Vermont Academy and its World Languages Department are proud to announce our upcoming participation in Middlebury Interactive, an innovative educational program that will further enhance language learning at Vermont Academy. Middlebury Interactive will provide Vermont Academy students unlimited access to its web-based world language courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Latin and Spanish. These online courses will compliment VA's more traditional classroom instruction and expand student's global opportunitites.

For almost one hundred years, Middlebury College's method of language instruction has enabled thousands to master languages quickly. The Middlebury method uses immersion learning to gain a stronger base of comprehension and to accelerate language acquisition. Middlebury Interactive will bring this method to an online community.

Using authentic sources, clever exercises and drills, the program sets up a well-organized and focused curriculum where the teacher can be more of a facilitator than a lecturer. The program allows teachers to support and encourage active learning both in and out of the classroom.

Academic Dean and Spanish instructor Fanning Hearon is thrilled with the opportunity this collaboration presents. "Our department looks forward to being a pioneer in our field by welcoming and embracing the remarkable web-based program as one of our primary sources for teaching language. Not only will this put us ahead of the competition in how languages are taught in the classroom, but this is also a unique opportunity for Vermont Academy to partner with our neighbors to the north on one of their signature academic programs. We are positive that current parents and students will be excited about this new curricular development."

World language department chair Laura Frey sees this partnership with Middlebury Interactive as another opportunity to advance Vermont Academy's global programs initiative, which currently includes the trimester in Spain and the service learning trip to Belize, as well as a new trip lead by Frey to Peru this summer.

"This connects us to Middlebury College, one of the leaders in foreign language teaching. They are renowned worldwide for their world language instruction and acquisition program."

Frey notes, "As we embrace the concept of "backward design", which is knowing what our end goals are in each level of language class, we can take full advantage of the program by using the rich variety of activities that ask the students to write, speak, read and listen in the target language all within a very well-designed and highly structured curriculum.

"The challenge presented to us as educators will be to figure out the balance between the advanced technology and the use of it within a traditional classroom. We're excited about that challenge."



An added bonus for Vermont Academy is that this project will include significant upgrades to the technological infrastructure on campus. The majority of this will work will focus on providing faster, more efficient web access to students and faculty alike. IT Director Jeff Harrington and his staff will spearhead these improvements to increase the school’s data bandwidth over the summer.

The Vermont Academy studies office has announced the Honor Roll for the winter trimester of the 2012-13 academic year. The honor roll includes designations of High Honors, Honors and Deans' List.

Click here for the complete honor roll.

Vermont Academy students raking with Montessori Schoolers on Earth Day

Skies were blue and temps were mild as Vermont Academy students and faculty headed out to the trails, gardens, and neighborhood schools for a morning of community service on Earth Day. Activities ranged from cleaning up a portion of the Long Trail, to building raised beds for Saxtons River's Community Garden at the elementary school, to volunteering at Our Place Drop In Center and Food Shelf, to raking leaves for the Montessori School and area seniors. The morning's work was rewarded with an on-campus pig roast, supplied by VA maintenance staff. During the afternoon, Saxtons River Elementary schoolers came to campus for activities and games supervised by VA students. The entire day was organized by the Environmental Science classes, under the direction of science teacher and Vermont Academy Sustainability Director Christine Armiger.

Click here for a Brattleboro Reformer article on the day's events.

Vermont Academy Junior Matt Carras has submitted this gorgeous photographic entry to the Young Reporters for the Environment National Competition. Matt took this photo of a butterfly while on the March break trip to Belize. Keep your fingers crossed for Matt!

His statemet to accompany the photograph: Pollination is an environmental issue that concerns me for many reasons. One reason being, pollination allows flowers to reproduce and brings us fruits and vegetables. However, the use of pesticides and GMOs have had a negative impact on the number of pollinators who perform this extremely valuable ecosystem service. Aside from the importance of pollinators, I have a fascination with pollinating insects. This is why I attempt to capture the beauty of insects, which I value so dearly.

