Education. Especially Rural and Public. – Rebecca Holcombe ’84
The map of Vermont’s school districts—more than 270—on Dr. Rebecca Holcombe’s office wall resembles a patchwork quilt. Rebecca is responsible for this mix of colors and overlapping diagonal lines, this complicated school system. A passionate supporter of public schools, Rebecca became Vermont’s Secretary of Education in January 2014. “Nothing is more important than public education,” says Rebecca. “If we cannot help children develop their voices and participate in civic life, help them make good decisions for our communities...
read moreArt: Eclectic Visions
Eclectic Visions Milton’s Nesto Gallery, May/June 2016 This spring, Milton’s Nesto Gallery showcased the work of talented alumni artists celebrating their Milton reunion. The exhibit was a broad collection of perspective, scale, medium and story. Artists include Valerie Claff ’81, Murray Dewart ’66, Mikel Glass ’81, Walter Horak ’66, Michael Maltby ’66 and Amy Wood ’76.
read moreWhat Is the Real Safe?
In the black box, six students shift quietly about the stage, taking positions to give public voice to the raw, or eloquent, or plaintive comments that emerged during more than 30 interviews. The actors, in their dark or neutral street-wear, recede physically, which isolates and emphasizes their words slicing through the air, riveting the audience. The script, which they sculpted from their transcribed interviews, sketches vulnerability in different shapes and sizes. It uses their narrators’ exact phrases. “Narrators” are those people...
read moreKnow Thyself: An Approach to Getting There
In the student lounge of Ware Hall one morning in late May, seventh graders were piecing together snack “necklaces” to represent what they’d learned about themselves. They’d just completed year one of the Middle School’s 360 program. A mini-Saltine cracker meant they knew their learning style, and could easily articulate it. Gummy candies and fruit loops in different flavors represented auditory, visual and tactile/kinesthetic learning. A Cheerio represented empathy, and a purple gummy ring was the sign of good time management. A...
read moreIn Sight, Fall 2016
World-renowned photojournalist Lynsey Addario shared with students the challenges and rewards of her work, covering wartime conflicts and human rights issues. Photographs from her award-winning collection Veiled Rebellion—documenting the plight of women in Afghanistan—were on exhibit in Milton’s Nesto Gallery, during her visit as last year’s Melissa Dilworth Gold Visiting Artist. Ms. Addario creates photographs for the New York Times, National Geographic and Time...
read moreMarshall Sloane ’17 Wins National Championship in Speech Tournament
Almost four years to the day after he earned a national title in speech and debate as a Middle School student, Marshall Sloane ’17 repeated the feat, this time becoming High School National Champion in international extemporaneous speaking at the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah. Marshall delivered 13 speeches over the course of the tournament, rising to the top of the 250 students from across the country who competed in his category. He earned awards for winning the finals as well as the entire...
read moreMatt Tabor ’17 Throws Perfect Game Against Lawrence
Matt Tabor ’17 accomplished one of the most challenging and impressive achievements in sports when he pitched a perfect game against Lawrence Academy this spring. Matt’s perfect game, which happened on April 30, capped a season full of highlights for the boys’ varsity baseball team. “Pitching a perfect game is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says Sam Murray ’17. The accomplishment is rare—Coach Matthew Petherick had never had a pitcher throw a perfect game before Matt. Matt said that he did not have high expectations going into...
read moreCampus Safety Director Jay Hackett Wins National Award
Jay Hackett, Milton’s director of campus safety and risk management, has achieved the “gold standard” in addressing safety and security issues at sporting events, according to a national organization recognizing Jay’s leadership. Jay was included among professionals from Major League Baseball, the National Football Association, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who received Professional of the Year Awards from the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at the University of Southern Mississippi. Milton’s...
read moreMilton Student Poet Wins National Recognition
A “tough contest” is how English faculty member Lisa Baker describes the Bennington College Young Writers Award. But Letitia Chan’s ’17 collection of poems stood out among more than 2,000 entries, and she was awarded the first-place poetry prize. Her poems cover topics such as a distant relationship between a mother and daughter to a grandfather who favors men over women, but only has granddaughters. “Most of my writing is only partly autobiographical. Often it is a version of something or an experience I took inspiration from,”...
read moreMiddle School “Speechies” and Coach Debbie Simon Earn National Recognition
Speaking, storytelling and bringing to life poetry and prose paid off for the Middle School’s Speech Team, as it was recognized as one of the top-five Teams of Excellence at the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah. The students used their skills in public address, limited preparation and interpretation to succeed in a variety of events over the course of the tournament. Six students placed as finalists during the tournament, meaning they were among the top six in the nation in their events, while several...
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