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! 👏
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.
Our team is working hard to ensure kids across our community have access to healthy, delicious meals while school is out. This year, we are proud to sponsor two summer meal sites locally, where children 18 and under can enjoy free meals in a welcoming environment. These meals must be consumed on-site (no grab-and-go). No registration is required - just show up.
- Maple Street Park Pool Concessions (Essex Jct.): Breakfast from 9-11 a.m. (Monday-Friday), Lunch from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. (Monday-Friday), Lunch only from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. (Weekends)
- Fort Ethan Allen - near the gazebo (Colchester): Lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday)
Families needing food assistance are welcome to visit the pantry! 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, June 26, from 3-6 p.m.
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. Families not able to attend the pantry may call the Church office at (802)878-5745 Ext. 4 between 9 a.m. and noon today through Thursday to leave contact information so arrangements
for delivery can be made. Calls will be made to complete registration on Thursday morning, so please be sure to leave a number so that we can reach you at that time.
Visits to the pantry can be made once each calendar month- either on the second Monday of each month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. or the fourth Thursday of each month from 3-6 p.m. The next food pantry distribution will be on Monday, July 7, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Today is the summer solstice, signaling the official start of summer!
And that's a wrap on the 2024-2025 school year. Have a great summer, EWSD! 🎉😁☀️👏🍦🍉
The June edition of the EWSD Family Newsletter is out now 👉 https://secure.smore.com/n/vyh1cu
Live stream the 2025 EHS Graduation Ceremony! 🎥 🎓 Thanks to the Media Factory for providing live stream video coverage. To order a DVD or digital file, or to watch online, visit mediafactory.org/ehs. The EHS Graduation Ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 14.
🔔 Reminder that the last day of school for the 2024-2025 school year will be next Friday, June 13, and it will be a half-day.
Award-winning author and illustrator Jason Chin visited Summit Street School to share his love of storytelling with the students. Jason Chin is known for his beautifully illustrated children’s books that bring complex scientific ideas to life. His work has earned some of the highest honors in children's literature, including the Caldecott Medal, a Sibert Honor, and the Orbis Pictus Award.
Essex Junction Recreation & Parks, Essex Pediatrics, and Essex CHiPS proudly present The Screenagers Project: Growing Up in the Digital Age Community Film Screenings at Essex Cinemas on June 4 & 11! This film screening is a great opportunity to come together with families, friends, and neighbors to learn more about the impact of kids' use of screens, smartphones, and social media on their mental health. Following the 60-minute film, participants are invited to stay for a 30-minute discussion time to talk about collective community action solutions and steps to move this important conversation forward. For more information, and to pre-register: https://forms.gle/ZkKcm3WCYMxzvXgu5
The EWSD Board Meeting on May 20 is now available to watch thanks to the Media Factory 👉https://www.mediafactory.org/?modal=77,episode,236197
There will be no school on Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day. School will resume on Tuesday, May 27.
The second annual EWSD Potluck & Multicultural Festival took place earlier this month. 🌍✨ Families from across the District came together to share delicious dishes inspired by their cultures, enjoy fun activities, and win exciting prizes. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event such a success!
Bringing your own reusable bags saves the environment and allows the pantry to focus more on food for your family!
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, May 22, from 3-6 p.m. Beginning at 3 p.m., families arriving will be given a number and asked to wait in the sanctuary until their number is called. They will then complete their registration. A volunteer will greet and escort them around the pantry, allowing them to make food selections of their choosing. After the food is gathered, it will be weighed (information for pantry use only), and another volunteer will bring the food to the family’s vehicle. Shopping carts will be made available for those within walking distance of the pantry. The pantry asks for proof of residence for each household in the form of a current utility bill with a physical address listed.
In lieu 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 identification, 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.
There will also be shopping carts available for those living within walking distance of the pantry. Families not able to attend the pantry may call the Church office at 878-5745 Ext. 4 between 9 a.m. and noon today through Thursday to leave contact information (name, address, number of people in the family, and a phone number) so arrangements for delivery can be made. A follow-up call to complete registration will take place on Thursday morning. Families can visit the pantry once each calendar month-either on the 2nd Monday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. or the 4th Thursday of the month from 3-6 p.m. (except for November and December when it is the 3rd Thursday).
The next food pantry distribution will be on Monday, June 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.