Essex Westford School District

🔔 Reminder that there will be no school on Monday, September 1. Please plan accordingly. School will resume on Tuesday, September 2.

Please be advised that there may be increased traffic near Essex High School on August 30 due to the Essex High School Cross Country Invitational Meet.

We are so excited to welcome everyone back to school tomorrow, Wednesday, August 27! Share your first day of school photos with us by emailing them to communications@ewsd.org 📸😁

The Heavenly Food Pantry, located at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Essex Junction, will be open to families residing in Essex, Essex Junction, and Westford on Thursday, August 28, from 3-6 p.m.

The pantry asks for proof of residence for each household in the form of a current utility bill with the physical address listed. In place of this, families may provide a current correspondence from a government agency or other official mail. Identification for each household member
may consist of a driver’s license, hospital card, insurance card, school-issued ID, or social security card or birth certificate.

As usual, there are no income requirements to visit the food pantry, and a variety of food is available to everyone; however, additional food is provided by the USDA to eligible families who fall below federally mandated guidelines.

The next food pantry distribution will be on Monday, September 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

🗞️ The Back-to-School edition of the Family Newsletter is now available 👉 https://secure.smore.com/n/rm94j

The new school year is right around the corner! Drivers, remember to watch for school buses.

Let's give a warm welcome to our new support staff across the District! Last week, all new support staff attended an orientation at Essex High School.

The EWSD Board recently gathered for its yearly retreat, as it prepares for the 2025-26 school year! They were joined by new student reps Cyrus and Emma.

The EWSD Transportation Department has sent bus schedules this week to all families who requested transportation through the Annual Student Update by August 1. Students who signed up after August 1 are served on a first-come, first-served basis and may be placed on a waiting list. Parents: If you have not received your child’s schedule, please check your spam/junk email folder. For any schedule-related questions, contact the EWSD Transportation Department at (802) 857-7077. All bus routes can now be viewed online at www.ewsd.org/transportation.

The EWSD has a mobile app to help students, parents, and community members stay up to date on what is happening in our schools from your phone! On the app, you can read the latest announcements, view lunch menus, and review upcoming events. The EWSD app is available to download for free - https://bit.ly/3q8ZBAY

The EWSD is pleased to present the updated handbook for the Essex Westford School District. This handbook serves as a guide to our school policies, procedures, and expectations and is a valuable resource for both students and their families. 👉 Visit www.ewsd.org/handbook to review it online.

👏 As we get ready to kick off a new school year, we want to give a heartfelt thank you to our amazing facilities team. You’ve been working hard all summer to get our schools ready, and your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Thanks to your dedication, our students and staff will return to clean, safe, and welcoming spaces. We appreciate everything you do! 👏

Excellent performances last month from the Hiawatha second-graders during their talent show! 🤩

Hiawatha kindergarteners gave a heartfelt send-off to the third graders with their beloved flower ceremony. Each kindergartener gifted a flower, a hug, and a cheerful "see you down the road!" as the third graders get ready to move on to their next school — for many, that’s Fleming School! 💐

Students at FMS got a special treat during Field Day with visits from a local EMS truck and fire truck! They had the chance to tour the EMS vehicle and then cool off as the fire truck sprayed water across the sidewalk. A huge thank you to our first responders for making the day extra memorable! 💦👨‍🚒

FMS and Westford were honored as gold-level asthma-friendly schools for 2024-25, while Hiawatha earned silver status. Read the full release: https://www.ewsd.org/article/2323389

Fleming held a poetry slam, where students read some of their favorite poems in front of their peers! 🎤✨

The Westford school and community members enjoyed a special evening of art, music, and community celebration during its annual Fine Arts Night.

Thank you to the Special Education Parent Advisory Council for all their work this year in supporting the EWSD. This group comes together to discuss how to improve engagement with families and the District on special education implementation and practices.

More than 75 students gathered to celebrate achievements in Spanish proficiency and leadership. This year, 44 students earned the Seal of Biliteracy, recognizing their ability to communicate in Spanish at an intermediate level or higher. Twenty-three seniors in the Spanish Honors Society received their cords and helped induct 22 new members. Seniors Isabella Delphia, Alexa Rabidoux, Olivia Spooner, and Sara Sinkewicz led the student pledge. Spanish teachers Jennifer Luck, Laura Williams, Ashley Bry, and Marcela Bronk proudly celebrated their students’ passion for language, connection, and culture with “¡TORTA!” ¡Felicitaciones a todos!