School news
Sugaring season at King Farm
Students in CRAFT and agriculture classes had the opportunity to go up to the King Farm during class to learn about and help sugar.
SAP (Stewardship Action Project) students began last week by putting out 42 taps with buckets. They have been busy collecting sap, boiling and splitting firewood.
Food and Forest Systems classes, along with Foundations of Agriculture students, have visited the sugarhouse with Kat Robbins. They had fun learning about the sugar content of sap vs. syrup using a hydrometer, the quantity of sap required to produce a gallon of syrup, the process of sap evaporation and filtration, and they also had the opportunity to taste the sweet sap sugar that was produced during the past week and a half of boiling.
We have already collected over 300 gallons of sap from our buckets and plan on collecting a lot more this week as the cold nights and warm days make for a perfect run! Our syrup will be tried by students during a pancake breakfast and will be used in future CRAFT classes for cooking. We might even have enough for the cafeteria.
Language Students earn top honors in statewide competition
The Modern and Classical Language Department is thrilled to announce that the following students were recently recognized for creative excellence in state-wide competitions!:
In the Vermont Foreign Language Association's Annual Poster Contest,. Clara Burkholder earned 3rd place in the middle school division. Sophia Randolph earned 3rd place in the high school division. Danny Smith earned 1st place in the digital category (open to all grades).
In the Annual Writing Contest sponsored by the Classical Association of New England, Annie Hauze earned 1st place in Vermont for her poem titled "Madwoman".
Congrats to all!
WUHSMS students present anti-bullying conference
On March 14th, a group of students gathered at Champlain College to conduct a workshop as part of the annual conference hosted by the Vermont Association for Middle-Level Education (VAMLE) on Anti-Bullying. The workshop was attended by participants from various middle-level schools across Vermont, including teachers, administrators, and students.
During the workshop, the students shared their expertise and insights on creating action plans and resources to encourage open and critical conversations within school communities. They emphasized the importance of driving social action and promoting positive change through meaningful dialogue and concrete steps toward progress. The students also presented a resource guide titled 'Vermont Students Critical Conversations Resource,' which they had created to provide valuable information and guidance for anyone seeking to initiate and facilitate critical conversations in their school community.
The workshop served as a valuable opportunity for the students to connect with others who share their passion for social justice and to inspire them to take action in their own schools and communities.
Thanks to our students Adelle Danilchek, Aidan Keough-Vella, Ava Rich, Ella Stainton, Farren Stainton, Morgan Putnem, and Owen Courcey.
CRAFT career panel and student retreat events
CRAFT has hosted two exciting events in the past week! The second in our trilogy of Career Panels focused on the theme of Conservation Careers. Students learned from the following panelists:
Holly Knox, US Forest Service
Hannah Dallas, Windsor County Forester
Rudi Ruddell, White River Partnership
Lorne Currier, Green Mountain Club
They were intrigued to learn about the winding and interconnected career paths of these folks, how mountain bike trails are cited, and designed, and how climate change is influencing each of their work in a variety of ways. We can sense some great collaborations and even internship possibilities cooking up with these fantastic community partners!
We also hosted our second student retreat. Each student currently working toward the CRAFT credential gathered at the Vermont Land Trust's King Farm this week to build community, reflect on stewardship and sustainability themes emerging in their learning, and to elicit some good old fashioned JOY.
Students attend exposition at the Hood Museum of Art
On Friday, February 10, our class visited the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College to see the exposition "¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now". Dartmouth's Vivian M. Ladd Tomasi and Beatriz Yanes Martinez led the students in the collection's English and Spanish tours, part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's traveling exhibit. The exhibit featured a broad, diverse, and inclusive view of American art.