News & Events

This fall a group of students at Rock Point applied for and were accepted into Teens Reaching Youth for the Environment (TRY). The TRY program was developed by UVM Extension and their environmental partners, and the goal is to coach teens how to teach elementary students about environmental issues. Besides getting to learn a lot about a particular environmental issue, these students will be developing mentoring and leadership skills, while increasing environmental literacy and responsibility in younger kids.

Working with the Vermont Young Playwrights' Project, Rock Point students have begun their journey toward writing and producing annual school plays. Students had the chance to work with local playwright Mary Beth McNulty for two full-day workshops this winter. In November they played acting games, learned the techniques of playwriting, and brainstormed ideas based on prompts from Mary Beth. Students left the workshop with the beginnings of their ten-minute plays in the works, and then worked with our English teacher, Abbey Baker, to make progress.

We are so grateful to everyone who donated to the Tomorrow Fund for Giving Tuesday! Together, you contributed over $10,000 to the Tomorrow Fund and unlocked matching funds to raise a total of over $20,000 in one day. An additional $3,250 was raised during the week of Thanksgiving, which will also be matched by a generous donor, making the grand total for our Thanksgiving/ Giving Tuesday donations over $26,500. This incredible gift will help us continue our mission of providing a small, supportive, educational community for young people, where they can become their best selves. Thank you so much for being a part of this mission and helping young people transform their lives. If you have not yet given to the Tomorrow Fund, there is still time to donate before the end of the year. Our generous donor will double match any donations above last year's giving! This is a great opportunity to make the most of your gift to Rock Point School.

Each year, we gather before everyone heads off for November vacation to celebrate, express gratitude, and enjoy a feast. The Thanksgiving service is designed by students with help from staff members. This year, students read poems they selected, shared traditions, and thanksgivings. One student brought in Christmas crackers, his own family tradition, which meant we ended the service with everyone wearing paper crowns! 

On December 3, Rock Point School is excited to participate in Giving Tuesday. This global day of giving invites individuals to celebrate the holiday season by giving back and creating change in their communities and their world.

This year a generous donor has offered to double match any new donations or donations above last year's contributions to the Tomorrow Fund! This means if you donated $50 last year and donate $100 this year, your donation will be matched with an additional $100, making the value of your contribution to Rock Point School $200. If you did not donate last year, any amount you donate this year will be doubled! 

Artist in Residence, Kate Long Hodges, came to Rock Point School to collaborate with students on a textile art project. Kate grew up in Vermont and now lives in the Sonoran Desert where she has been learning textile art with members of the Tohono O'odham tribe. Rock Point Students studied plant dyes from the Sonoran Desert and used prickly pear cactus, agave thorns, and earth pigments to create their piece.

On October 15, our whole student body went to the Rock Point Center for our fourth annual participation in Sundog Poetry Center's "Share Your Heart, Share the World" poetry day. We were joined by three other Vermont schools in a day of poetry workshops, writing time, a presentation by local poet and artist Tina Escaja, and a reading of student work.

2019 Ooky Spooky 5k Results The 16th annual Ooky Spooky opened on a crisp fall morning. We were thrilled to see so many familiar faces - alumni, former staff, and parents - wearing costumes and ready to run! Students and staff volunteered to register runners, guide runners on the course, keep time, and take photos. We were thrilled to raise money to support COTS (The Committee on Temporary Shelter Serving Vermont), an awesome organization that helps people who experience homelessness in our community. 

This year our students started the year reading the graphic novel March: Book One by civil rights leader and congressman, John Lewis, in collaboration with co-writer Andrew Aydin and award-winning graphic artist Nate Powell. Teachers selected this book, not only because it is an inspiring and compelling historical narrative, but also because it was the Vermont Reads selection for 2019. Vermont Reads invites people across the state to read the same book and participate in a wide variety of community activities related to the book’s themes.