Updates from U-32
October 11, 2024
Principal's Update
Dear U-32 Students, Families, and Caregivers,
We are heading into Homecoming week and students on the Pep Committee have been preparing for Hallway Decorating, Spirit Week, a Pep Rally, Bonfire, MS Social, and Dance. These are all moments designed to bring us together as a community and celebrate our common identity as U-32. At the same time, I also know that students often have questions about weeks that are out of the ordinary and the change in routine can be challenging. We have been working to ensure that when we are shifting schedules that there are adequate structures in place to support students. This coming week, students will have the opportunity to decorate hallways with their classes in TA and Callback. They will have opportunities for spirit week (the schedule is listed in this newsletter) and we will celebrate together on Friday with a pep rally and middle school social during the day. Friday evening we hope families will join us for the football game and bonfire. As a reminder, middle school students must go home immediately after school or sports on Friday (they cannot stay until the football game) and must be accompanied by an adult for both the football game and bonfire.
We look forward to celebrating school spirit safely and positively next week.
Best,
Becca
Rebecca Tatistcheff, Principal U-32
Reminders from the Front Office
Please note that all bus passes need to be requested by 11:00 a.m. You can send your bus pass request to releasenotes@u32.org
If a student will miss more than one consecutive day of school, a planned absence form (available at the front desk) should be completed and returned to front office.
Students who feel ill during the day must go through the health office. If we receive a parent request for early release due to illness, we will send the student to the health office for check in before we can sign them out.
Spirit Week Themes!!
U-32 Fall Craft Show!
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!
Teen Mental Health First Aid Parent Info Sessions
Youth Opportunities from the Office of US Senator Bernie Sanders
FALL
“Vermont Days” at the Edward Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate
Fall: Wednesday, November 13th
Each spring and fall, Senator Sanders organizes “Vermont Day” at the Edward Kennedy Institute in Boston where students become “Senators for a Day”, debating legislation in a full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate chamber. The nonpartisan Institute offers students an immersive educational experience to learn about civic engagement, democracy, and the legislative process. Each trip, students debate a major issue facing the country, like voting rights, climate change, and prescription drug price reform.
Service Academy Nominations
Vermont students applying to the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Force, or Merchant Marine Academies must first receive a nomination from a Member of Congress. Each year, Sen. Sanders is pleased to nominate a group of exceptional young Vermonters for appointment to our nation’s military academies. Students receiving a nomination are invited to join a ceremony each December with the Vermont congressional delegation.
WINTER
State of the Union Essay Contest
Each year, the President of the United States delivers the “State of the Union” address to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Senator Sanders knows that great ideas can from anyone – not just those in power – which is why he invites Vermont high school students to write a 250- to 500-word essay on a major issue facing our country and what they would do to solve it. The 15 finalists participate in a roundtable discussion, and Senator Sanders enters their essays into the Congressional Record – the official archive of the U.S. Congress.
SPRING
For many years, Senator Sanders has organized a concert to showcase choral groups from Vermont elementary, middle, and high schools, along with local colleges and universities. He also holds a town meeting with the students on arts education, and any other topics they want to discuss! This wonderful event not only celebrates the achievements of Vermont student choruses, but serves as an important reminder of how valuable arts and music education is for children.
Youth Chess Day
For the past two years, Senator Sanders has held a Youth Chess Day for students in grades 1-12 to learn the game of chess, practice their skills and engage in a recreational tournament. This event brings together new players, experienced players, chess teachers and college level competitors alike to come together to enjoy the game of chess.
ONGOING
Student Town Halls
The voices of young Vermonters are incredibly important to Senator Sanders, not only because they are the leaders who will take on the work of tomorrow, but because they are the experts of their own lives. Because of this, he travels around the state meeting with students in middle schools and high schools, as well as colleges, to hear directly from them about their most pressing issues and concerns, as well as their hopes for the future. If you are interested in having Senator Sanders or a member of his staff visit your school, please contact our Vermont office.
Internships
Interns are an integral part of our Senate office’s operations and contribute greatly to the Senator’s work on behalf of Vermont and the nation. Senate interns have the unique privilege of gaining an insider’s perspective on the legislative and representative process. Our Washington and Burlington offices offer paid full- and part-time internships tailored for recent graduates and current students at the undergraduate or graduate level. Students do not need to be college bound to be considered. Vermont ties and familiarity with the Senator’s legislative priorities strongly preferred.
We currently have applications open until October 27th.
United States Senate Page Program
The Senate Page Program gives high school students the opportunity to work on Capitol Hill while continuing their coursework. Senate Pages meet our nation’s leaders and witness the political debates of the United States Senate. Page responsibilities include delivering correspondence and legislative materials, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, providing assistance during roll call votes, supporting senators and staff during debates, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. As Vermont’s senior Senator, Sen. Sanders appoints young Vermonters to the fall, spring, and summer sessions.
Find more information on these events, visit our website at here: https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/students/ or call (800) 339-9834
Peer Mentoring at U-32
Peer Mentoring at U-32 is off to a great start! Two weeks ago, approximately 27 high school students completed training to begin working with middle school mentees throughout the school year. The volunteers were nominated based on their positive contributions to U-32. Students are going to be paired with their mentees soon so they can begin working together for the duration of the school year. Thank you to the high school students who make this program possible!
