School news
George comes to WUHS
George the therapy dog visited with his owner Polly Stone this week. Polly and George traveled one hour and 40 minutes one way from southern Vermont to visit with students during ARE time and middle school lunch. George is a certified therapy dog from Therapy Dogs of Vermont. Therapy Dogs of Vermont have been outstanding in connecting us with therapy dogs around Vermont to support our students. Rain, the Bernese Mountain Dog, will be returning later this month with his owner Buffy Bell.
Hacky sacks are making a comeback
Principal Cinquemani and several high school students circle up to enjoy kicking around the hacky sack before the holiday break... This cooperative "sport" has been making a fierce comeback here at Woodstock!
December library news and book club festivities
In this week's From the Library newsletter, learn about the Young Adult Diverse Books Book Club's winter party and book swap, see a snow-themed book display and read about Red Stars, the new Middle School Book Club book by Davide Morosinotto.
Young Adult Book Books Book Club
On December 9, members of the Young Adult Diverse Books Book Club gathered for a festive winter celebration during ARE time. The cozy event combined delicious treats, literary discoveries, and the joy of sharing favorite reads with fellow book lovers.
Schuyler Hagge brought a homemade hot cocoa cake, while Maya Sluka contributed tasty toffee for everyone to enjoy. As students sampled the sweet treats, they dove into discussions about this year's National Book Award finalists and winner in Young Adult Literature, exploring what makes these books stand out in contemporary teen fiction.
The group also looked ahead to Teen Lit Mob in April, an event that celebrates young adult literature and brings readers together around powerful stories. Students shared enthusiastic book recommendations with each other, highlighting diverse voices and perspectives in YA literature, before participating in a book swap where everyone could take home a new-to-them title.
The Young Adult Diverse Books Book Club continues to create a welcoming space for students to discover stories that reflect a wide range of experiences and identities while building community around their shared love of reading.
Middle School Book Club
The Middle School Book Club is just finishing up The Lost Year by Katerine Marsh and looking forward to their next book Red Stars: The Case of Viktor and Nadya's Notebooks by Davide Morosinotto. During the first quarter students have been reading The Lost Year, discussing Russian and Ukranian history during the 1930s and journaling in their notebooks about the characters' experiences and their own. With this background knowledge, students will be learning about Russian history during World War II in the 1940s through the notebooks of Viktor and Nadya. Red Stars is translated from the Italian into English and is told through journal entries, photos, maps and documents. The publisher's note states, "... this fictionalized account of the Nazi siege of Leningrad during the Second World War, this heart-stopping story of danger, courage and bravery emphasizes the power of truth and what it means to be a hero."
Introducing Spirit Club
The Spirit Club is a newly formed club for the 2025/26 school year. Led by a group of passionate students, their club mission is to encourage support of student activities and create spirit.
Pictured are two of the members who, along with the club created a poster for all Winter Sports and Arts Activities.
There is so much to be spirited about in our School.
WE ARE WOODSTOCK!
We are incredibly fortunate to have Noelle Nunes championing our students and school community. Through Noelle's dedication in organizing Spirit Club, she's empowered students to lead, build connections, and foster the spirit that makes our school special. Noelle's commitment to student voice and school pride doesn't go unnoticed—thank you for all you do to make our school a better place!
Therapy Dog Baxter comes to WUHSMS!
Stress in December? Therapy Dog Baxter came the past two weeks to meet with students. His handlers are Dr. Murrell and Ms. Judy Hills. Baxter comes from the Therapy Dogs of Vermont program, and he also sees children at Dartmouth's CHAD program plus a lot more. This opportunity was offered during ARE time. Students did not need to sign up in advance, it was open to all. Baxter had about 50 students, staff, and faculty each week!
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Annie Luke for her thoughtful coordination of this wonderful opportunity and for bringing Baxter the therapy dog into our school community.