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RTCCTV's Cannon visited RTCC's Health Careers program while they were cutting up cow eyes!

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On November 13th,  RU's Racial Justice PBL traveled to Lamoille North Supervisory Union in Hyde Park, to provide training on addressing microaggressions to the Middle School and Technical Career Center staff and administration.

Over the past two years, RJ students developed the training in response to a student climate survey indicating that the issue of unaddressed microaggressions was negatively impacting student learning and safety.

Microaggressions refer to the common everyday statements, behaviors, or actions that are discriminatory toward stigmatized or marginalized groups. They can be intentional or unintentional and are often subtle or can be disguised as jokes. 

According to senior class member Sierra Bond, “Microaggressions are the most common form of oppression I see in the school. These small things are really harmful, and I tend to see them a lot more as a student.” 

RU junior Connor Deyette noted that the subject of microaggressions isn’t usually addressed during staff training, and teachers sometimes don’t know the right way to intervene. The class agreed that offering professional development on the topic would be a good step in addressing larger systemic issues of discrimination. 

Impressed by RU's RJ students' presentation at last year's student-led equity conference in South Royalton, Maria Davies, the DEI coordinator for LNSU, reached out to RU's RJ students to ask if they would be willing to present their powerful training to her staff. 

 The hour-and-a-half-long training led entirely by the students consisted of an overview of microaggressions in school settings, strategies for responding, and breakout groups with staff tackling a variety of real-world scenarios. 

Adrian Clement, an RU senior, felt the training was useful to staff.  “Microaggressions can go under the radar. Not everyone can pick up on it and not everyone knows where the line is.” 

Tevye Kelman, the lead teacher for the Racial Justice PBL class, affirmed the students’ success. “I’m really proud of the ownership they took over. Students did a good job explaining impact versus intent,” he said. “I heard [them] sending the message that, yes, you do need to consider and be curious about a student doing a microaggression.”

By Beverly Taft and Michelle Holder

On the week of October 8th, Randolph welcomed students and faculty from BBS (Berufsbildende Schulen) Cuxhaven High School in Cuxhaven, Germany. This is the 10th anniversary year of the German Exchange Program, which had been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The group consisted of 8 students between 17 and 19 years old and 2 instructors from the school. All stayed with families in the area. 

Students had a busy week attending classes, doing local activities with families, hiking, and visiting nearby places of interest, such as VINS, Queechee, Woodstock, and Ben and Jerry’s.

Because BBS Cuxhaven has a vocational and technical school, students also spent time touring RTCC to learn more about career education in the U.S. 

Later in the week, the exchange students gave a presentation to RU students about the differences between high schools in the U.S. and Germany. Students learned that in Germany, extracurricular activities are not provided by schools. One student also spent time with the soccer team, teaching some techniques learned by the teams he plays with. 

For visiting students, the homestay experience helped broaden their horizons, and showed them what local life in the U.S. can look like. Many only had ideas based on what they had seen on television. The rural environment is very different than their own home, which in a more urban coastal setting. 

RU students will have an opportunity to travel to Germany either in the spring or fall of next year. 

Deb Lary, RUMHS Health teacher and coordinator for the exchange, noted, “It takes a community to have an exchange program.” 

For more information, or to be a host family for students from the Shizukuishi, Japan exchange program who will be visiting in January, please contact Deb Lary.

RUHS 10th Grade Science Classes Learn about Water Quality in Ayers Brook

By Michelle Holder

In the sunshine of the first weeks of October, RUHS 10th-grade students taking Integrated Science II – a class that combines chemistry and biology– donned their waders and headed into the river to learn firsthand about water quality.  Each class spent three to four hours in Ayers Brook behind the school’s athletic fields analyzing habitat, fish, the types of benthic macroinvertebrates, and water chemistry.

Benthic macroinvertebrates are small aquatic creatures without backbones that you can see with the naked eye. They include worms, nymphs, and insect larvae.  Knowing the types of benthic macroinvertebrates helps scientists better evaluate the quality of the water.  Students used a kick net specially designed to capture these small creatures.  They then used an analysis sheet to record their data. They also used a bug magnifier to observe the bugs’ behavior.

Students worked with their teacher, Deb Schaner, and with scientist Dan Ruddell of the White River Partnership. In addition to his work with local schools educating students, Ruddell also manages water quality and project monitoring programs. His expertise was essential to understanding the importance of this type of scientific study. 

Students prepared for the field trip by learning how to identify all of the insects that were in the water quality assessment, also known as the bioassay. They had to make a drawing of each organism. While some benthic macroinvertebrates can live in polluted water, many cannot, so during their fieldwork, students had to carefully identify the bugs they caught. 

Despite the summer flooding, results showed a healthy collection of species of benthic macroinvertebrates. The number of "sensitive to pollution" and "semi-sensitive to pollution" insects caught allowed students to give Ayers Brook the "very good" designation.  The trees and shrubs nearby create a “buffer zone,” which helps to keep the river in such good shape. All of this is good news for Ayers Brook and the RU students who put in such great scientific work.

