T P S
Balance, accomplishment, trust
Putney students are some of the busiest students you will find at any school in the country. They balance a rigorous academic curriculum with a life rich in the arts, daily work, and the satisfaction of self-reliant living. Putney’s ethic is grounded in accomplishment, trust, and, just as importantly, joie de vivre. We live close to the land and the New England seasons. On a farm in Vermont, that’s a vigorous kind of existence.
# of gal. of milk ProducEd Each yEar:
60,000– 70,000
sing!
On Thursdays, the community gathers for “Sing,” a timehonored Putney tradition. Voices, trained and untrained, rise in boisterous rounds or blend in complex harmonies, epitomizing the Putney spirit. Every voice is different; every voice counts.
kilowatts of solar PowEr ProducEd at PutnEy:
4
Recent College Destinations: A Sampling j
Amherst College Art Institute of Chicago j Bard College j Barnard College j Bates College j Boston College j Bowdoin College j Brown University j Columbia University j Dartmouth College j Emerson College j Hamilton College j Hampshire College j Johns Hopkins University j Lehigh University j Lewis and Clark j McGill University j Mount Holyoke College j New York University j Northeastern University j Northwestern University j Oberlin College j Parsons School of Art j Reed College j Rhode Island School of Design j Sarah Lawrence j Scripps College j Smith College j University of Chicago j University of Dundee j University of Vermont j Vassar College j Warren Wilson College j Wesleyan University j
Welcome to Putney
When families visit The Putney School they notice the community’s remarkable vitality. We engage fully in the arts, work hard, play hard, and study even harder. Equal to our vitality, though, visitors notice a spirit of inclusiveness. Individuality is prized; but, given the many tasks we all try to accomplish during a school year, cooperation is a given.
Visitors also remark on the confidence of students at Putney. Our class sizes are small (6-16 students) and
relationships between students and teachers are close. With living and learning at Putney being anything but separate enterprises, the exuberant “teachable moment” arises again and again. Putney students emerge from high school with lifelong tools for original thinking and for finding inspiration everywhere. Of course, given Putney’s setting—a 500-acre working farm in the foothills of the Green Mountains— inspiration is easy to come by. Summer, winter, spring, and fall, Putney’s is an almost impossibly beautiful backdrop. Student-created sculptures dot the lawns and woods. Musicians of all sorts practice here and there, playing outdoors and in. Vocalists know the buildings and outdoor spaces in which their voices sound spectacular, and they sing out as they walk around campus. Biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy classes take advantage of the learning opportunities present in the fields and woods, the farm, and Putney’s incredible night-time sky.
Each Putney diploma is an original work of art created for the graduate by a fellow student.
inspiration is easy to come by
# of blacksmithing forgEs:
2
History
The Putney school was founded in 1935 by carmelita hinton, a progressive educator who believed that manual work, scholarship, art, and outdoor play are equally necessary components of a full life. mrs. hinton’s indelible contribution to concepts in secondary education was that she put full participation in the arts, hard physical work, and vital experiences in the outdoors on equal footing with accomplishments in the classroom. it’s a philosophy that has stood the
our fundamental beliefs
test of time. at Putney, music, art, drama, and dance students learn not
Initiated with the school is 1945 and formulated into eight fundamental
only their form but the flexible thinking that full-throttle engagement
principles in 1954 by Putney’s founder (pictured above), the school’s
in a creative effort imparts. science students learn from manual
philosophy reads as follows: 1. To work not for marks, badges, honors, but to discover truth and to grow in knowledge of the universe and in the understanding of men, to treasure the hard stretching of oneself, to render service. 2. To learn to appreciate and participate in the creative arts where man
labor some of the lessons at which theory (at its “101” level, anyway) sometimes only hints. students meeting daunting physical challenges on camping trips, bike trips, or skiing treks learn the euphoria of taking on—and succeeding at—“impossible” undertakings. as a result, the
gives expression to his struggle for communication of his inner life and for
culture at Putney is one of hinton-inspired renaissance completeness;
beauty, and to grant these arts great prestige.
the mathematician resolves formulas into the geometry of a sculpture;
3. To believe in manual labor, be glad to do one’s share of it and proud of the
the biologist delivers a calf; the poet is inspired by the laws of physics.