Vermont Pitch Challenge
The University of Vermont is thrilled to announce that the Vermont Pitch Challenge is returning for its second year! This is an extraordinary opportunity for high school entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative ideas and drive impactful change. This competition offers 10th through 12th graders from across the globe the opportunity to pitch innovative business ideas for a chance to win a full tuition scholarship to the University of Vermont and cash prizes! There is no entry fee – participating in the Vermont Pitch Challenge is completely free!
Our hope is for you to join us in sharing this unique opportunity with your engaged audience of high schoolers to encourage them to participate.
Why should students enter the challenge? Not only will it make their college application stand out, but they will also be given the tools to help them build the skills that today's employers are looking for. Our top UVM students and expert entrepreneurs will also give them valuable advice and feedback on their business ideas and teach them how to successfully build their business plans.
Submissions for the 2025 Vermont Pitch Challenge open online Thursday, October 15!
For more details, go to: go.uvm.edu/vtpitchchallenge
PACE Vermont Study Recruiting Participants
The PACE Vermont Study, a partnership between the Vermont Department of Health and the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies, is recruiting new participants (ages 12-25) to assess the impact of state-level policies and communication campaigns on substance use beliefs and behaviors.
Participants will complete online surveys twice a year starting in Winter 2024, and each survey takes only 10-15 minutes to complete from home. Participants can earn up to $75 in gift cards for participating.
News from the Student Services Office
Click here to read highlights from the 7th grade school counseling program!
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
Go For Launch! STEM Opportunity
“Go For Launch! delivers a multi-day (Nov 2-3), in-person, truly out-of-this-world experience to 8th-12th grade students leveraging spaceflight and space exploration the launchpad for students to develop and strengthen their skills in STEM, teamwork, communication, research design, and leadership. Go For Launch! students work side-by-side with an astronaut for the entire event - learning growing and developing the life-long skills that create a successful, meaningful future. Registration deadline: October 28, 2024”
Go For Launch! Norwich University | Norwich University
Since 2015, 1,500 students across the United States have attended more than 50 GFL! events! To date, 12 student-designed experiments from Go For Launch! have launched to the International Space Station (ISS) and one GFL! student-designed experiment has been flown in suborbital space. Four more student experiments are scheduled to be launched on SpaceX-27 and even more are scheduled to launch later this year and next.
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DUAL ENROLLMENT: Vermont high school juniors and seniors can take one FREE college class during their junior and senior year. Dual enrollment gives students the opportunity to experience college while still in high school, and they can earn credit toward a college degree (saving hundreds of dollars in tuition fees).
Learn more about dual enrollment at http://www.vtdualenrollment.org/
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Not All Colleges and Universities Require SATs/ACTs
Not all admissions processes are created equal. One major point of difference among colleges these days is how admissions officers consider your SAT scores. More schools are de-emphasizing SAT scores as part of your application with “test optional” and “test flexible” policies. One college has even eliminated SAT scores completely!
There are now over 800 accredited, bachelor-degree granting institutions that have changed their approach to standardized test scores. (Keep in mind that the majority of colleges, especially the more prestigious schools, do still require and strongly consider your SAT scores.) Let’s take a look at the different policies and which schools no longer require applicants to submit their scores for admission. Go to www.fairtest.org for more info
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SAT / ACT Test preparation FREE
SAT test prep is offered free through Khan Academy by matching your PSAT scores. Students will learn about how to match their accounts at the December callback when they learn how to interpret their scores. ACT also offers free online ACT test prep.
Scholarship Opportunities!
The scholarships below are accepting applications between October 29th, 2024, and January 20, 2025. For more details about each scholarship and the eligibility requirements, read the details below carefully.
$20,000 (5 Awards)
Science Ambassador Scholarship
Deadline: December 16, 2024
$5,000 (4 Awards)
Deadline: December 31, 2024
$500 (2 Awards)
Sebastian-Tunis Foundation Book Scholarship
Deadline: January 1, 2025
$1,000 (2 Awards)
Antibodies Online Annual University Scholarship
Deadline: January 20, 2025
$25,000 (1 Award)
Deadline: November 1, 2024
$10,000 (1 Award)
Deadline: October 31, 2024
$50,000 (1 Award)
Deadline: December 31, 2024
$2,000 (12 Awards)
Deadline: October 31, 2024
$1,000 (50 Awards)
ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship
Deadline: October 29, 2024
$2,500 (20 Awards)
Track to the Trades Scholarship
Deadline: November 4, 2024
$1,000 (2 Awards)
Dr. Robert Hawkins Memorial Scholarship
Deadline: November 6, 2024
$5,000 (1 Award)
Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship
Deadline: December 6, 2024
$500 (2 Awards)
Deadline: December 15, 2024
College Calendar and Checklist for Seniors
October
October 5- Registration deadline for Nov 4 SAT
October 7: 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 nonfederal 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 4th - 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.
December
Put the finishing touches on your essay. Be sure to proofread!
Try to wrap up applications before winter break. Photocopy all application materials before sending them in.
Send standardized test scores to your colleges. It can be done electronically at collegeboard.com or by phone at 800-SAT-SCORE.
Early Decision and Early Action letters start arriving this month. Check with individual schools to confirm dates. Good luck!
Regular applicants: call admissions offices to set up interviews if needed.
Complete CSS Profile if you haven’t already done so
Check in with your Counselor.
Yearbook Info!
Purchase your yearbook early! You can customize it!
Seniors and their families! See THIS important information about senior quotes, farewells, younger photos and family dedication ads.
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.