The students and faculty who participated in this year’s spring break trip to Belize would like to express their sincere gratitude to the parents of Vermont Academy for helping to make this trip possible.  Highlights of the trip included snorkeling with sharks, sea turtles and rays in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve; learning to make chocolate from Juan and Abelina Cho at IXCACAO Chocolate Farm; living and working with Mayan families in the village of San Benito Poite; playing soccer with local kids on Caye Caulker, and visiting the Mayan ruin sites of Xunantunich and Actun Tunichil Muknal.   Please check out our photo albums on the Vermont Academy Sustainability Facebook page, and if you’d like to know more about the Belize trip, contact us at GlobalPrograms@vermontacademy.org.

Sophomore Jamie Lumley was selected from among ten finalists as Vermont Academy’s first Poetry Out Loud champion and will represent VA at the Poetry Out Loud Vermont state competition in Barre, on March 13, 2013. This is the first time Vermont Academy has participated in this national recitation contest, created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, and administered in partnership with state arts agencies, such as Vermont Council for the Arts. The contest encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation and also helps students to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

The Poetry Out Loud curriculum, implemented in our tenth grade English classes, included an intense study of poetry and focused on extracting meaning and emotion from the poets’ words and images. Well-known area poet, Vernanda Porche, led the students in a workshop designed to “pull apart” existing poems to recreate new poems and images. Students performed their “found poems” at the end of the workshop. The play and study of poetry, was a true examination of the power of language and led to class-level, and then grade level competitions.

Jamie, and runner-up George Atkins, were selected from among all tenth grade English students in a competition held on Thursday, January 31, in the Academy's Horowitz Hall. Both will travel to Barre for the state competition. In preparation, Jamie and George must prepare three poems. One must be 25 lines or fewer, and one must be written before the 20th century.

First trimester students receiving deans' list, honors and high honors recognition were honored Monday's morning meeting. Additionally, six students - Robert Ronacher ’13, JoHanna Rifai ’13, Jamie Lumley ’15, George Atkins ’15, Vanessa Kang ’13, and Melinda Prevost ’14 - were inducted into the National Honor Society. 

During the same meeting, faculty were honored for length of service to the Academy. Eddie Mack was awarded the William Luring Staff Award for his hard work and dedication to the Academy.

First trimester honor roll.

See all the pictures from the event here.

The sophomore class spent some time working with Vermont poet Verandah Porsche on writing and speaking poetry on Tuesday, Jan. 15. They are preparing for Vermont Academy's first "Poetry Out Loud" competition, which will be held on Jan. 31. The winner and runner up will travel to Montpelier, VT for the statewide competition in the beginning of March. Looks like these guys might have a leg up!

Vermont Academy senior Connor Brown was honored with a nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy at the VT State House on Saturday, Dec. 29. Connor was one of 20 Vermont high school seniors nominated for all of the military academies.

Senator Patrick Leahy took a quick break from his busy Congressional schedule to attend the ceremony and congratulate the seniors. Early in 2013, the academies are expected to notify nominees whether or not they will receive academy appointments.

The Vermont Academy Honor Roll for the fall trimester has been announced. Click here to view the list of students earning Deans' List, Honors and High Honors.

The annual Vermont Academy Candlelight concert celebrating the season was held in Nita Choukas Theater on Dec. 9, 2012. The VA jazz ensemble, vocal ensemble, chamber ensemble and children's chorus all performed to a standing-room only crowd.

Vermont Academy presents “Superheroes of Stoke”, one of the most eagerly awaited ski films of the last two decades, on Saturday, Dec. 1st, at 7:30 pm in the Nita Choukas Theater in Horowitz Hall. This spectacular new film will visit over 150 locations around the world during the 2012 MSP Movie Tour, which began with the world premiere in Seattle, WA on September 15th.

“SUPERHEROES OF STOKE” celebrates 20 years of skiing progression, showcasing icons of the sport and honoring the moments that helped define modern freeskiing. This awe-inspiring new film takes a captivating look at the past, present, and future of freeskiing through comprehensive storytelling and engaging first-person perspectives from those who helped change the game. The film honors the heroes who have emerged over the years and pays tribute to the heroes who have been lost. “SUPERHEROES OF STOKE” showcases incredible new action from all corners of the globe, encompassing overhead powder at Chatter Creek, massive spine walls in Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountains, pillow lines and tree jibs in Japan, and massive man-made features at Whistler and Alyeska.

