The Nest, CVU's student run store, is getting ready to close out another successful year. The student volunteers have worked hard this year and gained valuable retail and vocational skills. Each year students are able to donate a portion of the store's profits to local organizations. This year we made donations to The Vermont Food Bank and Toys for Tots. A generous donation was also made to CVU's Epic camp.Our most recent service activity was at The Vermont Respite House where we donated flowers and needed supplies.

Student volunteers this year include Corey Mansfield, Isabel Frantz, Xavier Waterhouse, Avery Duda, Emily Scott, Justin McQuiston, Henry Evarts, Nicole Akiki, Dani Demag, Dustin Benoit, Kendra Maille, Ryan Martel and Amelia Harris. They all deserve a huge Thank You. Their job is often busy and stressful, and they meet the challenge with enthusiasm and pride.

Please congratulate the following unified arts students who won recognition for their entries in the 17th Annual CSWD Creative ReUse Showcase:
3-D Awesome Art Award: “Nostalgia Trip,” a steam locomotive constructed using coffee stirrers, cassette tapes, and floppy disks, by Olivia Hern of Champlain Valley Union High School, advised by Emily McLean.
Fabulous Fashion Award: “The Flight of the Recycled Printer Paper,” a dress stitched from fabric scraps and a Goodwill skirt, adorned with origami cranes folded from classmates’ papers and school printer scraps, by Rose Watts of Champlain Valley Union High School, advised by Eleanor Marsh.

In addition to Olivia and Rose, the following CVU students also had works of art on display: Ming Fen Congdon, Addie Zinner, Avery Caterer, and Isaiah Mann.

Here is a link to an article about the Creative ReUse Showcase published in the Free Press: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20130310/ARTS/303100003/High-school-artists-question-consumption-waste-recycled-creations. Olivia Hern is featured in article.

The Whole School Energy Challenge (WSEC), a two-year initiative to cut CVU’s electricity use by 10% from our baseline year (2010-11), is being led by CVU’s Environmental Action Club (EnACT) and Kurt Proulx, CVU’s Facilities Director. Last year, 2011-12, CVU saved a total of 8.11%, narrowly missing our goal. Our latest progress report (through January 2013) shows that we’ve shaved 13.1% of our electricity usage so far this year compared to our baseline year. There are three months left in our challenge.

Efficiency Vermont, the Vermont Energy Efficiency Program (VEEP), and the Vermont School Energy Management Program are our partners for this project. Recent initiatives include promoting Hibernation Vacation (removing phantom loads by unplugging computer equipment for school vacations) and installing timers for portable computer carts to reduce phantom loads.

Future projects include a lighting retrofit project, a boiler retrofit project, and an HVAC controls upgrade; all three projects will bring significant operational savings in further reduced energy costs.

The following students have been selected to to go Turkey in May and participate in the country-wide entrepreneurship and innovation fair:
David Riesner, Marcella Consiglio, Kevin Page, Graham Hulvey, and Liam Donnelly.
All students in Principles of Business (50 total) competed in a team project and online collaboration with Turkish students to earn this opportunity.  The exchange is sponsored by PH International; CVU students Evan Grey, Jack Rooney, and Roshi Brooklyn participated last year.  
We are so proud of these students and their teacher, Tamie-Jo Dickinson.  They have worked very hard to earn this privilege. 

                                                Friday, May 24th, 8:00 - 3:00

Required day of school for all juniors and seniors.  Optional day for freshmen and sophomores

Community Members and Parents,
   Grad Challenge Presentation Day is a day to celebrate learning. All seniors present their independent project learning in 8-12 minute presentations to 5-member panels made up of faculty and community members. Please join us as a panelist or as an audience member. The day is segmented into three presentation sessions with 4 students in each room (20 - 30 rooms). 
   To sign up as a panelist, please use the Grad Challenge Community Panelist Sign-Up form on the CVU home page.

Grad Challenge 2013

Seniors,
You are on the home stretch with Grad Challenge!  Final papers, Community Consultant Verification Form, and the Tangible Product Critique Form were all due to your Advisor by 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5th.

Grad Challenge Presentation Day is Friday, May 24th.    It is a required full day of school for all juniors and seniors. You are expected to be audience members for your friends' and classmates' presentations.   The schedule for the day is posted on the Grad Challenge website.   Presentation schedule will be posted in the middle of April.

If you have any questions, talk to your Advisor, contact MaryAnne Gatos, and check your email.

Juniors:
 A Junior Grad Challenge Kickoff meeting for "Grad Challenge 2014" will be scheduled during Advisory time in mid-April.  Check Announcements for the exact date.  The meeting will launch you into planning your projects, especially if you wish to work on your hours over the summer.  Your Advisor will help you plan your project.

The Community Service Fair scheduled for April 17th will provide you with an opportunity to speak with representatives of local non-profit organizations about possible projects or volunteering.
Grad Challenge Presentation Day, a required day of school for you, will also give you an opportunity to hear senior presentations.

There are half-day inservices throughout the school year with students dismissed at 12:30 p.m.  Below are the remaining dates for inservices for the 2012-2013 school year: 

Tue Apr 9, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Apr 10, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed May 15, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students, except 10th Graders. Dismissal at 12:30 pm VIEW/MAPS 10
Wed May 29, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm

The CVU Annual Meeting will be held in Room 142 on Monday, March 4, at 5:00 p.m. All voters in the district are encouraged to attend the meeting to find out more about the 2013-2014 school budget. The vote on the CVU budget will be held on Town Meeting Day, March 5, at local polling places in each of the four member towns. 

Copies of the 2012-2013 Chittenden South Supervisory Union School Report and Champlain Valley Union High School Annual Report are available for the public. The books can be picked up at the schools and town offices of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston. Additionally, the book can currently be viewed by selecting this link:  http://www.cssu.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=264

Congratulations to the incredible CVU Penguin Plungers who bravely conquered cold and fear and raised lots of cash ($28,000) for Special Olympics.  Thanks to Glenn Fay for sharing a few memorable photos from the event:   http://www.flickr.com/photos/69520106@N06/

    On February 7, a CVU FBLA team won the State LifeSmarts Competition.  This is the third year CVU FBLA has won this event.  The team consists of Chris Petrillo, Roshi Brooklyn, Sam Giles, Graham Hulvey, and Devon Cantor.  As state champions, the team will head to Atlanta, Georgia in April to compete in the National Competition. 
    “LifeSmarts is an educational program of the National Consumers League that develops the consumer and marketplace skills of teens in a fun way, and rewards them for the knowledge they demonstrate.”  Teams are quizzed in five categories:  Personal Finance, Consumer Rights, Health and Safety, the Environment, and Technology.  These young men did a great job, so please congratulate them on this victory.

    Thomas Watson has been named one of the top runners-up in the 2013 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in Vermont.  Based on the number of volunteer hours, Thomas also has qualified for the President's Volunteer Service Award.  Thomas trained nearly 400 people, including the Governor of Vermont, how to conduct Hands Only CPR and has spoken to state legislators to help pass a law requiring high schools to teach all students in this method. Thomas, who was upset when a man went into cardiac arrest at a sporting event and only one person knew CPR, worked with the American Heart Association to teach this simpler form of CPR in an effort to save lives.

    Megan Kloeckner, was awarded a Certificate of Excellence which signifies that she was among the top 10% of all applicants from Vermont in this year's program. 

    U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announced the winner and top finalists in his annual State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students.
    A panel of four Vermont teachers judged the essays and selected Caroline Braun, a junior at Champlain Valley Union High School, as the winner. “There is no simple cure for the abundant issues plaguing our nation,” Braun wrote. “Not only are we recovering from a recession, but we also are confronting challenges related to climate change, health care, and education. As a world leader and role model for democracy and peace, we need initiatives that not only connect people and communities, but also ones that will act as catalysts for change.”
    Sanders will enter the essays of the winner and the finalists into the Congressional Record. The finalists will also have the opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion with Sanders to discuss the issues they wrote about in their essays. The roundtable has been scheduled for March 9 at South Burlington High School.
    Read the winning essays at http://www.sanders.senate.gov/stateoftheunion/ or by clicking here.

    Several Key Club Members volunteered their time to help with the Winter Carnival held in Hinesburg.  Below are some pictures that the recreation department sent to us with the following message:  Here are some pictures from Winter Carnival - what a great group of students!!  They were all so engaging and helpful.  Nate Hubbard showed up and was whisked into the HCS kitchen and put to work serving waffles and eggs!!  One student dressed up as Clifford.  The Key Club students truly MAKE Winter Carnival, so please extend our thanks to the students.  

The following art students were honored with recognition at the Vermont Scholastic Visual Art Awards.
    Natalie Puma - Silver Key
    Sophie White - Honorable Mention
    Emma Hamilton - Honorable Mention
Their work will be on display at the Brattleboro Art Museum from February 9 - March 2. There is an awards ceremony on March 2. Congratulations to our hard working artists!

