Culture story sections
in case you missed it (icymi), fyi:
16th Annual Homelessness Marathon Consciousness-Raising Radio Broadcast Live from Brattleboro, VT:
Wednesday, February 19th
The Brattleboro Town School Board recently sent surveys to parents, staff, and students as part of their community outreach effort. Below are the questions that were asked of each group. I thought the surveys might be of interest to those who don’t have children attending any of these three schools, but are interested in education.
Recently, I submitted a list of questions to the Brattleboro Town School Board with regard to standardized testing, federal education programs, teachers’ concerns, and a range of other topics. I received a response from Town School Board Chair Margaret Atkinson today, with answers to most of them.
Margaret Atkinson explained that she “worked with [WSESU Superintendent of Schools] Ron Stahley and District Curriculum Coordinator Lyle Holiday” in preparing the answers.
She stressed that the answers were not intended to represent the views of the Town School Board, who, she said, have not voted on it and have no declared position on most of these issues.
As many in town grapple with the sense of cognitive dissonance that comes from hearing multiple conflicting views about our schools, it’s helpful to have concrete statements of position to evaluate. The questions and answers below shed light on the administration’s view of the issues, and provide important background into how our school administrators see education today.
5:45 Live breaks down the Governor’s break-out State of the State, the VT ACLU presentation on drones in Bratt, the PSB’s VY v VT thoughts, Target’s massive data breach, and much more.
Southeastern Vermont’s Northern Roots Traditional Music Festival will take place on Saturday, January 25, 2014 in Brattleboro, Vermont. Now in its 7th year, the Brattleboro Music Center’s annual festival brings together local and regional musicians representing the best of various northern musical traditions. This year’s festival features over twenty musicians and the rich traditions of Ireland, Scotland, England, Scandinavia, New England and French Canada.
The annual Northern Roots Festival is a celebrated opportunity for Brattleboro’s vibrant community of traditional musicians to come together to share their music with each other and the community at large. The festival also draws on the richness of talent in the broader region, with players from throughout New England coming to perform, teach and participate in informal sessions.
Brattleboro Film Festival, Media Release
Contact: Lissa Weinmann (917) 239-8743
BRATTLEBORO, Vermont (January 20, 2014): On the heels of a very successful November 2013 event, the Brattleboro Film Festival (BFF) announced the 3rd Annual Brattleboro Film Festival will take place from Thursday October 31 to Sunday November 9, 2014 at the Latchis Theatre in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont.
BFF is a unique, all volunteer-led and -run festival. The 30 films and accompanying events of the 2013 festival were enthusiastically received by more than 2,200 festival-goers. Enough revenue was brought in by attendance to get a strong start to this year’s fundraising effort, which has already commenced.
According , the U.N. says that a lag in confronting climate woes will be costly. It suggests that nations have so dragged their feet in battling climate change that the situation has grown critical and the risk of severe economic disruption is rising.
Another 15 years of failure to limit carbon emissions could make the problem virtually impossible to solve with current technologies, the experts found.
But…there’s a solution! (Yay). The article goes on to say:
BCTV Ch.8 Schedule for the week of 1-20-14
Monday January 20
12:00 am NECI Pastry Demonstration with Master Chef Francois Payard 11/9/13
1:00 am Helping Seniors Understand Reverse Mortgages
2:00 am FSTV Overnight
4:00 am The Artful Word – CAMP TA KUM TA Santa Run
4:15 am VT Works for Women Presents: Young Women and the VT Economy
Here’s a link to a that challenges the benefits and virtues of testing.
“I happen to believe that efforts to raise test scores dramatically and in mass, such as is called for by NCLB, is a fool’s errand that can only end in failure or (more likely) fraud.”
As a parent who has sent two kids through the system, and former educator myself, I submit this article as one who no longer has ‘skin in the game’. However, I believe all of us have a flesh and blood investment in this issue, because the corporate mindset and methods that now so heavily dominate education, inform almost every aspect of our lives.
Probably to Portus Baxter, M.C., Derby Line, Vt.
East Charleston Jan. 18, 1864.
Dear Friend –
I had intended to have gone to Washington, but the detachment did not go Friday, and learned that one of my children was very sick and came this way instead of the other. I got home Saturday, found my youngest child very sick. He appears to be better today. Think he will get along. It was a bad time to come, as I had just been relieved from duty, in order to study. Major Bartlett made an application to Major Austin to get me into the 9th Regt. But the Major could not send me there and thought it not necessary. My furlough is out next Monday. I shall then fit for an examination as quick as possible. All speak encouragingly. I am sometimes fearful. I do not know what I have got to go through. I wish that I could see you before I go on for an examination. I may have a chance to go out as a general.