This film is free of charge to the Vermont Academy community and $5 for all others.

Vermont Academy's performing arts department presents "Urinetown: The Musical", a Broadway hit featuring music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, in Horowitz Performing Arts Hall on November 9, 10 and 11.

One of the most uproariously funny musicals in recent years, Urinetown is a hilarious tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!

Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, URINETOWN is an irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very notion of what a musical could be, URINETOWN catapults the “comedic romp” into the new millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit, and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.

Performances are November 9 and 10 at 7:30 pm and November 11 at 2:00 in Horowitz Hall on the Vermont Academy campus in Saxtons River. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, please call 802-869-6644.

Dear Vermont Academy Parents,

Vermont Academy has come out of Tropical Storm Sandy unscathed. As we begin to move through a normal Tuesday schedule on campus, I can report to you that we never had, in fact, any storm related issues. We did not lose power, and while we did have rain and wind, neither was as substantial as predicted.

We hope you are well and safe where you are. Stressful times are more stressful when families are separated.  If you are in circumstances that may leave your Vermont Academy student in an anxious state about your welfare please make sure you communicate that to us so we can help your child cope. Please call the deans' office at 802-869-6284 or Health Services at 802-869-6239 with information.

Sincerely,
Sean Campbell
CFO, Vermont Academy

Dear Parents,

As Hurricane Sandy approaches our area, we want you to know that we are well prepared to handle this weather event.

We anticipate normal operation as long as we have power but we do have contingency plans in place for any power loss.  Day parents should, as we ask during any winter storm, use their own judgement about sending students to school on Tuesday.

In case of power loss, our dining hall has a generator and we will be serving all regular meals.

However, we will be imposing water restrictions and will specifically ask students not to bathe. Outside activities will be curtailed both for the safety of the members of our community and in order to limit the demand for water.

Our teachers will be holding classes although they understand that students will have limited to no ability to do homework.

Our phone system requires power and the battery back-up has a limited life. Generally phones are more reliable in a storm than power and as long as the local phone service is operating, we can bypass our system with several numbers to serve as an emergency phone system. These phone numbers are: 802-869-2322, 802-869-2323, and 802-869-1752. Please note, we will only monitor these numbers if we lose power.

As circumstances progress, we will continue to communicate with you as best we can. Thank you for your understanding.

In 1983, with funds generated through Parents’ Auction proceeds, Vermont Academy co-purchased a Bechstein grand piano in partnership with Putney’s Yellow Barn Music School and Festival. The two institutions developed an agreement to share the piano, with Vermont Academy enjoying its use during the school year and Yellow Barn using it during the summer months.  Both institutions have enjoyed the piano for many years, and the piano has endured many trips back and forth between Saxtons River and Putney, VT.  

Over time, the Bechstein was featured in many concerts at Yellow Barn and at Vermont Academy, but its use by Yellow Barn waned in recent years when it did not manage to make its annual voyage to Putney. Vermont Academy has found the piano to be a reliable member of its arsenal of instruments and made a decision to invest in the piano over the long term.  Mr. Xinglong Liu, father of Chang Liu '12, offered a very generous gift to Vermont Academy to support the rebuilding and subsequent purchase of the piano. Over three months in early 2011, local piano technician William Ballard proceeded with a significant set of repairs on the instrument, including repairs on the treble bridge, replacement of damper felts, replacement of hammer and hammershanks, a complete restringing, and a complete re-setting of the action and all associated adjustments.

Following some correspondence and negotiating with Yellow Barn, Vermont Academy successfully purchased the remaining share of equity in the piano in September 2012.  The end result of this long story is a beautiful piano which Vermont Academy can now call its own.  This piano represents the hard work and generosity of many parents, faculty, and administrators at Vermont Academy, all dedicated to promoting the presence and quality of Performing Arts on our campus. Please feel welcome to come and listen to our Bechstein in action at the many concerts in our calendar year. 

