CVU Celebrations

Dear Community,

If you were in the building for Tuesday’s district-wide Celebrate the Arts night, I'm sure your own list of highlights is long. It was truly an unforgettable showcase of the talent and dedication of our students and arts educators across the district. While the entire evening was a celebration, I wanted to share three moments that stood out to me personally:

#1. My first highlight was witnessing the sheer confidence of a kindergartner striking a perfect TikTok pose in front of her artwork. She exuded all the sass, conviction, and pride in her work that we hope to see in every student. That moment of uninhibited self-expression was infectious, and I already can't wait for her to join us at the high school!

#2. It was a real pleasure to reconnect with a former colleague, Dave Ely, whose grandson is now an integral part of our highly impressive Jazz Band. Seeing a new generation carrying on the arts tradition in our community alongside a familiar face was a powerful reminder of the lasting connections that define CVU.

#3. Finally, I was captivated by the sheer ambition and talent demonstrated by Finn Cray-Budington's original score. It was an absolute treat to hear his composition, which will be performed later this year. Moments like this underline the incredible creativity being fostered in our music program.

It was an entertaining, inspiring, and impressive evening highlighting our talented students and arts educators within our community. Here’s a link for photos from the night.

Last week, Jenny Blanshine was awarded the WCAX/Saint Michael's College Service Scholarship award for all of her volunteer and extracurricular activities she has participated in over her high school years. Jenny, not one to be called to the Principal's Office very often, was curious last Monday about being asked to leave class early. She was then surprised by WCAX and her parents, who were waiting inside the Conference Room, to award her this scholarship and interview her for a clip that was shown last Friday. You can still view the clip here from WCAX's website.

Congratulations, Jenny, for this $80,000 scholarship - it is well deserved!

CVU won the Crowd Pleaser Award on Saturday at the Jr Iron Chef VT Competition!

Congratulations to the winning team:

Dish: Sweet Potato Tortellini with Miso Butter Sauce

Team: The Llinis

Maja Halliburton

Clara Anderson

Charlie Adams

Rorrie Jay

Brodie Norman

CVU senior Clay Nicholson was recently named one of two International
Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Finalists at the Vermont Science
and Engineering Fair.

Clay reports, "My project, “Design and Evaluation of an FPGA-Based
Interconnect for More Energy-Efficient Data Center Operation,”
presents ATLAS (Adaptive Tail-Latency-Aware Scheduler), a system
focused on improving data center efficiency through smarter
interconnect scheduling.This recognition is the culmination of months
of research, design, and testing, and I’m honored to have the
opportunity to represent Vermont at the International Science and
Engineering Fair (ISEF) this May. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone
who supported me throughout this project, and I’m excited for what’s
ahead."

The Transition class visited WCAX to learn about the various jobs that go into making the noon broadcast happen.

AJ with baby goat!

Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 6 CVU students participated in the New England Music Festival. Selected students from all across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts spent 3 days in Gilford, New Hampshire, putting together music. The ensembles were made up of students who, in most cases, have never played together, never rehearsed together, and often have never even met each other before arriving at the festival. It was an honor for CVU and for these students to be selected for this festival!

The orchestra was conducted under the baton of Francisco Noya, the music director of the Boston Civic Symphony, and a member of the conducting faculty at the Berklee College of Music. He has appeared as a guest conductor with many orchestras around the world. The band was conducted by Mike Lebrias, a band director at the University of Texas at Austin. He has made appearances with the United States Air Force Band and other bands alike.

Pictured in the photo from left to right: Molly Kelly (French Horn), Luci Simmons (Viola), Saffron Chang (Trombone), Yvonne Miceler (Flute), Abby Girard (Trumpet), Cecilia Scriver (Viola).

The CVU Film Club is happy to announce this year's winner of our Pick The Oscars Competition.

With all but 3 correct picks, the movie gift card goes to Ollie Guiterman. Congratulations Ollie!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here is a brand new episode of The CVU Show.

