On the Horizon
VUHS March 1st, 2024
Principal Message
This week's newsletter has a lot of information. Below you will find lots of events for students, families, and the community. Thank you to everyone who came out for family teacher conferences. We appreciate you coming out and meeting with your classroom teachers and morning meeting teachers.
In March, we are doing a number of things. As a whole school we are participating in the One District One Book project. The letter home is below and we will start on March 11th. On that date we will also send home Eclipse information. This is a reminder that we have a half day on April 8th. We will be sending home a booklet with Eclipse information, one per family, and a pair of glasses, one per student. We also will be participating in the United Way Student Survey(March 6th) and VTCAP Testing(March 18th - March 22nd) this month. All students will take the United Way Survey. Grades 9 will take the Math and English VTCAP and 11th Graders will take the Science VTCAP. There will be more information about that next week.
The Vermont High School Prize Examination in Mathematics, informally known as the UVM Math Contest, has been held every year since 1958. The test at VUHS will be administered on Tuesday, March 12 from 12:45 -2:55. This is for 9-12th grade students. Please see Mrs. KAYHART for a permission slip if you are interested. You can also stop by and see her or email her with any questions.
We want to congratulate all of our students who participate in Winter Sports. It was a good season and we are proud of all the challenges your persevered through! To find out about Spring Sports please read the update from Pete Maneen below.
In case you missed it due to the February vacation please take a moment to check out the presentation and the FAQ sheet and if it does not answer questions you may have please feel free to email me.
Some events that are coming up in the next few weeks are:
- March 6th: 1/2 Day - Dismissal is at 11:30
- March 14th - 16th: Mamma Mia Musical
- March 18th - 21st: VTCAP
- March 22nd: Inservice - No School for Students
Have a great week!
Jody Chamberlin JChamberlin@anwsd.org
Messages from the District
Thank you for our School Board members for serving our educational community!
You can view the Annual Report online on our website. Hard copies will be available by Friday, Feb 16 at the Central Office and the Town Clerk's Office. You should also receive a flyer in the mail this weekend.
School Spotlights
Congratulations to Zoe Reid-St.John for the student of the week in the Addison Independent.
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The VUHS National Honor Society is hosting its annual Blood Drive on Friday 3/8/24 from 9 am until 2 pm. in the MS Gym. We need the VUHS community to support this drive by signing up to donate. Did you know someone in the US needs blood every two seconds? If you are 16 years old (with parent permission) or older, you can sign up to give blood. First time donors are welcome.
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Exciting news – we are opening more seats on our Spring 2025 trip to Austria, Germany & Switzerland!
In case you missed our first informational meeting, come learn about our itinerary, activities, academic opportunities, and the cost of the trip (and discounts!) at our meeting. Find meeting details below:
--> Date: March 6, 2024
--> Time: 5:30PM
--> Location: School Library
Please register for the meeting here: https://bit.ly/3SGpVgp
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School Counseling News
Seniors - USPS Virtual Job Fair for a Career after Graduation
Ashley Hamilton from the United States Postal Service hosts a virtual job fair every Wednesday. More information and how to attend can be found here.
VSAC’s College & Career Pathways Event at Saint Michael’s College - Grades 10 & 11:
On Thursday, March 14, we will be bringing 10th and 11th grade students to VSAC’s College & Career Pathways event at Saint Michael’s College. Students will attend the event from 9am-2pm (bus will depart from VUMHS at 8:10 am) and participate in three workshops of their choosing. There is no cost to attend, and lunch is included. Workshops will include how to choose, apply to, and pay for college or career training programs, and pathways to skilled trades and great careers that don’t require a college degree.
High School counselors will be visiting morning meetings to share information and give out permission slips. 10th and 11th grade students who are interested in participating should bring their signed permission form (extra hard copies can be picked up in the school counseling office) to the school counseling office by Friday, March 8th. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis for 40 slots. Students in the class of 2025 will have priority.
Families are also invited to attend the free event on Saturday, March 23, with options to participate in-person at the University of Vermont or online via Zoom. All sessions will also be recorded for future viewing. You can find more information and additional college and career planning resources for families at vsac.org/ccp.
Vermont Visitation Day for Juniors at UVM
UVM Vermont Visitation Day for Juniors, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 2-4 pm. More information can be found here
Vermont State University - Try a Major Day (Randolph Campus)
Sophomores and Juniors - Are you interested in learning more about Vermont State University majors? Join us on May 3 for Try a Major Day, designed to let you experience first-hand all that Vermont State University has to offer. Anticipated sessions include: Architectural Engineering Technology, Automotive & Diesel Power Technology, Civil & Environmental Engineering Technology, Construction Management, Electrical & Electromechanical Engineering Technology, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Nursing, Renewable Energy, Veterinary Technology. To register please click here. This event is on Friday, May 3, 9:30 am - 1 pm at Vermont State University-Randolph Campus. Students will need to provide their own transportation.
Drive for Excellence - Juniors & Seniors - A Chance to Win a New Car or a $1,000 Scholarship
Qualifying students (current Juniors and Seniors who are at least 16 years on or before 7/20/24) have the chance to win a new car or one of three $1,000 scholarships. Important information and instructions regarding this opportunity can be found here.
The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) - Summer Sessions 2024 - Apply Now:
Students currently in grades 9,10,11 can now apply for this year’s summer sessions being offered. Apply for Summer Sessions at GIV 2024 A rep from GIV will be in the cafeteria on Tuesday, 2/27 during high school lunch times - stop by and get information and/or ask questions!
Reminder for Seniors - Available Scholarships:
Seniors are encouraged to check the linked document, Scholarships Currently Available for Application, often. This document is updated on a regular basis and scholarships are starting to come in more often now.
