School news
Mr. Becker brings science to life
Eighth grade science teacher Ryan Becker engages students with his passion for science, turning abstract concepts into hands-on learning experiences. During their recent dry ice experiments, students observed solid carbon dioxide transform directly into gas, creating clouds of vapor throughout the classroom. Dr. Becker has taught in the middle school since 2004.
Incubating and hatching eggs
Directed Studies classes are incubating and hatching eggs. They'll be researching chicken lifecycles and incubation, as well as candling the eggs to determine growth rates. Once the chickens hatch, they will stay in the classroom for a few days where the students will help care for them, and acclimate them to humans. Directed Study aims to provide academic assistance in all subject areas and work on IEP goals and objectives.
WUHS students gain valuable experience with the VYCC
WUHS students Des Early and Lyon Maksimovic successfully completed a four week Vermont Youth Conservation Corps crew experience. They worked at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park on a variety of projects from lumber management to kiosk installation to creating new water drainage on their network of hiking trails.
Des and Lyon learned valuable leadership skills when they worked with The Community Campus campers to maintain trails, and walked away with a long list of new technical skills.
Des is earning school credit for this experience through Woodstock Union’s Center of Community Connections (C3).
Well done, Des and Lyon!
Plant sale happening September 24-27
The Woodstock Union High School Agriculture Department will host our second annual Native Plant Sale this fall! The sale will run from 9am to 6pm Wednesday, September 24th and 9am-2pm Thursday, September 25th through Saturday, September 27th. If these dates do not work for you, please contact Abbie (abbie.castriotta@mtnviews.org) to set up an appointment to shop for your plants.
Native plants are the keystone species for our local food webs. By planting native plants, you are providing food and habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife. They are adapted to live in our local ecosystems and, therefore, require less maintenance, less water, and no fertilizer. And they are beautiful!
Students in the agriculture classes collected seeds for many of these plants last fall, planted them in pots to cold stratify over the winter, and cared for and divided them over the spring and summer. Now they are ready to be planted into your garden! Fall is a great time to plant native plants because the soil and temperature in the fall provides ideal conditions for new growth. Next spring, the plant will come back strong and ready to bloom.
We have 32 different species for sale this year! We are offering the native plants at a sliding scale cost ($0 - $15). We estimate that it costs us approximately $5 to grow each native plant though to buy the same plant through a nursery would likely cost $10-$20. All proceeds directly benefit the Woodstock Union Agriculture Department. Your support helps to ensure that our greenhouse and gardens are thriving spaces where we can continue to teach and learn about agriculture, stewardship, sustainability, and systems thinking through experiential learning. We take cash or checks. The sale will take place behind the Woodstock Union High School. Please bring a cardboard box or tray.
To learn more about our CRAFT (Community and Climate Resilience through Agriculture, Forestry, and Technology) program visit www.wuhsmscraft.org. Click on the “plant sale information” to see our plant list.
Students complete original scientific research at CRREL
Recently graduated Izzy Cellini and current senior Brody Allen presented scientific posters about their work this summer at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). Izzy, a second year intern, and Brody, a first year intern, worked over the summer to gain hands-on research experience in cold regions science and engineering.
