ESBR Grateful for Fall 2023 Community Expeditions

Ludlow, VT: The Expeditionary School at Black River is grateful to share that this school year has been quite an exciting community exploration thus far. As the school year was set to begin, the focus was determined to delve into all the workings of the community. This included visiting and/or speaking with different departments within the Town, including the Water Treatment Facility, Dam Sites, and the Ludlow Transfer Station, all of which were able to offer unique perspectives on how the town was affected by the July flooding. ESBR even went so far as visiting the Springfield Dam early in the school year on what turned into a beautiful sunny afternoon. Students also spoke with our Town Manager, Brendan McNamara (pictured here with an ESBR student), which offered further clarification on the effects of the flooding on the community and the progress of rebuilding the Town. Furthermore, students also interviewed various organizations that support the Town, such as Black River Action Team, Black River Good Neighbor Services, and Okemo Valley TV. 

Students also partook in several fundraising exchanges. Throughout last spring and over the summer, Aubuchon’s advertised the opportunity for patrons to round up their bill and the extra change would be donated to ESBR. The final tally would be matched by Aubuchon’s for a double donation. A couple students were able to venture to the hardware store and organize a photo op with a large presentation check (a la Publishers Clearing House!) for a total of $2,447.54. ESBR made sure to pay it forward as well, donating $1,000 share to the Black River Good Neighbor Services’ Flood Relief following a successful Chicken BBQ in August with the amazing support of the Ludlow Legion, raising just over $2000 to split with BRGNS. Students were present at BRGNS for the donation and later reflected in their journals on the importance of BRGNS and the support they provide for the community. As one student explained, it was “to help them give back to the community even more and to help the community after the flood.”

ESBR continues to be awed by this community. For such a small and quaint town, it is tremendous how many groups, organizations, and departments make up this area. The ability to allow students to explore these various factions first hand and the flexibility to put weight to this as an educational opportunity is the foundation of what the Expeditionary School means. ESBR is forever grateful and looks forward to future expeditions around town. Lastly, stay tuned for updates on ESBR’s Giving Tuesday 2023 Fundraising Campaign. It takes a village!

Further information on ESBR is available at esblackriver.org. If you would like to learn more about the school or get involved, please contact Gary Blodgett, Chair of the Board, at gblodgett@esblackriver.org or 802-558-3147. Giving Tuesday 2023 Link is available at the Expeditionary Committee Facebook Page. Donations can be made on the ESBR website or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 485, Ludlow, VT 05149.

Cabin Fever Festival

We would like to invite you to join us for our Cabin Fever Festival, Sunday March 17th from 4-6 p.m. at Outer Limits, Proctorsville, VT.  Scan the QR code on the flyer below to access our Silent Auction and to purchase tickets.

If there QR code above is not working please click this link.
https://www.32auctions.com/esbr2024

Reflections after a week at ESBR

Originally Published 9/10/23

By Assistant Head of School, Gary Blodgett

The ship at the Expeditionary School At Black River, has left the dock of 2023-24. We are so grateful to everyone that has helped us get to this important stage to our journey.

We started the school with understanding that we, the staff, the students, their families, and the trustees are all part of the crew of this ship we call the Expeditionary School at Black River. We are on a journey to learning and growth. This year we are concentrating on the Ludlow area. We will start with understanding the flood and learn about the history, government, employment, and services of our area. We will also relate this to the world around us.

We excitedly welcomed new instructors in math, English and Spanish, along with other support staff. We continue our Morning Meetings at the beginning of each day, where we greet each other and discuss, social skills, recent news , and the day’s happenings.

We are gaining background information on the flood that recently hit our state and town. We had a great presentation from Pattie Potter, the manager of the Ludlow Transfer station about all the materials they had to take care of from the flood, the hazards of contaminated materials, and what the transfer station does with all its recycle material. We visited damage areas nearby and the Ludlow Sewer Plant to see how they dealt with the flood. Kelly Stettner, who is the organizer of BRAT (Black River Action Team) came and discussed the work her organization does to help clean up the Black River. Then we visited the shores of the Black River at Buttermilk Falls to see the damage there and to see how the river is showing life. We observed many water bugs in the river. This is a good sign that the river is getting healthier.

We learned, with our science teachers, about making an educated guesses about why things happen in science, forming a hypothesis and with data how theories get formed. We will continue to work on the scientific method.

Thanks to Okemo Valley TV, OVTV for an orientation with the use of cameras for videoing our studies. Watch for our productions.

Safety is always our concern. We have gone over many safety procedures and will continue to do so. The doors are locked. If you want to visit the school, you are indeed welcome. It would help if you let me know when you would like to visit. When someone rings the doorbell, it interrupts teaching and learning and a teaching adult will need to answer the door. All visitors are asked to sign in by the door as well. My number, for now, is 802-558-3147. You can text or call before school or during lunch around 11:45. I also check myemail before and after school. My email is gblodgett@esblackriver.org If you really need to get in touch withme, texting works better. I turn off the sound during class , as I ask the students to do as well.

We will be out again this week to visit at least one of the Ludlow dams.

Thanks to all the people who share their knowledge and experiences with us at ESBR.

