Updates from U-32
March 22, 2024
Principal's Update
Good afternoon U-32,
There is a lot going on these days and I would like to update you on a few of them. The District Leadership Team has been meeting to build and present several budget scenarios that the Board will consider on April 3 in their meeting at Calais or you can attend virtually. You can find more information about Board meetings and communication on the website.
In addition, the Board will be interviewing and choosing the next Superintendent for Washington Central on March 27th. You can see information about the finalists here. Finalists will be visiting schools during that day to meet staff and students with interviews in the evening.
Today was our Spring Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences and I have seen families coming and going this morning. I hope you were able to take a few moments and check in on how your student(s) are doing in classes. Our conferences are a good way to make a personal connection with teachers, and if you were not able to make it in today, I encourage you to reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns.
It looks like winter is still hanging on, so I hope you have your shovels, plows and snow blowers ready to go.
Be safe, and enjoy the snow if you can.
Steven
Notice: U-32 Craft Show Rescheduled Due to Weather
Due to the anticipated winter storm this weekend, the U-32 Spring Craft Fair has been rescheduled to April 7th!
More information to follow.
Reminder: No School on April 8th (Eclipse Day)!
On April 8th, Central Vermont will be in the path of the total solar eclipse. Vermont is predicted to have anywhere from 30,000-200,000 additional people entering our state on this day. Local emergency officials have recommended to school districts in the Champlain Valley and Franklin County to close schools because of the significant influx of people, road closures, and strain on emergency services. Our local first responders are now extending these recommendations to the superintendents in Barre, Harwood, Washington Central, and Montpelier Roxbury as well. In addition, our school districts are collectively noting significant staff absentee rates for April 8th.
In light of these factors, Washington Central, along with Barre, Harwood, and Montpelier-Roxbury schools will all be closed for the full day on April 8th. This will be treated as an inclement weather day and will be made up at the end of the school year (as per our normal procedures, the last day of school will be determined by the Board and communicated at a later date once the chance of inclement weather has passed).
If you would like additional information regarding the eclipse and road closure information, it is posted on the Vermont.gov website.
Parking Lot Safety Concerns at Dismissal Time
The bus company has reached out on several occasions to report incidents of drivers attempting to beat the buses out of the parking lot and even trying to leave the lot in between two buses. This raises concerns regarding the safety of our students and others traversing the lot, and the rate of speed that drivers are traveling to try to beat the buses.
We would like to remind drivers that once the buses have started to move that any other vehicles leaving the parking lot should not attempt to get in front of or between them. We've been able to determine that although some are younger student drivers, some are also parents of students.
We appreciate you taking a moment to read this request, and hope that, if you are the parent of a student driver, that you will take a moment to share this with them as well. Thank you!
For a Limited Time! Order Your U-32 Gear!
U-32 Basketball hosts Inaugural Alumni Game
U-32 Basketball hosted its inaugural Alumni Game last Friday, March 15.
Over 30 alumni came back to U-32 to participate on the boys and girls alumni teams with graduates ranging from 1995 to as recently as 2022.
The current U-32 varsity boys and girls teams played each alumni team in a fun-filled scrimmage with lots of laughs, highlight-reel plays and memorable moments.
In total the event raised $2500 total that will be split evenly and go directly to each program’s fundraising account.
VT Comprehensive Assessment Program (VT CAP) Details
Grades 7, 8 9 & 11 will participate in the VT Comprehensive Assessment Program (VT CAP) on the following dates.
Testing is as follows:
- Grade 7 - April 2 Math S1 & S2, April 11th ELA Session 1, April 15th ELA Session2- all in Core classes
- Grade 8 - April 2 Math S1 & S2, April 11th ELA S1, April 15 ELA S2, April 16th Science S1 & S2- all in Core classes
- Grade 9 - April 9th & April 10th in 9th grade Teams
- Grade 11 -Ist week of April during US History classes- Science S1 & S2
Please encourage students to bring their charged chromebooks to all sessions.
2024 Vermont Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Two Pilot students won Silver Keys this year in the Scholastic Writing competition for pieces they worked on independently in our personalized learning program.
