Sunday, December 20, 2020

December 20, 2020

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Wednesday, November 25, 2020

November 24th, 2020

Return of 5/6

WCS continues planning for the return of all 5th & 6th graders four days a week, no earlier than December 7th (Dec 14th is the new target date as of Nov 30th).  Swift facilitators have drafted a schedule to accommodate having all 5th and 6th graders on-house while maintaining the hybrid schedule for 7th and 8th graders.  What we know so far:

  • Families received a survey from WCS on November 11th with two questions-- Does the change in schedule lead you to consider a switch from hybrid to fully-remote or vice versa?  Will your child ride the bus?

  • Four core teachers on house will offer four classes at a time, three in-person and one remote.   For example, one period might look like this:
    • Mr. Hunt - 5/6 Humanities, Group 1 in person
    • Ms. Skapof- 5/6 Science, Group 2 in person
    • Ms. Donnelly- 7/8 Humanities, Group 2 in person
    • Ms. Laberge- 7/8 Science, Group 1 remote

  • The remote 7/8 schedule will shift based on our in-person schedule.

  • One half of the team will eat lunch in the gym while the other half eats in Swift House or outdoors.
Of course, the rising number of COVID-19 cases combined with the holidays leave us all wondering exactly what the next few weeks will look like in Vermont.  Just know that we are ready to bring your children back for more in-person school days when the time comes.  Please direct any questions to your child's core teacher.  


PLP Conferences

Swifites have been thoughtfully presenting their PLP sites during our virtual student conferences.  They are presenting their site online as they talk through their evidences and progress for each goal.   It's clear that your children are taking ownership of their personal learning plans (PLPs)-- we hear this in their insightful reflections.  If you have not yet signed up for a PLP conference, please reach out to your child's core teacher.

Jumprope reports will also be sent home in mid-December.  They will show feedback on student habits of learning and content standards.  


PE Reminder

As the weather changes and gets colder, we want to remind families that the Physical Education staff is planning to be outside with PE classes as a first priority.  PLEASE DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR THE TEMPERATURE AND CONDITIONS... (jackets, hats, gloves, etc).  We recommend bringing in or keeping a few extra pairs of socks, gloves, or mittens in a cubby or backpack.  Additional layers (snow pants or boots) would be acceptable for PE if needed.  If younger students need snow pants for recess, they should wear snow pants to PE.   Fresh air and movement is good for us all;  let's be safe and prepared for the weather!    


School Days

5/6 Narrative Writing

Students completing their Narrative Storyboards!! Next step, orating their story to a classmate. Then.... beginning first drafts of the narrative writing process !!











5/6 Science

Swifities learned about the flow of energy through an ecosystem, from plants capturing the sun's energy during photosynthesis, to decomposers breaking down organisms to return to the soil.  Each student then created an energy pyramid showing the different levels of producers and consumers for a specific ecosystem.  We are now studying the impact of apex predators on these ecosystems, using the wolves of Yellowstone as our case study.

 



7/8 Science

After learning the impacts of human development on Earth's natural resources, seventh and eighth-grade Swifties designed their own sustainable communities.  They considered food, energy, housing, transportation, education and more in their designs.  Models included drawings, maps, paper models, Lego constructions, Mindcraft worlds, and more.  






Aidan, James and Nate


Megan & Rose

Jacke & Zoe

Chase & Patrick

Allison, Lily & Alyssa

Mackenzie & Delainey
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Wednesday, October 28, 2020

October 28, 2020

Your Kids...   

Are amazing!  They continue to demonstrate flexibility, kindness, and patience.  They continue to persevere with new tools, new schedules and new routines.   They continue to ground us as teachers, making the most of their in-school days and showing up on time online.  Thank you for all the support you folks are providing at home.  This has been a huge shift for families and we appreciate all you're doing to make it work.  

