WSESD Board Meeting Minutes – June 27, 2023

SUMMARY: The WSESD Board and members of the Vernon School Board and Administrators attended a retreat together on June 26 to develop goals and priorities for the Continuous Improvement Plan. Administration will begin developing budgets without the support of ESSER funds in September. All schools held graduation ceremonies including BUHS, which was the final one on June 16. There was a discussion of how board members should attend when seating is limited due to holding the event indoors. The board considered new policies regarding the dress code, fire and emergency preparedness, access control, and leadership councils. The report on the sexual abuse investigation has been delayed due to new information received by the investigator. The Board adopted a set of norms to inform their meetings. The Board has not yet received any applicants for the vacant Brattleboro seat but hope to appoint someone at their next meeting on July 25. Administrators will be holding a planning retreat on August 7 and the Board hopes to hold one later that month. Tim Maciel was added to the Social Justice Committee.


WSESD Policy Warnings

Windham Southeast School District has read the following three policies at two regular meetings, and anticipates adopting them at the Board Meeting of July 25, 2023.

The policies are attached below; please post for a warning period of at least 10 days prior to the potential adoption date of 7/25/2023. 


BCTV Schedules – Week of July 3, 2023

BCTV Channel 1078 Weekly Listing for 7/3/23

Monday, July 3, 2023

5:00 am Vote for Vermont – Seven Steps to Better Schools

6:00 am Brattleboro Literary Festival – A Path Lit by Lightning: David Maraniss on Jim Thorpe

7:00 am Juno Orchestra – Heavens Border – Suite for String Orchestra

7:15 am Brattleboro Gallery Walk – June 2, 2023


Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Native Son and a Beloved Musician of New Orleans Glen David Andrews and His Band

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents native son and a beloved musician of New Orleans Glen David Andrews and his band, on Saturday, August 5 at 6:00 pm at The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Rd, in Putney, VT.

Glen David Andrews, the prodigious trombonist and vocalist, returns to the Bandwagon Summer Series to captivate audiences once again! Andrews, touring in celebration of his highly anticipated new album, “Le Trème Carnaval,” is known for his electrifying performances and soulful compositions.

With his commanding vocals and virtuosic trombone skills, Glen David Andrews has established himself as a true force in the world of contemporary jazz and funk. A native son and a beloved musician of New Orleans, Andrews is a warrior for cultural preservation at a time when indigenous traditions are being threatened in the city. His music is packed with beauty, hard-earned truths, compassion, humor, anger, joy, and – most of all – hope.


Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Somerville, MA-based Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Somerville, MA-based Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, on Saturday, July 29 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney, VT.

“The power of a large Balkan Brass Band just can’t be denied,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “We’re thrilled to have Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band lead our community in a dancing and fun evening of music.”

Raunchy circus roots. Polished precision performances. A joyful cacophony of Balkan, Klezmer and funk, with a tasteful thrash of metal thrown in for good measure. No matter the occasion, Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band has got the brass to get you up and dancing.


Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Policy and Amendment Committee – Meeting Minutes

Chair DS convened the meeting at 2:32 pm and read hybrid statement.

I. Approval of Minutes and confirmation of next meeting date

The minutes of 06/05/23 meeting approved by assent.

A discussion took place on whether the Policy and Amendments Committee will meet during the summer. It was agreed that there will be one meeting in July, specifically focused on planning a calendar and setting priorities for which policies to review in the coming school year.


By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth

“By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth” is set to hold the town’s 50th annual Independence Day celebration on Tuesday, July 4, with a morning parade downtown and afternoon and evening program of family activities and fireworks at Living Memorial Park.

Marching units including the local American Legion and Brattleboro Union High School bands, veterans, civic and youth groups will kick off the festivities at 10 a.m. with a parade from Flat Street to Main Street to the town Common.

Brattleboro’s Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, which is sponsoring the parade for a sixth year, will lead the march with its giant American flag, while local personality Alfred Hughes Jr. will conclude the event by debuting his annual top-secret ensemble.


