News & Events

One of the sweetest traditions we have this time of year is the tradition of exchanging gifts. In our community, we participate in a Secret Santa exchange. Every staff member, every student, and some members of our extended community draws a name before November break, giving them a month to plot and plan what they will do for their gift recipient. The magic of this is that it brings our community together. People often draw the name of someone they may not be close to, but in our tradition, they secretly investigate what their recipient may like. Many students make personal gifts for their Secret Santa in their art class or in their spare time. The care and kindness that is on display when gifts are exchanged are a testament to the thoughtful nature of our community.

We were so excited to take part in the 2016 Convention for the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. This year's theme, Love Heals, had leaders of the Church exploring how they can take an even more active role in championing women, children, and vulnerable populations. The Diocese generously gave us time to speak to the Convention about the work we do at Rock Point School. Ross, a junior at Rock Point, shared his personal story and spoke about what Rock Point has done for him. Last spring, Ross was struggling at home and he and his parents found Rock Point School. Ross says he likes the "social dynamic" at Rock Point, where "you can be free to express yourself and not get harsh criticism from peers or staff." He also really appreciates the teachers, who are willing to spend extra time with him, and the dorm staff who "are always positive and ready to do any activity." Ross is a fabulous representative of the school and we are so proud of him for being brave enough to share his story in front of hundreds of people!

If you watch the news at all, it seems like our country is more divided than ever. As a school, we decided to combat the divisions in our culture by joining the UNITY project. This is a public art project designed to raise awareness about the labels we put on ourselves and others and explore how those labels both support and limit communities. This giant yarn structure demonstrates visually how we are all connected, while also acknowledging what makes each of us unique.

Benjamin Houchen (MA, LCMHC) will now be giving our presentation on Adoption and Adolescents. Adam Pertman was originally scheduled for this presentation, but is unable to attend at this time. We are excited to have Benjamin here to speak in his stead!