This one is for keyboard players, musicians in general, and Steely Dan fans.
I like to hear musicians talk about their craft. This week I’ve decided to feature a video in which Warren Bernhardt sits with Donald Fagen in Woodstock, NY to talk about songwriting techniques such as harmony and melody, and the blues.
It is a master class in piano playing, but it is also a look at Steely Dan’s songs Chain Lightning, Peg, and Josie, and shows how they were constructed. It’s an up close and personal demonstration of each song followed by a performance.
ON EXHIBIT January/February Lita Judge Children’s Illustrators’ Book Cases, 2nd Floor Hallway Across Children’s Room.
Lita Judge grew up immersed in all aspects of nature as she lived in remote areas of Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Since her grandparents were both wildlife biologists, the summers spent with them included banding hawks and rehabilitating falcons. Read more about Lita’s work HERE.
ON EXHIBIT January Mia Scheffey’s work in oil paint. Main Room. .
Brooks Memorial Library will be closed Monday, January 20, in observance of the national Martin Luther King holiday. Make a virtual visit to the library that day as all databases and the online catalog will be available at www.brookslibraryvt.org.
You may also check out and download eBooks, eAudio, and stream independent movies, with your library card. Click on the “Digital Media” button and follow the link. Book and non-print drops will be open for returns during the hours the library is closed. Contact the library at 802.254.5290, info@brookslibraryvt.org.
Alexander Turner Life Story A Slave (1845- 1923)
Naima Wade will present a living history presentation on Thursday, January 16, 7:00 PM, in the library’s main room, which retells the Life Story of Alexander Turner (1845- 1923). Turner was enslaved on a Virginia plantation, and a fugitive who fought in the Civil War and eventually ended up in Vermont establishing a homestead. Wade’s goal is make sure that the Underground Railroad sites in southern Vermont are documented and preserved for posterity.
More .
Free Demo Spanish Class with Escuelita Spanish School. Wednesday, January 22nd 5:30-6:15 pm. Experience a new approach to language acquisition that is easy, fun, and truly effective. Winter schedule available online www.EscuelitaSpanishSchool.org.
Beginner class begins Jan 30th. Weekend classes Feb 1-2 (intermediate) and 8th-9th- Family class.
To register, please email elissa@escuelitaspanishschool.org or call 802-275-2694
Join Vermont Humanities scholar Richard Wizansky for this reading and discussion series which features the shorter works by the great Russian writer, dissident, and former Cavendish, Vermont resident and includes his most read and highly regarded novella as well as several of his famous speeches.
The readings and dates are: 1/9– One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich; 1/16–Matryona’s Home;; 2/13 the 1970 Nobel Lecture; and the 1978 Harvard Class Day Address.
Brattleboro Art Collective, The Future Collective, is announcing its acquisition of a community arts space at 17 Elliot Street in Brattleboro. The collective will use the two-room studio as a not-for-profit art gallery and performance space, as well as for community workshops and other community events and meetings. The Future Collective has been organizing events and fundraising without a space since January of 2012, and is excited by the additional opportunities that having a consistent space will provide. The space will be referred to as “The Future” from here forward.
Singer/songwriter Lisa McCormick, of Brattleboro, VT, is one of five artists selected to attend a four-week artist residency in Florida, for the month of February.
McCormick will be dedicating the residency time to composing new original songs for her upcoming CD and concerts.
The Escape-to-Create artists are selected from an international pool of applicants, following a peer review selection process. Since 1993, Escape to Create’s multi-disciplinary residency offers artists the gift of time and space from a community engaged in furthering artistic expression.
Twilight Music presents acoustic swing and alt gypsy jazz quartet Caravan of Thieves, plus fiddler Emma Walsh, at Next Stage on Friday, January 17 at 7:30 pm.
For the past five years, Caravan of Thieves has roamed the North American continent recruiting a family of avid thrill seekers at their high energy shows. Driving gypsy jazz rhythms, acoustic guitars, upright bass and violin lay the foundation for mesmerizing vocal harmonies and fantastic stories. It’s theatrical and humorous. It’s musical and intense. It entertains, dazzles and defies classification while welcoming the spectator to join the band throughout the performance in momentary fits of claps, snaps and sing-alongs.
Windham Orchestra
BRUCKNER & SIBELIUS in Brattleboro & Saxtons River
On Friday, January 17 in Saxtons River, and Sunday, January 19 in Brattleboro, the Windham Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Hugh Keelan, presents a dynamic program ranging from Bruckner’s popular 19th century “Romantic” Fourth Symphony; to local composer Jan Norris’ new work “Melting Spring.”