Gary Blodgett and the ESBR staff

Ludlow Rotary Hears from ESBR Board Member Patrick Pullinen

Originally Published 1/13/23

LUDLOW, Vt. – At their Jan. 11 meeting the Ludlow Rotary Club heard from Pat Pullinen, of the Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR) Board of Directors. The school is now in its 3rd year of operation, offering project based learning to students in grades 7-12. The Board has been working for state certification approval for the past three years. Certification would allow school choice for students to attend the school, bringing state tuition reimbursement with them. This funding would permit the school to hire more faculty and accept more students.

The application to the state resulted in the board being asked additional questions, hosting a site visit, and finally, a subcommittee review. Unfortunately, the subcommittee recommended denial. The board has added requested procedures and processes as a result of the review. They will go through the certification process again, hoping to be able to establish a $150,000 budget. To be successful as a school, they need to be able to plan and budget with state certification.

Expeditionary learning is a rare option for students. There are only 116 recognized programs in the US that offer this interdisciplinary approach to learning. All students do projects as part of their education. Projects can be anything a student wishes. Each project includes math, science, and English combined into the project study. Proficiency based grading is used.

In response to a question, Pullinen stated that currently, the target number of students ESBR can support is 14 to 15, so they are not recruiting because they are at capacity. Expeditionary school should be the future of education, he feels. Pullinen did ask members of the rotary club to consider joining their board as ESBR is currently recruiting new board members.

Anyone interested in learning more about joining Rotary is invited to contact Kevin Barnes, Membership Chairman, at 802-228-8877 to receive an invitation to a meeting.

ESBR Match Challenge Goal Achieved

Originally Published 12/9/22

LUDLOW, Vt. – Thank you. Thank You. Thank you to everyone.

ESBR’s Giving Tuesday 2022 goal was achieved. Because of the generous donations from people in our community and from across the country, before the end of Giving Tuesday we reached the goal of raising $12,000. This means that with our matching challenge grant donations, we raised over $24,000. To date the total is $25,124, with a few late pledges and donations still arriving. The board, Head of School Dr. Kendra Rickerby, the staff, and students are so very grateful for your generosity and support of our innovative and young school. This support means so much to us as we continue to grow.

We hope you will follow our progress through the media and forthcoming newsletters. Again, thank you all so very much. Together we can, together we did; and together we will continue.

Sincerely,

The ESBR students, staff, volunteers, and board of trustees

ESBR Year Three is Off and Running

Originally Published 9/22/22

LUDLOW, Vt. – As schools begin their 2022-2023 school year, so too does the Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR), with an increased number of students this fall. This year’s students come from Ludlow, Mount Holly, Andover, Cavendish, Charlestown, N.H., and even a foreign exchange student from Germany, whose mother was an exchange student at Black River High School in the late ‘90s.

It is an exciting and auspicious time, as this marks ESBR’s 3rd Year of Operations. Despite many surprises along the way, ESBR continues to forge ahead with their mission of providing a space where every learning experience gains authenticity. Young adults graduate with strong work habits, the capacity to solve real-world problems, and financial literacy. Leading at the helm in ESBR is the returning Head of School, Kendra Rickerby, whose belief in the cause has been 100% from the first introduction, bringing with her many years of invaluable insight to carry out this vision. In early September, along with Board Chair Gary Blodgett, she awarded two of our original ESBR Trailblazers with their Diplomas at our Fall Graduation Ceremony. These two dedicated students, who hail from Ludlow originally and transitioned from BRHS to ESBR, held tight to their goal and finished their studies over the summer, earning their certificates to kick off a heartfelt Year Three. Three of their fellow schoolmates even graced the audience with their beautiful rendition of “The Climb.”

It was a wonderful start to what will be another exciting year. More is to follow in these next few weeks, including the Ludlow Elementary School Parent-Teacher Group’s Ludlow Harvest Fair, located on the front lawn of ESBR on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

If you would like to learn more about the school or get involved, please contact Gary Blodgett, Chair of the Board, at gblodgett@esblackriver.org or Kendra Rickerby, Head of School at krickerby@esblackriver.org. Please visit our website www.esblackriver.org. Donations can be made on the website or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 485, Ludlow, VT 05149.

Upcoming Events at ESBR

Originally Published 9/7/22

LUDLOW, Vt. – As autumn sets in and school starts for another exciting year, the Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR) is delighted to share upcoming events for the fall.

ESBR is currently selling raffle tickets to aid the Helicopter Golf Ball Drop for the A.C.T benefit golf tournament on Thursday, Sept. 15. A portion of these proceeds will be donated to ESBR for continued operational costs, and the remainder to support A.C.T and the families they serve. For these raffle tickets, please inquire with Marissa Selleck at mselleck@esblackriver.org or the emails listed below.

Secondly, as previously announced, on Saturday, Sept. 17, the 3rd Annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction will be held from 5–8 p.m. at Jackson Gore’s Roundhouse. For the first time this year, the Silent Auction will be available online as well. Both guests and those who may not be able to attend in person are welcome to bid online for items, which include a Burton Snowboard, Manship custom jewelry, Red Sox Tickets, 2023 Fox Run Golf Club Membership, a trip to Spain, and many wonderful crafts and gift certificates from local businesses. Items can be viewed at www.32auctions.com/2022ESBRSILENTAUCTION, and will be open online until Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Tickets to attend are available at www.esblackriver.org/social-fundraisers as well as at the Mary W. Davis Realtor & Associates and Inside Edge Rentals at Okemo Office, located in the Shaw’s plaza.

