On the Horizon

Dear Commodore Community,

Thank you for a great set of nights for Family Teacher Conferences. It was wonderful to see so many people in the building. If you were not able to make it you are welcome to reach out to teachers to check in.

Next week for our Early Release Day our PHCC students will have their B Day Afternoon classes. For those students in the building, they will go to every class. Remember that lunch is bagged lunches you can pick up on your way to the bus, pick up, or practice.

Pictures were sent home this week. If you missed it the first time or you need retakes please be aware that the makeup picture day will be Friday, November 17th.

Some events that are coming up in the next few weeks are:

• Early Release Day - 11/8
  
• Makeup Picture Day - 11/17
• Fall Break - 11/20-11/24
• Winter HS Sports Begin 11/27

Have a great weekend Commodores!

Jody Chamberlin JChamberlin@anwsd.org

Good Luck to Grey Fearon in the Vermont HS Cross-Country Run Meet of Champions this weekend!

CAD 2 students are finishing up a unit where they design a balloon-powered car in the CAD software, 3D print it, test it, and then refine and improve their designs. Lily Root (featured in the pictures) created this outstanding design that worked very well. She had to refine her design a number of times, learning from what did not work well in the prototypes. Lily's creativity, self-motivation, design mindset, tenacity, and spatial visualization skills are exceptional. ~ Carl Crawford ~ CAD Teacher

Chris Wyckoff hosted a Student Social Issue Speech Session to our State Representatives, Matt Birong and Diane Lanpher. Almost half of the students researched and wrote about the lack of proper mental health care and how that has negatively impacted them. One student shared his anxieties of school shootings and discussed how giving guns to teachers is not a good solution, but taking care of the mental well-being of our school is most important, beginning with the importance of confronting discrimination and reporting hate speech before it can turn into an act of violence. Another student wrote about the importance of taking care of our Veterans who come back with PTSD because he lost his uncle who received a Purple Heart in Afghanistan to suicide several years ago. Another student spoke about addiction and the fentanyl crisis that led to the death of her aunt. Another student talked about the issue of homelessness and Rep. Lanpher shocked us all by informing us that, per capita, we are the second worst state after California when it comes to homelessness. A final speech was about the importance of doing our part to help slow water pollution as potable drinking water will soon become the most valuable resource on the planet.

This past week members of our FFA group (current and former graduates) attend the National FFA Convention. Rudolf Vorsteveld, Calvin Almeida, Gerrit Beenen, Zack Norris, Megan LaFountaine, McKenzie Bell, Isaiah Visser and Spencer White all attended and competed. They will be back on Monday and we are excited to hear about their experiences.

School Counseling Office Upcoming Events:

• Monday, 11/6, University of Southern Maine (Portland, Maine) rep in the cafeteria block 4 (1st lunch)

• Tuesday, 11/14, 10th grade presentation - Patricia Hannaford Career Center, Compass 6, in the library (see below for more information)

• Wednesday, 11/15, Saint Michael’s College (Colchester, VT) rep in the cafeteria block 4 with a Q&A session compass 5&6 in the School Counseling Conference Room. Any student interested in attending St. Mike’s is encouraged to attend this session.

• Friday, 11/17, Franklin Pierce University (Rindge, New Hampshire) rep in the cafeteria block 4 (1st lunch)

Reminder AP Testing Information 23-24: Reminder! AP testing deposits are due on or before this Wednesday, November 8th. For students taking AP courses this year, it’s time to register for AP exams. The cost per exam is $98 with a $40 nonrefundable deposit. Balances owed are due no later than Friday, April 5, 2024. You are welcome to pay in full at this time if you like. If finances are a barrier to you being able to take this test, please see me (Mrs.Vincent) to see if you are eligible for a fee reduction. Please review the letter for test dates and more information, AP Letter to Students and Parents 23-24

Open House - Patricia Hannaford Career Center: The Fall Open House at PAHCC will be held on Thursday, November 9th, 4:30-6:30pm.

10th Grade Patricia Hannaford Career Center Presentation - November 14th: The counselor from the Patricia Hannaford Career Center (PHCC), Brenda Logee, will be here on November 14th to give a presentation to all 10th grade students. This presentation will be about the programs at PHCC for the 2024-2025 school year. This presentation will be from 11:55-12:25 pm on Tuesday, November 14th in the library (Compass 6). All 10th grade students will have the opportunity to visit PHCC; the date for that visit has not yet been determined. More information about that trip to PHCC will be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks. Please reach out to your school counselor if you have any questions.

