FHUHS Administration

The 2009 National Honor Society Induction Ceremony was held last Thursday under the leadership of Michael Bruce, advisor. It was a nice evening that kept the focus on those students earning the special designation of FHUHS National Honor Society membership. The inductees were:

Juniors: David Atkins, Adam Cecil, Melissa Childs, Morgan Childs, Alyssa Dempsey, Christian Doran, Randall Ettori, Megan Irons, Emily McIntyre, Jade Mullins, Molly Noble, Alec Sanderson

Seniors:Matthew Couture, Patricia Danahy, Christina Papandrea, Jarrod Sammis,Joseph Sanderson, Jeremy Sisk.

Please congratulate these students when you have the opportunity as they have all demonstrated sustained effort and success in and out of the classroom.

Guidance Counselor Debbie Pelkey has informed me that on April 2nd and 3rd, the freshmen will be participating in a team-building activity at Castleton State College. Students will leave FHUHS at 8:30 and return by 3:00. This program is designed to help students work together more effectively, learn the positive aspects of cooperation and develop skills to think creatively. These characteristics are some of the top traits educators and employers seek.

These attributes are the foundation for success both inside and outside of the classroom because it helps students perform better in competitive examinations and interviews, as well as builds a strong knowledge base to which they can add. Students will also be taking a tour of Castleton State College. We will be providing lunch.

The class will be randomly divided in half, with one half participating on Thursday, April 2nd and the other half participating on Friday, April 3rd. Students will be notified just before the field trip which of the two days they will attend.

For sophomores and juniors:

On Wednesday, April 8, 2009 Castleton State College will be hosting a college fair. The college fair will be open during the day from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and in the evening from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Please be aware that college representatives do their best to attend both sessions, however, some may not be available during one or both sessions.

Fair Haven Union High School will be providing two busses and chaperones for 100 students for the morning session. Students will be required to return the permission slip with a parent signature to reserve a space on the bus. Students will leave Fair Haven Union High School at 9:45 am and will return at 11:30 am.

Permission slips MUST be handed in to Mrs. Anderson, Guidance Secretary, on or before April 3, 2009. Students will not be allowed to drive to the day session of the college fair.

I have learned that when our Break-a-leg Society participated in the One-Act Festival at U-32, Adam Cecil and Matt Couture won awards for Excellence in Acting. Fair Haven Union High School also won an award for Slick Shtick!

The annual UVM writing contest has taken place with some of our finest writers being involved. Those participating were:

9th: Maria Burt, Chelsea Montello, Marisa Supernault, Dakota Folmsbee, Zachary Wilson, Nicholas Southworth

10th : Eric Jakubowski, Cassie Papandrea, Meghan Hill, Gwynn Roberts, Kelsey Burnhans, Sophia Michael, Nick Book, Nikki Bishop, Danielle Parie, Emily Turgeon

11t h : Morgan Childs, Adam Cecil, Samantha Price, Alyssa Dempsey, Althea Greene, David Atkins

12th : Samantha Young, Christy Papandrea.

The finalists were: 9th: Dakota Folmsbee, 10 th Kelsey Burhans, 11 th David Atkins, 12 th Christy Papandrea

First Place Winners who will be sent on: 9th Zach Wilson, 10th Nick Book, 11th Alyssa Dempsey,12th Samantha Young

FHUHS made all Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements. The state report says, “AYP determinations are based on the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) assessments and the Vermont Alternate Assessments given to Vermont public school students. The NECAP was given to students in grades three through eight and grade 11 in October 2008. This is the fourth year these exams have been given in the elementary and middle grades, and the second time they were given to students in grade 11.” We continue to examine our data and make adjustments in order to maintain our consistently strong improvement efforts. The faculty and staff have worked tremendously hard and extremely well together to see that we all take ownership with this all important mission.

Amor Ostojic, Account Representative for the American Red Cross, had lunch with FHUHS Student Council leaders and their advisor Hurley Cavacas to thank them for their ongoing efforts with blood drives. He wrote:

Good morning Hurley, I just wanted to thank you for coming to Rutland, Holiday Inn to meet with me; I hope that I was helpful. The group of students you brought in seemed like a driven bunch. It is always a pleasure meeting with young people who have an interest in helping their community. Another thing that was clear to me was how motivated all of you were to make this blood drive a great success and bring it back to the “glory days”. I am looking forward to your blood drive next Thursday. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time regarding questions, concerns or ideas. Thank you again Hurley, it was a pleasure meeting with you and your team.

There will be a blood drive Thursday, April 2, from 8 to 1 at the FHUHS gym. We hope you can spare some time and blood that morning.

The Community Service Club is hosting a food drive to benefit the Fair Haven Concerned. It will be running from March 30th to April 10th. A collection box will be placed in every room. Some items that are currently in need are laundry detergent, canned tuna, and toiletries. Thank you!

Have a great week,

Brett C. Blanchard, Fair Haven Union High School Principal