We recognize that you may also be working hard to support your child's emotional wellbeing.  The following article from the NY Times has some very positive advice with the teen audience in mind: "Dear Teenagers: How to Protect Your Emotional Wellbeing."  Here is just one highlight:

Teenagers experience feelings more intensely than adults do, both negative and positive ones. While this amplifies the psychological discomfort you’re certainly experiencing right now, it also means that you get more out of pleasures and delights. These days the only bright spots many of us are finding are small ones, and for a lot of adults, these don’t feel very satisfying. But for you, small comforts and joys are more comforting and joyful than they are for adults. So, when your mood needs a lift, make the most of this emotional superpower.

Humanities Update

7/8s just wrapped up a mini-research project on a civics topic of their choice. Presentations started Tuesday and we covered some great topics including Women's Suffrage, Judicial and Legislative Branches, The Federalist Papers, Founding Mothers and Creating a Law. More to come next week!

A handful of our 7th and 8th graders also took part in this year's virtual candidate forum in which they asked questions to the candidate for Governor. Check out their questions and David Zuckerman's responses here!



ABS and WCS Team/Teacher  Assistant’s Roles Have Changed

We have begun our transition to incorporate the teacher/team assistant into a blended role that incorporates paraeducator responsibilities. Beginning this year, teams have a part-time teacher/team assistant to support them.  In the past these have been full-time positions.  During the other half of their day, teacher/team assistants are working with students in the paraeducator capacity.  As a result, please be aware of the following:

  • Messages for students that come in during the day will not be as fluidly and as quickly delivered as in the past.
  • The response time for teacher/team assistants to return emails and calls will not be done in the same timeframe as in previous years. 
Thank you for your patience as we work to combine these roles together within our system!


School Days

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Some of our 7th and 8th graders had the opportunity to record questions for Lt. Governor Zuckerman to answer as part of the 2020 virtual candidate forum. These kids continue to impress with their poise and empathy they show for others! #cvsdvt Here are their questions: Zoe and Jackie: ​ ​What is your opinion on our current system of supporting people struggling with mental health issues? Do you think that schools should teach kids/teens about mental health? If so why, or why not? Rose:​ If elected governor, what will be your first steps in addressing climate change? How do you see Vermont youth getting involved? Patrick and Nate: ​In the past year, there have been many issues with racial equality and lots of people think that it is an issue that needs to be addressed ASAP. Where do you stand on the Black Lives Matter movement, and what will you do to support Black, indigenous, people of color in Vermont and make sure that their voices are heard? Chase and James:​ You want to raise the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour. Which in theory will be great for some chains like McDonald or Burger King. But what about small farms in Vermont already struggling to pay their hard working employees the current minimum wage. How will they afford to pay everyone more? Lydia:​ A lot of people say that Vermont is too expensive to live in, what plans do you have to change that? Cadence: ​There’s a chance that the US Supreme Court could roll back LGBTQ+ equality. How can you ensure Vermonters who are LGBTQ+ that our state government will continue to support and listen to them?

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More photos of our owl pellet research in action!

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Learn to Ski/Ride Program

Dear Families,

There will be a Learn to Ski/Ride Program this year!

This email is to let you know of the program information that we have so far.  Other emails will be sent out as more information is secured for the program.

Here is what we know so far, some details are still in the planning stages.
     The program will be on Wednesdays- 2:30-4:30p.  Still working on start date in January.
     Busing may be part of the program.  Still working on that with the school.
     Registration will open in December.  An email will be sent when registration opens.
     
Student Instructors will be provided with a paper registration in November by the Lead Instructors from the school.  Student Instructors will be invited to be part of the program.  Paper registration and payment need to be received in December.

REI- Sponsor of the program is having a sale on Ski equipment.  Great deals if you are looking to purchase equipment.   See link to the informational flyer from REI below.

Thanks!

Williston Recreation & Parks


Zoom a Scientist! 

A fall webinar series from the UVM Extension and Lake Champlain Sea Grant Education team.

The series addresses a range of topics and challenges related to watershed science in the Lake Champlain Basin. Featuring scientists from the University of Vermont Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory, SUNY Plattsburgh, the Lake Champlain Research Institute, and partner organizations. Sessions are free and open to learners of all ages!  Learn more at Lake Champlain Sea Grant Virtual Learning

Upcoming sessions: 

·         Tuesday, November 10, Managing Lamprey in the Lake Champlain Basin with Stephen Smith from US Fish and Wildlife Service 

o    ​Participants will hear from Stephen Smith, a fish biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Essex Junction, about what is being done to control sea lamprey populations in Lake Champlain.

