District Communications

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Tuesday, March 16 and Friday, March 19 – Early Dismissal for all students at 11am (WMHS Parent Teacher Conferences)
• March 25 at 7pm – Winooski’s Got Talent Show (Join via the link found here)
• View the updated WSD School Calendar

Dear WSD Families,

As we shared last week, Governor Phil Scott and Secretary of Education Dan French are recommending Vermont schools bring K-12 students back to full in-person learning five days a week after April break. We agree that most students are more successful academically and socially when physically present in school and the goal of the WSD Leadership team is to return to more in-person learning, however, we also have a duty to make sure our students and staff are safe.

In order to bring back students back for more in-person learning safely, here are the issues we are considering:

Health guidance from the Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Education
School districts in Vermont follow the Safety and Health Guidance set by the Agency of Education (AOE). The guidance was developed jointly with health officials who determined that one of the key factors to preventing the spread of the virus was to maintain a specific distance between students based on their age. This guidance is the standard from which our districts based our learning model decisions and is by far the biggest obstacle to bringing more students on campus at the same time. In addition, we have space constraints due to our capital project renovations.

Staffing levels for each school
The WSD, like many districts, has experienced significant staffing shortages this year, including the consistent demand to cover absences due to positive COVID cases and the need for staff to quarantine. The decision to allow school staff to access COVID-19 vaccines will help us avoid any potential classroom/Pod closures due to COVID-19 exposure.  We are collecting data so we will know when our staff will be fully vaccinated.
We will continue to keep you informed of our plans and any changes in Health guidance.

COVID-19 Updates
Since our last update, there have been two positive cases of COVID-19 reported to the WSD COVID-19 Coordinators. All individuals considered close contacts of the positive individuals have been notified. If you have not been notified, you and/or your child are not considered close contacts.
Since February 17 there have been 29 positive cases in Winooski. Read more about data here.

While we’re all celebrating the optimism vaccines bring, it is very important to remember that COVID-19 is still very present in our community. I urge everyone to continue to follow Vermont Department of Health guidance by wearing a mask when in public, maintaining an appropriate physical distance between yourself and people you don’t live with, avoiding travel and gatherings, and washing your hands.

COVID-19 Variant in Vermont Detected
Vermont health officials have confirmed detection of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 – the viral mutation first detected in the U.K. in the fall of 2020. Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said confirmation of the variant in Vermont is a concern, but not a surprise. “This and other variants have been circulating throughout the U.S. for some time, so we expected to find evidence of it here.” Now that we have confirmation that the variant is in Vermont, we must all continue to follow mitigation strategies to prevent transmission: wear a mask, keep a distance of 6 feet from each other, and avoid crowded places. Read the full press release about the variant from the Vermont Department of Health.

Vaccines for School Staff
Since vaccines became available to school employees, many WSD staff members have already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or made an appointment to receive their first dose. Some school staff have said: “My arm is sore, but it’s worth it.” “It’s like walking on air knowing we are going to be safe and keep our students safer when we come to work.” “I’m so glad we are one step closer to being able to provide our students with what we know they need.”

Vaccine Access Expanded to BIPOC Vermonters
A person of color who is eligible to get the vaccine may bring household members to their appointment to get vaccinated as well, even if they wouldn’t normally qualify under current state guidelines. Read the process for registration here. This decision is supported by vaccine data that shows Vermonters of color have a significantly lower vaccination rate than white Vermonters.

In Chittenden County, 24% of people (ages 16+) have already received at least one dose of the vaccine. Read more about vaccines, eligibility and access in Vermont.

Additional District Updates

WSD Antiracism Steering Committee
Applications to join the WSD Antiracism Steering Committee have now closed. At last night’s WSD board meeting Winooski Students for Antiracism member Evelyn Monje reported that 26 people from a wide variety of stakeholder groups within the Winooski learning community have applied. Thank you to everyone who is passionate and excited about being part of this work! Expect a follow-up next week about committee appointments and demand-based teams.

Show us your talent!
The deadline for submitting a video to Celebrating Winooski’s Talent has been extended to March 19! Questions and submissions should be sent to Joe Smith at [email protected].

Penguin Plunge Planning Underway
Our district team is preparing for a brrrrr-y special, unique Plunge. You can expect to see the video by the end of March.

WMHS Parent Teacher Conferences/Early Release Days 3/16 and 3/19
WMHS Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Tuesday, March 16 (12 pm – 8 pm), and Friday, March 19 (12 pm – 3 pm). All students PreK-12 will be dismissed at 11 am on these days.  Students at the Early Learning Preschool at the Winooski Family Center will be dismissed at 10:30 am both days due to bussing.

April JFK Conferences and Early Dismissal
JFK Parent-Teacher conferences will take place Tuesday, April 6 (12 pm – 8 pm) and Friday, April 9 (12 pm – 3 pm). All students PreK-12 will be dismissed at 11 am. Students at the Early Learning Preschool at the Winooski Family Center, who will be dismissed at 10:30 am both days due to bussing.

