SOLON SALUTES
Congratulations to our students attending Early College and making the Deans List: Josh Lajeunesse (VTC), Maddie Brigham and Nathan LaRosa(Norwich), Katelyn Hersey and Jenna Robinson (CCV), and Chloe Reynolds (Northern Vermont University).
In addition, Nellie Lamb made the President's List at CCV which is only awarded to the top 1% of the entire CCV student body! Congratulations to all of our students for a successful semester!
MHS NEWS and EVENTS
- The Winooski Valley Regional Public School Choice Collaborative: Please see more information here about the school lottery. All applications must be returned to Val Belanger in the main office by February 22, 2021.
- Wednesday, March 3rd (the day after we return from the February break) is going to be in person and will be a WHITE day.
- To Sign up for SAT's: Juniors if you are interested in taking the SAT School Day being administered on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at MHS, please register by February 19th.Once registered at the link above, please mail or bring in $52.00 (cash or check) for the cost of the SAT. Mail to Nancy Fitzpatrick, MHS Guidance Dept., 5 High School Drive, Montpelier or give your money to the admin when entering school and they will bring it to Guidance. If you have qualified for free or reduced lunch in the past, you may qualify for a discounted price on the SAT. Please contact Nancy Fitzpatrick to ask about this. Monies MUST be received prior to February 19th for students to be registered.
- Senior Class FamiliesReminder to send in Senior dues for your student by Friday, Feb. 19.Dues are $60. Checks can be made out to MHS Class of 2021.Send in with your student or mail to:Kim Kidney5 High School Dr.Montpelier, VT 05602Students will not receive their caps/gowns until dues are paid in full.
- SBAC Dates: The Smarter Balanced Assessment is upon us for the 2020-2021 school year. For 9th grade, we will be assessing on March 16th and 18th and again on May 11th and 13th. For our 11th grade students, they will be tested in science on April 13th and 15th. We look forward to gathering more data to see where our students' strengths are, and where we can continue to help them grow as learners--especially after the year of COVID.
- Who Tells Your Story? : We are seeking community submissions to our digital time capsule writing project! Please consider sharing a personal anecdote, short story, or any written entry to help us capture what life was like during the COVID pandemic. These can be personal experiences, things you've witnessed, feelings you've had, anything. They can be happy, sad, funny, ridiculous, whatever. We welcome all points of view but do not accept hate speech. All entries will be anonymous and cataloged into a digital time-capsule and saved. In addition, five entries will be selected and performed as monologues in the MRPS 7th-12th grade original 2020 Musical. Here is the link to participate and submit an entry: Anonymous Anecdotes: A Digital Time Capsule
- SAT Sign-Ups for March 24th: Due to a national and worldwide issue caused by COVID -19 restrictions, students are having difficulty taking the SAT/ACT because of cancellations at local test sites, including our own. The good news is that colleges and universities have responded appropriately. Upwards of 60% of colleges and universities in the US did not require applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores for fall 2021 admission. Already we are getting notifications from many colleges that this change will be continued for the 2021-2022 admission cycle. This includes highly selective schools like the Ivies. It is up to the student to research the standardized testing policy for the colleges they are applying to. For a complete list, please check the website Fairtest.org. If you are not sure of a specific college's testing policy for this year, please check their website. However, for the juniors who would like to test, MHS has decided to offer the SAT during the school day due to the uncertainty of Saturday test dates being offered at local schools this spring. This opportunity will be for juniors only and space is limited due to space constraints.
- Are you interested in learning more about career possibilities? Gain insights into a variety of careers through student-led conversations with professionals. See this Career Lab Series flyer for upcoming events.
- CVCC Applications: Attention 10th and 11th graders:Are you interested in exploring a hands-on learning environment at the Central Vermont Career Center (CVCC)?CVCC is now accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. CVCC has a wide variety of different programs and provides students with the opportunity to take an in-depth look at specific career options ranging from Automotive and Heating & Plumbing to Cosmetology and Digital Media Arts, just to name a few. For more information, check out their website and watch the videos to learn more about the specific programs and/or connect with your school counselor.The process of applying is as follows:1. Alert your school counselor that you intend to apply.2. Fill out the online application. Application link will be available on the website Apply To CVCC very soon.3. Applications are due by February 19th so the MHS Guidance Dept. has time to upload all the supporting documents required.4. Participate in a virtual interview with CVCC - March 22-25 (This is a very important part of the process. More info about this when you speak with your school counselor)
DISTRICT NEWS
- We're so excited to introduce our new MRPS podcast - "In the Schools." Listen to the first episode to hear from Grant Geisler, MRPS Business Manager, who helps unravel the complicated world of district budgets and education finance so our community has a better sense of what you are voting for on Town Meeting Day! Visit https://www.mrpsvt.org/
podcast for the podcast or find it on Spotify. You can also visit https://www.mrpsvt.org/ budget for more information on the proposed FY'22 School Budget and opportunities to participate in the process.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
- Have you heard about MyRide? It's like Uber Carpool or a Shared Lyft but it's free, handicapped-accessible, and specifically designed for the Montpelier area. If you want to travel within the designated area, you can use their App, the website, or call them to schedule a ride. They'll come to wherever you are and drop you off at the doorstep of wherever you're going, at whatever time you specify.
- The VT Climate Council is looking for people to serve on subcommittees. Are you a passionate, dedicated, goal-oriented, individual when it comes to climate action? If this sounds like you and you’re interested in applying, click on the link! https://www.surveymonkey.com/
r/VTClimateCouncil
COVID INFORMATION
Here is the link for people who are age 75 years old and above to get the vaccine:
https://www.healthvermont.gov/
covid-19/vaccine/getting- covid-19-vaccine Phone number is: 855-722-7878
Call center hours are today, January 25th from 12:00pm-5:30pm
Monday - Friday 8:15-5:30pm
Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-3:00pm
Anyone who needs to speak with someone in a language other than English can also make an appointment using the above phone number.
People who are housebound can also call and request home health or EMS to come and deliver the vaccine in their home.
- Masks are a Must : Per Superintendent Bonesteel's letter at the start of the school year, masks are required by the State and AOE. Students must wear masks that cover their mouth and nose at all times while on school grounds. Please see our MHS poster that is posted around school.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
- Research shows that well-designed, well-implemented school-based STD prevention programs can significantly reduce sexual risk behaviors among students. Outcomes of such programs include a delay in first sexual intercourse, a decrease in the number of sex partners and an increase in condom or contraceptive use. There is no evidence of increased likelihood of students having sex through participation in such programs. To support preventative health and wellness initiatives for Montpelier High School students, condoms and dental dams along with educational pamphlets will be made available at the school in the following locations: Nurse’s Office, Guidance Offices, Athletic Trainer’s Office, and the Health room. Additionally, condoms will soon be available through a dispenser in the second floor bathrooms. These efforts have been adopted by Montpelier High School and adheres to the VT law that will go into effect July 1, 2021. Please see this VPR article for more information.
- Please visit our MRPS District Health and Wellness Page for all COVID-19 related documents and information. COVID Return to School for Students Information Document
SYMPTOMS/ILLNESS:With any cold or illness, regardless if it’s a mild symptom or not, you MUST stay home. Please review the following link about signs/symptoms of Covid-19.https://www.healthvermont.gov/
response/coronavirus-covid-19/ about-coronavirus-disease- covid-19#symptoms