Lastly, ESBR is honored to again be attending the Ludlow Harvest Fair on Saturday, Oct. 1. Located on the ESBR front lawn and hosted by the Ludlow Elementary School’s (LES) PTG, it is a long-standing tradition presented by LES every fall. The PTG does a tremendous job organizing the event. Many talented artisans attend with their beautiful designs. Delicious food is also always close at hand, be it a skilled vendor or the PTG’s bake sale at the venue. And ESBR will provide games and arts and crafts for kids.

Please join us for these events. They not only provide operational funding, they also support the community, to which we owe so much gratitude. The journey is far from over, but we’ve accomplished so much with the help of the families and dedicated community members. We look forward to seeing everyone at these upcoming events.

If you would like to learn more about the school or get involved, please contact Gary Blodgett, Chair of the Board, at gblodgett@esblackriver.org  or Kendra Rickerby, Head of School at krickerby@esblackriver.org. Please visit our website www.esblackriver.org. Donations can be made on the website or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 485, Ludlow, VT 05149.

ESBR Welcomes New Member

Originally Published 8/28/22

LUDLOW, Vt. – Please join the Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR) Board of Trustees in welcoming their newest member, Stephen Messina. A native of Newport, R.I. originally, Stephen also has strong ties to Ludlow, spending many years visiting his sister’s family here and sharing an appreciation of what this community offers, including skiing and the lakes. This connection eventually led to Stephen purchasing his own place here in Vermont and investing in Mary W. Davis Realtor and Associates Inc. with his sister, Suzanne Garvey and fellow ESBR board member Julie Abraham.

Stephen acquired a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Rhode Island. He then received his Master in Business Administration from St. Leo University. For fifteen years he fulfilled several roles with Progressive Insurance as it progressed from humble beginnings into a Fortune 50 company. Following this success, Stephen has since served as a VP of Claims, Division President, and currently, Chief Claims Officer & SVP of Insurance Operations for a family-owned insurance company in Florida.

Stephen’s experience as well as his love of the Vermont outdoor lifestyle is a wonderful addition to the ESBR Team. With a keen eye for detail, he has provided a fresh view on the Expeditionary School’s growth. His assistance is greatly felt and appreciated, and the ESBR Board looks forward to the future with their newest Member’s presence.

ESBR is also grateful to have been invited to share the Mary W. Davis Realtor and Associates, Inc. table at the Best of Vermont Festival, hosted by the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce over the weekend of Aug. 20-21, 2022. ESBR will be selling golf ball raffle tickets for the next four weeks; a portion of these proceeds will be donated to ESBR as well as Assisting Children Today, a fellow 501©3 supported by our community partners Fox Run Golf Club and Calcutta’s. The golf ball raffle ticket drawing is part of the Helicopter Ball Drop conducted at the charity golf tournament on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022 at Fox Run.

Further information on ESBR is available at www.esblackriver.org, as well as details for the previously announced Third Annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction fundraiser, which fully benefits the Expeditionary School and its Trailblazer learners: www.esblackriver.org/social-fundraisers. Even if you cannot attend in person the Silent Auction will be available, for the first time ever, online at www.32auctions.com/2022ESBRSILENTAUCTION. Everyone is welcome, and any support in anyway is always greatly appreciated!

If you would like to learn more about the school or get involved, please contact Gary Blodgett, Chair of the Board, at gblodgett@esblackriver.org  or Kendra Rickerby, Head of School at krickerby@esblackriver.org. Please visit our website www.esblackriver.org. Donations can be made on the website or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 485, Ludlow, VT 05149.

Fletcher Farm Hosts Benefit Concert for ESBR

Originally Published 7/21/22

LUDLOW, Vt. – On Friday night, July 15, 2022, a benefit concert for the Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR) was held at Fletcher Farms Craft School in Ludlow, Vt. Jennifer Hartswick and Nick Cassarino performed for a good-sized crowd, spread across the field on blankets and lawn chairs. Children and dogs ran and played, and tasty, Mediterranean streetfare was served by Fork in the Road Food Truck of Plymouth.

The Black River School has a long history in Ludlow, first opening in 1835 as Black River Academy, then operating as a public high school from 1938–2019. ESBR was established in 2018, after members of the community, parents, and local business leaders came together with a mission and commitment to create an affordable, cost-efficient, innovative, and collaborative ecosystem of education.

ESBR partners with other organizations in the area, including Fletcher Farms, to “redesign the relationship with local schools, the business community, and taxpayers,” as stated on the ESBR website. Fletcher Farms provides ESBR with visual arts instruction, along with support regarding community engagement and fund raising.

Friday evening’s performance showcased the musicians’ considerable talents and delighted the audience, which erupted in cheers and applause throughout the concert. Hartswick’s soulful, powerful voice, and Cassarino’s inspired guitar skills were notable. Hartswick also played a jazzy trumpet on several songs. Their two-hour set included covers of Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Radiohead, and Paul Simon songs. Hartswick regularly tours with the Trey Anastasio Band. She is releasing an album, “Something in the Water,” slated to come out in September of 2022.

Both artists are native Vermonters, and Cassarino is an alumnus of the Black River High School. Cassarino expressed gratitude to Kendra Rickerby as a beloved teacher and mentor and thanked her for teaching him to be “curious,” and how to practice “outside the box thinking.” Rickerby is the Head of School and Lead Faculty for ESBR and organized the event, with sponsorship from Mary Davis Realty and Inside Edge Rentals.

