Resources for Summer Food Options

Resources for Summer Food Options Free Meals at Colchester High School The Colchester School District will once again be offering free meals to children 18 years old and younger this summer. No sign-up is necessary. Starting on Monday, June 23, children or their parents can drop into Colchester High School between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to pick up breakfast and/or lunch.  Free Summer Meals Location: Colchester High School Dates: Monday - Friday, beginning June 23 and ending August 15 (No meals will be served on July 4) Times:  Grab-and-go meals can be picked up anytime between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. For dining service, breakfast will be served between 8 - 9 am and lunch between 10 am - 12:30 pm. Menus: Breakfast and lunch menus have been posted on csdmeals.org. If your child is attending a day camp offered by Colchester Parks and Recreation, they will also have access to the district's free summer meals.  For more information on receiving meals this summer, households can call 2-1-1, the United Way-run resource hotline, or go to the USDA Meals for Kids Site Finder. All sites listed are open to all children 18 and under. Information is available in mid-June, and any necessary changes are made weekly. Free Meals at The Fort Starting on Monday, June 23, free summer meals will be available to all children 18 and under at Fort Ethan Allen near the gazebo. The program is run by Hunger Free Vermont and the Essex-Westford School District. All children can enjoy these meals; you do not need to live in the fort or be a student of their school district. The program will run Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meals must be eaten on-site; there is no grab-and-go option at this location. For more information, visit the EWSD Summer Meals website. Vermont's Summer EBT Program Vermont participates in the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) program. S-EBT helps feed eligible school-aged children during summer vacation. The benefit is $120 per eligible child for the summer. It can be used to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets, and online where EBT is accepted. Benefits will be sent automatically to most eligible families starting on June 2.  Children are automatically eligible for S-EBT if: They are between 6 - 16 years old and get Medicaid with a qualifying family income, 3SquaresVT, or Reach Up; or, They qualify for free or reduced-price meals at a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program. Even though Vermont schools offer free meals to all students, only some students qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Children participating in several other assistance programs may also get the benefit automatically. The Vermont Department for Children and Families will send you a letter with instructions if your family will automatically receive the benefit.  If you think your child is eligible and you do not receive a benefit letter in the mail by July 7, visit https://summerebt.vermont.gov/ to submit a short application. Children can also get Summer EBT if they go to a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program and their household income is below the limit. Applications can be submitted any time before August 29. The income limit increases on July 1, so check back after July 1 if you don’t currently qualify.  Translated versions of the Summer-EBT Letter: Arabic Bosnian (Latin) Burmese Dari French (Canada) Kirundi Nepali Pashto (Afghanistan) Somali Spanish (US) Swahili Vietnamese

Tuesday, Jun 17 2025

June Family Newsletter

Family Newsletter June 10, 2025 Principal's Message Welcome to the last week of the school year! It's hard to believe we have made it a whole year together already! There was an excited energy throughout the school yesterday as students started to look forward to next year. We had a great Step Up Day, students were excited to meet their new teammates and teachers. Our 8th graders also did a great job preparing for the 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony. We look forward to celebrating with 8th grade families this Thursday night, June 12th at 5:30 in the CHS gymnasium. Today begins our three CMS Days! Rain or shine, students will be creating, hiking, biking, boating, playing, and learning new skills while continuing to build connections with others in our CMS community. This is a great opportunity for students to meet others who may be on their team next year, and to have some fun while learning something new. It's also yet another experience for students to practice our school-wide norms of being respectful, responsible, caring, kind & safe. Thank you to everyone who donated items for CMS days - it wouldn't happen without all of the support!   CMS Days - Late Arrival & Early Dismissal A reminder that during CMS Days many students will be off campus for all or parts of each day. Please be mindful of your student's CMS Days schedule when dropping students off late or picking them up early. If possible, have students here all day to enjoy their last week! 2025-26 Schedules Over the summer, we will work on students' Unified Arts schedules. All students have completed their course requests and we have been able to adjust the number of sections we will offer for some of our UA classes in order to best meet students' requests. Keep an eye out for more information to come this summer.   8th Grade Recognition Ceremony We are looking forward to celebrating our 8th grade students this Thursday evening, June 12th, at our 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony. It will take place from 5:30-6:30 pm at CHS in the gymnasium. During the ceremony, there will be speeches and awards given to students who have been nominated by their team. Every student will also receive a certificate for completing 8th grade and will be called by name to walk across the stage. The dress code is casual - a nice shirt and pants/shorts, and/or dress, please avoid sweatpants. Check out these pictures from last year for ideas. We hope to see 8th graders and their families there! 