March 2014

MAPS 10 Meetings (Grade 10 Students Only)

March 25 is a half-day in-service dedicated to the completion of the MAPS 10 (Making Action Plans).  This meeting is for each 10th grade student, his/her parent(s), and the student's Advisor to have a chance to discuss how the student’s CVU experience is going so far and what the hopes are for the next two years. 

Parents of all tenth graders should have received a letter explaining the process for signing up for a meeting time.  The process (Pick-a-Time) is the same one that is used for regular parent/student/teacher conferences in November.  Additionally, a parent questionnaire was included in the letter that we are asking to be completed and returned to Debbie Seaton in the Fairbanks House office.  She will ensure that it gets to your student's Advisor.  If you have already completed the questionnaire and returned it, thank you. 

Please sign up, as we are hoping for 100% participation.  Appointments are 30-minutes long and begin at 1:00 pm with the last appointment beginning at 3:00 pm.  If you have any questions, please contact Dan Shepardson at 482-7140.

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Vermont Announces Green Ribbon School Nominees

2013-14 EnACT Group photo: Left to right, front row: Kristin Bauer, Aliza Anderson, Emily Geske, Cally Braun, Rachel Slimovitch, Lisa Schold, Tatum Braun, Emma Vincent, Katie Bedell; Back row: Eileen Needham, Jane Servin, Miranda Selinger, Charles Maitland, Richard Tegatz, Skyler Golann, Casey Silk, Zuhair Chaudhry, Cameron Harris, Kate Songer, Kyle Jaunich, and Evelyn Needham. The EnACT advisor is Katie Antos-Ketcham.

Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe announced that Vermont has nominated three schools to the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) Green Ribbon Schools program. The three nominees are Camels Hump Middle School, Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU), and Lake Region Union High School.

"I am incredibly proud of the work our maintenance staff, along with our school community, led by our Environmental Action Club,” said CVU Interim Principal Jeff Evans. “CVU has embraced the challenge of being more energy efficient.” CVU launched the “Push Me” campaign in January encouraging the students and staff to turn off computers and monitors at the end of the day in an effort to save energy and to help lower CVU’s electricity bills.

“We’ve been working with other state agencies and education partners to support our schools in reducing their carbon footprint across the state,” said Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe. “These schools are models of the good work our schools and students are doing to create a more sustainable future.”

The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognition award honors schools and districts that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways. The recognition award is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about practices that are proven to result in improved student engagement, higher academic achievement and graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a government wide goal of increasing energy independence and economic security.

US ED will announce the 2014 honorees in April; honorees will be invited to attend a national recognition award ceremony in Washington D.C. in June. 

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CVU Theatre

The CVU Theatre Program is presenting an evening of Student Directed One-Acts:
“Porch” by Jack Heifner - directed by junior Maggie Haesler
“Lettice & Lovage” - directed by senior Shannon Fahy
“This Is A Test” - directed by junior Katie Garra
“The Actor’s Nightmare” - directed by senior Zoey Maleekah LaChance

PERFORMANCE DATES ARE
Friday & Saturday March 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday March 16 at 2:00 p.m.

TICKETS
$5 for Students, Children, Faculty & Staff
$7 for General Admission
Tickets will be on sale at the door. You may reserve tickets at 482-6991

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Remaining Half-Days

There are half-day in-services throughout the school year with students dismissed at 12:30 p.m.  Below are the remaining dates for in-services for the 2013-2014 school year: 

Tue Mar 25, 2014 – MAPS 10 Advisor/Advisee/Parent meeting
Tue Apr 8, 2014 -Grad Challenge Reading Days
Wed Apr 9, 2014 -Grad Challenge Reading Days
Wed May 21, 2014 – Curriculum work

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Redhawk Cafe

You should be able to find most all information that you will need on our web site at: http://cafe.cvuhs.org/ but if there are any questions, concerns or comments, please don't hesitate to contact Leo LaForce. 
Email is my preferred method of communication but please feel free to contact me by phone if you prefer.  My email is [email protected] and the Cafe phone number is 802-482-7176

Attendance Reminder

Please remember that when your student is out due to illness, appointments, or any reason, a call to his/her house office is required on the day of the absence.  Please call if your student will be arriving late, leaving early, or even if s/he is leaving and then returning.  (If your student is leaving during a free block, a call is still needed).  Calls should be received in the house office by 9:30 a.m. whenever possible.  If your student will be missing school due to extended family vacations, etc., please notify the house office in advance so the proper paperwork may be filled out and early notification given to the teachers.

