Above, seniors, Mallory Field, Layla Grimaldi, and Kaylee Mongeur show their school spirit!

So far this school year we have received reports about 31 broken chromebooks. We also have several reports of missing chromebooks, and we only have 6 replacement chromebooks available district wide. Please talk to your student about taking good care of their chromebook. If your child is in middle school, please remind them that chromebooks are expected to stay at school. Also, please report any damage that you observe as soon as possible so that it can be repaired before damage becomes worse.

As part of the manufacturing experience in the Innovation Center at RUHS, students recently made a trip up the hill to Vermont Technical College to apply their learning at the Vermont Manufacturing Collaborative and see what VMC's advanced technology-enabled manufacturing facility looks like.

While on campus the students participated in a subtractive manufacturing activity using a Maxiem Water Jet and continued their work on a table tennis project involving initial product testing, design development of new paddle iterations, prototyping and testing, finalization of viable solutions, additive and subtractive manufacturing processes for final solutions, feedback and testing, and final production.

Students had a great time and jumped right in at all steps of the water jet tool setup and operation, and successfully used the technology-assisted, high pressure water jet to cut out one aluminum stock prototype. Whether this prototype makes it to the final production is yet to be seen. More testing and feedback is needed! It is all part of the engineering design process that students are exploring and engaging in.

A huge thank you to Vermont Technical College and The Vermont Manufacturing Collaborative for hosting us; and to Tri-Valley Transit for assisting students in using and learning about local public transportation and having an authentic opportunity to use their soft skills!

Leah Vinton completed the Health Careers program at RTCC in her 11th-grade year and returned to RU to complete her Senior year with her classmates. Now she is taking Senior English, has enrolled in multiple Online Classes, will be participating in Mr. Finley's CCV Dual Enrollment course, and is capping it off with a paid WBL-ILO as an LNA in Gifford Health Care's Emergency Room.

What do you want YOUR pathway to look like? Make sure to chat with Kara, Bev, or Mr. Finley to explore your options!

Leah Vinton is pictured below at Gifford Medical Center

Vermont Works for Women’s “Trailblazers” program is a FREE, hands-on Core Construction and Renewable Energy skills training program for young women (16 years and older). You do not have to have any experience in the trades.

Classes will be held at the Central Vermont Career Center in Barre on Monday and Wednesday evenings and all day Saturdays for seven weeks from March 27th to May 11th. Participants will also complete an Internship with local Vermont employers.

If you are interested in learning more, please see Mr. Finley and/or REGISTER HERE for a VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSION with VWW on February 1st or March 7th at 6:30pm.

January 26 - Thursday 5:30 - 6:45PM - Community Forum - RU Media Center - Topic: Course Catalog (our forum is followed by the Superintendent's Forum).

February 3 - Quarter 2/Semester 1 Grades Close

FUNDAMENTALS OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

STEAM/INNOVATION CENTER

Second Semester

High Schoolers are you looking to further focus your photography style and skill? Are you wanting to expose yourself to a deeper understanding behind the science and technology that makes digital photography possible? Photography is a process in persistence and

next semester Mr. Scott will be offering a digital photography course where you can explore and develop your understanding about digital cameras and the darkroom, light and exposure, lenses and composition, and digital storage, printing, and display to help take your abilities to the next level. If you are interested, please see Kara or Bev to sign up. High Schoolers all equipment is provided, but space is limited. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mr. Scott at

ascott@orangesouthwest.org in the STEAM/Innovation Center.

CRITICAL SKILLS THROUGH APPLIED LEARNING

STEAM/Innovation Center.