8th Grade Dance After the 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony, the students will make their way over to CMS for the 8th Grade Dance. The dance will be held from 6:30-8:00 pm in the CMS cafe. There are many fun events planned for the "Glow Party". There will be refreshments, ice cream, a raffle, dancing, and more! Thank you to all of those who have donated time, money, or items for the dance. We are still looking for a few more volunteers to set up and decorate. If you are able to help, please sign up on ParentSquare or reach out to Toni Josey (toni.josey@colchestersd.org). 6th and 7th grade families, thanks for considering paying it forward by helping with set up!   Congratulations! A big shout out to our Dude, Be Nice award recipients for second semester: Erin Kirk for staff and Sabrina Cyphers for students! We also want to congratulate the recipients of our Quarter Four Student Recognition from each team!   Free Summer Meals Starting Monday, June 23rd, CSD will again offer free summer meals. Stop by Colchester High School between 8:00 - 9:00 am for breakfast and between 10:00 am - 12:30 pm for lunch. We hope to see you there! Unified Arts Spotlight Spring Band & Chorus Concerts It was great to see so many families at our spring band and chorus concerts. If you missed it, want to share the performance with a family member, or simply watch it again, check out the links on LCATV of the performances: Band Concert, May 15th Chorus Concert, May 22nd Congratulations to all of our musicians! Athletics Congratulations! We had some great spring sports performances this season. Our Girls' Softball team won the ADL tournament and our Ultimate Frisbee Club team had a great showing at their tournament in Middlebury last weekend winning three out of their four games! Be sure to checkout our website this summer for information about fall sports registration! Questions? Email our Athletic Director, Jim Olson, james.olson@colchestersd.org Get your Cougar Gear! Important Dates Step Up Day: June 9th CMS Days: June 10th - 12th 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony & Dance: June 12th, 5:30 - 8:00 pm @ CHS GYM & CMS Cafe Last Day of School: June 13th, Full School Day Smart Start 2025-26: August 26, 2025, 8:00 - 10:00 am First Day of 2025-26 School year: August 27, 2025

Tuesday, Jun 10 2025

The Compass: CSD Districtwide Newsletter for May

Our Unified Basketball team capped off an incredible season last week! Unified Sports foster a culture of inclusion and teamwork, and we couldn’t be prouder of our athletes for their dedication, sportsmanship, and spirit. District Newsletter at a Glance Mock Crash Event. There will be emergency vehicles at CHS on Friday morning for a planned event.  CHS Students Get Hands-On Civics Lesson at VT State House. Hear about their experiences. Last Day of School for Students. Friday, June 13 for K-8 and Monday, June 16 for CHS. From the Nurse’s Office. End of the year reminder. Summer Meals. Kids eat for free this summer! Thank You! We are feeling the love after Employee Appreciation Week. Identity Protection Monitoring Offer from PowerSchool. Free enrollment period ends July 31. Upcoming Calendar Reminders. No school Monday, May 26. Booked at Burnham Library: Summer Programming. Lots of activities to keep kids busy! Sailing Around the District. A quick check-in with our schools.   Mock Crash Event at CHS on Friday This Friday, May 16, CHS will host a mock crash demonstration as part of its “Make Good Choices” campaign, aimed at educating students in grades 11 and 12 about the real-life consequences of impaired driving. The simulated car crash event will feature two damaged vehicles in the CHS parking lot, student and faculty actors, and live participation from real local emergency services. Students will hear narration as they watch actors play out a realistic crash scenario with our town’s first responders. We are incredibly grateful for our ongoing partnership with our local first responders, who play such a crucial role in this event.  The Colchester community should be aware of a significant presence of emergency vehicles and personnel at the high school on Friday morning. This activity is a planned, educational event. With prom and graduation approaching, the goal of this event is not to shock or traumatize students but to provide a realistic and developmentally appropriate learning experience.  It is designed to reinforce the importance of making safe, healthy choices and to remind students how deeply their well-being matters to their school and community. CHS families have been emailed additional information on how support will be offered to students who may need it.   CHS Students Get Hands-On Civics Lesson at VT State House Last month, a group of Colchester High School American Experience (AmEx) Honors students spent an action-packed day at Vermont’s State House, thanks to CHS faculty member and House Representative Erin Brady. The visit offered students a behind-the-scenes look at state government in action and brought their classroom learning to life. “We did it all,” said Brady. “We met with the Speaker, the Lieutenant Governor, one of the Governor’s top advisors, sat in on committee meetings, and even climbed into the dome and cupola!” Students were also formally introduced on the House floor and observed a press conference, gaining a rare and comprehensive view of state politics. Student Maggie Prong said, “Meeting political leaders and advisors helped me gain a deeper understanding of how decisions are made in state government.” She added that witnessing bipartisan cooperation firsthand was refreshing and “restored a bit of my faith in American politics.” For Dylan Neely, the trip gave him an overhead view of how policy is influenced. “Anyone can shape a law the way they want to, you just have a good reason,” he said. Neely also noted the different atmospheres in various committee rooms, feeling especially welcomed in the Education Committee. Brady reflected, “It was powerful to be surrounded by the engagement, curiosity, and wonder of CHS students. I hope to find more ways to connect students with the legislative process.” The experience made an impression that will last far beyond the classroom, and maybe even shape some future policymakers.   