WCS Students Win a National Competition

Williston Central School's Equinox team is comprised of third and fourth graders. Two of the teachers, Jamie Coffey and Karin Ward, each adopted cows through the Discover Dairy program. They both got calves from the Gervis Family Farm in Enosburg, Vermont. Jamie and Karin shared photos over time with their combined classes to watch the progress of Aurora and Tawny.

Aurora is the heifer on the left and Tawny is the Brown Swiss on the right

Then they received an email with a challenge to make a video to go with the Discover Diary song. Students helped to choreograph the movements and started learning the words to the song as fluency practice. Thanks to other adults in the building, Tara Weegar and Jessica Wilson, the video was created and submitted. They won the award for the grades 3-5 category, nationally! 

The students won an ice cream party with heifer-patterned décor and lots of Vermont ice cream from Wilcox Dairy, a farm that sits at the base of Mount Equinox. 

Congratulations! 

An Exciting Finish at the State Geo-Bee Finals

Here's a guest post from Sam Nelson, SCS educator and Geo-Bee coach. Thanks also to Josh Roof, WCS Geo-Bee coach. Congratulations to both of you and thank you for your support of these students. 

On May 8th, students from schools around the state gathered at Montpelier High School for the 5-8th grade Vermont State Geography Bee. After a COVID-related hiatus, the Bee returned this year to offer the opportunity for students to flex their knowledge while answering quiz questions centered on state, national, and international geography and culture. The format is simple: sitting in rows of four, students answer individual questions to accumulate points for their teams. The team with the highest point total at the end of 12 rounds of questions is the winner.

At this year's Geo Bee, Shelburne Community School competed against four other schools: Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School, St. Johnsbury School, U-32, and Williston Central School. For SCS, the four 7th grade students representing their school were Ben Gardner, Jonny Thayer, Josh Kalbfleisch, and Leo Wang. For WCS, the team included Avery Antonioli, Kai Maxwell, Charles Meisenzahl, Grayson Pogact, and Annika Scott.

After the first four rounds, SCS had a two-point lead over both Williston and U-32. Four rounds later, however, SCS was down two points to Williston, U-32 and St. Johnsbury. The audience was audibly excited as the scores were close going into the final set of questions.

By the 11th and 12th rounds of questions it was clear that the two schools competing for the win were SCS and Williston. In the final round of questions it was Leo who came through for SCS. Navigating tricky questions centered on the Middle East, Leo came away answering the final round question correctly and, after an incorrect answer from a Williston team member, the results were in: Shelburne and Williston were tied after the final round.

This forced a playoff. Teams had five minutes to calm themselves and prepare. All four members of the SCS team used the opportunity to review a classroom atlas and cram whatever geographic knowledge they could before moving back to their seats on the stage. 

A notable moment came when, before the final round of questions were presented to the two teams, students from both SCS and Williston offered each other fist-bumps, handshakes, and "good luck" sentiments. This served as a model of respect and kindness within a heated competition. 

As the final questions were presented to each student on the two remaining teams, things came down to Leo needing a correct answer to seal the victory. To the question On which of the following seas does Iran have a border: the Aral Sea, the Black Sea, or the Caspian Sea? Leo took a moment, inhaled, and correctly responded with "the Caspian Sea".

Scores were announced, students celebrated, and more congratulatory handshakes and kind sentiments were shared. The SCS team held the state championship trophy high, capping off a triumphant return of the Vermont State Geography Bee. The WCS team ultimately finished as runners up by one point.

What an exciting finish. Way to go to both teams and their coaches! Thank you for representing CVSD and for your hard work that led to this great accomplishment! 

The SCS team and state champs

CVU Mock Trial Team Earns Second Place

 Thank you to CVU Business Teacher, George Schock, for this guest post. 

CVU competed in the Vermont State Mock Trial Competition held at Vermont Law School. I’m thrilled to announce that the team (Sunny Francis, Ava Nnochiri, Derek Allen, Xander Olszewski, Lily Gruber, Gabriel Dartt), in only their second year competing, took SECOND PLACE in the competition. The team is incredibly proud of the fact that CVU was the first non-MMU (Mt. Mansfield) team to make it to the final round in 5 years!

In addition to the second place trophy, Sunny Francis took the honors of Best Defense Attorney, while Xander Olszewski walked away with the Best Defense Witness award.

The format of the event includes (2) consecutive trials where teams face opposing counsels from other schools. The (2) top scoring teams from these rounds get to compete in front of a packed house in the main court. Each team is made up of (3) attorneys and (3) Witnesses. Attorney’s are scored on how well they deliver opening and closing statements, as well as their ability to conduct direct and cross examination of witnesses. The witnesses must fully embody their character, by not only delivering credible and convincing responses to direct examination from their CVU peers, but also hold up to the intense cross examination coming from the competing team. Each member of the team is scored by sitting state and federal judges, and each member’s performance contributes to the team’s overall score.

