• Principal's Update
• Dates to Remember
• U-32 News
• Student Services Monthly Update
• U-32 Yearbook Orders (and info for Seniors!)
• Free Thanksgiving Meal for Washington County Residents
• WCUUSD Board Update
• VT Family Network News Oct 2023
• Helpful Links

We have had a busy week here at U-32. All of our students attended an assembly by Sweethearts and Heroes who promote healthy, positive social connections and relationships. Tom and Rick from Sweethearts and Heroes visited us several years ago and it was great to have them back again with their great messages about acceptance and belonging. We also have a group of students from Rostock, Germany who are with us this week and next. They started in NYC and have spent some time shadowing students to see what education is like in the U.S. We hope to continue to build our relationship with our new friends so that we can go visit them as well. And finally, regular season sports are winding down and the playoffs will be starting soon.

We are now promoting a new format for the weekly email and combining it up with the newsletter so you can see everything in one space. I hope you take a moment to check out all the great information below.

Have a great weekend,

Steven

• Today! October 13th Senior Day games
• October 18th Free Showing at the Savoy - Anxious Nation (details below)
• October 25th Picture Retake Day
• November 10th Family Conferences (more info to follow)

U-32 will host three Senior Day games starting at 4 p.m. The field hockey team hosts St. Johnsbury at 4 p.m. on the field hockey field. The boys soccer and girls soccer teams will also hold their Senior Day games at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. vs. Lake Region under the lights on Main Stadium Field.

During the fall, the Biology classes usually walk to the Winooski River to conduct water quality tests. However, after the summer flooding, all of the access points along the Winooski River were no longer accessible. Therefore, the Biology classes had to adapt this fall and they went to three different areas to conduct water quality assessments: the Dog River in Northfield, the North Branch River at the North Branch Nature Center and Shady Rill. This actually provided the students a great opportunity to compare the water quality of three different rivers that eventually lead into the Winooski River. During the next several weeks the Biology students will be analyzing the water quality of the three different rivers to determine if any human activities are affecting the water quality.

The U-32 Library hosted a variety of events to raise awareness about students' Freedom of Read during the American Library Association's annual Banned Books Week. Lt.Governor David Zuckerman joined students to discuss censorship and open dialogue, students participated in two Banned Books Read-Ins, all 10th grade students learned about their Freedom to Read, and displays featuring censored and banned books across the country have generated much discussion and critical thinking.

(Photo credits: Jill Abair & Meg Allison)

Anxious Nation Film, Free Showing on Oct 18th at the Savoy 6-8pm

FREE documentary screening of Anxious Nation across the state. This opportunity is made possible thanks to a grant from the Vermont Community Foundation. A facilitated Q&A or panel will follow the screening, along with mental health and suicide prevention resources.

The film sets out to lift the shroud of shame around mental health while giving emotional insights into how anxiety shows up in our children’s lives, impacts families, and what parents’ contributing role may be in the journey. The filmmakers offer deep insights into how we got here and what we can do to harness anxious energy for good.

For more information, please visit namivt.org/anxiousnation, or call 802-876-7949 x103.

RSVP @ https://fb.me/e/12eN27VpT

For information on Dual Enrollment, Scholarship Opportunities, SAT/ACT info, and other important Senior Dates, see our October Student Services Monthly Update (linked below)

A message from the WCUUSD School Board:

Given the challenges of declining enrollment, expense inflation, the sunset of pandemic-related federal funding and other factors, budgeting for the 2024-25 school year promises to be especially challenging. As our school board prepares for this year’s process, we want to let you know the best ways to be informed and share your perspective. Here is an overview:

• On October 18, we will host our annual school budget training. You are welcome to attend this and all school board meetings and meeting information can be found here: Meeting Resources / Board Meeting Resources (wcsu32.org)

• We will host a Connecting our Vision to Budget Realities community meeting November 1. This will be an excellent opportunity to provide the board with early input on what you see as priorities for the coming year.

• On November 15 the board will receive a first draft of next year’s budget and provide guidance on next steps.

• We will host another forum on December 20 to further discuss our budget and take further community feedback.

• We expect to finalize the budget January 17 in order to prepare for a community vote by Town Meeting Day.

Please note that the budgeting process will coincide with the final stages of our strategic planning process which is designed to establish our priorities well beyond next year. As always, you are encouraged to contact any school board member to ask questions and share your thoughts. Our contact information is posted here: Board Members / Board Members (wcsu32.org). We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for supporting our schools.

If you want to know more about what is going on at U-32 on a daily basis in areas of academic achievement, personal growth, and belonging, then please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

For more events at U-32 check out our Tandem Calendar or our student newspaper, the Chronicle.

(Links below!)