Geraldine Hallock has been helping students cross at the corner of West St. and South Summit St. in Essex Junction for more than 25 years. It’s just a short walk from her house at 6 a.m. In that time, for them, she has simply been a safety measure on their walk to school, but for her, she gets to watch kids grow.

The outer grounds of the Essex High School (EHS) campus were buzzing this past week after the final bell as Hornet Athletics returned to action.

Vermont students that started the school year Tuesday in the classroom had quite the morning as schools got to see the fruits of their preparations. Channel 3′s Kevin Gaiss was at one school drop off in Essex Junction to see how the planning paid off.

The first day of school in any year is cause for some anxious excitement. With the school year pushed back an extra week in Vermont and the entire reopening model changing in each district, everyone is feeling the extra pressure.

After months of planning, the first day of school is finally here in Vermont. In-person class started up Tuesday for roughly half of the students as they get ready to take on another year, even though it may look a little different.

Vermont students head back to school on Tuesday and things will be different. Adjustments have been made inside and outside the classroom, but according to Diana Smith, the COVID Coordinator in the Essex Westford School District, they are optimistic they won’t miss a beat.

The EWSD shared what it will look like inside a few of its buildings at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. While some areas of the schools might look just the same to students, others will be noticeably different due to safety measures implemented to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The fields at Essex High School were quiet this day, but that will soon change if everything goes according to plan. Fall sports teams can begin holding official practiced as soon as the new school year begins next Tuesday. Essex athletic director Pat Merriam and his staff are preparing for that day and are making every effort to prepare for all contingencies.

With just under a week until Vermont schools are back in session, each district across the state is fine-tuning different models of how they plan to teach student safely this year. For some, that includes the child care hubs that students will use on remote learning days.

Vermont continues to approve childcare hub sites in communities around the state for students who need care on remote learning days. With public schools set to reopen Sept. 8, the state is barely one-fifth of the way to reaching its provider goal.

High school sports programs may begin fall practices on Sept. 8 — on the same day students return to classrooms across Vermont. But when can games begin during the COVID-19 pandemic?

With the start of academic instruction on the horizon, the Essex Westford School District (EWSD) has been busy getting supplies needed to help provide safety for students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Essex High School (EHS) Director of Athletics Patrick Merriam spent some time talking with the Reporter this week and gave some clarification to how fall sports will look this year.

Physical education teachers are gearing up for a different kind of year, with rules changing how they get kids moving during the pandemic.

Going to school is already a new experience for many young elementary learners, now pandemic rules are changing the way they’re learning, too. But local teachers say they’re ready for the challenge.

It might come as some relief to area families to hear that there will be an option for their children to be looked after during the days they are not in school. Essex Junction Recreation & Parks (EJRP) and the Essex Westford School District (EWSD) have teamed up to form what’s being called Rec Kids Supported Learning Spaces.

As school districts prepare to welcome back students into buildings, they're stocking up on more than the usual pencils and markers. Essex-Westford School District, for example, already spent about $500,000 on personal protective equipment.

For many parents, figuring out how their children will be supervised on remote learning days is a huge concern. The Essex Westford School District, however, has a solution for its families.

School administrators all over the state have been faced with countless questions over the summer in regards to the best, and safest, ways to operate when the 2020-21 academic year kicks off.

School districts say they have been working on a plan for special needs students using input from parents. While some aspects have been decided, others are still in development and each district may differ in implementation.

Superintendents in several of Vermont's largest school districts outlined their plan for a return to in-person classes this fall.

After a five month break, the voices of kids will reverberate in school hallways again, but it won't be a return to the way it was.

School districts across the Champlain Valley announced this week that they will be adopting a hybrid model when they reopen this fall.

The first day of school for the Essex Westford School District (EWSD) is slated for Aug. 27, but only half of its students will need to be loading up their backpacks the night before.