Sunny Francis (Attorney) demonstrated an incredible ability to deliver engrossing opening and closing statements that not only convinced the judges of our defendant's innocence, but kept the spectators hanging on his every word. Ava Nnochiri (Attorney) crafted nuanced direct examination questions of key witnesses, while keeping the prosecution's witnesses on their toes during the cross. Derek Allen (Attorney), displayed incredible confidence and charisma when leading each witness through his line of questioning. His confidence was even more impressive since he joined the team just a week before the competition! Xander Olszewski (witness) played a vital role as the defendant during the trial. His character was accused of murder, and the sincere emotion shown Xander showed on the stand, along with his confidence during cross, was unreal. Lily Gruber (witness) served as a witness who had to convince the jury of the defendant's alibi and showed unflinching poise and composure. Lily’s talent for acting really was on display as she played an actress in her role! Finally, Gabriel Dartt (witness), stepped into the role of a used car salesman, effectively spinning a tale describing his expertise while confidently supporting our side of the story.

This competition is an incredible challenge. It requires the ability to manage intense stress while thinking on your feet - not to mention an insane amount of reading and research. I’m incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished thanks to their focused dedication and hard work.

Lindy Gramling wins 2023 Adapted Physical Educator of the Year Award

Williston Physical Educators, Cathy Kohlasch, Dustin King and Kate Grozier congratulate Lindy Gramling (in white) for her recognition as the 2023 SHAPE Vermont Adapted Physical Educator Award.

Lindy Gramling, a school-based physical therapist for the Champlain Valley School District, has been named the 2023 Adapted Physical Educator of the Year by SHAPE Vermont, the Society of Health and Physical Educators.

Lindy has been a physical therapist for 29 years and has worked with many students and staff in the Champlain Valley School District since 2019.

Lindy is an advocate for students who collaborates and communicates thoroughly with a comprehensive team of physical educators, special education case managers, classroom teachers, families, and primary care medical personnel.

She was recognized for her outstanding work as a professional who supports students with skill work, participation, and inclusion to be sure their best interests and needs are met.

"I cherish feeling so invited by my PE colleagues into the service of these amazing kids. Whether sharing lunchtime together on the gym floor or connecting in the offices, classroom, and hallways, we always find time to share our observations, our perspectives, and creativity about helping children thrive in the PE classroom. Being part of such a collaborative and inspired team is as joyful as seeing the children I work with feel a sense of pride successfully participating with their peers."   - Lindy Gramling

"Lindy's years of experience, professionalism, smile, enthusiasm, and perseverance make for a positive connection with all. We are fortunate to have such a caring and competent person assisting the students, families, and staff in our district."   - Cathy Kohlasch, Williston Central School Physical Education Teacher

Congratulations, Lindy and thank you for all you do for students in Williston and CVSD!

CVU Scholars Bowl Team Takes the Championship!

The team from Champlain Valley Union High School secured the state high school academic championship on Saturday, April 6th, winning the Vermont-NEA Scholars' Bowl at Montpelier High School.

CVU capped a run of four blowout wins at the April playoffs with a 505-245 victory over defending champion Burlington. The Redhawks also swept through the first set of playoffs in January, meaning they secured their third state championship overall and second in the last three years without needing to play in a championship match.

The result capped a dominant season which saw the Redhawks win every Vermont competition without losing a match. Including the regional round in the fall, the Redhawks finished the state tournaments with a record of 23 wins and no losses. CVU also won the the league's three side tournaments -- the Sue Pasco Opening Tournament in September, the Pre-Holiday Academic Tournament in December, and the Vermont NAQT Championship in March -- to finish the regular season with an overall record of 47-0.

A similar situation occurred in the JV tournament as January winner CVU B outlasted Burlington B, 330-240, in the JV championship game. CVU's JV players have now won that tournament eight of the past eleven seasons.

Scholars' Bowl is a question-and-answer quiz competition, similar to Jeopardy! but featuring teams of high school students and with a heavier focus on the academic curriculum. The tournament has been held annually since the 1983-84 school year and is sponsored by the Vermont-National Education Association.

Competing members of the CVU team Saturday included (varsity) Frank Fidler, Jacob Graham, Elias Leventhal, Zoe Mui, Colin Ravlin, Nolan Sandage (JV) Mateo Dienz- Del Rio, Dylan Elder, Leo Elder, Willcox Elliott, Leah Rauch, Charles Redmond, and Wylie Ricklefs. The team is coached by CVU teachers John Bennett and Kiran MacCormick. Some members of the CVU team will be traveling to Atlanta with their coaches to compete in the High School National Championship Tournament (HSNCT).

Congratulations to the CVU Robotics Teams!