Please watch and share!

Snelling PA working together!

Members of the CVU Volunteer Outreach Club Eleni Verven, Tessa Gordon, Kathryn Lewis, Emma Hamble, Cassie York, Katelyn Whittier, Katie Lahiri and Alex O'Brien helped to serve pie at the annual Shelburne-Charlotte-Hinesburg Rotary Club Pi(e)e Breakfast on March 14th! All proceeds from this event benefitted local food security initiatives.

Kids in Chittenden core did a creative writing activity envisioning themselves in a better future and reflecting on the changes we made to get there. From their self selected "golden lines" this compilation poem was created, drawing almost entirely from students' direct quotes. Their poem, individual writing, and group analysis of root causes and actionable solutions will all be sent to our counterparts at the Queen's School of Inquiry in NYC. Kids there will be doing the same activity and sending back their ideas to us. Chittenden kids can't wait to see if they think about their world and their future in the same way as the teenagers from Queens! Here is their poem:

The World’s Bench: To a Child

By Chittenden Core

You take it for granted, I tell you now to enjoy it.

Put down your phone and partake in the world before it changes

For the better

Or the worse,

Leaves smell a little different every year.

Things CHANGE.

We had to straighten our priorities as a society.

Gone are the people rushing to the end instead of enjoying the journey.

We fixed problems. Things are still changing.

Good things we will someday take for granted are currently in their infancy.

Things that I worried about at night no longer keep me awake.

Wind whistles in my ear.

To work well as a species, all we needed was a commonality.

We needed to start caring about each other more.

Now, hurting nature is like hurting a person.

We think of our children.

The said “we want snow when we are older” and so we made sure they would have it.

It matters how much it would mean to them some day.

What we leave them, or what is lost.

The air feels breathable.

We improved our minds, bodies and souls.

We TAUGHT ways to improve so we could live happier lives.

We decided there wasn’t enough room for hate in a world so

Complicated.

It’s real, you can see it.

I hear the whir of electric vehicles on the streets now that gas powered cars are banned.

There are city potlucks and everyone regardless of difference will come to contribute.

Cities were being destroyed. Now they are being built sustainably.

It took a while. We had to use our money and funding more wisely.

We changed our laws, deposed dictators. Human rights are written in stone.

The air is cleaned by the innovation and technologies we created.

Things CAN change.

It’s about AWARENESS.

PERSPECTIVE.

SELFLESSNESS.

LOVE.

We start with the smaller things, and work up to the bigger.

Humans are what make it

dreadful but also wonderful,

Inspired, developing.

The bench I sit on is not man-made

But what I do here is human-made.

I smell the green grass and dirt track below my feet.

I am here.

I choose.

On Saturday, March 21, the CVU Band and Choral Ensembles went to Montreal to see a production of "&Juliet", a reimagining of Shakespeare's famous story using music from the late 90's and early 2000's. The Backstreet Boys' "I Want it That Way" was a featured song in the musical and our CVU Chorus sang an a cappella arrangement at Celebrate the Arts.

The 25-26 Greater Burlington Math League season finished up this week with our final meet at U32 High School. Highlights from the meet included Brady Driver with the top score among all competitors in the Advanced Math category and the team of Brady, Finn Etter, Cal Gardner, Ollie Guiterman, and Georgia Knight placing 3rd on the collaborative team test. CVU was also represented by: Emmett Anderson, Anna Dauermann, Robin DuBrul, Gwen Irwin and Ellie Zweber. CVU had 3 students in the top 20 overall (out of 245) for the league: Finn, Brady, and Ollie. While we finished in the middle of the pack score-wise in a highly competitive season, the level of camaraderie and enthusiasm was a joy to behold, as always.