·          Friday, December 4, Impacts of Road Salt in the Adirondacks with Brittany Christenson from ADKAction

o    Brittany Christenson will describe the work that her organization, ADKAction, has done to address pollution of waterways by road salt runoff, including developing recommendations for reducing road salt pollution and promoting alternative deicing products, techniques and best management practices to protect water resources.

Register required  https://www.uvm.edu/seagrant/events/upcoming-events

Contact: watershd@UVM.edu with any questions! 

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Thursday, October 8, 2020

October 7

Resources

Adjustments to Hybrid Schedule

In the hopes of increasing our productive time during remote classes, we are making a slight change to our remote schedule.  We will start humanities and science at 10:20 instead of 10:30.  We will also alternate humanities and science instead of fitting them both into a 40-minute block.  For example, Group 2 fifth and sixth graders will attend humanities on Monday and science on Tuesday and the opposite will be true for seventh and eighth-graders.  Students will find our new Group 2 schedule on Google Classroom, effective Monday, October 12th. The Group 1 remote schedule will make the same change starting on Thursday, October 15th.  


Conferences & Goals

The CVSD Update on October 2nd provided an overview of conferences for the fall:

All of our K-8 teachers will once again schedule a conference with their students’ families. As in past years, this conference may be scheduled on October 9th, but also may be scheduled any time between now and the end of the term.

Based on this guidance, Swift House facilitators will be holding conferences at the end of the trimester in November.  If you would like to meet before there, please reach out to your child's core teacher.  

In the meantime, Swifties have been developing Personal Learning Plan goals to focus on this fall.  Please look for an email from your child with a summary of their PLP goals in the next week.  


Jumprope & Work Completion

  • Swifties have gotten into a good routine of sending their weekly email home with a screenshot of their Google Classroom lists.  

  • If we are seeing a pattern of missing or incomplete work, you will hear directly from your child's original core teacher as well.  

  • CVSD is sending a general announcement regarding Jumprope in the near future.  You can expect to see Jumprope scores updated when summative assessments have been added towards the end of Trimester One, as opposed to seeing daily assignments.  Please email your child's teacher with further questions.  

Swift House 2020 PLP Process

Swift’s Background (answering the ‘Why?’)

Swift House, a grade 5-8 team that is part of the upper house (middle school level) at the Williston Central School in Williston, Vermont, was formed in the school year 1990-91 as a response to planning sessions that were held beginning in 1988 to deal with projected rapid growth in school population in the town.  Swift has a vision that has sustained nearly 30 years and has been utilizing personal learning plans and student portfolios since its opening year. The research on learning and individuals’ access to the learning process has been the guiding force behind our PLP system.  We believe that setting transferable goals that can be applied in many areas of a child’s life, regularly reflecting on growth, and advocating for one's needs are both critical and essential to generating productive, well-rounded citizens. 


Swift’s PLP Process (answering the ‘What?’)

This looks a little differently for 2020! 

STEP 1: Goal setting. 
This process begins during a child’s first year on Swift House. During our hopes and dreams conferences, we begin to know our students on a personal level and they begin developing ownership of their learning and a voice for themselves through this initial process. We typically leave our hopes and dreams meeting with some ideas generated from the students about goals that they would be interested in having as they relate to their strengths and challenges in different areas. 

**2020 update**
Historically, we’ve used the VT Transferable Skills as our goal headings (Communication, Problem Solving, Informed & Integrative Thinking, Self-Direction, Citizenship). This year, we have streamlined our PLP, given the nature of our hybrid model, to three goals:
  1. Communication
  2. Problem Solving
  3. Self-Direction/Citizenship

STEP 2: Creating an Online Portfolio
Students have each created their own Google Sites as their personal PLP portfolio. These sites will be the primary platform that students use for accessing their PLP and will also be used to drive our student-parent-teacher conferences at the end of the trimester. 