The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) One Day Adventures 2023: This November, the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont is hosting two incredible experiences for Vermont high schoolers - including seniors! These adventures are FREE! Led by experts in the field, the One Day Adventures offer a meaningful and educational experience, sharing the same values as our Summer Institutes.

First Aid Field Day

Saturday, November 18th, 2023

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

South Burlington High School

Have you ever wanted to learn how to save a life? Interested in pursuing medicine? This is for you!

Join NVTAHEC and GIV for the First Aid Field Day where you can learn CPR, Stop the Bleed, Patient Assessment, and participate in a Mass Casualty Incident simulation.

Register for First Aid Field Day here.

A Day in Vermont's Capital

Sunday, November 19th, 2023

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Montpelier, VT

Want to learn how change is made in Vermont? Want to meet other students making an impact? This is for you! Join us for “A Day at the Capital,” a free event hosted by local legislators! Tour the capital, engage in a debate simulation and learn about mobilizing change. Register for A Day in VT Capital here.

Junior Conservation Technicians (JCTs) - Audubon Vermont: Audubon Vermont is currently hiring their third cohort of Junior Conservation Technicians (JCTs). JCTs are current students (ages 14-18) who receive $15/hour to learn about environmental conservation and education through hands-on projects that cover topics like forestry, habitat management/restoration, maple sugaring, bird banding, community science, phenology, naturalist skills, and so much more! We also cover resume writing, interview skills, and many other transferable skills no matter the job students move on to. We meet during school breaks, a few weekends, and two weeks of summer break. You can learn more about the program and dates here: https://vt.audubon.org/conservation/JCT Application: https://careers-audubon.icims.com/jobs/5512/junior-conservation-technician/job

Boosters - If you're looking for an easy way to raise money for your child's team or club, the Booster Club has a great opportunity for you! If you have any questions, please contact Kirsten De La Cruz (klh@gmavt.net).

CPTG - Commodore Parent Teacher Group Sign up. Let's work together to ensure that our children have access to a stimulating and nurturing educational environment. Your partnership with VUHS Commodore Parent Teacher Group will help shape the minds of future leaders, innovators, and lifelong learners.

Friends of Music - Consider joining the Commodore Friends of Music for our children, our music educators and our community. Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm via the Zoom link. For more information please visit our website https://sites.google.com/view/commodore-friends-of-music/home

Lunch Menu

TIPS FOR KEEPING HEALTHY

-Keep up to date on all vaccinations

-Washing hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds

-Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing-preferably into the inside of the elbow or with a tissue followed by hand washing

-Avoiding sharing drinks, water bottles, utensils and phones

-Avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth

-Stay home when you are sick

-Get the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep a night

Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's illness. Jaime Wells at jwells@anwsd.org or 471-2298

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We have put together a new Community Health and Wellness site that can be accessed from the ANWSD website. The site is updated as new info becomes available.

The winter season will be starting in a few weeks. If you have any questions about Athletics then please reach out to Pete Maneen at PManeen@anwsd.org.

Sign up with this link: Session TWO Fusion Registration

Check out the most current October Newsletter(released in November) for PHCC.

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10th-grade students and families,

The counselor from the Patricia Hannaford Career Center (PHCC), Brenda Logee, will be here on November 14th to give a presentation to all 10th grade students. This presentation will be about the programs at PHCC for the 2024-2025 school year. This presentation will be from 11:55-12:25 pm on Tuesday, November 14th in the library (Compass 6).

All 10th grade students will have the opportunity to visit PHCC; the date for that visit has not yet been determined. More information about that trip to PHCC will be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks.

Fall Open House is November 9th from 4:30-6:30. See picture below for Campus addresses.

Title Programs ~ Parent & Family Engagement Information

JumpRope User Guide

JumpRope Parent Portal Walk Through

A presentation put on my ParentIn on Thursday November 16th from 7:8:30 pm. While this is not a school event we thought it may be a helpful resource for any interested Families. To learn more and reserve a spot check out this website.

If you have a community event, a student opportunity, or any other information that you would like featured in the newsletter please email Jody Chamberlin (JChamberlin@anwsd.org). We need the information and images by Thursday afternoons at 3pm so it can be in the Friday Newsletter.

Email: JChamberlin@anwsd.org
Website: https://vumhs.org/
Location: 50 Monkton Road, Vergennes, VT, USA
Phone: (802) 877-2938