Updates from U-32

Dear U-32 Families, Students, and Caregivers,

It was great to see many of you at our Open House on Thursday. During that time, we invited families to fill in this survey about relevance, community and connection. We are working together to consider how we hear input from families over the course of the year and this is just one opportunity for us to gather a little more information. Please consider sharing your thoughts here. This will not be the last time we ask or talk about these questions, your perspective is valuable.

This week we held our first Community Meetings and our annual Opening Circle to welcome the Class of 2026. Students shared their words of inspiration and encouragement for each other. On Wednesday, the Student Council had their beginning of the year retreat. They are already hard at work hosting a Club Fair on September 17th. Student leadership and voice is a hallmark of the U-32 community.

Please join us for The Flynn's Playing Fields on Tuesday, September 9th and there is still room in our Community Learning Series as well.

Best,

Becca

Hello! My name is Tony Snow, and I have the privilege of serving as the Dean of Students at U-32. As I begin my second year in this role, I’m expanding my focus to include not only student support and accountability, but also the culture and everyday experience of being a U-32 student. High school should feel a little bit magical, a pivotal season where you’re nurtured, safe, and held to high expectations that help you discover you can do more than you imagined. My hope is that our seniors will cross the stage surprised (in the best way) by who they’ve become, and that their 7th-grade selves would be proud.

One way we’re building that experience is through Community Meetings. These gatherings are designed to connect each grade outside of the classroom, to share what’s happening in our school, and, most importantly, to lift up student voice. We’ll celebrate learning in the classroom, performances on the stage, teamwork on the field, service in the community, and the quieter wins that often go unseen. Community Meetings won’t just be announcements, they’ll be moments to recognize each other, to practice leadership, and to belong.

I also want to name something clearly: while it is my job to hold students accountable and to follow through on consequences when needed, my starting place is always YES! Yes to student ideas, yes to student leadership, yes to trying something new with the right supports in place. High expectations and kindness aren’t opposites, together, they help students aim higher and experience real growth.

My goal as Dean is simple: every student should feel connected to U-32 and have access to the experiences that define a memorable high school journey, challenging coursework, clubs and teams, performances and showcases, meaningful service, and a community that sees and supports them.

If your student is struggling to connect, or eager to make a difference, I’d love to partner with you. Please reach out at asnow@u32.org, or encourage your student to find me in the halls, at lunch, or at co-curricular events. I’m here to listen, to help, and to say yes whenever we can do so safely and responsibly.

Here’s to a year of belonging, growth, and the kind of moments that become lifelong memories.

Thank you,

For the first time ever, we are producing a Middle School Winter Play! Erin Bogart (director of last year’s Spamalot and this year’s spring musical, Mean Girls) will be directing.

Please note: this play conflicts with fall sports, so students will need to choose one or the other. If you cannot participate this time, we hope you will consider the spring musical, which takes place between winter and spring sports seasons and will not have conflicts.

We have not yet chosen the script—we’ll make the final selection based on who signs up. If you’d like to participate (onstage or backstage), please sign up on this form: SIGN UP FORM

Stage 16 Winter Play Important Dates

• Sept 12, 2025: Cast and Crew Meeting, 3:00-4:30 - location TBD (look for signs on the bulletin board outside of the theater).
• September 15 - December 3: Rehearsals after school from 3:00-4:30 (2:00-4:30 on Wednesdays)
• Dec 1–2, 2025: Tech Rehearsals (potluck dinners)
• Dec 3, 2025: Final Dress Rehearsal
• Dec 4, 2025: In-school performance
• Dec 5, 2025: Evening performance 7:00 PM
• Dec 6, 2025: Matinee 2:00 PM

Stage 32/Stage 16 Calendar - this will give you an idea of what the whole year looks like.

Thanks so much! See you at our first rehearsal/meeting on September 12 from 3:00-4:30. We will choose our play on that day.

Erin Galligan-Baldwin

Director of Theater

U-32 Middle and High School

After School Art Offering: All are welcome. This course is open to any U-32 Student or Staff and can be on a drop-in basis. Sign-up with amyK at akoenigbauer@u32.org

Show up as you are, no materials, requirements, or skills needed. Make art. Art is for everyone.

Look at art in public.

Make art in public (outside of U-32).

Create art that includes our community.

Collaborate on art that is for public space.

Initial meeting Monday Sept. 8th, 2025 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Room 115

Late bus available afterwards

Want Art proficiencies?

Talk to amyK for more information if you are interested in pursuing VAPA proficiencies in this class.