Individual student reports have been mailed home to all eleventh grade students who participated in NECAP in October 2012.  The Guide to Using the 2012 NECAP Science Reports is available for parents as a resource.  It describes all the NECAP reports in detail and is available for download on the Vermont Department of Education website and also at http://iservices.measuredprogress.org

    Every two years, our Supervisory Union administers the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to students to gather information about various health risks facing young people.  In February or March, all of our schools will participate in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the Vermont Department of Health, through the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs.  The survey is designed for 8th through 12th graders and will include questions about nutrition, alcohol, and tobacco and other drug use, physical exercise, injuries, and sexual behavior.  Since 1995, our students have been taking the survey which was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has been approved by many national organizations, including the National PTA.  Survey results are used to prioritize needs, plan new prevention programs, and secure future funding.
    The YRBS is given anonymously, and survey procedures have been designed to protect your child’s privacy.  No names are ever written on the survey, and individual responses are not disclosed to anyone.  We would like all students to take part in the survey; however, the survey is voluntary, and all students will have the right to decline participation if they choose.
    As a parent or guardian of a student eligible to participate in the YRBS, federal law affords you the right to inspect the survey before it is administered and to opt your child out of taking the survey.  Each school will have a copy of the survey in the main office for you to preview.  Should you decide that you do not want your child participating in the YRBS, please inform us in writing no later than February 27, 2013.  The form is attached below.  CVU students will participate in the survey on Wednesday, March 6.
    If you have any questions, please contact Tim Trevithick at 482-6951.

The Spring Theatre Production of THE MIRACLE WORKER will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday & Saturday, March 15 and 16, and at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday March 17.  Tickets are $5 for Students, Children, Faculty & Staff and $7 for General Admission.  You may reserve tickets at 482-6991, and tickets will be available for pick up at the door on show night.  If you prefer to purchase a ticket in advance: Tickets will be on sale during lunch periods at CVU beginning on THURSDAY MARCH 7.  or you may send in a check and pay for tickets by mail by completing the Ticket Order Form at:  

https://sites.google.com/a/cvuhs.org/cvu-theater/home/ticket-order-form-miracle-worker and your tickets will be available for pick up at the box office on shownight.  We hope to see you at the show.

(There will be no ASSIGNED SEATING by numbered rows & seats for THE MIRACLE WORKER. All tickets are for General Seating.  Doors will open 30 minutes before show time. Please plan to arrive early to get the best seat.)

    Want to improve the language you are studying, learn first-hand about another culture, and make a new friend from another country? Hosting an exchange student who will be attending CVU next year is a great way to do that, and now is the time to apply.
    PAX and EF Foundation for Foreign Study have students from all over the world ranging in age from 15 to 18, and we can search for a student whose interests match yours and those of your family.
    If you think your family might be interested in knowing more about what’s involved in hosting an Exchange student, please contact:

Kelley Cartularo, PAX community coordinator, at 802-373-0011,
kelleyc@pax.org, or visit www.pax.org.
Or
Jan Bedard, International Exchange Coordinator for EF Foundation for
Foreign Study at 802-482-3494, GBedard920@gmail.com or visit
www.effoundation.org.

There are half-day inservices throughout the school year with students dismissed at 12:30 p.m.  Below are the remaining dates for inservices for the 2012-2013 school year: 

Wed Mar 13, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Tue Apr 9, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Apr 10, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed May 15, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students, except 10th Graders. Dismissal at 12:30 pm VIEW/MAPS 10
Wed May 29, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm

Advisory Council
    The Direction Center needs your help.  Our goal is to form a Direction Center Advisory Council in order to gain feedback and solicit new ideas about our school counseling programming.
    Our Advisory Council will represent the dynamics of our community and will include representatives who are affected by the school counseling program. Our Council will be composed of leaders in the community as well as parents and students and is tasked with making recommendations regarding student and community needs and advising the school counseling staff as it strives to meet these needs. The Advisory Council will meet twice a year.
    Sound interesting? Have a bit of extra time? Please call Patti Tomashot, Director of Student Services, at 482-7137 or email ptomashot@cvuhs.org

CVU Summer Academy
Check out our summer course offerings! Courses that still have availability include Writing Prose, Driver’s Education, Creative Writing (including one that is “on the trail”), Trig/Pre-Calc prep and more. Registration forms are online.

Community Volunteering
The benefits of volunteering are:

• an opportunity to be a contributor and give back to our community;
• becoming part of a group working for a common goal;
• learning skills and gaining experience; 
• trying something new;
• experiencing the power of collective effort;
• testing a career area of interest or considering a placement for Grad Challenge community learning hours;
• adding to your resume and what makes you interesting (considered in college applications).
  

Volunteer opportunities are posted regularly on the CVU Community Learning Opportunities/Volunteering web page.  For more information, see MaryAnne Gatos in the Direction Center. 

CVAHEC- Health Care Career Learning Opportunities   For more information about any of the opportunities below or an application, see this CVAHEC webpage

Health Careers Shadow Day - Applications are due by March 28.   This shadow day will be held on April 27.  For more information, see this CVAHEC webpage.

College Quest to Health Care - FREE! and $1,500 stipend for students who qualify for support!  - Applications due by March 7, 2013.  This is a FREE six-week summer residential program for current 11th grade students from Vermont interested in health careers. For more information, check this CVAHEC webpage

UVM Summer Programs
    Students, are you ready to earn college credit while still in high school? Are you interested in experiencing college life first-hand? 
    UVM Summer Programs offer high school students a chance to challenge themselves academically, begin building a college resume, and enjoy the vibrant student and cultural life at UVM.
    This summer, CVU students have the opportunity to choose from over 100 college level courses, travel to Dublin, Ireland, take an SAT prep course, or participate in the Vermont Symphonic Band Performance Camp.
    In July of 2013, the Summer Academy at the University of Vermont is offering five new specialized residential programs including: Business and Economics, Engineering and Design, Human Health and Medicine, Environment and Natural Resources, and Leadership and Activism. Students will live for two weeks in a UVM residential hall, participate in course work, go on field trips, attend evening activities, and other UVM events. High school students will experience life as a college student and will earn 3 UVM credits.
    Students and parents will find affordable options for summer programs by accessing The Vermont Dual Enrollment Program, which allows all Vermont high school students access to one tuition free course reimbursed by Next Generation Funds, a Vermont State Legislative funded program. The Academically Talented Program offers Vermont high school students the opportunity to receive  50% in-state academic year tuition reduction.
    For more information please call The University of Vermont Continuing Education Department at 802-656-2085 or visit http://www.uvm.edu/~summer/precollege/ .

AP Registration and Exam Information
    All students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses at CVU have the option to take an AP exam. Registration (March 5 – March 11, 2013)
    Students register for the AP exams in the Direction Center with Cyndi Knaepen, CVU Registrar. At the time of registration, students must know which exams they plan to take and submit a non-refundable payment of $100.00 for each exam. If there are students who have been approved for testing accommodations (through the College Board), they must notify the Direction Center at the time of registration. Please make checks payable to CVU and note on the check which exams you plan to take. Attach the check to the CVU AP Registration Form.

Pre-Administration (Monday, April 8, 2013)

  AP students are required to attend a pre-administration session to register for AP exams.  Students with last names beginning with A-L will meet from 9:15 - 10:15 AM and students with last names beginning with M-Z will meet from 10:30 - 11:30 AM in the CVU Auditorium.

                                            Juniors/Seniors
SAT and ACT deadlines approach quickly. College testing requirements vary widely, so students should double check which tests are required by each college to which they will apply. Please make note of the dates below. Students register for the test directly with the testing companies through their websites (collegeboard.com for SAT and act.org for ACT). Register early to ensure a spot in the testing location you prefer. CVU’s CEEB (testing) code is 460-175. Please remember that colleges require official test scores. Be sure to request that your scores be sent directly to the college by the testing company.

                                        2012 - 2013 SAT Test Information
Test Date                   Tests Offered                       Regular Regis.         Late Regis.
March 9, 2013          SAT Test Only                  Feb. 8, 2013            Feb. 22, 2013
May 4, 2013             SAT and Subject Tests      April 5, 2013            April 19, 2013
June 1, 2013            SAT and Subject Tests       May 2, 2013            May 17, 2013

                                        2012-2013 ACT Test Information

Test Date                        Regular Registration                 Late Registration 
February 9, 2013               January 11                             January 12 - 18
April 13, 2013                   March 8                                 March 9 - 22
June 8, 2013                    May 3                                    May 4 - 17

CVU Shadow Program (sophomores, juniors, and seniors)
Great way to help students figure out what they want to study in college or what kind of job/career they want!   Thank you to the following organizations for hosting a student in the past:
Fletcher Allen nutrition clinic
Qi Veterinary
Hunt Middle School
Hinesburg Police Department
Community Health Center of Burlington
Shelburne News
Shelburne Police Department
Seven Days
U.S. Coast Guard (Burlington station)
UVM Alumnae Office
Kelliher, Samets, and Volk
Stern Center
UVM Pathology Lab
All Souls Interfaith
UVM Microscopy Imaging Center
Seventh Generation
Sheraton Hotels
VCAM
Duncan Wisniewski Architects
Pizzagalli Construction
Dore & Whittier
Dings, Dents, and Scratches
Rehab Gym
Timberlane Physical Therapy
Advance Music
Vermont Business Magazine
Fletcher Allen nutrition clinic

Next CVU Shadow Day is Wednesday, March 13, between from 1:30 – 5:00. Applications are in the Direction Center and due before Friday, February 11th.  The sooner, the better. Participation in an early block orientation is required. Tardiness may excuse a student from participation.  Speak to MaryAnne Gatos if there is an issue.