Last Day of School Assuming there are no more unplanned closures, the last day of school for PreK-8 will be Friday, June 13. Because CHS was closed in November for the presidential election, the last day for CHS students will be Monday, June 16, which is slated to be a make-up day for exams. As always, you can see the most up-to-date calendar at csdvt.org/calendar. The calendar for next school year is also available on that page. The first day of school for K-12 is Wednesday, August 27, and the first day of PreK is Tuesday, September 2.   From the Nurse's Office As the end of the school year approaches, we want to remind you to pick up any medications or medical supplies your student has stored in the school nurse's office. All student medications must be collected by Monday, June 16. Please make arrangements with your child's school nurse. Any medications left after this date will be disposed of according to school protocol. Updated medication orders will be needed before the start of next school year. Please reach out to your medical provider to obtain new orders before the start of school in August. The CSD Nursing Team wishes you a healthy summer and thanks you for your cooperation in ensuring the safe handling of student medications.   Free Summer Meals The Colchester School District will once again be offering free meals to children 18 years old and younger this summer. No sign-up is necessary. Starting on June 23, children or their parents can drop into Colchester High School between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to pick up breakfast and/or lunch.  Free Summer Meals Location: Colchester High School Dates: Monday - Friday, beginning June 23 and ending August 15 (No meals will be served on July 4) Times: Pick up anytime between 8 am - 12:30 pm. For dining service, breakfast will be 8 - 9 am and lunch between 10 am - 12:30 pm. Menus: Breakfast and lunch menus will be posted on csdmeals.org.   Thank You! From the handwritten notes to the PTA-organized meals and “thank yous!” shouted from open car windows, our employees really appreciated the gratitude from our school community last week. As we shared on our Facebook and Instagram pages, it takes a village to educate and support our youth, and in Colchester, that village is filled with extraordinary educators, staff, and family members who show up every day. We cannot imagine doing this work anywhere else. Thank you!   Identity Protection Monitoring Offer from PowerSchool As a reminder, on December 28, 2024, PowerSchool was involved in a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized exfiltration of some personal information. PowerSchool is offering two years of complimentary identity protection services to students and employees. Visit this PowerSchool website for more information and enrollment options. You must enroll by July 31 to take advantage of their offer.   Upcoming Calendar Reminders Here are some upcoming dates to mark on your calendar. For a complete list that’s continuously updated, visit csdvt.org/calendar. No School: Monday, May 26 Last Day of School for PreK-8: Friday, June 13 Last Day of School for 9-12: Monday, June 16 CSD School Calendar   Booked at Burnham Library A message from Burnham Memorial Library The school year is coming to an end, and we are furiously planning our summer activities. You can register to be a Summer Reader, then come over to the library to pick up your reading packet. Keep track of all your books and get some fun prizes! The library will kick off the fun with Lawn Games and Treats on June 16 from 1-3pm. We are offering so many summer programs that we couldn’t possibly list them all here, but here are some of the highlights: 2 live animal presentations from VINS and the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum, Henna Art for teens, tie-dying t-shirts for kids & teens, The Portable Mini Gold Company, the Lake Monsters, 4 Winds Nature Institute, Alyx the Magician, a drumming circle, escape rooms, and a performance of Rumpelstiltskin, to name but a few!  Visit us online, drop by in person, or call us at 802-264-5660 to get all the details! These programs, and many others, including a special writing and journalism camp for middle schoolers and a teen service activity of building a new Little Free Library, can soon be found on the Summer Reading section of our website. Please register so that we can properly plan our activities.   Sailing Around the District Highlights From Our Schools Colchester High School The CSD Art Show was the biggest exhibit our teachers could recall in recent history, and it was a huge success. So many amazing pieces of art were on display all week, showing off our students' talents, ranging from elementary to high school. CHS was grateful for all the students, families, and community members who came to visit the show to share the joy that the exhibit elicited from observers. We are very proud of our artists and teachers who made this possible. Thank you! Colchester Middle School Our first Unified Arts Night was a great success! Thank you to all the families who joined us. Guests had the opportunity to explore what students are learning in their Unified Arts classes and even try out some of the games, tools, and instruments. A big shoutout to PACT and everyone who donated items for the free BBQ—your support made the evening even more special! Malletts Bay School On Monday night, a team of third-grade students, teachers, and MBS administrators presented to incoming third-grade parents and caregivers about Malletts Bay School. The evening included student-led tours and a presentation about the student experience at MBS. Our MBS third graders were so proud to have the opportunity to show off their school! Union Memorial School A staple of first grade mathematics is creating a number scroll. Students are encouraged to get to 1,000 . . . which is bigger than a first grader, but not quite as big as a principal. Porters Point School We’re looking forward to a fun and colorful evening on Friday, May 30, when the Porters Point PTA and Union Memorial PTA team up to host the second annual Color Run! This vibrant event will take place at Malletts Bay School and is open to all PPS and UMS students. It’s a great opportunity for students from both schools to connect—especially for our second graders who will be heading to MBS together in grade 3 this fall. We’re grateful to both PTAs for bringing our school communities together for this fun-filled tradition! Preschool at MBS The preschool is talking about farms and chickens for the month of May. Ms. Darcie’s class is incubating chicken eggs as part of the theme. The children are learning about different animals that live on the farm, their life cycle and body parts, and the products that they provide to people. Dramatic play areas have been changed into farms and chicken coops. Art projects are centered around different animals. Hopefully, the unit will culminate with the hatching of Ms. Darcie’s eggs the week of May 19th.   Follow Along! If you're on Instagram or Facebook, we are, too! Follow along with our students on their educational journeys and see what makes ou Colchester community such a great place to learn and work. Facebook: Colchester School District Instagram: @colchester_schools

