School news
WUHS students gain valuable experience with the VYCC
WUHS students Des Early and Lyon Maksimovic successfully completed a four week Vermont Youth Conservation Corps crew experience. They worked at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park on a variety of projects from lumber management to kiosk installation to creating new water drainage on their network of hiking trails.
Des and Lyon learned valuable leadership skills when they worked with The Community Campus campers to maintain trails, and walked away with a long list of new technical skills.
Des is earning school credit for this experience through Woodstock Union’s Center of Community Connections (C3).
Well done, Des and Lyon!
Students complete original scientific research at CRREL
Recently graduated Izzy Cellini and current senior Brody Allen presented scientific posters about their work this summer at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). Izzy, a second year intern, and Brody, a first year intern, worked over the summer to gain hands-on research experience in cold regions science and engineering.
Middle School recognized as a School of Distinction
We're thrilled to share that Woodstock Union Middle School has been named a 2025 AMLE School of Distinction, an honor that recognizes outstanding middle schools worldwide. Only 24 schools across the globe received this recognition from the Association for Middle Level Education this year!
Our school’s AMLE profile, included below, highlights some of what makes WUMS special.
Key Practices
Place-based Education
Outdoor Community Building
Advisory
SEL
Teaming
Shared MS/HS resources
Wide Variety of Extracurricular Opportunities
Integrated Units of Study
Highlights of Exemplary Practices
Essential Attribute: An Education for Young Adolescents Should Be Responsive
At Woodstock Union Middle School, we weave a narrative of responsiveness, where student voice is the heartbeat of our community, driving meaningful change. Students shape their learning environment by influencing clubs, classroom topics, and vibrant events like the Winter and Spring Carnivals. Our diverse electives—ranging from computer programming and robotics to cooking and performing and visual arts—empower students to explore new passions and skills. When students voiced a need for more downtime, we reinstated recess after lunch, supporting their mental and physical well-being. A full-time social-emotional learning (SEL) specialist provides tailored support, while our advisory program, strengthened through professional development led by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), ensures we listen and adapt to meet student needs. This deep commitment to responsiveness creates a school where every voice matters and every student thrives.
Essential Attribute: An Education for Young Adolescents Should Be Engaging
Woodstock Union Middle School tells a story of engagement, fostering a dynamic, hands-on, and inquiry-driven environment where students grow through real-world experiences and meaningful connections. Annual camping trips and student-led carnivals build community and nurture independence, while regular celebrations strengthen our sense of togetherness. In the classroom, students dive into exploration—experimenting with dry ice, constructing Rube Goldberg machines, or studying biodiversity in partnership with a local National Park. Our Innovation Lab, a unique collaboration with NuVu School, empowers students to tackle real-world challenges using cutting-edge tools like 3D printers and CAD software. Integrated projects invite students to explore profound questions about identity, community, and their future, creating a learning environment that sparks curiosity and inspires growth.
Essential Attribute: An Education for Young Adolescents Should Be Empowering
At Woodstock Union Middle School, empowerment is at the core of our mission, enabling students to take charge of their learning and growth as individuals and community members. Through student-led conferences, a wide array of elective choices in arts, technology, and environmental studies, and personalized inquiry-based learning, students actively shape their educational journeys. Goal-setting is woven into core Student's classes, supported by guidance in developing executive functioning skills. We encourage self-advocacy, with counselors readily available to provide support. Leadership opportunities abound, from designing the yearbook to organizing school-wide initiatives like Empathy Week. Clubs such as the Queer-Straight Alliance and Leadership Club foster inclusivity and community, while our unique theatre program and competitive mountain biking bike team celebrate creative expression and athletic excellence. At Woodstock Union, we empower every student to leave their mark, building a vibrant, inclusive community where they are both challenged and supported to soar.
Marie Anderson is WUHSMS 2025 Teacher of the Year!
In June, Marie Anderson was recognized by her colleagues as the 2024-25 Teacher of the Year for her colleagueship, professional knowledge in her subject area of French and her dedication to her students in the classroom, as leader of numerous educational exchanges to France and as co-advisor of Student Council. The entire Modern and Classical Languages Department sang a song in her honor with the refrain, “Sacré bleu! She’s très magnifique! She’s got that je ne sais quoi, sounique! Congratulations Madame Anderson and best wishes for your retirement!
“Marie is all heart. And that heart overflows with love for her family, her friends, her students, her colleagues, well just about anyone who enters her orb. Marie doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve; you see it on her face each time she smiles at you and gives you her full attention. Her full and beautiful heart is the engine that drives her.”
“I am so excited that we get to recognize Marie for her dedication to so many aspects of our school for many years. While she’s been at WUHSMS for 14 years, many of you may not know that she’s actually been in the district for 25 years, having taught at both Killington and Reading Elementary schools. In her time here Marie has been an incredibly supportive colleague, enormously organized department head, passionate teacher, and dear friend of mine.””
Students Recognized in State Poster Contest
The Modern and Classical Language Department is thrilled to announce that the following students were recently recognized for creative excellence in the Annual Poster Contest sponsored by the Vermont Organization of Classics and Language Educators (VOCALE, formerly the VFLA).
Clara Burkholder earned 1st Place in the High School division.
Myra McNaughton earned 3rd Place in the High School division.
Isla Segal earned 2nd place in the Middle School division.
Jackson Fellows earned 3rd place in the Digital Category
(Open to all grades!).
All students received certificates and copies of their posters as notecards. Their original posters have been framed and will be hung near the MAC Language classrooms.