skills learned in the doing. 4. To play just as wholeheartedly as one works, but watching out a bit for the competitive angle, remembering that play is for recreation and an increased joy in living. 5. To want to lend a hand to the community at large, not to live in an “ivory tower.” 6. To combat prejudices caused by differences in economic, political, racial, and religious backgrounds; to strive for a world outlook, putting oneself in others’ places, no matter how far away or how remote. 7. To have old and young work together in a true comradeship relation, stressing the community and its need for the cooperation of all. 8. To wish to live adventurously though not recklessly, willing to take risks, if need be, for moral growth, so that one definitely progresses along the long slow road toward achieving a civilization worthy of the name.
aPProX. PErcEntagE of 4-yEar sEniors who haVE witnEssEd or assistEd in a liVEstock birth:
100
the poet is inspired by the laws of physics
notable alumni: a sampling j
Bill Hinton ’36; socialist, writer, activist
j
Paul Zaloom ’70; actor, puppeteer (Beakman’s World)
j
Jing Schauffler Lyman ’43; Founder, National Coalition for Women’s Enterprise
j
Ken Olin ’72; actor, director (Thirtysomething, The West Wing)
j
John Cadwell ’46; Olympic Nordic team member (1952) and coach
j
Bill Koch ’73; Olympic Cross-Country Skiing Silver Medalist (1976)
j
Arthur Meyerhoff ’48; invented “PAM” cooking spray (the name stands for
j
Tim Weiner ’73; Pulitzer Prize winning journalist
Product of Arthur Meyerhoff)
j
Jeffrey Hollender ’73; CEO, Seventh Generation
j
David Plowden ’51; photographer
j
Tim Daly ’74; actor (Diner, Wings)
j
Bill Crofut ’54; concert artist
j
Jon Poll ’76; executive producer (The 40-Year-Old Virgin)
j
Langi Kavaliku ’57; Minister of Education, Kingdom of Tonga
j
Carlton Cuse ’77; executive producer (Lost)
j
Jonathan Piel ’57; Editor, Scientific American
j
Nell Potts Newman ’78; founder, Newman’s Own Organics
j
Wallace Shawn ’61; actor, director (My Dinner with Andre, The Princess Bride,
j
Felicity Huffman ’81; actress (Desperate Housewives, Transamerica)
Toy Story I & II)
j
Tea Leoni ’84; actress (Spanglish, Fun with Dick and Jane)
j
Isaiah Jackson ’62; Conductor, Dayton Symphony
j
Lee Hirsch ’90; director of Sundance Film Festival Award Winner, Amandla
j
Marion Edey ’63; Founder, League of Conservation Voters
j
Kate Brown ’97; attorney, U.S. Army Advocate General’s Corps
j
Errol Morris ’65; Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker
j
Caitlin Cohen ’03, Co-Founder, Mali Health Organizing Project
(The Fog of War,The Thin Blue Line)
Academic Program
Mrs. Hinton wanted The Putney School to foster personal initiative and adaptability among students, and to promote a willingness among teachers to openly examine what both the ends and means of an academic education should be. To a large extent, she got what she wanted. (Legend has it that she usually did.)
Putney today offers a liberal arts program that provides a strong background in English, History, the social sciences, foreign languages, Mathematics, the
physical and biological sciences, and the studio and performing arts. The education is as rigorous as it is broad. Academic learning happens in seminars and formal labs, but it is also integrated with all aspects of life. Students use their constant interaction with our farm, our woods, our kitchen, and indeed each other to construct inquiries, collect data, and pursue answers. The academic requirements for graduation are stringent, and learning in an environment that requires significant conscientious attention almost every waking hour of the day is a lot to expect from a high school student. Certain aspects of our community life make this do-able.
Percentage of faculty holding advanced degrees
73
collEgE counsEling
one is Putney’s informality, which is not to be confused with laxity.
