June 6th, 2020

EMAIL HOME~ LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL

Hello Swift Students and Families,

We have truly reached the home stretch of this unusual year.  We are so proud of how Swift students have finished up with their Independent and 8th Grade Challenge projects.  When you see and hear their presentations on Flipgrid Monday night, you will understand the incredible range of skills and interests these Swifties have to share. 

While we have been engaged in celebrating the end of the year, we have also taken time to reflect on the protests happening all around the country and the underlying racial injustices leading people to speak out.  We have shared statements from our Governor and former Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama which provide perspective on the issues we face as a country.

We also pointed students to an incredible digital collection of racial justice books in Sora, put together by our librarian, Ellen Arapakas.  To use Sora, students simply click on the link, find Williston Central School from the dropdown menu, and log in with their school email.  They can then view an amazing array of audiobooks, picture books, novels and nonfiction on their computer, or by using the app on a tablet or phone.

In the meantime, we wanted to share next week’s schedule so you can plan ahead.  All events align with our current schedule, aside from the evening activities:

Monday, June 8th

• 10:00 Morning Meeting
• 11:15 Math~ Last Class
• 7:00 pm~ Open House Parent Zoom Meeting
  This presentation will begin with videos of our 8th graders introducing their 8th grade challenge projects, followed by the opportunity for parents to view all Swift presentations and record video comments. Look for Zoom invite on Monday.

Tuesday, June 9th

• 10:00 am -12:00 pm~ 8th Grade Challenge Presentations
• 8th Graders will be presenting within their core Google Meets to a panel of community members.  
• 5th through 7th graders will select a core Google Meet to view 8th grade presentations of their choice. 
• 7:00 pm~  WCS Band Virtual Gallery Night - Click here for details

Wednesday, June 10th

• 9:15 am~ 8th Grade Superlative  “Sandbar” Awards- via Google Meet- Presented by 7th graders
• 8th Grade Slideshow following awards
• 11:30 am~ Swift teachers making a special delivery to our 8th graders: Cupcakes, Swift pins & Sandbar Awards!

Thursday, June 11th~ Last day for 8th Graders!

• 10:00 am ~ Kiva: Choices include Read-aloud (wcsdonnellyswift), Workout (wcshuntswift) or Trivia (wcsskapofswift)
• 3:45-4:40 pm ~ Swift 8th Graders come by school in the afternoon for diplomas 
• 7:00 pm ~ WCS Virtual Graduation presentation. Click here for further graduation details.

Friday, June 12th~ Last Day of School!

• 10:00 am~ Morning Meeting (5th-7th Graders)
• 10:15 am~ Summer Reading Program Kickoff with Jess George from Dorothy Alling Library (Google Meet @ wcsskapofswift)

Due This Week:

• Independent Projects and 8th Grade Challenge posted on Flipgrid (due Friday the 5th)
• PLP Trimester 3 Screencast Reflection (5th-7th only)
• Letter to Core Teacher regarding core placement and interest in being a mentor next year (5th-7th only)

Further Notes

• World Language, EA, Band & Chorus may have live classes posted this week.  Students should continue checking Google Classroom for updates.
• We will hold a “Step-Up” meeting for our fabulous crew of incoming 5th graders during the week of June 15th.  More details about this are coming soon.
• Plan on returning Swift materials to WCS on Monday and Tuesday, June 15th and 16th from 8:00-3:15 pm.  Keep an eye out for any WCS literature, math or library books!  
• See this week’s School Bell for information about returning school Chromebooks.
• The CVU Summer Camp is happening for incoming 9th graders.  Registration is happening now.

Thank you for supporting your children throughout this remote learning period.   We know that a huge load has fallen on your shoulders during this time and we appreciate the grace with which you parents have balanced it all. We look forward to being there for your kids all day as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Lisa, Kevin, Debbie, Amy and Amanda

PS Next week is Spirit Week.  Check out the themes here!

2020 SUMMER MATH & LITERACY RESOURCES

Dear Williston Schools Families,

We want to take a moment to thank you for all of your hard work during the remote learning period this Spring.  We know that families were juggling lots of responsibilities and we appreciate your efforts to continue developing math and literacy skills.  We’re all looking forward to enjoying what will hopefully be a beautiful Vermont summer.  For those families who want options for continuing to work on math and literacy, we’ve compiled some ideas (click here for resources).  These activities are completely optional!  Please make decisions on what to do based on what works for your family.

Thank you!
Caitlin, Jess, Cara, and the WS Leadership Team

UVM EXTENSION SUMMER OF SCIENCE

Join us each week at our virtual science cafe where you will meet scientists, learn about their work, and participate in informal discussions. Registration is required to get the Zoom link:
www.uvm.edu/extension/youth/announcements.  See schedule & topics to be explored here.