BFUHS Newsletter

Artwork by Izzy Stoodley, BFUHS student!

An awe-inspiring night, as students from Nick Pelton's Music Comp class had their pieces performed by members of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra! And thank you to collaborator and Vermont composer Kyle Saulnier for working with and supporting our students through the process. What an experience!

from Ms. Swan:

A full team, with the potential of scoring 30 points each for a total of 180 points for the competition, involves having 6 or more students.

The helpers were present to direct students from other schools to the testing rooms and then back to the cafeteria. They then collected the test papers after each of the 4 categories and took them to the family and consumer sciences room for grading by the teachers. The latest competition had just under 100 student participants.

It is so much fun to see kids with an interest in math come together to talk math and support their solutions with others!

We hope to have a Middle School Math Team in the near future!

Featured in Media:

Bellows Falls Union High School athlete and junior Delaney Lockerby has been named as a Top Ten finalist for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award.

The girl's basketball team began a new chapter this season. The arrival of new coach Dennis Fitzgerald changed numerous things for the program. “Things were definitely different this year,” expressed sophomore captain Nola Sciacca, “practices were more intense and Coach really pushed us to a level I don’t think any of us have played at before.” Along with Coach Fitzgerald was veteran coach Sandra Smidutz who was both JV head coach and assistant varsity coach. “She’s a very supportive and understanding coach,” freshman Addie Bacon described, referring to Smidutz. The JV team ended their season with a 4-7 record. “We faced a lot of tough opponents and struggled with injuries,” coach Smidutz describes. Varsity finished with a 6-15 record, double the number of wins they earned last season. “I think we’re a very young team and we have a lot to learn but we’re heading in the right direction” sophomore captain Laura Kamel explains. Kamel had a very successful season and was named second-team SVL. Along with her recognition, freshman point guard Veronica Moore and junior forward Delaney Lockerby were named SVL honorable mentions. Lockerby was also a top ten national finalist in the NAISMITH High School Basketball Courage Award. The varsity team consisted of freshmen Veronica Moore, and Cadance James, sophomores Nola Sciacca, Laura Kamel, Izzy Stoodley, and Aubrey Maxfield, and Juniors Delaney Lockerby, Tela Harty, Hannah Terry, Eryn Ross, and Aliya Farmer. The program will graduate no seniors this year which promises lots of growth to come. The JV included sophomore Emma McCollough, and freshmen Addie Bacon, Olivia Hallock, Aly Streeter, Addison Terry, Maise Ferenc, and Cadance James. Both teams were managed by Elena Boylan. There are an expected 7 incoming freshmen for the 2023-24 season which provides hope for the future of the program. The team is working hard to build a positive, enjoyable, and successful program for future generations of players. “I think we have a lot of room for improvement but we’re rebuilding, next season we’re going to concentrate more on a winning record. We have plans to work this summer to grow our team,” commented Veronica Moore. Overall, the girl's basketball team has come a long way to reach the improved season they earned this year. The scoreboards may not reflect it, but the team has worked relentlessly to improve their play. The mental resilience, tenacity, and determination they all have exhibited this season may not reflect in the scorebook but does not go unrecognized in the community. “The improvement shown from December 2nd until February 21 was amazing. The girls worked hard every practice to get better and every game to perform to their best. There still some rough edges we need to work on but I’m looking forward to next year. It’s a pleasure to coach such a respectful, resourceful, and resilient group of young ladies,” Coach Fitzgerald remarked. The team is excited for another season of growth and improvement in the coming year.

The BF Varsity Boys Basketball Team capped off their season with a thriller against a league team, Leland and Gray. The boys were coming off a hard-fought loss against Rivendell Academy the night before and were battle-tested again in Townshend. The game ended with a high screen-and-roll from the seniors Jamison Nystrom and Jake Moore, resulting in a Nystrom game-winning layup.

“It wasn't pretty but we got it done,” says senior forward Caden Haskell. “Proud of this team and proud of this season.”

The game was intense, physical, and came down to one play; just the way the BF boys like it.

Winning the game secured the squad a 15-5 record and a #5 seed in the Division 3 playoffs. They will match up in the first round against a strong, 12-seeded Windsor on Wednesday, March 1st. A much-earned home game for the Terriers. This is a rematch of their game in Bellows Falls just a week ago; which resulted in a 10-point victory for the Terriers.

“We have been watching the film from the last game and putting ourselves in the best position to win in practice,” says senior captain Peter Kamel. “We are ready for this game.”

The boys knew from the beginning of their season that their goal was to make it to the Barre Auditorium, where the state semifinals and finals are played. But they have two tough playoff games in front of them before they can hop on the bus to Barre.

“The goal has always been Barre for me,” says captain Nystrom, a four-year varsity starter. “I believe in this team and am excited about our playoff journey.”

The team asks the community to continue their immense support of this year's program during their playoff games. Pay attention to morning announcements and social media for when and where the boys are playing next.

We will be having our SPRING SPORTS PARENT MEETING on March 7, 2023 in the BFUHS auditorium at 7pm.

This meeting will review with parents all aspects of the upcoming spring season. After you listen to the Athletic Director talk for a bit, you will break off and meet with your child's coach to hear their expectations for the season. This parents meeting should last less than 1 hour.

Also, for anyone who has already played a sport this school year and filled out a parent permission form, we have updated the parent permission form and all students will need a new one filled out and signed before they can start the spring season.

March 6: The next boys basketball game will be on Monday 3/6 at Richford. Doors open at 5:30, tip off at 6pm.Cost is $6 for Adults, $5 for Students, $5 for Senior Citizens.

Before Break, our students enjoyed a full day of Winter Carnival Fun, including competitions in the gym and a "Chopped" Competition across the grades! Pictured here, our teams battling it out!

9th Grade - Red: Anthony Marquise, Camden Perry, Dean Ryea, Declan Lisai

10th Grade - Gray: Some of our team members: Calli Sprague, Jacqueline Smith, Maya Sbardellati

11th Grade - White: Elizabeth Anderson, Lexi Gibbs, Natalie Noyes, Emma Thompson

12th Grade - Black: Joey Jacques, Wylie Woods, Austin Mallan, Mary Wallace

A rousing "Happy Birthday" song to the chair of the Booster Committee, Virginia Coursen, was sung during the morning's fun!

Important Dates:

March 3: Quarter 3 Progress Reports

March 6: The next boys basketball game will be on Monday 3/6 at Richford. Doors open at 5:30, tip off at 6pm.Cost is $6 for Adults, $5 for Students, $5 for Senior Citizens.

March 7: No School- Town Meeting Day

March 11: SAT's

March 10 and 11: The Spongebob Musical at BFUHS Auditorium

March 16: Youth Risk Behavior Survey administered. Opt-out form went home with progress reports

March 22: Early Release day on 3/22 for the high school only, incoming 9th graders come to the high school for registration

https://www.facebook.com/bfuhsvt :Academics and Athletics as well as upcoming activities are highlighted on the Bellows Falls Union High School Facebook page.

https://bfuhs.wnesu.org/ Bellows Falls Union High School webpages; includes the full picture of life at BFUHS including academics, activities, and clubs.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq-FhtlX1NYe1PSaa3nIT5A : Broadcasts of local sports through Fact TV

Do you have or work for a business that connects with BFUHS regularly? We'd love to feature you under "Links to Love" . Please connect with Kate O'Connor, Community Relations Specialist at kate.oconnor@wnesu.com.