Jack Beatty, news analyst for the NPR program On Point spoke to the Vermont Academy community on Monday, Oct. 22 as part of its ongoing Speaker's Series. Beatty focused on a theme of "Individualism vs. Statism", which not only characterizes the current political debate, but which has also been a recurrent theme throughout American History.

Beatty noted that the Republican party has typically proposed smaller government with more freedom for the individual, an idea which closely aligns with the American legend of the rugged individual, going it alone in the old west. Meanwhile, the democratic party advocates a more collective mentality in governing, a "we're all in this together" approach, which is more closely aligned with a European, or socialistic mentality. He believes that the reality of American givernment is somewhere in between these two scenarios and that this creates ambiguity for the voter. Beatty encouraged young voters in the audience to seek out the facts in this election cycle and not be swayed solely by one or two media outlets.

A question and answer segment followed the presentation and topics including military spending, reproductive rights, and the rise of religion in politics were raised. Senior Mike Reilly presented Beatty with a Vermont Academy water bottle as a departing gift. Beatty finished out his time at the Academy lunching with a group of students in Shepardson Center.

Last week, students at Vermont Academy participated in a “Water Bottle Taste Test.” Ms. Armiger’s Environmental Issues Analysis class held a test in Aldrich Lounge during lunch Tuesday and Wednesday. All of the students were enthusiastic to participate on both ends of the experiment. The testing did not go without an incentive; all the people who participated were entered into a raffle, and twelve lucky people will win stainless steel Klean Kanteens. The point of the experiment was to show people that tap water is the safer and better choice if you would like to be environmentally friendly. More than half of the participants preferred the unfiltered tap water to the Poland Spring distilled water. The testing was executed,in a very simple manner. People would walk up to the station where everything was set up, and the students conducting the experiment would pour the participant a glass of water from category A and then one from category B. The participants would say if they like A or B better, and then guess which one was bottled water. Most people guessed that the one they preferred was bottled water, which in most cases was incorrect. Overall the experiment was conducted very well, and Ms. Armiger’s Environmental Issues Analysis class was pleased with the results. We are eager to share them to prevent excessive plastic water bottle usage.

On Tuesday, Sept. 18, the Vermont Academy community traveled to the Bellows Falls Opera House for a special viewing of the documentary film, "Bully."

The film, directed by Lee Hirsch, examines the lives of five students who have been bullied by their peers and the effect it has on them and their families. The film also depicts the efforts made by the parents of two children, who eventually committed suicide as a result of bullying, to raise awareness of the problem.

"Bully" was shown as part of the VA Speaker's Series. The theme for this year's series is "The Power of Language."

Food waste being weighed at the No Waste lunch

The focus was on environmental awareness and sustainability as Vermont Academy students and faculty joined together to compete in a "No Waste" luncheon at Thursday's community lunch. Classes and their respective advisors vied with each other to create the least amount of leftover food.

After eating, each plate was weighed to determine the amount of waste. That figure was then averaged over the number of students/faculty associated with that class. The 9th graders won with an average of 7.6 grams of waste. The 12th and 11th graders tied with an average of 9.5 grams, and the sophomores came in with 11.3 grams. The overall waste for all classes was 3251 grams of food, which is right around 7 lbs of food.

The "No Waste" luncheon was a project of the AP environmental science class and was intended to bring awareness to the amount of food wasted globally. VA will be holding these meals about once a month throughout the year.

All new students and faculty signed in to the Vermont Academy Honor Code book on Monday during Community Meeting. The VA Honor Code consists of four words: Honesty, Trust, Respect, Responsibility.

