CVSD Update, October 27, 2022

 

Dear CVSD Families and Caregivers,

We write to you on the night of our last community forum for the strategic planning process. We hope to see many community members at our forum at 6:00 tonight.

Learn about this process and much more in this latest newsletter, including:

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• A note about Learning Targets
• Celebrating the raising of the LGBTQIA+ flag at some of our schools
• Upcoming events, announcements, and more!

As always, let us know if you have questions, feedback, or compliments using our Let's Talk page on the district's website.

Abenaki Guest Speaker at WCS

This guest post was provided by Brie Healy, Williston Central School educator. 

On Friday, October 14, 2022, Clover and Summit House students welcomed Michael Descoteaux, a member of the Abenaki tribe, in recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day. 

In reflecting on the presentation, Summit 8th grader Reed Claro, shared, 

“Michael opened up a whole new world in our history. In his amazing presentation, we learned so much about the origins of many of the words we speak, as well as the uses and origins for our food. The Abenaki culture and language is a vital part of our history and cannot be taken away from us. Michael and so many others are working to restore and keep the language and culture alive, and by giving him an hour of our time, we can do the same.” 

In addition, Summit 8th grader, Kendall Batdorf shared, 

“I enjoyed hearing about how they built their houses, fought and defended themselves, caught their food, built their gardens, and preserved their food. Some people got grossed out about how they used all parts of the animal and didn’t waste almost anything, but I found it interesting and caring. It was important to the Abenaki to not waste anything that they killed, but to get the most use out of it. This makes so much sense! Nowadays we are killing whole sharks just for their fins!” 

What a valuable learning experience, thank you Michael!

Williston Candidates' Forum a Great Success

Last Friday, the middle school students at Williston Central School hosted their biennial Candidates' Forum. The teachers and their students invited the Republican and Democratic candidates for US Senate, US House of Representatives, Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General.

Various candidates for federal and state offices were invited and nine were able to attend. This is a great opportunity to inform students and educate them about the political issues facing voters in the November elections. These are the offices our 7th and 8th students were busy researching and preparing questions for. The 5th and 6th grade students also studyed the candidates, political parties, and issues of the election. They created posters that lined the walls in the school and auditorium. Following the forum, students will use the evidence from the forum for a writing assignment.

“The Williston Candidate Forum is an authentic way for our students to learn about democracy. It encourages students to thoughtfully engage in the process of educating themselves about relevant issues and asking questions to further their understanding of the topics,” said Jackie Parks, Williston Central School Building Principal. “Ultimately we want students to become active in their communities and this learning experience provides them with the foundation to build on as they grow into responsible and involved citizens.”

The following candidates and the office they're running for attended this year's forum: 

• Gerald Malloy (R), US Senate
• Peter Welch (D), US Senate
• Becca Balint (D), US House of Representatives
• Phil Scott (R), Governor of Vermont
• Brenda Siegel (D), Governor of Vermont
• Joe Benning (R), Lt. Governor of Vermont
• David Zuckerman (D), Lt. Governor of Vermont
• Michael Tagliavia (R), Vermont Attorney General
• Charity Clark (D), Vermont Attorney General

In addition to posing challenging questions to the candidates, some students were behind the cameras livestreaming and recording the event. They had support from the Media Factory. The complete recording can be seen at this link, thanks to the Media Factory. 

This was the 12th candidate forum sponsored by the social studies committee at WCS. Thank you to this exemplary group of teachers for preparing your students so well!

Here's a small sampling of photos taken at the event.



View additional coverage of the event from local TV stations.
WPTZ: Vermont Students Meet with Candidates During Forum
WCAX: Students Questions Vermont Candidates on the Issues

WFFF: Vermont Candidates Discuss Major Issues in Middle School Hosted Forum

CVSD Update, October 6, 2022

Dear CVSD Families and Caregivers,

Happy Fall! We are eager to share this latest update with you as it contains important and timely information about upcoming events happening around the district and for the district. We hope you will get involved and share your voice. 

In this edition, you will find: 

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• Information about our Strategic Planning process, including Community Forums and a survey
• An invitation to join us at the DEI Virtual Town Hall next week
• Celebrations throughout the month of October 
• and more
  

As always, let us know if you have questions, feedback, or compliments using our Let's Talk page on the district's website.