
CVU Celebrations
February 17, 2023
Dear CVU Community: From bus cancellations to information about various threats or harms, my robo calls home may paint a skewed picture of what life is actually like at CVU:) At some point in the not too distant future, I will place a community-wide call announcing some fantastic moment highlighting growth and goodness. While there is always work to do to be more inclusive, I am deeply proud of our students and of the larger community our school reflects. Many of us were reminded of that pride this week as we had the opportunity to look at our kids, educators, and culture through the eyes of 14 principals, teachers, and superintendents who visited us from West Virginia. They traveled all the way to Vermont (and subsequently to a school in NH) to observe our classrooms and systems in person. They learned from us; we learned from them. Their resounding feedback at the end of the day was less about school structures and more about what they observed in our students. I thought one principal described our heart well as he noted a calm feel where students could both be authentic and push for deep learning. Thanks for your kids and thanks for supporting us.
(And thanks for the cookies, WFC!)
Also, you may notice that Celebrations has a slightly different (probably more sophisticated) look this week. The AWESOME Debbie Seaton has become my managing editor! Thank you, Debbie!
Upcoming Events
Saturday, February 18: Show up to support our CVU Gymnastics team (in Essex) and Cheer (in Vergennes) for States!
Saturday, February 18: Winter Ball at the Hilton in Burlington.
Friday, February 24: Community4Unity and Winter Carnival. Yes, this is a required day!
Thursday, March 9: CVU Blood Drive! Hey Redhawks! CVU will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive all day on March 9th, if you want to find an easy way to make a big difference please consider donating. This appointment only includes filling out a rapid pass, talking with a Red Cross worker about your eligibility and donating. It wouldn’t take too much time out of your school day and your donated blood would be sent to a hospital with the ability to help three people! This is a really great cause to support if you are able. There are basic requirements you must meet to donate safely, these are:
You must be at least 16
You must weigh at least 110 pounds
You must be feeling in good health
You must have had 56 days pass since your last blood donation
Sign-ups will be in the cafeteria during lunch all next week, you can also schedule your appointment online or in the Red Cross app.
Thank you for considering!
If you have any questions about the event or how to donate, contact Ava Rohrbaugh at avarohrbaugh@cvsdvt.org
Student Celebrations
Corey Wemple, as an individual, placed 2nd in the Brain Bee neuroscience competition at the UVM School of Medicine this weekend! His team from BTC placed 1st for a school and 1st for a team. He is pictured below with his teammates from MMU and SBHS (and Lisa the Brain Bee coordinator)
CVU hosted the annual Vermont FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Championship this past weekend. There were 19 robotics teams from all over Vermont and this is the second year that CVU has entered TWO teams into the tournament--the varsity squad RoboHawks (#5741) and the JV squad RoboRedhawks (#22683). You may recall that last year the RoboHawks qualified for the World Championship...well this year both teams were outstanding! This year CVU will be sending not one team to the World Championship, but BOTH teams!
Enjoy this week's Library/RAC Newsletter!
Unified Advocacy Club presented to Every Little Thing Club this week to spread greater awareness of the challenges those with disabilities face in organizations that lack accommodations. Thank you, UAC!
Students in Michelle Fongemie's Creative Writing Classes spread some love, joy and appreciation for themselves and their community this week by practicing rhyme scheme patterns and crafting quatrains which connected to each of the following topics: Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Each Other and Take Care of this Place.
This week students in Hood's and Kirkland's AP Statistics classes put to the test whether they could taste the flavors of Skittles using the four-step process (STATE, PLAN, DO and CONCLUDE) for a significance test. Here, Grace McNally, Jacob Bose, Kyle Clairmont and Evan Statton show their enjoyment of collecting data!
A new exhibit has been raised in the CVU Gallery. Hadley Stockwell is a senior in the AP Art program. She will be majoring in arts administration next year studying management and curation, and hopes to run her own gallery. She has always been fascinated by how artists can impact the way their subjects are viewed, warping the lens to account for their own beliefs, creating faulty narrators and biased works. Combining this interest with her work as a leader in Student ACT, the exhibit focuses on how women are perceived and represented in the art industry - how do we best tell their stories? Please stop by the Gallery to see the collected works. On display through February.
Burgess Gove caught a pickerel while ice fishing in Field and Forest - Dave T was very proud!
Rose Bunting and Maggie Smith are twinning to show team spirit!
Lianna Reed's French IV class had a virtual guest visit from CVU alum Francesca Blanchard to talk about her song Je sais plus quoi te dire. She spoke with students about the idea and creation of the song and then students asked her questions about her life now and her time at CVU. It was wonderful to have such a special Francophone friend in our class. Check out her music here: https://youtube.com/@FrancescaBlanchard
Faculty/Staff Celebrations
While we have many bags of Penguin Plunge materials to distribute, the thank yous to Peter Booth and Anthony Spagnolo can't wait! Thank you for all of our efforts to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics!
Congratulations to Joey O'Brien for his rap battle victory over Trevor.
Separated at birth?
THANKS TO THE PRINT SHOP!
Chittenden Core would like to thank the Print Shop for creating, printing, and assembling our new placards for Chittenden Core Homework Club. She is a mastermind for making our vision a reality!
Community Celebrations/Notes
Hello Fellow RedHawks!! The CVU STU Club is fundraising to support CVU student activities. We have teamed up with Converse and have designed Custom CVU Footwear just for you, The loyal Redhawk fam! All Shoes are $100.
Shoe orders close on Wednesday March 8th and will be available for pick in Early May.
Order Here: https://forms.gle/hfapKoxZaqmMW7VbA
CVSD Strategic Planning: Draft Plan Elements and Survey for Feedback
The CVSD Strategic Planning committee has drafted some elements of the plan and is seeking input from all community members. That includes parents/caregivers, those without children in our schools, faculty/staff, and students.
Please view this set of slides, which were shared at the January Virtual Town Hall, and then use this form to share your thoughts. Please contribute your input by March 3. Thank you!
New Spring Course Offerings From Access CVU: Wow! Don't miss the new offerings from Access CVU. Access CVU is pleased to announce the Winter/Spring 2023 Catalog is now open for registration! With over 170 classes and 80 instructors, there is something of interest for everyone and all ages. There are 63 in February alone! Get information about the courses, how to sign up, and more on this CVSD Story blog post.
How do YOU like to learn?
As we near Town Meeting Day, Champlain Valley School District community members and voters have the opportunity to learn more about the proposed 2023-2024 (FY24) budget. Just as we offer opportunities for our students to learn in a variety of ways, we are providing the same to you. Please attend an in-person presentation, see videos and slides, read articles, or view charts and graphs on the Budget page of the district’s website and in our Annual Report. Find the manner that best suits your style of learning to be an informed voter. If, after that, you still have questions, reach out to the CVSD School Board cvsdschoolboard@cvsdvt.org or use the School Board or Budget Let’s Talk topics https://www.cvsdvt.org/page/268 Please join the CVSD Annual Informational Meeting on Monday, March 6, 2023, at 5:00 at CVU.
See the Annual Warning on the budget page of our website for all of the CVSD ballot articles. All eligible residents in Champlain Valley School District towns are encouraged to vote on March 7th or earlier.