Wednesday, May 14 2025

The Laker View | May 2025 Edition

Dear CHS Families, I am excited to be writing the final Laker View for the 2024-2025 school year. I could not be more excited for what the final month and a half will bring as we finish up the year.  No school year comes and goes without its unique challenges, and this adds to the excitement and the worthiness of celebrating our accomplishments. I am extremely proud of our staff, students, and community for helping to bring balance to the year with a sense of community inside and outside of the classroom. In the next month and a half we will experience and celebrate many milestones. With prom and graduation at the top of that list, we feel it is important to reinforce the importance of good decision making and safety for our students. On Friday, May 16, our 9th and 10th graders will attend a distracted driving presentation in the Performing Arts Center, while our 11th and 12th graders will observe a mock crash outside. We will have alternative spaces and supports for students, as needed.  I sincerely want to thank all of our students, families, and community members for contributing to the positive experiences and learning and growth that has occurred over the year. We have spent a lot of time emphasizing the importance and relevance of what it means to be a Laker, and we have many students who exemplify this. Best Regards, Andrew Conforti, CHS Principal   Upcoming CHS Calendar - May May: 2 Green-Up Day, during AT 3 SAT Test Date 5-9 CSD Art Show 5-9 Teacher Appreciation Week 6 GLA Meeting, 2:40P 6 School Board Mtg. 7P 7 TL Meeting, 8:42A 7 Early Release   8 CSD Art Show Reception 6P 9 ACT Registration Due for June 14 Test 12 PDC Meeting, 2:40P 14 TL Meeting, 2:40P  (Erica) 15 Faculty Meeting, 2:40P 16 Pre-Prom Events, during AT 17 Prom 19 Department Meeting, 2:40P 20 School Board Mtg. 7P 21 TL Meeting, 9:43A 22 SAT Registration Due for June 7 Test 26 No School  28 Underclass Awards 7P 29 Faculty Meeting, 2:40P 29 Pops Band Concert 7P June: 2 Department Meeting, 2:40P 2-5 Senior Exams 3 School Board Mtg. 7P 4 TL Meeting,  2:40 (Bob) 5 Pops Coral Concert 7P 5 Senior Grades Due by 5p 6 ACT Registration Due for July 12 Test 7 SAT Test Date 9 End Quarter 4 10-13 Final Exams 10-12 Mandatory Graduation Practice 1-4P 13 Class Night 6P 14 Graduation 10A Happenings Around CHS Jack Robinson is exemplary in bringing our Laker community together. He celebrates success for everyone and is a key part of our school. He is patient, kind, understanding, and reliable. Jack embodies wholeheartedly what it means to be a Laker, and genuinely supports others in our community to help them feel a sense a belonging. He has tremendous pride and respect for our community and others, and takes responsibility to make his community better every single day. He is enthusiastic, kind, hard working, and takes initiative on projects that supports community values. Most recently, he and another student produced a video on "What it means to be a Laker". This is a great example of how he cultivates a strong and connected community that respects and celebrates all Lakers.  Mr. Ben Marlow works hard to make everyone feel heard and seen. He’s been a wonderful teacher who has taught many students, so many things.  He has helped support students through their application to early college, with math homework, and everything in between. He’s an amazing teacher and he has his students best interest at heart. He’s a very special, inspiring person and CHS is lucky to have him! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Parents and Guardians:  As we head into warmer weather, prom and graduation are just around the corner. On May 16, 2025, CHS will be hosting two school-wide events that promote making safe and healthy choices. Each of these events are developmentally appropriate and have been designed to be intentional learning experiences for CHS students.   9th and 10th Grade: Distracted Driving Presentation  Karen Torres is a dedicated advocate, speaker, and educator in the field of distracted driving. Ms. Torres' journey began with a profound personal tragedy, which started a passion to effect change in road safety. Witnessing the devastating impact of a distracted driver firsthand, Ms. Torres’ perspective on responsible driving shifted dramatically, and she strives to foster accountability and awareness of safe driving practices.  11th and 12th Grade: Mock Crash  The Mock Crash is a simulated car crash event that has been hosted by high schools nationwide for over 15 years. The event will feature two damaged vehicles in the CHS parking lot, student and faculty actors, and live participation from real local emergency services. Students will hear narration as they watch actors play out a realistic crash scenario with our town’s first responders. We are so grateful for our partnership with our first responders.  The purpose and design of these events is not to shock or traumatize students, but to demonstrate in a realistic way how such tragic events may impact a community. We hope to instill in students the message of making healthy choices and let them know how much their safety and well-being mean to us. We want to support their successful growth and transition to life beyond high school, college and future employment.  Following both events, students will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts. Please take time to discuss these events with your student(s). They may have new perspectives to share with you.  