By Michelle Holder
On Thursday, September 14th, the band Balaklava Blues performed for RUMHS students.
Before playing music, they began by telling their story, which began with a revolution.

Mark Marczyk met his wife, Marichka, during the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine which
occurred in 2014 and is often cited as the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War that continues
today. When the revolution turned to war, both Mark and Marichka volunteered on the front,
often working in freezing temperatures to build barricades. But their music was their best
weapon for supporting the cause.

Encouraged to leave the front lines, they returned to Canada, and have been fighting ever since
to keep the music and heritage of Ukraine alive.

Their performances include not only traditional Ukrainian music, but also a fusion of Ukrainian
folk songs with the more modern and familiar sounds of EDM, trap, and dubstep. Along with
their other bandmember Oskar Lambarri, the RUMHS students got to hear a variety of
traditional songs from different regions of the country.

The students were captivated by their stories and their songs, which included acapella singing
and a Jewish marriage song. “It was like nothing I’ve ever been around,” said one student.
“Their voices were so strong.” Another student commented, “I liked how the songs inspire them
spiritually. It was a way of seeing how in other countries music is also a way of living.”

The group is dedicated to continuing to help Ukraine through their music and with fundraising
efforts. As Marczyk said at the end of the performance, the songs “build a landscape– a new
home.” To find out more, check out their website https://www.balaklavablues.ca/.

By Michelle Holder

There are exciting things on the menu with the new OSSD Director of Child Nutrition and Food
Service, Willy Walker.

His experience in food service is nothing short of impressive; you might recognize his name
from his Bethel catering service, Traveling Willy-B’s, or as a former chef for the Willy-B’s Tavern
at The Three Stallion Inn. He’s been working in restaurants since he was 15, and since
graduating from culinary school in 1986, he has spent his career providing excellent food to
Vermonters.

In addition to his own businesses, Walker also has extensive experience managing larger,
systems-based food services for the White River Valley School District, The Abbey Group, and
Greater Claremont Area Food Service, which served 11 schools.

When I asked him what brought him to RUHS, his answer was easy: the kids. “I always liked
being around the kids,” said Walker. “They like to be communicated with. If you can talk to them
like adults, they are so responsive.” His dedication to kids extends beyond the kitchen; as the
coach for the RUHS Boys’ Varsity Boys’ Baseball team, Walker brings enthusiasm and genuine
joy.

Walker has many ideas about how to help bring nutritious meals to the schools. Before
accepting his job at the OSSD, he cooked at Roots Farm Market in Middlesex, where he
created meals and baked goods using locally-grown ingredients. This is something he hopes to
bring to the OSSD.

Schools currently use local ground beef from Larocque, local syrup, and some local vegetables.
Once he gets systems in place for the schools, he looks forward to collaborating with more local
farms next year. “It’s great to hear from farmers,” said Walker. “What better thing than to get
local food right here in the village?” Walker encourages local farmers and producers who would
like to partner with the OSSD to reach out to him.

Another way Walker hopes to incorporate local food is by partnering with students in RTCC.
Coming up, he’ll have eggplant in the kitchen and later microgreens planted by our students. In
return, he’ll give food scraps to RTCC’s compost. Walker asserts, “It’s going to make it much
more advantageous for the kids because what they’re growing, they’re going to be eating.”

Expanding menus is another goal. The schools currently serve free breakfast and lunch to
students at all schools. There are now 8 or 9 different breakfast options at RUMHS each day,
including cereal, yogurt parfaits, bagels, and a hot entree with eggs, hashbrowns, and breakfast
meat.

And there’s something for everyone, even those with special dietary needs. Offerings include
gluten-free bread and dairy-free milk, a deli station, and vegetarian options along with salad
bars at RUMHS and RES.

Walker also wants to celebrate more holidays across the district. “We’ve got lots of plans to
help celebrate the holidays and the cultures, too, which I think is important because then we get
some more understanding of one another.” In addition to the Thanksgiving meals, he hopes to
add in some special meals for a variety of holidays including, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day,
Easter, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. These meals will also introduce students to new
ingredients and flavors, such as okra.

He also encourages parents to fill out applications for free and reduced lunch, available on the
school’s website. While all students in the district will receive free breakfast and lunch, these
forms help the school district receive federal funding and obtain grants. They can also help
provide additional benefits to the families directly.

Walker says he loves hearing from students and parents about their hopes for school meals. “I
love talking with parents. I’d love to hear from the kids if they want certain items. If I can make
that happen, I will. They’re my customers, same as the parents.”

For questions about the OSSD Nutrition program, or to collaborate with local ingredients,
Walker can be reached by email Willy Walker or through the OSSD
website, https://www.orangesouthwest.org/programs/food-service.