# Mount Abraham Union High School

Mount Abraham Union High School is a public high school in Bristol, Vermont (U.S.).

## History

The Bristol High School was located in downtown Bristol, Vermont on what is now School Street. There had been schools at that location since 1837. In 1969, the current building was built at the site of the old Bristol Airport. The former Bristol High School building was demolished and a new building, built for offices was erected. The upper levels now serve as office space and the lower levels now serve as Bristol Fitness, the local gym.

## Leadership

In 2019, Mt. Abe welcomed Shannon Warden as the new interim principal. The decision was made to hire Shannon as the next principal. Shannon worked in classroom science education prior to becoming an administrator. In 2022, the school welcomed Aryin Thibeault as the new assistant principal and Joel Jones as a dean of students (position established). Jones left the school before the 2023-2024 school year, leaving the position vacant until Jason Rasco was hired as a new assistant principal in October of 2023.

## Student Life

Mt. Abraham is a predominately white school with very few students and teachers being of differing ethnicities. A large bloc of students are raised as farmers. The school maintains an open and accepting philosophy which is mostly echoed by students.
The Fall and Spring Musicals are regarded as some of the best in the state and consistently receive high praise. The Fall Musical is unique in that no student, no matter what experience level, will be denied the opportunity to participate in the musical, either onstage or off. Students have a variety of activism opportunities, including "EAG" (the "Environmental Action Group"), "MASA" ("Mt. Abe Student Activists"), "GSA" ("Gay/Straight Alliance"), and can also serve on the Community Council representing their grade or be elected as student leadership of their grade (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary). The school hosts three school dances, homecoming, the Harvest Festival Dance (formerly the Halloween Dance), and the Winter Ball. Prom is hosted by the senior class in May/June at an offsite location.
The school also has a lively sports community, including football, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, basketball, track and field, wrestling, softball, bass fishing, golf, and field hockey. The Mt. Abe Girls Lacrosse team were defeated in 2023 for the state championship. The Mt. Abe Boys Lacrosse team won the 2024 State Championships, and the Mt. Abe Varsity Baseball Team were narrowly defeated (by technicality) at the 2024 State Championships.

## Course Offerings, Requirements & Future

Students have the opportunity to pursue AP level coursework in English, history, science, and art starting their 11th-grade year. AP coursework includes AP European History, AP United States History, AP Literature and Composition, AP Language and Composition, AP Physics, and AP Biology. Many other rich course offerings across all academic areas are available for students starting in 9th grade.
The middle school is centered on a "team approach" where each student is assigned a "team" made up of teachers and students (both 7th and 8th grade). That team is responsible for core interdisciplinary instruction in science, English, and social studies. Math, physical education, and health education is not offered on the team, rather students from different teams are mixed amongst teachers in those areas.
Students who wish to graduate are required to take a half semester financial literacy course named Money Matters, developed by one of the school's math teachers. In 2023 the Money Matters class won the Stock Market Game. Students are also required to take a civics and government course named U.S. Government & Politics which is aimed to prepare students to be better citizens and use America's democratic processes. A full program of studies can be found on the school's counseling website.
In 2022, 59% of students attended 2 & 4 year colleges post-high school. 1% of students attended military colleges, down from 5% in 2021 and 13% in 2020. The remaining 40% planned to seek employment, a gap year, or were "undecided", according to the district's 2024 Annual Report (see page 24).
Also in 2022, only 0.07% of students have dropped out of high school. This is down from the record in 2021 with 1.7% of students dropping out (see page 24, district's annual report).

## Teacher Advisory & F.I.T. Block

Students in middle school are assigned to a mixed-grade teacher advisory where they will remain for the two years they are in middle school. Students in high school are assigned to a grade-level teacher advisory where they will remain for their 4 high school years. Teacher advisory serves as a time where students can center themselves and prepare for the day, and seek extra help or support from a teacher they develop a more personal connection with over the two or four years.
F.I.T. Block (Flexible Instructional Time) is 5, 30 minute time blocks at the end of each high school day. This serves as a time where students can "sign up" to go to different teachers they had to seek academic enrichment, support, or simply to "hang out." On Mondays, students only go to their teacher advisory where they work on their Personalized Learning Plans, a requirement for graduation in Vermont.