STEP 3: Gathering Evidence and Weekly Reflections
Evidence: Once students identify their three goals,  they will begin to input evidence that shows growth toward their goals. This evidence can take many forms such as pictures, documents, slide shows, videos, written reflections, etc. Students input evidence on their goal pages with a short description of how the evidence connects to their goal. We ask that students find at least 4 pieces of evidence for each goal (this includes evidence from in and out of school). 

Weekly Reflection: Every Wednesday, students will have the opportunity to reflect on their progress or thinking about their goals. These reflections are quick blurbs that the students write to help them engage weekly with their goals and keep track of their progress and next steps. 

STEP 4: End of Trimester Reflection
At the end of the trimester, students reflect on their overall progress on each of their goals and advocate for whether or not they’d like to keep or change their goals. They do this in writing or recording by answering these prompts. 

STEP 5: Conference
At the end of each trimester, the students, guardians, and teachers conference together. During this time, the student leads the conference by going over their PLP and talking about their growth on the goals that they chose.

Here is a sample of a former student’s PLP site if you would like to see what a finished portfolio looks like. 

*Please note that our 2020 sites will look slightly different based on the changes noted above.  

Humanities News!!

Students in Humanities class are focusing on both Civics (on In-person learning days) and Narrative Writing (on Remote learning days)! In Civics students are learning all about the role of Governor in preparation for the Virtual Candidate Forum being held the week of October 26th and the election on November 3rd.  Swifties are researching the issues facing Vermont this election year and how each of the candidates, Incumbent Phil Scott and Lt Governor David Zuckerman are campaigning with regard to the issues. 7/8 graders are in the process of composing detailed questions to ask both candidates for Governor, and 5/6 graders are making campaign posters to decorate Swift House.  


On remote learning days students are working on the components of  Narrative writing.  They have spent time building a "tool box" for narrative writing, which includes: dialogue, plot, characters, setting and rising action, climax, conclusion. Writers have turned their focus to Figurative Language (Narrative Craft) this week and will continue next week as they add sensory detail, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification and onomatopoeia to their flash drafts. By the end of Trimester 1 each Swiftie will have a polished narrative to share with their family! 


School Days

Nate's photosynthesis/respiration model

Caleb's  photosynthesis/respiration model

Vanessa's observations of evidence of respiration in leaves


Sabina's leaf impression


Harrison's explanation of why leaves change color in the fall

Experiment: What do beans need in order to grow?

7th Graders measuring a crime scene to practicing scaling down









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Tuesday, September 29, 2020

September 29, 2020

Announcements

  • Tuesday & Wednesday this week- Group 1 in school, Group 2 follows Monday/Tuesday remote schedule
  • Thursday & Friday this week- Group 1 remote; Group 2 in school
  • Attendance on Remote Days
    • We are reporting attendance on remote school days 
    • Email your child's hybrid-core teacher if your child will miss class
  • Remote Days Meal Order Form
  • September 23rd School Bell- Wondering why we're all so tired?  Be sure to read Sarah Crum's article about the brain capacity required for learning all-new routines.  
  • Layers- Please remind your child to bring layers so we can work outside as comfortably and frequently as possible.

Weekly Email   

In lieu of "Greensheets" for a weekly work-completion update this year, we are asking Swifties to email home once per week.  Parents and guardians should receive an email on Monday for Group 1 students and Thursday for Group 2 students.  We have provided the following template: 

Dear ________,
Something that went well this week is  ________________ [list at least two accomplishments].   
I have completed all of my assignments from Google Classroom.  See my screenshot below! [Insert a screenshot of your Google Classroom TO DO list].

OR

I have the following late assignments to finish (see my screenshot below).  I will get them done by ___________ (how will you complete these tasks and when will they be done by).   [Insert a screenshot of your Google Classroom TO DO list].

Love,
Your Name


If your child has completed all of their work, the screenshot should look like this: 


Of course, work completion is just one piece of the picture.  Please know that we will follow-up with students if we have concerns about the quality of what they have turned in.   It may be the perfect topic for a PLP goal!