All proceeds from the concert will benefit ESBR’s performing arts programs.

Boot Pro Dontaes to ESBR and Ascutney Outdoors

Originally Published 4/19/22

LUDLOW, Vt. – Alex and Shon Racicot, owners of Ludlow’s Boot Pro, recently initiated raffling off a pair of Atomic Skis. Proceeds were to benefit Ascutney Outdoors and The Expeditionary School at Black River, and a generous sum of $6,010 was raised. This money will now help sustain each of these program’s commitment to connecting people with their land. At its core, though, what distinguishes Boot Pro’s donation from other charitable moments, is its spirit of strengthening community by expanding local-area networks.

In the midst of the pandemic, ESBR opened its doors on Sept. 8, 2020. In 2015, Ascutney Outdoors was formed to take responsibility for the management, oversight, and development of recreational educational and community activities and conservation of land at Mount Ascutney. Both organizations are a community-driven approach to ensuring the natural environment is maintained and sustainable.

From its inception, ESBR’s Board of Trustees have set out to establish a school that would be situated in the heart of their community. To accomplish this vision, the school’s strategic plan continues to be framed by these educational pillars: environmental stewardship, outdoor adventure, community engagement, and civic responsibility. ESBR looks forward to exploring AO’s network of trails and using it as one of their outdoor “classrooms.” Like AO, ESBR has relied on pro bono support to get started. The Racicot’s introduction as the leaders of these organizations is just the beginning to ensuring that the younger generation of outdoor enthusiasts learns how to preserve and regenerate the environment here in southern Vermont and beyond.

Trees & Seeds Partners with the Expeditionary School

Originally Published 11/15/21

LUDLOW, Vt. – The Expeditionary School at Black River is excited to announce its new partnership with Trees & Seeds, a nonprofit whose vision centers around that belief that food security improves learning, elevates lives, and creates pathways to equality.

Over the past 28 years, John Hiers has educated students about forestry and agriculture. Several years ago, he left his position at Woodstock Union High School to form the nonprofit, Trees & Seeds. The goal of Trees & Seeds is to provide meaningful experiences for all participants by creating collaborations through agricultural projects and other related services. With an abundance of experience, he looks forward to sharing his vision of peace through cultivation with the Trailblazers at the Expeditionary School at Black River.

Kendra Rickerby is excited to have this additional partnership. The Trees & Seeds connection is a central part of the Food System and Agricultural pathway ESBR is building for 11th and 12th graders. The school welcomes John’s longstanding commitment to hands-on learning experiences for students and the community. “We are thrilled to be the beneficiaries of Trees & Seeds commitment to cultivating an ecosystem of anytime, anywhere learning,” stated Rickerby. The synergy between each organization’s vision is a natural fit.

The Expeditionary School at Black River’s mission is to educate students to be intellectually curious, resourceful, and confident in themselves for a life of personal fulfillment and civic engagement. To learn more about ways to become connected to ESBR, please contact Kendra Rickerby via email at krickerby@esblackriver.org or visit www.esblackriver.org.

Fletcher Farm School Partners with Expeditionary School

Originally Posted 10/30/21

LUDLOW, Vt. – The Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts has entered into a partnership with the Expeditionary School at Black River to provide art and craft instructors to the Expeditionary School’s students.

As set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations: “ESBR intends to be a hub from which a creative economy in the Okemo Valley Region (and possibly beyond) can evolve. This means that ESBR will partner with venerable community organizations whose resources both benefit student learning and strengthen the community at-large.

“To enhance existing and forthcoming learning opportunities, this agreement provides ESBR with the opportunity to utilize the arts and crafts resources at FFSAC for the purposes of arts education. In so doing, ESBR will be able to offer middle and high school age students with multiple opportunities to engage with various artistic mediums and forums. Students will be exposed to artists-in-residence on a continuous basis, allowing them to learn from a wide array of working professionals.”

Fletcher Farm School receives Cultural Recovery Grant

The Vermont Arts Council and Vermont Humanities have given the Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts a $5,000 grant to assist in recovering from the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The grant is to be used to support operating and administrative costs. Funding for the grant is provided through the American Rescue Plan from the National Endowment for the Arts.

We are grateful to the Vermont Arts Council and Vermont Humanities for providing this assistance to our school.

November classes

• Nov. 5-7: “Quilter’s Choice” with Susan Balch

• Nov. 8-9: “Weave a Necktie Chair Seat” with Joyce Fuller

• Nov. 11-12: “Setting Custom Cabochons” with Debi Orton

• Nov. 13: “Making a Bucket Basket” with Meg Kupiec

• Nov. 13-14: “Carving an Elf or a Gnome” with Wayne Miller

• Nov. 14: “Making Birch Bark Ornaments” with Penny Hewitt

We are seeking new instructors. If you are at all interested in teaching at Fletcher Farm School, please visit our website at www.fletcherfarm.org/about-us/become-an-instructor. You can email schooldirector@fletcherfarm.org if you have any questions.

Both of our raffles are still open. Our annual raffle, to be drawn Dec. 1, features an afghan, a rug, and a bench with a woven necktie seat. Any of these items would make a great holiday gift. We are also running a special raffle for a hand-appliqued Baltimore Album Quilt, appraised at $6,500. This raffle will be drawn on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 2022. Tickets for both raffles can be purchased on our website.