How does a progressive institution
students’ first-name relationships with teachers who are on-hand day and night help ensure that students can get extra academic help whenever they need it. Questions are answered, and inspiration is well-met. Through its learning center, Putney provides individualized, comprehensive support to students having academic challenges, and helps students understand their own learning styles and the best ways to work with them. another is the school’s emphasis on sustainability. our programmatic commitments include attention to the environmental and global aspects of sustainability. we “live” sustainability through countless initiatives on
that encourages students to reach not for grades but, “to discover
# of grEEnhousEs:
2
truth and to grow in knowledge of the universe and in the understanding of men” help them navigate a competitive process like applying to college? According to Jennifer DesMaisons, Putney’s Director of College Counseling, colleges actually consider students who reach for truth and knowledge to be enormously attractive candidates. As evidence, an
campus including growing many of our own fruits and vegetables on
impressive percentage of Putney
Putney’s Elm lea farm.
selective liberal arts colleges,
but a life of balance is also part of that commitment. students who work at academics as hard as Putney students do have to do so in a way that holds up over the long haul. mrs. hinton spoke of academics, arts, work, and play as the four pillars that comprise life at the school, and we continue
graduates get accepted at highly research and technical universities, and prestigious art, music, and drama schools. Jennifer spent eleven years working in college admissions. She discourages students from thinking
the tradition she began of seasoning our academic endeavors with large
only about academic and artistic
measures of recreational and competitive athletics, artistic enjoyment and
when selecting colleges. “Students
expression, and manual labor that meaningfully supports community life. in their academic classes, students do take tests. but they also have the
strengths, majors, and prestige and I talk about what most inspires them. I introduce them to information about the universe of
opportunity to assess their own learning and to display the personal initiative
higher education. In many ways
and adaptability that mrs. hinton so fervently wanted them to acquire.
confidently take the reins of their
what I’m doing is helping them own lives. There’s a wonderful ‘Aha!’ moment that happens for many as they progress from feeling fearful and overwhelmed to feeling excited and optimistic.” Jennifer helps parents understand the details of financial aid application. She coordinates students’ registrations for and transportation to standardized tests, and she hosts on-campus presentations by college admission representatives. These give students first-hand access to admission personnel, as well as opportunities to interview without traveling. Putney faculty review and comment on drafts of seniors’ college essays; students hoping to enter art institutes or music or drama conservatories get help preparing portfolios and auditions. Working with Putney’s International Students Programs, Jennifer provides guidance to international students in their applications. Families keep in close touch by meeting with Jennifer on Family Weekends, staying in contact by phone or email, or using an online interface to track students’ preferences, plans, score tests, and deadlines.
stimulate independent thinking Big Night
“We study the biodiversity crisis in biology and ecology classes and it can be a rather grim topic. Helping amphibians across our increasingly busy rural roads is the ultimate hands-on conservation work. A single female wood frog may carry 1500 eggs so helping her reach the vernal pools has a real impact on the population. The salamanders that we assist have a lifespan of up to 20 years so each one that is rescued can make a difference. Despite the miserable conditions (cold, rainy nights) this is rewarding work and can be addictive; more than one Putney graduate has returned for a subsequent year’s migration. Over the five years that Putney students have been gathering data on resident amphibians we’ve learned much about the abiotic factors that may trigger the onset of migration, which species migrate when, and the impact of traffic on amphibian mortality. The project is also a way to reach out to the local human community. Many motorists stop to inquire what we’re doing and the students have the opportunity to explain what Big Night is all about. A highlight was when one of our neighbors, upon being shown a seven inch spotted salamander, declared she never knew such creatures existed, yet alone in her backyard; she pulled her car over to the side of the road, saying she was going to walk home to make sure she didn’t hit any and pick her car up in the morning.
“After the Big Night migration, students continue their study of amphibian biology by surveying egg masses in our
campus vernal pools. We measure water quality, count and identify egg masses, and monitor egg health and development. Last year we were excited to photodocument the presence of Jefferson salamander eggs (a Species of Special Concern in the State of Vermont) in two vernal pools. We GPS’d the location of the egg masses and reported the site to State biologists.” —Cathy Abbott, Biology teacher and Mick Baisley, Biologist
Amphibians Successfully Helped Across West Hill Road: Year
Wood Frog
Spotted Salamander
Jefferson Salamander
Spring Peeper
Gray Tree Frog
American Toad
2002
92
72
1
328
1
2003
24
16
3
55
8
2004
4
13
2005
9
38
2
379
1
2006
13
27
8
169
1
2007
7
5
43
2008
14
11
172
2009
7
11
39
61 2
Note: The table data can’t be used to assess trends over time, as the classes haven’t controlled for variables such as volunteer hours or number of nights of effort. A summary of the above numbers may only be useful in terms of showing how many amphibian lives the students have saved over the years!
