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?

A post shared by Swift House (@swift_flyforever) on Oct 13, 2020 at 5:46pm PDT

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More photos of our owl pellet research in action!

A post shared by Swift House (@swift_flyforever) on Oct 28, 2020 at 10:51am PDT

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5th and 6th graders dissecting owl pellets to learn about food webs and ecosystems. #science #swifthouse #bonesandfur

A post shared by Swift House (@swift_flyforever) on Oct 19, 2020 at 4:34pm PDT

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.

LeaseSkiSale.pdf 

Thanks!

Williston Recreation & Parks

www.willistonrec.org 

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!