 Here's a guest post from CVU Robotics Coach, Olaf Verdonk: 

Both of CVU's robotics teams competed at the Vermont State Robotics Championship held at Lamoille Union High School. Both teams performed with excellence!

The Varsity RoboHawks earned 1st place in the Inspire Award once again due to their outstanding work in STEM outreach to CVSD and the community and their ability to clearly and effectively communicate their engineering design process and growth both in writing and presentation. This most prestigious award qualifies them for the World Championships in Houston in April!

The JV RedHawks earned great reviews from judges as a rookie team and they earned the prestigious Judges Award and a 3rd place in the Connect Award.

In the competition the JV robot performed flawlessly and never had a breakdown!

The Varsity robot performed excellent in all areas and working together in an alliance with South Burlington's robot they were able to win the tournament! They sailed through the semis beating an alliance between Mater Christi and MMU. Winning best of three (in two) 193 to 68 and 103 to 55. They then went on to dominate the finals beating an alliance between Saxton River and Manchester! Winning best of three again in two 137 to 64 and 153 to 65.

EXTRA KUDOS go to James Haines for being selected as a FIRST Robotics Dean's List Finalist to represent Vermont at the World Championships! A well deserved honor!

Congratulations to both teams! 

CVU Student Recognized for Innovative App Design

Congratulations to Clay Nicholson, a 10th grader from Williston, who was selected by US Representative Becca Balint's office as this year's Vermont winner of the Congressional App Challenge. Clay submitted the video below as part of his application. In the video, Clay outlined his app called Lexiscan. Clay not only conceptualized the idea but also brought it to life by personally developing the app. In his video, he shares that his motivation stemmed from observing the challenges faced by a friend with dyslexia while reading. We highly recommend viewing the video.

This is the third year in a row that a CVU student has been recognized for this contest! Way to go CVU computer science! 

The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during their annual #HouseOfCode festival. The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from Omidyar Network, AWS, theCoderSchool, Facebook, Replit, Accenture, and others.

Thank you to Becca Balint for supporting this effort. At this time, the Congressional App Challenge website has not yet been updated to showcase the 2023 winners. 

See our posts about the other CVU winners! 

2022

2021

Congratulations, Clay!

CVSD UVM Outstanding Educators 2023

We are proud to share that Jen Bickel-Hayes and Michaela Whitman were recognized recently at UVM's 43rd Outstanding Educator event. Jen is a school counselor at CVU and Michaela is a primary teacher at Hinesburg Community School. They were nominated by their peers and building administrators. 

The comments below were submitted with their nominations for this award.

Jen Bickel-Hayes Champlain Valley Union High School, Champlain Valley School District 

Jen takes responsibility for the students who she most directly serves, and works tirelessly meeting their educational and mental health needs. She manages the school’s Naviance system, communicates with families, helps coordinates with transfer students, while squeezing in more students than her schedule physically allows - and all with a smile on her face. She makes every student feel seen, heard, and cared for. Jen cares about her work, the people she serves, and the systems she oversees.

Michaela Whitman Hinesburg Community School, Champlain Valley School District 

Michaela is an incredibly collaborative teacher. She is eager to learn new teaching strategies. I see her actively implementing those ideas and sharing her observations with her team. Michaela builds a community within her classroom and finds ways to include all students. She works actively to keep all students engaged in the classroom. Michaela has a wealth of professional knowledge about teaching.

Congratulations to Jen and Michaela and thank you for all you do on behalf of CVSD students!

Two CVSD Educators Recognized for Work Around Technology

Tim O'Leary

Tim O’Leary, currently serving as the Instructional Coach and  Curriculum leader at Shelburne Community School, was recently honored with the Frank Watson Award by Vita-Learn. Tim consistently demonstrates a remarkable dedication to his profession, approaching his work with unwavering professionalism and enthusiasm. His tireless efforts are aimed at enhancing student outcomes through information technology, and he fearlessly engages in initiatives that promote enhanced learning experiences.

As a 2020 Rowland Fellow, Tim, alongside Charlie MacFadyen from CVU, worked on developing an equitable K-12 computer science program across CVSD. Tim is a fervent advocate for educational equity and improved access to technology and computer science. He played a pivotal role in implementing First Lego League groups in all K-8 schools within our district.

In addition to his advocacy and active involvement, Tim is a dedicated member of the Computer Science Teachers Association and serves as a board member for the Vermont chapter. He has been instrumental in advocating for Vermont students' access to the Congressional App Challenge.

The Frank Watson Award, presented by Vita-Learn, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to educational technology in Vermont, spanning local, regional, and state levels. This marks the third consecutive year that a CVSD educator has been honored with this prestigious award.

Charlie MacFadyen receiving his award

Charlie MacFadyen was honored with the CS Teaching Excellence Award at the recent New England regional Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) meeting. His recognition stems from his exceptional leadership in computer science (CS) both at CVU and district-wide over the past few years.

