Champlain Valley Union High School

Champlain Valley Union High School

Champlain Valley Union's LED illuminated sign on CVU Road

Champlain Valley Union High School is a high school located in the town of Hinesburg, Vermont. The school serves the communities of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston, and St. George. The enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year was 1,388 students with 113 faculty. The school is locally known as CVU.

CVU was established in 1964 to serve the Chittenden towns outside of Burlington, Vermont.^{[citation needed]}

CVU is the second largest high school in Vermont behind Essex High School.^{[citation needed]}

Academics

In 2008, the school had the second highest graduation rate of any public high school in Chittenden County.^[1]

History

Football was added as a sport in 2004.^{[citation needed]}

Infrastructure

Within the property of CVU, there is a baseball field, a softball field, a field hockey field, a football field, a track, and three soccer fields. During the spring, the field hockey and soccer fields are used for Lacrosse.

Classes

CVU offers classes in all the basic subjects, including math, social studies, English, and sciences. Sciences taught include chemistry, biology, earth sciences, botany, microbiology, and biogenetics.

There are three levels of band, multiple chorus classes, woodworking and metalworking, CAD design, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek and Chinese.

Incoming freshmen are divided into four different houses/cores, named after several prominent Vermonters: Nichols,^[2] Snelling, Fairbanks^[3] and Chittenden.^[4] Each student remains a part of their assigned house until graduation. All freshmen must take mandatory classes in English, social studies, mathematics, science, physical education, and health.

The daily schedule at CVU is broken up into block scheduling. The calendar is divided into red and white days. Many students have 'free blocks' in which they are able to relax, go to the library, or go to a commons area to socialize with friends. A typical school day at CVU starts at 8:15 and ends at 3:00. Classes are an hour and a half long each.

Student activities

There is a Student Council. It helps with fund-raising, organizes their class's prom and trike for the annual Winter Carnival Trike Race.

It helps organize the Graduation Challenge, Curriculum Clearinghouse, Advisory PLP, Climate, Pathways and Schoolboard.^{[clarification needed]}

Clubs at CVU range from serious (such as Scholar's Bowl and club sports like Indoor Track) to fun (such as Leisure Sports and Barbecue and Hand-Eye Coordination and Cognitive Skills Club).

Students have been involved in community service including Key Club, and Presidential Honors Society members, who perform community service.

In 2006 a student organized the schools first Women's Panel which featured Vermont Politicians including a state senator, and a state officer.^{[citation needed]}

The second panel was held in 2007 and featured Vermont Leading Business Women. The panel was featured in the state and local newspapers and was recognized as an important step for the school in recognizing the importance of Women's History Month.^{[citation needed]}

Athletics

The school mascot is the Redhawk, having changed its name from Crusaders in 2005 due to the political incorrectness of a Crusader.^[5] CVU competes in Division 1 brackets for all sports. CVU's chief athletic rivals are nearby South Burlington High School and Essex High School.

The school competes in the following sports:

Fall Sports

• Cross Country
• Field Hockey
• Football
• Men's Soccer. Won state championship in 2002-3, 2003-4, 2004-5, 2005-6, 2006-7, 2007-8 and 2009-10^[6]
• Women's Soccer
• Co-ed Sailing (Club)

Winter Sports

• Alpine Skiing
• Men's Basketball
• Women's Basketball
• Gymnastics
• Men's ice hockey
• Women's Ice Hockey
• Nordic Skiing
• Wrestling
• Snowboard Club (New as of 2007)
• Indoor Track

Spring Sports

• Baseball
• Golf
• Men's Lacrosse
• Women's Lacrosse
• Softball
• Men's Tennis
• Women's Tennis. Vermont state champions, Division I 2009.^[7]
• Track & Field (Men & Women)
• Rugby (club)
• Co-ed Sailing (Club)

Footnotes

1. ^ 93.1%, using consistent comparison data for all schools. Burlington Free Press, June 13, 2009, page 4A, "Graduation:State looks to increase rate," Molly Walsh
2. ^ Named after Clarissa Nichols
3. ^ There were two governors Fairbanks. The other was Erastus Fairbanks
4. ^ There were two Governors Chittenden
5. ^ "Jihad watch:Dhimmitude in Vermont:School changing nickname, mascot after Islamic protest". 2005-06-14. http://www.jihadwatch.org/2005/06/dhimmitude-in-vermont-school-changing-nickname-mascot-after-islamic-protest.html. 
6. ^ School archives
7. ^ "(caption)CVU GIRLS TAKE TENNIS TITLE". Burlington, Vermont: Burlington Free Press. 12 June 2009. pp. 1A. 

External links

• Official site

44°20′40″N 73°06′36″W / 44.3444°N 73.1100°W / 44.3444; -73.1100Coordinates: 44°20′40″N 73°06′36″W / 44.3444°N 73.1100°W / 44.3444; -73.1100