To read the full newsletter, click here.

Hello again, EMS Families!

These last few weeks have been busy with field trips, Open House, preparations for Fall Conferences (yes, they’re coming up!), the start of budget planning, and student projects and presentations. It’s hard to believe the first quarter of the year is already drawing to a close in two weeks!

At this week’s EngageEMS meeting, I presented BSD’s equity-driven budget model. I am genuinely excited about this new approach and the extent to which it will include and lift the voices of students, families and staff in the budgeting process. If you are interested in learning more, but were unable to attend that meeting or the Oct. 4th Town Hall, please see the slides here. If, after reviewing the slides, you are interested in participating in the School Advisory Group (SAG), please email either me (swestdij @bsdvt.org) or Mia Marinovich (mmarino @bsdvt.org) directly to communicate your interest.

I also want to make you aware of another opportunity to share your perspective on important district decisions. The Board will vote on granting a three-year contract extension to Superintendent Tom Flanagan on November 2nd and is asking the community to provide thoughts and feedback through this Board Superintendent Feedback Form before the meeting. Please consider completing this form if you have input you wish the Board to consider.

Finally, I am excited to share another way to connect with other families, teachers, and administrators. BSD’s Office of Equity will again sponsor a series of free, participatory Equity Workshops open to the greater BSD community. Based on the success of last year’s Equity Webinar series, this year’s workshops are intended to be an interactive learning experience that makes space for authentic engagement with small-group breakout sessions. The workshops are free to attend and open to any community members interested in learning more and becoming more invested in equity. The first of the series, “Let’s Talk About Restorative Practices” will take place Thursday, October 21st from 6-7 pm via Google Meet: http://meet.google.com/ybe-zoyj-ghs. This will offer a great way to better understand the work underway at EMS and across the district in creating spaces that promote relationships and repair. I hope you will consider taking advantage of these ways to influence decision-making, connect, and learn together.

Have a wonderful weekend and, as always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me with questions, concerns and ideas. I am so grateful to be part of such an invested, creative, and compassionate community!

In partnership,

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal

To read the full newsletter, click here.

Hello EMS Families,

Just like that, September has come to an end and October has begun. I hope you are all finding ways to get as involved as you’d like to be in the life of this school, whether that looks like following a sports team, supporting instrument practice, chaperoning field trips (yes, we can do that again!), attending remote EngageEMS Meetings (our PTO meets next on October 13th), or some other way of getting involved.

Open House is coming up next week on Thursday. Please read the rest of this newsletter for more details on that remotely hosted event. Of course, Open House is not the only time to meet or check in with teachers; if you ever have any questions or concerns about how your child is doing socially or academically, please do not hesitate to reach out to their teachers to schedule a call, plan a meeting, or just have an email exchange. We are here to support the success of all learners, and believe in the importance of strong school-family partnerships.

As you likely saw in Superintendent Flanagan’s recent Community Update, we are again permitted to welcome family volunteers as chaperones on field trips, though to be mindful of our community’s health, adults must show proof of full COVID vaccination in order to drive students or accompany classes on walking trips. We continue to limit guests in the building, but I hope you will consider chaperoning a field trip as a way to get involved. These trips are always highlights of our students’ year, and we are so glad that we have been able to bring these opportunities back to our school this year!

Thank you for all you do, and best wishes for a fun and restful weekend!

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal

To read to full newsletter, click here.

Hello EMS Families,

It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through September! In the last couple of weeks, 7th and 8th graders have gone on their team-building field trips, the athletics program has launched (check out more details below to access team schedules and locations), and students have been settling into new friendships, setting community norms in classrooms, and making connections with teachers and staff.

In other news, our afterschool homework help program re-opened last week, and next week our afterschool clubs, affinity groups, and activities will be back! Please find more information on the offerings and schedule below. EngageEMS, our PTO, met for the first time last week with a great turnout; I encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about EMS or supporting learning experiences through fundraising to attend. The next meeting, held remotely, is scheduled for October 13th from 6-7:30pm.

Finally, we have continued to enjoy a safe and healthy start to the year; masking, routine hand cleaning and other precautions have ensured that we can all continue to teach and learn together. This has been fortunate, but also the result of continued caution on the part of staff, families and students. And it is worth it! It’s been a joy to watch our learners benefit from teamwork, collaboration, and social time with friends and classmates.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, ideas for community partnerships, or anything else!

With gratitude,

Sabrina

Read the full EMS Newsletter here!

Message from the Principal

Hello, EMS families and community. While we had a few unexpected challenges at the start of the year, I am happy to report that students and staff are settling into classroom routines, community building, and teaching and learning! With cooler temperatures now here, we are also far more comfortable in our learning spaces! Fall has arrived.

I was fortunate to be able to get into many classrooms this week, and was amazed by the positive energy, laughter, and curiosity on display. Everyone seems so happy to be back among their peers, and heartened by a return to togetherness. While we are ensuring that we are following health guidance and other community safety practices, of course, the current guidelines have allowed for more movement and rhythm to the day, and the positive impact on our school culture is evident. Learning is a social, dynamic venture and we are so happy to have our whole school community together again.

Please look to these future biweekly newsletters for updates on fun learning experiences, interesting happenings on campus, and useful information. In addition, we will try to add highlights and timely updates to the EMS website. And if you ever have a question, concern or suggestion, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly. I look forward to getting to know our families and community partners!

Thank you, always, for your trust and partnership. Here’s to a healthy and engaging year together!

Best wishes,

Sabrina Westdijk

EMS Principal