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On Monday, December 16th, we are having our annual holiday concert with the High School Jazz Band and Commodore Singers. We invite people to bring a dessert to share and enjoy this laid-back community celebration.  

Time Change Alert!  The concert has been moved to 7:30 PM! Join us on Monday, the 16th for an evening of wonderful tunes and tasty treats. We hope to see you there!

We need YOUR help to make our upcoming events a success!  Join us in supporting our school athletics by signing up for concessions. It's a great way to show school spirit and connect with our amazing community. 💙

🛠 Volunteer Here: Sign Up Genius

Every shift makes a difference, and we can't do it without you! Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you soon!

Today, Nicole MacTavish and Amy Dorsey from the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center (PAHCC) delivered an engaging presentation to our sophomores, sharing the incredible programs and opportunities available to students.

A huge shoutout to Gerrit Beenan, Calvin Almeida, Megan Lafountaine, and Evan White for speaking to their peers about their experiences in the programs—they were inspiring! 

Students selected their top three programs and will visit two of those during our field trip on December 18th. 

Founded in 1971 and renamed in honor of Patricia A. Hannaford, a beloved faculty member, PAHCC serves high school and adult learners across Addison County and beyond. From technical skills to career growth, PAHCC offers something for everyone.

Sometimes just finding small ways to show you care goes a long way and like many of the other articles we’ve shared, this one works with anyone, but is especially important with your middle schooler. Hope everyone has a great week.

- April & Jay

The Best Way to Connect with a Tween Without Saying a Word

We love this list of small gestures.

By Kate Loweth

November 17, 2024

The one thing we can agree on about the tween and teen years is that it’s all a bit unknown. Those typically chatty middle schoolers go from sharing everything about their day to responding with mono-syllabic answers when questioned about classes or friends. Or they just flat-out argue with you over everything.

Logically, we can understand that it’s all about our teens becoming independent people, but this change can put a serious strain on the parent-child relationship. While we used to connect with our kids by spending time with them, most teens spend the majority of their day in their rooms and prefer to hang out with friends over doing things with family members.

One thing you can do is connect with your tween/teen in non-verbal ways. Psychologist Lucie Hemmen shared some examples in a recent TikTok, and they really resonated with parents. Bonus: They don’t take much effort on your part.

Her list included small gestures parents can do to show their teenagers they care for them:

• Clip a flower from your yard, put it in a vase, and place it in your teenager’s room to show your love.

• Have a snack ready to go for when you pick up your exhausted teenager from sports practice or other activities.

• Run a bubble bath for your child when they come home from volleyball practice.

• Make your child’s bed for them while they’re in the shower to help them have a calm space before school.

Parents in the comments offered additional ideas, including preparing coffee for older teens who are heading off to work and making your child’s favorite dinner. Notice that none of these gestures cost a lot of money or are particularly time-consuming. “Small gestures can remind your teen that even though things can get tough between you, that you love them, you’re anticipating things that will make their day easier, and that you care,” Hemmen says.

This year marks a new milestone as our school achieved its highest percentage of auditioners making it at both the high school and middle school levels!  The level of competition has grown significantly in recent years, making these accomplishments even more impressive.

To everyone who auditioned—your hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed. We can’t wait to see you shine at the upcoming festivals! 

Stay tuned for more details on what’s next! 🎵

High School Band

• Adrienne Smits – Oboe 1 (first chair)
• Marybeth Cosgrove – Flute 2 (2^nd chair)
• Bryan Norton – Snare Drum (4^th chair)
• Megan Mentzer – Snare, Timpani and Mallets (1^st chair all)
• Chance Koenig – Tuba
• Cole Gagnon – Trombone 3 (1st chair)
• Grey Fearon – Trombone 1 (1^st chair)
• Moriah Clevenstine – Trumpet 2 (2^nd chair)
• Jing Williams – Trumpet 1 (2^nd chair)
• Mia Kutchukian – Trumpet 1 (3^rd chair)
• Micah Clevenstine – Tenor Sax (2^nd chair)
• Petra Fearon – Clarinet 3 (1^st chair)
• Madeline Stroup – Clarinet 3 (2^nd chair)
• Megan Willis – Alto Sax 2 (4^th chair)

High School Jazz Band

• Micah Clevenstine – Tenor Sax 1 and Piano 
• Megan Mentzer – Drum Set
• Jing Williams – Trumpet 2

Writing & Photography by Teagan Madison

Come take a look at the Middle School Creative Arts photo wall in the hallway across from the cafeteria. The poster shows the photographers are Fiona, Morgan F., Teagan, and Serenidy. In this club, we don’t just take photos; we do filmmaking and scriptwriting. You might see us in the hall having fun, making films, or taking pictures during club time. We explore the school and sometimes get to go outside. More photos will come to spark your inspiration.   

All students have now had a chance to see Wicked after today's trip. Students really enjoyed the movie, the concessions, and some really got into the spirit!

CAST & CASTE

In our Holocaust unit this week, students were cast as roles in a two-act dramatization of The Diary of Anne Frank. We read Act One in these small groups, immersing ourselves in what life might have felt like for people in hiding during World War II. Students did an amazing job getting into character and making the story come alive. 

Parallel to our play, we also began examining the dimensions of caste systems. We will dive deeper into this by reading excerpts of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (young reader's edition) and discussing the connections to the Holocaust. 

We know these can be intense topics, so check in with your students to discuss their thoughts about what we are learning and discussing. We expect to read Act Two of The Diary of Anne Frank by the end of this upcoming week, while also comparing and contrasting the original diary to the dramatic adaptation.

AMERICANS & THE HOLOCAUST

We traveled to the US Holocaust Museum's traveling exhibit, Americans & The Holocaust in Stowe before Thanksgiving. We had great discussions about American media coverage of the events in Europe during World War II--what the public knew and when, and the power of public opinion to drive decision-making about whether or not to engage in the conflict. Here are some pictures from our visit!