Parents Offering a Shadow Opportunity:  Your generosity is appreciated. Please consider offering a job shadow experience to a CVU student. Health care careers, architects, engineers, business people, vets, you name it!   MaryAnne Gatos matches students to experiences after conversing with you about your work. You may be specific about what you can offer.  Students typically observe for 1-3 hours. Students participate in a mandatory orientation meeting to cover job skills, research the company or career, and discuss confidentiality and reliability.  To offer a job shadow, please email MaryAnne Gatos at mgatos@cvuhs.org

                                                    Seniors
Graduation Challenge:
Grad Challenge Presentation time sign-up was February 12- 15.  Any student that did not sign up will be assigned a presentation time randomly.  Students are highly encouraged to invite parents, friends, and community consultants to their presentation.  Many like to come, and it is rewarding to hear about your project.   

Grad Challenge Paper draft: Drafts of seniors’ Grad Challenge papers are due to Advisors on or before March 7th.  Students are encouraged to:

• Share an outline with Advisors and meet for advice and support in writing the paper;
• Complete all interviews and research before writing the draft;
• Conduct interviews face-to-face formally with interview questions written ahead of time.  In some instances, phone and email interviews are acceptable, if the interviewee lives beyond reasonable driving distance.  Spending time with a Community Consultant does not count as an interview;
• Complete Tangible Product enough so they can write about the process and product.  Ambitious Tangible Products often take longer to complete.
• Meet with Community Consultants to share learning, hours log, and questions. 
• Talk to their Advisors for help with time management, resources, or communication.
•  

BEWARE of FAFSA scams!  Several students have reported to us that they have paid money to file their FAFSA (on fafsa.com).   Please note that filing the FAFSA is free; you should never pay money to file this financial aid form.  Watch out for companies that offer to file this form for a fee! The correct FAFSA website is: www.fafsa.ed.gov

                                                    Juniors
Below are dates for a few of the exciting workshops we have planned for juniors.

March 16, 2013 – VSAC’s Pathways to College
This annual daylong program offers a series of workshops that teaches you everything you need to know about finding a great college. It’s held on Saturday at St. Michael’s College. For more information and registration, go to vsac.org. Other dates/locations include March 23, Castleton College and April 6, Lyndon State College.

April 8, 2013 from 11:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. – CVU’s Annual College Fair
Everyone is welcome to attend this college fair – the only spring fair in the Chittenden County area.  Meet admissions representatives from over 125 colleges.

Military Options Day
Each year, representatives from all the branches of the military are invited to CVU to talk about opportunities for students after high school.  This year our military options day will be on Friday, March 15 from 11:30-1:30 in 4-Corners.

Naviance Instructional Tutorials - For those juniors and/or parents who are interested in learning about Naviance, we have created a series of tutorial videos that will introduce you to many aspects of this program.  To see them, visit the CVU homepage, then click on Instructional Support, and then Direction Center.  On the left under Quick Links is Naviance.  Once you choose that option, you will see information about and links to these Tutorials. Take a look! (https://sites.google.com/a/cvuhs.org/cvunaviance/home/cvu-students)

                                                        Sophomores
Students are encouraged to utilize resources to learn more about potential careers.   The following are great places to start:

1.      The PLAN website.  Use the information from your PLAN interest inventory to learn more about careers that you might enjoy.  Go to www.planstudent.org
2.      CVU’s Naviance Program. Use this site to explore career clusters (groups of careers with common features and skills), college majors associated with these careers, colleges that offer these majors and much more.  Access through the Direction Center link on www.cvuhs.org
3.      Vermont Guidance Central at www.vsac.org. This is a very comprehensive career exploration site that provides in-depth career descriptions, interest inventories, information about college majors and more.
4.      CVU’s Job Shadowing Opportunities.  Contact the Direction Center for more information.

                                                            Freshmen
Counselors facilitated workshops related to respecting differences during the exam week.

Course Registration for 2013-2014
The scheduling process for 2013-2014 is in full swing. We are excited to offer some new courses in addition to almost all of last year’s offerings. Students are meeting with their house counselors for assistance in course selection. The 2013-2014 course catalog is available online. Start checking out these course offerings!

Attention Juniors and Seniors!
Don’t miss the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school! High school students can enroll in college courses (online or on campus) during the academic year or during the summer. Study in core areas such as Math, Science, English, Languages, and the Arts. The programs available are:

• Dual Enrollment Program, which is through the State of Vermont and allows every VT high school student one college course tuition free.
• Academically Talented program through the University of Vermont which offers VT high school students to take courses at 50% reduced tuition until they graduate. Some restrictions apply, and you do need to be approved by your guidance counselor.

 Please contact Nichole Hathaway at Nichole.Hathaway@uvm.edu or 802-656-4682 for more information or visit our website http://learn.uvm.edu/high-school-2.  Spring course information will be available to view in mid-October and registration will open early November.

April 8, 2013 from 11:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. – CVU’s Annual College Fair

Everyone is welcome to attend this college fair – the only spring fair in the Chittenden County area.  Meet admissions representatives from over 125 colleges.

Have a 9th Grader who is interested in Pre-Tech?

Pre-Tech at Center for Technology in Essex is now accepting applications.
Pre-Technical Education is a one-year, six-period program for sophomores who thrive in project-oriented experiences that emphasize applied academics. Students are involved in a wide variety of cutting-edge technical activities where they learn science, mathematics, social studies, and communication skills while building personal development assets. Much of the learning takes place outside a traditional classroom and instead uses authentic locations to engage reluctant students and to provide experiences for deeper and more relevant learning. The teaching strategy employed by the program's instructors is to create "teachable moments" frequently by giving students new and challenging experiences by exploring curriculum content from the many various programs offered at the center. Any student would find this program a refreshing alternative to conventional classroom instruction, and it is particularly valuable to students who may be frustrated academically.

Entrance Prerequisites
Applicants must have a ninth grade transcript that shows an award of five full credits including:
• 1 math                        • 1 English                    • 1 Social Studies
• 1 Science                   • 1 Elective

Good attendance and behavior is also important in the application process.

Curriculum Components
Students select one of two of four curricular areas to focus on throughout the year. All four curriculum tracks are representative of the programs the center offers. The four areas include:
• Information Technology & Digital Media                     
• Natural Resources and Engineering
• Health and Human Services (includes: Medical Related Fields, Professional Foods, Child Education and Cosmetology)                                     
• Building Technology and Automotive

High School Credits Awarded:
One integrated credit each in:
• English                       • Math               • Science                      • Fine Arts
• Physical Education                 • Elective

What's Next?
Students succeeding in this program are invited to apply for another career and technical education program in their junior year.

Mark Your Calendar!
All applications for next year’s programs at the Technical Centers are due to the Centers by March 8. We’d love to receive them by March 4 so we can make sure they’re delivered to Burlington or Essex by the deadline.  Please encourage your students to bring in their application to the Direction Center today!

In addition to the technical programs for juniors and seniors, the Pre-tech program is open to interested sophomores. If you have a student who loves hands-on learning, please feel free to contact Jane Krasnow  (482-7137 or jkrasnow@cvuhs.org ) today for additional information. The application deadline is also March 8.

College Awards for Juniors - Several colleges have a program which recognizes high school juniors who demonstrate exceptional promise. The criteria vary from school to school. Some awards recognize community service, some recognize leadership, and others recognize outstanding achievement in a specific content area. Below is a list of awards we have received.
    If you’re interested in nominating yourself, please pick up an application in the Direction Center today!
    The deadline for these awards is March 30.

    Brandeis Book Award- This book award recognizes an excellent student who has demonstrated a commitment to civic engagement, community service, political activism or volunteer work
    Clarkson Achievement and Leadership Awards- These awards offer a substantial merit scholarship if the student attends Clarkson. Students must have demonstrated an interest in engineering, business, science or liberal arts.
    Dartmouth Book Award- students who have demonstrated intellectual leadership and have made a positive contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.
    Harvard Book Award- a promising junior who deserves recognition. (This award is not available every year)
    Norwich University Math and Sciences Scholarship- worth $12,000 if student attends Norwich
    RPI Medal -for a student who has excelled in advanced math and science courses and has exhibited significant involvement in extracurricular activities.
    Rochester Institute of Technology- 2 awards each given to one male and one female student- worth $24,000 if student attends RIT.
        Computing Medal Award
        Creativity and Innovation
    Russell Sage - two awards
        A young woman (Junior). B+ or better average that is involved in community and shows                 leadership skills
        A young woman interested in pursuing a career in the arts.
    St. Lawrence - community service & academic
    St. Michael's Book Award - Achievement in academics (above 3.4 GPA), membership in NHS and sincere commitment to community service.     
    University of Chicago - The University of Chicago Book Award is presented to one outstanding high school junior from select schools in the United States and the world. Candidates should be students in their junior year who are among the strongest in their class. They should demonstrate intellectual engagement in and out of the classroom, and be known for asking challenging questions and drawing connections across academic disciplines.  Finally, candidates should be visible members of the student body as a result of their contributions and commitment to their high school community or their greater community.
    University Rochester - four awards- all of them worth at least $30,000 if the student chooses to attend Rochester-
        Bausch & Lomb Science Award
        Eastman Young Leaders Award
        Frederick Douglas & Susan B Anthony Award
        Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology.
    Wellesley Book Award- deserving female student who has made significant personal contributions to school and/or community
    Wells College- worth $40,000 if the student attends Wells- leadership ability and achievement in academics.
    Williams- students who have demonstrated intellectual leadership and have made a positive contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.