Lastly, we are aware that these events may bring up issues for students who have been involved in a crash or who are close to someone who has experienced a similar situation. Please be aware that a student support center will be available during these events. If you or your student have concerns about taking part in either of these events, please contact the CHS School Counseling Office (802-264-5713) or Erica LeClair before May 16, 2025.  We look forward to these events, and we hope to have a safe and wonderful prom, graduation, and summer.  If you have further questions about the pre-prom program, please contact Erica LeClair at Erica.LeClair@colchestersd.org or Mark Jacobs at Mark.Jacobs@colchestersd.org.  Respectfully,  Mark Jacobs  Student Support Specialist  Pre-Prom Coordinator Special Education Department  |   The Special Education Department would like to shout out Beth Hemingway for her recent work with some post-secondary offerings for our school community!  First, on April 18th, Beth connected our school and broader community for a Career Fair. Over 25 local businesses and organizations set up shop in the gym offering an opportunity for connections with our students!  Second, Beth has a Financial Reality Fair coming to CHS on May 15th! Classes who have signed up will get some hands-on practice with real world financial situations.  Thank you Beth for your hard work and providing our students some unique and cool opportunities!  Science Department |   AP Environmental Science students get hands-on with indoor air quality testing (left) and modeling how a geothermal heat pump works (right). Health Department |  Health and Life 101  has been busy with community presentations. Steph Steeves from Steps to End Domestic Violence was presenting about the characteristics of Healthy Relationships, Consent, and Teen Dating Violence. Larissa Woods and others from the VT Army National Guard instructed all classes on Hands-Only CPR and AED use. Students were able to practice Hands-Only CPR. Physical Education Department |  Physical Education  classes are finishing up two of our best units.   We are playing America's fastest-growing game...Pickleball!   And a Vermont classic, Rock Climbing! Humanities Department  |  The week before April Vacation marks the completion of “capstone projects” for our graduating seniors, as we step closer and closer to commencement.  The “capstone project” is an indepth research project that spans 2 semesters of 12th grade and is facilitated in the SEMINAR course, taught by CHS humanities teachers.  The project requires each student to complete the following: Choose a research-able topic that is relevant and engaging in our world today. Execute the necessary research to gain a full understanding of the topic. Construct a variety of products to communicate their research findings, including visuals such as Google Slides and oral presentations. Compose a traditional research essay.   The capstone project culminates in a gallery presentation in the CHS library, open to the school community as well as parents, caregivers, and other friends, too.  In the gallery, seniors share all of what they learned, about both the topic and the process of completing an extended, long-term research process.  During the week of April 14, our Class of 2025 was actively engaged in sharing the fruits of their labors, pointing to visuals on laptops and quoting their research essays from index cards they’d prepared ahead of time.  Here are a few photos that captured the essence of the event!   Math Department |   The CHS math department is working extra hard this spring to prepare students for their AP AB Calculus and AP Statistics exams. This year we have 52 students – which is over half our AP mathematics students, taking the exams on May 8 th  and 12 th . Please be sure to wish students luck when you see them. Students take the exams to earn potential college or university credit and have spent the entire year diligently and actively prepping. In other testing news, results from the UVM Mathematics High School prize examination are in! Naomi Shpaner and Jailee Young each earned a Certificate of Merit, scoring in the upper echelon of test takers throughout the state. Jailee was the top scorer at CHS.  Congratulations to you both! Art Department |                           World Language Department |   French 3 & French 4 students will be taking a day trip to Montreal this month. They will visit and use their French speaking skills in Old Montreal and at the Biodome. The final assessments for Quarter 4 in both levels will be speaking assessments. Parlez-vous français?? ⚜️ French V students just came back from a nine day trip to France. The trip started in Paris where the group visited important landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, went on a boat ride around Paris, visited Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre. The group saw beautiful impressionist art in the Musée d’Orsay and the magnificent sculptures in Rodin Museum, enjoyed a guided tour of the Palace, gardens, and market of Versaille, and other iconic landmarks. Then our travelers took the bullet train to the south of France and went to Aix en Provence, and the mediterranean Cassis where they went on a boat cruise on the beautiful mediterranean water, and got to explore and swim in the mediterranean beach of La Ciotat. They explored the local food and clothing markets, and walked the historic streets where the artist Cezanne used to live and work and where the judicial system plays an important role in the culture of the town. They went on an adventure to historic village of the Château des Baux, and visited a Monet and Rousseau exposition in the beautiful quarry of the Carrière de Lumières. All this while having dinner in typical parisian and provincial restaurants! Spanish 1 students are building their skills to read and talk about where people study, what courses they take, what languages they speak and what they want to do in the future. They are exploring colleges and universities in the US and the Spanish Speaking world. Before break, Spanish 1 students competed in a "tortilla battle" -- investigating and preparing both corn and flour tortillas.  