roots & wings
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Putney, Vermont
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THE OUTSIDE WORLD
SUMMER 2021
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his year, our classroom T has become a campfire, a walk in the woods, a snow fort building adventure, or a ski race over a jump. I’ve learned that Covid can’t kill our spirit and ability to feel a connection even if we’re sanitized, masked, and distanced.” — Jessa Rowan P’29, Eighth Grade Teacher
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL 159 Grammar School Lane Putney, Vermont 05346 (802) 387-5364 thegrammarschool.org
THE OUTSIDE WORLD
SUMMER
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By Nick Perry P’27, P’30, Head of School
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Finding Joy No Matter What
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A Fond Farewell to 2020 Departing Faculty
Alli Lubin, Laurie Penfield Fichter, and Libby McCawley
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Welcoming New Faculty
Jessa Rowan, Chinon “Chichi” Maria, and Tori Mitchell
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Beyond Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
By Dudley Blossom P’20, Chair of the Board of Trustees
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Racial Justice Across the Curriculum
Winter Sports Award-Winning Student Writing and Art Teo Ogden ’21 and Antonio Andrew-Moore ’21
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Alumni Spotlight
Clayton Hume ’05, Miles Hume ’07, and Allie Jesup ’06
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Thank You, TGS!
Cover photo: Amelia, third grader, skiing with her class Contributors: Editor: Alexandra Bodel Writer/Editor: Madeline Bergstrom Alumni Content: Kyra Chapin Graphic Designer: Patricia Cousins Photographers: Alexandra Bodel, Sarah Doran, Chinon “Chichi” Maria, Justin Altman, and unknown photographers (archival photos) Proofreaders: Liz Bergstrom, Madeline Bergstrom, Tara Meinhard
By Katherine Wagenbach, P’19, P’24
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Our New Board Chair and Vice Chair Dudley Blossom P’20 and Rick Cowan P’07, P’09
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Thank You to Our 2019–2020 Donors SUMMER 2021
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FINDING JOY NO MATTER WHAT Outdoor education at TGS during the pandemic and beyond
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here are so many T things I love about TGS, but number one is the community. Faculty and staff are dedicated to supporting our students and families holistically, and we also do our best to support each other in all aspects of life. In a year like this one, that has meant everything to me.”
—Kat Ellison ’04, P’32, Fifth Grade Teacher 2
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Roots & Wings
Nick Perry P’27, P’30 Head of School
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ovid has provided The Grammar School with an opportunity to look at things differently. Moving our classrooms outdoors in the fall allowed us to see how easy it was for each class to have a dedicated outdoor space. This year has expanded our understanding of what outdoor education can be. Holding All-School Meeting on the soccer field led us to realize that our auditorium might not be the best setting for some gatherings. We started looking at the hill behind the school as a location for an outdoor amphitheater and found that there was great enthusiasm for the project. We now have seed money from some key donors, and we have some preliminary designs. This project is a direct result of the ways that Covid has encouraged us to think more broadly. Next year’s planned expansion of the preschool to two- and three-year-olds (see details on page 9) led us to start thinking about upgrading the preschool playground. Preschool director Ken Brautigam, preschool assistant Tori Mitchell, and kindergarten teacher Jessica Sardinas had a vision for a natural playspace that was connected to its forested surroundings. That project is now in the works, thanks to another generous donation. The events of this year have also created a greater sense of urgency around projects that were already on the to-do list. I’m working with our Board of Trustees on a five-year master plan for facilities that includes not just upgrading the buildings, but turning our outdoor space into a more fully integrated 60-acre classroom. This year has left me with a sense of awe about our students— their resilience, their adaptability, and their ability to find joy no matter what. Masks may cover their smiles, but you can tell that they're smiling. Whether they are washing their hands, sanitizing their desks, or putting on an extra layer to learn outdoors, our students have taken part in maintaining safety with joy. We’ve been able to provide full-time, in-person instruction all year, which is a real testament to the focus and flexibility of our teachers. Many of them have carried out remote and in-person teaching simultaneously when students were out of the classroom for required quarantines or family medical reasons. They’ve gone above and beyond to address the needs of our students and families. Ailyn Hoey and Tara Meinhard served as the Covid Committee with me this year, and I could not be more grateful to them. As our Covid point person, Ailyn has fielded questions about our guidelines with such a positive spirit. Many of our families have told me how thankful they are to have their children at TGS this year. It is an honor for me to be part of this school community during this time. Our phenomenal faculty, staff, students, and parents have made it work. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. p SUMMER 2021
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TGS Campus News
A Fond Farewell
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ast year, The Grammar School bid farewell to three beloved longtime teachers: Laurie Fichter, Alli Lubin, and Libby McCawley. They served a collective 69 years and gave immeasurable gifts to our community. Here are excerpts from the speeches their colleagues gave at an outdoor, socially distanced retirement gathering in June 2020.
DEPARTING FACULTY
“Amazing Joys” Alli Lubin June 2020
My dearest Alli,
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while back, we were chatting about your future retirement, and I remember imagining you walking on stage at closing night of the musical this spring. You were showered with flowers, cheers, and hugs. Alli, I am sorry that event in my imagination did not happen this year! You deserve it. After years of dedication, passion, and hard work, you are leaving TGS. Every student at TGS has had the pleasure of being your
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student. Clapping the beat of a song. Learning the recorder. Shouting "Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder" during All School Meeting. Finding their passion for a new instrument. Discovering their confidence on the stage. You have been a mainstay. Someone people could depend on. A person
who always volunteered to help others. A welcoming colleague and a good friend. Your advice and support have helped me in ways you could never know. And I know I am not the only one. Thank you.
that is what you do.
How can we replace your musical and performing arts knowledge gained by almost 30 years of teaching experience? This is an unknown that we add to the growing pile of unknowns that 2020 has thrown us. But we do know some things for certain:
We know you are a very special person who will stay in our hearts.
We know you brighten our days, Alli. You brought two of the most simple and amazing joys into our lives: MUSIC and DANCE. We know that you will continue to bring music to people, because
We know that your talents have enriched the lives of so many in the TGS community and beyond. We know that you care deeply about people.