Charlie holds the role of digital learning leader at CVU and actively instructs computer science classes, contributing to the expansion of CS offerings at the school. Moreover, he dedicates his time to coaching the cyberpatriot team and the math league, while also assisting in the coordination of various events for these groups. His leadership style is characterized by thoughtfulness, creativity, and dedication to staff and students.

The CSTA's CS Teaching Excellence Awards are designed to acknowledge the exceptional teaching efforts of K-12 computer science teachers. Recipients of this award excel in inspiring students to explore the field of computer science, engaging them in learning rigorous standards-aligned CS content, and working towards broadening the participation of underrepresented students in computing.

Students at CVU Awarded National Recognition!

We’re celebrating fourteen Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU) students, representing some of the 72,000 students from across the country who earned academic honors from College Board’s National Recognition Programs! The National Recognition Programs honor the strong academic achievements of underrepresented students. They’re an easy way for students to showcase their hard work in high school. The programs not only benefit students. They also benefit colleges looking to recruit diverse, talented students.

There’s so much that makes students like these unique. That’s an asset to colleges and programs. The National Recognition Programs help students like these find ways to celebrate that. Eligible students apply on BigFuture. They have a GPA of 3.5 or higher. They’re the top 10% of PSAT/NMSQT® or PSAT™ 10 assessment takers in each state for each program or have earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP® Exams. They either attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Indigenous/Native. They’re invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year. 

Awardees (as of August 17) from CVU High School include:

• Abby Niquette: NRSTA
• Ava Bouchard: NRSTA
• Brendan Fellows: NRSTA
• Charles Sprigg: NRSTA
• Charles Simons: NRSTA
• Elias Leventhal: NRSTA
• George Fidler: NRSTA
• Hannah Kuhlmeier: NRSTA
• Jacqueline Goldsmith: NRSTA
• Kaylee Bliss: NRSTA
• Kyle Stewart: NRSTA
• Lily O'Brien: NRSTA
• Veronica Miskavage: NRSTA
• Zorah Ngu: NAARA

Award Key:
National African American Recognition Award (NAARA)
National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)
National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA)
National Indigenous Award (NIA)

Congratulations!

CVU Math League Accomplishments

 Thank you to Charlie MacFadyen, CVU's Math League coach, for providing this update. 

The CVU Math League Team has wrapped up a very successful year! We tied with South Burlington High School as co-champions of the Greater Burlington Math League, capping off CVU’s best season ever! And we did it in style with our new T-shirts! Of the 14 awards given out for individual performances in the league, 5 of them went to CVU students.

Team members who competed this year included Anna Dauerman, Patterson Frazier, Thomas Garavelli, Jacob Graham, Alyssa Hill, Joe Jacobs, Dan Knight, Georgia Knight, Elias Leventhal, Jacob Medici, David Merchant, Veronica Miskavage, Clay Nicholson, Lily O’Brien, Wylie Ricklefs, Keaton St. Martin, Julia Shrier, and Sam Yager.

In addition to our league competition, students also participated in the American Mathematics Competition, the UVM High School Prize Exam in Mathematics, and the Vermont State Mathematics Coalition Talent Search Contest (coordinated by CVU math teacher, Kiran MacCormick).

The results for the UVM Prize Exam just came out and CVU had three students in the top ten statewide (Elias Leventhal in 2nd, Jacob Graham in 3rd, and Keaton St. Martin tied for 8th) and six students receiving Certificates of Merit. Earlier in the year, Elias and Jacob also qualified and sat for the prestigious American Invitational Mathematics Exam, based on their scores on the AMC.

Most importantly, this is a fun, collegial group of students who just love to solve problems and it's a pleasure to work with them.

Thanks again to Kiran MacCormick for all of his help with the team and to the CVU math department for all you do!

Congratulations math superstars!

Robotics in Action

We are thrilled to share the positive news about the expansion of robotics in CVSD. CVU's Robohawks have led the way on many levels. First, they garnered well-deserved attention for their own success as the Vermont Robotics Champions, which we wrote about last spring here. They traveled to Houston to compete in the FIRST Robotics World Championship. That was an amazing experience, where they connected with and learned from other robotics teams and represented CVSD well.

Also last spring, the Robohawks were awarded a grant to support robotics teams at our other schools. That grant provided materials for teams from each of our K-8 schools, enabling them to learn about, prepare, practice, and then participate in FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competitions. The Robohawks followed that up this year by visiting the K-8 teams and offered guidance, expertise, and enthusiastic support. 

Early this fall, teams were formed and coaches and volunteers were recruited. Funding for the coaches and some additional materials was provided by a number of district grants including a Rowland Foundation grant awarded to Tim O'Leary and Charlie MacFadyen and a CVSD Innovation grant. Tim O'Leary was especially instrumental in organizing and supporting the effort to get the FLL teams underway.