Spanish 3 students are continuing to read their novel about Dominican baseball player Felipe Alou. The novel, written for language learners, explores the experiences of professional athletes coming to play in the US during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Students show their learning through visual journals, reading and writing assessments. Spanish 4 students are doing a deep dive into the past tense! They are learning to listen to and read stories narrated in the past tense, as well as practicing telling stories of their own using their newly acquired language skills.         Music Department |    The music department is so excited to have 23 students that will be participating in the All State Music Festival in the Chorus, Orchestra and Accapella Ensemble May 7th-10th!  Congrats to our CHS musicians! The final concerts of the year will be: Band Pops Concert--Thursday, May 29th Choral Pops Concert--Thursday, June 5th CHS Library |   Important Dates for the End of the School Year: It's hard to believe, but we're heading into the home stretch here and it's time to start thinking about the last day for book checkouts, and our final due date for books this year.  Here are some important dates to keep in mind: May 5th - Last day to request books through Interlibrary Loan May 16th - Last day to check out books for SY25 May 28th - Summer Books checkout event in the library (read on for more information) May 30th - All books are due back to the library (not including summer checkouts) Important Reminder for Seniors: Seniors, if you have books or other library materials outstanding on your account, please be sure to see Ms. Binder as soon as possible.  You are not able to get your graduation tickets until you have cleared your library account.  Never fear, we will work with you to painlessly resolve any outstanding balances.  Come and see Ms. Binder in the library! Summer Book Checkout and Summer Reading Challenge: Don't forget to flex those reading muscles this summer.  To assist you, we're going to be hosting an all-day, summer reading book checkout event in the library on May 28th.  This will be a great opportunity to pop into the library, check out a range of displays of great books throughout the library, find something wonderful to borrow for the summer, and maybe pick up a little summer reading challenge too. Come in with a class, or visit on your own any time on May 28th.  More information to come...stay tuned! AP Testing in the Library : Just a quick heads up that there will be AP testing happening in the library over the course of the first two weeks of May.  Please pay attention to signs on the library doors so that you can be aware of when the library is open or closed during those two weeks.  Thanks for your cooperation!   From School Counseling High Honors Grade12   Tate Abbott, Ruby Anderson, Mazie Audette, Isabella Bathrick, Isabella Benson, Isaac Blaisdell, Ava Burdick, Maddox Chamberlain, II Conant, Riley Corbo, Jack Currie, Madison Dutton, Ava Escobedo, Emma Foss, Gabrielle Holmes, Addison Jenkins, Molly Kane, Dakota Karpinski, Alissa Kenwood, Nicholas Kenyon, Nicholas Kilbride, Quang Le, Zoe LeVasseur, Sarah Marshall, Fiona McHugh, Marybeth Miller, Ava Moore, Julia Morton, Shaina Nguyen, Allison Prong, Ehsan Rasooli, Abigail Richards, Thomas Ridgewell, Jacob Swartz-Reiner, Jillian Thomason, Bryleigh Tobin, Juliana Tomlinson, Sydney Vetere, Avery Whalon, Allyson Whelihan, Jailee Young    High Honors Grade 11   Joshua Bierer, Alyssa Bierer, Charlie Blanchard, Aidan Bluteau, Jackson Bouchard, Mackenna Chase, Isabella Chicoine, Jason Coolidge, Sawyer Cyphers, Mason Delorme, Autumn Fitzpatrick, Amelia Foran, Madelyn Gardzina, Brinlee Gilfillan, Brody Griffiths, Rachel Hawkins, Emily Howe, Payton Hruby, Sanel Jukic, Galen MacArdle, Elsie MacAuley, Madison Martel, Olivia Myers, Janiya Neal, Chloe Odom, Ava Olsaver, Chloe Perreault, Autumn Piche, Tyler Reed, Ariana Riedinger, Lila Robinson, Lauren Roper, Aida Russell, Naomi Shpaner, Callidora Stamm, Eve Stirling, Lillian Szykier, Michael Thomason, Ethan Thompson, Matthew Walterscheit, Zachary Watarz    High Honors Grade 10   Tanner  Allen, Kevin  Babineau, Lily  Blodgett, Tatum  Breen, Tara  Brown, Elzie  Carey, Hannah  Carlson, Austin  Cassidy, Ashley  Cohen, Liam  Colgan, Alexandra  Cootey, Anya  Davis, Anna  Ebert, Athalie  Fane-Cushing, Ayden  Farnsworth, Liam  Fitzgerald, Levi  Gardiner, Hayden  George, Shane  Glerum, Alee  Grist, Brianna  Huynh, Charles  Isham, Alexander  Jacobs, Jacey  Josey, Jack  LaChance, Aubrey  LaFountain, Noah  Langer, Broden  Letzelter, Gabbriella  Lewis, Eliana  Little, Sawyer  Luce, Daniel  Maroney, Keira  McCullagh, Lily  Messier, Lucy  Mitchell, Tucker  Mitchell, Faraja  Mulolo, Reese  Murphy, Andrew  Norris, Eli  Nutting, Sophie  Nye, Reece  Perry, Benjamin  Pham, Maggie  Prong, Lucy  Rea, Brayden  Reed, Emma  Sibley, Claire  Sicotte    High Honors Grade 9   Clara Abbott, Saleem Al-Amoody, Emily Benson, Judah Bentch, Carter Bevill, Alnecha Bharati, Chelsea Blais, Lily Choiniere, Bishop Clements, Myra Cline, Isabelle Connor, Stella Creamer, Parker Demeritt, Alice Dousevicz, Kaylie Dusablon, Barrett Eckert, Calvin Ehle, Benjamin Evans, Addi Fernandez, Kathryn Fontaine, Leah Gilmond, Layla Griffiths, Prabita Gurung, Abiti Hawley, Destiny Hendy, Teagan Kane, Dayton Kenyon, Chloe Lane, Marshall Lombard, Autumn Macedonia, Wendy Mai, Anna Marshall, Olivia Martel, Aaliyah Metzger, Zebulon Moodie, Althea Moore, Timothy Nguyen, Jazlyn Nye-Nguyen, Madelyn O'Brien, Lily Paquette, Brock Payea, Anna Porter, Makenna Pratt, Emily Prong, Anna Rajabu, Sadaf Rasooli, Easton Rassel, Callum Russell, Mariah Sheehy, Benjamin Shpaner, Rowan Stirling, Isla Stowell, Daniel Theoret, Julian Trahan, Selah Vartuli, Samuel Watts, Riley White, Malia White, Trinity Yandow-Bennett, Zoe Young, Aya Yousey-Hindes  Honors Grade 12   Jude Abdoo Arwyn Bentch Reid Bertrand Leah Boyd Parish Burton Emma Cater Bianca Cius Adam Coburn Lillian Connor Garrett Crook Adalaide Davidson Cameron Dickie Ember Donnell Emma Edenfield Carter Faas Emily FitzGerald Rylee Friend Adeline Green Remington Hardy Addyson Hogan Kaylie Lewis Amanda Li Ava Lipson Caitlyn McGowan Madeline McHugh Rylee Murray Jaelynn Neal Patrick Neely Hailey Niquette