We are still looking for 8 more families to host German high school students to U-32 from Rostock, Germany for a visit in the fall 2025. They will be arriving via train on October 15th and leaving via the airport in Burlington on October 24th.

Responsibilities would include:

• Pick-up from the Montpelier/Berlin train station on October 15th

• Transportation to and from school each day (this can be via school bus)

• A bed and use of a bathroom

• Dinner each evening and inclusion in family/school activities

• Possible weekend activities (TBD)

• You would not be responsible to take them to the airport in Burlington on October 24th, although we will be looking for 1-2 volunteers with larger vehicles to drive them.

The purpose of this exchange is to experience everyday American life. The German students are excited to see how we live and how our school functions. We are excited to organize this opportunity to foster greater global understanding and relationships beyond borders.

Please fill out this form, if you are interested in hosting.

Thank you for considering hosting.

The U-32 Model United Nations Club

Please review the 2025-2026 Student/Family Handbook. Below are some updates to the handbook that are important to note. Students will review this in TA and we encourage you to review the handbook at home as well.

Our Main Office has been revamped. Visitors must sign in at the window to the right as you enter. Sports equipment can no longer be stored in the entryway. If you are picking up your student, please let us know that you are here by entering the building and letting the main office know you are here. Thank you for helping our entryway run smoothly and safely.

To maintain a safe and focused learning environment, food deliveries (from services such as DoorDash, UberEats, Grub Hub etc.) are not permitted for students during the school day. Deliveries create disruptions, pose safety concerns, and can place an added burden on office staff. Students are encouraged to bring lunch from home or utilize the school meal program. Food deliveries are only permitted for after-school activities.

On Tuesday, September 9th at 6:00PM, the Flynn and WCUUSD will host Playing Fields at U-32 on the Main Stadium Field. Free and open to the public, all are welcome!

Playing Fields is a free back-to-school celebration of theatre, circus, and giant puppets featuring Les Girafes, created by Compagnie OFF, an exciting and dynamic street theater troupe from France.

Bring your family, friends, a picnic, and a blanket or foldable chair.
To ease congestion, and for accessibility to all, there is free transportation to U-32 from each WCUUSD elementary school (Rumney, Doty, Berlin, EMES, Calais).

Departure schedule

( Leaving Elementary School at):

Berlin:

5:15 PM

Calais:

5:10 PM

Doty:

5:00 PM

East Montpelier Elementary School:

5:25 PM

Rumney:

5:15 PM

Return to elementary school at conclusion of event.

Important agreements: *No dogs, please!
*No alcohol, tobacco, or tobacco-less nicotine products on campus, please.

We hope to see you there!

Learn more about Playing Fields

Sign-up for classes below

STUDENT/PARENT resources:

IC PLP courses- all students have a course called PLP in the AS (After School) slot in their IC schedule. There is a lot of info so we hope you will check it out.

Naviance - Remember to frequent Naviance as this site helps U-32 students explore post high school planning options, build a resume, manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers. This is also where all of the scholarship opportunities are housed. Each student will work with his/her TA and school counselor in Naviance to create his/her Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs).

If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it yourself. If you have misplaced your registration code, please notify Student Services.

IMPORTANT GRADING INFORMATION

Report Card Dates for 2025-2026

Semester 1 Date available to Students

Quarter 1 HS/MS Progress Report Thurs, November 6, 2025

Quarter 2 HS/MS Report Cards Thurs, January 29, 2026

Semester 2

Quarter 3 HS/MS Progress Report Monday, April 13, 2026

Quarter 4 HS/MS Report Cards TBA mailed pending snow days

OCTOBER 1st at U-32 (lots happening in the HS)

9th grade field trip- more info coming from the 9th grade teams

10th gr- PreACT-

PreACT October 1, 2025 from 8:30-12:00PM at U-32

All sophomores can take the PreACT. The PreACT gives students an estimated ACT score and can be used as an indicator of college and career readiness.

11th gr- PSAT

PSAT Wednesday, October 1, 2025 from 8:15-12:15 PM at U-32

All juniors can take the PSAT. It is a practice test and scores are not reported to colleges. It allows students to become familiar with the SAT format.

12th gr- In School Field Trip

Senior In-school field trip on October 1st: (More info to come)

Workshops being offer:

Common application time

Essay feedback

FAFSA /VSAC grant application

Interviewing skills

Job Search

Resume writing

SAT / ACT Test Preparation (FREE On-line)

U-32 College Fair in the U-32 Atrium on October 7th from 1:00-1:45pm

NEACAC Fair: Saint Michael's College Tarrant Center
October 8th- 6:00pm-8:00pm over 200 colleges/universities attend

Use https://app.strivescan.com/registration to register and make your time at the college fair more efficient.

