News & Events

Lonnie and CJ made a trip down to Randolph, VT to the Chandler Center for the Arts to see Jo Dee Messina, a Rock Point alumn! Jo Dee attended RPS in the 80's and has since become one of Country Music's biggest stars. Messina has had nine #1 songs including “I’m Alright,” “Bring On The Rain” (a duet with Tim McGraw), and “My Give A Damn’s Busted.” She has won countless awards including the Academy of Country Music’s Top Female Artist of the Year and CMA’s prestigious Horizon Award, receiving critical acclaim for her explosive singing style and electrifying performances. She's also recently published a book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks to My Mom," a collection of stories on all the many aspects of motherhood! Lonnie has been a huge fan of Messina for years and was so excited to connect with her before the show!

Our 2015 Reunion was a blast! Former students and staff came from far and wide, and from classes as far back as 1952, to join us for a beautiful weekend. We loved seeing alumni returning with their families! It was wonderful to meet children and partners of our former students, as well as to see some parents of our alums. Headmasters CJ Spirito, John Rouleau, and Russell Ellis entertained us with stories of Rock Point going back 40 years. Check out photos from the photo booth here. Check out more photos from the weekend here.

Since 1995, the Vermont Young Playwrights' Project has been pairing professional actors and writers with groups of students to produce original 10-minute plays! Rock Point School has been participating in the project for almost as long and we love seeing what our students come up with! This year, our students worked with professional actor and playwright, Seth Jarvis, to write their plays. We did an in-school performance of several of the student plays in February and submitted them to the Festival in April. At this year's Festival at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, students from schools all over the state gathered to attend workshops on playwriting, acting, improv, and even stage combat! Sam McArthur ('15), our featured playwright for the second year in a row, had his play "Ghost Play" performed by professional actors, while Julia Eastham's ('15) play "Breaking Strings" was given a staged reading. The photo above is Julia discussing her play with the audience. Check out videos of the plays below!

A Southern Gothic Prom? That's right! This year's party took on a decidedly Southern flair with garden decorations and Southern cooking, but with a Gothic twist. "Think Gone with the Wind meets Frankenstein," said Prom Committee Princess Selina (also a dorm staff and creator of those delicious looking prom treats). Instead of our traditional "lame-o" rides, this year we rented a 1950's black Limo (reportedly owned by the Rockefellers) from Classic Limos! It was a fabulous night and just the beginning of our End of the Year traditions!

Image created by Seniors Sam and Leah! Rock Point School's 15th Annual Student Art Exhibit will be held at the Rose Street Artists' Cooperative and Gallery in Burlington. The opening on Friday, May 1st at 5:30 to 7:30, is a potluck event, so please feel free to bring your favorite finger food or dessert! Students will also be playing music and making some food for the event! The show features student and alumni art and is the culmination of all the work made in the 2014-15 school year. All students at Rock Point School take an art class as part of the core curriculum. Students are excited to show off their hard work, and will be offering pieces for sale at the gallery. With some guidance from Jeannie (the art teacher), the senior class is in charge of organizing the event, from hanging the work, to helping fellow students create an "artist statement," to making snacks for the event. It's a great chance for them to practice their real world skills. We hope to see many people at the show!

Over the weekend two dorm staff, and six adventurous students embarked on a four mile hike to Carter Notch Hut at Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire. They stared down the elements; wind, snow and cold weather did not deter them. After passing breathtaking views, and a few rather steep drops, they were greeted with a fire and hot chocolate at the cozy hut, tucked away in the notch. The hut was built in 1914 and is part of the Appalachian Mountain Club system. The rest of the time in the hut was spent playing games with each other, cooking and staying warm in their sleeping bags as the temperature dropped!