CVU Celebrations

3/20 - Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Symphonic Winds 7:30 - CVU Theatre

3/21 - Concert Choir, Chamber Choir and Jazz Ensemble 7:00 - CVU Theatre

3/21 - Spectrum Sleep Out

3/22 - Parent/Student/Advisor Conferences (no regularly scheduled classes)

3/29 - Exit Experience for Seniors, SAT for Juniors, no school for 9th and 10th graders

4/8 - No School, Eclipse

4/10 - No School, Eid al Fitr

Hi CVU, it’s Ariel! This week, Student Council was hard at work preparing for Thursday’s Blood Drive. It was a huge success! Over 80 people signed up to donate. Student Council members worked with the Red Cross to set up the gym for donations and contacted local businesses for monetary and food donations. I reached out to the Shelburne Supermarket and used their donation to purchase Gatorade -- it was a hit! We had a great day of community spirit and positivity, with Student Council members helping out in the gym all day. I can’t wait for next year’s drive! Have a fantastic weekend, Hawks!!

From Amy Wardwell: Volunteer Outreach Club members Dylan Frere, Stella Dooley and Emerson Rice have been volunteering as partners at Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center in their Rock Steady Boxing class. Rock Steady is a non-contact, boxing-based fitness curriculum designed to help people living with Parkinson's Disease develop community and exercise opportunities. The next session is starting in April! Contact Fyzical in Williston for more information or to volunteer as a training partner in the next session.

From Rae Bronenkant: My feeder is FINALLY being used by the local chickadees! And my students went on a virtual dive down to three coral reefs at the beginning of our climate change unit as we are about to dig into the effects of our changing climate on our oceans. Science is FUN!

From Steve Francisco: A correction was made to the CVU Men's State Championship Title from 3rd place to WINNING – resulting in CVU Alpine sweeping the VT HS State Alpine Championships; winning the Women’s AND Men’s titles, as well as their fourth consecutive Combined Overall Team title.

Also, congratulations to Jake Strobeck’s 2nd place podium finish at the Easterns High School Alpine Championships over the weekend, and the Team VT* Men winning the Men’s Team Title and Team VT winning the Overall Team Title!

*CVU Alpine athletes made up HALF (6 of 12 Women/6 of 12 Men) of the team Vermont sent to the Eastern HS Alpine Championships. (Ella Lisle, Kate Kogut, Carly Strobeck, Rachel Bialowoz, Addie Bartley, Elizabeth Nostrand, Sebastian Bronk, Ray Hagios, Jake Strobeck, George Francisco, Alden Endres and Sawyer Lake).

Josie J, you are the BEST!

Kate Silverman was inadvertently left out of the Skate Individual Race results in last week's Celebrations for Nordic Skiing States - she finished 19th - Congratulations Kate!

From Eleanor Marsh: The VT JR Iron Chef Competition was held at the Champlain Valley Exposition on Saturday, March 9. Two teams from CVU competed. Chefhawks 1: Julian Olin, Magnus Nilsson, Zev Barth, Ben Fina and Aedan Curley made Shiitake Sushi and Chefhawks 2: Koko Dando-Plasha, Clara Anderson, Maja Halliburton, Addison James and Laela Desjadon made Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce. Chefhawks 2 won the Crowd Pleaser award with their delicious ravioli!

From Gary Lambert: On Thursday, members of C3 The Newsroom took time off from production work to celebrate Pi Day with a delicious blueberry pie. Happy 3.1415926535... !

From Andrew Scott: Here are some woodturning images to showcase students learning how to turn a bowl with Eddie Krasnow. This is part of our subtractive manufacturing studies.

We came up with a bunch of woodturning puns, but we didn't know if they woodwork.

The Community Skills program ended our season up at Sugarbush skiing and riding with Vermont Adaptive. We can’t say enough positive things about the staff and volunteers up at Vermont Adaptive. They have been awesome to work with. And a shout out to all our students and staff who attend each week. Can’t wait until next season!

From Emily McLean: CVU Photo Club had another photography contest. The themes were Portraits, Texture and Winter. Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all of the participants. Here are the winning entries. Our next themes are Out of the Ordinary and Animals/Pets. Entries are due by March 27, 2024.

