Updates from U-32

T. Elijah Hawkes, Principal

ehawkes@u32.org

802 -229 -0321

We believe that playfulness and joy in our school community leads to a sense of belonging, building a culture that leads to success. For this reason, students are invited to wear Halloween costumes on Friday, Oct. 30. If a costume violates these guidelines, the student will be required to modify the costume, remove the inappropriate prop, or change into standard school clothing (either provided by the student, parent, or school). Teachers may ask students to adjust their costumes in order to participate in learning activities. Questions, please reach out to Assistant Principal, Jarrod Weiss.

U-32 Halloween Costume Guidelines

FALL Caregiver / Teacher Conferences will be held Friday, November 6. We offer both Virtual and In-Person options to accommodate your schedule

Conference Schedule & Format

• Virtual Slots: 8:00 AM – 10:15 AM

• In-Person Slots: 10:30 AM – 3:15 PM

• HS Off-Team Virtual Slots: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

• Important: Please double-check whether you are selecting a virtual or in-person time slot when signing up!

7th Grade

• Meetings run in 15-minute windows (approx. 12 minutes of conversation to allow for transitions).

• Please sign up for only ONE Core time slot (Granite or Maple). You will meet with two Core teachers who will share updates from all four Core teachers. In-person meetings will take place in one of the Core classrooms.

• Conferences are student-led, and 7th-grade students are expected to attend.

8th Grade

• For the Fall session, families sign up for Quarter 1 off-core classes only (Visual/Performing Arts, World Languages, Health, PE), as well as Teacher Advisory (TA).

• Conferences are student-led, and 8th-grade students are expected to attend.

• Note: 8th Grade Core conferences will take place in March.

9th & 10th Grade Team A, B or C

• Please sign up for only ONE meeting with your student’s designated Team (A, B, or C). You will meet with two team teachers who will represent all four team teachers.

• In-person room locations will be provided in your signup confirmation.

• We strongly encourage 9th and 10th-grade students to attend.

11th and 12th Grade

• Families sign up for meetings with individual teachers.

• Teachers who split time between 9th/10th grade teams and 11th/12th grade classes will have limited individual availability from 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM.

OFF-CORE / OFF-TEAM CLASSES & TA

• You may sign up to meet with Teacher Advisories (TA) and Quarter 1 off-core/off-team elective teachers.

How to Sign Up

• Find your child’s teachers and reserve your time slot by visiting https://ptcfast.com/schools/U32

Looking for 12 students for a life changing adventure

Go to https://www.marine-ed.org/ocean-literacy/essential-principles for a description of the

course's core principles. Our research data is at

https://www.reef.org/db/reports/batch/NBNCbermuda2026.dat.

The course runs from the beginning of January to late July.. We travel to conduct research at

BIOS in Bermuda July 5-12. See the student blog below to understand our Bermuda trip.

https://lucybadger4.wixsite.com/marine-ecology-2025/blog

If interested sign up with Karen Liebermann during callback on Thursday, November 4, 2026.

Please contact me if you have questions at brianslopey@gmail.com

Scholarships are available

Stage 32 is proud to present Slain at the Speakeasy

A Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Play

Friday, November 13 + Saturday, November 14 at 6:00 pm

U-32 Theater + Ruth's Speakeasy

Good for the Whole Family!

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE

About the Show:

It’s a typical night at Ruth’s Speakeasy, where you can find the best jazz singers in town. Gangsters, crooked cops, businessmen, and rising stars can all be found there, and everyone respects Ruth’s rules of “no business” and “no guns.” However, betrayal, vengeance, and greed threaten the peace, and one person ends up killed. Was it the crooked police chief? The sultry jazz singer? A scorned woman? Join private investigator Maxwell Parker as he uncovers secrets and solves the mysteries of Slain at the Speakeasy.

• Show with Dinner tickets available only on-line until Monday, November 9. NO DINNER TICKETS AT THE DOOR.
• Show only tickets available until November 13 and at the Door.
• Show starts at 6:00 p.m. with Dinner at Intermission.
• Act II will resume in the Auditorium with Audience Participation to help solve the crime.
• Come in Costume for our contest with Cash Prizes. We will have a cash-only snack bar.

BUFFET DINNER

Waldorf Salad, Green Salad, Deviled Eggs, Chicken a la King, Sliced Ham, Pasta Salad,

Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Veggies, Desserts, Punch, and Lemon Water.

Don't wait until the first snow!

Download the MyRide app today so you stay informed all season long!

If your student uses school transportation, please make sure you have downloaded the “MyRide” app. We use this app to send out messages, notifications, and alerts for buses running late, late starts, route changes, etc. MyRide is currently our only means of communication around all things bus related. With winter just around the corner, we want to make sure our caregivers are receiving bus notifications in real time.

INSTRUCTIONS: MyRide: View the MyRide flyer website app.pdf to get started.

ENABLE PHONE NOTIFICATIONS: Turn on pop-up or lock-screen notifications in your phone's settings so real-time updates appear right on your screen!

Greetings U32 community!

