Students in Food and Forest Systems worked with the U.S. Forest Service and the Green Mountain Club to learn about and remove invasive species from the Appalachian Trail on Rte. 12. They also viewed a cabin that has been there since the 1930"s to make suggestions for what it might be used for on the trail.

The field trip finished their field experience by visiting the Kiss the Cow Farm in Barnard to learn about their agricultural practices, meet the cows and enjoy some of their incredible ice cream!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

After months of planning, on Saturday, May 13th, Woodstock Union High School/Middle School’s Queer Straight Alliance club (led by Annie Luke and Lauren Sullivan Justice) successfully hosted a Queer Prom for schools all across VT. Held in the Oscar Wilde Ballroom at the Killington Grand Hotel, the event was a smash hit, drawing students from QSA/GSA clubs from 16 different high schools and middle schools across VT and the Upper Valley.

Throughout the evening, DJ cRAIG mITCHELL, a renowned VT activist and performer within the queer community, played queer anthems that got everyone on their feet. Drag performer Emoji Nightmare wowwed the crowd with her gorgeous outfits and multiple performances, including her lip synced rendition of “Rainbow Land” by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton, and a live performance of her own original song “. There was also a photobooth provided by B Farnum Photography; plus, local photographer JuanCarlos Gonzalez photographed the event, free of charge.

The evening was notable for an exultant, celebratory feeling, as students mingled, danced, and sang together. There was a profound feeling of belonging and acceptance, and students were able to be fully themselves in a safe and supportive space. Even the adult chaperones were moved, many wishing that they themselves had had such an event when they were in high school and middle school. During a time when LGBTQ issues are at the forefront of the national conversation, and when mental health among LGBTQ youth is of great concern, this event felt like a beautiful, heartwarming reprieve. Through the event, students were able to access resources to support their mental and physical health via a custom Community Support Brochure, and they were able to forge connections with supportive students and adults from across the state. Donning Pride flags, light-up dresses, sparkles, tinsel, and rainbow accessories, the 170 students (and 50+ adult chaperones) came together for an amazing event that they will never forget.

This event was made possible by the generosity of a grant from UVCHEP, plus monetary donations from Rich Kearney of Upper Valley Driving Academy and Gabriella Netsch of Yankee Driving School, and donations of time and services from JuanCarlos Photography. Many thanks, also, to Erin Hanrahan, Will Flynn, and the students of the Woodstock Union MIddle School for their contributions to this event. Thanks, too, to Amelia Schlossberg from PP-NNE for the free pronoun pins and sunglasses, and to all of our amazing chaperones.

To find out more about our event, visit our event website.

Congratulations to the AP Drawing seniors who were selected to submit their artwork to Vermont’s congressional art show and competition. Annie Hauze, Dillon Moss, Kyra Tarleton, Ariana Winawer-Stein, Daphne McDermott, and Logan Sudol all had their work at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Gallery in Montpelier.

Each spring the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the competition began in 1982 (in Vermont), more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

On Friday, May 5th, the AP Art class traveled to Montpelier to view the art show and to meet U.S. representative Becca Balint. After admiring the incredible art pieces created by high school artists from around the state, they attended an award ceremony. Dillon Moss’s piece “Crabbing” was the winner for Windsor county and Logan Sudol received a judge’s choice award for his work, “The Drive Home.” Congratulations to all of the artists!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

On May 7, language students, along with their parents, enjoyed a tapas-style dinner as their culminating activity of their immersive trip to Spain and France. After dinner, which was held outside in deference to the weather and to the European habit of eating al fresco, the group watched a slide presentation of photos of the trip.

Students prepared for this educational experience by attending “immersive” lessons twice a month, every month, beginning in September. These meetings were organized in such a way that students would be familiar with both the geography and culture of the sites they visited. The goal was for the students to be able to maximize the travel experience by having some knowledge of what they were doing and seeing.

The cities of Madrid and Paris were chosen as the center pieces of the trip because the student group was made up of upper level French and Spanish students. Many of them were scheduled to travel in April of 2020, but that trip was canceled due to COVID-19. Going to Spain and France offered these students a last chance to travel together before heading off to college! And for some, the trip may turn out to be a preview of a study abroad experience they may embark on in the future.

The 12-day trip began in Toledo, Spain, which is located about an hour southwest of Madrid. The city is known for its beautiful medieval architecture. Toledo was once home to Christians, Muslims and Jews, therefore the architecture reflects this confluence of religion and culture. In addition to touring historical sites, students (and the “Madames”) got an aerial view of the city on a zipline over the Tagus River. From Toledo, the group went to Madrid and visited many of the city’s iconic sites, such as Sofia Reina and the Prado. Mr. Villaneuva helped the group organize a two-day visit at the Colegio Salesianos. The visit gave Woodstock students the opportunity to experience a sense of school life in Spain. They also participated in activities in both Spanish and French classes.