Things to Do Before Attending the College Fair

1. Look over the list of college fair participants. Use Naviance College Search feature to find colleges that match your interests. Choose the colleges you most want to find out more about. If you have time, research those colleges by checking their Web sites.

2. Write up a short list of questions to ask admission representatives. To compare several schools, plan on asking the same questions at each table. The questions you ask should be unique to your interests and not easily found in standard college materials:

a. What are the two or three most popular majors? (This can give you a good idea of the main interests of a majority of the students.)

b. Ask about the availability and quality of the program(s) or major(s) you are interested in. What are the opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research with faculty members or to do internships? What courses would you take your first year in a particular major?

c. Students who are undecided should ask about what services and support are available to help them explore various majors.

d. Ask about: extracurricular activities, what kinds of students the college is looking for, what percentage of students receive financial aid (not including loans), are merit scholarships available, how do they look at AP scores, and other concerns unique to your interests and situation.

3. Make sure you have the following supplies:

a. A small notebook and pen or a handheld device with your list of colleges and questions

4. Print up a sheet of self-stick address labels. Include (in small font, as much as you can of the following): your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, high school, year of graduation, intended major(s), and any extracurricular activities you’re interested in. At the fair, slap the address labels on the college information cards to save you time in filling out the same information over and over at each college. You may want to create an email account just for college purposes that you and your parents/guardians can access. You can delete the account after you choose which college to attend. Thus not cluttering your inbox!

5. After visiting the fair, jot down your impressions of some of the most interesting colleges you saw as well as some of the answers they gave to your questions. Try to do this as soon as possible, while your impressions are still fresh.

College Calendar and Checklist for Seniors (Juniors, please see the Junior planning calendar in the 11th grade PLP Course in IC)

September

• September 19: Registration deadline for Oct 4 SAT www.collegeboard.com

• ACT information Register atwww.actstudent.org

• Make sure your schedule meets your needs. Be sure all graduation requirements are met. Maintain a rigorous program through your senior year.

• Make an appointment with your counselor to discuss your postsecondary plans. Become familiar with the application procedure.

• Compile / fine tune your college lists to include reach, middles & safety schools

• Meet with college representatives visiting U-32

• Students applying for Early Decision should approach teachers for recommendations as soon as possible.

• Student athletes should check with their counselor or coach about recruiting procedures.

• Seek out scholarship information and apply as appropriate.

• Use Family Connection as a resource for college searches

October

• October 4: SAT

• October 24- Registration deadline for Nov 8 SAT

• TBD: VSAC Paying for College Night

• Start filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). File VSAC application. For more information, visit fafsa.ed.gov.

• Attend the VSAC presentation on filling out the FAFSA. Date TBD

• FAFSA and VSAC Applications should be filed as soon as possible.

• Complete CSS Profile if you haven’t already done so

• ACT information

• Check out commonapp.org to see which colleges accept the common application.

• Meet with college representatives virtually.

• Many colleges use data from CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE to provide non federal financial aid. Begin applying online at profileonline.collegeboard.com.

• Finish a draft of your essay.

• Ask teachers for recommendations. Have a resume to give teachers to help them out.

• Heads up for Early Decision and Early Action deadlines – they usually fall on either November 1 st or 15th. Early Action deadline at UVM is November 1.

• Arrange campus visits

November

• November8 - SAT

• SAT Reasoning & SAT Subject Tests information

• ACT information

• Meet with college representatives virtually.

• Check with your teachers, coaches, and/or TA to ensure that letters of recommendation are sent on time.

• Mail applications for colleges with “rolling” deadlines as soon as possible.

• Keep polishing your essay.

• Continue to attend meetings with college representations.

• Check in with your counselor.

• Remember; Colleges take senior grades seriously.

FIELD TRIP Opportunities

WOMEN CAN DO ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROMOTING STEM & TRADES CAREERS

OCTOBER 9th, 2025 AT VERMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Women Can Do is an annual career exploration conference for high school girls and gender-expansive youth. Students are invited to Vermont Technical College in Randolph, VT for a day of hands-on exploration of STEM and trades careers, and networking with VT professionals, employers, and organizations to learn about secondary education and career opportunities in the state.

If you want to attend, please sign up in U-32 Student Services by Sept 16th

All Scholarships are available on Naviance and the scholarship list is updated weekly.