Winter Sports
Click on this link for updated information about Winter Sports & registration.
School Counseling & Guidance Office
Dr. Laurie Berryman
https://calendly.com/lberrshscounseling-check-in
Mrs. Emily Graham
Mr. Ry Hoffman
https://calendly.com/rhoffshs/counseling-check-in
Mrs. Ashley Kellett
https://calendly.com/akellshs-counseling-check-in
Mrs. Peggy Roy Portelance
VSAC Resources
November 18th - Career Fit
December 2nd - Value of Trades
December 9th - Resume & Coverletter
December 16th - Interview Skills
Chesnee Barney
She is so grateful for her Work Based Learning Mentor and Spaulding High School alum, Nicole Martell from Granite Industries of Vermont (GIV).
"I miss Nicole and the people this semester."
Chesnee cites their exemplary work ethic, professionalism, and compassion for others as so important, but also possessing the techincal skills to perform one's job.
As of now, she is determined to build her credentials by enrolling in Community College of Vermont's Fundamentals of QuickBooks and truly appreciates being a recipient of VSAC's Aspiration Program because they are helping Vermonters like herself "build something better."
Maddy Benoit
"I have been always motivated to learn how things work and why things fail."
But this year, she's realizing even if you feel like your failing or falling behind, you can alway iterate yourself, and improvise or prototype yourself into something better. She credits being the Building Manager for Mr. Moore's Engineering Class and being a part of First Robotics this year.
"This role gives me a sense of purpose and I can connect the dots to my courses and what I hope to do in college."
Steven Corbett
And for this year, he is so grateful for having football.
"I know the game isn't the same, but I can't allow COVID to define me as a player."
As a TIDE athlete, Steven is keenly aware what it means to be patient, to maintain a positive attitude, and to work hard despite feeling frustrated.
He chalks it up to a learning process.
He recognizes that sulking doesn't help him or his teammates either, so he perseveres and tries his best as not only as athlete, but as a student.
Cultivating a College & Career Ready Culture
In 2018, Spaulding High School was selected among five other schools to be a part of Vermont Student Assistance Corporation's (VSAC) Aspiration Project, which complements our mission to prepare students for success in an ever changing world.
As an alum and the Aspirations Coordinator, Lauren Hood, Class of 2006, this mission hits close to home. She has deep family roots in Barre and she cares about her community, so much so, she's starting with the Class of 2021.
Lauren has begun to offer college/career readiness virtual workshops on Wednesdays for students. She recognizes the challenges of this, especially not being able to enter the building and form new relationships with students.
But this does not deter her because she wants to raise the aspirations of students. As she stated, "I want students, especially Seniors to know about Wednesday Workshops and resources that VSAC has available to them and their families."
For Work Based Learning students, they appreciate Lauren's efforts and meeting an alum of Spaulding is "even cooler," as Block 3 students stated during a Post Secondary Activity, using terms and Kahoot.
She encourages students to check out her flyers and emails about upcoming workshops because she genuinely wants to provide them with the tools to be successful.
And to combat Google/Zoom fatigue, Lauren has tirelessly compiled another resource entitled, College & Career Planning Resources because she cares about her community and wants to ensure all students have the information needed in order to figure out their future after high school. Check out her work by clicking on this link.
Her next goal is to form relationships with students, reacquaint herself to her alma mater, and we are in total agreement. Welcome Back, Lauren.
Forensic Science
They are engaged in lectures, labs, online activities, and simulations that are based upon real case studies.
Their latest focus was using ninhydrin that binds to amino acids in a person's fingerprint to turn them purple when adding heat.
According to Ms. Smith, "I am super excited to be teaching this class." Having small class sizes enables her students to spread out and participate in daily lab work.
Even though for some, they are not thrilled with online learning, they understand the importance of reading, writing, and doing the research at home prior to class because it helps them make connections to real world applications as if they were in a scene from CSI or a Cold Case. And Ms. Smith gets this.
"It's just fascinating and I love this type of teaching."
She referenced her clinical rotations in college and being able to learn from visiting the state hospital as valuable experiences to have for her own students as she preps for Block 3. "It's hands on, it's real problem solving, and it's requiring students to critically think, using science."