BCTV Schedules – Week of June 26, 2023

Monday, June 26, 2023

5:00 am Vote for Vermont – Seven Steps to Better Schools

6:00 am Brattleboro Literary Festival – A Path Lit by Lightning: David Maraniss on Jim Thorpe

7:00 am Juno Orchestra – Heavens Border – Suite for String Orchestra

7:15 am Brattleboro Gallery Walk – June 2, 2023

7:55 am BDCC presents – Fearless Futures 6/6/23


Ezlerh Oreste on “Here We Are”

Check out this show with EZLERH ORESTE – a guy who knows how to perform, have a good time and who generously shares the fun! From Stand-Up to Sweat Lodges, Clowning to Video Productions….Ezlerh also gives a beautiful tribute to Jonas Fricke.


WSESD Board Meeting – Draft Minutes June 13, 2023

…”Now, therefore, we, the New Brattleboro Mascot Oversight Committee of the Windham Southeast School District, do hereby recommend that the Board of School Directors officially adopt Bears as our new school mascot and identifier for the purpose of enabling a unified and spirited school community….”


BCTV Schedules – Week of June 19, 2023

BCTV Channel 1079 Weekly Listing for 6/19/23

Monday, June 19, 2023

5:00 am Brattleboro Housing Partnerships Board – BHP Bd Mtg 5/22/23

5:45 am Windham Central Supervisory Union – WCSU Bd and Exec. Comm. Mtg 5/31/23

7:00 am Brattleboro Planning Commission – Brattleboro PC Mtg 6/5/23

8:30 am West River Education District – WRED Bd Mtg 6/12/23


Rainbow Girls plus Pete Muller & the Kindred Souls at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present folk/roots/Americana trio Rainbow Girls at Next Stage on Wednesday, July 26 at 7:00 pm. Pete Muller & the Kindred Souls open.

Rainbow Girls are an eclectic folk trio hailing from the golden countryside just north of California’s Bay Area. Vanessa May, Erin Chapin, and Caitlin Gowdey seamlessly combine soul-touching harmonies, varitextured instrumentals, and poignant lyrical content into a beautiful sonic tapestry. Throughout their performance, voices are paired with an ever-changing amalgamation of acoustic and slide guitar, keys, upright bass, harmonica, and an array of vocal techniques creating an engaging and emotionally moving live show.


Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Klezmer Re-groove Ensemble Klezperanto!

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents klezmer re-groove ensemble Klezperanto!, on Saturday, July 22 at 6:00 pm at West River Park, 333 VT-30, in Brattleboro, VT.

“Klezmer and dancing go hand-in-hand, and Klezperanto delivers on that promise,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The Boston-based Klezmer all-star lineup includes members of the Klezmer Conservatory Band – they know this idiom. With Klezperanto, they expand its power and impact, and we’re excited to bring that energy to the region.”​​

Klezperanto! presents Eastern European melodies as you’ve never heard them before, from Bogota to the Black Sea. With solid klezmer roots, spectacular technical virtuosity, and a wry sense of humor, Ilene Stahl and an all-star line-up of Boston’s best musicians re-groove traditional klezmer and Mediterranean melodies, celebrate the golden age of Colombian big bands, rip up Romanian surf tunes, slay a few standards, and blow past every posted limit to bring you irresistible dance music from everywhere except your cousin’s friend’s bar mitzvah. Klezperanto’s fans know: It’s No Hora Show!


Next Stage Arts and Vermont Suitcase Company bring The Feeble Fantastical to Putney

Next Stage Arts presents The Feeble Fantastical, a Vermont Suitcase Company production, at Next Stage Arts on Friday, July 21 at 7:00 pm.

“Theater is embedded into the fabric of this community, and The Vermont Suitcase Company is one of the threads of that tapestry,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Partnering with them to bring theater to our community is exactly the type of collaberation we envision as we create a thriving, cultural ecosystem in the region.”


Jamie Mohr on “Here We Are”

“Rewarding the Curious” is what Epsilon Spires is all about – and Jamie Mohr is finding ways to bring the arts and science together in ways we never imagined……Tune in to hear about some of her adventures!