GREETINGS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 

I want to express my profound thanks to the Spring Event Committee for their dedication and talent in putting together our Into The Woods Spring Event last Friday at Green Mountain Orchards. Countless volunteer hours went into making this event a success and it was a night to remember. Thank you as well to all of the parents and friends of TGS who attended and supported the school. It was a night with friends filled with great music, food, and dancing and we can't wait to do it again next year! Thank you again to all those parents who donated their time, energy, and auction items as well. Pictures from Into The Woods are available here and on the TGS Facebook page

  

This Saturday is our Spring Work Day from nine to noon. Please come with work gloves, hand garden tools, and ready to have a great day as we work to prep our campus for spring! Work Day is a very important tradition at TGS and we rely heavily on the hearty volunteer spirit of our parents. We so appreciate your help and are looking forward to a fun day together. New this year, Snow Farm will provide burgers for our cookout afterwards!

  

Next week we have more fun community events on the horizon. On Thursday, May 14 we have the second annual TGS Golf and Dinner outing. There are still sponsorships and foursomes available for this fun event that caters to all ability levels.

  

Non golfers are more than welcome to join us at 6:00 for a TGS dinner at the Brattleboro Country Club. If you have family in town in advance of Grandparents Day, this might be a fun evening activity among friends with great food. You can register for one or both here.


Grandparents Day is on Friday, May 15. We are excited to welcome TGS Grandparents and Grandfriends to campus for this special day. Invitations have gone out to Grandparents, so please  feel free to check in with Tammy by email or at 802-387-5364 to confirm RSVPs. Our TGS students are excited to host their special guests and show off their school. We have made special gifts for attendees and have planned a tremendous student display of music and other talents. We look forward to a wonderful day.

Last night the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to have Katherine Wagenbach as a new trustee beginning in September. Katherine is the mother of TGS students Kemp and Kole, and we are excited to welcome her to the board.

Dan 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES UPDATE 

Dear TGS community: Last night we held another board meeting (meetings are open, held every two months, and the minutes are always uploaded to the TGS website/Board of Trustees page). Among the many important topics we discussed in detail were the results of the recent surveys provided to faculty/staff and to parents/community.

  

It is clear to the trustees that we need to do more to "demystify" the board and our operations. We are more than happy to do that, so we will form a "board and community open advisory panel" that will meet about once a month. This informal platform and entity will allow anyone (faculty, staff, parents, others) to meet with a few trustees each month, ask questions, gain clarity on issues, and together identify resources and approaches that will help Dan and all of TGS in our collective aim to keep this school strong. Look for an update and our first meeting date (probably late May or early June) soon.

  

Further, please know that Dan and Apple et al. will study the community survey responses in the areas related to curriculum, overall satisfaction with TGS, leadership, and other areas. We expect that they will provide a way to respond to all of the responses and therefore demonstrate that these broad surveys are utilized fully.

  

Finally, as has been done in the past I am told, we will form a committee of trustees, faculty, and staff to evaluate the faculty/staff survey responses, resulting in a short report to the faculty and staff. This will allow Dan and Apple et al. to leverage the strengths noted and address any concerns and challenges identified by some faculty/staff in that particular survey.

  

Remember, the first line of our mission is: "As a small community of parents, students, and teachers in conscious partnership..."  We want to ensure that our mission is truly operational - not aspirational. Small, private institutions are very much challenged these days and TGS is no different. However, we have something others do not possess, which is our history of fulsome goodness and expertise, our concentration of like-minded educators and students, and a power of place that encourages all of us to show a duty of care and loyalty to the institution TGS, the students, and the leadership.

  

Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] if you ever have any questions about the board, about the oversight of TGS, or other. Thank you for your continued support!

Peter Eden

GIRLS ON TRACK! 
 








PUTNEY FOOD SHELF
 
May is the final month for TGS contributions to The Putney Food Shelf! This month the Preschool will be collecting for the Food Shelf, and we hope to collect a large and diverse supply of non-perishable food and household items to share with our neighbors in the community. The need is great, so please think of picking up a few items next time you are at the store. Collection boxes are outside the Main Office and the Preschool classroom. Please help us to make this a record month! Many thanks. 

ALL SCHOOL WORKDAY MAY 9
Spring is finally here! That means it is time to put away the snow shovels and break out the spades and garden clippers. TGS is having its annual spring clean up and work day on May 9 from 9 to noon. This is our chance to get our campus looking great, have a good time doing it, and get lunch in the process. Please put the date on your calendar and sharpen your tools. 

MUSICAL DVDS 
Beauty and the Beast JR DVDs by videographer Pedr Seymour are now available. Please email Alli with orders and remember to specify Cast A or Cast B. $20 check, payable to TGS,
should be delivered to Alli or to her faculty mailbox.  

Plans for Summer Discovery camp and the Young Explorers program are well under way. While the youngest campers are busy exploring the woods and crafting with Jess Sardinas, older kids can do everything from mountain biking and other outdoor adventures to studio art and traditional crafts.

The three-week sessions will run from July 6 through July 24, and it's a great time to get a jump on your summer schedule by reserving your place now. Please email Jen Robb for more information.

TGS SWEATSHIRTS! 

