Ghost Update
September 15, 2021
Dear RU Families,
We have reached our first full week of school. Our add drop period ends on Friday, and fall extracurriculars are well underway. We were able to co-host a well attended cross country meet at VTC last weekend, and both of our varsity soccer teams have been able to put wins (yes plural) on the board!
Students have been telling us about the things they are doing in their elective classes, whether they are improving in theater or building or planning to cook. In so many ways this feels like a normal school year, but in others it does not. Many students are grappling with hard feelings about masks and protocols still in place to keep our school safe. It is not easy to navigate all of these feelings and protocols, but we are doing it. Together, families, staff and students are doing what needs to be done, to meet expectations and keep us as safe as possible.
We are planning to have Fall Festival and Open House on the evening of Thursday, September 30. Dinner will be served at 5:30 PM and classroom visits will begin at 6:30. All attendees will be asked to wear a mask indoors and when not eating if sitting or standing closely together outside. We are excited to be able to have families visit, but we also know that this could change at any moment should COVID conditions change. We will be in touch if plans change, but otherwise, we are looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Sincerely,
Caty & Lisa
Advisory Returns!
RU Student Services
Introducing the RU School Counselors
Kara Merrill, Middle School and half of 11th and 12th grade, Advisor for 12th Grade Academy
This is my fifteenth year at RUHS, and I have loved every minute of my experience at this school. I work with all 7th and 8th graders as well as half of the 11th and 12th graders. I love the variety of students that I get to see, as well as the fact that by the time kids are in the 12th grade, I have witnessed their development over the course of all six years of their time at RUHS. I work with students in classrooms, small groups and individually. I have a passion for teaching consent to adolescents. In fact, I have worked with Prevent Child Abuse Vermont for over a decade in the hopes to better prepare our early adolescents to understand the intricacies of consent. I also love helping students in the upper grades work through the post-secondary planning process. Seeing kids post-graduation in new environments is such a joy. Finally, in addition to being a school counselor, you can find me running after school with the cross country team as the varsity girls’ coach!
Contact Information
Phone: 728-3397 ext. 1143
Email: kmerrill@orangesouthwest.org
Beverly Taft, Grade 9 & 10 and half of the 11th and 12th grade, Advisor for 11th Grade Academy. I cannot believe I am writing this, but this is my 18th year at RU. I have recently moved to Randolph and love the fact that I am now a member of the greater community. My passion really lies in helping young people develop areas of meaningful interest and taking ownership over their learning; after all, when else can a learner access a wide variety of opportunities, resources, and guidance, for free, except within public school. My hope is for my students to leave RU feeling empowered! I feel incredibly grateful that my career has given me the privilege to witness learners coming into their own and feeling they have agency over the direction their journey can take them. In addition to school counseling and leading 11th grade Academy, I am leader for our grade 11/12 team.
Contact Information
Phone: 728-3397 ext. 1146
Email: btaft@orangesouthwest.org
First Semester Scheduling
We have been busy helping students make tweaks to their first semester schedules in order to create the right mix of required and elective courses that make them excited to come to school five days a week! Students had so little choice in their schedules last year, it has been nice to be able to offer kids more selection. The add/drop period ends this Friday, September 17th. Please contact the school counselor who works with your student if you have any questions, concerns or thoughts that relate to the scheduling process.
12th Grade Academy
Advisors: Kara Merrill, Lissa Fox, Craig Wiltse
It has been the highlight of the last three weeks to work with RU seniors during 12th Grade Academy. From the first day, they have humored the three advisors by actively participating in every game, no matter their level of interest. We meet Mondays and Thursdays during the advisory time as well as any extended advisory. We are offering mini-workshops that kids can self-select on a rotating 2-3 week schedule. Mini-workshops will vary over the course of the year to provide students meaningful opportunities that they have brainstormed needing in order to have a successful senior year. Students appropriately noted that they wanted a mixture of college exploration, career exploration, senior project support, and FUN. The first workshops started this week.
1. Kara Merrill: Starting the Common App, college essay writing and letter of recommendations
2. Lissa Fox/Craig Wiltse: Pre-approval process, including the prep work for the first set of panel meetings in early October.
11th Grade Academy
Advisors: Beverly Taft, Jane Drown, Brian Rainville
It is great to have this designated time with our 11th graders as they start to really think about life after RU! The first few weeks have focused on getting to know how we (the school and advisors) can best support learners during this demanding year, hearing from our director of PBLs and flexible pathways, and looking at graduation progression. We hope to create a culture of exploration, engagement, and agency in their own personal journeys! In the coming weeks and months, we will hear from early college and dual enrollment advisors from within the VSCS, covering aspects of “adulting” such as: financial literacy, employment forecasting, job interviewing, college and career exploration, navigating the human service system, wellness and hearing from industry professional and alumni. If you are parent/guardian and would like to present on topics related to your work, we would love to hear from you!!
Middle School Reading Challenge
Academics Spotlight: Science
7th Grade Science
8th Grade Science
9th Grade: Integrated Science I: Earth Science with Chemistry
Patrick Martin's students are learning how energy and chemical composition lead to changes in Earth’s surface over short and long time scales as well as the interconnectedness between the Earth’s materials and the geological, biological, hydrological and atmospheric systems.
Teacher Patrick Martin hopes that an intimate look at our planet and these complex systems will help students to not only generate curiosity about the Earth and all of its complexities, but to try and make sense of the world through a scientific perspective.
10th Grade: Integrated Science II: Biology with Chemistry
Integrated Science III: Astronomy with Physics
the point of this unit is to build a model to show how magnetic fluxes from solar storms can cause power surges and shut down electrical grids, and how we can protect against such surges. Students will be building physical models of electrical grids and measuring the strength and direction of the magnetic field before simulating the effects of a solar storm (with more magnets) and observe the results. Students will then be expected to extrapolate that understanding to model how solar storms happen in the first place.
AP Biology
From left to right: Pablo Mendez, Owen Schulz, Abigail Becker, and Maeve Kennedy
Contact Us!
We are so grateful to be back together in the building this year. Thank you for all of the community support as we work to build and strengthen relationships and create a safe, nurturing academic environment for our students.
Sincerely, Caty and Lisa
or call (802)728-3397