2025 Commons Review

Commons Review Vermont Commons School

Spring 2025

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Bethany Gibbs P’24 ’29, Chair Jason Ables P’29 Rebecca Lindy Coll P’12 Anne Dougherty, M.D. P’27 Andrew Furtsch P’19 Craig Heindel P’03 ’06, Secretary Naomi Heindel ’03 Tyler Hoffman P’29, Treasurer Troy Krahl P’21 David Lobenstine P’27 Kristin Marchilena, Faculty Trustee Lauren Pricer P’25 ’29 Raj Rawal P’25 Christina Reiter P’26 ’31 Sarah Richards P’27

FACULTY & STAFF Dexter Mahaffey, Ph.D., Head of School Katherine Bailey, Registrar Linda Bursell, Business Manager Jonah Boucher, Math, Class of ’20 Faculty Chair Chance Cardamone-Knewstub, Facilities, Class of ’20 Faculty Chair Mark Cline Lucey P’23, Social Studies Jennifer Cohen, English Adriana Comtois P’27, Spanish Char Danis, Administrative Assistant Inés de Haro, Social Studies, Spanish Jasmine Easter, Assistant Head of School Peter Goff, Science Tim Harger, Dean of Students Ryan Houck, English Molly Johnsen, Social Studies Mark Keegan, Ph.D., Science Courtney Lamontagne, Learning Specialist Kristin Marchilena, Music Kathryn McDermott, Social Studies Kristofer Mohlman, Science & Math Kat Nelson, Director of Admissions Sharon Panitch P’22 ’24 ’27, Director of Development Eliot Sloan, College Counselor Mary Thompson, Art Tonya Waldron, Math This year, we enthusiastically welcomed Char Danis, Inés de Haro, and Molly Johnsen to our ranks! Char inhabits the front desk like a boss and helps get us all where we’re supposed to be. Inés began the year teaching 7th grade Social Studies and transitioned to teaching Spanish full time when Molly arrived mid-year (as planned) to step into the Social Studies position. The faculty energy is fabulous!!

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MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dexter Mahaffey

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t a regional gathering of heads of school in January, we heard from a scholar tracking the development of AI. The information he shared was a stunning revelation, not of what AI might do, but what it already can do—from researching and writing a full dissertation with just a handful of prompts to creating a lifelike avatar of you with all of your digital knowledge that can attend Zoom meetings on your behalf. We’re far beyond the point where an Honor Code clause about AI or AIdetection software will keep students from using it. This is in no way to disparage our—or any school’s—students; simply recall the adage about there not being a tool humanity invented that it hasn’t used. At the moment, we are all relying largely on self-restraint, on the hope that none of us will use this tool for something we shouldn’t.

With this infinitely fascinating and ever-evolving tool at our disposal, it is not an unrealistic leap for us to ask ourselves what schools are for anymore, if AI can provide all the content, give all the feedback, and continuously incorporate new information about us and the world we inhabit. What is Vermont Commons for? The answer is that, in an era where society is in a mad dash to have our tools do as much of our work as possible, the things that made Vermont Commons valuable at its start make it invaluable, irreplaceable today.

There are some tools one simply can’t fabricate: compassion, determination, collaboration, curiosity, being valued by others, intrinsic motivation, joy, satisfaction, community, care for the world and its inhabitants, sense of self, purpose, creative expression. The very stuff of every interaction between teacher and student at Vermont Commons—past, present, and future—is what AI can’t do, and it’s also the most important part of what our school cultivates in every student.

One can fret about AI, doomscroll the culture wars or the climate crisis, obsess over the newest tech. Me, I think I’ll take a pass on fretting, because every day I get to see VCS’s faculty help our students turn into adults like our alums—you who are out there across the country and globe, working in a plethora of fields, finding incredible ways to make a difference. Every day when I come to campus, I am filled to overflowing with hope, and every time I learn of what a VCS alum is doing, I see that hope thoroughly justified. As you read through this edition of the Commons Review, you’ll see what I mean. And I hope you’ll come back to these stories and come back to campus anytime and every time you need a reminder of the potential and promise of an education grounded in the world and limitless in vision.

Dr. Dexter P. Mahaffey, Head of School

Commons Review

Help leave a legacy for VCS!

The Campaign for Vermont Commons

Four Years in the Making

A gym. A library. A music wing and a thriving arts program. A film suite.

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ust a few short years ago, these were dreams—hopes for what might one day be possible for our students and faculty. Today, thanks to the vision of our Board of Trustees and the generosity of our community, they are all part of daily life at VCS.

Together, we’ve created a campus that reflects our values and nurtures our mission. Our students now have space to move, create, and collaborate. Our faculty have the tools they need to challenge and support the next generation of Flying Turtles.

Your contribution to the Campaign for Vermont Commons may be made: • Online at vermontcommons.org/ give-to-a-restrictedfund •B y check made payable to Vermont Commons School (specify “OEC” in the memo) •B y scanning the QR code below

Thank you!!

And we’re not done yet.