We are proud to say that every one of CVSD's K-8 schools had a team this year and they all participated in the Vermont FIRST LEGO League competition at the end of January. Some photos from that event and comments from coaches and students can be found below. 

From WCS Coach Allan Miller: 

It was great to see all 4 CVSD schools field successful teams this year and a huge thank you to Tim O’Leary and Charlie MacFadyen for sharing the Roland grant funds to help support the teams and Olaf Verdonk and the CVU Robohawks for their financial and technical support. This is probably the most successful full-district initiative I’ve seen in the past 10 years.

From SCS Coach Joey Adams: 

The SCS RoboCats finished up their first season with a resounding crescendo of teamwork and joy at the First Lego League Robotics State Championships at Norwich University on January 28th. The team was composed of over forty SCS students from grades 4th-7th who participated in the after-school sport from October to January. Their dedication to teamwork, building friendships, and having fun were on full display at the competition and throughout the season. The RoboCats worked hard on building robots to solve complex missions that involved learning and applying computer coding skills while working interdependently. The competition also included an intense judging panel that interviewed the RoboCats about their team roles, challenges, and what they learned as individuals and as a team. A quote from many RoboCats during the judging panel and feedback received about this new sport at SCS is best summed up: "...we worked so hard as a team and we learned so much but we also had so much fun while making new friends..." The RoboCats and the coaches can't wait for next season where we plan to roar with joy even louder together! 

From Tim Holcomb and CCS:

The kids worked really hard in completing several missions and getting their attachments to cooperate. With lots of innovation and creativity, they were proud of (and surprised) at how well they performed at the competition. As a team, we are looking forward to growing and continuing our program.

From HCS Student Jo Reiley:

On January 28, 2023, twenty-six teams gathered at Norwich University for the FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) Statewide Championship. Among the teams was a group of ten HCS students from 4th through 8th grade gathered at Norwich to test their coding skills and teamwork. They raced against another team’s robot to complete a set of missions in the span of two and a half minutes. They had been preparing for this moment since October, starting out by just doing a couple of team building activities then slowly escalating into building complex Lego builds including wind turbines, as well as researching a chosen community problem to face for the Innovation Project.

FLL was originally founded by Dean Kamen in 1998. He worked with the owner of the LEGO group Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen to create a fun, STEM, teamwork emphasizing competition. Since then, teams from around the country have been working to code their robot and figure out what their Innovation Project is going to be about.

The team from HCS, or “Platinum Builders,” chose to do three different missions and got set on making those perfect. Their Innovation Project on the other hand was about turbines and their ability to collect energy. No one knew each other very well in the beginning but throughout the past couple of weeks, they have created quite a bond with each other. They hope that their team will grow next year and can’t wait to partake in the competition again.

- HCS coaches are Stephanie Bruning and Sunshine Ouimette

And finally, the Robohawks did it again and defended their title last weekend as Vermont state champions! Here's a description from coach Olaf Verdonk. 

CVU hosted the annual Vermont FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Championship this past weekend. There were 19 robotics teams from all over Vermont and this is the second year that CVU has entered TWO teams into the tournament; the varsity squad RoboHawks (#5741) and the JV squad RoboRedhawks (#22683). You may recall that last year the RoboHawks qualified for the World Championship...well this year both teams were outstanding!
This year CVU will be sending not one team to the World Championship, but BOTH teams!

The JV team managed to outplay the varsity team and led the way to the afternoon playoff stages. The JV team created an alliance partnership with the varsity team and together this CVU alliance won the tournament! The best of three finals were SUPER exciting with the CVU alliance winning the last match by only 4 points! The tournament win gives the JV team a berth for the World Championship in Houston, TX. Not to be outdone by the JV team, the varsity RoboHawks team were selected as the prestigious Inspire Award champions as the best team and robot in the tournament which qualified them for the World Championship in Houston, TX in April.

The RoboHawks won several other awards due to their outstanding work in all aspects of the competition. They vastly outscored all teams in the judged presentation, design, and engineering portfolio events of the tournament.

This document outlines all their awards, as well as description of the semi-final and final knockout stage matches.

RoboHawks:
Crawford Phillips, Jared Kennedy, Sam Yager, Violet Fennern, Jack Gourlay, James Haines, Addison Hoopes, Joe Jacobs, Jaden Parker

RoboRedhawks:
Clay Nicholson, Braden Griffin, Will Akerly, Gavin Blackburn, Jacob Graham, with support from Rhett Gardner and Sean Maynard

Congratulations and well done to all students, coaches, and volunteers! 

 

An Award Winning App for a CVU Student

Congratulations to Jaden Parker, this year's Vermont Congressional App Challenge winner!

 
Jaden, a senior at CVU from St. George, created an app called Hollow Valley using JavaScript and HTML programming languages. 

