CVU Celebrations

Dear Community,

What a way to kick off the playoffs, Hawks!

We’re off to a fantastic start with playoff wins for girls’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ volleyball! Congratulations to all three teams, and best of luck to all our Redhawks as they continue their postseason journeys. Let’s keep that momentum going!

A huge thank-you to all our fans who came out to cheer on our teams! Your energy and enthusiasm make a difference. As we cheer our Hawks on to victory, let’s keep the atmosphere positive, spirited, and welcoming for everyone—just as Colchester's Principal Conforti and Renee modeled yesterday afternoon. We can be loud, proud, and passionate while showing good sportsmanship and respect for all!

#gohawks #goodsportsmanship

The Brown/Carey advisory started baby plants to grow with them through their high school years (and beyond)!

Leadership Advisory Council tweaking student questions for upcoming student focus groups. Thank you!

The Graphic Design class has "wrapped" up their latest assignment, a Ben and Jerry's inspired ice cream pint. Working with a client peer the students challenged each other to create labels for new flavors. Using their growing understanding of Adobe Illustrator, coupled with their study of design concepts, the students produced their own unique freezer ready creations.

On Thursday, October 15th the hallways were buzzing as students walked out of the annual CVU Clothing Swap with bags of new treasures. Seniors Amina Kanaan and Sarah Stein organized a crew of students from EnAct, Volunteer Outreach Club and our new Rotary Interact club to collect, sort and display the gently used items donated to the swap. This annual event helps promote sustainability at CVU and raise awareness about the impact of fast fashion- and it's a great way to get a new look for free! Stay tuned for the Spring event...

Members of the Backcountry Ski Club spent a day at Cochran's this past Sunday building a new bridge for the Mountain Biking Trails.

Katie AK and I wanted to share some photos of EnAct celebrating fall by creating leaf art this week.

Ceramics students are making extra large pots from extruded coils. This project requires the artists to work together to build these larger symmetrical forms. Color slip and carved sgraffito surfaces will compliment their designs.

James Donegan from Trillium​ Farm in Hinesburg talking to the Transitions class about Organic Farming.

Some highlights of Environmental Literature students canoeing, exploring how systems function, and diving into reading.

Senora Visco’s Spanish outdoor classroom.

The Latin 3 students wrapped up their study of Pompeii with the construction of their own volcanoes. Teams of students built their own version of Mt. Vesuvius with recycled homework, paper mache, paint and lots of vinegar and baking soda. Pictures include the process photos along with the eruption day.

Students in Latin 1 classes got the opportunity to dress up in tunics, togas and stolas while nibbling on Roman bread in class this week. Most were impressed with the dense quality of the bread, but maybe less impressed with its flavor. Thankfully, we added a spot of honey or olive oil to make it more delectable.

Students in Woods & Water had a busy week!

On Monday, students visited Shelburne Bay, where they collected and identified aquatic plants before returning to the classroom to press their specimens.

On Wednesday, the class traveled to Winooski One, Burlington Electric Department's hydroelectric facility. Students joined staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they inventoried Atlantic salmon collected in the fish elevator. Some of the salmon were fitted with radio tags and released downstream for tracking, while others were transported upstream by truck to continue their journey to spawning grounds.

Students also met with Cam Smith from Burlington Electric Department, who shared insights into how the hydroelectric facility generates electricity and even took the group underground for an up-close look at the turbines!

It was a great week of hands-on learning, connecting ecology, conservation, and renewable energy right here in Vermont!

Special thanks to Snelling alum Isabel Cohen (class of 2020) for coming in to share her expertise with students in the Neuroscience Club. She is a PhD student at Dartmouth College in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. She conducts research as a member of the O'Neill Lab at Dartmouth, which focuses on cognitive and behavioral neuroscience.

