News & Events

This week we held our 2nd Annual Bee Week! The week consisted of cross-curricular bee-focused activities. In science, students studied the anatomy of bees, the chemistry of honey, and the physics of bee flight. In English, students read articles from American Bee Journal and Bee Culture, learning about pollinators and the challenges of contemporary bee keeping. Students also operated the smoker, inserted a "bee escape" to our hives, and extracted honey. In Math, students focused on hexagons, and various problem solving activities using hive shapes. Finally, in art class, students designed and created a bee-themed cake. Alternating yellow cake and chocolate cake layers, topped with flowers and marzipan bees, the cake was a delicious piece of art! Students also made honey ice cream and some beeswax crafts.

Each year, students go camping on their first weekend at Rock Point. The students who live on the 3rd floor traveled to Grand Isle State Park on Lake Champlain, where they enjoyed a gorgeous sunset Friday night. Saturday, they picked apples, visited a dairy farm, and took in a Farmers' Market. The students who live on the 2nd floor, traveled to Button Bay State Park Friday and then took the annual trek to the Tunbridge World's Fair where they enjoyed all the fried dough, rides, and games they could take!

Guest post by Cultivations instructor, Alex Gemme: As part of our Cultivations class, we are exploring the history of Rock Point and learning about how the land has been used through the years. This week, we met the research specialist, Prudence, in the special collections section of the UVM Bailey Howe Library. We felt like we were entering the 'restricted' section of the library at Hogwarts, but more heavily guarded.

Our beloved former English teacher, Marylen Grigas, has published a new book of poems called SHIFT. To celebrate her new book, there will be a poetry reading, book signing, drinks and light fare in the library on Saturday, August 13 from 5:30-7:30.

In week two of summer session, we have spent a lot of time in the garden! Kara Buchanan, our resident herbalist, helped students learn about the various herbs and plants in and around our garden. Students tried various herbs, learning about their properties and some plant biology. Students made a healing salve by mixing olive oil infused with comfrey, plantain, St. John's wort and calendula with beeswax and essential oils. The salve can be used to soothe bug bites, burns, and dry skin.

We are wrapping up our first week of Summer Session 2016 and it has been a full one! Students have spent time getting to know one another, playing, and learning together. On the first morning of Cultivations Class, students took a "fox walk" around the property. Fox walking is a mindfulness practice that helps you tune into the sounds of the woods and be present in the moment. We've also been working on our carving skills in Cultivations, making eating utensils from sumac wood.

Join us for a free screening of All-Star Ultimate Tour, a documentary about a team of frisbee players on a mission to promote women in ultimate. When: 7:30 pm, August 1st Where: Rock Point School Library The movie will make you laugh, cry, and think more critically about gender in sports. Following the film we will have a casual discussion. For more about the film, go here. Questions? Please contact: Kate or C.J. Kate Desrochers - kate.desrochers@gmail.com or C.J. Spirito – cspirito@rockpoint.org

Come one, come all – We invite all ages and all skill levels to play Ultimate Frisbee 6-7:30 Mondays at Rock Point School this August. We play in sneakers or bare feet – no cleats, please. Bring a dark shirt, a light shirt, and be ready for fun! Questions? Please contact C.J. Spirito – cspirito@rockpoint.org

Join us for a night at historic Centennial Field on Thursday, July 14th at 7:05 as Burlington's minor league baseball team, the Vermont Lake Monsters take on the Williamsport Crosscutters!

After the art show this May, the Core 1 class collectively decided to create a fairy house as their final project in Art. This was inspired by the artwork of Andy Goldsworthy, who mostly does installations outdoors with natural materials. The students were excited to use what they could find in the natural world to create beautiful art. Jeannie, our art teacher, provided the perfect stump as a base for the house. After one look at the stump, it was easy for the students to see its potential. After some initial brainstorming and sketches, students began to stockpile things they found interesting - acorns, moss, bark, and even morel mushrooms.