E-News March 28, 2021
Vergennes Union High School
Smarter Balanced Testing Coming Up
Dear Families,
Vermont Statewide Assessments will occur this spring at VUHS. This includes:
Smarter Balanced (SBAC) English Language Arts and Mathematics:
- Grades 7, 8 and 9
- Grades 8 and 11
The tests, which are administered on computers, can be administered at any time over a three-month period and must be administered in the school building for all students, including students receiving hybrid and fully remote instruction. Grade 9 will be testing the week of April 12. Grade 7 and 8 will test later in May. The VTSA for grades 8 and 11 has not been scheduled yet.
Shortly after students have completed testing, individual student reports will be sent to families. These reports will provide information on what your student(s) learned in relation to the statewide academic standards. When reviewing test scores, it is important to consider that the tests provide a broad overview of growth and success, and that results are most useful when viewed in the context of other data gathered by the teacher and the school. The primary purpose of our testing program is to provide families and school leaders with an increased understanding of how teaching and learning is taking place and how students’ needs are being met.
Please note that Vermont’s test delivery system uses state of the art security features that protects your students’ privacy and adheres to all federal and state confidentiality regulations.
To learn more about Vermont statewide assessments, log on to the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal. There you will find additional information for students and families, as well as practice tests that will allow you to try out the test your student will be taking this spring. You can visit the Portal by entering this link into your internet browser: https://vt.portal.cambiumast.com/.
If you have any questions, please contact your student's principal.
Sincerely,
The Addison Northwest Administrative Team
Athletic News
The girls' basketball team wrapped-up it's season by playing in the D3 State Championship on Saturday vs. Lake Region. While the game did not go in our favor, what a season this team had! Finishing as state runner-ups with an 11-2 record during a year that almost never happened.
The boys' basketball team made remarkable improvements over the season to earn the #8 seed in the state tournament and host the first playoff game since 2015. Following an impressive 1st round victory, the team traveled to #1 seed Green Mountain where they eventually fell 58-57 in OT. With many younger players in key roles this winter, the boys' program has a bright future.
Each year, it's tough to say goodbye to seniors and this year is extremely difficult for girls' coach Billy Waller. Billy's impressive senior class consisting of Kate Gosliga, Lauren Curtis, Ema Gernander, Sydney Jewell, Jordan Jewell, Hannah Kelly, Sydney Weber and Savannah Thomann was fun to watch and represented our community with pride. While boys' coach Josh Carter may only be losing three seniors, Jake Russell, Tyler Jewett and Adam Sausville, these three seniors left a major impact on the program. We wish all these seniors the best going forward, they will be missed.
Spring
The state gave the go ahead for spring sports last week and we're starting quickly. Registration numbers have been very impressive so far with strong numbers in both the baseball & softball programs that will see both programs field varsity, JV and middle school teams. Our track and field numbers have set a new high and in the first season ever for middle school lacrosse at Vergennes, we have over twenty registrations. It's great to see continued high participation in our programs.
Here is the practice schedule for spring sports:
Week of March 29th Baseball, 3:30-5 (all 9th & 10th graders) 5-6:30 (all 11th & 12th graders) Beginning Week of April 5th Varsity Track, 3:30-5:30 JV Lacrosse, 3:30-5 Varsity Lacrosse, 4-5:30
JV Softball, 6:30-8
Varsity Softball, 5-7
JV Baseball, 3:30-5
Varsity Baseball, 5-7
Beginning Week of April 12th
Week of April 5th plus...
Middle School Lacrosse, 3:30-5 (M,T,Th,F)
Middle School Baseball, 3:30-5 (M,T,Th,F)
Middle School Track, 3:30-5 (M,T,F)
Middle School Softball, 6:30-8 (M,T,Th,F)
Please be prepared to be outside for each practice. If the weather prevents teams from being outside, here is the indoor practice schedule we will revert to:
HS Gym
JV Lacrosse, 3:30-5
Varsity Lacrosse, 5:15-6:45
JV/MS Softball, 7-8
MS Gym
3:30-5, JV/MS Baseball
5:15-6:45, Varsity Baseball
7-8:30, Varsity Softball
All spring game schedules have been posted to the online athletic calendar, vuhs.tandemcal.com.
Many of you have already heard from your respective coaches, if not you will soon with information about the season. Also attached is the spring operations & procedures for the spring season regarding COVID. For those who participated in fall and/or winter sports, you will be very familiar with these. For those who are playing a sport for the first time this year, please be sure to take a moment and read through and ask any questions you may have. Athletics Operations and Procedures
Classroom Highlights - US History
US History students have been preparing for an oral history project documenting Vermonters' experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. This week, they planned and completed their interviews. Next week, they will use the interview to create a 5 minute podcast where they contextualize their interviewee's experience with the history of the 1918 influenza pandemic. This project has been a collaboration with the Vermont Folklife Center.
News From the School Counseling Office
Scholarships! Remember that scholarships are due on the 6th of April.
On March 31st, there is an informational session for grade 11 students on Canadian Colleges and Universities. Please check out the calendar on our Counseling Website for the Zoom Link.
Additional Resources for Parents: We've assembled a collection of resources for parents and students with a focus on the college admission process and handling stress.
Six of the nation's top liberal arts colleges —Amherst, Bowdoin, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, and Williams—are joining forces to host two events.
We're also hosting two events for juniors and their families to help answer questions about the college search process. Students register here
- Junior Jumpstart - April 20 at 8 pm EDT or April 22 at 8 pm EDT
- Navigating and Belonging: A Special Session for First-Generation and Low-Income Students - May 24 at 8 pm EDT or May 26 at 8 pm EDT
We know that everyone is spending a lot of time on Zoom these days, but we hope you’ll join us.
If you are interested in taking the ASVAB, please let your counselor know.
Check the school counseling page on the VUHS website often for other news and announcements. https://www.vuhs.org/school-counseling.php?
Governor's Institutes of Vermont
On April 1st, GIV will start reviewing applications for its summer 2021 online programs. That means your students have just a couple of weeks to submit for their best chance at getting accepted!
VUHS
Email: staylor@anwsd.org
Website: www.vuhs.org
Location: 50 Monkton Road, Vergennes, VT 05491
Phone: (802) 877-2938
Facebook: www.facebook.com/anwsdvt
Twitter: @Steph_Taylor