We are just $112,000 away from completing our $2 million capital campaign—a campaign that has already transformed our campus and our community. All that remains is finishing construction at the OEC and making the final payment on the land.

Once finished, the OEC will forever belong to the VCS community as our own dedicated space for experiential learning, environmental stewardship, and meaningful connection to the natural world, in every season.

A gift at this moment is more than a donation—it’s a legacy. Please join the VCS families, alumni, grandparents, and friends who have brought us this far. Help us cross the finish line.

On behalf of our students and faculty—current and future—thank you!

Spring 2025

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Congratulations,

Class of 2024!

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n June 14, 2024, VCS welcomed the 11 members of the Class of 2024 into the ranks of its alums!

The Founders’ Alumni Award was presented to Deva Cats-Baril ’05, and the 2024 George and Pammella Starbuck Award was given to Zangmu Lama Sherpa ’24.

Congratulations, Vermont Commons School Class of 2024!

Analia Cannon Grantham Cannon Henry Douglas Ashlyn Foley Talia Gibbs Toby Hecht Zangmu Lama Sherpa Asher Rosenbaum Adelie Tebbetts Lilliana White Isabelle Wyatt

Collectively, the members of the Class of 2024 received 42 college and university acceptances and were offered nearly $2.9M in scholarship and merit awards. They are continuing their studies at: Bryn Mawr College

Trinity College

Lafayette College

University of Denver

Middlebury College

University of Rochester

Northeastern University

University of Toronto

Skidmore College

Washington University in St. Louis

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Commons Review

From Rothko to Rockabilly: The Arts at VCS

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stroll through the school on any given day will reveal the arts everywhere— echoing through the practice room hallway, splattered across canvases in the painting studio, and taking shape (sometimes literally) in ceramics classes, where students mold their ideas into form. In a world where the arts are too often sidelined, we are proud that, here at VCS, they take a front row seat.

Over the past three years, our music program has blossomed under the direction of Kristin Marchilena, growing into something that’s part jam session, part ensemble, and 100 percent VCS. This year, Kristin, along with co-director Ryan Houck, took on the ambitious task of producing Mamma Mia! With a set designed, built, and painted by students during winter Encounter Week, the show came to life with a cast of 22 and a pit band made up of both faculty and students.

During our Songwriting E-Week this past winter, students worked on everything from solo projects to group improvisations, with Kristin, Mark Cline Lucey, and guest Page McConnell P’28 ’30, stepping in as session musicians and mentors. Throughout the year, students are encouraged to expand their musical repertoires and try new things—it’s not unusual to see a student playing two, three, or more instruments during a single Arts Night!

Our visual arts courses have continued to be spaces where students take risks, express themselves, and make meaning. This year, we added two pottery wheels and a kiln to the mix, allowing students to dive deeper into ceramics. Crafts-based E-Weeks have proven to be extraordinarily popular, as students have delved into knitting, jewelry making, quilting, rehabbing used clothing, and more. There’s always something new—and impressive—on display as students explore different media.

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Filmmaking has become a key part of our ninth-grade social studies curriculum, where students research, write, direct, and act in short films based on historical events. Nearly every year, student filmmakers dedicate an Encounter Week to writing, filming, and editing their own movies. These weeks have given us such unforgettable titles as Mr. Chuckles and Mr. Pup, Camp Nightshade, and Mongol Steal.

(For more on filmmaking at VCS, see the profile of Mark Cline Lucey on page 9.)

At VCS, the arts continue to provide a space where students can take risks, dive into their passions, and find joy in self-expression. It’s less about following a prescribed path and more about students discovering and trusting their own voices. We understand that outlets for creativity are essential to making sense of the world around us. We are honored to provide the canvas, the stage, the studio, the time, and the resources to let our students shine.

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From Lima, Con Amor We were thrilled to welcome 10 students and two teachers from our sister school, Colegio Santa Ana, last November!

After a long break during the pandemic and a visit from a very small contingent last year, we are happy to say that our exchange program is back in full swing. A highlight was a hike through the Gedeon/Flack family’s gorgeous woods and dancing lessons later that evening around a roaring fire. ¡Gracias por visitar!

Grandparents & More in the house!

the bold step of giving participants free rein to design their week around something they love. Students took full advantage of their time, immersing themselves in fiber arts, digital animation, music composition, documentary filmmaking, and more. (For our online readers, check out Leo Denenberg ’27’s mini-documentary on mass transit in Vermont and Winslow Solomon ’25’s multi-track recordings of original tunes.)

Every October, we are honored to welcome some of the most treasured people in our students’ lives to join us for the morning, in person and on Zoom. Nearly 60 grandparents (and more) joined us for the morning, enjoying bagels and coffee, coming to Morning Meeting, and accompanying their students to classes. It’s one of the most joyful days of the year on our campus, and we can’t wait to see you next fall!

Passion Projects Encounter Week While E-Weeks typically provide some focus and direction (eg. “we’re going hiking!” or “we’re learning photography!”) the Passion Projects E-Week leaders took

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Bonfire Comes Home For the first time, we were able to have the all-school bonfire on our own land! Folks came to the Outdoor Education Center on a beautiful September evening to enjoy good food, good company, and a darned good fire.

Commons Review

Student News

Green & Gray All The Way!

Service continues to be an integral part of life at VCS. From left: raising funds for unhoused youth at the Spectrum Sleep Out; donating at the biannual VCS Red Cross blood drive; volunteering at Common Roots.

Diploma Certificate proposals were approved for Rachael Nagy-Benson ’26 and Quentin Lobenstine ’27. A Diploma Certificate is the highest academic honor that VCS bestows.

Quentin will be exploring our cultural fascination with monsters through art, and Rachael will be writing and recording 12 original songs for an album. Their projects will culminate in a project defense at the end of their respective senior years.

Colette O’Meara ’27 represented VCS on a student panel in front of 150+ educators and administrators at the Secondary Education and A.I. Summit at the end of last school year.

She spoke about the VCS honor code, experiences using A.I. in our curriculum, and her hopes for the future of A.I. in schools.

Congratulations to Sara Rawal ’25 and Ro Dougherty-Masé ’27, who were named two “High School Volleyball Players to Watch” by the Burlington Free Press prior to the 2024 season.

Flying Turtles continue to dominate the Model UN world, sending 19 students to the Middlebury conference, and 17

Spring 2025

students to the regional conference at Dartmouth. In Middlebury, Oscar Lucey ’27 and Colette O’Meara ’27 were recognized with Best Position Paper commendations, and Skylar Knoop ’25, Ro Dougherty-Masé ’27, and Elizabeth Poulin ’25 were named Outstanding Delegates. The coveted Best Delegate award went to Fiona McCormick ’27. At the regional Dartmouth MUN conference, Winslow Solomon ’25 earned a nod from his committee chairs with an Honorable Mention.

Bernie Sanders’s State of the Union Essay Contest. Winslow Solomon ’25 earned a seat at the Senator’s roundtable discussion at the Vermont State House with his essay on the obesity epidemic in America.

Two VCS students made the All State Music Festival this year! Emilia Carini ’27 will sing tenor in the festival chorus, and Winslow Solomon ’25 was seated fifth chair violin in the orchestra. Festival performances take place in early May each year.

Elizabeth Poulin ’25 was accepted into the highly selective National Security Language Initiative for Youth, a program of the U.S. Department of State, which helps ensure that Americans are mastering languages critical to international relations.

Elizabeth will spend six weeks in South Korea this summer.

Griffin Kanner ’29 earned a spot as one of only two pianists in the big band for the District III Middle School Jazz Festival. After several weeks of solo practice and a full day with the ensemble, Griffin performed with the 45-piece band in March.

For the second year in a row, a VCS student was named a finalist in Sen.

Ethan Ernstrom ’26 received two honors from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, claiming a Silver Key for his short story, The Reminiscing of Fantasy, and an Honorable Mention for another short story, The Collection of Lucius Benign.

Amina Ali ’25, Yasmin Ali ’28, Ifrah Hassan ’27, Penny Hyman ’28, and Keira O’Neil ’28 attended the Women in Cyber Summit at Champlain College. The summit featured sessions about cybersecurity as a career, and how to pursue a degree and enter the field.

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Class of ’20 Faculty Chair Award recipients The 2024 Class of ’20 Faculty Chair Award was presented this year to two outstanding educators: one a newer addition to the VCS community, and the other, one of our longestserving faculty members. Jonah Boucher (Math) and Chance CardamoneKnewstub (Social Studies/Spanish) challenge students to stretch just a bit further in pursuit of deeper understanding, all while recognizing and honoring them as complex, multifaceted individuals.

For five years, the Class of ’20 Faculty Chair Award has recognized faculty members whose excellence inspires and embodies a love of learning and commitment to community. 2024 marks the final year of this award.

Faculty News Jennifer Cohen (English) attended a summer course through Brown University on mindfulness and began instituting a meditation practice for students at the beginning of every class. Jennifer adds to the grounded vibe of her classroom with a eucalyptus diffuser and fresh flowers. All of these touches must spark creativity, because Jennifer also landed on NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour, telling a moving (and funny) story about becoming an empty nester and somehow finding herself on stage in the musical Annie!

Inés de Haro (Social Studies and Spanish) attending the Facing History and Ourselves Conference about implementing cultural competency in the classroom. One innovation in her classes is the addition of snacks from various global markets around town. Says Inés, “I’ve brought in Eastern European snacks, Arabic dried fruit, Malaysian snacks, Chinese candies, and Japanese chocolate.

This is meant to introduce the students to newer cultural foods as well as provide some comfort for those who are familiar with these foods and cultures.”

Ryan Houck (English) brought some significant changes to his 6th and 8th grade classes as a result of taking a four-day course on Development Designs for Middle School. He regularly institutes some of the practices covered in the course, including circles and creative movement breaks. Ryan has also continued to pursue his passion for rock climbing and renewed his single pitch instructor certification through the American Mountain Guides Association.