Senior Master Bob Harrington and members of the Vermont Academy Student Association were on stage to watch as all came forward and signed a pledge stating, "As a member of the Vermont Academy community, I commit my honesty, trust, respect, and responsibility to uphold the Core Beliefs of this institution." The Core Beliefs state:

Each member of the Vermont Academy community:
• is important, has worth and dignity, and is viewed as an asset;
• acts with the highest level of honesty and integrity;
• will grow and develop, and is given the opportunity to do so here;
• seeks and gives help when appropriate;
• strives to achieve high and reasonable standards in the pursuit of personal excellence;
• cultivates strengths and seeks to overcome challenges;
• embraces personal and direct interaction to address issues and resolve differences;
• considers the impact of their actions on both the immediate and world community for the benefit of present and future generations.

This Honor Code signing is done at the beginning of each year in a formal setting during an all-school meeting, so that everyone can acknowledge the commitment made to work towards these goals.

A great time was had by all Sunday, Sept. 9th at the first annual Wildcat Games on Alumni Field. Students competed by class at events including the slowest bike race, a water balloon toss, a puzzle race and a Vermont Academy Evening Song sing off. The senior class won the event, followed by the freshmen, juniors and sophomores. Many thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Atkins and the Deans' Office for organizing this exciting new event, which formally ends the school's orientation period.

Students glean corn at Harlow Farm for the Vermont Foodbank

Vermont Academy included a community service component in our orientation activities this year. Students worked in their advisor groups with one or two teachers on projects both on and off campus.

One group gleaned over 700 pounds of produce at a local farm that will be used to feed the hungry through the Vermont Food Bank.  Other groups painted the fence at the Saxtons River Montessori School, cleaned up the inside and outside of the town Historical Society, weeded and trimmed the gardens in front of the elementary school and behind one of the community churches.  Students stacked wood in a nearby town and cleaned up invasive species near the Connecticut River.  One group cleaned out a crowded area in the yard of a neighboring elderly couple and another helped out an area farmer with work around the farm.  Two different groups walked along the river and picked up trash along the way, bringing back loads of trash and even some parts of a car!

Groups on campus organized the supplies and equipment for the outdoors program, cleaned and readied the large fish tanks in the science area, worked on a new mountain bike trail, cleared the area near the ski jump, harvested some produce from the VA garden, and learned about the composting and egg producing programs on campus.
Late-returning students will participate in community service activities this weekend, by  either gleaning more produce for the hungry or helping with an event sponsored by the state visiting nurse association.

LaSalle students with Mr. Carreno, Ms. Murphy, Mr. Williams and their chaperone.

During the months of September and October 2012, a group of students from the LaSalle School in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, are visiting southern Vermont. They are living with local families and spending part of their day at Vermont Academy, joining VA students in academic classes and sport practices. They will also have the opportunity to take part in the performing arts and music programs at Vermont Academy.

The students' focus will be on American culture as they live with American families and experience firsthand what it is like to attend classes in a different educational system. Their LaSalle chaperone will work with the students to keep them current with their classes back in Spain, so that when they finish their experience in the U.S., they have a solid reentry into their own system.

The LaSalle students will travel to New York, Boston, Montreal and Philadelphia as part of their experience. During their visits to these cities, students will tour the most significant historical and cultural sites and visit key museums, buildings and expositions. Students will also have some time for casual exploring and shopping.

The Vermont Academy community began its 2012-13 academic year with and all-school Convocation in Horowitz Performing Arts Center this morning. Returning students earning academic honors and awards from last semester were recognized. Senior Salty Pennington-Fitzgerald of Putney, VT was inducted into the Academy's Cum Laude chapter and Senior Class President Eamon O'Keefe received the Samuel B. Pettingill Class of 1904 prize for excellence in U.S. History.

Happy Labor Day to all! We celebrated the day with an all-school campus and village hike followed by a picnic in the Vermont Academy arboretum. It was a truly beautiful day!

Click here to access the full orientation/opening of school schedule online.

Please contact the dean of student's office if you any any questions regarding the schedule.

Several members of the Vermont Academy boys' varsity lax team traveled with coach Tony Sorci to Costa Rica as part of a Student Cultural Exchange lax/community service trip in June. The students coached local children in lacrosse, worked on various projects, and took some time out for some surfing lessons.

Student Cultural Exchange - Lacrosse and Service from Jesse Friedman on Vimeo.