    Every two years, our Supervisory Union administers the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to students to gather information about various health risks facing young people.  In February or March, all of our schools will participate in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), sponsored by the Vermont Department of Health, through the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs.  The survey is designed for 8th through 12th graders and will include questions about nutrition, alcohol, and tobacco and other drug use, physical exercise, injuries, and sexual behavior.  Since 1995, our students have been taking the survey which was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has been approved by many national organizations, including the National PTA.  Survey results are used to prioritize needs, plan new prevention programs, and secure future funding.
    The YRBS is given anonymously, and survey procedures have been designed to protect your child’s privacy.  No names are ever written on the survey, and individual responses are not disclosed to anyone.  We would like all students to take part in the survey; however, the survey is voluntary, and all students will have the right to decline participation if they choose.
    As a parent or guardian of a student eligible to participate in the YRBS, federal law affords you the right to inspect the survey before it is administered and to opt your child out of taking the survey.  Each school will have a copy of the survey in the main office for you to preview.  Should you decide that you do not want your child participating in the YRBS, please inform us in writing no later than February 27, 2013.  The form is attached below.  CVU students will participate in the survey on Wednesday, March 6.
    If you have any questions, please contact Tim Trevithick at 482-6951.

Congratulations to Chris Jordan and Robyn Leary who were accepted to the All-Eastern orchestra and band (respectively).  They will be among the 16 students to represent Vermont at the Eastern Division Music Educator's Conference in Hartford, Conn. in April.

This opportunity is only offered every other year and is open only to juniors and seniors. Students needed to apply last spring for acceptance.

This past November, 40 CVU students attended the Princeton Model Congress in Washington, DC. Almost 1,000 students from schools from all over the nation participated in this rigorous legislative simulation. This year's delegation continued CVU's proud tradition of excellence with three students being recognized with awards:

Lucas Hilker, House Armed Services Committee - Gavel
Alden Fletcher, Cabinet - Secretary of Transportation - Honorable Mention
Will Keve, Senate Appropriations Committee - Honorable Mention

Congratulations to all of our delegates.

On Friday, December 14, Lucas Hilker, Conor McQuiston, Chris Petrillo, and Caroline Jones participated in the annual Rotary Public Speaking Contest sponsored by the Charlotte/Shelburne Rotary club.  Each student wrote and presented a five-minute speech on the theme, "Peace Through Service."   They did an amazing job, and the winner was Caroline Jones.

She will continue to the next round in January, where she will compete with students from clubs in our area. If she wins that level, she will continue on to compete with student winners from rotary clubs in the district, spanning parts of Quebec through New Hampshire. 

For the ninth year, all proceeds from the cafeteria on one day were donated to a non-profit.  The Student Council chose the Vermont Food Bank to be this year's recipient.   The CVU community was encouraged to eat breakfast, lunch, and snacks to support the Cafe for a Cause on Friday, December 14. Almost $6,000 was raised - enough to provide over 30,000 meals to hungry Vermonters.

All proceeds - including what was collected through the machines - was donated.  Over the years, over $39,000 has been raised during the once-a-year event. Great thanks to Food Services Director Leo LaForce and his hardworking staff who partnered with the CVU student council. Vice President Alec Distler was the leader of the student council group.

Below are the organizations that have been supported in the past.

2004-2005 Unicef for the South East Asia Tsunami family relief
2005-2006 Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina family relief
2006-2007 Santa Night in Burlington for kids who need gifts
2007-2008 Split between Heifer International (food for families in other countries) & an Orphanage that CVU students visited in Greece
2008-2009 COTS in Burlington for homeless
2009-2010 Operation Tribute for children of parents in military
2010-2011 VT Refugee Resettlement Program
2011-2012 VT Relief Agency for families affected by Hurricane Irene
2012-2013 Vermont Food Bank

All future CVU students in the Class of 2017 are encouraged to attend a special program, along with their parents, on Wednesday, January 30, at 6:00 p.m.  Opening remarks will be made in the CVU gym.  The evening will be an introduction to CVU.

Spring Drama Production
This year’s Spring play will be THE MIRACLE WORKER, the story of Annie Sullivan’s struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller to communicate.  There is more information about the show and the characters on the theatre website.  Please check it out and consider getting involved. There is still a need for more help on the Crew, so if you're a student interested at all in drama productions, please contact Candy Padula or Tim Duvernoy.  https://sites.google.com/a/cvuhs.org/cvu-theater/home/the-miracle-worker

There are half-day inservices throughout the school year with students dismissed at 12:30 p.m.  Below are the remaining dates for inservices for the 2012-2013 school year: 

Wed Feb 13, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Mar 13, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Tue Apr 9, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Apr 10, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed May 15, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students, except 10th Graders. Dismissal at 12:30 pm VIEW/MAPS 10
Wed May 29, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm

Advisory Council
    The Direction Center needs your help.  Our goal is to form a Direction Center Advisory Council in order to gain feedback and solicit new ideas about our school counseling programming.
    Our Advisory Council will represent the dynamics of our community and will include representatives who are affected by the school counseling program. Our Council will be composed of leaders in the community as well as parents and students and is tasked with making recommendations regarding student and community needs and advising the school counseling staff as it strives to meet these needs. The Advisory Council will meet twice a year.
    Sound interesting? Have a bit of extra time? Please call Patti Tomashot, Director of Student Service,s at 482-7137 or email ptomashot@cvuhs.org

Seniors
FAFSA Forms Workshop – January 24- REGISTRATION REQUIRED
    The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) was created to help students and parents obtain information about colleges and financial aid, as well as to help with the distribution of grants and loans.  On January 24, VSAC and CVU will facilitate a forms night for all senior parents who would like assistance completing the FAFSA (Federal Financial Aid) Form. Please call Helen Shepard at 482-7137 to register for a session.  (The first session starts at 5:30 p.m.) Once you register, she will email you a list of what to bring that night.

BEWARE of FAFSA scams!
Several students have reported that they have paid money to file their FAFSA (on fafsa.com).   Please note that filing the FAFSA is free; you should never pay money to file this financial aid form.  Watch out for companies that offer to file this form for a fee! The correct FAFSA website is: www.fafsa.ed.gov

Juniors/Sophomores
    SAT and ACT deadlines approach quickly. College testing requirements vary widely, so students should double-check which tests are required by each college to which they will apply. Please make note of the dates below. Students register for the test directly with the testing companies through their websites (collegeboard.com for SAT and act.org for ACT) or by completing the registration packets which may be found in the Direction Center. Register early to ensure a spot in the testing location you prefer. CVU’s CEEB (testing) code is 460-175. Please remember that colleges require official test scores. Be sure to request that your scores be sent directly to the college by the testing company.
                                            2012 - 2013 SAT Test Information
Test Date                   Tests Offered                       Regular Regis.         Late Regis.
March 9, 2013          SAT Test Only                  Feb. 8, 2013            Feb. 22, 2013
May 4, 2013             SAT and Subject Tests      April 5, 2013            April 19, 2013
June 1, 2013            SAT and Subject Tests       May 2, 2013            May 17, 2013

                                        2012-2013 ACT Test Information

Test Date                        Regular Registration                 Late Registration 
February 9, 2013               January 11                             January 12 - 18
April 13, 2013                   March 8                                 March 9 - 22
June 8, 2013                    May 3                                    May 4 - 17

Below are dates for a few of the exciting workshops we have planned for juniors.

March 16, 2013 – VSAC’s Pathways to College
    This annual daylong program offers a series of workshops that teaches you everything you need to know about finding a great college. It’s held on Saturday at St. Michael’s College. For more information and registration, go to vsac.org. Other dates/locations include March 23 at Castleton College and April 6 at Lyndon State College.

April 8, 2013 from 11:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. – CVU’s Annual College Fair
    Everyone is welcome to attend this college fair – the only spring fair in the Chittenden County area.  Meet admissions representatives from over 125 colleges.