First Robotics
The grant is one of 16 such grants being made available with the help of FIRST, the Generator Makerspace and the UVM College of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences.
Leading this charge is John Cohn, an IBM Fellow and UVM Professor who is passionate about STEM and FIRST Robotics.
John says "FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) has empowered students all around the world with a greater appreciation of STEM skills and STEM careers".
He says that FTC gives students the confidence to innovate under constraints. He points put that the current Covid situation is a great example in that FIRST has re-engineered the challenges to allow remote and social distance competitions.
John and his colleagues appreciates the work of Vermont teachers to promote FIRST Robotics and encourage others to join their mission by being mentors and coaches to help our youth explore and ignite their STEM passions.
For Spaulding WBL STEM and Engineering students, this is an amazing opportunity because they can collaborate in small groups on-site and if they need to pivot remotely, they can.
As stated by Grady Chase, Class of 2022, "I get to build a robot," compete in a challenge and also meet students all over the state either in person or through the available SLACK or DISCORD channels.
Pinbox 3000
Eric, a maker himself, is teaching students about basic circuitry and game design, using the "customizable cardboard pinball machine," Pinbox 3000.
In the words of Emily LaRose, Class of 2021, "It's nice to be able to touch things, to be creative while learning a new skill."
Her peers: Ameila Cameron, Kailey Craig, Jake Darling, Shea Harding, Jamison Mast, Lexi Montgomery, Conner Neddo, & Miranda Walbridge are in full agreement.
For them, every Thursday or Friday has been a combination of WBL skill building around hard and soft skills.
But more importantly, they are inspired by Eric's circuit examples, pinboxes, and wisdom on taking care of self during COVID times.
As witnessed in a late October check in, "he took the time to be real with us and how to inspire us to design 3 obstacles that can close a circuit."
Fellow Senior, Shea Harding, "I'm up for the challenge and let's get started."
UPDATE on COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
Spaulding High School has a deep commitment to community service. Given everything we are currently experiencing in this region, State, Nation, and the World as a whole, there are community service activities that can still be accomplished to give back to people in need.
However, we want to maintain that all of our Spaulding High School community is safe and well during these challenging times, and not put anyone at undue risk, so Spaulding High School's Administration have advocated for, and the School Board has decided to, waive the Community Service graduation requirement for the Class of 2021. We will resume the graduation requirement next year.
If students are interested in community service opportunities that would still maintain health and safety for all involved, please feel free to reach out to Margo Austin at maustshs@buusd.org or check out the community service web page: https://www.spauldinghs.org/for-students-parents/community-service
We encourage students who are providing any service to continue to document your hours with this Community Service Form.
Science Department
Sara Dorr embraces "car crashes, heavenly bodies, helicopters, home heating systems and our nation’s energy future through concepts of motion, force, energy and waves" in her Honors Physics class.
For Sara, science or the study of the world around us, is very much a hands-on learning experience. She loves thinking about the physics of her extra-curricular activities.
Sara lights up as she shares, "I love mountain biking, I love skiing Sugarbush, and I am just a curious person."
Sara wants to inspire her students to be curious individuals. "I want them to learn, interact, and engage with the elements around them," sometimes that means trying to melt elements over tea candles.
She recognizes the challenges of having labs during a COVID world, but she's thrilled to have landed her 1st teaching job with Spaulding.
Even though, elements of science vary from chemical reactions to the forces in an egg drop, so to has Sara's career path.
In her prior role, she was a structural engineer and she has experience in Maker Education. You can hear in her voice how passionate she is about teaching her students about the possibilities of science.
"I am psyched to be here!" stated Sara, but so are we!
School Counseling & Guidance Department
For some economists, investing in homegrown talent is necessary and vital to the economy's future, but for Ashley Kellett, investing in Vermonters is not about statistics, it's about the people and fostering meaningful relationships.
Even though Ashley is new to the School Counseling office, she is not new to Vermont; she's a 6th Generation Vermonter who hails from the Mad River Valley.
