SOLON SALUTES
The boys basketball team are the state champions! The Solons went to the Barre Aud yesterday and defeated #1 North Country 65-57 to become the undefeated Division II champs! Hopefully everyone was able to watch and see the game as it was a battle from the start to finish. We are incredibly proud of how the team was able to stay focused and dedicated in what was undoubtedly the most unusual winter season we'll (hopefully) ever have. A big thank you again to our great seniors on their careers here. Leo Riby-Williams, Nathan LaRosa, Marshall Donahue, Bobby Cody, and Tyler Ricker you all have certainly left a mark on our program and the state. Congrats to the team on an amazing season!
Leo Riby-Williams scored his 1,000 point of this career! Leo finished the game with 20 points (1,008 in his career) and scored 84 points in 3 games in the playoffs! He became the first player to reach 1,000 points since 2001! If you remember, Leo scored the game winning goal in the boys soccer championship game in the fall as well! He certainly has a flair for the dramatic. Congrats to Leo on this very special accomplishment.
Rashid Nikiema was nominated for the Burlington Free Press Athlete of the Week that would be great as well. It's a voting contest so if people vote, he could win! No idea if he wins actually anything, but still nice.
A Solon Salute to all the participants in the RJA's Black History Month Moving and Reading Challenges and the spring sun for shining on them! We celebrated with wood-fired pizza in the courtyard on Tuesday afternoon (delicious, many thanks to Brigitte Savard, Amanda Garces, and V Pearson) and books by BIPOC authors donated by Bear Pond Books.
A Solon Salute goes out to Carmen Richardson-Skinder, Ben Richardson-Skinder, Cedar Souligny, Steven Supan, Gitvil Mamoria, Maple Perchlik, Benjamin Richardson-Skinder and Cole Young who, at the end of the first semester concluded a fantastic partnership between Montpelier High School, North Branch Nature Center, and Vermont River Conservancy to offer a small Personalized Learning Study cohort called "Face the River."
A sampling of project video proposals that were submitted to municipal leaders and non-profit organizations included:
Gitvik and Steven: Improving Public Access - https://youtu.be/ZZu8oZ8ze-k
Maple: Creating More Green Spaces - https://youtu.be/3uIiH7MpT2o
Cedar: Honoring Indigineous Communities. - https://youtu.be/S7fvKaKkbdc
Cole: Rethinking Impervious Surfaces - https://youtu.be/BhrtaqzZ2HI
Carmen: Creating Engaging Signs to Guide People Along our Rivers - https://youtu.be/fHBj5ePqxwI
Ben: Using Art to Bring People to Rivers - https://youtu.be/ZKkChPxxuFo
A Solon Salute goes out to Mr. Bromley and Mr. Sabo for creating an incredible enrichment opportunity, Salt Acid Heat, and Solon Sauce, where students are exploring how to extend the shelf life of food while creating delicious “value-added” products. Students are learning various food preservation techniques and the role these items play in our local Vermont food system
A Solon Salute goes out to Neil Rohan and Noam Hessler for placing 2nd Public Forum Debate at the Iroquois District NSDA National Qualifier held Saturday which also qualified them for the National Speech and Debate Tournament which will be held in June.
A Salute to Solon senior Savana (Savvy) Winston who is taking on an action research oriented Personalized Learning Study (PLS) this semester analyzing universal meals for all students in the State of Vermont. The Universal Meals legislation, S.100, is a bill to feed all children breakfast and lunch every day at the school regardless of the economic status of the student's family with no cost to the family. In her action research analysis so far, Savvy has demonstrated strong skills in critical thinking, questioning, perspective taking, preparedness and effective communication. We're looking forward to learning more about Savvy's action research PLS as it develops further this spring. Nice work, Savvy!!
MHS NEWS and EVENTS
- Q4 begins April 8th: Students, families, and guardians should be receiving teacher communication for cohorts in Q4 by this Wednesday, March 31st. Please note that Q4 begins on a Thursday, and Q4 enrichment courses begin a week after on Thursday, April 15th. NOTE: Wednesday, April 7th is in person and a white day.
- SBAC Dates: The Smarter Balanced Assessment is upon us for the 2020-2021 school year. For 9th grade, the assessment is tomorrow, March 30th and April 1st 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.
- Interested in Helping to Plan Next Year's Race Against Racism? Would you like to help plan this year’s Race Against Racism happening in September? If so, the first planning meeting is this Thursday the 25th at 7pm on Google Meets: See this google meet link. If you would like to come, or just have some questions, please reach out to Heather McLane. Hope to see you there!
- Arroz con Pollo is a favorite among the students at staff at Montpelier High School. We have had a few requests for the recipe. We cut the recipe down to size so you can make it at home and share it with your families. Enjoy! Check out the recipe HERE.
- Check out our 2021-2022 Program of Studies as we begin to prepare for next school year. TAs and guidance counselors will be meeting with students over the next two months to discuss scheduling requests for next year.
- Please visit our Q3 and Q4 calendar. Quarter 3 ends on Wednesday, April 7th. Due to the two snow days on white days, Wednesday, April 7th will be in person and a white day.
SENIOR NEWS
- Please take a moment to read this letter that pertains to end-of-year activities for the Class of 2021.
- Check it out! Recently updated with information about VSAC offerings for post high school training and summer opportunities like Governor's Institute and UVM summer programming. Click on this link: MHS Guidance Counselor Blog
DISTRICT NEWS
- Thanks to COVID relief funds, the District has a unique opportunity to make significant, one-time investments in educational initiatives and building upgrades. The Administration is seeking community input on ideas for making such investments that will substantially advance the educational goals and values of the district without resulting in long-term funding commitments.
Join us virtually on Wednesday, April 7th from 5:30pm - 6:30pm:Join Zoom MeetingMeeting ID: 953 7384 2681One tap mobile:+19292056099,,95373842681# USDial by your location+1 929 205 6099 US
For those unable to attend, submit your input using this confidential and anonymous form: https://forms.gle/3wrXQDLUz2WuWiHz6
- We're so excited to introduce our new MRPS podcast - "In the Schools." 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.
- Please check out the 2021-2022 District Calendar for next year.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
- Main Street Middle School Community Alliance is hosting a presentation onTEEN VAPING for kids and adults on Tuesday March 30th at 6pm.Join us for a presentation about Teen Vaping and Tobacco Use, presented by Ann Gilbert of the Central Vermont New Directions Coalition, and featuring Zoe Pickel, Vermont's Youth Tobacco Ambassador and spokesperson for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.Join the Zoom Presentation by visiting: mrpspie.org/msmsca-home
- Mental Health Support Web Series for Families - Send Your Questions!As we pass the one-year anniversary of schools closing and shifting to remote learning, our families’ mental health -- now and down the road -- is on a lot of our minds.
To dig into the effect this difficult period has had, MRPS PIE and the 4 school caregiver groups are creating a series of mental health support Q & A web videos featuring therapists and counselors. We hope to have an ongoing, substantive conversation about the mental health of our families during Covid-19, what to expect as we move beyond it, and what resources in our community can help us.
Please CLICK HERE to submit questions or concerns (anonymously) about the mental health of your family so they may be addressed in the videos.
The date / time (early May?) for the first of the mental health support videos will be announced here, on social media, and on MRPS and mrpspie.org websites.
**Any answer to your questions will be general guidance, not medical advice. If you think you need individualized support or services, please contact your doctor or school social worker. If you believe you may be having a mental health emergency, please call the Washington County Mental Health Line at 802-229-0591 immediately.
- 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.
COVID INFORMATION
- 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
