Pippa Shaw presents at New England STEM Symposium

Woodstock Union High School junior Pippa Shaw took her research beyond the classroom last month, presenting her original scientific poster at the 4th Annual New England STEM Symposium in New Hampshire.

Pippa's poster, "The Effects of Handwashing Methods on Bacterial Diversity," explored how different handwashing techniques affect the variety of bacteria present — research with genuine public health relevance. She was among 32 students from 10 schools across New Hampshire and Vermont who gathered on April 25th to share their work and engage with professional scientists.

The symposium, hosted by the New Hampshire Academy of Science, gives secondary school students the opportunity to present original research, attend talks by STEM professionals, and sit down with working scientists over lunch to ask questions about their careers and what different paths in science actually look like. This year's event featured 15 posters spanning engineering, botany, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and ecology.

Congratulations, Pippa, on representing Woodstock Union so well!

View fullsize

WUHS musicians selected as best in the state

Lia Gugliotta and Satori Rossi have auditioned and been selected to represent WUHS at the Vermont All State Music Festival. Both were selected from over a thousand students who auditioned for the festival. Satori will be playing keyboard & trumpet with the festival's Modern Band, and Lia will be playing alto saxophone in the Concert Band. 

The yearly festival brings the very best high school musicians to work with the country's top conductors. It includes rehearsing 8+ hours each day and culminates in a performance.  

This year's festival runs Wednesday through Saturday, May 6th through 9th, at Missisquoi Valley Union High School. 

Congratulations Lia & Satori!

WUHS Class of 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian

It is with great pride and joy that we share the announcement of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Woodstock Union High School Class of 2026.

These honors represent more than academic distinction. They reflect sustained commitment, intellectual curiosity, resilience, and a deep engagement with learning over time. Our Valedictorian and Salutatorian have distinguished themselves not only through their academic accomplishments, but through their character, leadership, and contributions to our school community.

As we celebrate this milestone, we are reminded of the purpose and promise of education itself. As Maxine Greene wrote, “To be wide-awake is to be conscious of what it is to be in the world” (Greene, 1978). Our graduates, and especially these two scholars, embody this sense of being “wide-awake” to their learning, their responsibilities, and their potential to shape the world around them.

Please join me in congratulating:

Valedictorian: Schuyler Hagge
Salutatorian: Aleksandra Cirovic

We look forward to honoring their achievements more fully at graduation, where they will have the opportunity to share reflections with their classmates, families, and the broader WUHS community.

Congratulations to these outstanding students, to their families, and to all of the educators and peers who have supported them along the way. Their success is a shared accomplishment and a reflection of the strength of our entire learning community.

WUHS / HACTC 2026 National Technical Honors Society Inductees

Paige, Milo, and Harmony

Three Woodstock Union High School students recently earned one of Career and Technical Education's highest distinctions, earning induction into the 2026 National Technical Honor Society. All three participate in programming through the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center (HACTC), where they have distinguished themselves not only through academic achievement but through the character and commitment that NTHS induction requires.

The National Technical Honor Society is the premier honor society for Career and Technical Education, serving more than 100,000 active members annually across secondary and postsecondary programs nationwide. Since its founding in 1984, nearly 1.2 million students have earned the distinction of NTHS membership. Induction recognizes students who meet rigorous academic standards while demonstrating the professional values and personal integrity that define excellence in their chosen fields.

Paige, Milo and Harmony are exactly that. They are young people who have identified a passion, committed to developing real skills, and shown up every day as the kind of people their peers and community can look to. We could not be more proud of what they represent - or themselves, for WUHS, and for the future of their fields.

Junior Amelia Hill a finalist in Bernie Sanders’ essay contest

Congratulations to Amelia Hill, one of this year's 14 finalists in Senator Bernie Sanders 16th Annual State of the Union Essay Contest. 

"I assigned the project to about 55 students in AP Government & Politics,” wrote Steve Smith, social studies teacher. “We brainstormed what students considered the most pressing issues in the United States, and then they chose topics, which included Artificial Intelligence data centers and the environment, a lack of civility in government, and immigration and Immigrations Customs and Enforcement (ICE). The most common topic was affordability as it relates to health, housing, and food. The parameters of the project were that students needed to connect the issue to a government concept and include evidence. I'm pleased Amelia chose a topic - access to menstrual health products - that is not typically discussed in the national media, and she deserves credit for pursuing the issue and choosing to submit it to the contest."

Amelia joined other finalists from around Vermont for a virtual conversation with Senator Sanders at the State House in Montpelier. Learn more: ‘These Young Vermonters Bring Me Hope’

Students received a framed copy of their essays, which was placed in the Congressional Record — the official archive of the United States Congress.

Read the essays of the winners and finalists here.

Pictured above: Photo of the 14 finalists from the 16th Annual State of the Union Essay Contest. Photo compliments of Senator Bernie Sanders Office.