LIBRARY NEWS!

April is National Library Month and to celebrate we had some exciting programming going on in our library and a field trip that included a tour of one of the most famous libraries in the world! In this week's From the Library newsletter, read about Dr. Ambros's visit and inspirational talk on his Nobel Prize winning discovery of microRNA, the Middle School Book Club's trip to New York City to visit the Anne Frank exhibit at the Center for Jewish History, get a reminder about the next Faculty/Staff Book Club meeting on May 1 and mark your calendars for two upcoming Vermont Book Festivals!  Click here for more information and photos.

Please remember to return your overdue books (notices went out on Monday), renew books you need more time to read and check out some new spring reads!

Pictured to the left:  Students standing in front NY Public Library

Middle School Book Club Trip to New York City

The Middle School Book Club's trip to New York City to see the Anne Frank exhibit at the Center for Jewish History was inspired by Alice Hoffman's book, When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary.

Genevieve Williams wrote in her accordion journal, "The exhibition walked you through almost each year of Anne Frank's life and the journey Otto Frank took to get home. The exhibition included a mock up of their house including each room and furniture. It included many features that made you stop and think. Overall, it was an amazing experience!"

Pictured above: Anne Frank exhibit

In addition to going to the exhibit, the MS Book Club went to the Eldridge Street Museum to learn more about Jewish history, culture and religion and they took a food walking tour of the Lower East Side to enjoy some traditional Jewish foods like knish, rugelach and pickles!

On the second day of the trip, the MS Book Club toured the New York Public Library, saw the Rose Reading Room and saw Christopher Robin's stuffed animal collection including Winne the Pooh in the Treasures of the New York Public Library exhibit.

Pictured above: Genevieve's Accordion Journal

Dr. Ambros, Nobel Prize Winner in Medicine, Visits WUHSMS!

On April 2, Dr. Victor Ambros, Nobel Prize Laureate in Medicine 2024 visited WUHSMS, his alma mater, to talk about his life, career, and the experience of winning the Nobel Prize! Dr. Ambros graduated from WUHS in 1971 and reflected back fondly on skiing in the winter. He opened his presentations to the Middle School, the Ninth grade, and Ms. Cramer's AP Biology classes with a takeaway for everyone from his presentation. He said he hoped everyone would think, "That's a job that I could do. I want to be a scientist." His presentation on his discovery of microRNA was accessible and inspirational. One of Ms. Cramer's science students stated, "Dr. Ambros noted how all people are scientists. I never thought of it that way before. Science is driven by curiosity which we all exhibit from a young age. I feel invited to stay curious and wonder how the world around me works."

Students came prepared with questions and one student asked Dr. Ambros where he gets his inspiration from when things get difficult. Dr. Ambros recommended:

• talking with other people - you are not alone

• convince yourself that what you are doing is important

• change your thought process - reassess and drop things if they're not working

Dr. Ambros was so kind, gracious, and generous with his time. In a letter of thanks, he stated, "I can't tell you how incredibly exciting and rewarding the experience was for me! The students were so alive, present, inquisitive, and thoughtful. I needed that jolt of reality -- i.e. the reality of the powerful promise of the youth."

Library News!

In this week's From the Library Newsletter, learn about the next Young Adult Diverse Books Book Club's next book titled All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir, discover the Middle School Book Club book titled When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman and get ready for the next Faculty/Staff Book Club by reading The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton. Please click here for more information and photos.

Please remember to return your overdue books, renew the books you need more time to read and pick out your new winter reads!

LIBRARY NEWS - Ken Cadow, Author of Gather, visits WUHSMS

On Friday, December 6, Ken Cadow, author of Gather, visited WUHSMS thanks to Vermont Humanities! In addition to being a National Book Award Finalist last year, Gather is the Vermont Reads books for 2024 and hundreds of our students have read it. Ken Cadow's author talk was for most the culminating activity of their study of Ian's life in Vermont with his dog named Gather. The themes in this coming of age story really resonated with our students and they had the opportunity to ask their questions of the author. Nine student panelists sat on stage with the author and they asked questions students in grades 9-12 wrote in their English classes.

To read more about the event and see photos, please click here for the From the Library newsletter.

Nine student panelists sat on stage with the author and they asked questions students in grades 9-12 wrote in their English classes.

Two students meet Baxter the therapy dog