Cyndi Labelle, Chittenden House
482-7130

Deb Seaton, Fairbanks House
482-7140

Vicki Roberts, Nichols House
482-7160

Julie Bevins, Snelling House
482-7150
 

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AP French Class Travels to Montreal

On Friday, March 7, Polly Vanderputten's AP French classes spent the day doing French immersion in Montreal. Our first stop was the Office national du film, where students learned about stop-motion animation, then made storyboards and short movies of their own. We had lunch at the Marché
Jean-Talon, then went to the Musée des beaux-arts for a guided tour of québécois and francophone artists. We ended the day with a lively dinner at Universel, a restaurant in downtown Montreal. Quelle belle journée!

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Host an Exchange Student Next School Year

Is 2014 the year that will change the life of your family and of a teenager from a world away?

PAX and EF Foundation for Foreign Study work with students from all over the world ranging in age from 15 to 18 who would love to be a part of your family for the academic year.  Students arrive with their own health insurance and spending money. We're looking for families who are open-minded, interested in the world beyond Vermont, and excited about sharing their life and family with an exchange student.  The main requirement for host families is to be warm, welcoming, and willing to share their daily routine.  Our students come from all backgrounds and interests - much like our host families.  Let us help find the right student to help expand your horizons and your family.
For more information, please contact:
Kelley Cartularo, PAX community coordinator, at 802-373-0011,  [email protected], or visit www.pax.org.
Or
Jan Bedard, International Exchange Coordinator for EF Foundation for Foreign Study at 802-482-3494, [email protected] or visit www.effoundation.org

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Direction Center

All information is posted on the CVU Direction Center website at http://directioncenter.cvuhs.org/ 

CVU’s Annual College Fair
Monday, April 7, 2014
11:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. 

Everyone is welcome to attend this college fair – the only spring fair in the Chittenden County area.  Meet admissions representatives from
over 110 colleges.



Junior College Book Awards
Several colleges have a program which recognizes high school juniors who demonstrate exceptional promise. The criteria vary from school to school. Some awards recognize community service, some recognize leadership, and others recognize outstanding achievement in a specific content area. Below is a list of awards we have received. 
Please pick up an application in the Direction Center today! The deadline for these awards is March 30th .

Brandeis Book Award-
This book award recognizes an excellent student who has demonstrated a
commitment to civic engagement, community service, political activism or
volunteer work.

Clarkson Achievement and Leadership Awards- These awards offer a substantial merit scholarship if the student attends Clarkson.  Students must have demonstrated an interest in engineering, business, science or liberal arts.

Dartmouth Book Award- students who have demonstrated intellectual leadership and have made a positive contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.
 
Harvard Book Award - a promising junior who deserves recognition. (This award is not available every year)

RPI Medal -f or
a student who has excelled in advanced math and science courses and has exhibited significant involvement in extracurricular activities.

Rochester Institute of Technology - Two awards (Computing Medal Award and Creativity and Innovation) each given to one male and one female student- worth $24,000 if student attends RIT.
Computing Medal Award
 
Russell Sage - Two awards - A young woman (Junior). B+ or better average that is involved in
community and shows leadership skills and a young woman interested in pursuing a career in the
arts.

St. Lawrence - Community service & excellent academic achievement (B+) are considered.

St. Michael's Book Award - Achievement in academics (above 3.4 GPA), membership in NHS and sincere commitment to community service.      
 
University of Chicago - The University of Chicago Book Award is presented to one outstanding high school junior from select schools in the United States and the world. Candidates should be students in their junior year who are among the strongest in their class. They should demonstrate intellectual engagement in and out of the classroom, and be known for asking challenging questions and drawing connections across academic disciplines.  Finally, candidates should be visible members of the student body as a result of their contributions and commitment to their high school community or their greater community.