Sarah Palmer Bailey Perry Thomas Piette Julien Puttlitz Jack Robinson Shabnam Saini Stefan Seidner Greta Stirling Griffin Sweeney Dylan Tompkins Jacobo Vieira    Honors Grade 11   Bleona Ademi Emmarae Blackmore Abigail Boisvert Kate Bradford Sophia Bullinger Michael Caruso Emily Cassidy Alaina Cheeseman Eliana Chubb Mason Cooke Madison Couture Saveren Dykeman Hailey Fane-Cushing Noah Ferenc Charles Gauthier Madysen Hollinger Dylan Jacobs Iain Kitchin Juliette Labrecque Simon Lynch Trinity McCarthy Ellie Mercer Gunnar Navari Husna Pardis Piper Paydon Jackson Pecor Jillian Plumpton Sawyer Prouty Indiana Resteghini Jane Rich Lucy Rich Kellan Robar Falco Schoch Rehtse Selman Mason Sheltra Rachel Sweeney Lucien Timmerman Lillian Wagoner Vincent Wagoner Dmitri Yaryna     Honors Grade10   Darlene Abiti Everett Bergeron Kolby Cleveland Vinny Cruickshank Spencer Culver Eli Davis Adrian Dean Sarah Dinco James Duprey Addison Faas Emily Feltz Leah FitzGerald Tristan Fradette Lilly Gadway Boden Gamage Addelyn Gillespie Victor Goro Harlow Hier Landon Hogan Brennden Huynh Kayden Kalmer-Mead Tola Kelliher Grayson Kilpatrick Chloe Labonte Connor Lesage Alia Manley Kenyon Martin Christian McEnerney Quintin Miller Calvin Millham-Berry Lucas Moran Jake Novick Bailey Otto Steeve Ouattara Aliana Perreault Edonusem Pomeyie Reidan Putnam Brooklyn Robinson Eric Rocque Misgana Severin Breezie-Lynn Thibault Forrer Watson Javen Welch Teah Williams    Honors Grade  9  Djibril Abdou Skyler Akey Olaseni Akinlade Ethan Belchamber Tristan Blindow Hayden Burt Logan Bushway Alexander Carr Elijah Clements Sawyer Collins Hector Covarrubias Miles Degree Chloe Delbeck Sawyer Eidsheim Evan Farnum Aiden Gamelin Maxwell Hansen Braman Jewett Logan Jewett Logan Johnson Parker Judd Elias Katz Charlie Klein Paxton Laffal Gavin Latimer Jesse Latimer Valerie Lavallee Xavier Louis John Lumsden Jacob Marchessault Colin McClure Nizam Mohmand Aaron Mongar Mason Moore Jordan Mulac Avalon Murray Aspen Navari Jazlyn Neal Phong Nguyen Jackson O'Donnell Gabreal Pimental Lucas Plumpton Kasey Pontecorvo William Randall Tristan Remmey Colbin Richer Bella Rochefort Angel Savage Hazel Sbardellati Kaiden Schiller Carter Silva Kiera Smith Francis Solo Jacob Sweeney Toby Thomason Veronica Traynor Landon Van Gardner Watson  Center for Technology, Essex “A” Honor Roll - Quarter 3 Abigail Boisvert                                   Childhood Ed/Human Services Kolby Cleveland                                  Pre Tech 1 Trevor Connant                                   Computer Animation Shae Glerum                                       Pre Tech 4 Julia Morton                                        Dental Assisting 2 Maxx Perreault                                    Computer Animation Thomas Ridgewell                              Automotive Technology 2 Jacob Swartz-Reiner                           Natural Resources - Forestry Lillian Szykier                                       Health Professions Michael Thomason                              Comp. Systems Technology Dmitri Yaryna                                       Engineering and Arch. Design Center for Technology, Essex “B” Honor Roll - Quarter 3 Noah Abbott                                        Automotive Technology Isabella Bathrick                                 Cosmetology 2 Juliette Labrecque                              Design and Creative Media Bailey Otto                                           Pre Tech 3 Autumn Piche                                     Childhood Ed/Human Services Jillian Plumpton                                  Childhood Ed/Human Services Mason Sheltra                                     Building Technology Kayden Sicotte                                    Building HVAC Breauna Trayah                                  Childhood Ed/Human Services The SAT  Registration Calendar 2024-2025   SAT Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline August 24, 2024 August 9, 2024 August 13, 2024 October 5, 2024 September 20, 2024 September 24, 2024 November 2, 2024 October 18, 2024 October 22, 2024 December 7, 2024 November 22, 2024 November 26, 2024 March 8, 2025 February 21, 2025 February 25, 2025 May 3, 2025  April 18, 2025 April 22, 2025 June 7, 2025 May 22, 2025 May 27, 2025 Students can register at  sat.org/register . The late registration deadlines above are for paper registration. For all deadlines visit:  https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/dates-deadlines Online and phone late deadlines are listed at  sat.org/register . National Test Dates in the U.S. www.act.org  for Additional Information ACT Test Dates Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline September 14, 2024 August 9, 2024 August 25, 2024 October 26, 2024 September 20, 2024 October 7, 2024 December 14, 2024 November 8, 2024 November 22, 2024 February 8, 2025 January 3, 2025 January 20, 2025 April 5, 2025 February 28, 2025 March 16, 2025 June 14, 2025 May 9, 2025 May 26, 2025 July 12, 2025 June 6, 2025 June 20, 2025 Additional  Resource   From the Health Office   Seniors! Student Debt Please remember that it is your student’s responsibility to keep track of any outstanding debt (lost books, parking fines, or damage to equipment) that he or she might have.   If you are unsure whether your child has any debt, feel free to contact Hope Renadette, bookkeeper at Colchester High School 264-5702 or Hope.Renadette@colchestersd.org. Cap/Gown & Dues Info:  If you have not ordered you Cap & Gown please be sure to submit your order  AS SOON AS POSSIBLE  by using the following link -   Order Online | Cap, Gown & Tassel .  Currently we need under 50 students to complete their orders. Please reach out if you have any questions or need any support in the ordering process. We would be happy to assist.  Please take the time to watch this  Tutorial Video | How to Order  JUST  Cap, Gown, Tassel  to assist in troubleshooting any how-to questions. You can also  connect with Ms. Krista Knaus with any additional questions you may have at (802) 264-5701 or  krista.knaus@colchestersd.org .  Also note that you can also connect with the Senior Class Advisors, Mr. Perry ( thomas.perry@colchestersd.org ) and Mr. Richey ( jeffrey.richey@colchestersd.org ) with questions. Seniors and families can also expect the April senior mailing to arrive during April break.  