Putney also offers many opportunities for students to experience the excitement of independent study. twice a year (at each semester’s end, when most other schools are giving final exams), classes are suspended and the entire school is immersed in Project Week, a ten-day period during which students—working under the supervision of a faculty member—give free rein to their creativity and shape to their academic learning. Everyone undertakes two projects, one academic and one based on a non-academic interest. Project week is a time of intense individual effort; it often yields extraordinary work. The campus comes alive with music, debates, readings, murals, sculptures, language presentations, poetry performances, at least one theatrical production and countless science and math presentations.
creativity shapes learning ProJect week ProJects: a sampling
j
Astronomy vs. Astrology
j
Birth Order Effects
j
Cross-Cultural Astronomy
j
Differential Equations in Mathematica
j
Dystopia in Fiction and Film
j
Encryption and Huffman Compression
j
Exercise Physiology
j
Exploring Buddhism
j
Glassblowing
j
Life and Poetry of Garcia Lorca
j
Mac OS Server Essentials
j
Mathematics of Density and Floatation
j
Media Assessment
j
Medicinal Plants of New England
j
Music and Mathematics
j
Short Fiction
j
The Cuban Missile Crisis
j
The Martha Graham Technique
j
The Physics of Light
j
The Science and Production of Biodiesel
what we read in English class: a sampling
j
Writing a One-Act Play
j
Writing and Reading Beat Poetry
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams
American Buffalo by David Mamet
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Master Harold and the Boys
The Meadowlands by Louise Gluck
Fences by August Wilson
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
A Handmaid’s Tale
by Athol Fugard Candide by Francois Voltaire How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
by Janisse Ray
Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
by Margaret Atwood
White Pine by Mary Oliver
Angels in America by Tony Kushner
Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones Beowulf translated by
Oedipus by Sophocles
In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
1984 by George Orwell
Antigone by Sophocles
Nine Stories by JD Salinger
The Sound and the Fury
The Odyssey by Homer
Joe Gould’s Secret by Joseph Mitchell
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
by William Faulkner Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
by Zora Neale Hurston
Seamus Heaney Grendel by John Gardner
This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Sula by Toni Morrison
senior Exhibitions: a sampling
# of glaZEs in thE cEramics studio:
j
Chemistry
20
j
Paintings of Emotion
j
Clarinet Study: Bruch and
j
Peninsula: A Novel
j
Japanese Dance and Art
j
Children’s Books on the Farm
j
Mechanics of Rowing
work terms: a sampling.
The Green Belt Movement, Kenya. Africa faces increasing poverty that results from deforestation. The Green Belt Movement was founded by
independent Tutorial course in an area beyond the standard
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Wangari Maathai. Womens groups have
curriculum. They may also apply to spend part of the final eight weeks of spring semester on a Senior Exhibition that demonstrates mastery
j
Stravinsky
with namEs likE ming grEEn, shino, tEmmoku, ohata, bottlErockEt, bluE cEladon
seniors in good academic standing may design a full-credit
Dinnerware and Glaze
planted more than 20 million trees in Kenya and all over East Africa. j
The Monteverde Institute, Monteverde, Costa Rica. The Monteverde Institute is in the Tilarin mountain range in a cloud forest community.
in a specific subject area or in a combination of subject areas.
It sponsors applied research and academic programs in tropical and conservation biology; sustainable design and planning, environmental technologies, community health, and Spanish and Costa Rican Culture.
seniors wanting to explore future career interests can also submit a
j
groundbreaking works for the theater and sponsors an Annual
proposal to do a Work Term for several weeks as part of their spring semester. work terms sometimes involve internships and travel.
The Perishable Theatre, Providence, RI. Perishable Theatre creates International Womens Playwriting Festival.
j
The Land Institute, Salina, KS. The Land Institute researches natures ecosystems with the objective of creating a perennial grain that has a yield comparable to that of today’s annually planted grains.
j
Loaves and Fishes, Sacramento, CA. For 100 years, Sacramento has been known for its enormous population of migrant homeless. Loaves and Fishes provides meals, advocacy, and a variety of services to the homeless.
j
A9.com, Palo Alto, CA. A9.com is a wholly owned but separately branded subsidiary of Amazon.com, and is a search engine company.
j
CPTV and WNPR, Hartford and New Haven, CT. These are Connecticuts Public Television and NPR affiliates.
j
World Wildlife Funds Giant Panda Breeding Station, Wolong, China.
j
Sheep Farm in Bathafarn, Wales. This area of Wales was woodland
The breeding station is also a research station and natural park through the middle ages but has been famed for its farmland since at least the 1600s.
