Updates from U-32
September 13, 2024
Principal's Update
Dear U-32 Students, Families, and Caregivers,
It has been a full five day week of learning here at U-32. Yesterday, students in our photography classes went to the Tunbridge Fair to practice their skills. This is a great example of place-based, real relevant work that can happen in classrooms. This week, I sat in on our Community Based Learning class and learned about students' individualized projects. Students are connecting with community mentors and engaging in work that connects them to and contributes to their wider community. If you have a particular skill set and are interested in sharing it with our community, please be in touch with Liza Semler (lsemler@u32.org) our Work Based Learning Coordinator.
On Tuesday, the Student Council held their first retreat in collaboration with UpforLearning. I am excited that their work this year will begin to focus on creating structures for student voice and working collaboratively to consider how we are ensuring our equity goals can be addressed through youth/adult collaboration. I look forward to collaborating with them regularly.
Best,
Becca
Rebecca Tatistcheff, Principal U-32
Health Office Update
The athletic department and health office are seeing an increase in illness, which is typical for the beginning of the school year. If your athlete/student is diagnosed with an infectious disease such as, Influenza, Strep, Covid-19, or Pertussis for instance, please notify the coaching staff AND the health office of the diagnosis. Please see the Vermont Department of Health Reportable Diseases for a full list of illnesses that should be reported.
As a reminder, we are most contagious during the beginning stages of our illness. If your athlete/student is coughing a lot and it is early in their illness, it is likely that they will infect others around them, potentially affecting their whole team or class.
We appreciate your efforts in continuing to keep our school healthy. Please reach out to Justin (athletic trainer), Nicole, or Amber (school nurses) if you have any questions.
School Picture Retake Day
School Picture Retake Day will be held on Tuesday, October 22nd.
If you wish to order photos, you may do so here -> Place Your Lifetouch Order Here
You will be prompted to enter a Picture Day ID. The ID for our school is EVT3NR9M6
If you have any questions, please stop by Student Services!
Stage 32 Winter Musical Participation Sign Up
Hello U-32,
This year Stage 32, the High School Theater Program, is doing a joint musical with Montpelier High School (many of you know what this musical is but I'm not officially allowed to announce it until October 18. Don't worry, it's going to be amazing!). The Stage 32 winter musical is open to full time students in grades 9-12. Early college students are also eligible. Athletes, please get involved - we will work with your schedule.
If you are interested in being part of tech, costumes, or an actor, please fill out this form so that I can add you to an email list and send you the information you need. Even if you're on the fence, fill this out - it is not a commitment, it just shows interest.
- Our performance dates are January 23, 24, 25, 31, 30, and February 1.
- Tech and Costumes will start in mid September.
- Auditions are after October 18 - specific date TBD.
- Actors who wish to audition will have 2-3 meetings before the October auditions.
For questions, please come see me in the Theater Office (located past the events lobby bathrooms behind the theater) or send an email: egalliganbaldwin@u32.org.
Thanks so much and I hope you will be part of Stage 32!
Erin GB
Director of Theater
U-32
News from the Student Services Office
STUDENT/PARENT Resources
IC PLP courses- all students have a course called PLP in the AS (After School) slot in their IC schedule. There is a lot of info so we hope you will check it out.
Naviance - Remember to frequent Naviance as this site helps U-32 students explore post high school planning options, build a resume, manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers. This is also where all of the scholarship opportunities are housed. Each student will work with his/her TA and school counselor in Naviance to create his/her Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs).
If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it yourself. If you have misplaced your registration code, please notify Student Services.
IMPORTANT GRADING INFORMATION
Report Card Dates for 2024-2025
Semester 1
Quarter 1 HS/MS Progress Report - Available Thurs, November 1, 2024
Quarter 2 HS/MS Report Cards - Available Thurs, January 30, 2025
Semester 2
Quarter 3 HS/MS Progress Report - Available Monday, April 7, 2025
Quarter 4 HS/MS Report Cards - Available TBA mailed pending snow days
College Fair Information
U-32 College Fair in the U-32 Atrium on October 8th from 12:00pm-1:45pm
NEACAC Fair: Saint Michael's College Tarrant Center
October 9th- 6:00pm-8:00pm over 200 colleges/universities attend
Use https://app.strivescan.com/registration to register and make your time at the college fair more efficient.
Things to Do Before Attending the College Fair
1. Look over the list of college fair participants. Use Naviance College Search feature to find colleges that match your interests. Choose the colleges you most want to find out more about. If you have time, research those colleges by checking their Web sites.
2. Write up a short list of questions to ask admission representatives. To compare several schools, plan on asking the same questions at each table. The questions you ask should be unique to your interests and not easily found in standard college materials:
- What are the two or three most popular majors? (This can give you a good idea of the main interests of a majority of the students.)
- Ask about the availability and quality of the program(s) or major(s) you are interested in. What are the opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research with faculty members or to do internships? What courses would you take your first year in a particular major?
- Students who are undecided should ask about what services and support are available to help them explore various majors.
- Ask about: extracurricular activities, what kinds of students the college is looking for, what percentage of students receive financial aid (not including loans), are merit scholarships available, how do they look at AP scores, and other concerns unique to your interests and situation.
3. Make sure you have the following supplies:
- A small notebook and pen or a handheld device with your list of colleges and questions
4. Print up a sheet of self-stick address labels. Include (in small font, as much as you can of the following): your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, high school, year of graduation, intended major(s), and any extracurricular activities you’re interested in. At the fair, slap the address labels on the college information cards to save you time in filling out the same information over and over at each college. You may want to create an email account just for college purposes that you and your parents/guardians can access. You can delete the account after you choose which college to attend. Thus not cluttering your inbox!