Congratulations to Eli and Ella! Here are some excerpts of their pieces:
Elias Francis - Grade 12, U32 High School
How to love and be loved - Silver Key
Personal Essay & Memoir What is it to be good? - Honorable Mention, Poetry
From How to love and be loved:
I am made for healing. I am made for mending my wounds, for my heart to beat, my lungs to expand, and for hope to course through my veins. I was made with resilience in my bones.
Our whole lives are spent growing around injuries, or trying to undo the pain we were born into. But the past cannot be undone, and we have to grow despite our injuries; because of our injuries. With the pride of our flaws being a part of us. So, I was made to be broken. I learned strength from being taken apart and piecing myself back together. I learned how to love and to be loved. I choose to wake up everyday, to take the injury of being alive, because that is what makes living so beautiful.
Ella Thomas - Grade 10, U32 High School
Shadows and Starlight - Silver Key, Novel Writing
From Shadows and Starlight:
The seasons change, snow falls thick over the hills and trees,
Sometimes,
If you wander, you will find a strange clearing where the birch trees meet the sky in their tall white splendor, and a pool stands still and glassy in its center, a sanctuary and a tomb.
The water seems to go on forever into the darkness, but
Sometimes,
When the moon is full a ghostly form is visible at its bottom, a pale skeletal girl in a frayed white dress, the skirts still billowing about her bones, a silver chain about her thin neck. A crescent moon hangs there, at her throat, and when the moonlight shines just right, it lights up the Darkness,
Reflecting its skyborn twin.
Stage 32 Shines at Regional Drama Festival
Congratulations to the Cast and Crew of Unspoken Word, who performed at the Vermont State Regional Drama Festival on Saturday, March 16, and were chosen, along with People's Academy, to advance to the state level of the festival on April 5 and 6 at Otter Valley High school.
Don't miss your chance to see this show at the next public showing: March 29 at 7:00pm. Admission by donation.
Would you like to attend Vermont State University for free?
Beginning in the fall semester of 2024, qualified Vermont residents can attend Vermont State University tuition free!
Delivering high quality and affordable education is our number one priority. With locations spanning across the entire state, Vermonters can be sure to have greater access to our programs going forward. VTSU will close the standard tuition* gap with institutional aid after all federal, state, institutional, and employer supported aid is applied to a student’s account.
Who is eligible?
- Vermont residents of any age enrolling as new students in degree programs starting in the fall semester of 2024 or spring semester of 2025.
- Student/family adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less as reflected on their FAFSA.
- Students seeking their initial undergraduate degree. Those with previous bachelor’s degrees do not qualify.
How do students apply?
- Apply and be admitted to Vermont State University for a standard tuition program.
- Submit a FAFSA (School Code: 003698).
- Submit a Vermont Grant Application through VSAC.
What are further requirements for eligibility?
- Register for a minimum of 12 credits each fall and spring semesters (does not include summer).
- Maintain good academic standing (2.0/4.0) and satisfactory academic progress towards degree completion.
- Eligibility will be reviewed each academic year based on the current year FAFSA.
* The Vermont State University Free Tuition Guarantee covers standard program tuition only. Program tuition for Engineering and Technology; Nursing and Respiratory Therapy; and Dental and Radiologic is not covered by this program.
Community Book Discussion
Begin a Lifetime of Fly Fishing at the Vermont Trout Camp
Trout Unlimited presents the 12th annual Vermont Trout Camp for Teens at Quimby Country in Averill, VT, June 23-27, 2024. Teens age 13-16 interested in the out-of-doors and learning to fly fish are invited to apply.
This is a marvelous opportunity for young people to experience the outdoors to the fullest. The camp program features instruction in basic and intermediate fly fishing skills (casting, knot tying, fly tying, fishing tactics), entomology, fish biology, conservation and cold water fisheries management and of course lots of time on the water fishing with experienced guides. No experience is necessary and all equipment is provided while at camp.
Details and an application are available at www.vermonttroutcamp.com
The application deadline is April 15th.
Upcoming Parent Workshops
Governor's Institute of Vermont applications are OPEN!
The 2024 Governor's Institutes dates and locations have been finalized, and applications are now open!
Students can apply at GIV.org/apply with any internet device.
