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On The Point blog
from Rock Point School

The Rock Point School Arts Festival - In Its 26th Year!

Our Arts Festival is a yearly tradition that displays every Rock Point School students’ artwork, across various types of creative media including visual, written, and theatrical. The idea of the event is to display the vast and unique styles from each student and to showcase the artistry in our community. We are pleased to open up our doors to show parents, friends, and members of the Burlington community our works and give back to the people that make our Art Show possible!
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How Friction Fosters Connection and Builds Community

on January 25, 2026 By Ryan Weiland | resilience life skills community
In an age where “frictionless” conveniences like instant deliveries and AI interactions promise to make life smoother and easier, a lesser-known cost is quietly accruing. The everyday bumps, interruptions, and challenges that create the texture of real human connection are being erased. At Rock Point School, a small boarding school community, we intentionally embrace the opposite: the "friction" inherent in human relationships as the foundation for deep, meaningful community.
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Supporting Your Teen During School Breaks

on December 25, 2025 By CJ Spirito | Motivation school vacation
As we are heading into our vacation, I am thinking about a student at Rock Point from many years ago who really struggled to get back into the school schedule when she returned from vacation. It was impossible to get her downstairs for breakfast before her first class of the day. Jokingly, we made the first day back from vacation “Tara clause” - making breakfast optional that first Monday morning to help students ease back into school. To this day, some students still use the “Tara clause” on the first morning back from break!
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Embracing the Unexpected: Building Skills Through Rock Point Electives

on November 27, 2025 By Leda Sommerville |
Every quarter, students choose from several electives, which meet three times a week to supplement the curriculum and provide a fun way to start their morning.
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Making an Empowering Choice for LGBTQ+ Families

on October 24, 2025 By Ryan Weiland | Open & Inclusive community
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” - Nelson Mandela
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Guiding Students Beyond High School: How to Ease Anxiety About What Comes Next

on September 25, 2025 By Abbey Baker | post-graduate
“Writing is like driving at night; you can only see as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” - E.L Doctorow While E.L Doctorow was talking here about the writing process, I use this passage often when I talk to students about post-high school planning. Rock Point students are bright, capable, creative, independent thinkers, who have needed some extra support and guidance to unlock their potential in the classroom and beyond.
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Easing the Transition: Supporting Students as They Head Back to School

As the days grow shorter and the first signs of fall begin to appear, the shift from summer to school year is palpable for students, families, and educators alike. While some students eagerly anticipate the return of friends, routines, and opportunities for growth, others may feel a rising sense of anxiety or uncertainty. At Rock Point School, we recognize that the transition back to school is both a practical and emotional process, and that it looks different for every student.
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Parent Perspective: 5 Insights from Virtual Parent Meetings

One of the unexpected changes over the past few years has been how the rise of video meetings allows greater participation. We’ll always value in-person connections at Rock Point School as the ideal, and at the same time, these virtual gatherings have opened up new avenues for parent engagement. During the pandemic, I initiated a monthly parent discussion via video meeting, which has become a vital part of how we stay connected as a school community.
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6 Helpful Tips for Teens to Have a Healthy, Balanced Summer

on June 26, 2025 By Ryan Weiland |
As school winds down and the weather heats up, our students are already looking forward to summer. Some are planning to get jobs or go to camp, others are looking forward to spending more time with family and friends, and some are looking blissfully ahead to sleeping in every day. Other students (and their families) get a little nervous about three whole months without school and with less structure.If you want to have a healthy, balanced summer, here are some tips that could help.
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For Teens, Both Academic Rigor and Emotional Support Are Vital

on May 22, 2025 By CJ Spirito |
Read - For Teens, Both Academic Rigor and Emotional Support Are Vital