The FWSU Story

Prologue: I recently attended a Zoom session featuring the Peacemaker Projects of grade 7 students at BFA Fairfax. This joint effort between Emily Wills and Jennifer Skerrett featured an authentic humanities approach to what it means to be a peacemaker. The intersection of transferable skills, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and thematic humanities is … Continue reading Great Peacemakers

In more usual times, February break is a time for escape and recharging. For some, it is a time to get out on the ice and fish, go for a ride on the snow machine, or travel someplace warm.  This year, as we all know far too well at this point, is different. With the … Continue reading Enjoy the break and Take Care of Yourself and Your Family!

Each year the Vermont State Athletic Directors Association (VSADA), in coordination with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), awards ten scholarships to five male and five female senior student-athletes in Vermont. These scholarships “recognize the distinguished scholastic, leadership and sportsmanship attributes of high school student-athletes, and the importance of high school athletics in each … Continue reading BFA FAIRFAX Seniors Recognized as VSADA and NIAAA Top Scholar-Athletes

This year GEMS  middle school students are getting more outdoor recess.  Each grade level is scheduled for a full 30 minutes of fresh air, movement, and social interaction. It is great to get outside, but it is winter, and this is Vermont. It gets cold and windy out there. Some days the weather just doesn’t … Continue reading GEMS Student Works to Launch New School Weather Station

One of the things I appreciate most about living in Vermont is the changing of the seasons. I’m referring to the changes that occur in our landscape and lifestyles as we transition from winter to spring to summer to fall and back again. There’s an old joke that says that “Vermont has three seasons-winter, mud … Continue reading It’s Budget Season

I am constantly reminded about the resiliency of our students. Each day they come to school with a positive mindset, a willingness to be flexible, and the skills to adapt to this COVID-19 learning environment. Prior to the start of school, I wondered how students would be able to navigate all of the processes and … Continue reading Never Underestimate Students

STEM is an interdisciplinary and applied approach that keeps students engaged and learning through a “plan, design, and improve” method of solving a problem. Throughout this flow students apply their current knowledge, build and test their thinking, and then make improvements from information they’ve attained. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. … Continue reading STEM at Georgia Elementary School

As Superintendent serving the Franklin West Supervisory Union, I feel compelled to offer my thoughts on the Insurrection at the United States Capitol on January the 6th, 2021.  This is my 39th year as an educator and life-long learner.  As I watched the mob in support of the 45th President commit violence, destruction, and death … Continue reading The Importance of Student Voice