Culture story sections
The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Board will meet at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at the Windham Regional Career Center, Cusick Conference Room, 80 Atwood St, Brattleboro VT, and remotely via Zoom.
Superintendent Speno kicked off the start of the board’s budget season. He and the team have been meeting with individual principals and next week will work with the teams at BUHS and the WRCC. Draft budgets are expected to be ready to share by the end of the week.
Business Administrator Frank Rucker shared the calendar of the budget process as well as the Guiding Principles and Background Data for FY27 Budget Planning document. The WSESU is scheduled to meet next Wednesday for our first dedicated budget meeting.
The Windham Southeast School District Finance Committee will meet Monday November 17, 2025at 5:00pm WSESU James Kane Conference Room, 53 Green St. Brattleboro, VT and remotely via Zoom.
The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Board will meet at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at the Windham Regional Career Center, Cusick Conference Room, 80 Atwood St, Brattleboro VT, and remotely via Zoom.
Summary
● The Board approved a new Universal PreK partner, The Pumpkin Patch.
● The Board committed to a $2,000 donation from their professional development line to support the continued advocacy work of the RSCA.
● The Member Slate for this year’s LCs was approved as is.
● Policy E19, Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams, was adopted, and policies D12, Prevention of Harassment of Employees Policy, F37 District Equity Policy, and G13, Responsible Computer, Network & Internet Use Policy, were re-adopted.
Back by popular demand, Vermont Suitcase Company returns with The Continuing Adventures of King Wenceslas and His Page Edith at Next Stage Arts in Putney on Friday, December 19 at 7:00 PM. Doors open at 6:15 PM.
Join King Wenceslas and his loyal page as they embark on snowy new adventures filled with humor, heart, and holiday cheer. The evening opens with festive songs by Heedless of the Gale, setting the perfect mood for laughter and song.
Next Stage Arts presents A Night with Broadway Composer David Yazbek on Saturday, December 13 at 7:30 pm (doors at 6:45) at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT. Tickets are $30 in advance / $35 at the door at nextstagearts.org.
What’s left for the celebrated composer-lyricist behind The Band’s Visit, The Full Monty, Tootsie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dead Outlaw, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown—a career that’s earned him multiple Tonys and Grammy nominations?
Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music invite you to a magical evening of traditional Irish and original holiday music with John Doyle and Cathie Ryan on Friday, December 5 at 7:30 pm. “An Irish Christmas” brings the warmth and joy of the season to life through song, story, and memories of festive Irish traditions.
John Doyle and Cathie Ryan are longtime friends and collaborators, celebrated across the globe for their mastery of Irish music. While they have toured extensively throughout Europe, they rarely perform as a duo in the U.S. They are both members of the acclaimed ensemble The Irish Music Masters and were featured in the PBS special The Soul of Christmas. Together, they blend traditional tunes with original songs that continue to shape the Irish music tradition.
Next Stage Arts is proud to present AfterTalk: A Play by Chard deNiord, a poetic theater work that brings a 7,000-year-old Sumerian love story to life through poetry, music, movement, and visual art.
Dates & Times:
Saturday, Nov 22 @ 7:30 PM
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 2:00 PM
NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING
The Windham Southeast School District Board will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 04, 2025 – in person at the Putney Central School, and remotely via Zoom.
Summary: The committee reviewed three policies during the meeting (Gender Freedom in Schools, D15 Travel Reimbursement, and C7 Board Relations with Administrators). Gender Freedom and D15 will be sent for a first reading at the next full Board meeting on November 4. C7 remains on hold. Rebecca Olmstead was not able to attend the meeting, so Asthma Friendly Schools and E11 Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy were not reviewed; these policies will be put on the agenda for November 12.
The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union, Windham Southeast School District, and Vernon Town School District Boards will meet at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at the Cusick Conference Room, 80 Atwood Street, Brattleboro, and remotely via Zoom. The boards will convene at 5pm for dinner, during which time no business will be conducted. The agenda begins at 6pm, at which time the Zoom link will open to the public.
Change
Always comes on time.
Its own time, not when we say;
We love the Spring.
O, I too will change
But why do you push me to?
I thought you loved me.
Next Stage Arts presents a vibrant new exhibition by Carol Keiser, showcasing her colorful and evocative paintings inspired by life in Putney, Vermont, and her time in Mexico. The opening reception is Sunday, Nov. 16, from 4–6 PM at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney. RSVP at nextstagearts.org.
Keiser’s work is a visual diary, capturing the places she’s been, the experiences she’s had, and the emotions she encounters. Her focus on color—its energy, magic, and contrasts—drives each piece, whether a still life, landscape, or figure study. She often draws inspiration from memory, sketches, or her hand-painted tile designs, blending ceramics and painting in a joyful exploration of hue and composition.
Summary
● Committed support for the Student Representatives to the Board on their initiative to explore the process of transitioning from elementary to middle to high school.
● The WSESD Board has been awarded the BCTV Government/Education Partner Award. All are invited to a celebration at the Producer Party on 11/14/25 at 6 pm at the Stone Church.
● Linda Alvarez was recognized by the Board for being awarded the Vermont Teacher of the Year Award.
In 2024, the Vermont legislature created the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont, with the intent to study and make recommendations for the vision, structure and funding of education in Vermont with input from the public and other stakeholders. The Commission is reaching out for feedback on Act 73, a law which was enacted in response to residents’ concerns about high and rising property taxes and a desire to increase quality educational opportunities for students. The intent of the law is to strengthen the public education system, mitigate costs, and improve educational opportunities for students.
Brattleboro’s No Kings Day protest got some additional exposure. A photo by Kristopher Radder got picked up by the AP and the Guardian has decided to use it:
Brattleboro photo in the Guardian.
Their full caption reads “People attend the national “No Kings” protest against president Donald Trump at the Brattleboro Common park in Brattleboro, Vt., on Saturday, Oct 18, 2025. Photograph: Kristopher Radder/AP”
Two of the finest mandolinists in the modern acoustic world are coming together for a special evening of music that promises to delight fans of bluegrass, roots, and contemporary string band sounds.
Matt Flinner, a National Banjo and Mandolin Champion, has spent decades pushing the boundaries of acoustic music. From performing at bluegrass festivals before his teens to touring and recording with artists ranging from Steve Martin to the Modern Mandolin Quartet, Flinner’s artistry is widely celebrated for its musicality, innovation, and versatility.
Great Vintage! Walk into MORNING GLORIOUS, one of downtown’s coolest, most colorful stores, and say hello to JEN KARPIN – she’s created a warm and friendly place filled with ever-changing inventory sure to raise your dopamine levels! Jen also talks about growing up amidst antiques and auctions, sustainable textiles, the Vintage Fashion Guild, and the “joyful wardrobe”. Tune in !
Policies
Note: The committee did not review two policies that were at the top of the agenda (the proposed Asthma Friendly Schools policy and D15 Travel Reimbursement) as the invited guests were unable to attend the meeting.
Gender Freedom in Schools
The committee reviewed and discussed the final section of the policy, School Activities.
