Library news, April 2026

Teen Lit Mob is only one week away! On Friday, April 10, 2026, WUHSMS will be hosting 200 students from all over Vermont for a book festival with authors Lily Brooks Dalton, Katy Farber, Kosoko Jackson, Jo Knowles and Dan Nott! To prepare, our students are making tote bags and filling them with free books for the participants. We are accepting donations for the TLM raffle and we are welcoming volunteers to help with the event. If you would like to donate a prize or volunteer, please let Ms. Piccoli know. Thanks so much!

Middle school salon club

The Middle School Salon Club added some flair to the first week of spring by hosting a free Pop Up Salon during lunch last Friday. Students and staff came to lobby for henna, hair tinsel, and nail art. Everyone left looking more glamorous!

Innovation Lab: Cast and Pattern

This semester High School students in the Innovation lab are working on a project entitled 'Cast and Pattern'. Students are building prototypes of hexagonal wall tile systems. We are in the midst of the casting process, but to get there students had to learn how to digitally model and cnc mill their molds. Along the way we have talked about casting at the scale of Architecture and learned about polygonal geometry. The students have learned to laser cut, cnc mill, digital model and use a variety of hand tools. It has been a lot of fun and the students have built some beautiful objects. When we are done we have collectively made over 100 tiles. 

Junior Amelia Hill a finalist in Bernie Sanders’ essay contest

Congratulations to Amelia Hill, one of this year's 14 finalists in Senator Bernie Sanders 16th Annual State of the Union Essay Contest. 

"I assigned the project to about 55 students in AP Government & Politics,” wrote Steve Smith, social studies teacher. “We brainstormed what students considered the most pressing issues in the United States, and then they chose topics, which included Artificial Intelligence data centers and the environment, a lack of civility in government, and immigration and Immigrations Customs and Enforcement (ICE). The most common topic was affordability as it relates to health, housing, and food. The parameters of the project were that students needed to connect the issue to a government concept and include evidence. I'm pleased Amelia chose a topic - access to menstrual health products - that is not typically discussed in the national media, and she deserves credit for pursuing the issue and choosing to submit it to the contest."

Amelia joined other finalists from around Vermont for a virtual conversation with Senator Sanders at the State House in Montpelier. Learn more: ‘These Young Vermonters Bring Me Hope’

Students received a framed copy of their essays, which was placed in the Congressional Record — the official archive of the United States Congress.

Read the essays of the winners and finalists here.

Pictured above: Photo of the 14 finalists from the 16th Annual State of the Union Essay Contest. Photo compliments of Senator Bernie Sanders Office.

Hatching curiosity: Our classroom duckling adventure

This spring, our classroom is buzzing with excitement—literally! We welcomed a group of ducklings by incubating and hatching eggs right here at school. This hands-on project is more than just adorable—it’s a unique learning experience that brings science to life in a way textbooks simply can’t.

What’s happening?

Students observed fertilized duck eggs as they developed in a carefully controlled incubator. Over the course of about 28 days, we tracked the growth of the embryos, learning how temperature, humidity, and time all play a role in the development of living things.

Watching ducklings hatch helps students understand life cycles, animal behavior, and responsibility. It also encourages curiosity and patience—after all, nature works on its own schedule! 

The Big Hatch Day

The most exciting moment was “hatch day,” when students saw ducklings break out of their shells. It’s an unforgettable experience that often inspires awe and lots of questions about how life begins.