Community
I've been thinking about community lately. Spending time over the past month with community members, students and faculty through our strategic planning process has given me a chance to learn and affirm what others have known for some time. The commitment our communities have to our schools, to humanity and justice, to centering students in our decision making - we've known these as our values. But my time has also given me the opportunity to see first hand just how much our community values, well, the community itself. We (our Board, our families, our educators, our students) aspire to deeply engage the people who make up our Washington Central space.
It is more important than ever to lean into this commitment to community. It goes without saying that things are hard right now. Things are hard in the world, in our region and in our local community. Sometimes it is hard to know what to say in the midst of it all. So instead, I want to share an image of a poster that U-32 senior Willow Mashkuri hung in the atrium at U-32. No surprise - it is often best to simply turn to our students and to our communities, for healing (and thank you, Willow, for letting me share this!).
With the chill in the air and the first sloppy weather of the season comes plenty to celebrate, though. November is often the time to ponder what we are grateful for. Today we observe Veteran's Day and express our deep gratitude to those who serve. Also in November we acknowledge and honor Native American Heritage Month. Check out this online exhibition of the Indigenous artist Robert Houle.
Keep reading for news about strategic planning, budgeting and, of course, some school happenings.
- Meagan Roy, Superintendent
Equity Scholar's Corner
Each month, we want to share with you some examples of the learning that happens in our district related to Humanity & Justice. Maybe you will decide to try these activities yourself!
What is our Humanity & Justice Statement all about?
Shelley Vermilya, WCUUSD Equity Scholar in Residence
Have you been wondering what this statement is on the WCUUSD website and in every newsletter? At first glance some readers say, "ahhh it is so wordy!"; or, "I just don’t get it."
The authors of this commitment statement are all educators in our district. They were indeed trying to cover many levels of historic and current social and educational issues, compelled to speak of and to all members of our community, and look toward the future. Yes, it is complex—just like nurturing and educating all of our students PreK-12!
U-32 teachers Steve Sheeler and Elizabeth Marks had their 7th and 8th grade social studies classes dive into our guiding statement to find its meaning and crucial points.
Here is the original assignment and the "Mild" version students received. I had to read the instructions a couple of times since I didn’t have the teacher at my elbow!
Grab some markers of many colors and decide why specific lines stand out.
From the assignment: here are some student responses to the statement, “it’s important...”
...that learning is relevant
...to think and ask questions
...our teachers pay attention to student’s (changing) growth and understanding
...we are included and have a sense of belonging
...we try to understand all points of view
Students noted words they didn’t understand like ‘prejudice,’ ‘socioeconomic,’ or that they wanted more focus on mental health and socioeconomics; and they wanted to know how we might actually build more opportunities for students “to thrive rather than merely survive.”
I’m eager to share more with you about what our students are learning about humanity, justice, and how they are thriving across the district.
Snow & Inclement Weather Procedures!
First, I usually find it helpful to share my "snow day philosophy" with all of you (until I became a school leader, I didn't know I had one!). There are two things that drive my thinking as it relates to snow days:
- Our students benefit from being in school and learning with our amazing faculty and staff, and,
- Our students need to be safe
Sometimes it feels as though those two things work in opposition; but together they guide my decision making. You can be assured that I rely on a team of people to understand the current conditions in each of our towns (including the bus company and our road commissioners). Our goal is to make a decision as early as conditions allow us to do so. We use our Emergency Messaging system to push out the notification. And, our closures are communicated to the Vermont Broadcasters system so you can also find them on the various news and radio outlets.
Now is a good opportunity for you to check whether or not your information is up to date in the Infinity Campus Parent Portal! Please contact your child's school if you have questions.
Let it snow...but only on the weekends!
Washington Central Unified Union School District
Website: https://www.wcsu32.org/
Location: 1130 Gallison Hill Road, Montpelier, VT, USA
Phone: (802) 229-0553
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wcsu32