AP Gov. students working on their first argumentative essay where they had to analyze the relevance of our founding documents to modern debates about a variety of questions: Should the states or national government have more influence over public education policy? Should the states or national government have more influence over voting? Does a participatory or pluralist democracy work best? It is a beautiful sight to behold so many students immersed in the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers, laboring intensely over these questions! Amelie Fairweather was so "locked in" that she donned her sunglasses!

They all channelled their best Hamiltonian energies, as described in the musical Hamilton:

How do you write like tomorrow won't arrive?
How do you write like you need it to survive?
How do you write every second you're alive?
Every second you're alive? Every second you're alive?

The cast took a slight reprieve from vocal rehearsals, choreography, scenework, & memorizing lines to do a fun photo shoot. With over 100 students participating in the cast, crew & pit, there's a lot of excitement & preparation going into our upcoming production of Monty Python's SPAMALOT - Nov 13 -15. Tickets available at www.Ticketsource.com/cvutheater

Community Budget Forum

Join Us: Community members, students, faculty & staff, and parents & caregivers are invited to CVSD's Community Budget Forum, where you can share your perspective and learn about our schools in the current fiscal climate and the collaborative approach we bring to the budget process.

When: Tuesday, October 27, 6-7 p.m.
Where: CVU High School Library or virtual

Digital Citizenship Week: Who Are We Online?

• TikTok: Understand and adjust your For You feed, including managing topics, filtering keywords, and refreshing recommendations.
• Instagram: Explore Reset suggested content under Content preferences to start reshaping recommendations.
• YouTube: Review, delete, or pause watch history to influence future recommendations.
• Beyond the settings: Explore the Center for Humane Technology's Take Control of Your Social Media Use guide.

We encourage caregivers to explore these options alongside their students—and perhaps consider their own feeds as well! One question worth discussing together: Is what you're seeing online helping you become the person you want to be?

This is just the beginning of Digital Life @ CVU. In coming quarters, we'll continue exploring our digital lives through the lenses of Connection, Direction, and Proficiency.

Have questions, ideas, or suggestions for future Digital Life @ CVU experiences? Feel free to reach out to Arthur Chiaravalli at achiaravalli@cvsdvt.org.

Arthur Chiaravalli (he/him)
Digital Learning Leader, CVU High School

NEWS:

• CVU Chorus presents their Fall Concert this Thursday, October 22nd in the CVU Theater at 7pm. The event is free and open to the public. Come support CVU Music!

• Seniors: Wondering how to upload your senior portrait for the Yearbook? Please check your email for the instructions sent in August. Sender = cvuyearbook. Portraits are due November 20th.
• CVU Boys Hockey Info Meeting on Wednesday, October 21st during PM Connect in Room 003. We will discuss tryouts, expectations, and vital information regarding the upcoming season. Questions? Please email J.P. Benoit.
• Seniors: Please order your cap and gown here. Be sure to use your name and email address when ordering and not a parent or caregiver’s. The deadline to order is October 30. Payment is due in June.
• Picture Make-up / Retake Day is Wednesday, October 28 from 7:30am-1:30pm. Your photo is needed for PowerSchool, school ID, and the Yearbook. If you did not have a photo taken in September, please do so on the 28th. If you are having a retake for a non-technical issue, you will need to return your photo package to the photographer and pay $5 cash or check (to Beltrami) on October 28th.
• Late Buses are available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Buses depart at 5:30pm from the canopy.

DIRECTION CENTER:

*Mad River Glen & Sugarbush Ski Pass: Students that received final grades of an A- and above (high honors) for the 2025-2026 school year are eligible for a Mad River Glen Smarty Pants and Sugarbush Student Achievement passes. Sugarbush will be offering a ski pass for $199.00 plus tax. If you would like to confirm your eligibility please come to the Direction Center. Directions for obtaining a ski pass will follow.

*College Visits: Virtual visits are held on Tuesdays during C3 at the Direction Center. Students must sign up in SCOIR in order to get the link to the virtual meeting. In-person visits are offered on Wednesdays & Thursdays in Four Corners during lunch. Click here to see a list of upcoming visits.