Gift certificates are the perfect way to celebrate the holidays with friends and family members. You might also consider giving a gift membership. Both gift certificates and memberships can be purchased on our website.

There will be a special membership meeting Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Proxies were sent out to all current members via email. Changes to membership categories, which require a membership vote, are the primary reason for this meeting.

LaValley Donates $6,000 towards Expeditionary School at Black River

Originally Published 6/12/21

LUDLOW, Vt. – The Expeditionary School at Black River board continues its hard work to support the school’s financial future. The Pathways to Possibilities Campaign continues, and we are thrilled to thank our newest member of the Groundbreaker category of donors: our hometown building headquarters, LaValley Building Supply. They generously donated $6,000 towards supporting education and the school’s mission to educate students to be intellectually curious, resourceful, and confident in themselves for a life of personal fulfillment and civic engagement.

The school is working to create a more passionate, engaged, and prepared workforce for the future through empowering students to be leaders in their learning and thus leaders in their communities. Through providing flexible pathways towards individualized goals, the school encourages independent and self-directed learners.

Seeing the vision play out this year in the classroom has been a powerful testament to the power of self-directed learning in action. Students are tackling their schedules, their assignments, and their own capacity for learning with a sense of ownership and purpose that cultivates responsibility. To hear more about the campaign and the progress of the school from Kendra Rickerby, Head of School, Susan Haefner, Performing Arts Instructor, and Megan Jenkins, Vice-Chair of the Board, you can watch the conversation recorded at Okemo Valley TV at www.okemovalley.tv/expeditionary-school-br-update.

Saturday, June 12 will be the first graduation of the Expeditionary School at Black River. The graduation will celebrate the first-ever graduate, Taylor Meyette at 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Town Hall. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the graduation ceremony has limited seating, but if you want to show your support please line Depot Street at 10 a.m. with signs to show your support.

The school is grateful for the community’s support in this campaign. Our contributors include LaValley, $6,000; Mary Davis Real Estate, $5,500; William Raveis, $1,432; John and Rosa Donohue, $1,200; Knight Tubs, $1,000; Ulie Donahue, $1,000; Ludlow Masons, $1,000; Engels & Volker Real Estate, $1,000; Jenkins Builders, $1,000; Tim and Carol Haigh, $1,000; Main & Mountain, $1,000; The Hostel, $1,000; Brewfest, $500; Michael and Terrence Corbie-Plaut, $500; Annabelle Reid, $250; American Legion, $200; Jay Buckley, $100; Justin Savage, $100; Anne Bruntrager, $100; Shirley Holden, $50; and Jake Sapatos, $20. If you are interested in supporting the campaign, please visit our website, www.blackriveris.org/fund2021.

WCAX TV Interview

Originally Published 3/31/21

Article by Olivia Lyons

Published: Mar. 31, 2021 at 4:52 PM EDT | Updated: 6 hours ago

LUDLOW,  Vt. (WCAX) - When Act 46 consolidation closed a school in Ludlow,  families didn’t want to send their students far away. So they opened a  new school in the same building.

The  Black River Middle and High School in Ludlow closed as a result of the  consolidation process under Act 46. That meant Ludlow students would now  go to the other high school in the Two Rivers Supervisory Union, 13  miles away in Chester.

The decision  left the community divided and led a group of residents to open a new  independent school, the Expeditionary School at Black River, now  operating in the same building as the former Black River public school.

“There  have been many times we didn’t know if it would actually happen, many  times we were asked if it would actually happen,” said Kristen Garvey, a  parent and founding board member.

When Black River Middle and High School  closed, kids primarily switched to Green Mountain Union High School in  Chester or Mill River Union High School in North Clarendon.

For Garvey and other parents, it was important to keep the middle and high school close by.

“Having  to drive 35-40 minutes every day back and forth, and what that sort of  does to the family situation. Was overwhelming to think about that and  so that was definitely a big motivating factor,” Garvey said.

Kendra Rickerby is the head of the Expeditionary School at Black River.

“Opening day was the result of committed  community members who believed and continue to believe that this town  needs a school situated at the heart of it,” Rickerby said.

Rickerby  says this first year, the school is funded through donations and all 16  current students are attending at no cost to their families. But  organizers are working to get full recognition as an independent school  and to have access to public education dollars.

“We are aiming to also get AOE approval so that tax dollars could someday follow,” Rickerby said.

They  hope more Ludlow families will enroll students next year, and like  other independent schools, will be looking beyond town borders.

“We will also be recruiting tuition-paying families, and tuition is $15,000 per student,” Rickerby said.

At  this time, the school is only using the second floor, but there is  capacity for about 300 students and the school would be able to rent the  entire building from the town.

“I would love to see that happen,” Garvey said. “I think that would be really amazing.”

Rickerby  says the expeditionary school’s model is vastly different than a  typical public high school. There is no set class schedule with bells  between periods. Students are assigned work and choose when to get it  done in their own space

.“We would love to see ultimately serving  local, but also expanding that out to anybody who would like to come  here and have this type of experience,” Garvey said.

The school is also working on incorporating a hybrid model, allowing families the option to learn while out of town.

We  reached out to district school board members and Chester’s town manager  to see if losing students from Green Mountain Union would negatively  affect their class sizes and education funding, but we did not hear back  before this story was published.

Copyright 2021 WCAX. All rights reserved.

