nichols news

May 8, 2026

Hello Nichols Families!

We are getting close to the end of the school year and we are starting to plan our year-end celebration to honor this great group of students!

On Thursday, May 21st during the R3 session of Warp-Up Week, teachers and students will have a short celebration where we will celebrate each student, share Core awards, and enjoy a final meal together as a Nichols community.

We are hoping that many families can provide a food item for the kids to enjoy during our celebration. If you are interested and able to send something in with your child to share, please sign up by clicking this link. We won't have access to ovens, but crockpots have been a great success, we love homemade family recipes, paper plates and utensils are always needed, and the more drinks the merrier!

Thank you so much in advance!

-The Nichols Core

Check out the Daily Announcements for more details on upcoming events.

May 8th - Spring Fling Dance at CVU for Grades 9-10 (rescheduled from April)

May 19th - End of Snapshot 4

May 19th - Music Concert

May 20th - May 27th Wrap-Up Week - Click the link for the schedule

May 21st - Nichols Core Pot-Luck Celebration! - During R3 of Wrap-Up Week

May 25th - No School - Memorial Day

May 28th - June 10th - RISE

Environmental Science - Sam Parker

This week in Science class we...

learned about antibiotics and how they interact with bacteria. We then simulated the effect adding antibiotics to population with a variation in their levels of resistance.
took assessments that demonstrated their understanding of why some bacterial strains are more pathogenic than others and how data collected from the past several decades supports the connection between the increased use of antibiotics and the rise in resistance.

Students will have the choice of a final assessment during wrap-up week on reasoning or modeling. Over our last couple of classes students will have opportunities to practice these skills.

If you have any questions please feel free to communicate with at sparker@cvsdvt.org

Math 1: Mark Pogact

Summary of Week 33:

Solving Systems of Equations

Next Week

More Solving Systems of Equations

This week, students either worked on writing and graphing equations or started working on soslving systems of equations using substitution. They connected that the intersection of two lines can be found algebraically by substituting one in equation into the other.

Next week, students will continue solving systems of equations graphically and algebraically. While others will continue to review writing and graphing linear equations in preparation to the upcoming summative.

Students will also be given the opportunity to sign up for reassessments on previous targets. These reassessments will be given with the last summative during Wrap-Up Week.

Questions? Email me at mpogact@cvsdvt.org

Math 2

Summary of Week 33:

Summative
Writing Quadratic Equations from Graphs & Tables

Next Week:

Writing Quadratic Equations from Tables

This week, students took the summative on converting and solving quadratic equations using the distributive property and factoring. Students then reviewed writing functions from a graph but then we added a stretch or shrink to the graph by changing the equation slightly. We also introduced writing a quadratic equation from a table of points.

Next week, students will continue practicing writing quadratic equations from graphs and tables as we wrap up the unit.

Students will also be given the opportunity to sign up for reassessments on previous targets. These reassessments will be given with the last summative during Wrap-Up Week.

Questions? Email me at mpogact@cvsdvt.org

Wellness: Project Adventure

This week in PA, students continued to work on risk-taking and safety commands. They were asked to work with their peers and get outside of their comfort zones in a variety of different activities.
Students completed a mat challenge, tp shuffle, an "electric fence," and ended the week with the spider's web.
Next week, students will be putting these skills into action as we prepare for our outdoor low ropes course.

Any questions or concerns, feel free to email kdavis@cvsdvt.org

Humanities

English

We had another great week! Students completed their 5th speaking assignment. While most students chose to complete their dramatic readings through the video format, some brave students chose to do their dramatic readings in front of their whole class! I'm super pleased with the bravery students are showing, and it's great to watch them push themselves outside of their comfort zones. Next week is our last full week of class, and students will be completing their 6th and final speaking assessments!

Social Studies

The Silk Road Lollapalooza is coming to a close! It has been an incredible journey showcasing amazing student work. Our latest project, Voices from the Nerves: A Silk Road Historical Logbook, explored the Silk Road as a 'Global Nervous System' through the eyes of travelers living between 150 CE and 1300 CE.

These logbook entries are some of the best work students have produced all year; I have truly enjoyed reading their creative and analytical takes on trade, cultural exchange, and daily life. Students have also put tremendous effort into their Silk Road maps, treating the routes not simply as roads, but as a living, reactive network transmitting goods, ideas, religions, and technologies across vast distances.

Deadlines: Red Day maps are due today (though students may finish them over the weekend), and White Day maps are due Tuesday.

Dinner Table Talk