Naviance Instructional Tutorials
    For those juniors and/or parents who are interested in learning about Naviance, we have created a series of tutorial videos that will introduce many aspects of this program.  To see them, visit the CVU homepage, then click on Instructional Support and then Direction Center.  On the left under Quick Links is Naviance.  Once you choose that option, you will see information and links to these Tutorials. Take a look! (https://sites.google.com/a/cvuhs.org/cvunaviance/home/cvu-students)

Sophomores
    Students are encouraged to utilize resources to learn more about potential careers.   The following are great places to start:
1.         The PLAN website.  Use the information from your PLAN interest inventory to learn more about careers that you might enjoy.  Go to www.planstudent.org
2.         CVU’s Naviance Program. Use this site to explore career clusters (groups of careers with common features and skills), college majors associated with these careers, colleges that offer these majors and much more.  Access through the Direction Center link on www.cvuhs.org
3.         Vermont Guidance Central at www.vsac.org. This is a very comprehensive career exploration site that provides in-depth career descriptions, interest inventories, information about college majors and more.
4.         CVU’s Job Shadowing Opportunities.  Contact the Direction Center for more information.

Freshmen
    Counselors will be co-facilitating workshops related to respecting differences during the exam week.

Course Registration for 2013-2014
    The scheduling process for 2013-2014 will begin at the end of January. We are excited to offer some new courses in addition to almost all of last year’s offerings. Students will be meeting with their house counselors for assistance in course selection. Students have received their appointment date/time from their Advisors.  It is important to review the  2013-2014 course catalog available online. Start checking out these course offerings!

Attention Juniors and Seniors!
    Don’t miss the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school! High school students can enroll in college courses (online or on campus) during the academic year or during the summer. Study in core areas such as Math, Science, English, Languages, and the Arts. The programs available are:

• Dual Enrollment Program--through the State of Vermont and allows every VT high school student one college course tuition free;
• Academically Talented program--through the University of Vermont which offers VT high school students to take courses at 50% reduced tuition until they graduate. Some restrictions apply, and you do need to be approved by your guidance counselor.

 Please contact Nichole Hathaway at Nichole.Hathaway@uvm.edu or 802-656-4682 for more information or visit our website http://learn.uvm.edu/high-school-2.  Spring course information will be available to view in mid-October and registration will open early November.
    Another great college option: Community College of Vermont – Introduction to College Studies

Wednesdays, starting in January from 4-6 PM.
    The class focuses on all the skills that are needed to be successful at college: study/test taking skills, organization, financial aid, and communication skills. Students who complete the course can earn ½ English credit and ½ elective credit at CVU. Plus – they also get a voucher to take a free college course. On Wednesdays, we provide a bus to CCV for any students interested in signing up for this free class. See Jane Krasnow, call 482-7137 or email:jkrasnow@cvuhs.org in the Direction Center get more information or to sign up today!

Technical Center Visit Days
    We're organizing two days on which students can visit the tech centers.  Students need to sign up in advance for two programs they would like to visit and bring in a parent permission slip. A visit is required for all students who would like to enroll in a technical program next year. If your daughter/son is interested, please have the student stop by the Direction Center to sign up and get a permission slip.
    The pre-tech application process for interested 9th grade students will start a bit later in the spring. Feel free to talk with Jane Krasnow in the Direction Center if you have a son/daughter who may be interested: 482- 7128 or email jkrasnow@cvuhs.org.

Try a VHS Course this spring!
    VHS, a non-profit, global network which includes over 500 high schools, enables students to consider 200 online courses. Now that CVU is a member school of Virtual High School, students can pursue specific areas of interest with other students from around the globe.
    Virtual High School’s spring semester starts on January 30th, and we still have a few spaces left for students who would like to enroll for second semester.  (Semester 2 for full-year courses starts January 9th.)
    Most of the work is done independently, so interested students need to make a commitment to the class and be able to attend an Early Block check-in each Wednesday morning. Students should have a good attendance record, be a self-motivated, self-disciplined learner, and have academic skills that will help ensure successful course completion. Each class is challenging and requires students to be actively engaged in their coursework for at least 6 - 8 hours per week.
    Jane Krasnow is meeting with students interested in spring courses right now. Course sign up for 2013-2014 will begin in April.  If your son or daughter is interested in an online option, you are welcome to review the VHS catalogue at www.govhs.org. The next step would be to have students see Jane in the Direction Center to learn more about the application process.

Grad Challenge is in full swing.  Here are a few reminders to seniors:

• Meet face-to-face with your Community Consultant at least once per quarter. If you have finished your community learning hours, you can discuss research, resources, and whom to interview. You may also wish to discuss what to cover in your paper.
• Contacting someone and asking him/her to be your Community Consultant is creating a relationship.  Take care to respond to your Community Consultant’s communication.
• Planning will help you avoid contacting your Community Consultant right before the deadline which is rude (some of them will be unavailable, busy, or out of town).
• Take great photos. Besides sending 1-5 to MaryAnne, you will have good material for your presentation. Plan ahead.
• Sign-up schedule for Grad Challenge presentation times will be posted during February in the Direction Center.  Seniors keep an eye out for an email, announcement, and reminder.  Your Advisors will also be notified when the schedule is open.

Talk to your Advisor if you need any help with time management, resources, or communication.

CVU Shadow Program
Great way to help students figure out what they want to study in college or what kind of job/career they want!   Thank you to the following organizations for hosting a student to shadow a professional:
Fletcher Allen nutrition clinic
Qi Veterinary
Hunt Middle School
Hinesburg Police Department
Community Health Center of Burlington
Shelburne News
Shelburne Police Department
Seven Days
U.S. Coast Guard (Burlington station)
UVM Alumnae Office
Kelliher, Samets, and Volk
Stern Center
UVM Pathology Lab
All Souls Interfaith
UVM Microscopy Imaging Center
Seventh Generation
Sheraton Hotels
VCAM
Duncan Wisniewski Architects
Pizzagalli Construction
Dore & Whittier
Dings, Dents, and Scratches
Rehab Gym
Timberlane Physical Therapy
Advance Music
Vermont Business Magazine

Parents:  Your generosity is appreciated. Please consider offering a job shadow experience to a CVU student. Health care careers, architects, engineers, business people, vets--you name it!   MaryAnne Gatos matches students to experiences after conversing with you about your work. You may be specific about what you can offer.  Students typically observe for 1-3 hours. Students participate in a mandatory orientation meeting to cover job skills, research the company or career, and discuss confidentiality and reliability.  To offer a job shadow, please visit the CVU Shadow Program web page under Community Learning Opportunities.  

Buddy Program
Sign up for participation in second semester Buddy Program is open during the first couple days of the semester!  Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are encouraged to be role models for younger elementary school children.  Students go during a free block (Mon-Thurs) to one of our elementary schools and are matched with a younger child to play games, talk, help with homework, go outside, or do craft projects.  Younger buddies come to CVU at the end of the semester for a celebration. If interested, if you have any questions, or you would like an application, please contact MaryAnne Gatos in the Direction Center.

"Cafe for a Cause" was held on  December 14.  All revenue on that day was donated to the Vermont Food Bank.  This was CVU's ninth year supporting a meaningful cause. Over $35,000 has been donated in the past.

157 Total Student breakfast Meals were sold that day.
27 Adults purchased breakfast meals.

761 Total students purchased lunch meals
93 Adults purchased lunch meals

Because of the support of many, the Cafe was able to raise a total revenue of $5,956
which went towards the Vermont Food Bank. The Cafe Staff, Food Services Director Leo LaForce, and Student Council Vice President Alec Distler and others from the Student Council deserve special recognition.

This is the highest revenue raised for Cafe for a Cause so far!

This year’s Spring play will be THE MIRACLE WORKER, the story of Annie Sullivan’s struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller to communicate.  There will be an informational meeting about THE MIRACLE WORKER for all those who are planning to audition on Monday, December 17, from 3:15-3:45 p.m. in the theatre.  Auditions will be on Wednesday, December  19, so you will need to attend the Informational meeting to pick up all necessary audition materials.  There are many great roles available.  There is more information about the show and the characters on the theatre website.  Please check it out and consider getting involved.  https://sites.google.com/a/cvuhs.org/cvu-theater/home/the-miracle-worker

Champlain Valley Union High School will host the largest debate/speech tournament of the year on Saturday, January 5, 2013.  Over 100 students from across the state will compete in this event.
We are putting out an appeal for citizen judges. No experience required. We provide training and nourishment.  The time commitment is generally 9AM - 1PM. 

If you are interested in helping out, please contact Chris O'Donnell  at codonnell@cvuhs.org or 578-7510.

Thanks for your consideration. It is a very rewarding experience for all!

Sponsored by the Charlotte/Shelburne Rotary

• Theme:  “Peace Through Service”

Background: Providing service to mankind and making the world a better and more peaceful place is an important Rotary tradition. At a local level, peace may come to a community because they have their first clean drinking water or because girls don’t have to carry water from a distant water hole twice a day and can go to school. Education makes people understand how to live more peacefully.

Rotary International also actively helped create the United Nations and has been an official UN Observer Organization since its Charter Convention in 1945. It also offers graduate level Rotary Peace Fellowships through its Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution.