University Rochester - Four awards- all of them worth at least $30,000 if the student chooses to attend Rochester.  They are:  Bausch & Lomb Science Award, Eastman Young Leaders Award, Frederick Douglas & Susan B Anthony Award, and Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology.

Wellesley Book Award - Deserving female student who has made significant personal contributions to school and/or community

Wells College - Worth $40,000 if the student attends Wells- leadership ability and achievement
in academics.
 
Williams -  Students who have demonstrated intellectual leadership and have made a positive
contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.

AP Registration and Exam Information
All students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses at CVU have the option to take an AP exam.   Registrations received after March 10th will be charged a $40 late fee.  Students register for the AP exams in the Direction Center with Cyndi Knaepen, CVU Registrar.  At the time of registration, students must know which exams they plan to take and submit a non-refundable payment of $100 for each exam.  If there are students who have been approved for testing accommodations (through the College Board), they must notify the Direction Center at the time of registration.  Please make checks payable to CVU and note on the check which exams you plan to take.  Attach the check to the CVU AP Registration Form. 

Pre-Administration (Monday, April 7, 2014)
AP students are required to attend a pre-administration session to register for AP exams.  Students with last names beginning with A-L will meet from 9:15 - 10:15 AM and students with last names beginning with M-Z will meet from 10:30 - 11:30 AM in the CVU Auditorium.

SAT and ACT
SAT and ACT deadlines approach quickly. College testing requirements vary widely, so students should double check which tests are required by each college to which they will apply. Students register for the test directly with the testing companies through their websites (collegeboard.com for SAT and act.org for ACT). Register early to ensure a spot in the testing location you prefer. CVU’s
CEEB (testing) code is 460-175. Please remember that colleges require official test scores. Be sure to request that your scores be sent directly to the college by the testing company.

Dual Enrollment Opportunities for Rising Juniors and Seniors 
Don’t miss the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school! The State of Vermont has set aside funds for every VT high school student to take two tuition-free college courses before they graduate. Juniors and seniors can enroll for either an online or on campus college course during the academic year or during the summer. Study in core areas such as Math, Science, English,
Languages, and the Arts. Check UVM, CCV and VTC websites for more information.

The Vermont Legislature is also expanding the early college options for seniors. The Vermont Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) program is part of Vermont Technical College. VAST is an accelerated program that allows high school seniors to take a full year of college-level classes while completing their high school degree. The classes taken at Vermont Tech (either in Williston or
Randolph) simultaneously serve as a student’s senior year of high school and a full year of college credit. Application and more information can be found at: http://www.vtc.edu/vast.
 
Consider Canadian Colleges
For parents and students! Learn about colleges in Canada. This event will be on April 10th from 7 – 9 P.M. at South Burlington High School. There will be a panel discussion from 7–7:30 P.M. and meetings with university representatives from 7:30–9 P.M.

NCAA Night
Come learn about the NCAA requirements for athletes from Tacy Lincoln, NCAA Compliance Coordinator from the UVM Athletics Department. This event will be held on April 16th at 7 P.M. at Rice High School.

Seniors and Grad Challenge Schedule
We are on the downhill side of senior year.  The calendar seems to fill up and speed by.  Here are a few due dates for Grad Challenge:

March 7  Complete drafts of Grad Challenge papers (one research paper, one reflection)
April 4  Final copy of the papers due to  Advisors 
Community  Consultant Verification Form signed                             
Community  learning hours completed
Community  Consultant has reviewed the
papers       
Tangible  Product Critique Form completed (if
applicable)
April 8 and 9   Grad Challenge Reading Days
April 30  Paper due for second reading
May 22  Tangible Product Fair
May 23  Grad Challenge Presentation Day (required full day of school for all juniors and 
seniors)

Any seniors who have not yet submitted photos of their Grad Challenge work, are
encouraged to do so. Please send pictures (jpg format) to MaryAnne Gatos,
[email protected]

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