Vermont Commons School
Encyclopedia
The Vermont Commons School is an independent college preparatory school located in South Burlington, Vermont
, serving grades 7-12.
President Dr. Robert A. Skiff, Robert A. Skiff Jr., and Leah Mital-Skiff. During its first semester, 32 students were enrolled and the school grew steadily in size and offerings over the next ten years. In 2007, Dr. Skiff retired, at which point enrollment neared 100 students. Dr. Skiff was succeeded by Mr. Peter Ross, who served as Head of School through the fall of 2008. Upon Ross's departure, Science and Math teacher Hans Manske served as Acting Head while the Board of Trustees conducted a search for new leadership. In July 2009, the Board selected Mr. Peter Gilmore as their new Head of School. Mr. Gilmore had previously served as Principal of The Friends School of Baltimore, MD and Upper School Director at Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine
. Vermont Commons School is known for its integrity, arts, challenging academics and friendly atmosphere, along with having a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:6. The school experienced a surge of new applicants in the 2010-2011 school year. In the 2011-2012 year the school celebrates its 15th year.
, Math, Science
, Social Studies
, Foreign Languages (Spanish
and Chinese
). Many classes are held in a seminar style, with an average size of 14. The school offers Advanced Placement Courses in Biology, Environmental Science, Spanish Language and Literature, and Calculus. The school considers it's 'standard' rank classes to be on par with an Honor program in the public sector.
The school has gained national recognition for its community service
programs.
scores for the 2009 graduating class were:
Fall:
Winter:
Spring:
South Burlington, Vermont
-Economy:CommutAir, a regional airline, is headquartered in the city, by the airport. The Magic Hat Brewing Company, one of the United States's larger craft breweries, is located here.One measure of economic activity is retail sales...
, serving grades 7-12.
History
The Vermont Commons School was founded in 1997 by former Champlain CollegeChamplain College
Champlain College is a private, coeducational college located in Burlington, Vermont. It offers professionally focused programs that incorporate an interdisciplinary core curriculum. In addition to its main campus, the College maintains study-abroad campuses in Montreal and Dublin, and offers...
President Dr. Robert A. Skiff, Robert A. Skiff Jr., and Leah Mital-Skiff. During its first semester, 32 students were enrolled and the school grew steadily in size and offerings over the next ten years. In 2007, Dr. Skiff retired, at which point enrollment neared 100 students. Dr. Skiff was succeeded by Mr. Peter Ross, who served as Head of School through the fall of 2008. Upon Ross's departure, Science and Math teacher Hans Manske served as Acting Head while the Board of Trustees conducted a search for new leadership. In July 2009, the Board selected Mr. Peter Gilmore as their new Head of School. Mr. Gilmore had previously served as Principal of The Friends School of Baltimore, MD and Upper School Director at Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine
South Berwick, Maine
South Berwick is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,220 at the 2010 census. South Berwick is home to Berwick Academy, a private, co-educational university-preparatory day school founded in 1791...
. Vermont Commons School is known for its integrity, arts, challenging academics and friendly atmosphere, along with having a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:6. The school experienced a surge of new applicants in the 2010-2011 school year. In the 2011-2012 year the school celebrates its 15th year.
Mission
Vermont Commons School students experience a unique blend of academics and global immersion, master fundamental academic disciplines, grasp the profound interdependence of the natural and human systems they inhabit, and graduate with the values, knowledge, skills and commitment necessary to become ethical and engaged ecological citizens.Campus
Since its founding in 1997, the campus has been located at 75 Green Mountain Drive in South Burlington, Vermont. The school purchased the building and property in the fall of 2010. Vermont Commons School has undergone renovations recently, and hopes to expand the campus, looking into the future decade for further improvements.Structure
Classes are taught by grade, with larger grades broken into smaller sections. Grades range in size from 12 to 23 students.Curriculum
Courses include Language ArtsLanguage arts
Traditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
, Math, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, Social Studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
, Foreign Languages (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
). Many classes are held in a seminar style, with an average size of 14. The school offers Advanced Placement Courses in Biology, Environmental Science, Spanish Language and Literature, and Calculus. The school considers it's 'standard' rank classes to be on par with an Honor program in the public sector.
The school has gained national recognition for its community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
programs.
Test Scores
The average SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores for the 2009 graduating class were:
- Critical Reading: 629
- Mathematics: 621
- Writing: 600
Athletics
The school offers the following sports:Fall:
- Soccer (Coed)
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
(M/W) - Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
(Coed) - SailingSailingSailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
(Coed)
Winter:
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
(M/W)
Spring:
- Ultimate Frisbee (Coed)