The second semester honor roll has been released. Click here for full honor roll listing.

Vermont Academy held its 128th commencement ceremony on the South Lawn of campus on Saturday, May 26, 2012. Sixty nine graduates received their diplomas from Head of School Sean Brennan, Academic Dean Fanning Hearon and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Steve Karol '74. Click here for full commencement awards listing, photos and video.

VA sophomores Rachel Therrien and Molly Brennan created this composting video as a class project. Take a look!

After lengthy discussions at department and administrative levels, Vermont Academy will switch from a semester based academic calendar to one divided by trimesters beginning in the 2012-13 academic year. The 2012-2013 calendar will be divided by major breaks and seasons; fall trimester will run from the opening of school to Thanksgiving break, winter trimester from Thanksgiving to March break and spring trimester from the end of March break  to graduation. Sports seasons will fall naturally into the trimester schedule.

This decision was driven by three primary factors. The first was balance. The Academy's current semester system was unbalanced with a 14-week fall semester and a 19 week spring semester which raised many questions about syllabi, assessments, length of semester courses in the fall versus the spring, and the offering of credits.

Secondly, traditionally the winter “term” at VA was an entity unto itself, with its own shortened daily schedule providing time for student athletes to participate in snow sports practices and competitions. The concept of “sticking with the seasons” will now afford the winter its own term.

Lastly, we are hoping to provide more opportunities for international off-campus programs for its students. The growing and successful VA in Spain program is not currently coordinated with the semester schedule. In fact, the Spain program is now approximately eleven weeks in length, which is exactly equal to one trimester. For the present, students and teachers have found it difficult to leave school in the middle of a term. By moving to trimesters, planning for Spain (and other upcoming international programs) will be simpler and fairer to all parties when the calculation of grades and credits is taken into account.

The Class of 2011 Great Room and Jeffrey & Carolyn Salzman Library was formally dedicated on Friday, May 4. Speakers at the event included Tom McPhee (flag dedication), Sean Brennan, Jeffrey and Carolyn Salzman, Brian Schilling '11, and Steve Karol.

On Saturday April 28, students from Vermont Academy joined Bill McKibbin and members of the community of Bartonsville, Vermont to make connections between extreme weather occurrences and global climate change. The meeting and subsequent photo shoot was part of McKibbin’s latest campaign through his climate action group 350.org. The Bartonsville bridge was deliberately chosen as a kickoff site for 350.org’s "Connect the Dots" campaign because it was destroyed last fall during Hurricane Irene.

According to McKibbin, we are now seeing ever more floods, droughts, and storms of increasing power across the planet. People are dying and communities are being wrecked. The impacts from climate change are unlike anything that has been seen before. But because the globe is so big, it’s hard for people to see that it’s all connected.

Trevor Reynolds, a four-year senior at Vermont Academy said he was impressed by his encounter will Bill. “After learning about all the stuff he’s accomplished, I expected him to be wearing a business suit and lecturing us about parts per million of C02 and what we have to do to stop global warming. Instead, he was dressed just like the rest of us and he spoke in plain and simple language about how we’re already witnessing the impacts of climate change in Vermont and other places all around the world. He reached out to us as young people, which is really important since we’re the one’s who are going to have to solve this problem.”  

Trevor and some his fellow VA Students, not only participated in the photo shoot in Bartonsville, they also staged their own photo shoot back on their campus in Saxtons River. During the annual Vermont Academy Earth Day celebration, the community gathered with orange dots in hand (orange and black are the school colors) and positioned themselves into one great dot at the base of the ski jump that could not be used this past winter due to lack of snowfall. The photos were entitled “Vermont Academy Connects the Dots.” They will be submitted to the 350.org website on May 5th along with thousands of other photos taken from communities around the world as if to say—We get it. Climate change is real.  It is now. It affects all of us, and it’s time to do something about it.

Renowned documentary filmmaker and Walpole, NH resident Ken Burns spoke to the Vermont Academy community and guests on Thursday, April 26 in the VA Speaker's Series annual Horace Mann Willard lecture.