• Eligibility: High School students.  Children of Rotarians are not eligible.
• Rules:  Prepare and deliver a speech of five minutes or less on the above theme. The speech may be read and need not be memorized.  A copy of the speech must be provided at the time of the first-round contest.
• Specifics:

Round #1 – Compete against other contestants at a competition sponsored by your local Rotary Club before December 15, 2012 - Prize $100
Round #2 – Compete against up to four other Round #1 winners from other nearby Rotary Clubs before January 15, 2013 – Prize $150
Round #3 – Compete against up to five other Round #2 winners at a contest tentatively scheduled in the Lebanon, NH area on Saturday, January 26, 2013 – Prize $250
Round #4 – Compete against one other Round #3 winner at a Rotary District 7850 meeting tentatively scheduled to be held in the Lebanon, NH area on Saturday, April 27, 2013 for the Grand Prize - $500

To apply:  See Tamie-Jo Dickinson in Room 235-4 or Room 230.

Deadline:  December 3, 2012

In response to student interest, Champlain Valley Union High School is announcing a trip to China for June 2013!  Twelve to sixteen openings are available for students interested in having an unforgettable travel opportunity involving a rich exploration of Chinese culture and history in Beijing, Sichuan and Yunnan province.  Please see links below for details.
China Trip Parent Letter
Itinerary

By Grace Vincent (Class of 2013)

On October 24th, CVU’s Environmental Action Club (EnACT) sponsored Trash On the Lawn Day (TOLD), an annual event devoted to sorting trash, compost, and recycling in an effort to educate students about responsible waste habits. Members of EnACT, students, and faculty helped accomplish the smelly job of the day: sorting the waste into these three categories outside the cafeteria.

Thanks to the combined efforts, John Powell (CVU 2002) of Chittenden Solid Waste District calculated that 62% of the sorted waste was actually compostable, 17% was recyclable, and 21% was “true trash.” Armed with this info, EnACT is exploring new methods of cafeteria organization and embarking on an educational campaign to assure all of the waste is properly sorted.

CVU's Design TASC Engineering students did an absolutely superb job representing our school at the annual UVM Engineering Design TASC Competition.  We had 10 students (two teams) that literally blew the competition away!  We didn't quite sweep the podium spots, but we got pretty darn close!  We are VERY proud to say that one of our teams finally beat out all the best teams and won the overall best team award! (something we have strived to accomplish for years, but always seemed to fall just short...)  We are enormously proud of their work and efforts; THEY are enormously proud of the work and efforts.  They truly deserve to be recognized.
There were four challenges (five performance categories) and a Marketing Presentation award.
Team Project Redhawks won the Overall (best team!) as well as 1st place in the Challenge #4 and Marketing Presentation, as well as 2nd place in Challenge #1 & #3b
Team Redhawk Engineering won 1st place in Challenge #2, #3a, & #3b and 3rd place in the Marketing Presentation.

Check out the links below for UVM competition outline, press release, and WCAX video.

http://www.cems.uvm.edu/TASC/2012/TASC_Transportation_Rules.pdf
http://www.wcax.com/story/20235637/powering-cars-and-brains

The two teams consisted of the following students. Congratulate them when you see them!
Project Redhawks
Chase Weaver (team manager)
Nick Boutin
Cam Harris
Joe Kolk
Ben Langdon

Redhawk Engineering:
Austin Busch (team manager)
Wes McEntee
Russell Fox
Will Colomb
Zuhair Chaudhry

Advisor: Olaf Verdonk

By Miranda Selinger (CVU 2014)

From L-R: Tim Duclos (The Nature Conservancy staff), Laurel Jaunich, Kristin Bauer, Miranda Selinger, Kestrel Grevatt, Georgia Dixon, Katie Antos-Ketcham (adviser), Griffin Diparlo, Natalie Benoit, Haley Harder, Forrest Hamilton, and Molly (The Nature Conservancy staff).




On October 23rd, a group of students from CVU’s Environmental Action Club (EnACT) took a field trip to Williams Woods in Charlotte to help the Nature Conservancy of Vermont harvest invasive species. The Nature Conservancy is a nonprofit organization committed to the protection and preservation of nature around the world, and it has been helping protect thousands of acres of Vermont’s ecologically significant land since 1960. This was the second annual trip to work with the Nature Conservancy for the EnACT club. Nine students participated by learning to identify and remove invasive species including buckthorn and honeysuckle, helping rid Williams Woods of threatening invasives, and promoting the growth of species that are indigenous to the ecosystem.

Kids love…

Snow days, lunch break,

and

Gifts from CVU’s school store!



Shop Today

                                                  Block 1:  8:15—9:45
                                                Block 2:  10:00—11:30
                                                  Block 4: 1:30—3:00
482-6947

                           The store is also open during all home basketball games

1/2 Day Inservices for 2012-2013. There are half-day inservices throughout the school year with students dismissed at 12:30 p.m.  Below are the remaining dates for inservices for the 2012-2013 school year: 

Wed Feb 13, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Mar 13, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Tue Apr 9, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Apr 10, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed May 15, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students, except 10th Graders. Dismissal at 12:30 pm VIEW/MAPS 10
Wed May 29, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm

                                                        Advisory Council
The Direction Center needs your help. We've created a goal to form an advisory council in order to gain new ideas and feedback about our school counseling programming.

Representing the dynamics of our community, this advisory council will include representatives who are affected by CVU’s counseling program, as well as community leaders, parents, and students.  Tasked with making recommendations and advising the school counseling staff as is strives to meet student and community needs, the council will meet twice a year.

Sound interesting? Have a bit of extra time? Please call Patti Tomashot, Director of Student Services at 482-7137 or email ptomashot@cvuhs.org

Juniors/Sophomores
SAT and ACT deadlines approach quickly. College testing requirements vary widely, so students should doublecheck which tests are required by each college to which they will apply. Please make note of the dates below. Students register for the test directly with the testing companies through their websites (collegeboard.com for SAT and act.org for ACT) or by completing the registration packets which may be found in the Direction Center. Register early to ensure a spot in the testing location you prefer. CVU’s CEEB (testing) code is 460-175. Please remember that colleges require official test scores. Be sure to request that your scores be sent directly to the college by the testing company.

                                            2012 - 2013 SAT Test Information
Test Date                   Tests Offered                       Regular Regis.         Late Regis.
Dec. 1, 2012            SAT and Subject Tests       Nov. 1, 2012           Nov. 16, 2012
Jan. 26, 2013           SAT and Subject Tests       Dec. 28, 2012         Jan. 11, 2013
March 9, 2013          SAT Test Only                  Feb. 8, 2013            Feb. 22, 2013
May 4, 2013             SAT and Subject Tests      April 5, 2013            April 19, 2013
June 1, 2013            SAT and Subject Tests       May 2, 2013            May 17, 2013

                                        2012-2013 ACT Test Information

Test Date                        Regular Registration                 Late Registration
December 8, 2012         November 2                           November 3 - 16
February 9, 2013          January 11                             January 12 - 18
April 13, 2013              March 8                                 March 9 - 22
June 8, 2013               May 3                                    May 4 - 17

Seniors
Grad Challenge is in full swing.  Here are a few reminders to seniors:

• Meet face-to-face with your Community Consultant at least once per quarter. If you have finished your community learning hours, you can discuss research, resources, and who to interview. You may also wish to discuss what to cover in your paper.
• Contacting someone and asking  him/her to be your Community Consultant creates a relationship.  Take care to respond to your Community Consultant’s communication.
• Plan when you will meet so you can get your Mid-Year Report signed in a timely manner.
• Planning will help you avoid contacting your Community Consultant right before the deadline which is rude (some of them will be unavailable, busy, or out of town).
• Take great photos. Besides sending 1-5 to MaryAnne, you will have good material for your presentation. Plan ahead.

Talk to your Advisor if you need any help with time management, resources, or communication.

                                                        CVU Shadow Program
Great way to help students figure out what they want to study in college or what kind of job/career they want!   Thank you to the following organizations for hosting a student to shadow a professional:
Fletcher Allen Nutrition Clinic, Qi Veterinary, Hunt Middle School, Hinesburg Police Department, Community Health Center of Burlington, Shelburne News, Shelburne Police Department, Seven Days, U.S. Coast Guard (Burlington station), UVM Alumnae Office, Kelliher, Samets, and Volk, Stern Center, UVM Pathology Lab, All Souls Interfaith, UVM Microscopy Imaging Center, Seventh Generation, Sheraton Hotels, VCAM, Duncan Wisniewski Architects, Pizzagalli Construction, Dore & Whittier, Dings, Dents, and Scratches, Rehab Gym, Timberlane Physical Therapy, Advance Music, and Vermont Business Magazine

CVU Parents - your generosity is appreciated. Please consider offering a job shadow experience to a CVU student. Health care careers, architects, engineers, business people, vets - you name it!   MaryAnne Gatos matches students to experiences after conversing with them about their interest. You may be specific about what you can offer.  Students typically observe for 1-3 hours. Students participate in a mandatory orientation meeting to cover job skills, research the company or career, and discuss confidentiality and reliability.  To offer a job shadow, please visit the CVU Shadow Program web page under Community Learning Opportunities.  

                                                BEWARE of FAFSA Scams
Several students have reported to us that they have paid money to file their FAFSA (on fafsa.com).   Please note that filing the FAFSA is free; you should never pay money to file this financial aid form.  Watch out for companies that offer to file this form for a fee! The correct FAFSA website is: www.fafsa.ed.gov

Juniors
Although it seems that 2013 is far away, we have already scheduled our popular Junior College Night. This program, open to both parents and students, offers valuable information from a panel of college admissions counselors. Mark your calendar for Thursday, January 10 at 6:00 p.m.