Independent School Named Expeditionary School at Black River

Originally Published 2/1/21

LUDLOW, Vt. – Despite the turbulence of 2020,  the Black River Independent School Committee remains committed to  strengthening the Ludlow community, educationally and beyond. In a year  marked by catastrophic wildfires, a global pandemic, historic job  losses, and a national reckoning with systemic racism, BRISC’s vision  for economic vitality offers an emerging model for how to redesign the  relationship between local schools, the business community, and  taxpayers. Now, with 2021 upon us, the highlights of our first semester  are noteworthy.

We opened our doors tuition-free to 16 students Sept. 8, 2020.  Offering a flexible culture of learning, we have remained fully open  Monday through Friday. As our school has evolved with these times, so  has our name, and so has our desired impact. From the onset, the  curriculum placed an emphasis on respecting a wide variety of cultures,  religions, languages, and the challenges of socioeconomic diversity.  Continuing with an acronym that references a specific religious ceremony  is counterintuitive. It undermines our purpose.

We are excited to announce that our second semester will include  marketing and branding our revised name: Expeditionary School at Black  River.

In time, it is our intention to be referred to as “Black River.” This  will be a key feature of how our long-term business plan aims to scale  an ecosystem of flexible learning across the state, and possibly the  nation. The positivity of our first four months reminds us that the  foundation to do so is solid. We have signed agreements with Black River  Innovation Campus in Springfield and Castleton University’s the Center  for Schools in Rutland. We are collaborating with Okemo Valley TV right  here in Ludlow to capture students’ participation in National History  Day’s “Communication in History: Key to Understanding” project. Through  these partnerships, we are developing a network that can help balance  the demand for enhancing student’s technological skills with a need to  simultaneously keep them connected to the natural environment.

We are keenly aware of how the coronavirus is creating a world that  is dependent on access to the Internet. In light of this reality, we are  embracing the expedition of finding ways to facilitate learning  opportunities where students must unplug from electronic devices. This  past semester students participated in a rock climbing and canoeing  excursion at the Chittenden Reservoir. With the help of the Book Nook  here in Ludlow, we’ve purchased paper copies of Laurie Hulse Anderson’s  “Seeds of America” trilogy. To strengthen our curriculum’s alignment  with the Next Generation Science Standards, we are initiating  partnerships with Vermont Institute for Natural Sciences and the Lake  Champlain Maritime Museum, programming that we hope to make available by  summer 2021. And, we are thrilled to accept the donation of a piano.  Our interrelated approach to curriculum design allows us to weave music  lessons into our teaching of the writing process.

To date, curriculum development and strategic plans have been  influenced by EL Education’s approach to school improvement. The EL  stands for Expeditionary Learning. This framework was first introduced  30 years ago via a partnership between Harvard Graduate School of  Education and Outward Bound. Influenced by this philosophy, our  organizational design is also anchored in the policy expectations put  forth by Vermont’s Agency of Education in the mandates known as  Educational Quality Standards (2015) and Act 77: Flexible Pathways to  Secondary School Completion (2013). Both of which are still intact  today.

At its core, expeditionary means “a journey or excursion undertaken  for a specific purpose.” The second half of its definition conveys a  commitment to “efficient promptness.” Initially, BRISC was established  to maintain the presence of a cost-effective school in the heart of  Ludlow. In response to the fiscal challenges created by Covid-19, with  this revised nomenclature, the Expeditionary School at Black River’s  approach intends to promptly respond to the needs of working parents and  guardians as well local business owners during the remainder of and  post-Covid. We opened in spite of the complications presented by this  pandemic. As a result, we are well positioned to serve as a solution to  the difficult lessons garnered from the rapid scaling of “remote  learning.” Communities like ours cannot afford to do otherwise.

In the weeks following this announcement, we will be rolling out the  details of a member loan program. In order to remain open next year and  beyond, ESBR needs to secure investors. Thanks to the entrepreneurial  mindset of the members of BRISC, we have a chance to coordinate a  renewed approach to funding local schools, doing so is more likely to  safeguard an affordable lifestyle for all Vermonters.

Please feel welcome to get in touch with me at krickerby@esblackriver.org.  Working together we are more likely to ensure that a renewed approach  to operating a community’s school can also create many positive new  beginnings for students, their families, and the local workforce.

Written by Kendra Rickerby, Ph.D., Interim Head of School

Expeditionary School at Black River Receives EpicPromise Grant

Originally Published 2/1/21

LUDLOW, Vt. – The Expeditionary School at  Black River announced last week that they are the recipient of a $4,000  grant from EpicPromise, a Vail Resorts foundation. The funds will go to  support extra programming and appropriate outdoor gear for the students.  This funding reflects Vail’s Covid-19 relief efforts by encouraging  outdoor activities. Outdoor education is a pillar of the school with an  emphasis on personal growth and physical wellbeing. By participating in  an outdoor curriculum that is woven into their classes, students are  learning to collaborate in small group settings, empathize,  problem-solve, and develop confidence in themselves and others. ESBR  looks forward to continued partnership with Vail and EpicPromise in the  future.

The Expeditionary School at Black River also began a partnership with  the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. Students engaged in their  first outdoor experience with VINS last week with a lesson on animal  tracking while snowshoeing. The program will run through June and is to  include additional outdoor experiences as well as access to a virtual  classroom with online resources and materials.

