News & Events

The morning of the Ooky Spooky was full of energy ... and lots of rain! Despite the cold temperatures and unrelenting precipitation, brave runners took to the course at 9am. Superheroes, supervillains, and one very appropriately dressed snorkeler ran the 5K, while a few younger runners did a lap.

Our Fall Family Weekend is coming October 20th-23rd and we are thrilled to welcome our students' families back to Rock Point. For many of our families, it will be the first time they have seen each other in six weeks! We look forward to sharing what we have been up to and having families see the growth students have experienced already. The weekend kicks off with a parent gathering at CJ's, our Head of School's, home on Thursday evening, followed by teacher conferences and a school wide meeting on Friday. Saturday morning brings our Ooky Spooky 5k and we hope families will bring costumes to join the race!

The Ooky Spooky race is just around the corner! Saturday, October 22nd come join us at 9 am (registration begins at 8am) for a spooktacular run! Each year, we host this fun, costumed, 5k race to benefit COTS (Committee on Temporary Shelter).

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!

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.