5. After visiting the fair, jot down your impressions of some of the most interesting colleges you saw as well as some of the answers they gave to your questions. Try to do this as soon as possible, while your impressions are still fresh.
October 9th at U-32: PreACT/PSAT
PreACT October 9, 2024 from 8:15-12:15 AM at U-32
All sophomores can take the PreACT. The PreACT gives students an estimated ACT score and can be used as an indicator of college and career readiness.
PSAT Wednesday, October 9, 2024 from 8:15-12:15 AM at U-32
All juniors can take the PSAT. It is a practice test and scores are not reported to colleges. It allows students to become familiar with the SAT format.
Senior In-school field trip on October 9th: (More info to come)
Workshops being offer:
Common application time
Essay feedback
FAFSA /VSAC grant application
Interviewing skills
Job Search
Resume writing
Scholarship Opportunities!
The scholarships below are accepting applications between September 5th, 2024, and December 1st, 2024. For more details about each scholarship and the eligibility requirements, read the details below carefully.
$35,000 (50 Awards)
Voice of Democracy Scholarship
Deadline: October 31, 2024
$1,000 (800 Awards)
AWS Welder Training Scholarship
Deadline: November 30, 2024
$1,000 (1 Award)
Power of Resilience Scholarship
Deadline: December 31, 2024
$500 (3 Awards)
Travers Metalworking Scholarship
Deadline: December 31, 2024
$25,000 (1 Award)
Deadline: October 1, 2024
$2,000 (12 Awards)
Deadline: September 30, 2024
$25,000 (1 Award)
Deadline: September 30, 2024
$1,000 (50 Awards)
No Essay Smart Owl Scholarship
Deadline: September 29, 2024
$2,500 (12 Awards)
Deadline: September 30, 2024
College Calendar and Checklist for Seniors
(Juniors, please see the Junior planning calendar in the 11th grade IC Course)
September
September 20: Registration deadline for Oct 5 SAT www.collegeboard.com
ACT information Register atwww.actstudent.org
Make sure your schedule meets your needs. Be sure all graduation requirements are met. Maintain a rigorous program through your senior year.
Make an appointment with your counselor to discuss your postsecondary plans. Become familiar with the application procedure.
Compile / fine tune your college lists to include reach, middles & safety schools
Meet with college representatives visiting U-32
Students applying for Early Decision should approach teachers for recommendations as soon as possible.
Student athletes should check with their counselor or coach about recruiting procedures.
Seek out scholarship information and apply as appropriate.
Use Family Connection as a resource for college searches
October
October 5: SAT
October 18- Registration deadline for Nov 2 SAT
TBD: VSAC Paying for College Night
Start filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). File VSAC application. For more information, visit fafsa.ed.gov.
Attend the VSAC presentation on filling out the FAFSA. Date TBD
FAFSA and VSAC Applications should be filed as soon as possible.
Complete CSS Profile if you haven’t already done so
Check out commonapp.org to see which colleges accept the common application.
Meet with college representatives virtually.
Many colleges use data from CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE to provide non federal financial aid. Begin applying online at profileonline.collegeboard.com.
Finish a draft of your essay.
Ask teachers for recommendations. Have a resume to give teachers to help them out.
Heads up for Early Decision and Early Action deadlines – they usually fall on either November 1 st or 15th. Early Action deadline at UVM is November 1.
Arrange campus visits
November
November 2nd - SAT
Meet with college representatives virtually.
Check with your teachers, coaches, and/or TA to ensure that letters of recommendation are sent on time.
Mail applications for colleges with “rolling” deadlines as soon as possible.
Keep polishing your essay.
Continue to attend meetings with college representations.
Check in with your counselor.
Remember; Colleges take senior grades seriously.
Field Trip Opportunities
WOMEN CAN DO ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROMOTING STEM & TRADES CAREERS
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OCTOBER 10th, 2024 AT VERMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Women Can Do is an annual career exploration conference for high school girls and gender-expansive youth. Students are invited to Vermont Technical College in Randolph, VT for a day of hands-on exploration of STEM and trades careers, and networking with VT professionals, employers, and organizations to learn about secondary education and career opportunities in the state.
Women Can Do is returning in-person on October 10th, 2024!
If you want to attend, please sign up in U-32 Student Services by Sept 16th
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GLOBAL FOUNDRIES
Friday, October 25, 2024 GF will once again open its doors to high school and technical center students for a day of factory tours, robotics demonstrations, discussions with our technicians, engineers, and team. We would be delighted if students from your school would like to come on-site for this exciting day.
A sample agenda is below:
9am: Introductions, Executive welcome, safety overview
10am-12pm: Factory and facilities activities
12pm-12:30pm: Lunch with GF early tenure professionals
12:30pm-2pm: Opportunities at GF presentation, Robotics demo, Q&A with GF team
The target audience for this event are Juniors & Seniors interested in a career in STEM. Ideally, they are considering a technical occupation or degree post-high school. The day will be exciting, fast-paced, and very hands-on! Students should expect to see and experience the work that our employees do, including analytical laboratory, electronics repair, robotics repair, and mechanical repair. Lunch will be provided by GF.
U-32 can bring 6 students so see your school counselor if you are interested!
Yearbook Info!
Purchase your yearbook early! You can customize it!
If you purchase your yearbook before October 31, 2024: your yearbook will be $35.00 and icons are FREE. If you purchase your yearbook between October 31, 2024 and December 31, 2024 your yearbook will be $35.00 before customizing. If you purchase your yearbook after December 31, 2024, your yearbook will be $40.00.
Here is the link to purchase your yearbook!
You can also purchase your yearbook from Sara Wolf in the technology office. Please bring cash or check made payable to U-32.
Yearbooks will be distributed in June.
If you have any questions please email yearbook@u32.org or call Sara Wolf at 802-229-0321 ext. 5107.