After a week experiencing the life of a Madrileno/Madrilena, the group flew to Paris and started the day with a pretty comprehensive tour of Paris. Based in the 18th arrondissement, on the right bank of the Seine, and just streets away from Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, students moved through a very busy Paris by bus, metro, train and foot. The group visited such iconic sites as the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, the Tour Eiffel, and Versailles. They made a significant dent in the consummation of and other fine French foods! Students were also able to visit a school just 20 miles southwest of Paris. They spent the day at Sophie Barat, a private school with a wonderful climate and welcoming teachers and peers. Students participated in French and Spanish classes and had a typical French lunch thanks to the teachers who organized the visit. Sophie Barat school is the future partner of the Woodstock French Exchange Program.

In a quiet moment during the trip, Marie Anderson and Colleen O’Connell, reflected on the students traveling with them. Their thoughts were as follows: this group was fully engaged and we enjoyed seeing them squeeze every ounce of experience from everything we did. There was a good bit of history, art and culture; there was street life and food. No matter what we did, no matter how far we had to walk, the students were cheerful, adaptable and very much in awe of what they were seeing and doing. We could depend on them to meet us at designated times and designated places. They made their way through Madrid and Paris without any problems or fears. They listened to our advice about precautions to take when traveling in a city, and they shared with us their own small adventures as they made their way on their own. They rallied despite a few being sick, some family concerns; they rallied at the schools and showed the very best that Woodstock has to offer. They participated in classes, in the target language, and they made friends in both Madrid and Paris. We are grateful to have had such a wonderful experience together.

Members of the WUHS Social Action Club collaborated with the Montpelier High School throughout the year to help coordinate and sponsor an event: The Rally and Race Against Racism. In its 5th year, this state-wide annual anti-racist event, organized by youth from several Vermont high schools took place on Sunday, May 7th. The public rally, curated with a spectacular list of notable speakers, live music, and performances was attended by youth from around the state as well as members of the general public. Profits from the 2023 Race Against Racism will be donated to two, Vermont, non-profit organizations: Vermont Releaf Collective and Building Fearless Futures.

In addition to helping with the event, Woodstock was also proud to feature one of our very own at the event. Eighth-grader Tegan Miller, a talented musician, singer and songwriter, performed a song that she wrote during the Rally segment of the event. She is a gifted young person!!

AP Environmental Science has had a few spring field trips to explore things that most people take for granted, wastewater treatment and electricity. First in April we visited the Woodstock Wastewater Treatment Plant that is located near East End Park. We learned that there is a lot of science to wastewater treatment including the use of microbes, chemical disinfection and water quality monitoring.

For our second spring field trip, we toured the McNeil Biomass power plant in Burlington and the Winooski One hydropower generating station on May 18th. Students learned about how electricity is generated and about how these two renewable stations try to minimize their environmental impact.

A heartfelt congratulations to the cast of Twelfth Night for outstanding performances! "Seniors, we will miss you! And thank you to our audiences for two fun-filled nights."

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The Spring Plant Sale will run from May 1st-31st. It will be open from 9 am-2 pm on school days. On the first day of the sale (Monday, the 1st), the sale will be open until 6 pm for WCSU staff!!

The sale is located in the Large Greenhouse (behind/riverside of the WUHS/MS building).

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 will also be holding a plant pot collection drive! Bring your used plant pots and we will either wash, sanitize, and reuse them or sort them by plastic type and recycle them with a company that specializes in horticulture pots! If you bring in plastic pots, you can take home one free 4-inch potted plant! As always, bring cardboard boxes if you have them for transporting your plants to you car.

This year, we are focusing on selling native, perennial plants — specifically, ones that benefit pollinators — and vegetables/herbs. We will still have many of the fan favorites. See the CRAFT website for the list of plants (subject to change). We will also be selling bird houses, No Mow May signs, and seeds.

As part of Earth Beat activities, students engaged in plant-forward cooking classes with Heather Wolfe (class of ‘99 and author of Sustainable Kitchen), as an important and delicious way to care for both personal and planetary health.

Thanks to a grant from the Woodstock Endowment Association that was received in 2020, Earth Beat successfully hosted over a dozen interactive workshops for the entire school to engage in hands-on environmentally based workshops in honor of Earth Week. Student leaders paired with staff to lead workshops to make reusable beeswax wraps, construct reusable bags out of t-shirts, make soap, cultivate micro-greens, learn about bee conservation, green up the school campus, write letters to the White House, create art, explore vegan cooking and more! A huge shout out to Earth Beat members and the staff who devoted their lunch and ARE times two days in a row to engage students in hopeful activities.