RU Ghost Update
March 10, 2023
Dear RU Families,
We have been very busy at RU. Class work is in high gear, college acceptances are rolling in, and students are preparing for spring assessments. This year, the state of Vermont has pulled out of the Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium and will be providing us with a test called Cognia. This assessment should be similar to previous assessments in many ways, however, we are learning daily about the differences between the two assessments. We will share information as we receive it.
We have been administering the Star 360 assessment, and we now have data from the fall and winter of this year. We will be providing Star reports to advisors to share with families during upcoming conferences. Please talk to your students about these reports and reach out if you have questions.
We have been seeing students push themselves to regain academic stamina. The ability to sit, problem solve or communicate in writing was dramatically impacted by the pandemic. It is exciting to see the progress students are making and the ways that they are showing their learning.
Sincerely,
Lisa & Caty
Snow Flake Construction with Ms. Quevedo
10th grade math students have been applying their knowledge of geometry to "make" snow flakes. The examples below are on display in the 10th grade hallway.
Freshman Aubrey Tremblay and Sophomore Lanie Thayer have spent the winter season playing women's hockey with the Spaulding team. They had an undefeated season, including their Division I Championship which was hosted on Wedesday, March 8 at the Gutterson Field House. A fun piece of Spaulding trivia is that Kara Merrill, who attended high school at Spaulding, and her father petitioned the school board to create the women's hockey program when she was a student. This was definitely a fitting way to celebrate International Women's Day. Congratulations, Aubrey, Lanie, and the whole Spaulding team!
Layla Grimaldi moves on in Rotary Speech Contest
The weather did not keep senior, Layla Grimaldi from competing in the regional Rotary Speech Contest. Grimaldi's speech focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as the ways in which she has used her voice and actions to build community as a means of pushing back against forces that divide communities. Congratulations, Layla!
A Note about Bathrooms & Vandalism
The following message was read in Advisories this week:
We recognize that it can be difficult for students to find a bathroom to use when a bathroom is closed due to vandalism.
Vandalism has led to significant damage that needs to be repaired before that bathroom is safe for student use again. Additionally, there are supply chain issues that continue to impact our ability to repair damage in a timely manner.
There are other bathrooms in the building that students can use as well:
- There is a bathroom in the Main Office
- There is a bathroom in Cathy Ingalls' office
- There are bathrooms in Sadie's health office
- There is a bathroom in Ms. Sutton's office
- There is a bathroom in Ms. Matz' office
We will move to an alternative model in order to address the vandalism issues. When there is another incidence of vandalism, we will remove the doors from every bathroom that have interior privacy stalls and we will put them back on once we sustain a month with no vandalism.
The above can be avoided if the vandalism stops. We need students to report vandalism in a timely manner so we can address it. We need students to stop vandalizing school property.
We have seen a marked decrease in the amount of vandalism occurring, and appreciate all of the efforts that students have taken to report concerning things that they see.
March 14 - 8:00 AM - UVM Math Exam
March 14 - ALL DAY - NHS Pi Sale
March 16 - 5:30 - 7:00 PM RU Family/Community Forum
March 17 - 7:30 - 10:00 PM High School Winter Semi Formal
March 21 - 5:00 - 6:00 PM RU Family/Community Advisory Council
March 21 - IN SCHOOL - MAKE UP DAY
March 22 - HALF DAY - Student Led Conference Day
Here is the latest "
Ghostly Preview" from RU Athletics & Activities Director, Nick Bent. This week's
schedule is also provided for your reference.
Please contact Nick if you have questions about anything you see in the preview. nbent@orangesouthwest.org
Cellular Respiration - Making Ginger Ale
Below students Evan Brownell, Cameron Thayer, and Silas Abbott prepare ingredients to perform a cellular respiration lab and make ginger ale.
College & Career Readiness Dates to Remember
March 17
ASVAB Testing in the Media Center for all RU 11th graders. 8:05am to 11:08am. (Most students will be finished by 10am. RTCC is offering a separate date for RU students at Tech.)
March 29
Challenge Day at RTCC. Offered to female-identifying students in grades 7, 8, 9. This is a daylong event, 8:30am to 2:00pm. (Interest is sparse, with only 10 registrations so far.)
April 12
10th Grade Speaker Panels. All 10th grade students will participate in this event organized and hosted by the Interact Students. This event will be from lunch to end-of-day.
April 14
Early Childhood Education - Access Day event at CCV. Small group heading to CCV in Montpelier to explore career and education pathways in early childhood education.
Critical Skills Finishes Their Cutting Board Projects
From right to left: Evelyn DiGloria, Kayden White, Emma Morrill, Hanna Manning, Laudell Tousignant, Mason Allard, Nolan Whitney, Colton Ashline, and Riley Jones.
Randolph Union High School