If you would like to learn more about the school or get involved, please contact Pat Pullinen, Chair of the Board at patrick@blackriveris.org or Kendra Rickerby, Interim Head of School at kendra@blackriveris.org. Please visit our website at www.blackriveris.org. Donations can be made on the website or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 485, Ludlow, VT 05149.

Concert featuring Broadway veteran and Andover resident Susan Haefner: 10% of Proceeds to Benefit The Independent School

9/14/20

Concert featuring Broadway veteran and Andover resident Susan Haefner, with special guests Lisa and Lori Brigantino.

• Susan, Lisa, and Lori will entertain us, often in 3-part harmony, with traditional folk and old-time songs, plus original tunes written by Lisa. A very special surprise guest will lead the singalong portion of the concert.

• “Make Yourself at Home” premieres on Okemo Valley TV’s YouTube Channel on November 1st at 5pm, and will be available for viewing for the month of November. The concert will also air on Okemo Valley TV’s community channel, dates and times to be announced.

• The concert is free of charge, although viewers are asked to consider a $15-20 donation, which will directly support the work of Little Yellow House Studio artists and Black River Independent School.

Funding at the Heart of Startup Ludlow Private School

Originally Published 4/20/20

By Shawn Cunningham

Apr 10, 2020
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC

A new private, independent high school in Ludlow will be pushing hard to raise the funding it needs to open in the coming school year, according to its board chair Sean Williams. The task is made doubly difficult by the effect of a global pandemic on the economy and social distancing.

According to Williams, the Black River Independent School is prepared to educate 14 students from the Ludlow-Mt. Holly area in the fall 2020/spring 2021 school year if it can raise the remaining $120,000 of the school’s $200,000 budget.

Included in that total is a yet-to-be-defined portion that will need to be on hand by June to give the board confidence that the school will be able to make it through the year.

An earlier concept for the school was a private reanimation of the Black River High School, but with 75 or so students. But last fall, when the Two Rivers Supervisory Union surveyed Ludlow-Mt. Holly students who would be in middle or high school next year, it found that 23 made the new independent school their first choice while it was the second choice for another 14.

Two teachers and a business manager

The volunteer BRIS board, which has been working for a couple of years on the plans for the school, is currently in the final stages of negotiations for a Head of School who will also teach. According to Williams, the candidate for the job has experience in starting a small school and would be joined by a second teacher, who has yet to be hired, along with a business manager.

“A teacher in this setting needs to be flexible and have a diverse background,” said Williams, who taught for 15 years at the National Outdoor Leadership School. BRISC’s website outlines “six pillars” of education and an “expeditionary learning model” that takes a non-traditional approach to education.

With two teachers, Williams sees 14 students as the ideal number for the kind of hands-on teaching and mentoring that is envisioned by the school’s board. “We could handle 15 or 16, but not 25,” said Williams. “Smaller is the best fit.”

Private dollars needed to secure state funding

BRIS intends to use the Black River High School building for its campus

The school has to raise its funding privately because it has not yet qualified to receive funding from Vermont’s education fund as schools like Burr and Burton do when they take students from “school choice” towns.

Ludlow and Mt. Holly became school choice towns when they voted to close Black River High School as part of an Act 46 merger. Students from those towns may attend any school that has qualified with the state and tuition dollars from the education fund follow them.

While a letter to the editor from the board celebrates the “local control” aspect of the plan and notes that public funding comes with significant state oversight, the plan, which is laid out later in the letter is to apply to receive school choice tuition after proving itself in the initial year.

Williams says that he expects that the initial student body will be made up of students in grades 7 to 10. That would give the school a year to figure out how it would offer courses to prepare for advance placement tests.

And initially it will not offer a special needs program, although Williams said the school would be looking at ways to meet such needs after that. The school will use at least a portion of the Black River High School building, according to Williams.

To the Editor: Black River Independent School Ready

Originally Published 4/9/20

The Chester Telegraph

Apr 07, 2020

The time is now. We at the Black River Independent School are ready to make a big move.

You have been hearing from us for three years now, in some form, about our mission to open an independent school in Ludlow, to serve any area student, tuition-free. A school whose independent status will allow full local control. A school whose vision and mission arise directly from our community, from its character and needs. One that is not another attempt to cut-and-paste a large urban high school onto our rural mountain town.

In the past year, you’ve seen a concrete vision for what this school could be. Six pillars. 75 students, and in future years, perhaps 150 or 200. A school where “personalized learning,” “vocational education” and “environmental commitment ” are not just buzzwords. Where a student, with the support of their family, has true freedom to learn based on their passions. To look towards a career that excites them. To count on a truly diverse and well-rounded education that will prepare them to live the lives they want, and to lead, whether here in Ludlow, or anywhere in the world.

That vision is the same. That’s where we are headed, as long as our community supports it.

Over the past month we’ve been zeroing in, with laser focus, on how that vision will begin in August 2020. We’ve taken input from our local representatives, from the very helpful contacts that we’ve developed at the Vermont Agency of Education, from specialized fundraising and legal consultants, and from a few of our best candidates for Head of School, who we’ve recently been interviewing. The message we’ve received has been clear: with a big vision, it’s always better to start small. It’s better to create what you want to see at a scale where you feel confident of success, and grow it into the future.

