HUHS Newsletter

Harwood High School Families -

This past Monday we discovered graffiti in a boy’s high school bathroom that included a racial slur.

Earlier this year, in February, when hate language was also found in a boy’s high school bathroom, I clearly communicated to our community that hate has no place at Harwood and I called the Harwood Community to help care for one another through our words and actions.

After the graffiti was found this week, I reminded students to show their care by coming forward and speaking to a trusted adult.

We want to recognize that it’s very common for adolescents to see and hear phrases online that reflect this hatred as a joke or a way to vent, sometimes making these words feel meaningless as they scroll through social media. However, this language, when brought to school and said out loud or written across a wall, causes profound and specific harm, impacting lives.

For some in our community, the casual use of hateful language sends the message that their pain, trauma and lived experience is not to be taken seriously. Casual use of hateful language makes some members of our community feel unsafe and devalued.

I am deeply troubled by the deliberate choice of some people in our community to use language that is harmful, offensive, and inconsistent with the values we strive to uphold. I am equally saddened by those who remain bystanders, fearful of "snitching."

Protecting those being harmed reflects strength and care and we want to specifically recognize the courage shown by 5 members of our community who spoke up. Their decision reflects conviction and moral strength.

At a time when some chose to lie or remain silent and complicit, these few separated themselves from the masses and did the right thing by saying something. This demonstrates the true "Harwood Way" we aspire to.

Sometimes the hard decision is the right decision. Oftentimes, hateful actions reflect deeper anger and unmet needs that will benefit from support.

We are all responsible for the culture of Harwood - students, staff, and families. We collectively shape this school by when we choose to stay silent, when we choose to speak up, what we laugh at and promote, and how we challenge each other. Words have the power to wound, but they also have the power to heal and bring us together.

We strongly encourage parents and guardians to discuss these events at home. Students, we urge you to have meaningful conversations with your friends and peers about the impact of these words and actions. Together, let us support each other in understanding that hate language impacts lives and has no place in our community.

I invite each of us to reflect and consider what kind of community member we seek to be. Every day, through small choices and big ones, you are shaping our community.

So, ask yourself and each other; how can we contribute to the Harwood Way and create a school where everyone truly feels a true sense of belonging?

With deep gratitude for our partnership,

Meg and Jess

For students in grades 9-11, here is a more detailed schedule for final exam week. More details will be communicated in classes in the coming weeks.

Thank you to Harwood Families for another fun and delicious Staff Appreciation Luncheon!

The Spring sports season is underway. To stay up-to-date on the schedule, please click here.

Thank you all who supported Harwood Athletics by being part of our annual Calcutta. Just like previous years we are amazed by everyone's generosity and we can not thank you all enough.

Congratulations to the Varsity Softball team on their first win in 2 1/2 years beating Thetford 8-7.

On May 9th, our first youth game will feature varsity baseball and softball. We encourage all youth baseball and softball players to come out and support the varsity teams as we host Spaulding at 10 AM.

We are looking for individuals interested in supporting co-curricular programs at Harwood to consider joining the Harwood Boosters Club. The Boosters Club plays an important role in supporting our student-athletes and activities, and they are currently seeking new members to join their dedicated group. Whether you can give a little time or take on a larger role, your involvement can make a meaningful impact. If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please reach out to info@harwoodboosters.com.

A few friendly reminders:

• If you would like to nominate someone for the Harwood Hall of Fame please click here. Unlike many other Halls of Fame, our Hall of Fame is not limited to former athletes or coaches. Once nominated for the Hall of Fame, a nominee remains active for consideration for ten years.

• If you would like to donate to the Hall Of Fame please reach out to me at ifraunfelder@huusd.org.

• Looking for new Harwood gear? Visit our new highlander store, all items are customizable and ship to your house.

Join us for an Information Night

May 20th @ 6:30 p.m. in Harwood’s Library.

This will include more information about the Lift program that provides scholarships for these experiences.

Ticks – The top 10 things to remember

10. Ticks crawl up – Ticks don’t jump, fly or drop from trees onto your head and back.

9. All ticks (including deer ticks) come in small, medium and large sizes.

8. Ticks can be active in winter.

7. Ticks carry disease-causing microbes.

6. Only deer ticks transmit Lyme disease bacteria.

5. For most tick-borne diseases, you have at least 24 hours to find and remove a feeding tick before it transmits an infection.

4. Deer tick nymphs look like a poppy seed on your skin.

3. The easiest and safest way to remove a tick is with a pointy tweezer.

2. Clothing with built-in tick repellent is best for preventing tick bites.

1. Tick bites and tick-borne diseases are completely preventable.

Top ten things to know. (ND). The University of Rhode Island. Retrieved May 6, 2024, from https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/ticksmart/top-ten-things/

We are gearing up for spirit week which is May 18th-22nd! Please be aware that there is a different schedule for this week, including the fact that our gold/black rotation is off kilter due to the required schedule for spirit week. Also, ELO time is quite different this week: only occurring Tuesday afternoon and then most of the day Wednesday. If your student needs to miss school at all during the week, please review the schedule to understand what they will be missing since it could be different from a normal week. Spirit points are awarded for dressing up for the class themes throughout the week. Ask your students what they are planning to wear!