The RoboHawks showed up at CVU’s annual Celebrate the Arts & Tech, where they presented their amazing robot! Not only was this a testament to their hard work and dedication, but it also gave the community a small glimpse into the wonders of engineering. Their goal was simple: inspire the younger generation to pursue engineering, and they quickly met it! Many of the children attending were captivated by the robot's ability to quickly pick up and shoot wiffle balls. They were able to pilot the bot around the field and interact with members one-on-one to learn about the RoboHawks. They encouraged middle school students to continue their interest in STEM by inviting them to join CVU Robotics once they get to high school! The CVU community also joined in to celebrate with them, with many students and teachers showing interest in the opportunities provided!

Are you interested in robotics, engineering, or coding? Or maybe you are interested in applying photography and videography to document and present a big project? Talk to Olaf Verdonk (overdonk@cvsdvt.org) to learn more about the RoboHawk Robotics Program and how you can join!

The library would like to recognize Lacey Richard’s US and the World: Social Movements and Protest class for completing their book groups this week. Students made selections from a range of titles, including All American Boys, King and the Dragonflies, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Monster, On the Come Up, and This is My America. By connecting class themes to their novels, students and staff explored how characters navigate systems of oppression and how fiction reflects the broader national struggle for American ideals. These discussions challenged participants to consider new perspectives and reflect on their roles as citizens and students of history. A huge thank you to Lacey and her students for such an enriching experience!

Event description:
Thursday, April 2 @7:00p, the CVU Men’s Mental Health Club and Connecting Youth Mentoring invites all community members to a screening and discussion of Gone Guys, a Vermont documentary exploring the growing disengagement of boys and young men from school, work, and community. The film invites community members to consider how belonging, purpose, mentorship, and healthy connections shape the outcomes of boys and young men today.

The event includes a facilitated discussion focused on identity, connection and engaging in local support systems and resources. Check out the trailer here and we hope you will join us for this important event.

📍 CVU Auditorium
📅 Thursday, April 2 @7:00p
🎟 Free & Open to the Community

I’m excited to announce the 1st Annual Senior Art Show. Open to all graduating students. This show will be on exhibition at the Pierson Library in Shelburne, Vt from April 8th - June 16th. This is a great way to celebrate your artistic career at CVU and participate in what will surely become a great tradition.

Please consider submitting any 2D original artwork for display, including: Drawings, Paintings. Photography, Mixed-Media, Digital Art, etc. A celebratory reception will be held in mid/late April (details to be determined).

Interested? Please complete this form by March 27th if you are interested.

Any questions: email Tim Duvernoy.

Educator Appreciation Week is coming up May 4–8, 2026, and Friends of CVU is beginning to plan ways to thank the incredible educators and staff who support our students every day.

We’re reaching out to our community to see if anyone has connections to local businesses or services—particularly plant or flower businesses—and would be willing to ask about their availability. We do have some funds available, but any reduced pricing or in‑kind support would go a long way toward helping us appreciate approximately 280 CVU staff members.

If you might be able to help by providing baked goods, help with setup, or monetary donations, please take a few minutes to complete this short survey:

👉 https://forms.gle/v5uhEuLmBjZckQ8w6

There’s absolutely no obligation—every connection or idea helps, and we truly appreciate your support of CVU educators.

Thank you for being such a supportive community!

Warmly,
Friends of CVU

We are excited to announce our 2026 BETA High School Job Shadow Experience!

Applications open Monday, March 30th on BETAs career page.

You are invited to attend the 3rd Annual CVU Empty Bowls Dinner, a meaningful community event focused on helping to fight hunger in Vermont and specifically within CVSD towns.

Thursday, April 9
6:00 PM
CVU High School Café

This annual event brings community members together for a simple meal with a powerful purpose. Each ticket includes a handmade ceramic bowl to take home, along with a dinner of homemade soups (including vegetarian, gluten-free, & dairy-free options), artisan bread, and ice-cream.

All proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Williston Community Food Shelf, which relies entirely on community donations to support local families in need.

