All Winooski community members are welcome and encouraged to participate in the ongoing equity and antiracism work happening in the district. For details about upcoming and past events, check out the details below.
Community Circles
On the third Thursday of each month 6-7pm at the Winooski Memorial Library, we will eat together and sit in circle to share stories and talk about changes we’d like to see in the community. If you have an interest in getting to know your neighbors on a deeper level, learning about restorative justice, and organizing for change in your community, consider joining us. Everyone is welcome. Interpretation can be provided if we are notified ahead of time. Contact Kayla Loving (kloving@spectrumvt.org) or Nate Eddy (neddy@winooskivt.org) with questions.
Antiracism Demand Action Teams
Do you want to take action to help the Winooski School District (WSD) become an Antiracist School District? Join one of the WSD Antiracism Steering Committee Action Teams!
These teams are still looking for youth and BIPOC community members:
Group 1: Racial Truth & Reconciliation Commission
Group 3: Ethnic Studies
Group 4: Equity Review Committee
Group 5: Students Civil Rights
Group 6: Multilingual Learner (ML) Mentorship Program
Help make a difference in your community (this is an opportunity for anyone between the ages of 8 and 105!)
* Compensation will be included for your time and effort!
Read these FAQ about the Antiracism Steering Committee: https://bit.ly/ARSC-FAQ
Interested? Email: christie@upforlearning.org
Family and Alumni School Climate Surveys
Spectrum Youth & Family Services in partnership with WSD is collecting feedback on the school climate. This will be a yearly survey that will measure factors relevant to the implementation of restorative justice including safety, belonging, and youth voice. A modified version of this survey was completed by current WSD students in February 2021.
June 22 - August 10, 2021 - Restorative Justice Youth Leadership Workshop (Registration link)
Spectrum Youth & Family Services - Restorative Justice Program will be facilitating restorative justice and youth leadership summer workshops that will meet in-person every Tuesday from 12-2pm at the O'Brien Community Center in Winooski. Workshop participants will receive $200 at the end of the summer. Click here to watch video. Click here to view the flyer.
April 14, 2021 at 6:30pm - WSD School Board Regular Meeting (Zoom link)
At its Special Meeting last Wednesday (4/7), the WSD School Board decided to retain the district's SRO program for the 2021-22 school year and approved the commission of a multi-stakeholder committee to examine the district's SRO program and research school safety models. The roles, responsibilities, and tasks of the new multi-stakeholder committee will be discussed at the regular School Board meeting on April 14. The meeting will start at 6:30pm.
April 7, 2021 at 6:00pm - Special Board Meeting about the SRO Position at WSD (Rescheduled) (Zoom link)
The School Board hosted a Special Meeting in which they made a decision about the WSD's armed School Resource Officer. After hearing from over 60 community members, the School Board voted 4-1 to retain the district's current SRO program for the 2021-22 school year. The Board also approved the commission of a multi-stakeholder committee to further examine the SRO program in the district and research school safety models. The committee will be required to have a report and recommendations ready by mid-November 2021 to guide a path forward. Click here for more details about the Special Meeting.
Before March 8, 2021 - Apply to join the WSD Antiracism Steering Committee
The application was available for Winooski community members interested in joining the WSD Antiracism Steering Committee. This diverse team of stakeholders will guide the dynamic work of the WSA Demands, serve as a communication hub for the demand-based working groups, and ensure that the WSA Demands are centered in every aspect of the work. Click here for more information. Applications were due by March 8th.
February 28, 2021 at 6:00pm - Community Forum on School Safety Hosted by School Board Members (Zoom link)
Board members Liz Edsell and Steven Berbeco hosted another community forum on School Safety. Anyone interested in school safety at WSD was welcome to attend and share their thoughts.
Important Note: This session was held in English without interpretation. The WSD Multilingual Home-School Liaisons have held language-specific community forums on school safety to help the Board get more comprehensive input on the district's school safety policy. If you would like to attend a forum in your preferred language, please contact your liaison.
February 28, 2021 at 3:00pm - Information Session about the WSD Antiracism Steering Committee (Zoom link)
This information session was available to anyone interested in learning more about the WSD Antiracism Steering Committee. There was a brief presentation about the Committee and then time for Q&A.
February 25, 2021 at 6:00pm - Information Session about the WSD Antiracism Steering Committee (Zoom link)
This information session was available to anyone interested in learning more about the WSD Antiracism Steering Committee. There was a brief presentation about the Committee and then time for Q&A.
February 23, 2021 at 7:30pm - Community Forum on School Safety Hosted by School Board Members (Zoom link)
Board members Liz Edsell and Steven Berbeco hosted a community forum on School Safety. Anyone interested in school safety at WSD was welcome to attend and share their thoughts.
Important Note: This session was held in English without interpretation. The WSD Multilingual Home-School Liaisons have held language-specific community forums on school safety to help the Board get more comprehensive input on the district's school safety policy. If you would like to attend a forum in your preferred language, please contact your liaison.
Ongoing through January - Safety & Security Questionnaire
The WSD Leadership Team created a safety and security questionnaire for all community members to complete. This questionnaire will help inform the school board as they make a decision about WSA's Demand #3 in late January.
UPDATE on 2/5/2021: It appears the questionnaire is still accepting responses, so please continue filling it out if you have more to say on the issues.
January 6, 2021 from 6:30-8:00pm - Safety & Security Discussion (Zoom link)
During the School Board Meeting, there was an hour-long discussion about the safety and security forums. Community members made comments directly to School Board members. This will inform how the Board will move forward to gather opinions from the community regarding safety and security.
December 29, 2020 from 6:00-7:30pm - Safety & Security Presentation and Public Forum (Zoom link)
WSD Superintendent Sean McMannon and City of Winooski personnel hosted a presentation and public forum about safety and security in the district. It began with a 30-minute presentation about the current state of safety and security in the district and then followed up with a 1-hour comment and question period. This was part of Step 2 in the community engagement process designed by the WSD Leadership Team.
December 21, 2020 from 6:00-7:30pm - Safety & Security Presentation and Public Forum (Zoom link)
WSD Superintendent Sean McMannon and City of Winooski personnel hosted a presentation and public forum about safety and security in the district. It began with a 30-minute presentation about the current state of safety and security in the district and then followed up with a 1-hour comment and question period. This was part of Step 2 in the community engagement process designed by the WSD Leadership Team.
December 9, 2020 at 6:30pm - WSD Regular School Board Meeting
The WSD School Board discussed the creation of planning and steering committees to work on fulfilling the WSA's demands. The Winooski Students for Antiracism (WSA) presented a budget proposal for continuing its work. Find the agenda and meeting link here.
Please use this Google Form to submit questions or comments about the Community Engagement page.