Woodstock Early Bird has learned there will not be a 9am Town of Woodstock Flood Response meeting this morning.
We are VERY sorry to have led you to believe otherwise. The next scheduled meeting is 9am, Tuesday, September 6th.
Apparently Town Officials wanted to try to maintain a sense of normalcy for a regular Labor Day Holiday.
We did run into a Woodstock Early Bird parent of Elementary School-aged kids who IS concerned about the school re-opening situation. We will try to get some concrete information about schools.
Again, WEB erred in posting an incorrect meeting announcement.
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 
Posted by Candy on September 5, 2011 at 09:36
Letter that has been going out to Parents about School:
Dear parents, families, and students,
What a difference a week makes. It was only a week ago, but many things have changed for our community and for our small state. To take a moment to reflect on where we were on Sunday, August 28 gives us the opportunity to consider what we once took for granted. As we prepare again for the start of school, our priorities have shifted and our sense of normal is significantly altered.
I write to inform you that despite the many things that have changed, your Woodstock Union Middle and High School is ready to serve the young people of the community. Both faculties met on both Thursday and Friday to prepare for the students’ arrival on Tuesday, September 6. We spoke and planned extensively for the first few days in order to be prepared for students who will have encountered all types of experiences over the past week.
First, the current state of the school is relatively good. Power has been restored completely and internet and telephone systems are operating normally. We were very fortunate that water never entered the building itself, so clean-up efforts were limited to outside. Along those lines, all of the lower athletic fields were underwater and are covered by varying amounts of silt. The majority have an inch or less of silt and the grass is growing through the layer. I have consulted directly with the VT Department of Health which is recommending that students stay off the lower fields for the time being. Their recommendation was to keep athletes off the fields for two weeks and to allow the sun, the cool nights, and the natural effects of the rain to have an effect on the thin layer of silt. Where the silt is deeper, it is being removed by machine. While no contaminants have been found, based on the Department of Health’s advice, I ask that everyone stay off the lower fields for the time being. Fortunately, we are able to use the upper, lit field, the Union Arena, and as of today, a group of employees and volunteers have resurrected the Rock Church field. All MS co-curricular activities are postponed for the first week, and Athletic Director Jeff Thomas is working tirelessly to schedule practices and games in the limited field space available. I will be consulting again with the VT Department of Health and will keep you posted.
The status of drinking water in the Town of Woodstock continues to improve by the day. Water is running in the school, however, the town has asked that the water from the tap not be consumed or used for hand washing. Additionally, they ask that we limit the use of bathroom facilities to the best of our ability. On Friday we received over 6000 bottles of water for students and staff which will be available throughout the school. Portable bathroom facilities are also available around the school at a number of locations. I anticipate that the water will be back to normal soon. I will be encouraging students to take water home and to use the school as a distribution point for water for families.
Like the water, the situation with the roads continues to improve by the day. I plan to have more information tomorrow, Monday, September 5 about bus transportation to and from school. In a meeting on Friday, bus company officials reported that routes in Woodstock, Pomfret, Barnard, and Reading are generally in good condition. Route 4 west of the MS/HS continues to be a challenge and changes almost hourly. While route 4 to Bridgewater is identified as open, beyond Bridgewater it is open on a limited basis. The bus company and school are working closely with VTrans and I will know more tomorrow, which I will share with you as soon as the information is available.
The day on Tuesday is planned as a day of re-acclimation. Please refer to the website for the specific schedule, but we plan an assembly, and advisory, and a quick run-through of all eight classes. It is my hope that this schedule will allow students to begin to turn their attention to the normal schedule of school. Lunch is available to all students free of charge, and teachers will be focusing on meeting students and to introducing them to the course. Additional resources will be available to students who are struggling with the events of the last week.
A sincere thank you to the many community members who have worked hard to make our opening possible – we would not be as prepared as we are without your help. I plan to send another email tomorrow, Monday, with further information about the opening on Tuesday.
With Kind Regards,
Greg Schillinger
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Posted by Dianne on September 5, 2011 at 09:43
Dear parents, families, and students,
What a difference a week makes. It was only a week ago, but many things have
changed for our community and for our small state. To take a moment to reflect
on where we were on Sunday, August 28 gives us the opportunity to consider what
we once took for granted. As we prepare again for the start of school, our
priorities have shifted and our sense of normal is significantly altered.
I write to inform you that despite the many things that have changed, your
Woodstock Union Middle and High School is ready to serve the young people of the
community. Both faculties met on both Thursday and Friday to prepare for the
students’ arrival on Tuesday, September 6. We spoke and planned extensively for
the first few days in order to be prepared for students who will have
encountered all types of experiences over the past week.
First, the current state of the school is relatively good. Power has been
restored completely and internet and telephone systems are operating normally.
We were very fortunate that water never entered the building itself, so clean-up
efforts were limited to outside. Along those lines, all of the lower athletic
fields were underwater and are covered by varying amounts of silt. The majority
have an inch or less of silt and the grass is growing through the layer. I have
consulted directly with the VT Department of Health which is recommending that
students stay off the lower fields for the time being. Their recommendation was
to keep athletes off the fields for two weeks and to allow the sun, the cool
nights, and the natural effects of the rain to have an effect on the thin layer
of silt. Where the silt is deeper, it is being removed by machine. While no
contaminants have been found, based on the Department of Health’s advice, I ask
that everyone stay off the lower fields for the time being. Fortunately, we are
able to use the upper, lit field, the Union Arena, and as of today, a group of
employees and volunteers have resurrected the Rock Church field. All MS
co-curricular activities are postponed for the first week, and Athletic Director
Jeff Thomas is working tirelessly to schedule practices and games in the limited
field space available. I will be consulting again with the VT Department of
Health and will keep you posted.
The status of drinking water in the Town of Woodstock continues to improve by
the day. Water is running in the school, however, the town has asked that the
water from the tap not be consumed or used for hand washing. Additionally, they
ask that we limit the use of bathroom facilities to the best of our ability. On
Friday we received over 6000 bottles of water for students and staff which will
be available throughout the school. Portable bathroom facilities are also
available around the school at a number of locations. I anticipate that the
water will be back to normal soon. I will be encouraging students to take water
home and to use the school as a distribution point for water for families.
Like the water, the situation with the roads continues to improve by the day. I
plan to have more information tomorrow, Monday, September 5 about bus
transportation to and from school. In a meeting on Friday, bus company
officials reported that routes in Woodstock, Pomfret, Barnard, and Reading are
generally in good condition. Route 4 west of the MS/HS continues to be a
challenge and changes almost hourly. While route 4 to Bridgewater is identified
as open, beyond Bridgewater it is open on a limited basis. The bus company and
school are working closely with VTrans and I will know more tomorrow, which I
will share with you as soon as the information is available.
The day on Tuesday is planned as a day of re-acclimation. Please refer to the
website for the specific schedule, but we plan an assembly, and advisory, and a
quick run-through of all eight classes. It is my hope that this schedule will
allow students to begin to turn their attention to the normal schedule of
school. Lunch is available to all students free of charge, and teachers will be
focusing on meeting students and to introducing them to the course. Additional
resources will be available to students who are struggling with the events of
the last week.
A sincere thank you to the many community members who have worked hard to make
our opening possible – we would not be as prepared as we are without your help.
I plan to send another email tomorrow, Monday, with further information about
the opening on Tuesday.
With Kind Regards,
Greg Schillinger
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