CVU Celebrations

Dear CVU Community,

Last night, we had the pleasure of welcoming our district’s 8th graders and their families to CVU to explore what lies ahead for them next year. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year—the 8th graders are full of excitement, their parents are a bit nervous, and we get to showcase what makes CVU so special.

The true stars of the evening were our CVU students, who showed up to inform, support, and entertain. From the red-shirted greeters to the inspiring speech by the Quad Presidents and the insightful student panel addressing parent questions, our students demonstrated leadership, enthusiasm, and school spirit. I left the night feeling truly inspired by their energy and dedication.

This morning, we held our third Inspiration Awards of the year, celebrating fifteen students who inspire their teachers—not just through their commitment to academics, perseverance, and sense of community, but, most importantly, through their kindness. (https://photos.app.goo.gl/imGPt5YzyCiZssSc7)

Later in the day, I sat in on Lt. Governor Rodger’s meeting with a group of students passionate about the future of public education in Vermont. It was clear that both the Lt. Governor and his Chief of Staff were deeply impressed by our students’ critical thinking, depth of knowledge, and genuine curiosity.

To cap off the day, I read a powerful poem written by one of our juniors—a fitting end to a day filled with wisdom, thoughtfulness, courageous conversations, and the incredible leadership of our students. A week well done, Hawks.

Emma Main, Eva Fewell, Chloe Ngu, Gracie Sanchez, Zoe Epstein, Lt. Gov. Rodgers, Willcox Elliott, Jack Bryan, Gus Roden, Pat Frazier

3/12 - CVU Blood Drive

3/19 & 3/20 - CVU Concerts 7:00-9:00

3/19 - Spring Sports Meet the Coaches Meeting 6:00

3/21 - Spectrum Sleep Out

3/28 - Grade 12: Exit Experience Interviews, Grade 11: SAT, Grades 9&10 no school

3/31 - No school

Hello CVU! This is Mira. Though we did not have a Student Council this week there is still some important information I would like to share concerning one of our biggest events of the year which is taking place next Wednesday, March, 12. This event is of course…Our annual Blood Drive! Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Please join us and become a blood donor to help those in need. CVU has partnered with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive for students, faculty/staff, and community members. The drive will be held in the CVU main gym from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will be tables for check-in, stations equipped with chairs and volunteers from the American Red Cross, and food for donors. If you are a community member interested in signing up, please do so with this link. If you are a student interested please come during lunch next week to sign up! All participants must make sure they meet a few requirements before registering. I personally will be giving blood and can attest that there will be donations from wonderful local businesses such as Healthy Living as well as some homemade treats from Student Council members. If you have any question about the drive please contact the Blood Drive organizers: EloiseDurant@cvsdvt.org, PattersonFrazier@cvsdvt.org, and jacklynwhittier@cvsdvt.org. We hope to see you on Wednesday!

Congratulations to the Alpine ski teams after winning the State Championship with all of their hardware to show it off.

From Sarah Strack: Here are the results of the VT State Championships for Nordic Skiing. As a team, the boys were second overall and girls were third overall. The following skiers made up the boys and girls teams:

Boys

William Wallace - 4th in individual classic, 4th in individual skate

Luke Buehler - 6th in individual classic, 13th in individual skate

Charlie Schramm - 28th in individual classic, 17th in individual skate

Brian Simkins - 29th in individual classic, 31st in individual skate

Dylan Elder - 48th in individual classic, 34th in individual skate

Trey Lundquist - 34th in individual classic, 49th in individual skate

Jack Biunno - 43th in individual classic, 47th in individual skate

Story Holmes - 37th in individual classic, 46th in individual skate

Girls

Annalise Wood - 7th in individual classic, 5th in individual skate

Charlotte Crum - 6th in individual classic, 8th in individual skate

Lilyanna Mittelstadt - 10th in individual classic, 12th in individual skate

Annika Johnson - 20th in individual classic, 14th in individual skate

Senja Erickson - 17th in individual classic, 16th in individual skate

Alexa Davis - 24th in individual classic, 17th in individual skate

Maeve Parker- Clark - 15th in individual classic, 26th in individual skate

Kate Silverman - 30th in individual classic

Kate Sayre - 24th in individual skate

From Jess LaPlante: In Advisory, Deacon, shared his ability to defy the laws of physics with his ONE binder for all of his classes…

Here are some pictures from the Fishing Club that has been working with Hunter Whitman during C3 and have also had the opportunity to get out on the ice a few times to do some fishing.