Thank you, Alli, for all of the love you have given this little school for the past 28 years. — Alisha Cannon P’26, P’28, First Grade Teacher
Campus News
TGS
DEPARTING FACULTY
“A Bit of a Rebel” Laurie Penfield Fichter June 2020
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aurie came to The Grammar School 23 years ago. After a short stint in the sixth grade, she found her niche as the eighth grade homeroom teacher, instructing her students in English, history, and the humanities. Laurie’s curriculum intertwined the best of American literature with pertinent social and historic themes such as racism and inequality. Her room echoes with the words of Anne Frank, Atticus Finch, and Langston Hughes.
had better just get out of the way! Laurie changes lives. Deeply caring and committed to her students, Laurie is the fiercest advocate for children you will ever meet. TGS owes a huge debt of gratitude to Laurie, who sent our students into the world with eyes wide open, hearts wide open, and armed with big, powerful vocabulary words. — Eve McDermott P’06, P’08 Second Grade Teacher
Laurie holds her students to high academic standards. As a writer who teaches writing, she knows firsthand the joys and the pitfalls of expressing oneself through this medium. Laurie knows the power of the written word. But more important than the scholarship that Laurie provides is her willingness to demand engagement from her students. She will not tolerate apathy. A bit of a rebel herself, Laurie teaches her students to question, to look beneath the surface, to defy convention. She teaches her students to embrace self-awareness, to grapple with uncomfortable historic truths, and to think for themselves. Laurie’s vocabulary program is legendary and beloved by students after they leave TGS. Let’s think of a few vocabulary words for Laurie. INTREPID. Laurie is fearless. She will not avoid conflict or confrontation—indeed, she seems to welcome it! She believes in speaking one’s mind and in the right to be heard. Laurie inspires her students to speak up and take a stand. Another suitable vocabulary word would be TENACIOUS. Laurie is unbelievably determined, and once she’s set on something, you SUMMER 2021
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TGS Campus News
DEPARTING FACULTY
“Endless Mettle” Libby McCawley June 2020
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ibby, across-the-hall neighbor, patient tie-er of shoes, zipp-er of jackets, careful adjuster of mitten position. Libby, finder of missing slippers and lost snakes, encourager of reluctant participants, singer of days of the week and months of the year, counter of days, gentle curber of poop talk, sharer of humor and smiles, teacher of scientific observation. Live-er of a vibrant life outside of school: “Libby has ridden in a helicopter!” “Libby has a new cat!” “Libby’s in a play!” Is she ever! Libby has endless mettle beyond that which she demonstrates daily as a kindergarten teacher. Libby, sharer of stories, firm insister on doing what’s right, cheerful advocate for being who you are when you are and trying hard to do a good job of it, recognizer of
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what’s quirky and wonderful in her students: “Your children have collected and stashed nuts in every corner of their classroom and cubbies.” Libby, mistress of the morning message, pronouncer of letter sounds, former of letters, lover of words and poems, enumerator of numerals. Libby, champion of working together, giver of hugs, comforter
of hurts and slights, guider and welcomer of funny projects: “We’re building a machine that self-destructs when you push this button! Our turtles are getting married! We need to make signs for this!” Of all the things I regret about this spring, it’s the loss of days of stopping in to the busy, friendly, engaging classroom that Libby has built. And yet, in the spirit of being grateful for what we have,
every time we see Libby on the morning Zoom call, she assures us that the days are moving ahead, one by one; she reminds us to see what’s happening outside, encourages us with her smile and a funny poem, makes room for the random anecdote, the feline visitor, the Lego fly-through. She urges us to check what our bean sprouts are doing, invites us to see what happens when cornstarch and water are mixed, greets our wiggly teeth with enthusiasm, all with a gentle hand and a laughing voice. You are a teacher to all of us, Libby. Thank you for all you’ve shared and given and shown and encouraged. We will miss you so much. — Tara Meinhard ’88 P’28, Assistant Head of School
Campus News
TGS
NEW FACULTY
Jessa Rowan
Middle School English and Humanities Teacher, Eighth Grade Homeroom Teacher, and Theater Director
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essa lives in East Putney with her spouse Nathaniel, her son Alexander (a kindergartener at TGS), and cats Ethel and Fofo. How did you find your way to TGS? I had moved to Putney the previous year, and I was taking a hiatus from teaching to raise my new baby. This sweet little town welcomed me and encouraged my heart to grow some roots. Rebecca Waxman, an esteemed theater director at NEYT and a parent of an eighth grader at TGS at the time, suggested I direct the seventh and eighth grade musical. I jumped at the opportunity and directed “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” with some incredible and vibrant TGS students. It has been my goal to come back ever since.
that moment that I knew theater could be used to turn a mirror on a community in such a way that it could ignite change for the better. Since then, I have used theater in endless capacities, on the stage and off, in the country and in the city, with the young and the old, those homeless and those bound for Broadway. My goal is to empower, lift up, listen, and set the stage for those who will be freed by finding their voice, and by listening to others’ voices.
What is your teaching philosophy? I love working with young people. They are real with you and don’t hide behind a facade like many adults do. They have grit. They are bold. Courage follows them without a leash. When I am in the presence of youth, I feel inspired by their armor. It brings me so much joy to give them the space to be in charge of their own learning. I transitioned to teaching English because books are, to me, a precious gem. I stack books around my head at night, hoping their stories will merge with my dreams. I want to share that crush for literacy. I adore watching students’ joy increase from reading a beautiful story. I am proud when watching their empathy swell from reading a story that is different from their own. My heart starts beating faster when helping students sculpt their language and hone their voices. Even the organization of a solid essay
What do you love about TGS?
makes me jump up and down. I salute my students as they climb to reach their pursuits of esteem, discovery, self-actualization, and authenticity. What is something from your past that contributes to what you bring to TGS? In 2000, I lived for 27 months in Togo, West Africa, as a Peace Corps Worker. I witnessed Togolese girls getting sold to marriage, as young as nine years old. Even my twelve-year-old house
sister, who lived in my compound, never came back one day, and I discovered she had been sold in exchange for a cow. I was desperate to make change, and so I used the only tool I had, theater, to try to make a difference for these girls. I formed theater collectives in the region, where youth would write and perform original plays about forced marriages. Not knowing this was theater, villagers would come up to the actors and speak their minds, debating the issue in an open forum. It was at
The forest trails. The light that streams into my classroom. The clutter of projects, glue, scissors, and paints everywhere. The excited raising of hands and overlapping of ideas. The freedom to teach as creatively as I want. My colleagues’ eyes that blossom when I discuss performance ideas. The sight of my son happily growing and learning from across the field. Students who unpack literature like it’s a gift, and write as if their pencils are on fire. Everything.
