Culture story sections
AGENDA
I. Call to Order / Introductions / Recognition of Visitors
II. Establish chair, clerk & minutes expectations
III. Re-establish mission:Mission: Foster learning environments in which all members of the school community are safe, feel valued and are appreciated, as well as promote policies and procedures that value equity and diversity in our schools.
IV. Centering social justice in our hiring process, what specifically to focus on.
Next Stage Arts brings Boston-based tap dance ensemble Subject:Matter to the Bandwagon Summer Stage on Saturday, July 8th, at 6:00pm. The performance will take place at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA), 10 Town Crier Drive, in Brattleboro. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the gate, children under 12 free. Visit nextstagearts.org for tickets and more information.
Subject:Matter brings an assortment of music from their varied musical catalog, including jazz standards from their show “Songbook,” funk tunes from their show “Blowout,” and new music from their upcoming premieres this fall.
Agenda
I Call to order – Anne Beekman, Chair
II Approval of minutes of April 26, 2023
III Approval of 1% Fund applications
IV Establish weekly meeting date for summer hire approvals
PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present contemporary bluegrass, Americana, and folk trio the Kruger Brothers at Next Stage on Friday, July 7 at 7:30 pm.
In their ever-expanding body of work, Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals) personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition. Although initially staying fairly close to a traditional repertoire, the Kruger Brothers later turned to songwriting and composition in order to draw more closely from their personal experiences. Their ability to infuse themes and forms of classical music into folk music creates a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music.
Designed as a fundraiser, volunteers from the Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club have created a walking history tour of downtown Brattleboro. With the help of the Brattleboro Historical Society and the Brattleboro Words Project, Sunrise Rotary volunteers pooled their collective knowledge to put together a great introduction to Brattleboro, Vermont’s illustrious history.
Tours will be scheduled on a rolling basis for select Saturdays at 11 am in summer and fall 2023. The summer tours will take place Saturdays, June 3 & 24, July 22, and August 5.
Tours walk from one end of Main Street to the other (approximately 7/10 of a mile) with about 10 stops explaining Brattleboro’s history and culture. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and will go from Plaza Park (across from the Co-op) to the Brattleboro Common. Kids are welcome, but the tour is designed for adults.
The Brattleboro Women’s Chorus presents their 27th annual spring concerts, “Sweet are the Days,” on Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4 at 4 pm outside at the Retreat Farm. Sunday’s concert will also be live streamed via Zoom.
Directed by founder and musical director Becky Graber, the spring concert features an eclectic program of soulful songs. Selections include compositions by Floridian singer/songwriter Velma Frye and former Brattleboro resident Susan Kisslinger; the haunting Estonian piece, “Mis on inimene?” (in English, “What is human?”); and a beautiful rendition of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s well-known song, “In My Life.” Local writer Karen Hesse and conductor Becky Graber collaborated to create “Granny and Bean,” a tale of an adventurous day by the sea. And the chorus will sing the opening of “Let Time Be Your Friend,” a piece composed by Diane White-Clayton as part of the Black Lives Matter Commissioning Project. The Chorus will sing the full piece with soloist Samirah Evans in our spring 2024 concert.
DST discussed how new policies should come to the committee.
They should come directly from the community to the P&A Committee.
Only time a new or revised policy goes to the full Board for discussion is when it is ready for 1st or 2nd reading for readoption.
All policies up for readoption need to be warned.
Policies are under constant scrutiny and may be revised at any time the P&A Committee decides they should be reviewed.
I. Approval of Minutes from 5/22/23
New Business including reconsideration of current agenda
Confirm date for next meeting
II. Edits and Updates
H7 Leadership Councils
F42 Student Dress Code
SUMMARY: The board heard a presentation by the Superintendent on administrative goals, and a presentation by three principals on the teacher peer observation program that was piloted this year. BUHS administration gave an update on the school branding process: a screening committee composed of students and staff has narrowed down 132 submissions for a new team name to three finalists, which students will be voting on this week. The Finance Director provided an update on the grant application process for funding the Oak Grove School capital improvement projects, which include installing a heat pump, insulation, PCB remediation and window replacements. The board shared news that the sexual abuse investigation will soon be closing the information gathering phase and encouraged anyone who has been considering reporting to do so as soon as possible. The Superintendent provided information on possible improvements to Natowich and Tenney Fields, and the Board voted to direct the administration to resuscitate Natowich as a natural field.
The board heard a presentation from the Office of Diversity Equity and Social Justice about the teacher leader structure and diversity, equity and social justice programming in the district. There was a discussion about how to address and facilitate input from leadership councils. The board approved an updated capital plan, focused on increasing sustainability. The board heard from students that they would appreciate more transparency around the sexual abuse investigation and disclosed that they are in meetings with their attorney in order to gather some data that can be released to the public.
There was a discussion about the need for increasing athletic field capacity which could include resurfacing Natowich Field and improvements to Tenney Field. The superintendent provided an update about the process to select a new name and mascot for BUHS. The board voted to approve the superintendent’s recommendation for a reorganization of leadership roles at BUHS.