From Lizzy Fox Lausier: Congratulations to this year's participants in Poetry Out Loud! CVU held its annual schoolwide competition in poetic recitation during Winter Carnival before break. Thank you to all the faculty and students who volunteered to make this event a reality, and a special congratulations to our school champion, Theo Novak, and our runner-up, Karmen Wilbur!

Theo went on to compete in State Semi-Finals this Thursday, where he qualified for Finals. He will vie for a chance to represent Vermont in Nationals next Friday, March 14 at the Flynn. Good luck, Theo! We're rooting for you.

Pictured, from left to right: Theo Novak (competitor), Malashie Tonoki (competitor), Amelie Fairweather (competitor), Mira Novak (host), Abigail Usher (host), Karmen Wilbur (competitor), and Jesse Kim (competitor).

Baby goat therapy. We had a week old baby goat visit our faculty meeting this week.

Voters Overwhelmingly Approve FY26 Budget

On behalf of the school board and administration, Superintendent Adam Bunting and Board Chair Meghan Metzler share their gratitude for the overwhelming support of CVSD’s FY26 budget in a joint letter. “With this budget, CVSD will continue to innovate and provide a high-quality educational journey for students that honors identity, forges connection, develops proficiency, and fosters direction,” they wrote. Read more here.

Ramadan Meals

For those who celebrate Ramadan, school meals are available for take home. To request meals from now through March 28, students or caregivers should email CVU Food Service Director Colleen French (cfrench@cvsdvt.org) in the morning, and meals will be available for pickup by 2:30 p.m.

Healthcare Career Fair

The UVMHN Talent Acquisition Team is hosting a career fair for students interested in learning more about career opportunities in the healthcare field.

Event Details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday, April 2nd from 10:30 - 12:00

Where: Champlain Valley Exposition, Blue Pavilion, Essex Junction

What:

• Explore various healthcare career paths and opportunities

• Gain insights from experienced professionals

• Connect with potential mentors

• Learn about educational requirements and opportunities for hands-on experience

Please reach out to the CVU Counselors at cvudirectioncenter@cvsdvt.org to register for this event by Friday, March 14th. Transportation may be provided depending on interest. Please email colleen.decker@uvmhealth.org if you have any questions about this event.

From the Direction Center

Dear Parents/Caregivers:

Over this past week, during Advisory, students have begun the scheduling process for the 2025-2026 school year. As part of this, they received the 10th Grade Course Request Worksheet or 11th/12th Grade Course Request Worksheet, along with a Course Credit Worksheet to help them track their progress toward graduation requirements. Students can review their completed courses and credits in their PowerSchool account under Historical Grades to assist with this process.

Advisory discussions have focused on helping students reflect on their academic journey, ensuring they are on track for graduation, and considering future course options. Teachers have also been sharing insights on course offerings and making recommendations for students to consider. While these conversations are happening in school and during the Advisory/PLP Conferences, we encourage you to continue them at home. You can explore next year’s course offerings together by referencing our 25-26 Course Catalog.

Scheduling Meetings with School Counselors

Students will meet with their School Counselors on the following dates to finalize their course requests:

• Juniors – March 6th & 7th (during U.S. History classes)

• Sophomores – March 10th & 11th (during Integrated Biology classes)

• Freshmen – March 12th & 13th (during Core classes)

Students should bring their completed Course Request Worksheet to their appointment, along with any remaining questions they may have.

If your student is not enrolled in the specific course listed above, knows in advance they won’t be in school or they are absent on their scheduling day, please have them reach out to their School Counselor to reschedule.

Thank you for your support in helping your student plan for a successful school year ahead. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

The DC Counselors

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