Hooded or crewneck sweatshirts are $35, Tshirts are $15, and a student's name on the back is an additional $5. Please email Mary to order, and specify style, size, color, and name choice. 
Like us on Facebook

MAY

9 All School Workday

14 Golf Event

15 Grandparents Day

21 Spring Concert

JUNE

6 Strolling of the Heifers Parade

10 Last day of school and Field Day

11 GRADUATION! 
Thursday, June 11 at 4pm

COMMUNITY NEWS

ALPINEGLO FARM - TGS Parents Rachel and Andy Ware

Join us Saturday, May 9 for our second annual open house and farm tour from 10am-2pm.  Bring your camera and your family to this FREE event.  Have a chance to play with this years baby Alpine Dairy Goats, visit the completed milking parlor, see baby chicks, and more!  We will have goats milk to sample and FREE popcorn. AlpineGlo Farm, Westminster VT  

(802) 463-2018 www.vthorseshoer.com/events   

 

Sunday, May 10 we will be hosting a Mother's Day Brunch Fundraiser from 11am-1pm.  This will be a farm to plate brunch buffet served under a party tent.  Live music by local favorites THE MILKHOUSE HEATERS!  We will be offering many of our market favorites to include sausage scrambled eggs, biscuits n gravy, roasted potatoes, lunch wraps, coffee, desserts, and much more!  Proceeds to benefit the AlpineGlo Farm cheeseroom build project.  Prices including meal tax are $40 for adults, $20 for kids 4-10, and free under 3.  FREE gift for all Mothers! Reservations are required. Please call 802-463-2018by May 1. For further details visit www.vthorseshoer.com/events.     

 

BRATTLEBORO SWIM TEAM
The Brattleboro Swim Team (BST) is gearing up for another fun summer swim season and we are looking for motivated swimmers of all abilities, ages 5-18, to join our winning team! BST is accepting 2015 summer season registrations now through Sunday, June 7. Please visitwww.offtheblocks.org/bst to learn more about BST and for registration information.    

 

MISSING XC SKIS

Willa's brand new XC skis - a Christmas gift from her grandma - went missing from the ski shed. They are black and yellow, no-wax, Fischer Sprint Crown Juniors, 160 cm. They had black tape near the tips. Also, 1 Norda aluminum pole, 120 cm, with her initials on the handle. Please double check what you or your child brought home!  Thanks, Alicia 

 

CIRCUS SHOW - 2015 graduate show of the Professional Track students from the New England Center for Circus Arts

In order to showcase all the acts, there are two different shows, alternating over two weekends, as well as shorter matinees on weekdays geared to school audiences.

Sat, May 9 - 3:00pm (Show A) and 7:30pm (Show B)
Sun, May 10 - 3:00pm (Show A)
Fri, May 15 - 7:30pm (Show B)
Sat, May 16 - 3:00pm (Show B) and 7:30pm (Show A)

One hour Matinees on May 13, 14 & 15, 10:30 am

All performances are at The Austine Campus, 209 Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT

Tickets are $15 adult / $8 youth under 12. 

To purchase tickets visit www.necenterforcircusarts.org.

For information call (802) 254-9780.

 

PUTNEY SCHOOL SUMMER PROGRAMS

Students are coming this summer from Cairo, Beijing, Munich, Tbilisi and Amsterdam - as well as Windham County and 23 States! Summertime at Putney School is simply a great crew of teens and adults who just need to keep doing their art - making films & animations, writing songs, singing, dancing, painting, weaving and much more. CONTACT Tom Howe, Director, The Putney School Summer Programs summer.putneyschool.org, 802-387-6234

 

MAIN STREET ARTS SUMMER CAMPS
Main Street Arts in Saxtons River has a variety of youth summer camps available.
www.mainstreetarts.org

GARDENING

TGS parent Sam Dell, the owner of Vermont Fine Gardeners, is offering $50 off the first 10 hours of gardening labor for any new clients. His business specializes in the maintenance and installation of perennial gardens, trees, and shrubs. He also does design consultation and edible landscaping. He can be contacted at (802) 380-3055 or at [email protected].

BED FOR SALE
PB Teen (Pottery Barn) Cottage style single bed with trundle. White. Lightly used. Price negotiable. If interested, visit this link and watch the video for more information.Please contact Libby if you have any questions or are interested in the bed.
 
FAMILY YOGA AT PUTNEY MOVES on Saturdays 11:00-12:15pm 
Family Yoga is a great way to engage the whole family in some silly fun!  Traditional Hatha yoga poses are mixed in with creative games, positive music, art projects, and story time. Parents will also work side-by-side with their little yogis to create poses.  Classes focuses on core strength (strong tummies), creative play, healthy communication skills and an overall awareness of health and wellbeing.

 

Ages 2 and up. A parent or caregiver must attend and participate. 

$20 for 1 adult and 1 child | $5 for each additional adult or child. Putney Moves is located at 133 Main Street, 2nd Floor.  Learn more at: www.putneymoves.com.   


NEWS ITEMS
Please send your Community News items to Mary by Tuesday morning to be included in the Wednesday Notice. If you have news you would like to share with The Grammar School community, please contact Mary.