School news
Equitable climate action partnership at VINS
Middle school and high school students presented at the third annual ECAP\(Equitable Climate Action Partnership) at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science on May 8. Students got to experience some activities, check out the birds and trails, learn about birds and climate change and present their projects.
Middle school students Reese Fenity, Isa Contarino and Annabelle Park presented about their food system project from wellness. The girls gathered local foods from Annabelle’s garden, cooked over 80 healthy meals and served them to people in need in Rutland.
Middle achool atudents Reese Fenity, Isa Contarino and Annabelle Park presented about their food system project from wellness. The girls gathered local foods from Annabelle’s garden, cooked over 80 healthy meals and served them to people in need in Rutland.
High schoolers Pea Richardson, Bethany Thorburn, Sadie Boulbol, Owen Whalen and Brody Allen shared about their immersive semester work at the King Farm this past fall where they created a permaculture design for future use of the land and made and planted air pruning beads with native trees.
Nick Cellini competes at the Presidential 1776 Award for Civics
On May 2, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston served as the backdrop for an intense competition and powerful celebration of civic engagement and leadership. At the regional finals for the Presidential 1776 Awards was Woodstock’s own Nick Cellini, standing as one of three representatives for the Green Mountain State, selected in the basis of their scores in the “impossible civics test” earlier in the year. Nick was competing against students from 9 other states and showcasing his commitment to excellence in Civics as part of the nation’s birthday celebration.
The competition involved answering a series of rapid fire open response history and government questions on stage by a panel of judges, spelling bee style. Nick equipped himself admirably, and scored the highest number of points from Vermont.
The Presidential 1776 Award is a 2026 national civics competition for U.S. high school students (grades 9-12) celebrating America's 250th anniversary. Organized by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education, it tests knowledge of the American Revolution, founding documents, and early history to promote civic literacy and award significant scholarships.
Pippa Shaw presents at New England STEM Symposium
Woodstock Union High School junior Pippa Shaw took her research beyond the classroom last month, presenting her original scientific poster at the 4th Annual New England STEM Symposium in New Hampshire.
Pippa's poster, "The Effects of Handwashing Methods on Bacterial Diversity," explored how different handwashing techniques affect the variety of bacteria present — research with genuine public health relevance. She was among 32 students from 10 schools across New Hampshire and Vermont who gathered on April 25th to share their work and engage with professional scientists.
The symposium, hosted by the New Hampshire Academy of Science, gives secondary school students the opportunity to present original research, attend talks by STEM professionals, and sit down with working scientists over lunch to ask questions about their careers and what different paths in science actually look like. This year's event featured 15 posters spanning engineering, botany, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and ecology.
Congratulations, Pippa, on representing Woodstock Union so well!
WUHS musicians selected as best in the state
Lia Gugliotta and Satori Rossi have auditioned and been selected to represent WUHS at the Vermont All State Music Festival. Both were selected from over a thousand students who auditioned for the festival. Satori will be playing keyboard & trumpet with the festival's Modern Band, and Lia will be playing alto saxophone in the Concert Band.
The yearly festival brings the very best high school musicians to work with the country's top conductors. It includes rehearsing 8+ hours each day and culminates in a performance.
This year's festival runs Wednesday through Saturday, May 6th through 9th, at Missisquoi Valley Union High School.
Congratulations Lia & Satori!
WUHS Class of 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
It is with great pride and joy that we share the announcement of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Woodstock Union High School Class of 2026.
These honors represent more than academic distinction. They reflect sustained commitment, intellectual curiosity, resilience, and a deep engagement with learning over time. Our Valedictorian and Salutatorian have distinguished themselves not only through their academic accomplishments, but through their character, leadership, and contributions to our school community.
As we celebrate this milestone, we are reminded of the purpose and promise of education itself. As Maxine Greene wrote, “To be wide-awake is to be conscious of what it is to be in the world” (Greene, 1978). Our graduates, and especially these two scholars, embody this sense of being “wide-awake” to their learning, their responsibilities, and their potential to shape the world around them.
Please join me in congratulating:
Valedictorian: Schuyler Hagge
Salutatorian: Aleksandra Cirovic
We look forward to honoring their achievements more fully at graduation, where they will have the opportunity to share reflections with their classmates, families, and the broader WUHS community.
Congratulations to these outstanding students, to their families, and to all of the educators and peers who have supported them along the way. Their success is a shared accomplishment and a reflection of the strength of our entire learning community.