The mailing will address information regarding any Senior debts.   **All Senior information is also available on the  CHS Website  (click the link!) ** Welcome!   As the Spring season begins be sure to get out there and catch your Lakers Athletes in action.  Be sure to follow  CABA Facebook  and  CABA Instagram  to keep up to date with all game schedules and news.  Be a team liaison!   CABA would like to connect with a team parent/guardian from every CABA sport, and this Spring is no exception. You are more than welcome and encouraged to come to a CABA meeting, but do not need to commit to regular meetings. You could simply be available to answer any questions CABA has about the team, their schedule, needs and/or help bridge communication between CABA and coaches. Contact us at  chscaba@gmail.com . Spring Concessions:    The concession stand will be open in a limited capacity, but the more volunteers we have the more games we will be able to open for! Because we purchase uniforms (and some equipment) for all CHS Spring sports teams, we ask for parent volunteers from  each Spring team  (Boys & Girls, JV & Varsity) to donate some time in concessions. Pick a game or meet that does not conflict with your athlete’s schedule and sign up early  here  to help out your Laker community! CABA will continue to provide everything needed as well as a detailed overview of instructions. Students are also highly encouraged to volunteer and can earn community service hours.   CABA has launched an   Amazon Wishlist  (look for it on social media too!) as another way to help with concessions. We know that volunteering for concessions is not possible for some families so this will be another option to support Laker Nation! CABA Scholarships:   Thank you to all our student athletes who took the time to submit  an application. We enjoy recognizing seniors for the time and effort they have put into athletics at CHS, along with their academics, as well as athletics-related volunteering in the community. A point system is used to rate each application,  void of any names during the scoring process, and the applicants with the highest scores are passed along to the School Counseling Department for final consideration. Four student athletes will then be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship! CABA Board members with a senior student athlete are exempt from voting.  Learn more about CABA at  https://cabavt.org/ .  *** Registration is now open!!!!! See info below******** Project Graduation is a substance free celebration for graduating seniors on the night of graduation and will be held the night of June 14, 2025. The event is sponsored by local businesses and fundraising. The event is not sponsored by the school and is a separate entity made up of parents of graduating seniors. Next Meeting: May 1st  at 6pm in CHS room 101. JUNIOR PARENTS AND SENIORS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND TO ASSIST WITH THE CELEBRATION AND PREPARE FOR THE CLASS OF 2026.    Can’t make it or have questions? Email:  chsprojectgradvt@gmail.com  to join our email list.  ✨Wish List✨ In order to make Project Grad a success, we need to have GREAT raffle items and swag bags. We're off to a good start, but we need people to either purchase from the Amazon Wish List or make donations of cash through it. We will use the funds we receive to supplement the raffle themed baskets and assist in the purchase of the "big ticket" items. All attendees will receive a swag bag, have the opportunity to win the big ticket items, and receive tickets for the gift basket drawing(s) of their choice. Please use and share this link with family and friends who are interested in supporting the Class of 2025!  Amazon Wish List Email:  chsprojectgradvt@gmail.com Volunteers In order to make the night successful and stress free, we need the assistance of parent volunteers. You do not have to have a senior to volunteer, in fact it's been a tradition of parents of other grades to help.  Please look over our sign up and pick a slot to volunteer: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30E0945A4AD2AA3F85-55839541-project Project Graduation | Class of 2025 Business Sponsors and Family Donations -  If you or your employer is willing to make a  tax deductible donation , please make a check to  CHS Project Graduation  and mail to:  Colchester High School  Attn Project Graduation  131 Laker Lane PO Box 900  Colchester, VT 05446 Ongoing ways to support Project Grad: Join our Facebook page for upcoming information - CHS Project Graduation Follow us on Instagram - chsprojectgradvt   COMMUNITY NEWS Burnham Library How is it May already? It feels to me like this school year has been flying by.  A project we're trying to organize here at Burnham Library before summer break is assembling and decorating some new Little Free Libraries that will be placed at Bayside Park and at the Fort. We're hoping teens will share their time and creative talents so we can get those new structures all painted and ready for the Colchester community to enjoy during the summer months. The date for decorating is TBD but we're aiming for early June, so please  check on our website  in the coming weeks (or reach out) for specifics if that's something you'd be interested in helping happen. One more reminder that the  voting for the 2024-2025 Green Mountain Book Award winner  is underway until May 25 — if you had a favorite book, let the committee know! Also,  the list for next year  has already been released, and I'm particularly excited there are TWO nonfiction options that made the cut. These GMBA lists are great resources if you're looking for inspiration for future reading. And one final event to highlight: for those of you planning on or thinking about college, the library is hosting  a workshop on managing student deb t on Wednesday, May 14 from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm. It's a great chance to come and get information about how to navigate that financial responsibility and ask questions. Until next time, Meg Malone (she/her) mmalone@colchestervt.gov Librarian – Young Adult Services & Interlibrary Loan Currently reading:  Birding to Change the World: A Memoir ,  Trish O'Kane Parks & Rec

Thursday, May 01 2025