To read the full newsletter, please go here.

Letter from the Principal

Dear EMS Families & Community,

It’s hard to believe that we only have 5 weeks of school left! As we near the summer, there are many upcoming events to be aware of. As you’ll see below, our performance music program’s spring concert series begins next week. The EMS production of Big Fish opens tonight, with a second performance tomorrow. The play will be in the EMS Gym, starting at 6:30pm both nights. Our students have worked hard to prepare for these performances, and we are looking forward to a big turnout. Hope to see you there!

Please also be reminded that there are three (3) Early Release days between now and the end of school, to support both staff professional development and special events for students. School will release at 11:30am on each of these three dates:

• Wednesday, May 11th (for districtwide staff PD)
• Friday, May 27th (for Step Up Day for next year’s 6th graders)
• Friday, June 10th (for the 8th grade promotion ceremony)

We are excited to open EMS back up to families, and look forward to a month of celebrating students’ growth, learning, and talents.

In partnership,

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal

To read the full newsletter, please go here.

Letter from the Principal

Dear EMS Families & Community,

This newsletter includes information that I know you’ve been eager to receive: important dates and events from now through the end of the year (June 10th)! Please take a moment to review this info and get dates on your calendar. There are also details below about SBAC testing, which happens in May. More details about the school dance, award ceremony, the Celebration of Learning, and more will be shared as we get closer to these events. The final weeks of school always fly by, especially as they fill up with fun and special events.

I sincerely hope that all our families are able to enjoy a restful, healthy and (relatively) warm vacation break. Whether you are staying in town or traveling, I wish you a fun, rejuvenating and safe week! We look forward to seeing you when we return.

Be well,

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal

To read the full EMS Newsletter, go here.

Letter from the Principal

Dear EMS Families & Community,

Spring has sprung, despite being off to a slow start, and we certainly have that energy in the air! Our students are engaged in a variety of learning, ranging from fraction work and constructing essays using evidence and reasoning in the 6th grade, to a unit on weather in the 7th and 8th grades. And of course, our students are continuing to create amazing artwork with Ms. Klima, apply the equipment certifications they’ve earned with Mr. Schoembs, expand their French and Spanish vocabularies, and so much more.

As you know, this week was the first week for our new approach to cell phones, and it went quite well. Very few phones needed to be collected, phones very rarely made any appearance during class time, and students understood the expectations and process. We also noted a marked decline in lateness to class, prolonged absences from classrooms, and interpersonal conflict stemming from phone use. The supportive response to this new policy from families was overwhelming, and much appreciated. Thank you for your ongoing support, not only of our school, but also by reviewing phone safety and etiquette with your child at home!

In the coming weeks, you can look forward to more information about the kinds of exciting events that mark the closing of another school year: a school dance in May (the first dance in over two years!), end-of-year awards, and EMS’s Celebration of Learning in June. We are all looking forward to the return of these gatherings as a way to celebrate our students, connect with families, and build community.

I wish you a wonderful, restful, healthy weekend.

In partnership,

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal

To read the full newsletter, go here.

Dear EMS Families,

I sincerely hope you all had a healthy, relaxing, and joyful Winter Break. It has been fun to hear about the various travels and adventures our students had over the last week. That said, it’s been great to come back to school. Despite being a short week, it was an eventful one!

On Thursday, EMS 6th graders and teachers were finally able to hold the 1st Annual Ikidarod – the sun was out, the snow was perfect, and it was a wonderful event. Please see more about that below, including a television news story featuring students and staff!

I know many of you are curious about where we are at in terms of COVID guidance and masking. Yesterday, the governor announced that mask requirements would end at all schools in Vermont on Monday, 3/14, and that will be the guidance BSD follows. Please see Superintendent Flanagan’s Community Update email, sent on Friday, and see below for more details.

In partnership,

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal

To read the full newsletter, go here.

Letter from the Principal

Dear EMS Families,

It’s hard to believe that our next break is only a week away. This month has been eventful, and the days are flying by!

Last week, we had our first school-wide field trip in a couple years, taking a walking trip to the Flynn to watch a performance by Flip Fabrique. It was a very successful adventure; not only was the performance engaging and impressive, but our students were wonderful audience members. The Flynn staff was so happy to have young people in the theater again, and we were so grateful for the Flynn’s gracious offer to host a private event for us as their special guests. Thank you for all the support in making this happen – I know that, after two years of COVID measures and distance from public spaces, this was a big leap. It was very special to share this experience together.

Next week, barring uncooperative weather, our 6th graders will hold EMS’s first annual Ikidarod, a competition that calls upon them to collaboratively design, build and race cardboard sleds. They have been working hard to rise to this engineering challenge! Keep an eye out to see and hear more from 6th grade teachers about this awesome new experience!

On another note, I want to extend my appreciation for this community for the constant support, curiosity, and advocacy shown by EMS families. I am so grateful every day to be here, in partnership, with all of you.

Be well,

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal

Read the full newsletter here.

Letter from the Principal

Dear EMS Families,

I hope this note finds you well. Today marks the end of the first semester of school; while this has been an eventful year, it’s hard to believe half of another school year is behind us. I, for one, am looking forward to steadily earlier sunrises, later sunsets, and warmer days after this week’s deep chill.

The weeks since the return from December break have certainly been tumultuous in terms of changing COVID guidance, the end of on-site test-to-stay, and getting a handle on the distribution and use of at-home rapid tests. I am relieved to say that I think we have turned a corner and are settling into the prescribed routine for this new phase. If you continue to have questions about how we are currently handling testing or quarantine, please take a look at the updated guidance posted below. Be sure to check out your student’s backpack for rapid tests whenever a class they are in is listed on the district’s daily close contact email – and please keep packing masks for your child to wear. Thank you, as always, for your patience and support.

And of course, life, learning and laughter continue to go on in our classrooms. From a 6th grade project to recreate the digestive tract and the formation of a lunchtime book club, to the study of ancient civilizations and ongoing practice in classical and contemporary string music, our students are still striving and thriving!

Be well, and never hesitate to reach out with questions, or just to say hello! I look forward to the day when we can close the distance between school and home once again. Until then, my hope is that we are doing all we can to help you feel connected to your child’s learning, teachers, and this learning community.

Sincerely,

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal