Solon Salutes

• Please Vote on Tuesday the 29th.
• Seniors- please check out the Graduation Information on The Class of 2024 page.
  And please complete the VSAC Student survey sent to you. Only 50% of you have completed it.
• May 3rd MHS Safety Drill (Options based- Secure the building or Lock down) Block 1-2
• Great News Ellia Cohen (MHS Social Worker) had a baby! And Caitlin Brower will be at MHS as a interim Social Worker until Ellia returns next year. Everyone is healthy and well:)
• May 5-6: Hello Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors,

  This is your friendly reminder that I will be reviewing grades for privileges eligibility on May 6th. You must have a 3.0 or above in all courses in order to maintain or re-apply for privileges. If you have below a 3.0 in any courses, you will be scheduled for Solon Blocks for classes below a 3, you may be scheduled to meet with me, a work lab may be added to your schedule, and/or you may lose the option to sign in and out during unscheduled times. If you have a grade below a 3, the best thing you can do is proactively come chat with me about your plan for improving it!
  

Dear MHS Community,

I hope you are well and had a wonderful and restful April Break! I am super excited to be back.

We know the next eight weeks will zoom by and are action-packed full of events (Pizza for the People), AP testing starts next week, end-of-year concerts, senior graduation week, spring sports playoffs, celebrating Val and Diana for all of their work and years at MRPS, and planning for next year.

All that being said, it can be fun, the end of the year can be stressful, and we need to remind ourselves to ask for help, ask questions, communicate, and support one another. We know teamwork makes the dream work:)

I hope you all have a smooth re-entry into the week and into the month of May. Remember to vote on Tuesday!

And on a side note. Someone decided to drive on the MHS Fields last week. If anyone has any information about it we would appreciate it. Hard to keep the fields looking nice when things like this happen.

Sincerely,

Jason

Writer and designer Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, on what causes old age:

"The producer of old age is habit: the deathly process of doing the same thing in the same way at the same hour day after day, first from carelessness, then from inclination, at last from cowardice or inertia.

Habit is necessary; but it is the habit of having careless habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if one is to remain alive... one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways."

Source: A Backward Glance (lightly edited for clarity)

Click the buttons below for your class! Review to-dos and helpful info!

• May 1 Norwich Early College Application is due
• May 1 CCV Early College Priority Application is due
• August 7th CCV Early College Deadline
• May 2 University of Vermont College Visit for grades 10 & 11 if interested
• May 3 MHS Safety Drill- Options Based

• May 6 AP US Govt Exam 8:00-12:00
• May 7 AP Stats Exam 12:00-4:00
• May 8 AP English Exam 8:00-12:00 & Comp Science Exam 12:00-4:00
• May 8-10 All State Music Festival
• May 8 VPA Spelling Bee at MHS 4:00-7:00 PM
• May 9 AP Psychology Exam 12:00-4:00
• May 10 AP US History Exam 8:00-12:30
• May 13 AP Calc Exam 8:00-12:00
• May 15 AP Music Theory Exam 12:00-4:00
• May 16 AP Spanish Exam 8:00-12:00
• May 16 Corporate Cup Race in Montpelier. MHS Parking Lot will be used for overflow parking.
• May 17 Pizza for the People
• May 20 Early Release for All Students
• May 23 Spring Pops Concert 7:00 PM
• May 24 League of Women Voters at MHS To register students to vote.
• May 25 Race Against Racism at VT State House
• May 27 No School - Memorial Day
• June 6 & 7- REN STAR Testing for all students in Grades 9, 10, and 11.
• June 7th- Senior Grades are due and finalized for graduation eligibility
• June 8 Junior Prom (At Farm House Flowers)
  
• June 12 Senior Breakfast: 8:20 - 9:35 am
  Graduation Rehearsal: 9:40 - 10:55 am
  MHS Awards Assembly All School 2:00-3:00 PM
• June 13 Project Grad 7:00 PM -1:00 AM
• June 14 MHS Graduation- seniors arrive at MHS by 4:30 PM
  Graduation Rehearsal: 10:00 - 11:30 am
  Speaker/Presenter Rehearsal: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
  Graduation starts at 5:00 PM
• June 17 Green Day Last Day of Classes
• June 18 MSMS Promotion Ceremony at MHS
• June 18 & 19 Students Wrap Up Days for Grades 9, 10, and 11
• June 20 Last day of School- Dismissal is at Noon.

• District Calendar
• School Events Calendar
• School Website

• Athletics Calendar
• Athletics Website
• Student Handbook
• Cell Phone Policy
• Bell Schedule
• Program of Studies
• Power School How to Access Student Grades Video
• Where do I go for Solon Block?
• Caregiver Handbook for Special Education Services
• MHS Hazing, Harassment and Bullying Information and reporting form

• Please check out these important updates from the district

• Link to the district newsletter: https://www.smore.com/u/mrps
• Link to our calendar webpage for the 2024-2025 district calendar
• Link to our homepage for the 2023-2024 annual report (PDF of the final report)

• Updates on the MHS track page

• Updates on FAQ about the Roxbury transition.

• MRPS School Board Meeting May 1 6:30 PM at RVS

• Vote - on April 30th

• The MRPS Board of School Directors approved the new FY`25 Budget and Warning on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Please vote on or before Tuesday, April 30th, 2024! To learn more about voting and the proposed budget please visit our budget webpage, read this 3/21/24 letter from Superintendent Libby Bonesteel, and review this budget fact sheet.

MRPS administrators have been working to improve our website for students and families! Please check out the recent updates made to the curriculum, social emotional learning and wellness, and student support services webpages. Also, a reminder that all MHS air quality testing results are posted to our facilities webpage.

Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools, Partners in Education MRPS PIE’s is seeking a part-time Event Planner for the 2024 Fall Festival, happening on September 28, 2024 at the State House in Montpelier.

Please submit short letter of interest to Vic Guadagno

director@mrpspie.org

This position has the very specific goal of attracting Montpelier High School students to attend and participate in the Festival. The expected time commitment is approximately 4-8 hours (total) in May and June of this school year, and approximately 1-2 hours/week for the first five weeks of next school year. If available, the student can continue their involvement over the summer.

Coordinator will work with the Executive Director of MRPS PIE, and a team of volunteers to:
● Help develop the theme/details of next year’s Festival, with the specific focus of attracting high school students;
● Help develop branding and marketing material;
● Communicate with high school students (print, digital media, direct communication, etc.) to inform and excite them about the Fall Festival
● Work with Festival planning team to understand all details and integrate high school component
● Manage day of event, including setup, logistics and clean up (roughly 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM).

Now in its 7th year, the 2024 Montpelier Fall Festival will be September 28th on the Statehouse Lawn. The Festival began in 2017 as the Kids’ Cup. The original idea was to create a fundraiser that brought the community together and raised funds to support the Union Elementary School Parents Group. Over the
past 5 years, the festival has grown into a large, family-friendly event with people coming from all over central Vermont.

Activities have included a 1-mile fun run, kickball, gaga ball, raffles, dunk tank, carnival games, music, and, of course, food!

About MRPS PIE
MRPS Partners in Education Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization founded in January 2019. Our mission is to serve the communities of Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools, Vermont. We provide opportunities for enrichment, build community, and serve as a vehicle for information and
advocacy for parents and the community. MRPS PIE helps to organize, support, and increase fundraising potential for each of our schools’ parent and caregiver groups.

The Montpelier Roxbury Board of School Directors encourages Montpelier High School (MHS) students* to apply to be a Student Representative on the Board. This unique opportunity ensures that the MRPSVT district and Board maintain their deep value of student voice in its processes. As a Student Representative you will have the opportunity to actively participate in one of Montpelier’s most important democratic institutions by offering your voice and perspective to the Board. This position guarantees that the Board receives firsthand insight on the needs of students who are directly impacted by the Board’s decisions.

*We are open to considering applications from 7th & 8th grade MSMS students as well.

Overview of roles and responsibilities:

• Attend Board Meetings: Board meetings run for approximately 2 hours twice each month on Wednesday from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Student Representatives are expected to participate in every meeting, though we understand sometimes scheduling conflicts may arise. Our meetings are held either in the MHS library or the Roxbury Village School library. If you are unable to be on location, there is always a Zoom or carpool option available. Meetings often run late, but if you need to leave early, that is okay.

• Participate actively in meetings: Student Representatives are encouraged and expected to participate in Board discussions by providing valuable student insight and perspectives. Student Representatives have the opportunity to present student updates to the Board at the beginning of meetings, engage in Board discussion throughout the meetings and ask questions.

• Serve as student liaison: Establish regular communication with our student constituents (listening sessions, surveys, etc.) to understand the needs and wants of the student body. Bring students’ voices and priorities back to the Board to help with our decisions.

• Board duties that Student Representatives are exempt from: Students do not vote, but they inform the Board’s decisions and processes. Students often do not participate in executive sessions, which involve issues of a confidential nature. Our student representatives will not be asked to serve on our standing committees, but they are welcome to attend committee meetings or serve on a committee if they wish.

Tenure and Time Commitment:

• Tenure will follow the 2024-2025 school year (September 2024 through June 2025), as well as onboarding with our current student reps in May & June 2024.

• Approximately 5 hours/month of Board meeting time and 4 hours/month of liaison work time.

How to apply & process for selection:

• Please email a short letter of interest to scottlewins@mpsvt.org by May 8, 2024. This should be one to three paragraphs. Please provide your name, grade, and school email address. Keep in mind that your letter will be public, as our Board operates under open meeting laws.

• The Board will review all letters and discuss at our May 15th meeting,

• Each applicant will be invited to address the board on May 15th at 6:30pm in the MHS library (not required).

• The Board will enter executive session (not available to the public) for a discussion to decide which two candidates to award the position.

• The Board will then announce the selected candidates around 8:30pm on May 15.

Some additional resources:

• Short video explaining what a School Board does: https://studentreportinglabs.org/youth-reporting/what-is-a-school-board/

• If you would like to discuss the position with our current student representatives, you are welcome to contact them at serotawinstonm@mpsvt.org and kohna@mpsvt.org

• Link to our School Board website: https://www.mrpsvt.org/school-board

If you have any questions about this position, please reach out to Matt McLane (matt@mpsvt.org), Scott Lewins (scottlewins@mpsvt.org), and/or the current Student Representatives

Spaulding High School National Honor Society. We are hosting the first annual Crimson Crawl on May 18th, at 10:00 AM. This color run will be hosted on the Barre Town Bike Path that is by the Barre Town Middle and Elementary School. All proceeds of this run will go directly to the UVM Children's Hospital. We are wondering if you could share this out to your students and staff, perhaps in a newsletter, that would be wonderful! Attached is a flyer with the registration link, and a donation page. We look forward to hearing back, and any potential support from Montpelier High School!

http://give.uvmhealth.org/CrimsonCrawl

Thank you,