School news
The Agriculture Department is Looking for Summer School Garden Interns!
The CRAFT/Agriculture Program is hiring two student interns to help with the school gardens and greenhouses this summer. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about farming, gardening, and project management while making some extra money. See the application for more information. Fill out the application (make your own copy of it) and return to Abbie Castriotta (abbie.castriotta@mtnview.org) via email or paper copy. Questions? Email Abbie or stop by the Agriculture Room.
U.S. History Students Celebrate the 1920s in Style
U.S. History students celebrated 1920s arts, music, and culture in class. Each student conducted research and wrote about one prominent person from the 1920s, highlighting works of art created by those individuals during the Harlem Renaissance. Students shared poems, paintings, sculptures, novels, speeches, and essays with their classmates during the class celebration. Additionally, students learned how to dance the Charleston!
9th Grade Stanley Cup Tournament
9th Grade Wellness students just finished the annual Stanley Cup Tournament. The tournament took several class periods and ARE time slots to determine an overall winner. It was a hard fought battle, but in the end Addy Tucker, Amelia Hurd, Timmy Moore, and Nick Cellini emerged from the bracket and got to put their names on the cup as 2024 champions. These students will also get their chance to take down the teacher team in the coming weeks.
Integrated Environmental Science (Week of 4/1)
This week, the 9th grade Integrated Environmental Science (IES) class invited guest visitor Kyle Burton to engage students in an exciting presentation about salamanders–an important vernal pool apex predator and bioindicator species–in order to supplement our current studies on Ecosystems & Citizen Science.
Kyle has always been an outdoor person. As a teen, he developed a love for zoology and sought out various volunteer opportunities. He attended Mizzou as an undergraduate and UC Denver, where he received a graduate degree in Geographic Engineering Systems. Currently, Kyle serves as a Science In Parks (SIP) intern through USGS, which works in conjunction with Americorp.
To prepare for his visit, students individually researched and reported out on frogs/toads and salamanders that are native to Vermont. Presentations included information about the amphibian’s visual identification, range and habitat, energy sources, winter survival strategies and breeding behavior. After break, students will build on their initial research by engaging in the Salamander Monitoring Project at Marsh Billings National Historical park. Engaging in this project serves to provide context to changing forest structures as the climate changes, including understanding salamanders’ role as a bioindicator species. In addition, students will engage in an authentic citizen science opportunity that will help to shape conservation efforts to support salamander breeding habitats.
In late April, the 9th grade students will be taking a field trip to three arrays within the Marsh Billings forest to monitor Eastern Red-Backed Salamander populations. Marsh Billings National Historical Park offers a unique habitat for 6 salamander species, including the endangered Jefferson Salamander; its unique hemlock-dominated stand, coupled with vernal pools, offers a stronghold for this population. Stay tuned for more information and additional volunteer opportunities in which you and your family can engage.