When asked about how it feels to have won this challenge for Vermont, Jaden said, 

"If I had to summarize my feelings about winning down to one word I'd choose empowering. Computer programming is a fiercely competitive sector. While the coding itself is difficult, creating something of your own design requires a different level of creativity than I'm used to. With my app, I put some of my best work forward and a lot of hours. Winning this award makes it all feel worth it. I'm incredibly thankful to my mentors who pushed me to submit my app to this challenge, without the guidance of people like Charlie MacFadyen I wouldn't have been able to have this opportunity."

Jaden provided the following information about his app and the development process.

Please briefly describe what your app does.
My app is a platforming game consisting of three levels. Each level operates on a canvas with platforms drawn using a series of intervals and functions. Each level is re-playable and is accessed through a level-select screen.

What inspired you to create this app?
I was introduced to HTML files and canvases during a computer programming class I took at CVU during the spring of 2022. For my final project I chose to create a simple game. The game I submitted for that class was used as a building off point for the app that I submitted for the contest.

What improvements would you make if you were to create a 2.0 version of your app?
I am currently working on the next version of the app. I will be adding more levels, improving the textures of the platforms, and adding a life-counting system that will make it possible to lose each level.

Where did you do most of the coding for your app?
I did most of the coding on the program VScode, with most of my time spent at home. However, I did spend some time at school in a CVU computer programming class where I am a Teacher’s Assistant, debugging with assistance from some of my students.

Did you create this app as part of a project for school, a coding club, or a similar organization?
The app began as a project for school, and is now a personal project that I hope to improve as I become a better programmer. One day I may even be able to publish the game as a playable app.

Jaden submitted this video describing his app as part of the application process and gave us permission to share it here. 

The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival. The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from Omidyar Network, AWS, theCoderSchool, Facebook, Replit, Accenture, and others.

We remain hopeful that Vermont students will continue to have this opportunity as Becca Balint joins the House as Vermont's representative. 

The 2021 Vermont winners of the Congressional App Challenge, Addison and Max, are also CVU students. We are very proud of the accomplishments of CVU students and are thrilled that their work is being recognized by others.

On a somewhat related note, Jaden was also one of three CVU students who visited Shelburne Community School recently to judge and provide feedback on 5th-graders' app concept presentations.

Congratulations to Jaden, and again to Addison and Max! 

CVU Graduate Selected for Art Recognition

 

One of Iain's pieces

We are very excited to announce that The 2022 AP Art and Design Digital Exhibit is now available online and that one of our students, Iain Mahaffey - CVU class of 2022, has been featured! Iain is from Charlotte, Vermont.

The exhibit features 50 high school artists from six countries selected from more than 62,000 portfolios who submitted work to the 2022 AP Art and Design Exam. The featured students represent outstanding examples from the Sustained Investigation and Selected Works portfolio components. The exhibit is designed not only to showcase the rigor and excellence of the AP Art and Design portfolio but also as an exemplary teaching tool shared with AP Art and Design students worldwide. In this capacity, high-achieving students' artwork and statements, teacher statements, and school leader statements help teach best practices and support arts advocacy.

Student participation in AP Art and Design requires that each student's work is informed and guided by observation, research, experimentation, discussion, critical analysis, and reflection, relating individual practices to the art world. Students document their artistic ideas and practices to demonstrate conceptual and technical development to create a portfolio of work. Portfolios include works of art and design, process documentation, and written information about the work presented. In May, students submit portfolios for evaluation based on specific criteria, which include skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas and sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision, guided by questions. In addition, the AP Art and Design Program supports students in becoming inventive artistic scholars who contribute to visual culture through art making—annually showcased through the AP Art and Design Exhibit.

"College Board is pleased to showcase the 2022 AP Art and Design Exhibit featuring student works, images, and statements, and teacher and school leader statements," said Rebecca Stone-Danahy, Director of AP Art and Design. "The exhibit provides insight into inquiry-based portfolio development in AP 3-D Art and Design, AP 2-D Art and Design, and AP Drawing. Through AP Art and Design, students define themselves as future art leaders, making visual connections based on honest explorations of internal and external worlds."

"AP Art and Design students consistently demonstrate innovation and creativity through the inquiry-based curriculum," said Trevor Packer, Head of the AP Program. "Their portfolio development based on personal experiences continues to impress and inspire viewers, and I commend them on their accomplishments."

The AP Art and Design program was founded in 1972, and as of 1978, about 4,500 students had completed portfolios for submission to the program. Today, over 62,000 students participate annually. Research shows that AP students are better prepared for college, and those who receive a score of three or higher (on a scale of one to five) are eligible to receive college credit. AP students are more likely to enroll in college, stay in college, do well in their classes, and graduate on time in four years. Following challenging coursework, success on AP Exams helps students save money on college tuition and potentially graduate with less student debt over the course of their education.

There are currently 30 students enrolled in AP Art and Design at CVU.

Congratulations, Iain!