Dexter Mahaffey (Head of School) coauthored and -presented a paper titled ‘Insert Complicated Title Here:’ Virgil Abloh, Kente in the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2021 Show, African Internationalisms, and the Control of the Black Body at the African Studies Association and to the Arts Council of the ASA Conferences, both in Chicago in the second half of 2024. Some of the content of the paper was developed with students during his high school elective class at VCS in 2023.

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Music teacher Kristin Marchilena somehow found time to present at multiple conferences, in addition to growing VCS’s music program.

In the fall, she presented at the Vermont Music Educators Association Conference at UVM and the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) at George Mason University. She also wrapped up the first of three years serving on OAKE’s board of directors.

College counselor Eliot Sloan spent time getting up close and personal with a number of colleges and universities in the Boston area this year. In early May, she will attend the Steinmetz Counselor Program at Union College outside of Albany, NY, giving her an in-depth look at undergraduate research opportunities there. Eliot is an indispensable resource, sounding board, and cheerleader for VCS’s juniors and seniors, who get to take full advantage of her knowledge and insight into the college admissions process.

Mary Thompson and “Frida Kahlo”

Mary Thompson (Art) attended the National Art Education Association conference in Louisville, KY, along with nearly 4,000 art teachers from the US and Canada. Each day, she was able to attend talks by artists, including Nate Powell, Roberto Lugo, and the Guerilla Girls. Mary notes that a particular highlight was a workshop with “Frida Kahlo.”

She explained, “She was one of the Guerilla Girls. They take the names of dead women artists as pseudonyms because they work anonymously on creating activist art!”

Commons Review

Faculty Spotlight: Mark Cline Lucey: Focusing on What’s Important

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n 2004, after four years teaching in Brooklyn’s public schools, Mark Cline Lucey found himself at a crossroads.

A committed educator, he had moved to Vermont to raise a family—only to find no openings in the local public schools. So he picked up the phone and cold-called Vermont Commons.

“They just happened to be looking for a social studies teacher,” he says. “It was serendipity.”

It wouldn’t be the first time fate nudged his path. As an undergraduate at Connecticut College, Mark wasn’t aiming for a teaching career—until he discovered A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn.

“It was so much richer than anything I had ever learned in school,” he recalls. “That book got me excited about history as a way of understanding the world.”

Post college, Mark worked as a union organizer until the call of the classroom became too insistent to ignore. On a whim, he walked into a local high school—and was hired on the spot. “A social studies teacher had just quit. I didn’t even have the right credentials. I ended up taking undergrad history classes at Hunter College while teaching full-time.”

He eventually earned his master’s from Brooklyn College, but it was Howard Zinn’s focus on resistance and the resilience of the oppressed that most shaped Mark’s philosophy.

“The empowering stories in history are the ones where people push back” he says. “Where they struggle and organize and help ‘bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice.’ That’s what I want students to connect with — human agency to create a better world.”

At VCS, Mark was eager to bring this lens into the classroom. He forged a partnership with the Sudan Development Foundation (SUDEF), a Vermont-based nonprofit working to improve quality of life in South Sudan. SUDEF needed help spreading their message and asked if Mark and his students could create a short film.

Mark had no filmmaking experience—but some of his students did.

“I wasn’t trained in film,” he says. “But along came students like Jamie Benson (’15) and Graham Byers (’18), who had experience and inspired me to learn.”

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Mark Cline Lucey with Tyler Loiselle ‘23 (left) and Jordan Geiger ‘23

After taking a week-long course at RETN (now The Media Factory), Mark was hooked. He began weaving filmmaking into his 9th-grade curriculum and later took a sabbatical to go deeper, producing a 90-minute documentary on the debates over wind energy in Vermont. WIND: A Struggle for the Character of Vermont still airs on Vermont Public and is praised for its balance.

“People on both sides of the debate were mad at me,” he says, laughing. “Which meant I was doing something right.”

Producing that documentary, Mark says, paralleled teaching. “My job isn’t to persuade students of a viewpoint—it’s to provide them perspectives and let them wrestle with the questions themselves.”

When asked what’s kept him at VCS for two decades, his answer is immediate.

“It’s the relationships. That’s the heart of this work. You have to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate teenagers if you’re going to do this for a long time. They’re quirky and messy and brilliant. VCS students are cooler and much harder-working than I ever was at that age. It’s a privilege to be a part of their lives.”

He pauses and adds, “I don’t teach because I feel like I need to pass along some sacred knowledge about history.

I teach because I get to walk alongside these students as they explore the world and discover themselves.”

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2024 Founders’ Alumni Award: Deva Cats-Baril ’05

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ach year, Vermont Commons alumni and faculty nominate an alum to receive the Founders’ Alumni Award. While the award winners have pursued a wide range of careers, each is carrying the lessons of VCS out into the world with them. The winner of the 2024 Founders’ Alumni Award was Deva Cats-Baril of the Class of 2005.

Deva works for the Broward County, Florida Government as a Program Coordinator at the Nancy J. Cotterman Center, the county’s Sexual Assault Program. There, she is working to create and implement a standardized and equitable sexual assault response across one of the nation’s most populous and diverse counties. Her work requires gathering data and putting it in the right context to gain the clearest possible picture of what is happening in her community, skills that she first developed at VCS. It was Peter Goff’s infamous gibbon genome project that piqued Deva’s interest in population dynamics and measuring communities in ways that she had never thought about, and it was critical theory that first introduced her to looking at things through the lenses of social justice and feminism. Upon graduation from VCS, she headed south to the University of Texas at Austin. Her undergraduate work at UT’s Population Research Center placed her firmly at the intersection of statistics and reproductive health advocacy, and, in her words, “that nexus is where I have lived ever since.”

After graduating summa cum laude with a degree in sociology and a minor in Spanish, Deva moved to New York and took a position with the Guttmacher Institute, which uses research and data collection to shape policy around sexual and reproductive rights. She also devoted significant time and energy to defending abortion clinics and working with abortion funds. All of this led her to pursue a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Miami in Florida.

Everything was put on hold for Deva in 2018 when she received a diagnosis of breast cancer at the young age of 30. She took a leave of absence from her graduate program while undergoing treatment. Of the experience, Deva reflected, “I had always been an advocate for other people, which kind of positioned me to navigate the healthcare system. I understood that I had to be my own advocate.” Nonetheless, cancer took a toll on her plans; she made several halting attempts to return to her master’s program before finally completing her MPH and graduating in 2023. This bumpy path to her graduate degree left her with life lessons that she applies to all her goals, scholastic and otherwise. Said Deva, “I would tell students to take a leave when you need it, but go back to school. Just keep going back. You’ll be embarrassed. It’s okay. People are more gracious than you think they are, and they’re there to help you.”

The goal of Deva’s work now is to ensure that every survivor of a sexual crime in her county is taken to a sexual assault treatment center, and that they receive the same trauma-informed care no matter who they are or where they report the crime. Data collection and analysis is essential, but so is framing the data and being able to talk about it in ways that make sense to police, social workers, medical professionals, and administrators. Deva links her ability to understand and contextualize vast amounts of information to her beginnings at VCS, noting, “VCS gave me a way of thinking about the world and organizing things that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.”

We recognize Deva for her work to ensure that all survivors of sexual assault receive compassionate and consistent care, and for her ongoing commitment to women’s reproductive rights and health. Congratulations, Deva!

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Commons Review

Alum News Peter Goff reports that he ran into Morrigan McCarthy ’01 at Muddy Waters (of course), along with her husband and their four-yearold daughter. Morrigan is living in New Jersey and commuting to New York City, where she leads the photography department at The Wall Street Journal.

Will Meyer ’05 and his wife and new daughter made a cameo at VCS’s Raise the Roof fundraiser in March! Will shared that he was married in 2017 and is working as a data analyst at Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Tom Kalinoski ’08 recently moved to Connecticut with his wife and two sons. He’s now stationed with the Coast Guard in New Haven after spending time in the Pacific Northwest. He and his family dropped by campus in December.

Ben Barker ’09 has been living on the West Coast, working as a travel ICU nurse in California and Washington. He and his partner, along with their husky, have been based in Seattle for the past three years but continued on page 12 

Alum Spotlight: Sibs in Scrubs Megan Hosmer ’18 and Candace Hosmer ’21 Sisters Megan and Candace Hosmer always knew they wanted to go into healthcare— but the path to nursing looked a little different for each of them.

For Candace, the decision came early. “In eighth grade, we had a career day. I chose nursing—and that was it,” she says. Drawn to Boston’s energy and its dense network of colleges and hospitals, she headed for UMASS Boston, where she’ll graduate this spring with her BSN. She hopes to work in emergency medicine before pursuing a nurse practitioner degree.

Candace, left, and Megan

Megan, a graduate of UMASS Amherst, knew she wanted to care for people, but took a bit longer to land on nursing. Shadowing a school nurse at Colegio Santa Ana (VCS’s sister school) in Perú and a trauma surgeon at UVM Medical Center for her senior project helped solidify her choice. “I realized I didn’t want to go to med school—I wanted to be at the bedside,” she says. She is currently working on a postpartum unit in the Boston area.

Both sisters credit their time at VCS with building the confidence and curiosity they now bring to their work. “The science classes were huge for me,” Candace recalls. “Especially biology with Pete Goff. It was after doing dissections that I started following in Megan’s footsteps.”

More than anything, though, it was E-Weeks that helped them grow. Megan points to a week at Crow Canyon in the southwest that particularly challenged her. “I remember thinking, ‘This is hard. I’m uncomfortable.’ But by the end, I really felt like I had accomplished something.”

Candace, who embraced leadership roles early, remembers an E-Week in the Adirondacks where students gathered around the campfire, singing. “I felt so valued in the eyes of the older students and teachers,” she says. “Those moments mattered, especially as a younger student leader.”

Now, Megan will pin her younger sister at her pinning ceremony, marking Candace’s transition from student to professional nurse.

But with NP degrees beckoning, their journeys are not over.

Their advice for current students? “Throw yourself into whatever interests you,” says Megan. “Even if it’s uncomfortable. Especially if it’s uncomfortable.”

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 continued from page 11

are relocating to Pittsburgh in August. Ben will be starting a doctorate in nurse anesthesia.

Will Homer ’11 joined up with Mark Cline Lucey this summer to renovate a porch in Burlington’s Old North End. Will now runs his own handyman and renovation business in Chittenden County, and it was a great chance for the two to reconnect.

Zannah Johnson ’11 and her fiancé, Dan, visited campus in February to meet with Mark Cline Lucey, who will be officiating their wedding this June!

Lauren Howe ’16 is working toward a Ph.D. in immunology and inflammation at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

She also got married last fall—her husband is researching carbon sequestration to combat climate change.

Anna Leffler ’16 is completing a fellowship in hand therapy at Stanford University. She earned her doctorate in occupational therapy from Tufts University in 2023, worked at an acute rehabilitation hospital for a year, and then moved west for this next chapter. She’s still playing volleyball and doing research, and she credits Peter Goff for helping spark her love of science. “Hindsight is a beautiful thing,” she writes, “and I feel like I can appreciate all the wild and crazy things we were able to do at VCS the older I get.”

Daniel (Danny) Kaufmann ’15 recently completed a bachelor’s degree in architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and is starting a small architecture firm in Mexico City with his partner and some friends. He fondly remembers his 9th grade year at VCS, and writes, “I cherish my VCS memories as it was a very important stage of my life and greatly influenced who I am today.”

Nimaya Lemal ’17 lives in rural Scotland and works remotely as a freelance writer and editor. After earning a master’s in Environment, Culture, and Communication in Glasgow, she launched several side projects including a literary journal and a “Make Tank” with social engineers in Amsterdam. She’ll be starting a Ph.D. in environmental policy and writing this fall, choosing between St. Andrews and Cornell.

Caleb Morehouse ’19 recently started a new role as Lead Preschool Teacher at The Schoolhouse in South Burlington.

Top, Ethan Geiger ‘21 on the set of one of his many film projects. Above, Dexter Mahaffey, Maggie Homer ’14 and Sam Barrocas ’08 at Reunion 2024.

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Max Perrotto ’19 completed an accelerated master’s program in Complex Systems and Data Science at UVM. He’s now exploring career opportunities focused on data

Commons Review

migration, visualization, statistical analysis, and machine learning—ideally based in northern Vermont.

Alum Spotlight: Naomi Heindel ’03

Reeves Strawbridge ’20 graduated from Skidmore and was accepted into the Peace Corps. She’ll head to Morocco in September to serve as a Climate-Smart Youth Development Facilitator.

For Naomi Heindel ’03, the seeds of a career in environmental education may have first been planted when Pete Goff told her she was a natural teacher.

“I still think it’s the biggest compliment I’ve ever gotten,” she says with a smile.

Ethan Geiger ’21 wrote in from Boulder, CO to share that he’s working on a new film and is currently fundraising for the project. He’s juggling multiple creative ventures and is especially proud of a one-shot sequence he pulled off in a Western last year.

Izzy Stearns ’21 spent a year traveling around New Zealand before returning to Vermont briefly in 2024 to visit family and pack up.

She’s now settled in Christchurch, where she studies journalism at the University of Canterbury. Between classes, she bartends at a craft beer bar, shoots photos at festivals, and soaks up sunshine by the Avon River. She adds that she has a spare room for any VCS visitors!

Ethan Popick ’22 is finishing up his degree at Wheaton College and will soon begin an MBA program at Northeastern University.

Simon Rosenbaum ’22 has had a whirlwind few years in Tennessee. After working in legislative service and government relations at the Tennessee General Assembly, he’ll graduate early from Vanderbilt this spring.

Next stop: a master’s of public policy in Washington, D.C. Iris Lawson-Ryan ’22 is majoring in environmental science at UVM and recently added a computer science minor. She’s studying abroad this spring in Denmark, focusing on polar biology and mammalogy— very cool (literally and figuratively).

Mark Hemley ’02, Sam Barrocas ’08, Griffen Fargo ’08, Will Homer ’11, Maggie Homer ’14, Simon Rosenbaum ’22, and Ethan Popick ’22 were among the alums who joined us for Reunion in 2024.

That early interaction, plus four years of the inspiring teaching, outdoor leadership, and Naomi in the great outdoors with husband Jordan Nobler and children Asa and Sylvia motivating mentorship of Leah Mital, sparked something enduring. After graduating from VCS, Naomi studied environmental earth science at Dartmouth. There, she became a peer writing tutor—using skills honed at VCS—and participated in Outdoor Leadership Experience, a group mentoring program for students in grades 5–12 in nearby Canaan, New Hampshire.

Though she once swore she wouldn’t move to California and go into environmental education because “everyone was doing it,” she found herself teaching geology and field ecology at NatureBridge Yosemite (formerly Yosemite Institute), following precisely in the footsteps of former VCS faculty member Hans Manske. “The community was amazing. It was where I learned to teach,” she reflects. As a bonus, it was also where she met her future husband, Jordan Nobler.

Craving deeper intellectual engagement, she went on to earn a master’s in environmental science from the Yale School of the Environment. “When I was at Yale, it took a while to feel okay about ‘just’ wanting to be an educator,” she reflects. “But I realized: this is what I’m meant to do.”

Her next chapter took her to Idaho and then the Tetons, where she worked at Teton Science Schools, eventually directing their field education program. “That really solidified my commitment to transformative, nature-based education.”

Today, Naomi serves as executive director of North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier. “It was the exciting yet inevitable return,” she says of moving back to Vermont. “There’s meaning in raising your kids where you grew up. I’m excited to be with people who are committed to great schools, great organizations, and great communities here.”

As a VCS board member, Naomi sees volunteer service as an extension of the values she learned at school and from her parents (her father, Craig, has served on the VCS board since 2007). “You don’t just show up for a day,” she says. “It’s an ongoing effort.”

Now firmly rooted in Vermont, Naomi’s work reflects the same values that shaped her: connection to place, community, and a commitment to learning that lasts.

Spring 2025

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By the Numbers

Annual Report July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024

111

Financial Aid

327

Program and Operating Expense

Students in grades 6-12

Graduates 1997–2024

Interest Expense 3%

Bequest

24%

8%

Contributions

22%

Investments 2.5%

14%

Expenses 51%

Revenue

76% Tuition

Salaries and Benefits

$3.5M Operating budget

213

Annual Fund

24%

Donors

Giving

76% Restricted and Capital Giving

100%

Board giving to Annual Fund & Capital Campaign

31.5%

Students receiving financial aid

$681,376

Total financial aid given

$19,468 Average financial aid award

14

Board News The VCS Board of Trustees has had an active and productive year! We are grateful for the time, energy, and talent they devote to the wellbeing of this place that we love.

Special thanks to Kristie Stern P’23 and Rosemary Webb P’16 for completing their service to the board this year.

The VCSCA Rocks!

The Vermont Commons School Community Association has truly come into its own— crafting a mission statement (see below), organizing volunteers for school events, and even instituting a monthly lunch program in partnership with Common Roots and The Mill. Students and faculty alike have appreciated the healthy, delicious meals; the enchiladas and taco bowls were particularly popular.

The VCSCA is open to everyone in the VCS community. Join the leadership team or simply volunteer for one event—get involved in whatever way works for you! Email vcsca@vermontcommons.org and look for their monthly e-newsletters.

Many thanks to this year’s leadership team: Glen Ernstrom P’26, Hollie Foley P’24 ’25 ’28, Deb Hazel P’27, Noah Hyman P’28 ’30, Jennifer Jorgenson P’28, Natalie Kanner P’29, Tessa Lucey P’27 ’31, Phu Ly P’29, Megan Mann P’29, Rebecca O’Reilly P’25, Lauren Pricer P’25 ’29, Christina Reiter P’26 ’31, Leslie Stapleton P’30, and Christi Surmont P’30.

The VCSCA is dedicated to fostering a strong, connected, and engaged school community. We strive to facilitate meaningful connections among parents, students, and staff by supporting school events, celebrating milestones, and enhancing the VCS experience for all.

Commons Review

Thank You

for Supporting VCS! We are deeply grateful to supporters whose gifts directly impact the lives of VCS students and sustain our extraordinary learning community. This list reflects all donations between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Thank you to all who give— at all levels, in all roles, and from all generations. VCS truly would not be here without you.

Jason Ables and Phu Ly The Allan and Margaret Moore Family Foundation Enwa Asende Erin & Rebecca Aslakson Richard Babin and Jo Eaton Sara and Paul Badger Katherine Bailey Peggy Bakker Marcia Bedig and Ira Bernstein Kristen and Andrew Bellone The Benevity Community Impact Fund Elizabeth and Rob Beverly-Whittemore Edson Bigelow Vincent and Allyson Bolduc Box Tops for Education Alain Brizard and Dinah Larsen Maddie Brown ’05 Rob and Holly Buck Tara and Pete Carini Brooke and Ian Carleton Sarah Carleton Sasha Carr Stephanie and Joseph Choma Mark Cline Lucey Elizabeth Codey Russ Colvin Adriana and Michael Comtois Carolyn Crowley John Crowley Dr. Russell de Burlo Amber Degn and Tom Denenberg Donald and Gloria Degn Anne Dougherty and Guido Masé Michael and Mary Anne Dougherty Denise Durant and Merrick Hard

Wendelyn and Donald Duque Jasmine Easter Gillian Ehrich Glen Ernstrom Joyce Ernstrom Matt and Lisa Fargo The Final Connection Monica Fiorenza and Gregory McCormick John Flender William Flender and Stacey Francese Hollie and Robert Foley Sara and Edward Foster Laura Fried and Owen McDermott Andrew and Joan Furtsch Stephanie Furtsch Zechariah Gardner and Jaina Clough The George W. Mergens Foundation Mary Alice Giannoni and Jerry Switzer Bethany and Rick Gibbs Linda Gilpin Annie Glosky and Jeff Topham Joshua & Mary Golek Mike Gordon Susan Gordon Addie Hall and Harry Reindel Hannaford Supermarkets Patricia Hansen Gail Harger Tim Harger The Harold W. Sweatt Foundation The Hart Foundation William Hart Julie and David Hays Debra and Scott Hazel Craig Heindel and Judy Chaves Naomi Heindel ’03 and Jordan Nobler

Eleanor E. Hickson ’05 Bill and Marley Hickson Tyler and Amanda Hoffman Louise and Murray Hood Calvin and Cynthia Hosmer James and Pamela Houck Ryan Houck William and Lucie Huckabay Fran and Martin Hyman Instrumart Nancy and Mark Jaffe Susannah Johnson ’11 Gerald Jorgenson and Mary Adair David and Debby Kanner Natalie and Christopher Kanner Khin Aung and Khin Mu Ashley and Lee Klein Courtney Lamontagne Joan Lane Kate Lane and Noah Hyman Christine Langley Rebecca LaScolea Iris Lawson-Ryan ’22 Brian and Colleen Leffler Craigh Leonard Emily Lev Howard and Phillipa Lewis The LGBTQ+ Fund of Vermont Francesca and Marc Lindow David Lobenstine and Miranda BeverlyWhittemore Farnsworth Lobenstine and Amy Ben-Ezra David and Terri Long Ed and Lore Lucey Tessa and Jennifer Lucey Neil and Jane MacDonald Anne Carter Mahaffey Dexter Mahaffey and Era MacDonald

Lucy Mahaffey Martha and Bill Maksym Christina Marnellos Carolyn and Giovanni Masé Amy and Brian Mason Page McConnell and Heather Pearson Winnie McCormick Elizabeth and Jacob Metayer Abigail Meyer Austin and Lane Meyer Peter and Karen Meyer Druid Michaels Andrea and Nicholas Miller Kristofer Mohlman Cara and Kirk Montague Ann Moran Gwendolyn and Andrew Nagy-Benson Hannah Nelson Kat Nelson Alicia and Ben Norris Rebecca and Joseph O’Reilly Patrick O’Shea Adina Panitch Sharon Panitch and Richard Hecht PayPal Giving Fund Physician’s Computer Company Bernard and Nancy Picchi Susan and Joe Pike James and Judith Pizzagalli Karen and John Poulin Lauren and Edward Pricer Dan Raddock Raj Rawal and Anne Miller Joy and Robert Reap Christina and Aaron Reiter Hal Reiter and Brenda Malloy Ann Richards Sarah and Ben Richards

Jean Richardson Henry Sadler ’13 Todd Sarandos and Dana Valentine Kurt Schulz and Marielle Goossens Neku Lama Sherpa Aaryn and Eugene Silva Jonathan Silverman and Martha Ming Whitfield Terry Smith Benjamin J. Snyder ’99 Stanley Solomon Mike Srba Evan Stainman The Stainman Family Foundation Mary Jane and Bill Stanley The Estates of George and Pammella Starbuck Michael and Susan Starbuck Rebecca Starks and Andy Solomon Jennifer Stella John and Kristie Stern Gail and Richard Stevens William Strausser ’12 Jill and Geoff Strawbridge Karrie and Culley Thomas Brooke and Shirley Thomas Cathy and Christopher Townsend Patricia and Charles Townsend The Traditional Foundation Tracy and Beth Truzansky Greg and Jill Warrington Rosemary and Scott Webb Leilee Weyerhaeuser Mathew White-Pifer ’07 Melissa Willard-Foster and Doug Foster Lynn and Jim Williams Stephanie Yu and Benjamin White

We make every effort to provide accurate recognition of our donors and volunteers.

If we have made an error, please contact Sharon Panitch at spanitch@vermontcommons.org.

Spring 2025

15

Vermont Commons School

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Burlington, VT Permit No. 314

75 Green Mountain Drive South Burlington, VT 05403

If you receive duplicate copies or a copy for an alum who has a separate permanent address, please email spanitch@vermontcommons.org.

Questions & Answers with

Ruby Russell ’09 & Will Hayden ’09 Q: Green or Gray?

A: Split! Ruby is Green, and Will is Gray.

Q: Interesting! Have you made peace with that?

A: W e have come to terms with it. It helps that Green won our senior year after a string of Gray victories.

Q: What is a VCS moment that stands out for each of you?

Will: Watching the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean at Acadia National Park.

Ruby: Translating Spanish pop songs with Chance and having them

stuck in my head for days! Also, getting lost on the most beautiful street in Rome while trying to find a pasta place. (We found it. It was amazing.)

Q: Why do you choose to give to VCS? A: W e can’t imagine a better place to go to school, and we hope

everyone who wants it has access to a VCS education. VCS also brought us together, so that’s a nice added bonus!

@vermontcommonsschool

(802) 865-8084

Support VCS with a gift today. vermontcommons.org/ giving

vermontcommons.org