# of looms in thE wEaVing studio:
21
Michael S. Currier Center for the Performing Arts
The Michael S. Currier Center provides practice and performance space for music, dance, and student drama, and an art gallery that exhibits art by students as well as by internationally known visual artists. The Calder Hall Auditorium doors open out to the lawn for spring, summer, and early fall concerts.
the Arts
Putney has a long and distinguished tradition of excellence in instruction and exhibition of the arts. The music department offers training through advanced levels of music theory, history, and composition as well as classes and performance opportunities in orchestra, choir, chamber music, and jazz. The Visual arts program offers courses in drawing, ceramics, painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, videomaking, and fiber arts, and these are complemented by a roster of Evening activities arts classes. The dance Program thrives with expert instruction in ballet, modern, jazz, african dance, and hip hop. Putney has an intensive multi-level drama program. auditions to our twice-a-year plays are open to everyone on campus and the plays themselves are performed at the intimate Jeffrey campbell Theatre. in addition, several plays each year are directed by students
PErcEntagE of PutnEy school community mEmbErs in studEntdirEctEd moViEs: aPProX
25
wE’rE big on crowd scEnEs
in Theater intensive and performed in barnes hall. Visual art studios are housed in our art barn, which is outfitted not only for drawing, painting, wood working, and stone carving but also for printmaking, glasswork, and blacksmithing. dance and music performances take advantage of our michael s. currier center, which officially opened in april of 2004. with a spacious auditorium, art gallery, dance studio, midi lab, digital photography and video editing lab, meditation room, and music practice rooms, the currier center provides rehearsal and performance space for music and dance, and is an inviting venue for guest performers. auditorium doors open out to the lawn for spring and summer concerts, and outdoor spaces offer possibilities for concert receptions, meditation, and enjoyment.
brainiac art
Math and Woodworking Teacher, Abijah Reed ’53, lives the Putney life to its fullest, finding ways to pursue one of his passions (math) while enjoying his other passions (music, art, and life in general). Here is a product of Abijah’s spare time: This display shows a particular choice of a right triangle made with 3 sides whose lengths are whole numbers. For any right triangle whatsoever, it is true that the sum of the areas of the squares on the perpendicular sides equals the area of the square on the hypotenuse. If the sides are whole numbers (integers) they are called a Pythagorean triple, and there are an infinite number of them having different shapes. If the three sides have no common factors, they are called relatively prime, and there is no smaller Pythagorean triangle having exactly the same shape. This is called primitive Pythagorean triple. The smallest and most familiar example is a 3-4-5 triangle (note: 32 + 42 = 52). The present triangle was chosen so that the areas of the squares are numbers each of which has exactly 625 digits. 625 = 252, so the digits fit neatly and squarely within their real estate. The actual lengths of the three sides are integers of length 313 digits each. So, there is a “green” number” and a “red number”; their sum is the “blue” number. (Check the lower-order digits, and a few leading digits). If you would like to know more, dial the first 10 digits of the blue number.
in our theatres Main Stage j
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Musical
j
She’s All Yours
j
A Flea In Her Ear
j
Fiddler on the Roof
j
Macbeth
j
Othello
j
Cabaret
j
Twelfth Night
j
The Comedy of Errors
j
Ragtime
j
Electra
j
Antigone
j
Working
j
The Imaginary Invalid
j
Tartuffe
Student Productions j
Jack and Jill
j
No Exit
j
Stones In His Pockets
j
Zoo Story
j
Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon
j
Waiting for Godot
j
Glass Menagerie
j
Baltimore Waltz
j
Two Small Bodies
j
Boston Marriage
j
Third and Oak: The Laundromat
j
Extensions
j
Ludlow Fair
j
Sure Thing
j
The Devil and Billy Markham
j
This Is Our Youth
j
Krapp’s Last Tape
j
Belle of Amherst
j
Iron
live the Putney life to its fullest the Putney orchestra: a Performance sampling j
Dvorak “New World” Symphony
j
Orff “Carmina Burana”
j
Mozart “Requiem”
j
J.S. Bach “Christmas Oratorio”
j
Handel “Messiah”
j
Copland “Rodeo”
j
Bizet “Carmen Suite”
(with the chorus)
j
Beethoven “Symphony no. 1”
j
Mozart “Symphony no. 41, ‘Jupiter’”
usual PErcEntagE of studEnts on camPus who can Play guitar:
65
and that’s a VEry wild guEss.
