Students in CRAFT and agriculture classes had the opportunity to go up to the King Farm during class to learn about and help sugar.

SAP (Stewardship Action Project) students began last week by putting out 42 taps with buckets. They have been busy collecting sap, boiling and splitting firewood.

Food and Forest Systems classes, along with Foundations of Agriculture students, have visited the sugarhouse with Kat Robbins. They had fun learning about the sugar content of sap vs. syrup using a hydrometer, the quantity of sap required to produce a gallon of syrup, the process of sap evaporation and filtration, and they also had the opportunity to taste the sweet sap sugar that was produced during the past week and a half of boiling.

We have already collected over 300 gallons of sap from our buckets and plan on collecting a lot more this week as the cold nights and warm days make for a perfect run! Our syrup will be tried by students during a pancake breakfast and will be used in future CRAFT classes for cooking. We might even have enough for the cafeteria.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The Modern and Classical Language Department is thrilled to announce that the following students were recently recognized for creative excellence in state-wide competitions!:

In the Vermont Foreign Language Association's Annual Poster Contest,. Clara Burkholder earned 3rd place in the middle school division. Sophia Randolph earned 3rd place in the high school division. Danny Smith earned 1st place in the digital category (open to all grades).

In the Annual Writing Contest sponsored by the Classical Association of New England, Annie Hauze earned 1st place in Vermont for her poem titled "Madwoman".

Congrats to all!

Gordon MacMaster ‘16 recently spoke with Andy Smith’s AP Computer Principles class in our Innovation Lab. Gordon is currently living in Salt Lake City, Utah and working as a founding engineer for a small startup currently in stealth mode. Gordon’s computer programming experience began at Woodstock where he took courses in introductory programming as well as AP Computer Science.

We’re grateful to all of the WUHSMS alumni who have taken the time to chat with our current student body this past year and in 2022.

Gordon MacMaster '16
Gordon has gained programming experience in various languages and frameworks. He interned with the Vermont Agency of Digital Services, Pennsylvania Multifamily Asset Managers, and finally for Tesla Motors as a Digital Products Engineer. He enjoys his work immensely and is planning to stay in his current role for the foreseeable future. In this Trailblazer conversation, Gordon discusses all of the above and more with Andy Smith's AP Computer Principles class.

Kathleen Sheppard '14
Students form our Advanced French class met with Kathleen Sheppard ‘14. Kathleen studied Business Administration at Babson College, with a specific focus on Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, and Marketing. She graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in 2018 and began her career in digital marketing. The following year, Kathleen launched her sustainable swimwear brand, Tiller Swim. She utilized Kickstarter to crowdfund for her first collection of clothing and has been able to leverage profits and self-funding to propel the business since August 2019.

Sarah Andrews '10
Students from our Advanced Placement English Language class visited with and interviewed Sarah Andrews. Sarah is a member of Woodstock’s class of 2010 and is currently the campaign manager for the re-election campaign of Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Sarah was formally the Chief of Staff in the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Her experiences range from leading youth engagement efforts for Hillary Clinton, managing rural policy for U.S Senator Michael Bennet, and conducting scheduling & advance in the Obama White House. She’s a graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder where she earned a degree in Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies.

Andre Malerba '06
Andre is a fully accredited photojournalist based out of Bangkok, Thailand. He has worked throughout Southeast Asia and further afield, from Sri Lanka to Mongolia. From 2013-2016, he covered Myanmar exclusively, as the country struggled through the early days of democracy. In this interview, Andre describes how he got started with photography and shares a few of he favorite projects and stories. He also discusses how both political turmoil and the Covid-19 pandemic have impacted his life and work in Southeast Asia.

On March 14th, a group of students gathered at Champlain College to conduct a workshop as part of the annual conference hosted by the Vermont Association for Middle-Level Education (VAMLE) on Anti-Bullying. The workshop was attended by participants from various middle-level schools across Vermont, including teachers, administrators, and students.

During the workshop, the students shared their expertise and insights on creating action plans and resources to encourage open and critical conversations within school communities. They emphasized the importance of driving social action and promoting positive change through meaningful dialogue and concrete steps toward progress. The students also presented a resource guide titled 'Vermont Students Critical Conversations Resource,' which they had created to provide valuable information and guidance for anyone seeking to initiate and facilitate critical conversations in their school community.

The workshop served as a valuable opportunity for the students to connect with others who share their passion for social justice and to inspire them to take action in their own schools and communities.

Thanks to our students Adelle Danilchek, Aidan Keough-Vella, Ava Rich, Ella Stainton, Farren Stainton, Morgan Putnem, and Owen Courcey.

CRAFT has hosted two exciting events in the past week! The second in our trilogy of Career Panels focused on the theme of Conservation Careers. Students learned from the following panelists:

• Holly Knox, US Forest Service

• Hannah Dallas, Windsor County Forester

• Rudi Ruddell, White River Partnership

• Lorne Currier, Green Mountain Club
  

They were intrigued to learn about the winding and interconnected career paths of these folks, how mountain bike trails are cited, and designed, and how climate change is influencing each of their work in a variety of ways. We can sense some great collaborations and even internship possibilities cooking up with these fantastic community partners!

We also hosted our second student retreat. Each student currently working toward the CRAFT credential gathered at the Vermont Land Trust's King Farm this week to build community, reflect on stewardship and sustainability themes emerging in their learning, and to elicit some good old fashioned JOY.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

7th and 8th Grade Students and teachers enjoyed an afternoon of fun during our Middle School Winter Carnival on Thursday, March 9th.