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TGS Campus News
NEW FACULTY
Chinon “Chichi” Maria Art Teacher
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hichi lives in Brattleboro with her husband Sebastian and her Holland Lop rabbit, Professor Walnut. In addition to being an art teacher, she is a working artist and muralist.
How did you find your way to TGS? I found my way to TGS way back in 1990, when I was five years old and attended my first day of school here! I spent nine wonderful years at TGS, and I’m thrilled to be back walking the hallways now as a teacher! What is your teaching philosophy? I came into teaching because I believe art can change the world. Human creativity is the foundation of civilizations and is a powerful tool to communicate and help us unite through the shared language of art. Learning how to master your unique imagination begins at childhood. It is my goal as a teacher to teach kids the magic of art, how it has shaped our world, and to give students the tools to express themselves through their own creative paths. What is something from your past that contributes to what you bring to TGS? My world has been shaped by two major things: alpine skiing and art. I was a professional alpine skier for many years before I put 100 percent of my attention toward my art career. I got involved in large-scale mural making because of the challenge and the adrenaline I missed when I retired from skiing. Making an outdoor 3,000-square-foot painting 50 feet up in the air certainly gives you a taste for excitement! When confronted with a classroom of kids, I make sure I bring that same type of excitement for life into my teaching and let them get enthused over the possibilities of where life can take you. What do you love about TGS? This place is filled with minds that are here to make the world a better place!
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THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Roots & Wings
Campus News
NEW FACULTY
ing the most that way, and taking ownership over their space, their community, and each other.
Preschool Assistant
What is something from your past that contributes to what you bring to TGS?
Tori Mitchell
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ori lives in Westminster West with her two cats. She has a big garden that brings her a lot of joy. How did you find your way to TGS? I was working at another preschool, and due to low enrollment, I had to leave. I’d heard wonderful things about the community at The Grammar School, so I decided to interview. I felt very comfortable with everyone I met, and it just seemed like a good fit—and it has been! Sometimes, things don’t seem to be working out, and all of a sudden, there’s a reason. I needed a change, and it came at the right time. What is your teaching philosophy? I subscribe to the Montessori philosophy about following the child. A lof of times, you have an idea of what you want something to be going into it—for example, an art project. There’s a process of stepping back and remembering that it’s all about the child’s experience, and letting them take the lead. It feels like they’re learn-
TGS
I grew up in this area and spent a lot of time in nature as a child. When we weren’t at school, my sister and I were outside in the woods all day. Being comfortable outside in the woods is something I’m contributing to the outdoor program we’re building. I also have a background in culinary arts, and I love to talk to kids about food and what it takes to grow vegetables. What do you love about TGS? I love the interactions I have with all the kids in the hallway. The feeling of community, and how friendly everybody is. The kids clearly feel pride in their space and feel like it’s their home. I love being a part of that.
TGS Expands Preschool for 2021-22
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e are excited to be expanding our early childhood programs to better serve more children in our community.
Starting in the fall of 2021, TGS is adding a preschool class for two- and three-year olds as a stand-alone class. This preschool will complement a prekindergarten class for four- and five-year old children. The preschool and prekindergarten classes will continue to spend lots of time outdoors, using a nature-based curriculum that promotes social-emotional, physical, and cognitive development. New outdoor classroom shelters make this easier, and plans for a new nature-inspired preschool playground are also in the works.
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BEYOND READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMETIC
Nature-based education, social-emotional development, and Schoolhouse Rock
Kindergarteners act out a song at their outdoor classroom.
By Dudley Blossom P’20 Chair of the TGS Board of Trustees
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hen I was a kid, school was built on “Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.” While that was often interpreted to cover a wider range of subjects, like physics (arithmetic) or history (reading and writing), it rarely extended to such disciplines as art, recess, or even foreign language. These “extra” disciplines or “specials” were considered additions to the core curriculum. Schools that chose to emphasize the outdoors (beyond recess) or the creative and performing arts (beyond a weekly art room visit) were labeled “alternative” and couldn’t possibly prepare a growing child for the rigors of higher levels of education, let alone success in life.
Sixth graders read Seedfolks in a tree.
I remember Schoolhouse Rock teaching us what was truly important: Conjunction Junction, Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla and his pronouns, and how to multiply by skating a figure eight. Now that I’m older and in my 25th year in higher education, I look back on my beloved Schoolhouse Rock programs and wonder if it was the information in them that really made them work or the creative, natural, and engaging way that they presented the information. Might I have learned about math by skating my own figure eight, or was it better to drill it into me and then glue me to the television to watch someone else’s outdoor adventure? Of course, as a career academic, I turned to the literature on placebased, nature-based, experiential, and outdoor education. I quickly found that I wasn’t the only one asking these questions. A world of literature illustrates that my beloved “specials” are more central to learning than the traditional education system gave them credit for. The models that alternative, independent schools have been developing and experimenting with for years are proving to have better overall educational outcomes. What struck me most was that these models of education harken back to the reasons Schoolhouse Rock was so effective: natural settings and creativity.
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his year, we have T been embracing the unexpected, and pushing our imagination to make changes that will have a long-lasting positive ripple effect in the world of teaching.” —Chinon “Chichi” Maria ’99, Art Teacher
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Hop Hopkins and his seventh graders set up their tree plots.
