
Student Work
Seventh and eighth graders were asked to create a model demonstrating how matter and energy flows through living organisms through the process of photosynthesis and respiration.
Olivia O's Photosynthesis Model
Nora's Model with Molecules
Nora's Model with Symbols
Ethan's Model with Marshmallows
Students in the lit group "Because of Winn Dixie" demonstrate their vending machines which highlight characteristics of protagonists in the book. Students designed the machines to highlight characteristics that are inferred from what the character says or does in the book.
Savannah's machine
Dylans' machine
Students in Lord of the Flies created projects to highlight the overarching themes of the book, such as survival and conflict.
Elliott, Aria and Amelia test their board game
Nick Parker and Aiden G analyze events with a map
8th Grade Field Trip
Our 8th graders will enjoy an overnight 8th trip together this Spring at the Ridin-Hy Ranch Resort in Lake George, New York. This will be a celebratory trip in a relaxed, supervised environments with lots and lots of fun activities. Swimming, fishing, boating, horse back riding, crafts, horse shoes etc.
Throughout the course of this year there will be several fundraisers that will directly benefit lowering the costs of this trip. The first one is a Fall Festival coming up in October. 8th parents and students are needed to work at this event.
Performance Date: Thursday, November 3rd @ 6:30 pm In the Al Myers Theatre @ WCS
This fall, Swift House students will perform Midsummer Night's Dream and the Phantom Tollbooth. Both plays are adapted from the original texts and offer many roles for students.
Students provided input last week as to their play preference and what type of role they would like. Options included: large or small speaking role, nonspeaking role, lights, props, costumes, stage managers and student directors. Auditions for speaking roles begin on Friday, October 7th. Every student who would like a speaking part will have some lines to perform on stage!
Rehearsals will take place during our literacy block. Students with large speaking or technical roles or begin dedicated rehearsals beginning the week of the 10th. Those with smaller roles will begin their work within a "literature group" to read and analyze the play as literature before rolling onto stage.
We will be in touch in the weeks to come about building and painting sets. If you have any strengths in the world of costuming or props, too, please let us know.
Our 2012 Performance of Midsummer Night's Dream
Rennie Harris Pure Movement @ Flynn Theater
Thursday, October 6th @ 9:30 am
Swift students will head leave for the Flynn at 8:30 Thursday morning to see Rennie Harris Pure Movement, live onstage. From the Flynn Study Guide:
Dr. Lorenzo (Rennie) Harris is the Founder,
Artistic Director, Choreographer, Director of
Rennie Harris Puremovement hip hop dance
company, founded in 1992. Puremovement is
the longest running touring hip hop dance
company. Dr. Harris received honorary
doctorates from Bates College and Columbia
College. Among numerous other awards,
Harris was voted one of the 100 most
influential people in the last 100 years of
Philadelphia history. Harris remains at the
forefront of hip hop culture and continues to
challenge misconceptions and assumptions
about hip hop.
Permission slips were attached to your child's Greensheet. Be sure to send that in on Monday. Also, note that no payment was requested with the permission slip. Instead, please remember to donate to the Williston Annual Fund , which funds all of our in-state trips each year. Thank you!
Fundraiser~ Save the Date!
Friday, October 28th @ 6:00 pm
Our first Fun Night is tentatively scheduled for Friday, October 28th at 6:00 pm. We will embrace the Halloween theme! "Fun Night" is designed for K-4th graders. Parents drop them off with us and we provide two hours of entertainment and games. This is an excellent way to provide a service while raising funds.
We will need many volunteers for this event, both parents and students. Anyone who may be attending the Washington DC trip in June should try to attend. We will be sharing a signup sheet soon. In the meantime, please save the date on your calendar!
From our FAP Rep
Hello!!
My name is Shelly Masson and I am the new “Family As Partners” (FAP) rep for Swift House. I am the mom to Rylee (8th grade in Ms. Laberge’s core) and Logan Masson (5th grade in Ms. Skapof’s.)
For those of you new to Swift – Welcome! It’s a great learning community.
As the FAP parent rep, each month I’ll be sending along the minutes from the FAP meetings (see below for September’s) and will serve as the conduit to the FAP board. Please let me know if you have any questions or issues that you would like me to bring forward.
It also means that I’m responsible for helping to coordinate the different fundraising activities that Swift sponsors over the course of the year….and that’s where I need your help! We are still planning to do our end of year trip to Washington, DC and with the change in 8thgrade field trips, we have some additional funds we need to raise.
So, I’d like to kick things off with a Swift “meet and greet” evening event to talk about fundraising ideas and ways to get folks involved. There will be WINE and snacks!!!! If you are available and interested in helping out, please fill out the doodle poll:http://doodle.com/poll/z55dm9bb9qk9ykgs Would love to have as many people join as possible from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Date to be determined by group poll.
Our first fundraiser is tentatively planned for Friday, October 28th. More to come.
Here are the notes from September’s FAP meeting. Again, please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you.
FAPAC September 2016 Meeting Highlights Information The FAP Advisory Council held its monthly meeting on September 8th. FAP is Williston's equivalent of a parent-teacher organization. We meet each month, our meetings our open to all, and you will receive an email like this every month with highlights of the meeting and a link to the FAP website for the full minutes. Check the full minutes in a PDF format by clicking HERE. Below are a few meeting highlights:
FAPAC Meeting Recording
The September FAPAC meeting was recorded and is available at this LINK online.
Annual Fund Update
FAP is accepting donations for the Annual Fund. The Annual Fund pays for field trips, grants, and other activities that all students participate in and benefit from. Williston moved away from fundraising where students sold goods and to community based fundraisers, such as the fall Craft Fair and spring Big Basket Raffle, and to the Annual Fund collection. The FAP asks for donations from each family. Any amount is welcome and appreciated. Please follow this LINK to donate online or fill out this PDF and submit it to your child’s teacher.
Administration Update
Greg Marino spoke about a Williston Central School facilities renovation project. There was a Williston School Board vote on September 20th at a public meeting on a bond proposal. The Williston community will vote on the bond the School Board approves in the November election. This is for a large-scale renovation project at WCS. There is an opportunity for a tour of the building Thursday, September 22nd at 5:30 pm just before curriculum night. Also visit this LINK for more information.
Upcoming Events
FAP Information Night: Wednesday, September 28th at 6:30 pm
Williston School’s Fall Festival: Saturday, October 15th from 8:00 am – 11:00 am
Craft Show: Saturday, November 5th, 2016 from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
FAP Craft Show Committee Seeks Members
We are seeking a few more folks to serve on the Craft Show Committee to assist with customer event promotion and volunteer coordination. Help us continue to grow this event! This is the 25th anniversary of the Craft Show! Please contact Karen Olson (kao_wolverine@yahoo.com) or Paula LeBlanc (pleblanc802@gmail.com) to be part of this successful school fundraiser.
Scholastic Book Fair: November 28th – December 2nd
Educational Grants
Some portion of FAP funds go to educational grants that teachers or staff submit to FAP. These grants cover items not included in the school budget, but that would enhance the learning environment: items such as standing desks, curriculum for extra topics not included in the standard curriculum, etc. Fall grants are due October 1st.