After viewing clips from his film "Prohibition", Burns came to the stage for a dialogue with VA history chair, Dr. Erin Cohn, answering questions that students and faculty had prepared for Burns in advance. He spoke candidly for over an hour about his filmmaking process, why and how he entered the documentary field, some of his latest projects, and his thoughts on American history in general. It was an incredible opportunity for VA students to hear from this outstanding historian.

Horace Mann Willard was the first headmaster of Vermont Academy and served the school from 1876 to 1889. He went on to found the Quincy Mansion School in Quincy,  Massachusetts, and when that school closed, its alumnae funded a lecture series at Vermont Academy in his honor. Each spring the Horace Mann Willard Lecture keeps the name of the founding father alive.

Vermont Academy presents its spring musical production of "Crazy for You" this weekend on Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 pm and on Sunday at 3:00 pm. "Crazy For You" is a musical with book by Ken Ludwig, music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin. Billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy", it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, "Girl Crazy", and includes some of their most well-known standards such as "Embraceable You", "I Got Rhythym", "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It". Crazy for You won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical.

We were blessed with sunny skies and seventy degree temperatures for our annual Earth Day celebration on Thursday, April 19th. VA students, faculty and staff worked on community service projects on and off campus in the morning. After an outdoor localvore lunch, students from the Saxtons River Elementary School came to campus to participate in afternoon activities led by our students. It was a truly wonderful day for all involved.

Several VA students and faculty traveled to the statehouse in Montpelier on April 12th where hundreds of Vermonters gathered to rally and publicly testify in support of bill H722, which would require labeling of all GMO products sold in the state. Vermont Academy sophomore Leyte McNealus testified at the hearing.

Left to right: Monique Yingling, Leslie Botey, Eamon O'Keefe, Rachel Therrien (front), Salty Pennington-Fitzgerald, Craig Calhoun, Miki Eggelhoefer, , Qwyen Austin, Madison Cota

Vermont Academy students flexed their academic muscles this past Sunday, March 31, when they brought home awards and prizes from Vermont History Day, a state competition that took place at Spaulding High School in Barre, Vermont. Organized by the Vermont Historical Society, Vermont History Day provides middle and high school students from across the state with the opportunity to conduct research and produce projects related to an annual theme, which they submit to judging at the annual event. This year’s theme was “Revolution, Reaction, and Reform.”  Winners in each category qualify to represent Vermont at National History Day in the Washington, D.C. area in June.
    
Eleven VA students participated in the event: Qwyen Austin, Leslie Botey, Molly Brennan, Craig Calhoun, Madison Cota, Miki Eggelhoefer, Eamon O’Keefe, Rachel Therrien, Salty Pennington-Fitzgerald, Casey Walsh, and Monique Yingling. While the competition solicits projects ranging from websites to performances to documentary films, all VA students submitted historical research papers on topics related to Vermont History, which they researched and wrote over a period of two months. Students uncovered fascinating stories in their research, inquiring into topics such as the history of the Ku Klux Klan in Vermont, the Vermont Eugenics Movement, and the failure to build a Green Mountain Parkway in the state, among others. At Vermont History Day, each student had an opportunity to meet with the judges for a short interview, in which they were asked questions targeted to their specific research project.  All of the students enjoyed the chance to explain their topic in greater depth.

Thanks to their hard work, several VA students also won prizes in the competition. Sophomore Rachel Therrien won Third Place in the Senior (High School) Division for Historical Research Papers, earning a Superior rating for her paper on women’s suffrage reformer Clarina Howard Nichols. Salty Pennington-Fitzgerald, a junior, won Second Place in that category with a Superior rating for his paper on the Westminster Massacre, and qualified to attend National History Day. Salty also won First Place for the George F. Edmunds Prize for superior work on Vermont History.  The Edmunds Prize includes an engraved medal and $350.  Junior Craig Calhoun won Second Place for the Edmunds Prize, which carries a cash award of $150 and an engraved medal. Craig’s paper explored the history of the maple sugaring industry in Vermont. Congratulations to these prize winners, and to all of VA’s participants in Vermont History Day.