The application deadline is March 31, 2024
Student Services Newsletter
Visit this page for a FREE SAT Bootcamp!
SELECTIVE SERVICE
Did you know it is federal law that all young men need to register with the Selective Service System when they turn 18. Good news - it takes about 2 minutes go to https://www.sss.gov/Registration/Register-Now/Registration-Form
Failure to register can present significant roadblocks to a young man’s future opportunities. This is critically important because registration is linked to numerous federal and state benefits that can help bring funds into communities. These include access to all federal student loans and grants, job training programs, and eligibility for hundreds of thousands of federal jobs, including the U.S. Postal Service, and numerous state, municipal, and federal contractor jobs. Additionally, immigrant men who wish to become citizens will have the process significantly delayed if they don’t register.
Remember to register prior to your 18th birthday!
SAT TESTING DATES (register online at www.collegeboard.com)
SAT Test Date Registration Deadline
May 4, 2024 April 19th
June 1, 2024 May 16th
ACT TESTING DATES (register online at www.actstudent.org)
ACT Test Date Registration Deadline
June 8, 2024 May 3rd
Dual Enrollment / Early College
As a current Vermont high school junior or seniors, you are eligible for two Vermont Dual Enrollment Vouchers, allowing you to take one free college course in your junior year of high school and one in your senior year of high school.
It’s called Dual Enrollment because your free college courses will also earn you credit towards graduation from high school.
Dual enrollment is offered through all VT public colleges/universities and some private colleges too. Go to http://www.vtdualenrollment.org/ for a list of participating colleges and to request a dual enrollment voucher. Summer 2023 courses are now viewable and Fall 2023 courses will be viewable as of April 2023.
High School Seniors are also eligible for Early College- got to http://education.vermont.gov/student-learning/flexible-pathways/early-college for more information
SCHOLARSHIPS: Please frequent Naviance (Family Connection) often for available scholarships.
$20,000 (4 Awards)
Deadline: March 31, 2024
$10,000 (8 Awards)
Young American Creative Patriotic Scholarship
Deadline: March 31, 2024
$1,200 (1 Award)
Deadline: March 31, 2024
$2,500 (2 Awards)
Deadline: March 31, 2024
$25,000 (1 Award)
Deadline: April 1, 2024
$2,000 (12 Awards)
Deadline: March 31, 2024
$10,000 (1 Award)
Deadline: March 31, 2024
$1,000 (50 Awards)
No Essay Smart Owl Scholarship
Deadline: March 29, 2024
$2,500 (12 Awards)
Deadline: March 31, 2024
West Point Admissions Event
Student Services Calendar
May
Early May: Next year schedules to students
May: Schedule adjustments
June
June 11: Move Up Day
Senior Calendar
March
Use February/March break to visit colleges.
Some states have FAFSA deadlines as early as March 1.
Keep your grades up. Study hard for exams. Colleges take senior grades seriously. Colleges will want a final transcript and expect to see a strong senior year. Any serious drop in grades or level of difficulty could result in your acceptance being rescinded.
April 4th: Start of Quarter 4
April
Regular Decision admissions letters begin to arrive.
Discuss the financial aid package provided by each school with your family. If you haven’t received financial aid packages by early April call to make sure all necessary materials arrived.
Attend admitted students’ weekends at college campuses.
Use April break for any additional campus visits.
If you are on a waitlist set up a meeting with your counselor to discuss options.
Celebrate with family and friends!
Send in the acceptance notice to your chosen school. Make sure to send in your deposit.
Decline offers of admission from remaining colleges.
May
May 1: Deadline for notifying colleges of your decision.
AP Exams are administered. Be sure to send the AP Grade Report to your college.
Send thank-you notes to your teachers, coaches, TA, and anyone else who helped you on the way.
Fill out housing-preference forms, and check out any special living centers.
Wait-listed students can expect more information about their status after May 1.
Complete Graduation Survey on Family Connection
June
If you plan to compete in Division I or Division II college sports, have your transcript sent to the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse. More information is available at ncaaclearinghouse.net.
June 14: Graduation…. Congratulations!
June 30: Final deadline to submit FAFSA.