News & Events

The Head of Rock Point School, C.J. Spirito, quoted this wonderful line that Kurt Vonnegut often used in his commencement speeches: "If this isn't wonderful, what is?" C.J. was inviting us all––graduates, fellow students, staff, parents and relatives, Trustees and friends of the school––to pause and take in the accomplishment of graduation, the community, and being together. It was a beautiful graduation ceremony, with families, fellow students, and staff speaking movingly to the graduates, as well as graduates speaking to their families and the community. It was wonderful to see alumni who came to graduation and to hear updates on their lives, which included making weather forecast videos in a meteorology college program, consulting to help start-up businesses, and finishing up a great freshman year of college. We are proud of our graduates' college acceptances, as well as the significant merit scholarships they received based on their academics and the opportunities they took advantage of at Rock Point. Jewelry Design & Repair, Psychology, and pre-Veterinary studies are some of the things that the class of 2015 is heading off to study. We will miss them and hope to see them soon! Friends from the classes of 2013 and 2014

Rock Point School just hosted its annual Mud Olympics to celebrate the end of classes. Ryan and her team worked hard on the venue, and we're happy to report that the infrastructure of the slimy, foot-deep mud- pit supported the athletes well, while the spectators and photographers found themselves able to enjoy the beautiful surrounds of the Rock Point property. From the egg toss to the bucket balance, the judges declared all participants a righteous mess! As participants and spectators alike sang in the opening ceremony: mud, glorious mud! To the old saying, "Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty," we add, "and everything else, too!"

Since 1995, the Vermont Young Playwrights' Project has been pairing professional actors and writers with groups of students to produce original 10-minute plays! Rock Point School has been participating in the project for almost as long and we love seeing what our students come up with! This year, our students worked with professional actor and playwright, Seth Jarvis, to write their plays. We did an in-school performance of several of the student plays in February and submitted them to the Festival in April. At this year's Festival at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, students from schools all over the state gathered to attend workshops on playwriting, acting, improv, and even stage combat! Sam McArthur ('15), our featured playwright for the second year in a row, had his play "Ghost Play" performed by professional actors, while Julia Eastham's ('15) play "Breaking Strings" was given a staged reading. The photo above is Julia discussing her play with the audience. Check out videos of the plays below!

A Southern Gothic Prom? That's right! This year's party took on a decidedly Southern flair with garden decorations and Southern cooking, but with a Gothic twist. "Think Gone with the Wind meets Frankenstein," said Prom Committee Princess Selina (also a dorm staff and creator of those delicious looking prom treats). Instead of our traditional "lame-o" rides, this year we rented a 1950's black Limo (reportedly owned by the Rockefellers) from Classic Limos! It was a fabulous night and just the beginning of our End of the Year traditions!

We just set up six honeybee hives at Rock Point School, part of the school's beekeeping work that takes place down in the sugar shack and apiary. Each year, we collect honey, make products from the beeswax, and learn more about the importance of the honeybee as a crucial pollinator of fruits and vegetables. Honeybees are amazing creatures, and to get to watch them organize themselves and work is a spectacular thing to see up close. It motivates some of us to learn more about farming and others of us to get involved in the politics of regulating pesticides harmful to honeybees. For a good overview of the honeybee and its role in nature, click here.

Image created by Seniors Sam and Leah! Rock Point School's 15th Annual Student Art Exhibit will be held at the Rose Street Artists' Cooperative and Gallery in Burlington. The opening on Friday, May 1st at 5:30 to 7:30, is a potluck event, so please feel free to bring your favorite finger food or dessert! Students will also be playing music and making some food for the event! The show features student and alumni art and is the culmination of all the work made in the 2014-15 school year. All students at Rock Point School take an art class as part of the core curriculum. Students are excited to show off their hard work, and will be offering pieces for sale at the gallery. With some guidance from Jeannie (the art teacher), the senior class is in charge of organizing the event, from hanging the work, to helping fellow students create an "artist statement," to making snacks for the event. It's a great chance for them to practice their real world skills. We hope to see many people at the show!

Over the weekend two dorm staff, and six adventurous students embarked on a four mile hike to Carter Notch Hut at Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire. They stared down the elements; wind, snow and cold weather did not deter them. After passing breathtaking views, and a few rather steep drops, they were greeted with a fire and hot chocolate at the cozy hut, tucked away in the notch. The hut was built in 1914 and is part of the Appalachian Mountain Club system. The rest of the time in the hut was spent playing games with each other, cooking and staying warm in their sleeping bags as the temperature dropped!