Solon Salutes

• 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 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!
  

• On May 8th all of MHS will be taking the SEL Survey for the third time this year. This will be done in Solon Block. MHS uses the results and data to better understand how our students are feeling connected to their peers, adults and MHS as whole.

• Please remind your student ordering Door Dash is not allowed. The food will be confiscated and the student can pick up the food at the end of the day from the main office.

• MHS begins AP Testing this week. Thank you to all of the students who have signed up and we appreciate your diligence, effort, work, and time in preparing for the exams.

• MHS is looking for caregivers and students to volunteer if you are interested on being on a Hiring Committee. Currently MHS will be looking for a Thrive Social Worker and Math teacher for the 24-25 school Year. The commitment would be to participate in the interviews (up to 3), work and communicate with the interview, and make a recommendation along with the team to the principal. The interviews could be in person or virtual and are scheduled throughout the MHS day or after school. If you are interested please contact Jason Gingold at jasongingold@mpsvt.org.

Dear MHS,

I hope you are well, had a wonderful weekend, and all is good on this sunny day.

This week, MHS embarks on a crucial phase with the commencement of AP testing. We extend our best wishes to all the students who have dedicated their time and effort to prepare for this significant academic assessment. Good luck!

Also, this week, the MHS Soap Sale is May 8, 9, and 10th! It's teacher appreciation week. Thank you, MRPS caregivers, who donated food, dropped off an excellent breakfast this morning, and cared for our staff. We wholeheartedly thank you.

We congratulate the students participating in the Vermont All-State Music Festival and the work they have put into their craft! We celebrate our spring athletes and inch closer to the end of the year.

As we approach the halfway mark of Quarter Four on Friday, May 10th, we encourage you to continue monitoring your student's progress on Power School. Our end-of-year Wrap-Up Days are scheduled for June 18th and 19th. During the period leading up to these days, students will be called back for Solon Blocks and will have the opportunity to connect with teachers for re-learning, redoing, and reassessing.

We hope you all have a great new week. Stay well.

Sincerely,

Jason

We wanted to inform you that Measles cases are rising in the U.S., Canada, and other countries. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. Symptoms usually start with a high fever, then a cough, runny nose, and red and watery eyes. A rash usually appears three to five days after the first symptoms. Babies, young children, and people with weak immune systems are at higher risk of getting very sick from measles. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97% effective against measles. If you are not up to date on immunizations, please check in with your primary care provider. Please check out the below links for more information:
https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/document/lsid-epi-measles-factsheet.pdf
Measles informational letter for families

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

• May 1 Norwich Early College Application is due
• CCV August 7th CCV Early College Deadline

• 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 GEO 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 1:00 Dismissal
• 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 6th Egress Drill.
• 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. Bag Lunches will be available.

All students are required to return their Chromebook to MHS before leaving for the summer. Please see the schedule below:

• June 3-7: Seniors return their Chromebooks to Russell in the tech office as soon as they are done with coursework.
• June 10-14: Final chance for seniors to return their Chromebooks to Russell in the tech office. Other students may also begin to turn in their Chromebooks during this week, if they are no longer needed for this year's coursework.
• June 17-19: Students may continue to turn in their Chromebooks to Russell in the tech office.
• June 20: Final day for students to turn in their Chromebooks to Russell in Room 126 (Val has reserved Room 126 for Russell for June 20 and 21).
• Block 1: 8:55-9:35 - Grade 9
• Block 2: 9:40-10:20 - Grade 10
• Block 3: 10:25-11:05 - Grade 11
• Block 4: 11:10-11:55 - Open time for any student to still turn in a Chromebook

The Adolescent Brain and Substance Use Prevention Webinar
Tuesday, May 14 · 6:00 – 7:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pvm-gsnz-cza

• 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 15 6:30 PM at RVS

• The Roxbury Transition Committee is looking for your input on the upcoming transition. Because we feel you have important insight to provide as caregivers of students from Roxbury who attend MSMS and/or MHS, we wanted to make sure this survey came to you as well as the caregivers who have students currently attending RVS. If you have a child in RVS, you received this survey earlier through SWIFT message. Please fill out just one survey for your family. The survey should take 10-15 minutes. You can access it at this link. We recognize that the questions are geared towards the families of students currently attending RVS. Please provide any insight you can to help us make this transition as smooth as possible for our kids.