Spartans Senior Night Videos – Congratulations, Seniors!

Girls Hoops

Boys Hoops

News from the Winooski Community

Virus in Vermont: Single dad, a refugee with six children, homeless in a pandemic
​​Vt. trooper hopes to build bridge between police, New Americans

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Wednesday, March 10 from 9-10am – VT Foodbank at WSD and student meal kit distribution
• Tuesday, March 16 and Friday, March 19 – Early Dismissal for all students at 11am (WMHS Parent-Teacher Conferences)
• March 25 at 7pm – Winooski’s Got Talent Show (Join via the link found here)
• View the updated WSD School Calendar (The last student day is currently 6/11/21 due to snow days)

Dear WSD Families,

We are so grateful that the Winooski community continues to believe in our work with a very supportive vote in favor of next year’s Winooski School District (WSD) budget! Through the ongoing success of the Capital Project and strongly supported annual budgets, it is clear that Winooski voters value a thoughtful, strategic, long-term investment in WSD students, ensuring a bright future for Winooski.

Additional District Updates

A Future of Promise and Opportunity that Makes No Exceptions.

National Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, addressed a letter to you – our nation’s parents and students, acknowledging the extraordinarily challenging year everyone has endured, and sharing hope for brighter days ahead.

“Our first priority is to return students to the classroom for in-person learning, but we know there’s more work to be done once we’ve achieved that goal. We’re also working toward building better career pathways, making college more affordable, ensuring all students have access to high-quality schools with a balance of quality coursework that include the arts and sciences, supporting teacher quality and improving teacher diversity, ensure teachers receive the support and respect they need and deserve, expanding access to high-quality preschool, and supporting high-quality career and technical education.” Read his full letter here.

COVID-19 Updates

Since our update on 2/18 there have been four positive cases of COVID-19 reported to the WSD COVID-19 Coordinators. No line lists were required because the individuals were not in school while infectious.

Cases in Chittenden County are still very high and have stayed about the same over the past two weeks. Read more about data and how to protect yourself and others here. As you may know, White Vermonters represent the majority of COVID-19 cases but, proportionately, African-American Vermonters have the highest rates.  Click here for more information.

If your child traveled out of Vermont during February break, please plan to quarantine per Vermont Department of Health guidelines. If you have questions call the WSD COVID-19 hotline (802-556-2243).

Vaccines for School Staff 

The State of Vermont will offer vaccinations to school staff in all Vermont public schools as part of their effort to return students to more in-person learning this spring. At this point, we do not have more information about when the vaccines will be available to WSD staff but expect vaccine appointments to begin the week of March 8.

Across Vermont, 19.5% of people (ages 16+) have already received at least one dose of the vaccine. Read more about vaccine progress in Vermont. We look forward to this important step in getting Vermont back on track!

Return to More In-Person Instruction – We all want to have our students back in school for as much in-person instruction as possible. So far, we have managed to navigate this health crisis successfully without any students or staff contracting serious disease and/or requiring hospitalization.  As school staff get vaccinated over the next month WSD will continue to plan for increased in-person instruction.  The “Strong and Healthy Start” guidance from the Agency of Education (AOE) still requires 6 feet of physical distance which makes it impossible for WSD to have all PreK-12 students in the building at the same time.  However, as vaccinations increase we expect health guidance to change and will be ready to shift to more in-person instruction.  We do not foresee this happening until mid-April at the earliest, assuming all other health indicators continue to improve.

WMHS Parent Teacher Conferences/Early Release Days 3/16 and 3/19* (*Please note the date change) 

The date previously listed on this school calendar was incorrect. WMHS Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Tuesday, March 16 (12pm – 8pm), and Friday, March 19 (12 pm – 3 pm). All students PreK-12 will be dismissed at 11am on these days.  Students at the Early Learning Preschool at the Winooski Family Center will be dismissed at 10:30am both days due to bussing.

April JFK Conferences and Early Dismissal

JFK Parent-Teacher conferences will take place Tuesday, April 6 (12 pm – 8 pm) and Friday, April 9 (12 pm – 3 pm). All students PreK-12 will be dismissed at 11am on both days. Students at the Early Learning Preschool at the Winooski Family Center, who will be dismissed at 10:30am both days due to bussing.

Winooski’s Got Talent

The Winooski PTO will be hosting the annual Winooski’s Got Talent virtually on March 25! To star in Winooski’s Got Talent you need to submit a video of you performing your talent, or a picture of your artwork, by March 12. Questions and submissions should be sent to Joe Smith at [email protected]. Please make sure that your videos show you following Covid safety protocols as outlined by the VDH and CDC. 

Watch Basketball Games Live!

Due to the pandemic, spectators are not allowed at Winooski basketball games this season, however, we will broadcast games on our district Facebook page. Watch the games here: https://www.facebook.com/winooskilearns

Find the game schedule here: https://www.wsdvt.org/athletic-department/

Just as in real life, remember to keep all comments on the live feed respectful and positive. Go, Spartans!

Thank you,

Sean McMannon, Superintendent