Family Newsletter- 1.13.23

Harwood Families -

Harwood’s incredible Art Department hosted a beautiful end of the Semester evening this week that showcased work from grades 7-12 including Nathaniel’s Graphic Design, Photo 1 and 2 courses, Wendy’s 7th grade Art, Intro to Crafts, Jewelry Design, Pottery1 and 2 students and Krista’s Art 1 and 2 and Individualized Art courses.

Families, community members, staff and board members were able to enjoy the talents of Harwood students eating treats and connecting with each other while viewing all of the artwork created this semester.

Thank you to our community for the value you put on creativity, individual expression and appreciation of the natural landscape that surrounds us.

With ongoing gratitude,

Laurie, Duane, Meg

---

Calendar:

• 01/16 - No School for students (Staff inservice)

• 01/17 - End of Semester 1 *please note the change given the “Ice day”

• 01/18 - First day of Semester 2 (new semester classes begin, full-year courses continue) *please note the change given the “Ice day”

• 01/19 - Assembly

• 01/20 - Mid-year JumpRope reports emailed

• 02/03 - No School for students (Staff inservice)

• 02/16 - Rising 9th grade Family Transition Night

• 02/27 - 03/07 - No School - February Vacation

---

*Please note the change to next week's schedule due to today's "Ice Day"

---

Save the Date!! Thursday, February 16th, 2023 Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians of current 8th-grade students should plan to save the date for a Rising 9th grade Family Transition Night. This evening will include tours of the high school from current HUHS students, a presentation from the school counseling team regarding the program of studies, graduation requirements, and 9th-grade course selection, and other general information about your child’s transition to high school. More details to follow at the end of January including time of event. If you have questions now, about your child’s transition, please contact your child’s current school counselor. Jen Dreimiller @ HUMS - jdreimiller@huusd.org Jen Hempey @ CBMS - Students with Last Names starting A-L - jhempey@huusd.org Emily Scharff @ CBMS - Students with Last Names starting M-Z - escharff@huusd.org

---

Safe - seen, heard, respected & understood:

Topics	Information/Links
​Seeking Community members to serve on hiring committee	We are looking for a community member to join our Athletic Director hiring committee. Please reach out to Co-Principal Laurie Greenberg at Lgreenberg@huusd.org if interested.
	Students from ROC Racial Justice read Mama’s Nightingale by Edwidge Danticat to 3rd and 4th grade students at Moretown Elementary. They had great discussions about immigration and family separation and concluded with a letter writing activity
	Students from a social-justice club at Harwood called ROC (Rooted Organized Collective) have begun an equity audit by conducting observations of classrooms and other HUUSD school spaces using this document based on Rebecca Haslam’s work. Some of the students involved had these comments to share about the process so far: one stated that our efforts so far feel “positive because it shows that our district cares about equity and it shows that schools in our district are trying to be more inclusive.” another added, “I think it is positive for us to conduct an equity audit because it is extremely important for kids to see themselves in these components around them.” reflecting on the observations he has conducted so far, another student stated that “I think it's positive that we do the audits so everyone feels welcome when they walk in the school and not like they are different from all the people on the walls.”

Rigorous & Robust Academic Program:

Topics	Information/Links
	From the School Counseling and Next Step Offices: On Thursday, March 16 we will be taking any interested Juniors to the Vermont Student Assistance Corp. (VSAC) event: College & Career Pathways 2023 at St. Michael's College. This event offers live workshops, free resources and connections with local experts that will help prepare students for education or training after high school. Students will also participate in a tour and information session of St. Michael's College. If your student is interested in attending please complete this google form for more information and notification to pick up the field trip form. If your student is unable to attend on this date (or you have an interest in the topic) VSAC is offering this event on alternate dates and locations. You can find more information here. This spring Harwood will be offering opportunities for all Juniors to visit local colleges and training schools. Dates and locations coming soon!
	Federal funds from Senator Sanders Office will provide an opportunity to expand current travel studies and create more exchange opportunities at HUHS. We plan to partner with public schools around the country and around the world with a focus on collaborative storytelling projects. Initially, funds will be used to identify and establish new relationships, plus we'll be hiring ethnographers and filmmakers to train staff and students and design collaborative storytelling projects at Harwood and elsewhere. We plan to use the Rwanda Program as a model for immersion experiences at home and abroad. And, yes, one of the first international exchanges we will offer is for Rwandan students to travel to Vermont for several weeks. This is an opportunity for all students to participate and have cultural exchange experiences, not just the adventurous souls who travel abroad. Essentially, this funding is meant to jumpstart this new program. Ideally, we would like to introduce new partnerships each year over the next several years.
End of Semester 1	Tuesday 1/16 is officially the end of Semester 1, and the midpoint of the school year! Here’s what that means: Semester courses end Tuesday, and the new semester classes will begin on Wednesday 1/18. Year-long classes continue, but now is a great time to check progress and reflect on what is working well, and what courses could use more attention. Mid-year JumpRope reports will be emailed to students and families next Friday 1/20. Here is a detailed guide that can be helpful in interpreting the JumpRope reports. If you have any questions about a particular course, please reach out to the teacher. If you have questions about your student’s overall schedule, reach out to their school counselor.
	The Governor's Institute of Vermont 2023 Summer Applications are open! This summer, high school students in 9th-11th grade are invited to join a community of young Vermonters as passionate as they are at one of GIV's nine residential Institutes! Topics include Art, Astronomy, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Science & Technology, Global Issues & Youth Action, Health & Medicine, Mathematical Sciences, and Technology & Design. At GIV, students will spend 1-2 weeks living on a college campus, totally immersed in a topic of their choosing. They'll learn from industry professionals, participate in hands-on projects and research, explore career options, and make new friends! Applications are open until April 3rd, and tuition starts at just $20. For information and to apply visit their website at GIV.org/summer
Early College Applications Open	Are you a junior looking for a different school experience for your senior year? The Early College Program provides an opportunity for high school students in Vermont to earn a full year of college credits during your senior year that will also count towards your Harwood high school graduation requirements. The Early College program is offered at six different Vermont colleges, CCV, Norwich, VAST, Castleton, Northern Vermont University and Goddard College. If you are interested in taking part there are a few next steps to take: Explore the Early College opportunities linked above. Set up an appointment with your school counselor. Apply to the college you would like to attend.

Positive school climate and culture:

Topics	Information/Links
Middle School Winter Program begins	Amazing First Day on the Mountain! Thanks to Meghan McCarthy (organizer/point person), Sugarbush’s school program, HUMS staff and our amazing parent volunteers, we enjoyed our first ever day on the slopes. We look forward to seven more Wednesdays this year and years of skiing, riding and snowshoeing in the future!
	The Round Barn generously hosted Harwood’s first Winter Ball sponsored by the Mentor Program last Friday night. 250 students across grades 9-12 turned out to dance and play. The Mentor Program raised over $2,000 between the dance and bake sale! Thank you to the amazing members of the program for making this such a large success! We are looking forward to putting forth more fun activities to help build school spirit and grow the Mentor Program at Harwood! On the photo above of the Mentor Program with their advisor Mr. B.
	The latest edition of the Harwood Common Ground has just been released. Check out articles including: Proficiency Based Grading Update on the Gym And much more…
Student Services Clubs, ELO Series, and Offerings	Happy New Year! As the student services department continues to collaborate and partner with each other and students, we’d like to share what has been happening this year at Harwood Middle/High School. Please know that students have been invited to complete a Student Services ELO Survey to gather their input on what additional offerings they would like for Semester 2. It will be located in your TA announcements starting Tuesday, Jan 14th! Below is a compiled list of all our Clubs and ELO (Extended Learning Opportunities that occur during the school day) offerings. Students are able to sign up for these offerings during TA. We encourage you to take a look at the offerings with your child as an opportunity to have a dialogue about what they may already be involved in, or may want to look into further. Please reach out to Dr. Melody (mfrank@huusd.org) with any questions, and for information on how to connect with club and ELO series leaders.

Opportunity	Middle School	High School
​Restorative & Wellness Clubs	Vermont Kids Against Tobacco (VKAT) Student Council Getting to the Y: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Pride Alliance	Youth Enriching Wellness (YEWs) Our Voices Exposed (OVX) -Substance Use Education and Prevention Yearbook Club Game Masters Healthy Masculinity Club: (February 23’) Stepping Stones Leadership Group
​ELO Wellness & Restorative Series	Substance Use Prevention: Brain, Stress, and Substance Use (March 23’) Self Identity Skills STARZ: Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation	Wellness Coaching Series Sleep Wellness (2 part workshop) Activity/Movement Series Let’s Talk About It Wellness Center Student Ambassador Program Time Management Skills Photography Restorative Practices/Wellness Group
ELO Series: Mental Health		Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skill Series - Distress Tolerance Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skill Series - Emotion Regulation Stress and Anxiety Management Series Mental Health Awareness Lunch Group Student-Athlete Mental Health (Coming 2023) Mental Health Awareness Book Club (Coming 2023)
ELO Series: School Counseling		College Process Overview Completing the Common Application Creating a College List College Essay Writing (in collaboration with the English Department) Scholarship and Grant Opportunities Apprenticeships Stress Reduction for Seniors
		*Upcoming Sessions for Seniors and Rising Seniors (current juniors): Finding the Right Career Post High School Pathways GAP Year Opportunities