Culture story sections
Gender Freedom in Schools
This policy has been reviewed by counsel. The attorney counsels caution, and points out that the law is always fluid, and that there are consequences for not following the law. The Agency of Education counsels the use of district policy on HHB.
Next Stage Arts presents Stephane Wrembel, the “living face of Gypsy jazz,” at Next Stage on Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 pm.
Stephane Wrembel stands as one of the world’s most celebrated guitarists. Originally from Fontainebleau, France, Wrembel is renowned for his masterful blend of jazz, gypsy swing, and world music, enchanting audiences worldwide with his distinctive sound.
Summary
● Leadership Council and Committee assignments were established.
● The Board determined that they will follow Robert’s Rules for Small Boards and confirmed Board Norms.
● A committee was established to explore the Board goal setting process.
● Donation of $4,626,00 made to the Rural Community School Alliance was approved.
● Approved 3 policies.
Offering spiritual approaches to addiction and recovery, LAMA TOMAS (aka Tom O’Flaherty) is an ordained Celtic Buddhist Monk living a life of service. He talks about his own path to sobriety and his place in the Crazy Wisdom lineage.
Next Stage Arts presents indie rock band BETTY, plus DJ ezGirl at Next Stage on Friday, April 25 at 7:30 pm.
The award-winning Indie Rock trio BETTY, Alyson Palmer (vocals, bass, guitar), Elizabeth Ziff (vocals, guitar, electronic programming) and her sister, Amy Ziff (vocals and cello), uses beguiling melodies, compelling lyrics and signature harmonies to create energetic live shows that mix music, performance art, politics and comedy.
BETTY sings of joy, love, longing, lust, food, heartbreak, and the universal hilarity of human existence. More than a band, BETTY uses music to channel their passion for representation, fairness and equality. From the beginning, they’ve blended their voices for causes they fight for, their talents in collaboration with other artists of every medium, and their time in support of women and girls, worldwide.
In spite of the weather, the Latchis Theatre will be filled with music at 7 p.m. tonight! Drive safely and allow a few extra minutes.
March 2025, Guilford, VT… Stories, music and great desserts return to Guilford once again as the popular program, Back Roads Stories, welcomes in spring. Please join friends and neighbors from around our region at the Broad Brook Community Center, 3940 Guilford Center Road, on Sunday, March 30, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm for a show that has always delighted audiences.
“We are thrilled to host the return of Back Roads Stories at the Broad Brook Community Center,” said Ada Brown, Manager and Program Coordinator. “This program is not only a celebration of the art of storytelling but also an opportunity to connect with our neighbors in a deep and meaningful way.”
Mark presented the board with documents detailing our SU’s current system of Supervision, Observation & Evaluation for certified staff. New teachers are evaluated during their 1st and 2nd years and then afterwards on a 3 year cycle. A committee was created including members of the Curriculum office, BAMS and BUHS personnel as well as representatives from the elementary schools so that there was a full Pre-K – 12 lens on this issue. The committee is proposing a newly formatted template that will be discussed at the April Admin meeting. The intent is to create a common structure that can be used across all schools.
Attached, please find the minutes from the 03/11 Re-Organizational and Public Info meeting of the WSESD Board
F8 Student Medication
Invited Attendee: Rebecca Olmstead, Nurse Leader
Since the last meeting, RO met with the district doctor regarding this policy, and the doctor approved the draft brought to the committee today. The committee read the new draft aloud, and in consultation with RO, made a number of edits for clarity, consistency, and accuracy. The last two paragraphs (non-prescriptions medications and the concluding paragraph) were reviewed after RO had to leave the meeting, and these will need to be reviewed again. The procedures section was not reviewed.
We are writing with an important update about the Town Arts Fund program and a request for your support and advocacy.
You may be aware that the Town of Brattleboro eliminated funding for the Town Arts Fund program in the proposed FY26 budget. This decision was made by the Selectboard in January without much discussion about the merits or impact of the program. The Arts Council relies on the Town of Brattleboro as the primary source of funding for TAF, and without the Town’s support, it is unlikely we can continue to maintain this program.
Virtuoso Kamancheh player Mehrnam Rastegari, who opened last year’s Bandwagon summer series with retro-Mediterranean surf ensemble Habbina Habbina, returns to Putney on Friday, April 18 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage. Tickets are $20 Advance / $25 At the Door / $10 Livestream.
Mehrnam Rastegari is a distinguished Persian musician, award-winning film score composer, singer, violinist, and virtuoso Kamancheh player. Renowned for pushing the boundaries of Persian music, she blends traditional sounds with rock and modern fusion elements, offering fresh interpretations that resonate with global audiences. Her innovative approach to Persian microtonal music aims to bridge the gap between tradition and contemporary styles, capturing the attention of listeners worldwide.
Brattleboro’s second annual Palestine Film Series opens Sunday, March 23, with the Oscar-winning Best Documentary No Other Land, a devastating window on the continuing Israeli settler violence, land theft and forced displacement of Palestinians from their West Bank villages.
No Other Land is one of four films in this year’s series that give audiences an opportunity to experience diverse stories about the lives of Palestinian people. The series is presented by Southern Vermont for Palestine (SVT4P) and Latchis Arts.
Although it has won more than 45 top documentary prizes worldwide including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, No Other Land has struggled to find a U.S. distributor and has been screened in only a handful of U.S. cities.
Official recount results are in, for the Guilford seat on the Board of Directors of the Windham Southeast School District: There has been no change to the number of votes for each candidate from Guilford. Jocelyn Fritts has been duly elected to the Board of Directors.
V. Presentation
– What is our Supervision/Evaluation Process to ensure quality staff for our students?
Michael Cruz Kayne is a comedian and writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. However, his life isn’t always funny. The loss of his young son profoundly changed his world and his family. In this hilarious, difficult, and touching show about grief, Cruz finds moments of humor, compassion, and ultimately some assemblance of acceptance. If everyone dies, why does nobody talk about it?
A Q&A will follow the performance.
The Town Clerks of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford and Putney have confirmed that they and members of their Boards of Civil Authority will come together in each town for a recount of the contested Guilford 3-year seat on the Board of the WSESD.
Candidates and members of the public are welcome to observe the recount. Time and locations for the re-count:
III. Evaluate
– F8 Student Medication (2:00-3:00) Invited attendee: Rebecca Olmstead, Nurse Leader
– Assess Draft of statement re Students with Immigration Status [Mikaela and Shannon]
– Gender Freedom in Schools – Proposed new policy
The Windham Southeast School District announces that a recount has been requested in the election results for the three-year Guilford seat on the WSESD Board of Directors. Candidates were Jocelyn Fritts, having received 1128 votes and Kelly Young, having received 1100 votes.
The total vote tallies are reported in a “commingled” manner, as per 16 V.S.A. § 741(3). “The articles of agreement as initially approved by the voters on or before July 1, 2019 explicitly provide that the board of civil authority of each town within the unified union school district shall count Australian ballots cast in that town and report that town’s results to the district clerk, who shall calculate total votes cast within the unified union school district and report the result of the vote to the public.”
The unofficial tallies are in, from Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, and Putney.
The unofficial election results for the WSESD Board of Directors are as follows:
