Hazen Happenings

Energy Use Update

Good news! Our electric bill for the month of October has decreased since last year. During the past month we used 35,996 Kilowatt hours. During the same period last year, we used 37,996 Kilowatt hours. That is a 3.6% savings in electricity usage. In dollars, we saved $217.84 worth of electricity this month.

Unfortunately, to meet the goal Superintendent Ford set for us of $2,000 worth of electricity savings, we will have to save even a little more electricity in each of the coming months. Here are some things we can do:

Students: Turn off lights and computers when you are the last person to use them.

Teachers: Consider purchasing a desk lamp that would allow you to work at your desk with the classroom lights off during prep time. This could save about $100 per teacher per year.

Our electric bill for the month of November has decreased since last year. During the past month we used 38996 Kilowatt hours. During the same period last year, we used 41996 Kilowatt hours. That is a 7.1% savings in electricity usage. In dollars, we saved $504 worth of electricity this month.

In two months we have saved $721 toward the goal Superintendent Ford set for us of $2,000 worth of electricity savings. At this rate we could easily exceed that savings goal. Nice work Hazen!

Jay Modry

Bottle Drive

The 8th grade is planning a bottle drive on December 6th and 7th to earn money for their end of the year trip. We are planning to have pick up locations and drive around the Hardwick area to pick up your bottles and cans. If you'd like to help, please save your bottles and cans for us for pick up those days. You may call the school and leave a message with Mrs. Piernot 472-6511 ext 126. Thank you!

Travel Abroad News

With just about 130 days to departure the Travel Abroad Group is winding down with their fundraisers. From December until April 10th the following activities are planned:

Dec. 12 @ 5:00-6:30 a spaghetti dinner
January Super Bowl pool
February 8 @ 5:00-6:30 a second pasta dinner
Late Feb. or early March- A Super Bingo Sunday

We will also be selling Pizza Hut value cards for $8.00. These cards can save you $75.00 in Pizza Hut products. See any student traveler or call the school at 472-6511 EXT 159 for details about any of the above.

The group thanks everyone for all of their support in our fundraising efforts.

Helen Willey

Note to supporters of travelers on the France, Italy and Spain trip:

Gagnon video is offering a special opportunity for you to support the trip by going via video to the places the students will be visiting. They have purchased DVDs that will take you to the sites! All proceeds (the entire rental fee) will be donated to the trip if rented between now and when this offer ends! Rent them now or over the holidays!

Ms. Morrison

Holiday Greetings to the Hazen Union Community!

I would like to thank everyone who participated in our parent/teacher conferences on November 20. These conferences are an important component in your child’s (children’s) education and we appreciate your support in our endeavor to provide the best education possible!

The school program survey data are being tabulated and I will share the results once they are available. I want to thank everyone who submitted a survey and please understand that these data are important as they assist in guiding us forward. Hazen Union is a dynamic learning organization; to that end, we will continue to administer program surveys to stay focused on meeting our students’ changing needs.

In December, Art Chase, custodian at Hazen Union for the past 37 ½ years, will be retiring. We will certainly miss Art and we wish him well. His positive outlook on life would, many times, be reflected in the following statement, “We are in pretty good shape for the shape we are in!” He always had a smile and added so much to Hazen Union. We will miss Art but we know that he will be enjoying his retirement! Rusty Ferland will be moving into Art’s position and Raymond Bellavance, Rusty’s replacement, will begin work during the holiday break. Welcome to Hazen Union, Raymond!

The Hazen School report card is a new document that should be arriving soon in your mailboxes, if not already. This report card synthesizes critical data about our school and its programs. The Annual Report will be distributed in the spring and it includes budget information as well as pertinent assessment and program data.

As you can see, much data, quantitative and qualitative, are used to help us in making decisions about the direction that Hazen Union should take. The School Board has been working very hard meeting with various focus groups to gather data concerning the Ends Policy that it will be writing. The “Ends” are what students are expected to know and to do as a result of being educated at Hazen Union.

As we bring the second quarter to an end, we will have a mid-term exam schedule that will begin on January 8 and end on January 11 and students will be released early on Friday, January 11, 2008. Additionally, there is no school for students on January 14, 2008 but school will be in session on January 21, the day when Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is observed.

Yes, indeed, Hazen Union is on the move and we are proud of where we are and where we are going!

Have a safe and joyous holiday season!

Elaine F. Laine, Ph.D.

Grade 10 Honors English

A Brief Trip Within
by Terhas Clark
As the half-asleep sophomores were walking into the English classroom on Monday morning, they were greeted by Tyler Mason, a young author of two books.
This particular day he was going to honor them by talking about his recent novel, Deep Within Faded Heritage. Mason began by saying, “I started to write before I could even read.” By the age of six, he knew he wanted to be an author. Mason, as a full-time high school student building his own house, working and starting his own business, was able, surprisingly enough, to begin the book. Deep Within Faded Heritage consists of ten short stories that move chronologically from the 1700’s to present day. Some stories deal with how the Vermont way of life is “fading away,” while others are about deer hunting and the life of the young growing up in Vermont.
Mason usually spends his time in the woods clearing brush, hunting or logging, but last year when Vermont had the fourteen days of rain, Mason decided to spend those rainy days finishing up Within Faded Heritage. After three-and-a-half years, Mason completed the book.
Mason did not only surprise the students by his life and passion for writing but that he is the only Vermonter to be recognized in the Future Farmers of America, also known as FFA, a “national organization dedicated to preparing members for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture” (FFA.org).

National Honor Society News

National Honor Society: The National Honor Society has been busy this fall. They acted as guides during Open House in September, offered a Community Service Day in October, and just finished a successful Thanksgiving Drive for the Food Pantry by collecting and delivering almost 300 non-perishable items in November.
On December 14, they are hosting a College Day from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Hazen alumni who are college freshmen and sophomores will be invited to join a panel discussion about college life for the benefit of current college-bound juniors and seniors.

Sue Trecartin

Physical Education

Hoops for Heart is back! Our annual fundraiser, benefiting the American Heart Association, will be held December 20 during our middle school physical education classes. Students will spend that day’s class participating in a variety of activities including shooting contests and 2v2 scrimmages; students will also take a quiz designed to increase awareness of heart disease and stroke (our No. 1 and No. 3 killers). All money raised stays in Vermont and goes towards related research and educational programs. Some of you may be approached in the coming weeks by a participating middle-schooler-- thanks in advance for supporting a worthy cause.

Wes Alexander

College Bound Seniors Please Note...

Those students with DEC 1 deadlines for college must have the transcript request package (transcript request form, student information sheet/resume, parent brag sheet) completed and returned to the Guidance Office BY NOVEMBER 26.

Those students with JAN 1 deadlines must have paperwork in by DECEMBER 14.

If you are requesting a letter of recommendation from Ms. Durkee, you must schedule an appointment to meet with her right away. The deadlines above should also be observed if you are requesting one from a teacher. If you have questions about the college application process, please feel from to contact the Guidance Office.

Winter Concerts

The Hazen Union Middle School Winter Concert will be on Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 at 7:00 PM in the Hazen Auditorium.
The Hazen Union High School Winter Concert will be on Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 at 7:00 PM in the Hazen Auditorium.

Steven and Kathy Light

Library News

What was the last book you read? Did you recommend it to a friend?
What books would you place on your top ten list? These are questions I often ask students and staff. In promoting a community of readers, it’s so important that we take the time to share this type of information.

To keep our students and staff reading, we have a steady flow of new books coming into the library! We strive to have books of interest to everyone. A few recent arrivals include:

The Education of a Coach: This biography comes highly recommended. It’s a “dazzling portrait of a man and his profession, revealing both the intimate world of Bill Belichek and the unique abilities that make him so successful.” (book jacket)

Healing Our World: Inside Doctors Without Borders. This is an insightful look into the history of the organization and the work it accomplishes.

Obama: From Promise to Power: A biography that reads easily and provides the reader with insight into this “man who would be president.”

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog and
Marley: A Dog Like No Other. These NYTimes bestsellers are hard to keep on the shelf!

We have two new SAT books: Cracking the SAT 2008 Edition: Princeton Review and SAT Comprehensive Program 2008 Edition: Kaplan.

We have also added a few new graphic novels to our collection, along with many other fiction and nonfiction books.

Do encourage your student to read. Consider reading a book with your son or daughter. Buy a book or two for a holiday or birthday gift.
Building a community of readers, developing a love of reading, and promoting lifelong learning stems from our collective efforts.

Happy holidays!

Judy Henchel

Junior Class Fundraiser

The Junior class will be doing a bottle drive on Saturday, January 5th from 9-1. The bottle drive is to raise money for their prom. So, anyone who would be willing to save their holiday bottles and let the junior class pick them up for you, it would be very much appreciated!    Happy Holidays and again, we will be collecting on Saturday, January 5th from 9-1.

Mid-Term Exam Schedule