To learn more about the AP Art and Design portfolio and exam requirements, please download and review the course and exam description by clicking here.

Williston's Digital Learning Leader Wins Award

 

Williston’s Digital Learning Leader, Jessica Wilson, was presented with VitaLearn’s Frank Watson Award on Friday at their annual Vermont Fest conference in Killington.

The award is presented to a person whose many years of devoted service, vision, and leadership have significantly advanced educational technology at the local, regional, and state level. Jessica has not only served on the board of VitaLearn for many years, Vermont’s ISTE affiliate, but she also served on the board of RETN (now known as the Media Factory) and continues to serve on the board of the Vermont NEA.

Jessica has educated elementary and middle school students at both the Hinesburg Community School and the Williston schools with the state of the art technology through the rapidly changing eras of iPads and Chromebooks. She inspires students and adults to explore new ideas including video production, live-streaming school events, computer animation, coding and more.

Each year, she inspires teachers and their students to participate in the Doodle for Google contest. As a result, an Allen Brook School first grader was last year's Vermont winner.

She is enthusiastic and passionate about digital learning and how digital tools support and enhance learning. Jessica works with everyone in the Williston schools, supporting all efforts that pertain to educational technology. She also serves on Williston’s wellness and safety committees.

Greg Marino, lead principal for the Williston schools, had this to share, 

"The Williston Schools are so grateful for the years of dedicated and expert support of our Digital Learning Leader, Jessica Wilson. Jess is constantly stepping up and stepping in to whatever it takes to advance student learning, especially in areas of transformative and responsible use of digital-age tools in teaching and learning. She serves as a role model to students and adults - not just for what it means to be a good digital citizen, but also a good human being."

We are truly appreciative of all that Jessica does for Williston, CVSD, and others in Vermont.

Congratulations, Jessica!

SCS Paraeducator Recognized!

We are thrilled to share that Gloria Mantagaris, a paraeducator at the Shelburne Community School (SCS), has been named the Vermont NEA's Education Support Professional of the Year! 

Gloria was honored at a surprise ceremony today at SCS, surrounded by colleagues. 

Gloria was surprised at todays' event!

Gloria and Stephanie Dupras, who nominated her for this award.

The VT-NEA shared this information in their press release announcing Gloria's award: 

On this national Education Support Professionals Day, we are pleased to announce that Gloria Mantagaris, an intensive needs paraeducator at the Shelburne Community School, has been named the Vermont-NEA ESP of the Year for 2023. A leader, negotiator, and active member of the Champlain Valley Education Association, Gloria was instrumental in forming her district’s Paraeducator Mentor Program. She has also helped secure extra sick time and an additional paid week during April break for ESP. In short, according to Stephanie Dupras, who is the co-coordinator of the ESP Peer Mentor Program, “Gloria’s passion for this profession is unparalleled. She is always an advocate for what is right and just for all ESP families. She is a peer that I look to in admiration for all she does for the ESP profession.”

As the Vermont-NEA ESP of the Year, Gloria will receive a $1,000 check, an all-expenses paid trip to the NEA ESP Conference in March, and will represent the state in the national ESP of the Year contest, which carries a top prize of $10,000.

“The core of my work is to foster trusting relationships with all students,” she said in her application. “Student success is driven by meeting them at their needs and this something I live and work by.” 

This marks the second year in a row that a CVSD education support professional has received this recognition. Jimmy Johnson, one of our valued bus drivers, was honored last year. We are so very proud! 

We encourage our communities to help to recognize and thank CVSD Education Support Professionals (ESPs) every day, but especially today, which is National ESP Day. ESPs include paraeducators like Gloria, food service staff, custodians and maintenance crew, bus drivers, and many more that not only support our programs, schools, and students, but also help to keep our schools safe, healthy, and welcoming for all. 

Congratulations Gloria!

 

CVSD UVM Outstanding Educators 2022

We are proud to share that Hannah Carey and Heidi Huestis were recognized today at UVM's 42nd Outstanding Educator event. Hannah is a math teacher at CVU and Heidi is the librarian at Charlotte Central School. They were nominated by their peers and building administrators. 

The comments below were submitted with their nominations for this award.

Hannah Carey is a creative, connected, and collaborative teacher. She knows her students deeply, resulting in lasting relationships. Students name her as a favorite teacher for years after taking her class. Hannah is most passionate about creating opportunities to make learning more engaging and pursues innovations to meet this need. Her ideas use connections between math and other subjects to help students see the relevance of their learning in the world. We are grateful for Hannah’s work!

 

Heidi Huestis has touch-points with every staff member and student in our building sharing her love of literature with all. She uses her knowledge of students, their interests and their abilities to create access to rich books for all. She volunteered as a middle school advisor and spends every morning creating a safe space and fostering connections with our middle school students. Heidi is more than our CCS librarian, she is an asset to the whole CCS community.

