The Windsor Middle School "Book Jackets" Club

Each year, Windsor Middle School students (grades 7 & 8) are invited to participate in a book club to read the nominated titles for the annual "Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award" held by the state of Vermont. This year, instead of the former label "DCF Book Club, members voted to re-name the group "The Windsor Book Jackets" to connect readers and reading with our school mascot, the yellowjackets, as well as a play on words (the dustcover on books is a 'book jacket').

Each month, the club meets during their lunch in the high school library to share the books they have read or are reading.  Members each agree to read a minimum of five (5) titles on the list to be eligible to vote for the book they liked best when the voting takes place in April.

Author/Filmmaker Dustin Warburton visit

Local author, filmmaker, screenwriter ("Spiders 3D") Dustin Warburton spoke to students from State Street Elementary and Windsor High School on Thursday, November 3rd.   Windsor High Librarian, Mary A. Powers, arranged for the visit.  The presentation began with a brief history about Dustin and his road to successful writing in the horror genre.  His education and life experiences haven't been typical but our students could easily identify with some of the pleasures of his youth (snowboarding, boxing) and his high school years as an outstanding tennis player.  He has taught English in a private school and is currently finishing his Master's degree while working on various movie and writing projects.  His most recent book, "My Brother Eats Spiders", is based on his own sons.
Mr. Warburton is also working on a children's book series about bullying with 2011 Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, Kostya Tyszu. The project will debut in Australia, then travel to Russia and finally arrive in the US. The focus of this new series is to teach kids not to bully and is based on Kostya's own childhood experience.
We hope he will return for another visit in the spring when the tour is underway!

Concluding Restorative Practices Training @ WHS

The October 17th Inservice Day at WHS was used for our school to complete the final training in the Restorative Practices model implemented last year.  Mr. Lee Rush, a professional trainer from the International Institute for Restorative Practices (www.iirp.org) based in Bethlehem, PA, conducted a one-day session on "Facilitating Restorative Conferences" for faculty and paraprofessionals in the school library.

Lee Rush in the WHS Library (morning).

WHS is now eligible to receive a plaque for completion of staff training in this initiative to improve student behavior in the classroom and peer-to-peer conflict resolution, as well as promote better relationships between the school, parents and community members affected by student behaviors.

Lee Rush provides instruction on how to facilitate a restorative conference.

Career Research Project - parenthetical citations, bibliographies...and Sakai!

• Students in Mrs. Hochstin's Healthy Independent Living course are busy working on a career research paper this semester.  First, all of the students had to demonstrate they understood the parts of a citation as the assignment required a bibliography ('Works Cited') and at least one parenthetical citation for a direct quote or paraphrase from a source.

•  The librarian provided a brief tutorial on using EasyBib to prepare bibliographies  and showed recommended web sites and print resources.  She then introduced the students to the school's new electronic portfolio system, Sakai, where students can find the necessary resources and web sites for this project, as well as instructions to submit their 'Works Cited' page using the Drop-Box feature.  We are living in the digital age so we are not wasting paper by printing out drafts and revisions!

Students must use print AND electronic resources

Students are researching in the library and the Mac Lab

Welcome to the 2011-12 school year--and "The Learning Journey"

WELCOME, WHS Students, to a New School Year!

Barbie and friend are ready for the new school year and checking where their lockers are!

 This year, Windsor High School's theme for all students and staff is "The Learning Journey".

Let's take this learning journey,
Each one's effort is required;
The key is not the speed but
In PERSISTENCE for the ride!


You will not travel by yourselves,
Supports will help you grow;
'Cause whether it's in school or Life,
"The more you learn, the more you know".










Principal Michael Kell addresses the students on Wednesday, August 31st, on the importance of their "journey of learning" as we begin a new school year.

But...students are still using the library!

Mrs. DeSchamp's middle school students are exploring the human respiratory system or completing PowerPoint projects;

Mr. Tufts'  students in Contemporary Problems are researching debate topics using a specialized database

(Molly & Tegan LOVE the library!);

and.....Mr. Boyington's Honors English class has reserved the library's computers for over  a week!!!

As the school year 2010-11 comes to a close....

the WHS Library congratulates those Seniors who are about to graduate....especially those of you who frequented the library this year.  Good luck and best wishes in your future endeavors....and remember to get those library books returned before graduation practice!

Researching a French-speaking country of Africa!

For ten days this month, students in Madame Jackson's French I class are researching a francophone country in Africa in the WHS Library to create a PowerPoint "scrapbook" of travel plans and research.  The librarian and World Languages teacher, Merideth Jackson, collaborated in ensuring the students knew 1) how to prepare a proper "WorksCited" page for their resources and images; 2) how to use a variety of licensed (authoritative) databases; and 3) electronically completed a website evaluation activity before they Googled information!

February: MAP tests & Spirit Week!

The week before our February break was busy!  For three days, high school students in grades 9-11 took MAP tests in the library, computer lab, and a classroom.  MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) is a series of computerized tests that provide teachers and students with an accurate assessment of a student's ability, measuring what each individual knows and/or needs to learn. When given at regular intervals, it's possible to determine whether a grade level and individual is making progress in basic skill areas.

WHS juniors taking the MAP test.

WHS sophomores taking the MAP test.

And.....it was Spirit Week in anticipation of Friday's Winter Carnival Day.  On "Twins Day, these high school seniors visited the library. 

And the Artistic Winner is........

Mrs. Epworth and Tristan McMullen

Last month, the WHS Library held a contest for middle school students to draw an original comic strip.  WHS art teacher, Ellen Epworth, incorporated the contest into a curricular assignment and the entries were judged on (a) originality, (b) creativity, and (c) humor.  It was a difficult decision to judge several quality pieces from her class, but the winner was:

Tristan McMullen, Grade 7 !!!!

Tristan's prize was the book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney.  Both Ms. Powers and Mrs. Epworth hope Tristan enjoys the book as well as continues his artistic endeavors!  Congratulations, Tristan!

Tristan's prize-winning comic