  
  

  Thanks, in advance, for taking the time to help inform our decision making.

  Sincerely,

  The Roxbury Transition Committee

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.

rom UVM Chemistry Professor, Rory Waterman, about a very unique paid summer internship opportunity. See info below. In the past....Solons have had very positive experiences with this summer internship opportunity.

*****Money is available to assist with public bus transportation from Montpelier to UVM for the internship. Please let me know if you are interested in exploring this opportunity! I am happy to support applications/applicants.

- Matt McLane

From Professor Waterman..........

We have more paid summer research positions at UVM than ever before! Through a recent grant from the Army Education Outreach Program (AEOP), we will be hosting multiple interns for a 250-hour (~six week) summer research position that will pay $4,500 each. Through the program, students will undertake real research and build future employment skills as well as develop competitive applications for college and beyond. We will also provide support for academic year science competitions.

The AEOP is working to foster a representative workforce, and students need to meet two of the criteria listed on the flyer. As always, we welcome any qualified student and develop a supportive and safe environment. Our only requirement is that students are currently enrolled in or have completed one chemistry course. All safety and technical training is on site during the summer.

Please refer to this flyer for details.

P.S. There are still some opportunities through Project SEED as well: https://www.acs.org/education/students/highschool/seed.html

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

Good evening!

I am reaching out to leaders in our community in hopes of finding volunteer host families for three wonderful high school exchange students coming to Vermont in August. Perhaps you or someone you know would be interested in the opportunity to be a volunteer host family for the 24-25 high school year.

Our students will attend the high school closest to their host family and can take school transportation or carpool. They speak good English and have their own medical insurance as well as their own spending money to cover their personal expenses. Volunteer host families come in all shapes and sizes; retired, single parents, couples with or without children of any age, etc.

Here are notes from three of our students that have requested to come to our beautiful state:

(EST24511) Helena - Spain - Female – 10th Grade - She writes, “Hi, I´m an active girl that always is looking for new challenges and being part of the community. I enjoy playing sports (field hockey, tennis, and swimming), reading books, drawing, going out and chatting with my friends. When I finish high school, I want to go to the University to become a teacher, a dentist, or a lawyer. Thanks in advance to share your live, your culture, your home with me.”

(EST24533TSU) Genoveve – Spain - Female – 10th Grade - She writes, “I really love Girl Scouts, reading, hiking, cycling, cinema, and music. I am supportive, responsible, and I love to socialize and make friends. I am quick to sign up for volunteer activities whenever I can. I'd like to play basketball and do modern dance. Thank you very much for your generosity and hospitality!”

(OEG24520) Pound - Thailand - Male – 11th grade - He writes, “I am a very funny, kind, and very well-socialized guy. I make most people and my friends have fun and laugh. I can fit in with everyone. I want to study IT technology and coding programs, and business administration. I very much like pets. My house has two parrots named Pipo and Jubjib. I am excited to practice my language skills and cooking skills with my host family and my new friends."

I would appreciate any assistance you might be able to provide. If we can find a family to host one of these students because of your help, my organization will gladly donate $200 to your classroom, your school, or a school club of your choice.

Please feel free to share my contact information with anyone interested. They can also visit www.ciee.org/host for more information.

Are you aware of anyone who may be interested in hosting one of these students in their home?

With gratitude,

--

COURTNEY KOBOS SMITH // CIEE

Local Coordinator

──────────────────────────

Cell: +1 (210) 867-2997

Email: courtneykobosciee@gmail.com

web ciee.org/host/

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,