Students that are in the mentor program should mark their calendars for Wednesday, June 3 for the end of year field trip. This will be a fun way to celebrate new relationships and end the program this year. We will depart at 9:30 am to head to Sparetime in Colchester for bowling and possibly laser tag. Students will get 2 pieces of pizza each for lunch. If your child does not eat pizza and would like a bagged lunch from school, please let me know or bring a bagged lunch from home. Contact Jen Dreimiller with any questions (jdreimiller@huusd.org)

On Wednesday, April 29, students engaged in off-campus learning: 9th–11th graders toured Vermont State University, Saint Michael’s College, and UVM, while seniors participated in local community service. These trips help students envision their futures, and we are deeply grateful to the counselors, staff, and partners who made them possible. Special thanks to VSAC, The Alchemist Foundation, and the McClure Foundation for their generous support.

• 9th graders explore what it would be like to major in Biology at VSU
  
• 10th graders tour the campus at Saint Mike’s
  
• 11th graders imagine what it would be like to live in a dorm at UVM
  
• Seniors “dig in” with Friends of the Mad River
  

SENIORS WISHING TO HAVE COPIES OF THEIR PERMANENT RECORDS may make an appointment to collect them AFTER July 1st. Please contact the registrar, Jen Shaub, AFTER July 1st to retrieve your records by emailing her at jshaub@huusd.org. These records will be available until June 30, 2027 at which time they will be destroyed.

Additionally, the permanent records for the Class of 2024 and 2025 are scheduled to be destroyed on July 1, 2026. Students of these classes wishing to collect their records may make an appointment with Jen Shaub.

Drivers Education for 2026-2027

Harwood Union High School provides Driver’s Education opportunities to our students eligible with a valid permit through private driving schools. Sessions are offered in the summer, fall, winter and spring. There are 20 spots available in each session and spaces are filled based on date of birth, with the oldest students being offered spots first. If your student is interested in being considered for a spot in next year’s courses please complete the form found on our website.

Round 3 applications for CVCC are now open. Students can apply using this link. Applications close on August 14 but if you apply by June 1 students can schedule an interview with the program instructor and will get a decision before the last day of school. Currently there are openings in the Early Childhood Education, Emergency Services, Graphic Design, and Videography programs but students can apply for any of the programs and if accepted they will be put on a waitlist. Reach out to school counselors with any questions!

William Clark, a sophomore at Harwood Union High School, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded annually near May 9th, Liam’s birthday, to a student completing their 10th grade year.

The Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship was established by the Hale Family in memory of Liam Hale, a Harwood High School student who was a passionate skier, mountain biker, and golfer. Liam’s years at Sugarbush, from Micro Bears at age 4 through working at the mountain’s bike shop, made him a confident, adventurous, and outgoing young man. The scholarship carries forward his spirit by providing a Harwood student the opportunity to discover the same skills, virtues, and passion Liam found through outdoor adventure.

William, an avid skier who first learned on the slopes through his elementary school program, described the scholarship as a chance to return to a lifelong passion. In his application, William wrote: “All of my stress vanishes, and I’m left with just myself and the mountain. It’s a feeling of freedom and exuberance.” Having been unable to ski since the school program ended at the middle school level, William looks forward to rejoining friends on the slopes and exploring new outdoor pursuits, including golf and mountain biking, through the scholarship.

The scholarship award includes a Sugarbush Four Season Premium Pass, valued at more than $3,000, providing unlimited skiing and riding, golf, mountain biking, scenic lift rides, and year-round access to the Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center, along with additional resort benefits

Those wishing to contribute to the scholarship in memory of Liam can send donations to The Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship at HUUSD PO Box 1059, Waitsfield, VT 05672.

Check out the latest post from Common Ground News

Check out the video below!

Throughout the year, we’ve included updates in the newsletter about Extended Studies, which is an option in 9th and 10th grade English, science, and social studies classes as well as music for students to engage in topics and skills beyond that which is covered and practiced in a course. Here is a snapshot of what students are exploring as they wrap up the year in Extended Studies in different courses.

Integrated Science 1: 9th graders just finished learning about Cancer in their 3rd Science Extended Studies project. Many students reflected about how much they learned about how cancer is caused and why treatments work. They are about to start on their last project related to Planetary Motion.

Integrated Science 2: 10th graders just finished their book projects on "The Body" by Bill Bryson. They explained how various systems within our body are related to either the concept of homeostasis or the concept of structure and function. They are about to start the final project, which relates to Climate Change in Vermont.

