Backyard Concert August 3, 7:00 P.M.

The Glyptodons, an indie folk duo from Portland, Oregon, will present an outdoor concert on the backyard patio at 63 Cedar Street in Brattleboro on Saturday, August 3 at 7:00 p.m.. They play original as well as cover songs.

The concert is free and open to the public but donations will be accepted. All proceeds will go to the musicians. Refreshments will be available. Seating is limited so please bring a chair.


WSESD Programmatic and Performance Equity Committee Meeting Agenda July 30, 2024

AGENDA
I. Call to Order / Introductions / Recognition of Visitors

II. Review of Programmatic and Performance Equity Committee mission:

a. Mission: Monitor school equity and performance, and work with district staff to develop recommendations to increase equity and performance throughout the district.

III. Committee focus / items for discussion (listed here are items that were considered in 2023/2024):

a. Food Services in the district: how can the board assess equity in food access across schools in the district?
b. Leadership Councils: how is the board doing with communications with LCs?


WSESD Social Justice and Equity Committee Meeting Minutes June 20, 2024

An email was sent to highlight issues with retention, including retirement, resignation, and reasons for leaving. The focus is on analyzing the factors contributing to and impacting retention. Mikaela is examining the reasons for employee turnover and the positions that people are leaving.

Michael mentioned that our school’s turnover rate is lower than the state average. The state turnover rate is 30%, while ours is approximately 12%. In Massachusetts, the teacher turnover rate is 12%. There have been several retirements.


WSESD Board Special Meeting Minutes – July 9, 2024

KP Motioned and seconded to find that premature public knowledge would place the board at a disadvantage for the purposes of providing professional legal services to the body.

Motion Carried Unanimously

KP Motioned and seconded, to enter into executive session inviting Kendall Hoechst into the meeting.


Yann Falquet & Keith Murphy and The Murphy Beds at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present a double bill of traditional and original folk, with Yann Falquet & Keith Murphy, and The Murphy Beds on Saturday, August 10 at 7:30 pm

Keith Murphy and Yann Falquet are masters of contemporary Celtic guitar, representing the compelling textures, harmonies and rhythms that the guitar has brought to traditional songs and instrumentals since the Celtic music revival in the 1970s.


Rainbow Girls at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of folk, roots, and Americana music by California-based trio Rainbow Girls at Next Stage on Thursday, August 15 at 7:00 pm. Children of Divorce open.

Rainbow Girls are an eclectic folk trio hailing from the golden countryside just north of California’s Bay Area. Vanessa May, Erin Chapin, and Caitlin Gowdey seamlessly combine soul-touching harmonies, varitextured instrumentals, and poignant lyrical content into a beautiful sonic tapestry. Throughout their performance, voices are paired with an ever-changing amalgamation of acoustic and slide guitar, keys, upright bass, harmonica, and an array of vocal techniques creating an engaging and emotionally moving live show.


Bandwagon Summer Series Presents: Slavic Soul Party! Live in Concert

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series is thrilled to announce the return of Slavic Soul Party! to the Bandwagon stage, on Friday, August 9th, at The Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Rd, Putney, VT. This event promises to be an unforgettable celebration of Balkan brass, jazz, and funk, set against the picturesque backdrop of a Vermont summer evening.

Slavic Soul Party! has carved out a unique niche in the music world with their fiery Balkan brass sound, irresistible beats, and virtuoso jazz chops. Hailing from New York City, the nine-piece ensemble brings together influences from across the globe, blending them into a high-energy musical experience that is both infectious and soul-stirring.

The band’s Tuesday night residency in Brooklyn, spanning over two decades, has garnered international acclaim and a reputation for delivering an electrifying live show. Their latest album, “SSP! Plays Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite,” has been praised for its innovative reinterpretation of Duke Ellington’s iconic work, combining East European, Romani, and American sounds into a seamless fusion.


Lyle Howe on”Here We Are”

It’s more than the creaky floors that give Brown & Roberts it’s character – Lyle Howe talks about our iconic Hardware Store and the interesting life that brought him there.