8th Grade Challenge

Swift House kicked off the 8th Grade Challenge last week, sharing expectations and the formal "Kick Off" form.  We know that Swifties will need to get creative with community connections this year, however, we are confident that there are community needs that they can help fulfill, now more than ever.   We will also provide dedicated time and structure for the research component of the project during our Independent Project unit in December.    If your 8th grader is undecided on a topic, encourage them to keep a brainstorm list nearby and confer with their core teacher. 

Examples of excellent community connection resources include VEEP and UVM Extension youth opportunities.  


Remote Learning Tech Issues

We've have had a range of connection issues with student Chromebooks in both Zoom and Google Meets.   Some of the issues are related to the software and hardware on our devices, not necessarily your home WiFi.  Our district is aware of these issues and has been communicating with Google, HP, and Zoom about fixes to make these meetings run more smoothly.  Zoom updated their software last Thursday; students should be sure to restart their devices each morning to receive any updates.  

We know that a lagging connection can be frustrating for Swifties trying to stay connected from home.  We are working hard to post assignments that are accessible after the class as well.  We also encourage students to see us during our office hours (12:30 on remote days) to check in with any questions.

In the meantime, if at any point your child is having trouble with a device, please complete an IT Help Desk ticket.  Our IT department will get back to you quickly!


School Days



UVM Extension Leadership Opportunities

Here are some fabulous ideas for 8th Grade Challenge connections.  

TRY for the Environment - Apply to be a Teen Teacher! (grades 7-12)

TRY stands for Teens Reaching Youth and is an environmental leadership opportunity for students in grades 7-12. It is an environmental education program taught by teens and designed to increase environmental literacy and responsibility in younger youth. NEW for 2020-2021: Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the TRY program will be limited to two content areas - 4-H2O and Waste Solutions. Each content area will consist of three, 45 minute lessons that are designed to be delivered virtually - either when students are in the classroom or at home.  We will offer the TRY teaching opportunity to teens twice - Session 1 (January - March with training in December) and Session 2 (March - May with training in February). All trainings and program delivery will be virtual; Session 1 applications are due by November 2. Learn more at the 4-H Announcements page.

Advanced Leadership Immersion (grades 9-12)

Everyone is called to lead. Whether it’s a project, a group, a business or a country, you will find yourself asked to step forward and lead many times throughout your life - and effective leadership is a learned set of skills. That’s why, this October, Vermont 4-H has partnered with the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont to offer the Advanced Leadership Immersion (ALI) to students looking to take their leadership to the next level. ALI will meet online the second weekend of every month from October through May for classes and leader chats, plus schedule their own discussion groups and social events. Tuition is “pay what you can." Visit https://giv.org/apply-fall/ for more information and to apply.  Applications will remain open only until filled. 

Become a Cloverbud Connector! (ages 10 and up)

Calling all teens and tweens! Would you like to become a Cloverbud Connector? In April, UVM 4-H launched Cloverbuds Connect, short video challenges and activities for Cloverbuds (youth ages kindergarten-second grade). We currently have a library of 30 videos and we are inviting you become a Cloverbud Connector. As Connector, you get to create short (5-10 min.) videos that are educational, hands-on, and inspiring. We use the platform Flipgrid, so all of the content is secure, private, and curated. 

  • Is there something you are passionate about that could spark the interest of others?
  • Do you enjoy creating short, fun videos for the internet or friends?
  • Do you enjoy mentoring peers and younger learners ?

If you answered yes, then this is a project for you! Apply here: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_cUdNRQKcRcElFnD

And there are more opportunities for teens! Check out our teen science cafes, babysitting course, DEI for teens, gardening & nutrition, vet science, 4-H World Changers (learn to code!) and the Youth Environmental Summit! Learn more at www.uvm.edu/extension/youth/announcements



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Friday, September 18, 2020

September 18, 2020

Upcoming Events

  • School Photos- Friday, September 25 & Tuesday, September 29 (See School Bell for details)

Welcome and Welcome Back

While our schedule is most unusual and all of our routines have shifted, it has been an absolute pleasure having your children in school.  They are doing an incredible job of remaining flexible and positive.  We are rolling with the unknown right now and we can't answer their questions about how the weeks and months to come will look, and your kids are accepting this.  Thank you.  