CVU AP ART students went on a field trip to Burlington City Arts to view the Here, Now: Art and Migration exhibit. Students learned about careers in the arts as they met various staff members at BCA. They also had an opportunity to do a hands-on art project and visit the studio of a photographer, Andrew Cate, who is also a CVSD parent. Here are some photographs from our trip.

From Katie Mack:10 members of the CVU Model UN club attended a conference at Vermont Commons school on Saturday, March 9th where they represented the nations of China and Taiwan in a mock crisis committee about escalating tensions in the region. Congrats to award winners Colin Ravlin (best delegate), Sophia Higa (honorable mention delegate) and Willcox Elliott (honorable mention delegate and best position paper).

Pictured: Canute Hoehn, Willcox Elliot, Colin Ravlin, Nathan Boddie, Thomas Mathon, Elle McAvey, Sophia Higa, Chloe Ngu, Lark McCarron and Althea Neill.

When you're working with students, you are "on" in the classroom and in the halls. I am so inspired by our faculty and staff who find that best, calm self for students every day--even when contending ambiguity and worry. Thank you.

Tammy, thank you for brightening my week. You are kind...and...you should go into business selling your stickers! The glow-in-the-dark rocks!!!!

A message from Superintendent Sanchez about the Budget

Please see this video from Superintendent Sanchez for the latest information about CVSD's budget. We will provide additional, detailed information soon on the budget page of the district's website and through other methods as well.

Given the unpredictable nature of the eclipse’s impact on our region, Champlain Valley superintendents have chosen to prioritize the safety and well-being of students and staff and mutually agreed to close schools on April 8, 2024.

Earlier this year, CVSD purchased solar eclipse glasses for each student. They will be distributed the week before the eclipse.

For more information on Vermont’s planning for the total solar eclipse, please visit vermont.gov/eclipse.

Great News!!

March 13, 2024: Updated COVID isolation/return to school guidance

Effective immediately, the Champlain Valley School District will adjust our isolation guidance post-COVID infection for staff and students to align with both the CDC and Vermont Department of Health recommendations.

When people get sick with any respiratory virus (including COVID, RSV and/or influenza), the updated guidance from the CDC recommends that they stay home and away from others.

The recommendations suggest returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.

Given this information, CVSD is no longer asking students and staff who have tested positive for COVID to isolate at home through day 5. Put simply- if you are sick, please stay home and return when you are feeling better.

As part of the guidance, CDC and the Vermont Department of Health provides recommendations on staying healthy:

• Staying up to date with vaccinations to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible.

• Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

• Taking steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.

URGENT NEED FOR FOOD DONATIONS!

Dear CVU Community,

We need your help! We have several New American families living in our community in desperate need of food (including a family who just arrived here last week). Our ROC (Rooted Organizing Communities) Group at CVU is collecting food donations for these families. Please consider dropping off food in the bins located in our house office!

We will be collecting donations on Wednesday, March 20th and 27th.

The following items are needed:

Rice

Bags of beans (not cans)

Potatoes

Pasta

Sauce

Boxes of Macaroni and Cheese

Boxes of Ramen Noodles

Vegetable Oil

Cereal

Granola Bars and other snacks

Lentils

We are grateful for any and all donations

Grocery gift cards can be given to a house office administrator or Tamie Jo. Or, Venmo contributions can be sent to @Tamie-Jo Dickinson and ROC members will purchase eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables to deliver to these families with the other food donations.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Presents Digital Dynamics: Exploring Social Relationships in the Age of Screens

A FREE and virtual event facilitated by Annie Maheux, Ph.D

Parents and Caregivers -

Are you curious how social relationships have changed in the age of digital technology and screens?

Wondering how to help your child navigate friendships and connections while balancing their mental health?

Please join ParentIN for an engaging talk with UNC Chapel Hill’s Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Annie Maheux, Ph.D. Annie has a deep body of research that speaks to the impacts of technology use on mental health among young people with a focus on mental health, gender, and sexuality.

Here’s what else you can expect:

• Research insights on the complex ways technology can affect our well-being

• Strategies for promoting healthy tech use and digital wellness for both families and teens

• Practical approaches you'll use to strike a balance between devices and mental health

EVENT Details: March 21 @7:00p

REGISTER HERE and we’ll send you a meeting invite and Google meet link.

**NOTE** This workshop may be recorded for future community learning and sharing. You are welcome to join anonymously and/or turn off your video during the workshop.