School news
Art Trip to the Hall Art Foundation
On Wednesday, October 23, three Art classes visited the Hall Art Foundation in Reading, Vermont to see exhibits by Sherry Levine, Barbara Kruger, Zorawar Sidhu, and Rob Swainston. Students in Dr. Gravel’s AP Art History, Ms. Jimerson’s AP Studio Art, and Ms. Piana’s Studio Art toured the exhibits, participated in a "token" exercise choosing works they loved and had questions about in the Barbara Kruger exhibit with Mrs. Kaija, discussed an outdoor sculpture installation titled Waterfall by Olafur Eliasson using Visual Thinking Strategies noting observations, thoughts and feelings with Ms. Piccoli and students went on a sculpture walk through the apple orchard and enjoyed taking breaks on the interactive benches by Jeppe Hein.
One of the sculptures titled Children of the Corn (after the Stephen King novella) by Terence Koh inspired Tegan Miller, a student in AP Art History, to write her own horror novel! She stated, “The Children of the Corn sculpture inspired me to write a horror novel about a field of megaliths that come alive at night, filled with the souls of runaway children.”
When asked about the exhibit that interested him the most, Aksel Oates, a student in AP Art History, said, “I really enjoyed the Doomscrolling exhibit. It was so interesting to see art based on events that we all lived through interpreted in such unique and interesting ways.” Doomscrolling by Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston is a series of 18 woodblock prints that cover events including the Covid pandemic, the Black Lives Matter Movement, the 2020 election, and the insurrection on the Capitol Building that span from May 24, 2020 to January 6, 2021.
The current exhibitions are on view until December 1, 2024. Thanks so much to the Hall Art Foundation for welcoming students from WUHS to learn about contemporary art.
WUHS Language Students Welcome French Students to VT October 2024
Nineteen French students and their two teachers traveled to Boston and Woodstock from Ecole Sophie Barat, our new partner of the Woodstock French Exchange Program. The students and teachers began their adventure by spending three days touring Boston, exploring the history and culture of this beautiful city. The group walked the Freedom Trail, visited the State House and enjoyed the city’s cuisine. The students and teachers arrived in Woodstock on Thursday, October 17th, and quickly acclimated to both their host families and “siblings” as well as the school. The French students began their school experience with a full-day of orientation, meeting with Aaron Cinquemani and Tom Emery, both of whom warmly welcomed them to the high school. Cinquemani and Emery expressed their enthusiasm and appreciation for this rich experience. After the orientation, the French students and teachers spent the afternoon at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Park, learning about the importance of this site to both our school and our community from Kat Robbins. For the next few days, students participated in immersive language lessons, attended daily classes as well as after school sports and activities. In the evenings and on weekends the French students were kept very busy by their host families. All of these experiences allowed the students to fully understand what it is like to be a young adult in an American school.
The French students and teachers were enthralled with the quintessential fall activities that make up life in Vermont. The host families were more than generous with their time and effort to make sure the French students partook of such things as pumpkin carving, hiking, star gazing, apple picking, and exploring corn mazes. Many of the students enjoyed a typical Thanksgiving dinner which delighted them, particularly because the meal is such a unique American cultural phenomenon. They even took a short tour of Vermont, visiting Montpelier, eating ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s, then seeing Lake Champlain in Burlington. Many of the students attended sports events, another typical part of many American students’ lives. There’s no doubt that the French students and teachers experienced much of what American culture is like.
On the last day of their stay, the French students and their “siblings” traveled to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science for a tour of the aviary habitats as well as a presentation on raptors. After the morning together, Woodstock bid adieu to the group as they headed to Logan to fly home.
In all, the French students and teachers participated in classes, experienced life in a rural community, explored the culture of New England, and made friends in Vermont. Teacher Marie Anderson and Exchange Coordinator Colleen O’Connell reflected on the success of the exchange, happy to have seen the group fully engaged, squeezing every ounce of experience and fun from each and every activity. Anderson and O’Connell are grateful to our French friends and to our school community for having had such a wonderful time together.
On the last day of their stay, the French students and their “siblings” traveled to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science for a tour of the aviary habitats as well as a presentation on raptors. After the morning together, Woodstock bid adieu to the group as they headed to Logan to fly home.
In all, the French students and teachers participated in classes, experienced life in a rural community, explored the culture of New England, and made friends in Vermont. Teacher Marie Anderson and Exchange Coordinator Colleen O’Connell reflected on the success of the exchange, happy to have seen the group fully engaged, squeezing every ounce of experience and fun from each and every activity.
Anderson and O’Connell are grateful to our French friends and to our school community for having had such a wonderful time together.
A "Te de Jamaica" Taste-Test in Spanish 2!
On Friday, the Spanish 2 students enjoyed sampling some "Agua de Jamaica", a traditional Mexican tea made from dried Hibiscus flowers. Salud! (Cheers!)
French and Spanish Students Begin the Park Interpretation Project
Pictured above: Kat Robbins talks with Advanced Topics in Spanish students about the connection between Billings Farm and the Park.
Students from Advanced Topics in Spanish and French, and AP French students have begun work on a Park Interpretation Project. With the support of Kat Robbins and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, students are researching topics of interest at the park and crafting guided tours in Spanish and French. Research topics range from the history of conservation to specific artists and artworks at the park.
Pictured above: Sierra Bystrak interviews Head Gardener Jordan McGee about the fountain and history of the formal gardens. Sierra commented: 'This project is a great way to really learn the significance of this place. I usually just hike to the Pogue, but now I know more about why this place is special,”
The project combines several of Woodstock’s Portrait of a Graduate skills, including stewardship and skillful communication. Students will have the real-world practice of conducting a guided tour in their target language.
Anna Megyyesi’s Advanced Topics in Spanish class will lead their tour on October 10th.
French student Tua Shaw practices her talk on the importance of beauty and spirituality in the context of the Mash Billings gardens.
French student Joffre Legyada will be speaking about the native history of the land.
French Presentation at Marsh Billings National Park
Thursday the 26th of September at Marsh/Billings National Park (and Rockefeller Mansion) from 11:15 --12:30, Nathalie Kramer's French AP and Advanced Topics students will be presenting their chosen topic in French! Each student will give a 4 minute presentation in their area of interest--for example, Gardens, Art work in the house, Forest History. En Français!
French student Lucy Drebitko will engage us by explaining the invasive species and the preservation of the trees.
Seventh graders learn the Merengue
Seventh grade students in Señora Leibly's Spanish 1B enjoyed learning the basic steps of the merengue.
They also learned that the merengue, a style of music with a fast tempo, is the national dance of the Dominican Republic. After a few practice moves, students enjoyed swinging their hips to a few songs by Juan Luís Guerra and Elvis Crespo, two well known merengueros.