One article in particular provides a summary of over 20 years of research and writing on the topic (Kuo, Barnes and Jordan, 2019). This article points to eight ways that integrating nature into the basic framework of the curriculum enhances student learning: 1. Nature has a rejuvenating effect on attention. 2. Student motivation, enjoyment, and engagement are better in a natural setting. 3. Time outdoors is tied to higher levels of physical activity, which is shown to enhance learning. 4. Nature provides a more supportive context for learning. 5. Outdoor settings provide a calmer, quieter, safer context for learning. 6. Nature relieves stress. 7. Contact with nature in many forms boosts self discipline. 8. Natural settings foster warmer, more cooperative relations. 12
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Roots & Wings
I chose to break these into two clusters on purpose. The first cluster supports the integration of nature-based experiences into traditional academic subjects. This was a great finding for me: it means that I am not crazy to think that I might have learned my multiplication tables better, faster, and with more enjoyment by skating that figure eight and singing the song than by drilling on flashcards in rows of desks and pounding through timed multiplication tests. In the Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic education of my youth, we learned how to act and express ourselves through a series of rewards and punishments (carrots and sticks). Our teachers often allowed the social dynamic of the schoolyard to teach us who we were and where we fit in the world. In today’s educational model, we build programs around the social-emotional development of the student. Though the schoolyard plays its part, the new educational system considers the emotional development of the child to be centrally important. The second cluster outlines the ways in which nature enhances social-emotional development as the student develops a sense of self and identity. In a curriculum built around nature, students are more successful in developing emotionally and socially. Evidence from a range of studies shows that students form better relationships, are more confident, and are more capable of higher-level executive functioning when learning happens in and through natural settings. I find that I still cherish my experiences with Schoolhouse Rock and
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ith field trips on hold, W the sixth grade had the opportunity to Zoom with two exceptional people: Jesse Wegman, a New York Times editorial board member who shared his extensive knowledge of the Electoral College; and Molly Gray, Vermont’s new Lieutenant Governor.”
— Kathy Richardson ’67, P’02, P’03, P’05, Sixth Grade Teacher Fifth graders learn violin from music teacher Heather Sommerlad.
Seventh graders collect data from their tree plots.
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his spring, we T studied songbirds of the Northeast. One of my students was talking about a bird that he had seen but didn’t recognize, and another student piped up and said, ‘Well, what were its field marks?’ I was so pleased that this had transferred to his vernacular.” —Sam Sintros P’30, Fourth Grade Teacher
Fifth graders make edible water pods from organic materials.
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The eighth grade discusses literature in their outdoor classroom.
my time on the playground at school. I learned just fine, and I turned out okay (at least I think so). The question raised for me is not “Did the old model of education fail?” but “Might it have failed students different from me, and could it have been better?” The days when recess, art, music,
theater, and PE were secondary to math, English, history, and science are over. A better system uses nature to structure and deliver the curriculum, leading to better educational outcomes and, perhaps more importantly, better people. Learning about science on a chalkboard versus learning
about science in the laboratory of nature seems like a no-brainer, but many educators still find it difficult to imagine a world where students are the characters in a new Schoolhouse Rock video rather than the audience. p I would love to talk nature-based education with anyone: Just drop me a note at dudley.blossom@gmail. com. And finally, check out Figure Eight from Schoolhouse Rock. REFERENCE Kuo, M., Barnes, M., & Jordan, C. “Do Experiences With Nature Promote Learning? Converging Evidence of a Cause-and-Effect Relationship.” Frontiers in Psychology, Feb. 2019.
Third and fourth graders work together at the all-school trail clean up.
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THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Roots & Wings
Second graders present a Robin Hood play at their outdoor classroom.
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I love the range of individuality that students have conveyed through their masks: rainbows and gray, sequins and demons, flowers and stars, lions and watermelons. I’ve also enjoyed seeing how well our students express themselves simply by using their eyes. The wide open look of surprise, the narrow and tilted glance of skepticism, the droopy lids of a tired afternoon, and the crinkled corners of laughter—all of this has added so much light in a time when we’ve needed it the most.” — Hop Hopkins P’19, P’22, Seventh Grade Teacher
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RACIAL
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JUSTICE across the curriculum
iversity and inclusion have long been essential components of a Grammar School education. In recent years, TGS has been working to incorporate racial and social justice more consciously and comprehensively across the curriculum. This year, third grade teacher Annie Schulzinger expanded the study of the 1800s from looking only at life on the farm to a broader timeline of the whole century. Students made a visual timeline of important events, people, and inventions, and Annie highlighted for them the limited rights of Black and indigenous people. “We discussed how unfairly the U.S. government treated these groups of people,” Annie said. “I explained that although it is difficult to learn about such horrible events from the past, it is directly connected to what is happening in our country today and essential to making our country a better place for everyone to live.” Kat Ellison’s fifth graders learned about the 1963 desegregation campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, and the subsequent imprisonment of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which led him to write “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Jessa Rowan incorporated racial justice themes into her sixth, seventh, and eighth grade English classes.
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THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Roots & Wings
Eighth graders also wrote “Cabinet Battles,” akin to Hamilton and Jefferson’s arguments in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Cabinet Battle #1” and “Cabinet Battle #2.” Antonio L. Andrew-Moore wrote a Racism Cabinet Battle that included the lyrics:
Sixth graders read Hidden Roots by Joseph Bruchac, Seedfolks by Paul Fleichman, and poetry by Amanda Gorman and Jason Reynolds.
Racism is a solemn problem,
Seventh graders compared Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Education,” which explores the challenges of education on a reservation, and I.M. Desta’s “Sweet, Difficult Sounds,” which follows a Zimbabwean teen’s transition from her native country to an American public school. They performed choral readings of poetry by James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Tupac Shakur, Langston Hughes, and Mahtem Shiferraw.
But how many people actually care?
Eighth graders read Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson and To Be a Slave by Julius Lester. They learned the power of coded lyrics in music to bring hope to enslaved people. While reading To Kill a Mockingbird, they studied the Civil Rights movement, reading speeches and poems that align thematically. In the spring, they learned how to film documentary-style footage and interviewed community members on the theme of racial justice.
Whether it’s recognized or not, it’s there.
How many black people have to be killed by police violence? Will we keep having to bring our dead brothers roses and violets? We have to rise up! We ain’t gonna stand for this! I ain’t waitin’ ’til the day when someone I love will have to be missed. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders also worked with art teacher Chinon “Chichi” Maria to express their political and social values via posters. The students chose to emphasize voting, the Black Lives Matter movement, climate change, and racial unity. p
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TGS Winter Sports
Snow much fun!
A Vermont winter in a pandemic poses unique challenges—but there was never any doubt that we would make the best of it. 2
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THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Roots & Wings
Winter Sports
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1 Mostly favorable snow conditions allowed for topnotch on-campus skiing. 2 Former TGS teacher, communications director, and ski coach extraordinaire Mary Heller Osgood joined our classes for several weeks of cross-country ski clinics. 3 Our seventh and eighth graders had a blast at the T-bar ski hill at Living Memorial Park in Brattleboro. 4 T he eighth grade class worked together to build, test, and refine their homemade ski jumps.
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TGS Student / Alumni Spotlight
SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS This essay, which Teo wrote for Jessa Rowan’s eighth grade English class, was awarded a Gold Key in the 2021 Vermont Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Eighth grader Antonio Andrew-Moore was also recognized for his photographs, shown on the following two pages.
El Campo By Teo Ogden ’21
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t was a beautiful sunny afternoon in Spain with no clouds in the sky; the concrete of my grandparents’ patio seemed hotter than the coals of a fire. I was delighted to be playing in the pool with my brother and cousin. While we were playing the smell of seafood slowly surrounded me, and even before I heard my mother’s voice say “¡Vamos a comer!”, I knew it was time to eat! We jumped enthusiastically out of the pool, grabbed some towels, and went to the front of the house where we could sit in the shade to eat lunch. Yaya (my grandmother) had just cooked a fresh paella, a delicious seafood dish made with rice, shrimp, chorizo, calamari, and an assortment of vegetables, that made my mouth water when I saw it. I walked over to the front of the house where all the food was wonderfully displayed, there was paella, jamon serrano, pan (bread), ensalada (salad), and many other appetizers. Mama, Papa, my aunt and uncle, and my grandparents were already sitting around the table on the patio that was thankfully in the shade. The combination of all the different smells was so overpowering that I just couldn’t contain myself, I very quickly walked to the table that had a beautiful table cloth with calico patterns and politely asked Yaya “¿Por favor puedes darme un poco de paella?” “¡Claro que sí!” Yaya replied, grabbing my plate. “¡Gracias!” I impatiently said as she handed me the plate full of fresh paella. I then started inhaling my food as politely as I could; the food tasted better than it looked, it was salty, rich, and creamy. The calamari and the pieces of chorizo made it just that little bit better with their saltiness. As we were eating and the conversation went on, Yayo (my grandfather) started sharing stories about his past and when he was young. He told stories about how by the time he was my age, he was already a shepherd who herded sheep, and that he went to school during the night because he worked all day. We also laughed about how he owned a donkey, because only the very rich had cars when he was young. Yayo’s story made me realize how lucky I was to live in America in modern times and appreciate what I had. Additionally it made me wonder how Yayo was so strong and how it’s possible for him to never stop working. He has an industrious nature and is always doing something, whether it is working in his humongous and vibrant garden or convincing us to go on long but exhilarating walks to the store, where we could get different kinds of ice cream, some-
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times Magnums (ice cream covered in chocolate on a popsicle stick) or an ice cream on a cone with different toppings. The conversation kept going with everyone sharing stories about their day or their past. Yaya shared about when she met Yayo and how he had chased her across the country to Barcelona, asking her to marry him. It was a fantastic and memorable lunch: laughing, talking y pasándolo bien, eating paella. Suddenly near the end of lunch I had a realization, it came so fast it felt as if a layer of invisible fog had just cleared away. I realized that the eating food during lunch was not the most crucial part, and that for my family being able to talk with each other and laugh with each other is more important than having the best food ever. It’s important because it’s what makes my family’s love so tightly woven, and understanding the knowledge of our pasts will make our present and futures more fruitful. At the end of lunch, Yaya and Yayo brought out the fruit; they had a bowl so big that everyone could take several pieces and it wouldn’t be empty. The bowl was full of peaches, apricots, pears, and figs—not just any figs, though, figs from our tree in the backyard. It wasn’t any fig tree, though; Yayo said it was from his home province of Extremadura, in the southwestern part of Spain. We all enjoyed eating the variety of sweet, delicious, juicy fruits, and after we all cleared the table and brought everything to the kitchen, we were all ready for la siesta, a time in the middle of the day where we all take a nap or when the cousins get to play. Overall, being together as a family is important, and eating meals together isn’t just about the food—it’s about being together and getting to know each other. Even though my grandparents live thousands of miles away, having a close connection with them is so important, and knowing that they’re proud of me is a great feeling that I’ll never forget. The most crucial and important part of my relationship is being able to come home from school and see the same kind of paella my grandmother makes and being able to laugh as a family. No family is perfect, but being able to live in a bilingual family and understand two cultures is something I love—being able to walk into another room in my house and hear the language switch, and having different foods from different cultures each day, makes a truly unique and incredible way of living. My father was raised in the U.S. and has parents who are Democratic Socialists and activists for climate and the environment, and my mother was raised in Spain, which has a very different culture than the U.S. However, both worlds became home to me; even though I grew up in New England, I was already traveling to Spain as a baby. I’ve done many small but significant things, such as protesting as a four-year-old against nuclear power plants, that have shaped me into who I am today. I’m a person who appreciates everything he has and all his family, even if they live thousands of miles away. The distinct smell of paella will always bring me back to my grandmother’s table on her patio, and whenever I close my eyes I can hear my grandfather’s voice saying, “Necesitas trabajar para poder vivir.” p
Antonio Andrew-Moore, “A Smaller Perspective,” Honorable Mention
2021 Vermont Scholastic Art & Writing Awards CURRENT STUDENTS Antonio Andrew-Moore ’21 2 Gold Keys, 2 Silver Keys, 3 Honorable Mentions Teo Ogden ’21 1 Gold Key, 1 Honorable Mention
ALUMNI Sadie Bell ’20 The Putney School 1 Silver Key, 1 Honorable Mention Gerrit Blauvelt ’19 The Putney School 3 Honorable Mentions
Antonio Andrew-Moore, “Unannounced,” Gold Key
Antonio Andrew-Moore, “Splash 2,” Honorable Mention
Sage Freeman ’17 (attended TGS from kindergarten through second grade), Stratton Mountain School 1 Silver Key Isabelle Greenewalt ’20 The Putney School 1 Honorable Mention Ella Korson ’19 Brattleboro Union High School 2 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key Iris Morehouse ’20 The Putney School 3 Silver Keys, 1 Honorable Mention Viva Vadim ’17 (attended TGS for sixth and seventh grades), The Putney School 1 Gold Key SUMMER 2021
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TGS Student / Alumni Spotlight
Antonio Andrew-Moore, “Under the Stars,” Silver Key, Vermont Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. 22 THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Roots & Wings
Student / Alumni Spotlight TGS
Catching Up with Our Creative, Entrepreneurial Alumni
Miles Hume ’07 and Clayton Hume ’05
V
alues learned at TGS have served our alumni well as they launch new businesses. Clayton Hume ’05 and his brother Miles Hume ’07 cofounded Rustek Collective (rustek.co) in Portland, Oregon, in 2016. The company produces wooden items, including phone cases, water bottles, skateboards, and trucker hats, with all items handmade in house or by local craftsmen. The wood they use is responsibly sourced and renewable, and their leather, wool, and cork are sourced from cruelty- and chemical-free sources. Rustek plants one tree for every order placed. After graduating from The Grammar School and The Putney School, both Humes headed West to college: Clayton to Occidental College in Los Angeles and Miles to Lewis & Clark College in Portland. After graduation, they each worked separately in
California, where they gained experience in business and design. In 2016, they decided to join forces and start their own company. Clayton handles the business side, and Miles is the chief architect. The desire to be mobile and creative helped inform the brothers’ decision to pursue their career. Clayton commented on the influence that his TGS education had on his choice of occupation. Spending time outside in both structured and unstructured activities nurtured his love of the outdoors, and, he said, “The emphasis on creativity was really influential.” Another graduate of both TGS and The Putney School, Allie Jesup ’06, went on to attend Parsons School of Design in New York City. While working for a lighting design company in New York, she started posting images on Instagram “just for fun.” When
Allie Jesup ’06
companies noticed her innovative pictures and began to contact her, she was in business. Colors Collective (colorscollective. com) provides still photos and stop motion video to a list of high-profile clients that includes Crocs, Godiva, Le Creuset, PayPal, Rit Dye, Seagram’s, Stash Tea, Warner Bros., and Zappos. Allie said that her TGS education
has been at the core of how she approaches learning: “The Grammar School set me up in a lot of ways. Embracing differences and interacting respectfully with different types of people has helped make connections and foster relationships.” These skills, she added, have made a huge difference in her success in business. SUMMER 2021
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Thank You! By Katherine Wagenbach, P’19, P’24
A
s the Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Peter Cooper-Ellis and I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary effort that both the faculty and staff have put forth during the 2020-21 academic year. We are immensely impressed with the level of detail and tremendous effort our teachers and staff, and more specifically, the leadership of the Covid Committee—Ailyn Hoey, Tara Meinhard, and Nick Perry—have made to ensure the safety and well-being of our children. It is a testament to them that our school has endured such a significantly challenging year. We thank you. Peter Cooper-Ellis and I also want to take this opportunity to give our thanks to the school community. We have had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Trustees for five years. As stewards of TGS, we have supported the administration through the challenges of transitions and change as the school has made significant progress in the development of its stellar outdoor programming and the exciting expansion of its preschool program, starting next year. The school is poised and ready for the new leadership of Dudley Blossom (P’20) and former Head of School Rick Cowan (P’07, P’09), as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. The school is in very capable hands, and our commitment is strong as we stay on the Board into the fall to foster support and guidance. p
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Jessa Rowan leads the sixth graders in discussion.
CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS Dudley Blossom P’20, Chair Rick Cowan P’07, P’09, Vice Chair, Former Head of School John Barrengos P’14, Treasurer Peter Cooper-Ellis P’18, P’23 Katherine Wagenbach P’19, P’24 David Greenewalt P’20, P’22 David Jacobson P’18 Steve Lorenz, Former Head of School Natalie Harding P’27 Emma Cowan ’07 TRUSTEES EMERITI/CO-FOUNDERS George* and Kitty Shumlin P’69, P’70, P’74, GP’05, GP’06, GP’09, GP’12 Roy (Dick)* and Dottie Richardson P’63, P’67, P’68, P’69, P’74, P’76, GP’02, GP’03, GP’05 , GGP‘31 Marcia Leader P’82, P’85, GP’10 *deceased
ADMINISTRATION Nick Perry P’27, P’30, Head of School Ailyn Hoey ’87 P’25, Assistant to the Head of School Alexandra Bodel P’24, P’26, Director of Admissions & Marketing Tara Meinhard ’88 P’28, Assistant Head of School Kyra Chapin ’03 P’25, P’27, Director of Development Nathaniel Hall, Facilities Manager FACULTY Ken Brautigam P’11, P’13, Preschool Director/Teacher Tori Mitchell, Preschool Assistant Jessica Sardinas P’19, P’24, Kindergarten Teacher Alisha Cannon P’26, P’28, First Grade Teacher Eve McDermott P’06, P’08, Second Grade Teacher Annie Schulzinger, Third Grade Teacher Sam Sintros P’30, Fourth Grade Teacher Katherine Ellison ’04, Fifth Grade Teacher Kathy Richardson ’67, P’02, P’03, P’05, GP‘31, Sixth Grade Homeroom, Sixth Grade Social Studies, and Middle School Math Teacher Paul “Hop” Hopkins P’19, P’22, Seventh Grade Homeroom, Middle School Science, and Physical Skills Development Teacher Jessa Rowan P’29, Eighth Grade Homeroom, Middle School English & Humanities Teacher, and Theater Director Heather Sommerlad, Music Teacher Chinon “Chichi” Maria ’99, Art Teacher Paqui Arroyo-Moyano P’21, Spanish Teacher Sarah Doran P’20, P’22, Director of Sports & After School Programs, 5-8 Physical Skills Development Teacher
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Welcoming Our New Board Chair and Vice Chair An interview with Dudley Blossom P’20 and Rick Cowan P’07, P’09
We checked in with Dudley and Rick this spring to learn more about their goals and vision as the new chair and vice chair of The Grammar School’s Board of Trustees. Dudley Blossom: We’d like to start by thanking Peter Cooper-Ellis and Katherine Wagenbach for their service as chair and vice chair, respectively. Peter and Katherine took the reins of the board at a time where the future of the school was uncertain. They cannot be given enough praise for bringing TGS out of this time and leaving us on a more solid foundation from which we can again look into the future. Rick Cowan: TGS owes Peter a huge debt of gratitude for his leadership during one of the most difficult periods in the school’s history. His financial acumen, unwavering focus on key metrics, and support of Nick Perry in his first years at the helm enabled the school to survive a dramatic decline in school-age populations coupled with growing economic uncertainty. And just as the ship was righted, the tsunami of Covid-19 crashed over us. Again, Peter and Nick navigated a storm. Katherine worked tirelessly to recruit board members with the talent, commitment, and philanthropic inclination needed for the school to survive. Roots & Wings: As parents of alumni, what motivated you to take on leadership roles on the Board now? Rick: Emma and Greer benefited tremendously from their TGS educations, and I want to pass that gift along to the next generation of students. The proverbial twig is bent in such powerful ways at TGS! Dudley: I am a great believer in play and joy providing an environment for learning and success. It has been that sense of joy that has kept me engaged with TGS and that drew me to the Board. TGS is at a point where my skills and experience can be most beneficial, I like the people I get to work with very much, and I get to be involved in ensuring that the joy of TGS continues for everyone involved now and into the future. What more could you ask? Roots & Wings: The outdoors has always 26
“
I love that it [the pandemic] has made us reconsider some of the assumptions of education and academic rigor, moving us further from the traditional ’talk and chalk’ model to a much more engaged and interactive system of education.” —Dudley Blossom Chair, TGS Board of Trustees
been a key part of TGS. What do you see as the school’s next steps in outdoor education? Dudley: I am excited at how the response to the pandemic has accelerated the growth of the outdoors across the curriculum. I love that it has made us reconsider some of the assumptions of education and academic rigor, moving us further from the traditional “talk and chalk” model to a much more engaged and interactive system of education. Rick: Yes—and I’m confident that our faculty can provide inspiring outdoor education without sacrificing the academic rigor that prepares our graduates for the next step in their educations. Dudley: In many ways, our outdoor orientation made this transition for TGS much smoother than other schools. In one article a few years ago, we wrote about the “60-acre classroom.” Our 60-acre classroom converts the entire campus into a single, diverse learning environment. Roots & Wings: What is your vision for TGS? Dudley: Sustainability. I envision a model where we do not continually focus on surviving and can instead focus on thriving. I believe that TGS has a strong program that is quietly unique in the region. Rick: I see our school as a place of nurture, challenge, and creativity. That’s TGS’s formula for developing productive and happy people. Without nurture, emotional intelligence won’t fully develop. Without challenge,
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE | Roots & Wings
academic skills are unlikely to reach the level needed to succeed in today’s competitive world. And without creativity—be it of the artistic or problem-solving variety—graduates may not find fulfillment in their work or pastimes. p Dudley Blossom is the parent of Sofie, a 2020 TGS graduate, currently at The Putney School. He has been working with TGS for many years as a volunteer, including developing a soccer program that in fall 2019 won the regional tournament championship! He has been involved with the Medieval Faire, Spring Bash, and annual holiday auctions. Dudley has served as board member and chair of several arts and education programs, always focusing on governance and strategy. He is a professor of marketing at Keene State College, where he is also responsible for a growing program in nonprofit management that is focused primarily on sustainability and governance. Rick Cowan joined the TGS board in 2018. He was the head of school at TGS from 1998 to 2000, and his daughters Emma and Greer are alumnae. Rick came to TGS from St. Paul’s School, NH, where he coordinated admissions, fundraising, and alumni relations. He served as executive director of The Association of Boarding Schools in Boston and Washington, DC. From 2000 to 2013, Rick headed the admission office at The Putney School. He has served on the boards of The Compass School, Main Street Arts, The Nature Museum, and The Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association, of which he was the board chair. This past March, he was elected to the Rockingham Selectboard.
“
I see our school as a place of nurture, challenge, and creativity. That’s TGS’s formula for developing productive and happy people.” — Rick Cowan Vice Chair, TGS Board of Trustees
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Thank you to our 2019-2020 donors!
Tuition covers only a portion of the cost of a TGS education. Our donors bridge the gap. We are so grateful to all those who give! This list recognizes all those who donated from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. We apologize for any errors or omissions. Please send any corrections to Kyra Chapin at kyra@thegrammarschool.org.
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Anonymous (2) ◆ Leonard Andrew ● Paqui Arroyo-Moyano & Dondo Ogden ● Bettina Berg & Chris Harlow ● Carol Berry ● Bun & Kay Blossom s Dudley & Nia Blossom ● s Alex & Michael Bodel ● Marilyn & John Bookwalter ● Ronnie Booxbaum ● Anne Boswell ● Ann & Tom Boyd ● Brattleboro Food Co-op ● Ken Brautigam & Libby Holmes ● Miles Brautigam ● Veronica Brelsford ● Matt Brooks ● Nancy & Stephen Brooks ● Ken Burns ● ■ Olivia Burns ● Peter & Darcy Caldwell ● Nancy Calicchio ● Alisha Cannon ● Liam Cashel ● Ann Chamberlin & Charles Morrison ■ Bart Chapin & Lucy Hull ● Kyra & Miles Chapin ● Elizabeth Christie ● Marc S. Cohen and Christine K. Ellis ● Colors Collective Studio (Alexis Jesup) ■ Tony & Nancy Corwin ● Emma Cowan ●
Rick Cowan ● Carlotta & Don Cuerdon ● Emily Cuerdon ● Luke Cuerdon ● Rory Cuerdon ● June Damon ● Leyna D’Ancona ● Kristen Dawley & Jack Bell s Sam & Muffin Dell ● Ponnie Derby ■ Oilvia Diorio ■ Kristopher Dobie ● Aislinn Doran ● Sarah & Mike Doran ● William Doran ● Miriam Dror ● Kat & Nick Ellison ● David & Marian Entin ● Matt Ewald ● Mary Howard Feder ● Frances Feldsine ● Laurie & Joe Fichter ● Ted Fiske & Helen Ladd ● Barbara Fox ● Roger & Nancy Fox ● Jim & Laura Frey ● ■ Gogi Abroad ● Deb Gray & Will O'Brian ● Stephen & Beverly Green ● David Greenewalt & Melanie Kent ● Donald Greenwood & Judith Clayton ● H. Regine Harding ●
Natalie Harding & Jonathan Conety ● Alli Hartman & Andrew Tolve ● Ona Hauert ● Tom Head & Mary Howe ● Geordie & Suzanne Heller ● Jessica Heller ● William & Teresa Heller ● Beth Henkle ● Teague Henkle ● Brett Hershey & Sarah Jesup s ■ Amy & Jerry Hiam ● Kelly Hillenmeyer s Taylor Hillenmeyer s Carolyn Holmes ● Arthalene & John Hopkins ● Michael & Hannah Hornsby ■ Peter & Jane Howard ● Peter & Jan Howe ◆ Kate Hughes ● David Hume Irrevocable Trust ● Jennifer Jacobs & Bob Everingham ● David Jacobson & Candace Damon ● Jon Jesup & Mary Chamberlin ● ■ Nancy Jesup ■ Jennifer Jones ● Frank & Jan Jordan ● The Kane-Barrengos Foundation ● Larry Kasser s Tae Mo Kim & Yi Soon Kim ● Sheri Kinney ● Maya Kuriki & Aaron Michal ● Jim & Carol Large ● s
Laura Zindel Design, Inc. s John & Marcia Leader ■ ◆ Pam Lierle ● Steve & Nancie Lorenz ● Alli Lubin ● Phoebe Lumley ● Scott & Laurie Luther-Houghton ● Ronald & Ruth Marchetti ● Steve & Beth McCabe ● Eve & Jake McDermott ● Gordon & Nancy Meinhard ● Tara Meinhard & Adam Gilbert ● Tim Merton ● Fiona & Aaron Morehouse s Meg & Peter Moulton ● The Nash Foundation ● New Hampshire Charitable Foundation ● William & Susan Newkirk ● Milton & Marilee Nieuwsma ● Elizabeth Nieuwsma-Dell s Deborah Noyes ● Maria & Ward Ogden ● Chris Osgood and Mary Heller Osgood ● ■ Emily Osgood ● Jon & Debbie Osgood ● Lies Pasterkamp ● Claude Pepin & Lise Sparrow ● Nick Perry & Liz Jordan ● Elisa R. Petty ● Mary Piluski ●
Jane Rawley ● Mark & Liz Richards ● The Richards Group ● Kathy Richardson ● Ed & Carol Roberts ● Cooper Rothschild ● RSF Social Finance ◆ Salesforce ● Madeline Salmon ● Thomas & Leslie Salmon ● Jill & Greg Schulze ● Leon Schulzinger & Linda Pennell ● Melinda Scrivner ● Karen Shapiro & Nick Racco ● Sally & Allen Seymour ● Jeff Shumlin & Evie Lovett ● Kitty Shumlin ● Michelle Simpson ● Sam & Nick Sintros ● Jessamyn & Mark Skarr ● Liz & Prentiss Smith ● Maggie Smith ● Prentiss R. & Lauren Katz Smith ■ Mary Coleman St. John ● Erin Sternfels ● Beth Stickney & Whit Blauvelt ● Billy Straus & Lynne Weinstein ■ Mark & Camilla Tarmy ● s Ruth Tilghman ● Carlos Tilghman-Osborne ● Rebecca Todd & Mark Long ● Ellinore Todd Long ●
Nathaniel Todd Long ● Patricia & Robert Townsend ● Turrell Fund ◆ Gary Upton ● Katherine & Kurt Wagenbach ● Barry & Elsa Waxman ● Timothy Weed & Julia Jensen ■ Wayne Weil ● Joan & George Weir ● Zach Wheeler ● Alexander & Jerelyn Wilson ● James & Gaynelle Wood ● Sebastian Wu ● Toby Young ● ● Designates a gift to our Annual Fund. s Designates a gift to the Capstone
Fund in support of 8th grade capstone projects and trips.
■ D esignates a gift to the Founders’ Fund,
created in 2018 to support professional development for our faculty and to maintain our physical plant.
◆ D esignates a gift to the Leader
Scholarship Fund, created in honor of TGS parent, teacher, administrator, and community member Marcia Leader.
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Non Profit Org US Postage PAID Brattleboro, VT Permit #79
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL 159 Grammar School Lane Putney, Vermont 05346
Celebrating
60 Years 1960-2020
Newly released!
A film celebrating The Grammar School’s 60th Anniversary In honor of our 60th Anniversary, students interviewed alumni this year to learn about the history of The Grammar School, the experiences of students who attended in past years, and what our alumni are doing now. These clips have been paired with archival photos to create a film. To stay in the loop on this and other TGS news, subscribe to our newsletter at thegrammarschool.org/subscribe