Congratulations to Hannah and Heidi and thank you for all you do on behalf of CVSD students!

Rising Star at CCS

Congratulations to Andrew Lounsbury, middle level science educator at Charlotte Central School! Andrew was selected to receive the Rising Star Award from the Vermont Association of Middle Level Education. (VAMLE)

According to the VAMLE website:

The Vermont Association for Middle Level Education (VAMLE) honors a Vermont middle level educator who has been passionate about teaching young adolescents and uses middle level best practices for three years or less. Three educators have been recognized by the VAMLE Board for the Rising Star Award this year based on their outstanding efforts and successes as relatively new middle level educators.

Andrew was nominated by his colleague and mentor, Allan Miller during the 2020-2021 school year.

Mr. Miller, now an educator at Williston Central School, notes in describing Andrew’s effects on students, “‘Relationships first’ - as we know middle level students are unique, and not all educators have the passion to connect with them in all their quirkiness, emotions, and energy. But it’s clear from being online or in-person with Andrew that he ‘gets’ them and that he is about connecting with them. Students show up to his office hours just to tell jokes, to share about their new dog or come to be part of the online Chess Club he started just because they enjoy being around him.”

Allan also mentioned, “When I meet with the team, I truly have to remind myself that this is really his [Andrew’s] first year as a teacher - his impact has been that significant already. He truly was the right person at the right time for the CCS Omega Team, and one we hope will be part of CCS for many years to come. Honestly some days I come away feeling like I’ve learned more from him than he from me . . . which is awesome!” It’s a valuable advantage as a team member to have a novice teacher play such a responsible role in the team’s success with students and in organizing challenging alterations in the schedule—a role that Andrew has clearly embraced.

Andrew with VAMLE's Executive Director Dave F. Brown and CCS principals Jen Roth and Stephanie Sumner

Congratulations, Andrew, and thank you for your many contributions to the students of CCS.

Allen Brook School Student Chosen as the Vermont Winner in Doodle for Google Student Contest

 

A talented Williston, Vermont, student could soon have his art on the Google homepage for hundreds of millions to see. This week, Google announced the 54 State and Territory winners in its 14th annual Doodle for Google competition, a contest where K-12 students across the United States have the opportunity to create their own version of the Google logo inspired by the prompt “I care for myself by....”.

Kyle Adams, a 1st grader from the Allen Brook School in Williston, Vermont, is one of the 54 US State and Territory Winners with his Doodle, “Mind Over Monsters”. Kyle’s Doodle was selected from thousands of entries received this year. Students at the Allen Brook School helped Kyle celebrate during a surprise assembly on May 25.

When Kyle submitted his design, he wrote, “Meditation is a powerful way to manage hard feelings, troubling thoughts, and lets our mind take a needed rest.”

At the celebration, Kyle was presented with a backpack full of goodies including a t-shirt with his design on it, and he received a Google Pixel tablet. The school was presented with a very large replica of Kyle’s design. 

Jessica Wilson

Every year, Williston’s Digital Learning Leader, Jessica Wilson, has encouraged teachers and their students to participate in Google's Doodle contest. Jessica was recognized at the event as well.

To help their favorites succeed, everyone across the USA can vote for their favorite Doodle from the 54 State and Territory Winners. Voting will be open soon on this site: https://doodles.google.com/d4g/. The public vote will determine the Five National Finalists (one in each grade group). Google will announce these five National Finalists in June, one of which will have their Doodle featured on the Google homepage for a day.

The National Winner will take home a $30,000 college scholarship and their school will receive a $50,000 tech package towards the establishment or improvement of a computer lab or technology program.

Voting is open through July 12! Vote for Kyle's design. https://doodles.google.com/d4g/  Be sure to spread the word!

The Adams family

ABS students and staff at the surprise celebration

Kyle with ABS Principal, Angela Filion, and Williston Lead Principal, Greg Marino

Credit for many of these photos goes to Kyle's mom, Jennifer Adams @Studio 2N Photography. Thank you! 

Williston PE Teacher Honored

Dustin King

Dustin King, Physical Education Teacher at Williston Central School, has been named the 2021 Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE Vermont, the Society for Health and Physical Educators.

Dustin has taught in the Williston Schools for seven years. He was recognized for his respectful communication and collaboration with school staff, and his work expanding a Motor Learning Group that offers students pre-teaching and additional time working on skills and concepts in a smaller setting. In addition, Dustin coaches, coordinates events, serves on committees and boards.

"Dustin teaches with enthusiasm, integrity, and respect for students and our profession. He considers the social, emotional, and physical well-being of our students every day. Most importantly, Dustin is a worker, an advocate, a voice of reason, and a wonderful role model for the staff and students in our community." - Cathy Kohlasch, WCS Physical Education Teacher

Congratulations, Dustin, on this well-deserved honor!