If you are new to Swift, welcome to the Swift Flyer.  Swift facilitators put this blog together every week or two to update families on the lastest in Swift activities, curriculum and upcoming events.  We will also reference school-wide and greater Williston-area events.  If you ever have an announcement that pertains to the Swift community and would like it posted here, please send it our way.

We also make an effort to consolidate our team communications on the Flyer as we know how overwhelming it can be to have a full email inbox.  We recommend you bookmark this site and use its search feature if ever you're trying to check on details "you know you read somewhere."  


Finally, if you're on Instagram, follow us at swift_flyforever.  If you're not on Instagram, we'll simply embed photos here to keep you in the loop!


News from WCS

  • Band- In-person band started this week during recess and virtual lessons will likely start the following week. Off-site students will use this week o sign up for their virtual lessons.  See the School Bell for more details. 

  • School Bell, September 17th- Chock-full of information about the school food program, band, athletics, dropoffs pickups and much more.   

  • WCS Library Book Check-Out Procedure

  • WCS Athletics-  Fall Sports started this Monday. Boys and Girls Soccer, Field Hockey and Cross Country. Please visit the WCS Athletics site for more information! 

  • Dorothy Alling Library- Still closed to the public however you can access their collection by placing a hold online or scheduling a browsing appointment.  


Google Classroom

Swift facilitators post all assignments and many resources for Swift classes in Google Classroom.  Students complete some assignments via Classroom as Google Docs or other attached files.  Students complete other assignments on paper and simply mark the assignment as done on Classroom.  There are two ways to stay in touch with your child's assignments in Google Classroom.

1) Install the Classroom app on a mobile device and have your son or daughter log in.  You will be able to see Classroom as they see it.

2) Accept our invitations for Google Classroom Summaries.  All Swift guardians have been invited.  If you do not see this invitation in your e-mail, please contact Amanda, Kevin or Amy.  Some parents have found the invites in their spam folders.  A typical summary will look like this:



Hybrid Schedule

Click here for our 2020-2021 hybrid schedule.  We also emailed the hybrid schedule home tailored for Groups 1 and 2. Please bookmark that schedule from previous emails as we don't want to post our passcodes on the blog.  Students can also access these schedules on Google Classroom.  

Our first literature group started this week.  Students completed a Google survey to indicate their top choices and we created the groups from there.  Literature groups will meet remotely each Wednesday.  Students should bring their books home each night as they will have readings due Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  
 


Sample of Lit Group Survey



First Week of School



UVM 4-H Teen Science Cafes start up again next Wednesday

We hope that you will join us for VTeen Science Explorations, virtual teen science cafes every Wednesday from 3:30 - 4:45 pm!

The schedule of science topics this Fall is quite diverse - space systems, sharks, climate change, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and so much more!

Join us next Wednesday, September 16 for our first cafe of the Fall: "Mitigating Climate Change in Electrical Engineering." Learn from UVM Professor Mads Almassalkhi as he presents the electrical engineering science behind what makes a grid flexible and how core engineering concepts and technologies are used to make the grid responsive to the ebb and flow of power from solar PV and wind turbines. He will also share how these ideas can be brought into the real world via climate tech startup companies, including one he co-founded in 2016 in Burlington, VT.

All virtual science cafes are FREE but registration is required to get the Zoom link. For those unable to attend for the live sessions, cafes will be recorded and posted.

Learn about all of our upcoming programs and register at www.uvm.edu/extension/youth/announcements

UVM Extension 4-H is offering a variety of interactive and engaging programs for youth of all ages this Fall. Topics include: animal and veterinary science, babysitting, gardening, civic engagement, leadership, coding and more!

We are also hosting our annual Youth Environmental Summit and offering our award-winning leadership opportunity - Teens Reaching Youth (TRY) for the Environment. Check out the changes for 2020-2021!

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