I wanted to introduce myself and give you some information about my role as the SAP. The acronym SAP (historically Substance Abuse Prevention) has shifted in recent years to reflect the more expansive nature of prevention work. Student Assistance Professionals (SAPs) work to reinforce protective factors while supporting other school professionals and services in bridging the gap between prevention and treatment efforts. I will be working closely with teams to identify students at risk of developing substance misuse issues, intervene and when necessary refer them to community agencies for more specialized or intensive services.

If we think of substance misuse as the downstream effect, my work is focused up steam through education, community building and individual interventions,

Please reach out to me, Lauren Cleary if you have any questions or would like to learn more about prevention efforts at U-32.

As we navigate the cold and flu season, keeping our school community healthy is a team effort. To prevent the spread of illness, please keep your student home if they show any signs of contagious sickness.

The 24-Hour Rule

Children must stay home and be symptom-free for at least 24 full hours without medication before returning to school for the following conditions:

• Fever: Any fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. Your child may return once they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine (such as Tylenol or Motrin).

• Vomiting: Must be symptom-free for 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting.

• Diarrhea: Must be symptom-free for 24 hours after the last episode of loose stool.

Other Reasons to Stay Home or seek medical advice:

• Severe, uncontrollable coughing or difficulty breathing

• Undiagnosed rashes

• Eye drainage or suspected pink eye

How You Can Help

• Notify the School: If your child is staying home sick, please contact the main office to report their absence.

• Practice Good Hygiene: Encourage frequent handwashing with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating and after using the restroom.

• Keep your immune system boosted! Consult with your school nurse or doctor for more information on maintaining a healthy immune system

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, healthy environment for all of our students and staff!

DUAL ENROLLMENT: Vermont high school juniors and seniors can take one FREE college class during their junior and senior year. Dual enrollment gives students the opportunity to experience college while still in high school, and they can earn credit toward a college degree (saving hundreds of dollars in tuition fees).Learn more about dual enrollment at https://education.vermont.gov/student-learning/flexible-pathways/dual-enrollment

Scholarship Opportunities

Check out Naviance Student weekly …. Not Just for Seniors

Not All Colleges and Universities Require SATs/ACTs

Not all admissions processes are created equal. One major point of difference among colleges these days is how admissions officers consider your SAT scores. More schools are de-emphasizing SAT scores as part of your application with “test optional” and “test flexible” policies. One college has even eliminated SAT scores completely!

There are now over 800 accredited, bachelor-degree granting institutions that have changed their approach to standardized test scores. (Keep in mind that the majority of colleges, especially the more prestigious schools, do still require and strongly consider your SAT scores.) Let’s take a look at the different policies and which schools no longer require applicants to submit their scores for admission. Go to www.fairtest.org for more info

SAT / ACT Test preparation FREE

SAT test prep is offered free through Khan Academy by matching your PSAT scores. Students will learn about how to match their accounts at the December callback when they learn how to interpret their scores. ACT also offers free online ACT test prep.

Senior Calendar (see the 12th Gr PLP Course in IC for future months)

October

• October 23- Registration deadline for Nov 7 SAT

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

• 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 nonfederal 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

• November 7th - SAT

• SAT 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.

December

• SAT information

• ACT information

• Put the finishing touches on your essay. Be sure to proofread!

• Try to wrap up applications before winter break. Photocopy all application materials before sending them in.

• Send standardized test scores to your colleges. It can be done electronically at collegeboard.com or by phone at 800-SAT-SCORE.

• Early Decision and Early Action letters start arriving this month. Check with individual schools to confirm dates. Good luck!

• Regular applicants: call admissions offices to set up interviews if needed.

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

• Check in with your Counselor.

🎃 The Scariest Thing? Missing Out on Your Yearbook! 👻

This school year is filled with special moments, new friendships, school spirit, and memories your student will treasure for years to come. Don’t let those memories disappear into the night!

Make sure your student has a yearbook to remember it all!

Order today:www.jostensyearbooks.com

Jim and Deb LaCourse hang lights Wednesday afternoon while setting up for the Jim’sville Haunted Barn in East Montpelier. The barn is located on Route 14 just south of the Central Vermont Humane Society. The spooky barn experience opens this Friday, October 16, 2026 and runs through Halloween. Admission is $10 for U-32 Students, or a family of four for $25. 5:00- 9:00 pm. A 50/50 raffle during the event will raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Build confidence, situational awareness, and practical personal safety skills in a supportive, trauma-informed space. The SAFETY Team is hosting a Level 1 Empowerment Self-Defense Class at U-32 on Wednesday, January 27, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM.

Designed exclusively for female-identifying participants of all fitness levels, this hands-on workshop focuses on boundary setting, physical self-defense techniques, and fostering resilience.

• Date & Time: Wednesday, January 27 | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

• Location: U-32 (930 Gallison Hill Rd, Montpelier, VT)

• Eligibility: Female-identifying participants (all fitness levels welcome)

• Cost: $35/Scholarships available

Sign-Up Information:

To register or learn more, contact info@thesafetyteam.org or visit thesafetyteam.org.

U-32 Student and Family Handbook

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U-32 Tandem Calendar

Easily view and search the U-32 Calendar 2025-2026: Including holidays, team schedules and more.

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