After spirited games of students vs. faculty in dodgeball, students chose between sledding, ice skating, and indoor activities including a murder mystery, spaghetti tower building, and board games. More than 70 students took advantage of the opportunity to skate at Union Arena.

The afternoon wrapped up with the entire middle school enjoying cookies and cocoa outside in the sun.

Thanks to our middle school Student Leadership Club, Lucia Beckwith, Tilly Richardson, Nick Cellini, Julia Barry, Vasco Malik, Marshall Somerville, Jake Blackburn, Abby Kowalczyk, Morgan Darling, and Addison Tapley, for planning and organizing the Winter Carnival, as well as to Lexi Judson and Declan Haugh for helping with our snacks. It was a fantastic afternoon!

Dear WCSU Community,

I am so grateful to share some of the accomplishments of Woodstock Union High School and Middle School students, faculty, and staff from the 2021-22 school year. First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt thanks to this community for supporting our school.

We offer personalized, authentic, and student-driven learning experiences for our students. During the 2021-22 school year, our enrollment was 486 students in grades 7-12. To meet student needs associated with the impacts of the pandemic, we added a social-emotional learning specialist to the faculty and small group academic support.

At the middle school level, we created a club and activity program providing students with more choices and opportunities to interact and build a middle school identity. The eighth-grade team created an end-of-the-year overnight experience celebrating students transitioning to high school. At the high school level, we continued to enhance our academic program by expanding offerings including the AP program, with 105 students taking 209 AP exams, STEM and design classes, and student-designed experiences via the Center for Community Connections, C3.

We launched teacher initiatives including the C.R.A.F..T. program, which integrates science, technology, and agriculture to promote deep learning about climate resiliency. The C3 Department created the Trailblazer Series, which hosted presentations and workshops by alums for current students. The modern and classical language department partnered with the international organization Soliya allowing students to engage in cross-cultural virtual dialogues with peers in Tunisia and Lebanon.

We are proud to recognize achievements and awards earned by members of our school community. The Social Action Club hosted the Leadership Summit for Social Justice. Participants considered barriers to inclusion experienced by students at WUHSMS, reviewed a draft of the WCSU proposed Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in Education Policy, and inspired each other to take action for positive change. The Vermont Humanities Council awarded librarian Susan Piccoli the Victor R. Swenson Humanities Educator Award. Students had their work published in the VT Digger and Vermont Standard, broadcast on Vermont PBS, displayed in regional art galleries, and recognized by organizations including the University of Vermont Mathematics Department, American Junior Academy of Science, Future Business Leaders of America, and Vermont Holocaust Memorial.

We saw energy and enthusiasm in athletics and extracurricular activities with more than 70% of students participating and our biggest turnout of fans and audiences in recent memory. The Yoh Players performed four amazing shows, the Unified Sports soccer team won gold at the state tournament, and the girls’ ice hockey team made school history by winning the state championship!

I am deeply grateful for the support of our generous community, and I look forward to another successful year at Woodstock Union High School and Middle School.

Sincerely,

Garon Smail
WUHSMS Principal

On Friday, February 10, our class visited the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College to see the exposition "¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now". Dartmouth's Vivian M. Ladd Tomasi and Beatriz Yanes Martinez led the students in the collection's English and Spanish tours, part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's traveling exhibit. The exhibit featured a broad, diverse, and inclusive view of American art.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

On February 14th, a record number of high school students -- 28!-- gathered in YOH Auditorium to participate in this year’s Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest. Even the student body that gathered to support them appeared record in number, so one might presume it was a good day to “heart” a poem -- either as a deliverer or a receiver.

Students self-selected their poems from The Poetry Out Loud anthology and, with much classroom (and beyond!) practice, offered their interpretations of poems ranging in content from madness to love (unsung and found), to Nature (her seasonal and animal impact and messages for humanity), perseverance, opportunity, and even a few poems or “Pomes” featuring wicked “W” wordplay and pun. The poetry recitations were assessed in several categories -- the speaker’s physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, overall performance and accuracy.

Aside from the stellar Excel program Mr. Andy Smith put together to sum the judges’ scores for each student, Woodstock’s Poetry Out Loud Contest was a tech-free, “Old-school,'' pure mind-body-soul event where students from the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades truly distinguished themselves in offering a poem that mattered to them this past Valentine’s Day.

By 3:00 pm, the scoring team of Mrs. Vonada and Mr. Andy Smith reported the results from Judges Brennan, Richardson, Allen, Robbins, Smail and Hayslett to reveal freshman Agnes Kardashian’s third place finish with 146 points for “Invictus” by William Earnest Henley; junior William Obbard’s second place finish with 167 points for “Tomorrow” by Dennis O’Driscoll; and senior Anne Hauze’s first place with 185 points for “The Properly Scholarly Attitude” by Adelaide Crapsey.

As Woodstock’s 2023 Poetry Out Loud School Champion, Anne Hauze will represent Woodstock at The Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition in Barre, Vermont on March 9th, where she will compete with two poems and vie for a spot in the state finals to be held on March 16th at The Flynn Center in Burlington -- stay tuned! For students wishing to see the complete scoring results for all contestants, please stop by the Library Circulation Desk. Thank you to all the students who gave poetry recitation or reading a try this winter -- this was just about everyone!