Glen David Andrews Returns to the Bandwagon Stage for a High-Energy Performance

Acclaimed New Orleans vocalist and trombonist Glen David Andrews is set to ignite Cooper Field with his dynamic band on Saturday, August 3rd, 6:00 pm. Known for his commanding voice and powerful trombone skills, Andrews promises an unforgettable evening of roots music that blends smoothness with grit, delivering an emotional and resonant musical experience.

A native son of New Orleans, Andrews hails from a distinguished musical lineage and learned the brass band traditions firsthand from iconic figures like Tuba Fats. Co-presented with the Vermont Jazz Center and sponsored in part by Bordertown Farm, this performance marks a celebration of cultural heritage and musical excellence.


WSESD Board Meeting Minutes – June 25, 2024

Summary
● Ruby McAdoo was approved as a member of the Putney Leadership Council.
● Frank Rucker spoke about the tax rate implication following the release of the Yield.
● The Board discussed ideas for preparing themselves for budget development and utilizing tools available by exploring documents from the IBRC, VSBA and the Vernon Board.
● July 9th will be the only Board Meeting scheduled for the month, recognizing there could be other meetings called (i.e. Executive Sessions)
● Looking ahead to next year related to the Panorama Survey, a committee was formed to work alongside Brin Tucker to review and consider questions included in the survey for 24- 25.
● The Board voted to rescind policy LSP2.
● The Board voted to rescind policy LSP12.


The Sweetback Sisters at Next Stage

PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present country swing sextet The Sweetback Sisters at Next Stage on Friday, August 2 at 7:30 pm. 

Centered around the charismatic, airtight harmonies of Emily Miller and Zara Bode, The Sweetback Sisters mix compelling originals and unexpected interpretations of country classics. Hints of jazz and ragtime flesh out the Sisters’ unique brand of classic country, as Miller, Bode, and their remarkably versatile band conjure up a singular blend of heart, humor, and virtuosic musicianship. Their rollicking music is as infectious as it is heartbreaking. Like the country artists they admire, the Sisters sing about traditional subjects of heartbreak, revenge, remorse, and staying strong in the face of relationships gone wrong, albeit with a contemporary sensibility. 


Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Policy and Amendment Committee Meeting Minutes June 26, 2024

F1 Student Conduct and Discipline – Review with BUHS Admin Cassie Damkoehler, assistant principal at BUHS, reviewed F1 with the committee. The following changes were made:
● In the Due Process section on page 4:
o The intro and bullet 1: stay the same.
o Bullet 2 becomes: “students’ right to a fair hearing before being suspended for up to ten days.”


The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Bombay Rickey on Saturday, July 27

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents five-piece band Bombay Rickey, on Saturday, July 27 at 6:00 pm at New England Center for Circus Arts, 10 Town Crier Drive, in Brattleboro.

“[Bombay Rickey is] easily one of the most adventurous and daring artists we’ve worked with – how many ensembles are fronted by an opera singer and can count cumbia, spaghetti-Western, and Bollywood as influences?” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “I saw them in New York in January, and they made my jaw drop on the floor. I’m over-the-moon excited to present them to our Vermont community.”

Praised as “a true treat for the adventurous ear” (TimeOut NY), Bombay Rickey is a five-piece band with a unique sound evocative of 1960s movie soundscapes. The group plays both covers and original music that borrow equally from the worlds of surf rock, cumbia, spaghetti-Western, and Bollywood, balanced out with soaring operatic vocals.


The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Pahua and Meridian Brothers on Saturday, July 20

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents the rising star of Mexican electronic folk, Pahua, and experimental Latin Tropical band Meridian Brothers, on Saturday, July 20 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney.

“Electronic beats mix with Mexican soul in Pahua. Cumbia meets psychedelic rock in The Meridien Brothers. This double bill is one for the ages,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Pahua’s artistry bridges many divides and is for anyone interested in how music marches forward with electronics, ethnic flavor, and mastery. The Meridien Brothers are for anyone who seeks out new sonic adventures while still wanting to tear up the dance floor.”

Pahua is the project of Mexican singer, composer, producer and DJ Paulina Sotomayor; a blend of electronica and folklore that represents a very deep part of its creator: femininity, nature, inner strength and self-discovery.