Second Semester

This course provides students across all skill levels in applied learning the opportunity to build on existing aptitudes and to gain new knowledge through working with traditional hand tools as well as utilizing cutting-edge technology. Students will be asked to focus their work on designing and creating personalized projects that are connected to and which support the local and school communities. If you have questions please feel free to contact Mr. Finley or Colin at jfinley@orangesouthwest.org or candrzejyck@orangesouthwest.org

Sociology: Nature and Nurture; Rights and Wrongs (Semester Long)

Once you have taken Sociology, you will never look at the world the same way again. This is because Sociology is not a body of knowledge, but a way of thinking about how human societies function. We’ll ask (and attempt to answer) questions like: “What attributes do all cultures share?” “Are we born with our morals, or do we learn them?” “What are the unwritten rules of social interaction and what happens when they are broken?” and “Under what conditions will ordinary people behave in extraordinarily evil ways?” If you take this course, expect to read, write and share your ideas in class on a regular basis; I promise it won’t be boring, but this is not an elective you can coast through. The final exam will be a research project in which you investigate a topic that interests you, collect and interpret data, and present your findings. If you have questions please reach out to Mr. Kelman tkelman@orangesouthwest.org

CBL/Social Studies: Water Management: Public Policy and Practicality (Spring Semester)

One of Vermont’s greatest resources is its water: you can’t depend on your Mountain State to remain Green unless you understand how to manage water and keep your supply of it healthy. Water is a natural, vital, and incredibly powerful force. It is necessary to maintain life, but it is also capable of astounding destruction. Destruction by water can come slowly, quietly trickling, or it can rise and arrive in a seeming instant: rushing madly in. From drinking water wells to storm water to the water that floats our boats, water seeps into nearly every aspect of civic life, and it impacts nearly every career. This course looks at the public policy that keeps our water safe, the engineering that keeps us (relatively) safe from water, and the science behind water quality testing and cleanup. We will make use of many field trips to see science in action, providing many hours of experience witnessing policy and science at work. It is a good choice for students wishing to pursue further education and careers in Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, Public Policy, Agriculture, & Forestry. If you have questions, please reach out to Mr. Sievert, esievert@orangesouthwest.org

Marine Ecosystems

In this semester-long course, you will learn how CORAL REEFS, SEAGRASS BEDS and MANGROVE FORESTS support specialized forms of ocean life and how they support one another as well. Also, learn how we, as humans, can contribute considerably in the preservation of marine organisms/systems that support overall EARTH-HEALTH. This course may culminate in a week-long marine biology field-trip. Please reach out to Ms. Schaner with questions, dschaner@orangesouthwest.org

Food Science

In this semester-long course, students will explore the wonder of science through food. Food and nutrients are essential for living things. In this course, multiple perspectives on the production, consumption, nutrition, and access will be introduced. Students will define problems, propose solutions, construct explanations for the chemical reactions that take place in our bodies and in our food. Students will have a chance to learn skills in the laboratory as well as the kitchen, experiment with growing their own food, and use mathematical computation to identify regenerative approaches for sustainability and access to food for our school and community. Please reach out to Patrick Martin with questions pmartin@orangesouthwest.org

Here is the latest "Ghostly Preview" from RU Athletics & Activities Director, Nick Bent, and here is the latest schedule.

Please contact Nick if you have questions about anything you see in the preview or schedule. nbent@orangesouthwest.org

Please talk to your student about reporting vandalism they see in a timely manner. When investigating the damage to the sink below, we learned that it had been damaged and was leaking for some time before it was damaged more and finally came off the wall. We know that students sit or stand on these sinks or hit them or pull them. This results in costly repairs and bathroom closures. The sooner any kind of damage is reported, the sooner we can investigate that damage and hopefully take action to reduce vandalism in our building and prevent this kind of damage from happening.

Christina Drew, Alyson Gilman, Wilder Twombley, Blake Allen, Hailey Drew, and Paula Di Miguel Gonzalez

Applications to be a part of the Winooski Valley Partnership Agreement have been mailed home. This is the program that allows students to apply for a voucher to attend other central Vermont Public schools. Applications must be received by the end of February to be submitted together in this lottery program. Students should apply to attend another school or if you know you are moving out of district and would like for your student to attend RU next year.