The Field House
The Field House, with basketball court, climbing wall, and weight training room, is the nation’s first “netzero” energy school building. Solar panels, an airsource heat pump, and other technologies produce at least as much energy each year as the building consumes. (The extra energy produced is sold to the New England electrical grid.)
Athletics Program
At Putney, every student participates in some kind of physical activity almost every day. They can do so on a competitive level or just for fun. Our new Field House, with full basketball court, weight training room, and climbing wall, make indoor sports possible year-round, day and night. Still, most people do like to get out on our playing fields or groomed woodland trails, in our new riding stable, to our swimming pond (a/k/a our skating pond, depending on the season), on the Connecticut River, or on nearby mountains and hills. Recreational sports change with the season and the year, but almost always include hiking, biking, rowing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding, rock climbing, running, and wilderness skills. Indoor recreational options include basketball, Renaissance-style fencing, boxing, weight training, dance, and yoga. Competitive team sports include soccer, lacrosse, cross-country running and skiing, bike racing, rowing, Ultimate Frisbee, horseback riding, and basketball.
no bench warming!
“I joined the ski team during my sophomore year. At that point I hadn’t been on cross-country skis more than a few times in my life. A few members of the team could literally ski rings around me, which at first was a bit intimidating, but ultimately was both hilarious and amazing. They were phenomenal skiers, nationally ranked, and I felt awed and inspired by their ability. And even though I was clearly much less experienced, when we competed with other teams at races, things went wonderfully for us as a team. We all skied our very best while giving each other undying support. I will never forget the enthusiasm and encouragement displayed at the races. Cross-country skiing is now one of the many things I love to do when I’m outside in the winter. I have these amazing former teammates to thank for giving me the determination to learn to ski and to actually race, even in my first season.” —Kati Schwartz ’07
aPProX. # of horsEs in our stablE:
15
enthusiasm and encouragement
famous mavis
Mavis was born to Milly on July 27, 1997. She is a red and white Holstein. Her only heifer calf is Melvina. Her winnings: j
Grand Champion Holstein at Cheshire Fair in 2002 and 2004
j
Grand Champion Holstein and Supreme Dairy Cow at the Tunbridge Fair in
j
Jr. Champion at Addison County Field Days in ’98
j
First place 4 year old at the Spring National Holstein Show in Syracuse in ‘01
’02 and ’04
Work
five hundred acres of farmland, incredible views of mount monadnock, groomed fields for sports, 40 km of wooded trails for hiking, biking, skiing and riding, acres of gorgeous organic vegetables, and a working post-and-beam dairy barn built by students, faculty, and staff back when the school was young: it’s a lot to take care of, and we’re glad to do it. we hold our culture of stewardship for the land very dear. Partly that’s because twenty percent of the food that we eat comes from our labor on this land. we plant and harvest vegetables. we breed livestock and poultry. we cook our daily meals, serve them, and clean up afterwards. our culture of careful stewardship extends to one of sustainability. taking care of ourselves together, tending the land that feeds us—and the land we study, create, and play on—adds to the glory of study, creativity, and play. in this one important way our work, academic, arts, and outdoor programs are intertwined.