The coming school year will be our pilot program. We’ll start with 14 students and two faculty, including our Head of School, supported by one Business Manager, and, of course, our 100 percent volunteer Board of Trustees. This will be done on a budget of just $200,000. We’ll be sharing that budget in the next few weeks. You’ll find that, compared to the district budgets we all review and vote on every year, ours is quite short and easy to understand. That’s because at a small scale, things are simple, and overhead is reduced – especially administrative overhead. In fact, our per-pupil cost will be just $14,294 – about 15 percent lower than local districts.

In this pilot year, we’ll be doing this without public tax dollars. For the first year of operation, our goal is to preserve as much local control as possible. The State of Vermont’s process for public funding for independent schools, where town tax dollars are channeled on a per-pupil basis to that pupil’s school of choice, involves significant oversight by the state. We believe that if we come to that process with an established school, with a strong record of success and with parents and a community behind it, we will come through with our vision still intact. We expect to do that as early as next year.

That means that for 2020-21, the Black River Independent School will be funded on a 100 percent donation basis. We need our community behind us to make this happen. We’ll be asking our major donors not how much they can give, but how many students they can fund – $14,494 each. If that’s you, we’d like to hear from you, and you can expect to hear from us. For those of more modest means, we ask that you do whatever you can. We are intensely aware that this is a time of great economic uncertainty. If you are unsure of what the next month brings, we ask that you think about the following month. If you are not ready in the summer, we will be here in the fall.

We are already over a third of the way there, having raised $79,000 so far. Our goal is to hit $200,000 by the end of 2020. But to open the doors in August, we need to make significant progress in the next three months. We will not invite students to begin their school year at a school that is not on solid financial footing: if we have not made significant progress towards our goal by the end of June, such that we feel confident about reaching our goal, we will not open in August.

We are sure our towns can do this. If every one of the 3,200 full-time residents of Ludlow and Mount Holly contributed $64, we’d be there. If 14 generous donors, individuals or families, who love our towns and can support a vision that will help ensure their viability as genuine communities, where families can live and succeed, supported one student each… we’d be there.

We need your help, whatever your means. The 14 students who will commit to this pilot year will be brave pioneers. They deserve your support, and your belief in them. But it’s not just about them. Their success this year will set the stage for this pilot program to be scaled up in subsequent years, thanks to Vermont’s generous and innovative system of public funding for independent schools.

It has to start somewhere, and it’s starting now. If you have questions or input, please contact any one of our Trustees, who are carrying this vision forward until the Head of School begins work early this summer. You can also respond to this email. We will be contacting students who have already enrolled on our website to discuss how this new vision can include you.

In community,

The Black River Independent School Board of Trustees

Sean Williams, Chair
Pat Pullinen, Vice-Chair
Marissa Selleck, Secretary
Kristen Garvey, interim Treasurer
Melissa Perrino, Trustee
Suzy Buckley, Trustee
John Bannon, Trustee
Julie Abraham, Trustee
Summers Williams, Trustee

BRISC Kicks Off Fundraising Challenge with Mix and Match: The Vermont Journal

Originally Published 12/12/19

LUDLOW, Vt. – The Black River Independent School Committee held a “Mix & Match” event Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Stemwinder. BRISC members announced that they will be donating $20,000 and are seeking matching donations from the community. A matching grant would help BRISC achieve its first six-figure milestone of $100,000.

In addition to a general update on progress, BRISC shared airtime with Allie Cashel who spoke about the Service Learning Program she is spearheading in Vermont. The Black River Independent School is a likely candidate for this program and the committee is in discussions with Cashel about how they can bring SLP to the new school.

BRISC continues to seek input from the community. Weekly meetings are held every Thursday, from 6-8 p.m., at the Black River High School library. Anyone with interest or expertise is encouraged to attend the meetings and to contribute to the work in progress. The group’s current focus is to generate fundraising dollars for start-up and reserve funds to establish Black River Independent School. BRISC is seeking not only monetary support but also volunteers.

If you would like more information or would like to get involved with the Black River Independent School, please contact Sean Williams or Pat Pullinen at blackriverindependentschool@gmail.com. Please visit our website www.blackriveris.org. Donations can be made on the website or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 485, Ludlow, VT 05149.

The Chester Telegraph: Green Mountain and Ludlow/Mt. Holly School Choice

Originally Published 12/19/19

Nov. 27, 2019

Shawn Cunningham

The district’s ability to keep to its priorities and improve education will depend on how many students from the Ludlow-Mount Holly district bring their tuition dollars to Green Mountain High School. With a tuition of $17,000 per student, it would take 35 students to cover the items approved by the committee. 

Business manager Cheryl Hammond outlines the number of Black River students expected to attend various high schools

Powden and business manager Cheryl Hammond told the board that so far, of the 130 students who would have attended Black River High but who will have school choice next year, 23 have opted for the new Black River Independent School, 20 for GM, 18 for Mill River and 11 to other schools. Fifteen former Black River students are already attending Green Mountain and are presumed to be coming back. That leaves 43 students who have not returned the paperwork to designate school choice to them by the Supervisory Union. Black River is set to close in June 2020.

Another factor in this is that the new independent school in Ludlow will need to get approval from the State Board of Education before it will be able to take public funding. If that doesn’t happen or is delayed, the 23 students who have chosen it will have to make a second choice.

Powden told the committee that her assistant was calling the families who have not yet returned their papers. There was no discussion whether any sort of sales “pitch” was in order.

The Finance Committee’s next meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Monday Dec. 9, 2019 at Cavendish Town Elementary School, 573 Main Street in Proctorsville.

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