US History: 10th graders discussed government surveillance on citizens in the past, present and future. Students debated the FBI's COINTELPRO program that harassed many civil rights groups and leaders in the 1960s (later dismantled by Congress), the post-9/11 Patriot Act (today partially toned down) and more recent domestic spying on various social movement organizations and groups labeled as "domestic terrorists." They discussed the protections afforded by the Constitution and Bill of Rights, when surveillance might be okay and pondered questions related to current government programs that have targeted people exercising their First Amendment rights.

American Literature: For their last extended study, American Lit students are previewing the content they will encounter if they take AP Language and Composition next year. Students will review the rhetorical modes they first learned in English 9, then learn how to use specific rhetorical devices to strengthen their persuasive writing. They will choose a topic and audience and write a persuasive essay using the rhetorical devices they've studied. This will give them a taste for the skills they'll be learning and using next year, and in life!

As courses wrap up the year in Extended Studies over the next few weeks, students who successfully completed required units and assignments will have it noted on their transcript along with the associated course. Throughout the year, planning engaging units, facilitating learning, and providing feedback to students in Extended Studies is significant additional work and coordination for teachers, and we sincerely appreciate all the passion, creativity, and time that goes into providing these opportunities for Harwood students. Thank you to all the teachers and students who were part of this program this year!

This Wednesday, May 6th marked the half-way point of Quarter 4 in our school year and a good time for a final check in heading into the final stretch! Progress reports were emailed to students and families yesterday. This guide also includes a few graphics that give more information. Make sure to look at both sections of the report, and keep in mind that for high schoolers:

• In order for a course to count toward graduation, the course score must fall in the Proficient range or above (2.6 or greater). These are seen in the first section of the progress report.

• In order for Learning Expectations to be on track for graduation, the scores must fall in the Proficient range or above (2.6 or greater). These are seen in the second section of the progress report.

Feel free to reach out to Jess Deane at jdeane@huusd.org with general questions, or email teachers for course-specific details.

Over the next few weeks, students in grades 7-10 will take the reading STAR 360 test, and students in grades 7-9 will be taking the math STAR 360 test. This is the same screener that was given in the fall, and will be used to see both individual student and whole grade progress across the school year.

STAR 360 is a relatively short (20-30 minutes) adaptive test, meaning that the questions “adapt” and adjust depending on the student’s responses. These tests are given in the fall and spring (and sometimes winter), and the results are used internally to help us identify students who may benefit from additional support in specific skills, as well as identify possible gaps across groups of students that could be addressed through learning in classes. While we don’t want students to stress over these tests (the results do not affect their course scores, and are not reported externally at all), we do want them to take them seriously so that we can have an accurate picture of their skills as individuals, and where we are at as a school and district.

It will be very helpful if over the next month (and every day!), students come to school with charged Chromebooks, ready to go. Thanks!

Please join us in welcoming Sheryl to the Harwood community. Sheryl is our new SAP (Student Assistance Professional), and started last week. She will be here 3 days a week.

Sheryl Kurland-Platt, Ed.M, has a practice as an Social Emotional Learning Coach. She is passionate and practices a positive, holistic approach to helping children, young people, and parents navigate social-emotional challenges and build confidence.

Her toolbox includes coaching social emotional learning, cognitive counseling, supported by mindful somatic embodiment work and yoga. She promotes curiosity and open mindedness by supporting students, adults, families, and schools in creative ways.

She is also a mindfulness/yoga teacher. She has earned her Masters in the Risk and Prevention Program from the Harvard Ed School, is a certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Instructor/200 hours, a graduate of Mindfulness in Education Institute and certified in Daring to Rest Yoga Nidra. Sheryl resides with her family in the beautiful mountains of Warren, Vermont.

The Wellbeing Survey is a tool to help our community better understand how the MRV’s people,

economy, and environment are doing. By asking questions such as your satisfaction with your

personal health, community vitality, or access to recreational opportunities, local organizations can

gain important insight into what the MRV is doing well – and how we can do better.

Results will be shared on the MRV Community Dashboard in summer 2026 and will be used to

improve data-driven decision-making, strengthen Valley-wide wellbeing and resilience, and provide

transparency between MRV residents and officials.

The survey will run until June 12th and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. At the end of

the survey, participants will have the option to enter to win a gift card to DECO restaurant or

Sugarbush SHaRC, or a private chef experience for a family of four from Gather Round Chef Service!

For questions or more information, please contact MRVPD Community Planner Franni Hoag at

franni@mrvpd.org or 802-496-7179.

Website: harwood.org

Facebook: facebook.com/HarwoodUnionHighSchool

Instagram: instagram.com/harwood_union_high_school/
Phone: 802-244-5186

Location: 458 Vermont Rte 100, Moretown, VT 05660

Office Hours: 7:45 - 3:45