% of milk Production turnEd into buttEr and soft chEEsE: untalliEd, but
“a lot”
sense of satisfaction and purpose
why “work” works
“I credit many of my academic successes to the work program at Putney. I often had trouble understanding the real life value of schoolwork. Then I was put in a position where my friends depended on me to do my share of community work. It created a sense of satisfaction and purpose that I now bring to all aspects of my life.” —Galen Murray ’02 Westport, Connecticut “Although I didn’t think I was going to like the work program, it became one of the most worthwhile things I got involved in. I washed dishes and worked in the barn. I chopped down trees. At the end of the day you look back and you can see the results of your work. The more time you invest in something, the more satisfied you’ll be at the result. At a certain point, you want things to come out right.” —Kris Kurlancheek ’00 Dallas, Pennsylvania
aPProX. # of Eggs studEnts collEct PEr day:
150
campus Life dorm life
Each of our nine dorms is a friendly, comfortable home to anywhere from 9 to 30 students. many dorm parents have children and pets, which gives a dorm an “extended family” feeling. supervised nightly study halls are required for new students and students who are at academic risk. Each dorm has study hours, as well; those hours offer students a quiet time to think and work. we have curfews (we call them “indorms”), and the library and instructional technology center are both open each night until that hour. but it’s not like we don’t have fun (though it’s true that, for the most part, at Putney fun doesn’t involve loafing). Partly by design but partly because the faculty embraces carmelita hinton’s ideal of a community that works, plays, creates, and studies together, almost every waking hour at Putney presents students with learning opportunities of one kind or another. have lunch with your math teacher and grab an extra hour of his joke-filled math help. outski your skiing coach (who, believe us, is no slouch). compare your original poetry with your boxing coach’s poetry and punch him (or just try to, albeit with gloved hand against his helmeted head) if you think
a republic, if you can keep it
“I want to talk about our country today. After the American Revolution
was fought and won and the American Constitution and Bill of Rights were
his is better. This really is what life is like here. really. That being said, we should also acknowledge that Putney is no place
conceived and their struggle to be born was completed, Benjamin Franklin
for the lazy. when carmelita hinton spelled out her eight-point ideals
defined what the Framers had wrought: ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’ …
she used the words “struggle,” “hard,” “strive,” “labor,” “discover” and “risk,”
The United States is now well into its third century, and no republic in the history of civilization has ever lasted longer than three hundred years—not
and “work” she used twice. some students accept more gladly than
one. Ours will—if we can keep it….
others the idea of growing over the course of four years to appreciate the
“Read, for God’s sake. Read as if your life depended on it. Read the foreign news. Read the national news. Read the business news…. Know how
exhilaration of effort expended and mission accomplished. Those are the
things are connected. Read the immortals. Read Flaubert, Dickens, Tolstoy,
students who do well at Putney. They are game at least for the prospect
Willa Cather, Virginia Wolfe, Walt Whitman, William Blake, Auden and Yeats. Put some poetry in your soul. “Write. Write every day. Write a diary, write a letter, write a love song. There’s always plenty of work in a real democracy for smart people who can
of struggling mightily with an idea, a stubborn bunch of weeds in a garden, a physical challenge, and a cow who won’t come in from pasture.
write a simple declarative sentence. … Wield your pen. “Work. Work hard. Find out what you love to do and figure out how to do it for a living…. “Read, write, work. Love one another. Communities thrive in the unlikeliest soil if you can tend them. Help form a human community wherever you live…. “Last piece of free advice: The only thing in the middle of the road is white lines and road kill. Do not, repeat, do not float merrily, merrily down the mainstream. Swim against the current. Fight the rising tide of conformity. You’ll be in the best of company. That’s what Ben Franklin did. That’s what Thomas Jefferson did. That’s what Carmelita Hinton did. That’s your birthright. “Remember, above all, what the Framers gave us. You are endowed with certain inalienable rights. Certain inalienable rights. And among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” —2005 Speech to the Graduating Class given by Tim Weiner ‘73 Pulitzer Prize Winning New York Times Journalist
# of consEcutiVE days that will carlson ’08 and JoE hirsch ’08 JumPEd in thE PuddlE bEginning on march 28:
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thEy got so cold onE night that thEy ran into thE barn and huggEd cows.