Eowyn loves Circus! Since age 5, Eowyn has been on the ropes…..and the tramp and the silks and more. Now 13, she looks forward to every session and performance with NECCA (New England Center for the Circus Arts).
Monday, May 29, 2023
5:15 am Jamaica Selectboard – Jamaica SB Mtg 5/22/23
7:00 am Brattleboro Planning Commission – Brattleboro PC Mtg 5/15/23
8:00 am The David Pakman Show – The David Pakman Show – Weekly Broadcast
9:00 am Guilford Selectboard – Guilford SB Mtg 5/22/23
11:00 am Dummerston Selectboard – Dummerston SB Mtg 5/17/23
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents a salsa and reggae dance party with Jacksonville, FL-based 10-piece salsa ensemble and Toronto-based modern roots reggae band The Human Rights, on Saturday, June 24 at 6:00 pm at The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Rd, in Putney, VT.
“This is one we’ve been dreaming about – a double bill with a reggae band and a 10-piece Salsa orchestra,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The double bill showcases a lot of Caribbean influences in one day of dancing and fun. LPT was meant to perform in March of 2020, and with a lot of stops and starts, we’re glad to be able to pair them with our Reggae friends to the north.”
Brattleboro Community TV (BCTV) and the Town of Brattleboro each received a 2023 Hometown Media Award from the Alliance for Community Media. The awards program was established to honor and promote community media, community radio, and local cable programs that are distributed on Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) access cable television channels.
BCTV was recognized for “Overall Excellence in Public Education or Government (PEG) Access.” The award honors all of the programming of the station, not just one show. BCTV won the national award for coverage of community programming in 2022 in the budget category of $300,000 or less after submitting a 20-minute montage of videos produced by staff and volunteers. This is the fifth time BCTV has won the overall award. Staff will attend the awards ceremony on June 28, 2023 in Brooklyn, NYC.
On May 30 at 7:00 pm, the Brattleboro Literary Festival, Brooks Memorial Library and the Words Trail will celebrate live the newly released collection of short stories by Brattleboro author Mary E. Wilkins Freeman with her initially intended title Green Mountain Stories.
Published originally in 1887 as A Humble Romance and Other Stories, this new edition features an introduction and critical commentary by Freeman scholar Brent Kendrick, who will talk about Mary and the book. Mary was inspired to become a writer in high school…she would go to her father’s dry goods shop in downtown Brattleboro every day after school, which was fortuitously located next door to a bookstore. She graduated from high school in Brattleboro and later moved away after her father died, but she maintained her connection to Vermont.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Guinean musical artist Sia Tolno and international musical collective Afro Dead, live at Cooper Field on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at 6:00pm. Sia Tolno will perform both solo and as the lead vocalist of Afro Dead, which reimagines the music of the Grateful Dead in an African style.
Sia Tolno is an award-winning global touring & recording artist, vocalist and songwriter, from Guinea/Sierra Leone, steeped in Afrobeat, Afro-blues, Mandinga and Soukous styles of African popular music. Her music is both personal and universal, singing about her unique past while making it relevant to the global masses. She has worked with Tony Allen (Musical director for Fela Kuti) and Lusafrica records, and her new album is being recorded in Barcelona produced by Aaron Feder in collaboration with Slow Walk Music.
Bearing Witness, a retrospective exhibit of watercolors, pastels, and prints, by Brattleboro artist Karen Becker, is currently on view at the All Souls Church in the West Village Meeting House., through June 30. Becker’s artwork focuses on the beauty she finds in nature, and she represents the animals and trees that are all bearing witness to the devastation of climate change.
The public is invited to an artist’s reception on Saturday, June 10, from 3 – 5 pm. All Souls Church is located at 29 South St, West Brattleboro. The exhibit is open Sundays, 12 – 2 pm, or by appointment (802-257-4710).
Monday, May 22, 2023
7:15 am Vernon Selectboard – Vernon SB Mtg 5/16/23
8:00 am The David Pakman Show – The David Pakman Show – Weekly Broadcast
9:00 am River Valleys Unified School District – RVUSD Special Mtg 5/17/23
9:05 am VT Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel – VT NDCAP – 5/8/23 Mtg
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series is thrilled to announce that acclaimed singer-songwriter and accordionist, Gregorio Uribe, will be performing live at Cooper Field on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at 6:00pm. The event promises an evening filled with unforgettable music and a celebration of cultural diversity.
Gregorio Uribe, known for his passionate performances and musical versatility, has captivated audiences around the world. From prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden to the streets of Tierra del Fuego, his talent knows no bounds. Uribe has collaborated with renowned artists across various genres, including Rubén Blades, Carlos Vives, Paquito D’Rivera, and Martina Camargo, to name just a few.
A premiere garden designer, Gordon’s books and writings on horticulture illuminate and inspire, while his own gardens, which he’s created with his wife Mary, are jewels of elegant beauty and delight.