Tickets are limited to 250 this year and will sell out!
Advance purchase is required—tickets will not be available at the door.

During the event, don't forget to bid on our silent auction featuring fantastic local goods, services, and handcrafted items. Click HERE to purchase tickets and review our generous list of sponsors.

If you are unable to attend the dinner, donations are welcomed and appreciated in support of this important cause and fundraiser.

Thank you for your past participation and continued support. We hope you will consider joining us again this year and help us spread the word.

Thank you,

The New American Outreach Club is organizing a food and gift card drive to support our local immigrant families and we need your help!

Many in our local community are experiencing financial difficulties, and a number of families are also fearful of leaving their homes due to current immigration enforcement activity in our area. As a result, basic necessities, including food, are becoming difficult to access.

We are collecting:

• Non-perishable food items (see suggestions below)

• Gift cards to local grocery stores (school staff will deliver food to families). Gift cards allow us to shop for fresh items requested by families.

Donations can be dropped off in the Direction Center or Main Office. Even a small contribution can make a meaningful difference for a family in need.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Most Needed Items:

• Grocery store gift cards (Hannaford, Market 32, Shaws)

• Rice

• Bags of beans (black, pinto, lentils)

• Peanut butter

• Canned sardines, tuna, or chicken

• Vegetable oil

• Pasta

• Ramen Noodles

• Spaghetti sauce

• Snacks (granola bars, popcorn, nuts, etc.)

• Toiletries (deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.)

• Paper Products (paper towels, toilet paper, etc.)

• Dish detergent

• Laundry detergent

CVU is sponsoring a team for the annual Spectrum Student SleepOut. We will hold the event on Friday, April 3rd from 7PM to 7 AM on Saturday, April 2nd. If your student would like to join the CVU team they can register at the table in the Cafe during lunch or by using this link. Make sure to register with "Join A Team" and choose "CVU" as your team. Students must raise a minimum of $100 to participate in the SleepOut.

Please see Amy Wardwell in Snelling House for the event permission form and with questions.

Dear Juniors,

If you’re interested in applying to any of the following colleges/universities next year, please know that these schools are currently accepting nominations for scholarship opportunities (for Juniors):

Clarkson University

Hobart and William Smith College

Lasell University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Russell Sage College

Saint Michael’s College

*Awards range from $1000-to a full scholarship for all four years of college.

If interested in receiving CVU’s nomination for a scholarship from any of the above colleges, please complete this scholarship application.

Completed applications are due by Friday, April 3, at 3:15 pm.

NEWS:

• The New American Outreach Club is holding a drive to support our local immigrant families. We’re collecting non-perishable food items and gift cards to local grocery stores. Donations can be dropped off in the Direction Center or Main Office. Thank you for your support!
• The University of Vermont is inviting students to attend a Healthcare Career Fair. If you're interested or wondering about a career in healthcare, you should attend! The fair is Wednesday, April 15; the group will depart CVU at 1pm, returning by 3pm. For more information or to sign-up, please contact Hannah Carey or swing by Nexus in Room 120.
• Spring sports: A student must be registered and have a valid physical on file in order to participate. Please register in Arbiter and submit well exams to jroden@cvsdvt.org
• Obligations: If a student owes school property (Uniform, chromebook, charger, etc.) or money for parking fines, these must be cleared *before* a student can participate in a spring sport or activity.

DIRECTION CENTER:

Juniors: If you’re interested in applying to any of the following colleges/universities next year, these schools are currently accepting nominations for scholarship opportunities (for Juniors): Clarkson University; Hobart and William Smith College; Lasell University; Rochester Institute of Technology; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Russell Sage College; Saint Michael’s College. Awards range from $1000 to a full scholarship for all four years of college. If interested in receiving CVU’s nomination for a scholarship from any of the above colleges, please complete this application. Completed applications are due by Friday, April 3, at 3:15 pm.