After this initial kickoff meeting, we would like to encourage students to come in for an individual counselor conference. Parents are always welcome.

                                                           PSATs are in!
We’re sending a copy home and we’re presenting U.S. & the World classes the week of December 17th to give a brief overview to students. We’ll take a few minutes to meet individually with students to see if they have questions or concerns. We encourage all juniors to take the SAT and the ACT in the spring and use the information they receive from the PSATs to help them prepare. In addition, a few schools may require the SAT Subject Tests. Please check college requirements carefully and give us a call if you have any questions at all.

Sophomores
Counselors completed their visits to the 10th grade English 10/Making of the Modern World classes to meet individually with students to review PLAN results. Earlier this month, counselors facilitated a Sophomore Parent Coffee to review the purpose of the PLAN test.

Freshmen
Counselors will be meeting with freshmen early next year during Intervention to introduce a transcript and discuss CVU graduation requirements.  We will discuss the importance of taking the courses necessary to prepare for college or a career.

                                Course Registration for 2013-2014
The scheduling process for 2013-2014 will begin in February. We are excited to offer some new courses in addition to almost all of last year’s offerings. Students will be meeting with their house counselors for assistance in course selection. Students will receive their appointment date/time in late January. More details to follow in the January newsletter. In the meantime, the 2013-2014 course catalog will be available on-line in early January. Start checking out these course offerings!

                               Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation was created by the Vermont Legislature to help students and parents obtain information about colleges, financial aid, as well as to help with the distribution of grants and loans.  On January 24 at 6:00 P.M. we will facilitate a forms night for all senior parents who would like assistance completing the FAFSA (Federal Financial Aid) Form.

Seniors – Please note that VSAC scholarship booklets are now available in the Direction Center. This booklet lists over 100 scholarships for students who will be attending college in 2013-2014.

Attention Juniors and Seniors!
Don’t miss the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school! High school students can enroll in college courses, online or on campus during the academic year or during the summer. Study in core areas such as Math, Science, English, Languages, and the Arts. The programs available are:

• Dual Enrollment Program, which is through the State of Vermont and allows every VT high school student one college course tuition free.
• Academically Talented program, through the University of Vermont which offers VT high school students the opportunity to take courses at 50% reduced tuition until they graduate. Some restrictions apply and you do need to be approved by your guidance counselor.

 Please contact Nichole Hathaway at Nichole.Hathaway@uvm.edu  or 802-656-4682 for more information or visit our website http://learn.uvm.edu/high-school-2.  Spring course information will be available to view in mid-October and registration will open early November.

Another great college option: Community College of Vermont
Introduction to College Studies
Wednesdays, starting in January from 4-6 p.m.
The class focuses on all the skills that are needed to be successful at college: study/test taking skills, organization, financial aid, and communication skills. Students who complete the course can earn ½ English credit and ½ elective credit at CVU.  Plus – they also get a voucher to take a free college course. On Wednesdays, we provide a bus to CCV for any students interested in signing up for this free class. See Jane Krasnow, call 482-7137 or email: jkrasnow@cvu.org in the Direction Center get more information or to sign up today!

                                Advanced Placement Course Roundtable
        “Can I get into college without an AP course?”
        “How many AP’s are too many?”

Each year parents and students work together on planning a course schedule that balances academic rigor with all the other activities high school students love. The challenge is often in wrestling with conflicting information and advice. Join us for a roundtable discussion on Tuesday evening, January 8th at 6:00 p.m.  We’ll meet to discuss AP courses and student schedules. Come hear our panel of AP teachers, a college admissions professional and a student who has successfully weathered the process.

Please RSVP to Jane at jkrasnow@cvuhs.org or call 482-7137

                                        Technical Center Visit Days
We're already thinking about 2013-2014 and bringing information to students who will benefit from the great extended learning opportunities offered by the Technical Centers. Representatives from Burlington Technical Center and the Center for Technology Essex will present their programs to all sophomores on Friday, January 4th during the first 45 minutes of each Eng 10/MMW class.

We're also organizing two days on which students can visit the tech centers.  Students need to sign up in advance for two programs they would like to visit and bring in a parent permission slip.  A visit is required for all students who would like to enroll in a technical program next year.  If your daughter/son is interested, please have the student stop by the Direction Center to sign up and get a permission slip.

The Pre-tech application process for interested 9th grade students will start a bit later in the spring. Feel free to talk with Jane Krasnow in the Direction center if you have a son/daughter who may be interested. 482- 7128 or email jkrasnow@cvuhs.org
                                                             

Try a VHS Course this Spring!
VHS, a non-profit, global network which includes over 500 high schools, enables students to consider 200 online courses. Now that CVU is a member school of Virtual High School, students can pursue specific areas of interest with other students from around the globe.

Virtual High School’s spring semester starts on January 30th, and we still have a few spaces left for students who would like to enroll for second semester.  (Semester 2 for full-year courses starts January 9th.)

Most of the work is done independently, so interested students need to make a commitment to the class and be able to attend an Early Block check-in each Wednesday morning. Students should have a good attendance record, be a self-motivated, self-disciplined learner, and have academic skills that will help ensure successful course completion. Each class is challenging and requires students to be actively engaged in their coursework for at least 6 - 8 hours per week.

Jane Krasnow is meeting with students interested in spring courses right now. Course signup for 2013-2014 will begin in April.  If your son or daughter is interested in an online option, you are welcome to review the VHS catalogue at www.govhs.org. The next step would be to have students see Jane in the Direction Center to learn more about the application process. 

     CVU’s Annual
       College Fair
      April 8, 2013
11:30 a.m-1:30 p.m.
                                         
Everyone is welcome to attend this college fair – the only spring fair in the Chittenden County area.  Meet admissions representatives from over 125 colleges.

On Monday, November 19, and Tuesday, November 20, we will hold Parent-Student-Teacher conferences for all 10th to 12th grade courses and 9th grade elective courses (World Languages, Business, Fine Arts & Practical Arts (including Music, Tech Ed, Family and Consumer Science, Public Speaking and Theater). Please bring your son/daughter with you to these conferences. Ninth grade parents will have an opportunity during the week of January 14-18 to meet with Core teachers for a mid-year conference and will be furnished at that time with a detailed report about their student's progress on CVU’s transferable skills (ESLs: Communication, Reading, Writing, & Habits of Learning). An example of the Expectations for Student Learning (ESL) report that you will receive at the January conference can be found here: ESL Report.

In December, an AlertNow message will go out to all 9th grade parents with instructions for scheduling these important conferences. Please remember that Quarter 1 grades will be posted next week and can be accessed by clicking http://grades.cvuhs.org/ or by going to our website and clicking Academics and then going to Student Grades.

Instructions for scheduling the November 19 and 20 Parent-Student-Teacher conferences for all 10th to 12th grade courses and 9th grade elective courses (World Languages, Business, Fine Arts & Practical Arts (including Music, Tech Ed, Family and Consumer Science, Public Speaking and Theater)) can be found by clicking here: 2012 Parent-Teacher-Student conference instructions.

If you are a veteran of this process and would like to go directly to the conference scheduling webpage,  please click here: Pick-A-Time Conference Scheduler.

Conference scheduling will close on Thursday, November 15 at 11 p.m.

It's official!  CVU student and staff's favorite Thanksgiving food is stuffing.  Thanks to everyone who donated food or financial assistance to provide a turkey with all of the trimmings and homemade pies.  This helped approximately 20 local families enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

The CVU Nordic Ski Team is hosting two online fundraisers to support their growing team (currently 80 + high school students are enrolled!)  All proceeds from both events will go towards supporting the team’s wax, waxing equipment, and a new assistant coach position.  Please consider supporting the team as you think about your holiday shopping.





Pampered Chef Online Party
Dates: now- Nov 8th
http://www.pamperedchef.biz/chefbeth?page=host-search-results&showId=3865795
Step 1: shop online   Step 2: Enter CVU Nordic    
    We are holding an ONLINE fundraiser now through November 8th with The Pampered Chef. Pampered Chef offers top quality kitchen tools, baking stones, cookbooks and cutlery.
    All Chittenden County orders can be delivered locally or sent to you directly. Deliveries are expected prior to Thanksgiving. Items can be shipped to family and friends out of the area- see the shipping info on the order form. Contact Marie Daly at 879-8861 or mariedalyvt@gmail.com for a catalog.

Online Auction (in lieu of former Silent Auction)
Dates: Nov 19- Dec 3
http://www.biddingforgood.com/cvunordic
    We have changed the format of our Annual Silent Auction to an Online Auction. We are accepting donations now thru Nov 14th. Please contact a team member or coach Sarah Strack (482-7100 or sstrack@cvuhs.org) if you have an item to donate to the team’s auction. Items can be hot linked with your company’s logo and website.
    The auction will go “Live” on November 19th at 8:00 a.m. and conclude December 3rd. You will need to enter a credit card to make a bid; however, we are hoping most people pay for their items with cash or check. Pick up of items paid for via cash or check will be December 4th and 5th at CVU from 3:30-6:30 p.m. or by appointment on December 6th, and finally payment with credit card after December 6th.