Summer Programs 2024
A list of summer program information that we have received in the School Counseling Office can be found here. And also on the School Counseling Resources Webpage. While we are not endorsing or recommending any one program, we wanted to make this information available to students and families. Each opportunity is a link to further information online from the sponsoring organization. Parents and/or students are also welcome to visit the School Counseling Office at any time to look at the information we have on file regarding summer programs. Please contact your school counselor if you have any questions.
Boosters, CPTG, Friends of Music
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
Food Services
Nurse Announcements
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.
Athletics from Pete Maneen
Folks: (Written February 28th)
It was a busy break in the world of athletics. I wanted to reach out and bring you up to speed on all the outstanding performances from our student athletes.
The boys basketball team earned the #5 seed in the D3 VPA Playoffs and earned a home game vs. Springfield last week. The boys played a great game and advanced to the 2nd round where they faced defending champion Winooski. Although the boys played tough, they fell just a bit short 46-41. This was a great group of players who were fun to watch and represented our school and community with pride.
The wrestling teams competed in their state championships last week and Vergennes claimed five individual state titles. At the middle school level, Joey Maneen and Izaiah Deyette both finished off undefeated seasons while earning state championships. Jackson Scribner & Adrien Provencher were runner-ups and Caleb Stearns took 3rd. These five wrestlers advanced to the New England Championships in Massachusetts on March 17th. Caeleigh White & Addie Smith will also represent Vergennes in the All-Girls New England Championships on March 16th. Isaak Woloniskicz (homeschooler in our district) took home a championship at the JV level in the heavyweight division. At the varsity level, Isaac Preston and Jamison Couture both won their respective weight classes while Tyrelle Lavoie and Steven Kittredge took home 3rd place finishes. All four wrestlers advance to the New England Championships in Providence, RI next weekend.
Our school welcomed thousands of visitors to town last Saturday as Vergennes once again hosted the VT State Cheerleading & Dance Championships. Our small but mighty cheerleaders put on quite a show and just missed placing. The boys' soccer and girls' basketball teams worked the event and the public raved about how courteous and polite these students were and how beautiful our facilities are. People are always amazed about how lucky we are to have such an amazing facility in our community.
We wish our Indoor Track runners luck as they travel to the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center in Boston to compete in the New England Indoor Track & Field Championships this weekend. Grey Fearon, Calder Rakowski, Cal Gramling & Riley Gagnon will be looking to continue their dominance on the track and add a New England title to their Vermont championship.
Finally, the girls' basketball team opens their playoff run this week. The girls earned the #7 seed and will host #10 Winooski on Wednesday at 7:00pm. This will be your final opportunity to catch a home event this winter, hope to see you there rooting for the Commodores!
This is a little unfair, this week's weather will actually be warmer than some of our spring games will be! Regardless, we've seen the grass most of the winter, so my hope is the fields will be ready early and we won't be stuck in the gyms too long.
Please be sure that you register for spring sports if you have not already. Here is a direct link to the registration site. There has been a bit of confusion when registering and how to select sports, I hope this helps:
1. If registering for an activity, log into your account and select the child you want to register, four links should come up. The link "registration form" has a listing of activities under high school and a list under middle school, be sure to select the box you would like to register for.
2. If you want to see what you have previously registered for, log into your account and select the child you want to look into, the same four links should come up. Each form also has a link to the right that says "Download PDF". If you download this form and open it, you'll see a listing of activities you previously selected.
The spring coaches will be meeting on March 6th and the practice schedule will be completed there, I will forward this information following our meeting. I have attached the spring sports information slideshow for your review. Included in the presentation is important information around registrations, athletic & school policies, playing time, coaches contact information, etc. Please take a moment to read through the presentation so you are aware of any and all expectations for students & adults.
Important dates to add to your calendars:
March 18th- First day of practice for high school baseball & softball
March 25th- First day of practice for all other high school spring sports
April 1st- First day of practice for all middle school sports
It is always important to remind players & fans (students & adults) about the expectation of positive behavior. Athletic events are opportunities to watch our students compete, they are not opportunities to heckle and harass players, coaches or officials. Please be aware of your comments and actions and keep the attention where it should be...on the players giving it their all!
I look forward to a great spring season and seeing everyone around the fields.
Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center News (interested and current students)
Check out the new and updated (February) PAHCC Newsletter!
Important Documents
Community Events
To order tickets go to https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/80958
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Check out all of the different workshops available at Teen Makery!
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The Green Team is partnering up with a recycling company called Trex to convert 1,000 lbs of trash into a bench that will be at our school! We need to collect this by fall of next year, so we need everyone's help. There is a collection bin in the front office where we will collect clean soft plastics like:
-Grocery and Bread bags
-Bubble Wrap
-Dry Cleaning bags
-Newspaper sleeves
-Plastic shipping envelopes
-Ziplock and cereal bags
-Salt bags
-Wood Pellet Bags
Each Elementary School is making their own bench and has their own collection bins.
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Registration open for Teen Expeditions on Lake Champlain
Do you have a teen who wants to build a kayak or kayak, row, or sail on Lake Champlain? Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has opened registration for their 2024 summer expeditions and all their programs are pay-what-you-can! Trips this year include a kayak expedition to the Canadian border, an 8-day rowing expedition, and an overnight sailing skills camp and trip. Also offered is a build your own kayak program. All the 2024 teen programs are listed on their website at www.lcmm.org/expeditions.
Contact Krissy Navrat if you have any questions: krissy@lcmm.org
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Contact Information
Vergennes Union High School
Email: JChamberlin@anwsd.org
Website: https://vumhs.org/
Location: 50 Monkton Road, Vergennes, VT, USA
Phone: (802) 877-2938