News & Events

For over 20 years the Vermont Stage Company has produced the Vermont Young Playwrights' Project. Rock Point has participated in the project from the beginning, with our students writing short plays with guidance from professional playwrights. The culmination of the project is the Festival, which happened on May 12 at the Flynn Center. During the festival, Rock Point students have the opportunity to attend workshops with professional playwrights, directors, and actors as well as other high school students from around the state. This year, students participated in a directing workshop and a "Writing for Sound" workshop. Additionally, two student plays from each school are performed by professional actors. Maria's (grade 10) play "The Prince and the Assassin" was given a cold reading at the festival, while Clare's (grade 10) play "A Lively Produciton" was performed as a staged reading. Clare had the opportunity to work with the professional actors on their performance, while Maria was given feedback from the audience on her play. This festival is a highlight of the year for Rock Point students and we love working with the actors, directors, and playwrights from the Vermont Stage Company!

This year, the prom committee chose to create a 1950's prom and what a prom it was! The fashion was impressive, the decorations were amazing (including a light fixture made of records) and the food was delicious as usual. Gus, our history teacher "lame-o" creator gave rides in his vintage VW beetle to a secret location where students could pick any treat they wanted from a Mr. Ding-a-ling ice cream truck. Emily, our guidance counselor, served as a milkshake maker and Hydration Station expert. Our student DJ, Chris, played retro rock and roll hits for the first half hour of the dance and it got every student (and most of the staff) on the dance floor! The Prom is also the first in our series of traditional end of year activities that help us wind down the year, honor the seniors, and say goodbye. Our juniors presented each senior with a flower and a sweet appreciation speech.

This year, our stained glass studio has been full of creative energy! Students have been using their geometry skills creating 3-D glass sculptures, as well as more traditional flat glass creations. The goal of this art elective is to teach students the basics of making stained glass - drafting, cutting, grinding, and soldering - but many of our students have gone above and beyond the basics this year to create truly original pieces of art. One student has even pursued an apprenticeship with Lawrence Ribbecke, a local glass artist.

In conjuction with the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, we are hosting an event to spread the word about all the Rock Point Property has to offer! Come for all or part of the day (9:30-3:00). Bring your family and friends. Learn about Rock Point and explore how you can become a part of the Rock! The morning will be filled with activities such as a wildflower walk, history walk, primitive outdoor skills, nature crafts, and gardening.

Please join us to celebrate the exceptional creative work of our students!

Come join us for an artistic showcase event on April 1st! Students have put together an evening of fine and dramatic arts. Students will perform one act plays they have written over the course of the year. Our tech crew is busy building props (see photos) and sets from recycled cardboard to create a cohesive look for our four one act plays. Other artisic efforts from our students will be on display throughout the school, including stained glass, paintings, collages, and more! Join us for an entertaining evening. 6pm: Art display, raffle, and snacks Check out the art throughout the school and eat delicious snacks prepared by students. Buy raffle tickets and win prizes such as homemade crafts and treats! 7pm: One Act Plays and Raffle Drawings Students will perform the four 10-minute student written plays listed below. In between each play, we will do a raffle drawing! The Seven Mysteries of Rock Point School by Madeleine M., Grade 12: One enthusiastic Rock Point student drags her less willing friend on a journey through the school to see if there's any truth to the seven legends she's heard. The Border of Winning a Heart by Katie K., Grade 12: Set at the German border in World War II, a young woman tries to save her friend, with the help of a dangerous smuggler. A Lively Production, by Clare B., Grade 10: A student tries to come up with an idea for an original play -- and the audience is taken inside her wild, and sometimes dark, imagination. The Prince and the Assassin by Maria D., Grade 10: A Prince and his assassin are on a quest to slay a dragon, but they don't realize how much they have in common. Hope to see you there!

For the fifth year in a row, we will be hosting a Maple Brunch! Come taste the maple syrup we make here at Rock Point and drizzle it on everything from pancakes to bacon to yogurt! If you'd like to work up your appetite before brunch, we will have a fun 5k run through our beautiful lakeside property. As usual, tours of our sugaring operation and sugar house will be available throughout the morning. See the schedule of events below. We hope you can join us!

The Rock Point School students are celebrating Pi Day a little early by hosting a make-your-own mini pie event on Saturday, March 12th from 2:00-3:00 pm. Students will be available to help youngsters fill, bake, and enjoy their own individual pies. Please forward this message along to those who may have little ones excited to participate! RSVP to Kate McKernan ( kmckernan@rockpoint.org).

Our travelers returned from Nicaragua on February 24th with lots of stories to tell! Students spent a week immersing themselves in Nicaraguan culture and learning from the people they met. Through Compas de Nicaragua, students spent time with Women in Action in Managua, learning how they support their families and community. Students also traveled to La Paz and worked on a variety of projects including: helping a family build an indoor shower, putting roofs on houses, creating a gray water system, and using manure to make methane gas cook stoves. Other highlights of the trip included:

It's time to get ready for our annual dramatic peformance! For the past several years, we have performed student written plays in conjuction with the Vermont Young Playwright Festival. This year, our production has evolved even more! The plays have become a focus for our Project Based Learning. Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge, skills, and experience by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge. Teachers are working to include more project based learning in their individual curriculums and we also wanted to create a school-wide project. In this case, the challenge is collaborating to produce a performance and event!