In response to student interest, Champlain Valley Union High School is announcing a trip to China for June 2013!  Twelve to sixteen openings are available for students interested in having an unforgettable travel opportunity involving a rich exploration of Chinese culture and history in Beijing, Sichuan and Yunnan province.  Please see links below for details.
China Trip Parent Letter
Itinerary

Click HERE to see all the pictures from the Mock Election.

Lezlee Sprenger's classes hosted a 2012 Mock Presidential Election on Monday, November 5. 

Time to decorate for the holidays
Wreaths, Mailbox Swags, and Garland Arches!
Made from fresh balsam and local! Great prices!
Please help support our CVU students who will be traveling
to Ireland, England, and Wales in April, 2013. 
Orders taken until Friday, November 26. Delivery on Thursday, December 6.
Available for pick-up at school or delivery within CVU district.
Contact Tamie-Jo Dickinson or Colleen Wedge, Business Teachers at CVU, if you are interested!  802-482-7100

Below are links to Sean McMannon's Principal Report which is included each month in the school board agenda. 
    November 2012 Report
    October 2012 Report
    September 2012 Report

Community Skills Newsletter.  Fall Newsletter about CSSU students participating in work skills learning. 

CVU Daily Announcements

There are half-day inservices throughout the school year with students dismissed at 12:30 p.m.  Below are the remaining dates for inservices for the 2012-2013 school year: 

Wed Dec 5, 2012: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Dec 12, 2012: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Feb 13, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Mar 13, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Tue Apr 9, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed Apr 10, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm
Wed May 15, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students, except 10th Graders. Dismissal at 12:30 pm VIEW/MAPS 10
Wed May 29, 2013: 1/2 Day School for Students. Dismissal at 12:30 pm

Seniors
Whether your future plans include going to college, getting a job or maybe even taking a year off, it is very important that you meet with your House Counselor. This fall, the House Counselors will work individually with each senior to discuss his/her individual plans.  Please encourage your student to stop in and sign up for an appointment today.  Parents/Guardians are welcome to join us.  Please call 482-7137 for Helen Shepard to schedule an appointment.

College Representative Visits are scheduled. Be sure to check the daily announcements and Naviance for information on college representatives who will be visiting with students in the Direction Center.

SAT and ACT deadlines approach quickly. College testing requirements vary widely, so students should double check which tests are required by each college to which they will apply. Please make note of the dates below. Students register for the test directly with the testing companies through their websites (collegeboard.com for SAT and act.org for ACT) or by completing the registration packets which may be found in the Direction Center. Register early to ensure a spot in the testing location you prefer. CVU’s CEEB (testing) code is 460-175. Please remember that colleges require official test scores. Be sure to request that your scores be sent directly to the college by the testing company.

                                                2012-2013 ACT Test Information
Test Date                     Tests Offered                     Regular Registration     Late Registration         
December 1, 2012       SAT and Subject Tests      November 1, 2012         November 16, 2012
January 26, 2013        SAT and Subject Tests      December 28, 2012       January 11, 2013
March 9, 2013            SAT Test Only                  February 8, 2013          February 22, 2013
May 4, 2013               SAT and Subject Tests      April 5, 2013                April 19, 2013
June 1, 2013              SAT and Subject Tests       May 2, 2013                May 17, 2013

                                            2012-2013 ACT Test Information
    Test Date                          Regular Registration                Late Registration
    December 8, 2012         November 2                         November 3 - 16
    February 9, 2013           January 11                           January 12 - 18
    April 13, 2013                March 8                               March 9 - 22
    June 8, 2013                 May 3                                  May 4 - 17

Graduation Challenge is your opportunity to create a personally meaningful learning experience. Your Advisor and MaryAnne Gatos, the Grad Challenge Coordinator, will be happy to help you decide on a topic, find resources, and get your project underway.  All information about Grad Challenge is located on its home page www.cvuhs.org under Instructional Support/ Graduation Challenge.  Hard copies of the Grad Challenge Student Handbook are available in the Direction Center. 

Schedule of deadlines for Grad Challenge are:
December 7:    Mid-Year Report signed by your Community Consultant
Feb 12 -15:  Sign up for presentation times
March 8:  Draft of Grad Challenge paper due to your Advisor
April 5:  Final copy of Grad Challenge paper due with signed Community Consultant Verification form.  Learning hours are completed.  Tangible Product completed.  Signed Tangible Product Critique form
April 9 and 10:  Faculty Reading Days
May 23:  Tangible Product Fair
May 24:  Grad Challenge Presentation Day.  Mark your calendars now for May 24, Grad Challenge Presentation Day.  We all look forward to seeing and hearing about what you are learning.

Juniors
The college and future planning process kicks up a notch this year. Congratulations!  The first step is for students to keep their academic focus strong. The second is to begin to identify the specific individual criteria that are personally important to students and parents.

In October, all juniors took the PSAT at no cost.  It was a great idea to take this nationally normed test even if juniors are undecided about their long-range educational goals. The advantages of taking the test are:

Scores – The scores are not released to any colleges.
Scholarship eligibility – This test is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Practice – This test provides great practice for the SATs, which juniors should plan to take in the spring.
Convenience – The test was administered right here at CVU, in surroundings that most juniors find comfortable and relaxing.

Second semester will be the kickoff for the official junior college program. Although it seems that 2014 is far away, we have already scheduled our popular Junior College Night. This program, open to both parents and students, offers valuable information from a panel of college admissions counselors. Mark your calendar for Thursday, January 10, at 6:00 p.m.

After this initial kickoff meeting, we would like to encourage students and parents to come in for an individual counselor conference.

Sophomores
PLAN, a nationally normed test, is taken nationwide by nearly one million students in preparation for the ACT College Test. We give this test to all sophomores because it provides useful academic and career interest information. The four sections of the exam are: English, Reading, Math, and Science Reasoning. Each sophomore will receive a report that identifies strengths and weaknesses, helps students explore career interests, and gives information about the preparation needed to achieve long-term career goals.

Freshmen
Welcome to ninth grade!  There are so many new opportunities here at CVU for our newest students that sometimes the biggest challenge is learning to balance everything at once! This fall, ninth graders will be settling into classes, developing consistent homework habits, and study skills. Sometimes the academic transition into high school can be a challenge, so be sure to keep in touch with teachers and counselors to let us know what’s needed.

CVU Buddy Program
The CVU Buddy Program matches high school students with elementary school students for the purpose of creating positive, one-on-one relationships.  CVU Buddies go during a free block, twice a week, to spend time with younger buddies at their elementary school.  Transportation is provided.  For more information or to apply to the Buddy Program, see MaryAnne Gatos in the Direction Center

DUO Internships
DUO encourages student learning through involvement in our community both at CVU and beyond.  Students who volunteer regularly may earn credit.  Examples include assisting in IT, Media Services, the Art Department, a particular teacher, working at ECHO Center, in theatre at an elementary school, at a local recording studio, and many, many more.  To discuss interests, opportunities, and schedule, see MaryAnne Gatos in the Direction Center.

Shadow Program
Shadowing gives a student a glimpse of a career. If you are able and interested in offering a shadow experience to a high school student, please contact MaryAnne Gatos at mgatos@cvuhs.org.  A Shadow Day will be scheduled on a CVU half-day.

CVU links with the Virtual High School Consortium
CVU juniors and seniors now have access to virtual seats in the VHS Consortium. This non-profit, global network includes over 500 high schools and enables students to consider 200 online courses. Now that CVU is a member school, students can pursue specific areas of interest with other students from around the globe.

We have 25 spaces available each semester to supplement our CVU course offerings.   Sound interesting? Students can check out the catalog at www.govhs.org.  Spring registration will begin in November. Juniors and seniors are also encouraged to consider a January course. Call Jane Krasnow in the Direction Center for more information.

Raising Aspirations
This group meets once a week to focus on long-range goals for college and careers. Juniors meet on Thursday morning and sophomores meet on Mondays.  Our goals are:
·         To increase the number of students who pursue post-secondary education;
·         To increase student knowledge of the opportunities available to them after high school;
·         To increase student exposure to cultural opportunities;
·         For students to develop a greater connection to the school and community;
·         To provide parents with the information and assistance to support their child in planning for his/her future; and
·         For students to develop an improved self-esteem and feel more confident in their ability to attain post-secondary pursuits.

What do students get from the program?
·         1/2 credit for successful participation in the program;
·         Intensive future planning support beginning in the fall of 10th grade year and continuing throughout senior year;
·         Several visits to local colleges;
·         An overnight trip to New England colleges junior year;
·         A FREE course at CCV called Introduction to College Studies (during semester 2) ;
·         The opportunity to take future classes at CCV after successful completion of the Introduction to College Studies course;
·         Academic monitoring;
·         Community service opportunities;
·         Job shadowing opportunities; 
·         Community resource visits—students will visit community resource centers such as VSAC and the Department of Employment and Training; and
·         A GREAT TIME.
Call Jane Krasnow in the Direction Center for more details.