She credits her practicum this past Spring at Spaulding High School as extremely helpful. Helpful in terms of making connections with her colleagues, learning about the nuts and bolts of the school, and experiencing the day to day excitement in the office, especially when students drop in or seek assistance.
"I had the luxury to familiarize myself with the school, but with COVID impacting scheduling and services, the environment is different."
However, she really enjoys her new job. She understands the value of forming new relationships with her students, taking care of self, especially as a mother of two, but she's energized.
Her previous work with the Vermont State College system helped her craft her skills. She is very passionate about supporting students in the best way possible, which is different for every student. Thus motivating her to complete her Master's Degree.
To Ashley, each student is special and she truly cares about the community she is now a part of.
According to Dr. Berryman and known to many as Laurie, Ashley's School Counseling colleague, "We were very lucky to get Ashley on board at SHS! She is a huge asset to our school counseling office."
"She brings a background of mental health counseling and having grown up in Vermont, she brings an understanding of the region and the importance of family. Ashley is kind and approachable and she is actively trying to get to know her caseload. Ashley understands teens and she genuinely wants to see students have success in high school. I am so glad she agreed to join our team at Spaulding!"
Family Consumer Sciences Department
Alex Washburn hails from Woodstock, Vermont and she is so happy to be home.
In her previous role, she was a Park Ranger and acted as a caretaker of the parks in the Boston region.
She reflects fondly on that position because she enjoyed interacting with visitors and educating them about the history of a particular park, and its sustainability.
Now as the Health Educator at Spaulding High School, she sees both positions similar because she is teaching "universal skills" whether caring for the environment, preserving the park's artifacts to teaching students about personal health, it's all important to her.
It's about teaching people about behaviors that promote wellness and as she noted, "I love my job."
She cited it's important to leave your hometown and gain some perspective on life... by gaining an understanding on how other communities work.
As she referenced Health Standards on her classroom wall, she was able to analyze influences, assess her new surroundings, and make informed decisions when living in an urban area; thus fueling her interest in obtaining a Master's in Health with Cambridge College.
For Spaulding students, they are so fortunate to have her because she wants to "help people live healthy lives" not only within the walls of a classroom, but among the Green Mountains too.
Breaking the Waves
Spaulding Educational Alternatives (SEA) Colleagues are riding the surf and moving forward with, Jason Derner's mission. Mr. Derner is the Alternative Programs Administrator.
To some individuals, waves are just waves, but to Mr. Derner's staff, no two waves are alike.
Like a surfer, an individual needs to understand the mechanics of a wave and how they form due to swells. Andrew Aube, Norm Carter, Cherly Cloutier, Steven Kelley, Nashanda McGee Browman, Adam Munroe, Julie Prentice, Thomas O'Toole, & Chris Wood take this approach too when helping their students in the classroom.
In the past, programs like ACT or Granite Academy were separate in nature and location rather than being housed under one roof. Both programs provided additional educational, social/emotional, and behavioral support that were comprehensive and individualized in nature, but space was becoming an issue.
In turn, their needs were growing and expanding programming was not viable, so Mr. Derner began advocating for a new space - hoping to find a great groundswell; a large powerful surf to ride and he did.
91 Allen Street will become the new home of the SEA Program; a state of art facility where individual programming can continue. In his voice, you could hear the excitement as he reported Peak Constructions' work with prepping the site and installing rebar. As of date, they have stripped topsoil, removed unsuitables, and brought in material for grading and sitework. They have installed an electrical conduit and are now working on sewer lines and manholes.
"I am super excited," stated Mr. Derner. "To be able to create a space where we can equip students with the skills needed to be successful beyond the classroom and in the field- just great."
He also referenced programming and creating a new model of services including, but not limited to Project Based Learning, Restorative Practices, and Experiential Learning by offering woodworking, automotive, and welding while being mindful of the needs of his students. He's very appreciative of his "dynamic team" and thus far, his team and students have stayed afloat with the additional presence from Kevin Haley & Cristina Scharnberg whose impact upon students has been tremendous.
In turn, Mr. Derner and his staff will continue to ride that wave and "develop a robust academic and service delivery model in anticipation of our expansion and move to the new facility next year."