Home, Sweet Cabin Along the periphery of the
campus, usually deep in the woods, are five rustic log cabins built years ago by students. None has power or heat, other than what’s generated by a solar panel and a wood-burning stove. None has plumbing. All five are student residences, and the right to actually live with a roommate in one of these luxuriously primitive cabins is awarded only to seniors who have proven themselves worthy of the challenge and opportunity of independent living. (To be sure, seniors living in cabins are also affiliated with traditional dorms where they can shower, cook a snack, visit with dorm-mates and faculty.) “Most people look at me strangely when I tell them I lived in a log cabin in the woods for a year, with no running water or bathroom, heated only by a woodstove. In fact, on the acceptance letter I received from one college, the admissions officer wrote “Come to our college; you won’t have to live in a log cabin!” Little did he realize that that one year of chopping wood and waking up at two in the morning with my toes practically frozen together because I had forgotten to restoke the fire was the best year of my life and I wouldn’t trade it in for any number of years in some cushiony college dorm where other people clean up after you. Obviously cabins are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re not only for hardcore lumberjacks either. I’m a city girl who can’t tell a pine tree from a telephone pole and who once identified a cardinal as a “robin thingy.” But even a city girl can appreciate the beauty of a perfectly still, snow-carpeted forest or a sunrise over the tops of the maples. There were frigid
Faculty-Sponsored Spring Trips: Where We Go (and Why) When We Don’t Have To j
Arizona, astronomy
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Ghana, library construction and African Music
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France, French study
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Nepal, study of Tibetan Culture
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Italy, printmaking
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Colorado, skiing
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Costa Rica, language study and tropical ecology
winter nights when I dreamed of central heating, but it is an incredible thing to be responsible for your own livelihood, to know that if you don’t get up at three in the morning to restart the fire, no one else will. It is an enormous responsibility, but it is perhaps the greatest honor the Putney School awards its students: you are trusted to live with one other teenager in the woods and to enjoy the experience wisely.” —Hallie Wells ’05 Bucharest, Romania
on selected sundays Each month … the school gathers after dinner
to hear presentations by guests with special talents or expertise. Students and faculty have an opportunity to ask questions and are invited to meet informally with guests after the presentation. Sunday Night Meeting and Assembly speakers have included: j
Richard Morehouse ’79, photographer
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Caitlin Cohen ’03, HIV Care in Mali
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Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, musical entertainment
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Robert Miller, activist, WWII veteran, film producer
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Robert Richter, documentary filmmaker
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Tracy Kidder, author
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Jamaica Kincaid, author
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Bernice Johnson Reagan, activist, singer, founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock
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Chris Barnes ’85, founder of High Mountain Institute
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Jann Wenner, co-founder and editor of Rolling Stone Magazine
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Venerable Lama Tenzin Yignyen, Tibetan monk and sand mandala creator
# of VEry cold wintEr mornings that katiE rEttEw ’07 and 4 othEr barn crEw mEmbErs rEViVEd a dying nEwborn calf by rubbing it with thEir hands and drying it with a blow gun and thEn bundling it with hay and blankEts in thE barn officE:
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thEy also diPPEd its umbilical cord in iodinE and gaVE it its Vaccinations. aftErward thEy showErEd and wEnt to sunday brunch.
one student gladly helping another
aPProX. PErcEntagE of warm sPring days whEn at lEast onE grouP of studEnts Plays music on thE lawn for EVEryonE during lunch:
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no, makE that
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Leadership
opportunities
when a student comes on any campus as a freshman, the onslaught of experiences can overwhelm. at Putney, the loneliness of being the new kid in town is often assuaged by a tradition here of one student gladly helping another. This happens informally; a sophomore, for example may hike with a freshman and tell him or her the basics of navigating Planet Putney. by the time they have reached their junior year, many students at Putney have formally run for one of many leadership positions that place them squarely in position to help other students—and to participate in the day to day business of running a school. student leadership positions at Putney include taking a seat on the board of trustees; sitting on the work committee, which assigns each student his or her trimester’s job; serving as the head of a work crew (for example, as barn head or as head waiter at dinner); serving on the standards committee, which reviews disciplinary issues and makes recommendations to the director for the school’s response; being a student admission committee member, responsible for reading applications and voting on the admission status of new students (open to seniors only); working as a student mentor or dormhead; taking a year-long stint, when a senior, as head or co-head of school; and serving on the Educational Program committee, which reviews new curricular initiatives and proposed changes in academic expectations and evaluates student proposals for exceptions to program requirements.
aPProX. # of studEnts who hold lEadErshiP Positions in any giVEn yEar:
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Five hundred acres of farmland
incredible views of New England mountains
groomed fields for sports
40 km of wooded trails for hiking, biking, skiing and riding‌
Admission
Putney is 115 miles from boston and 213 miles from new york city. There is airline service to bradley international airport in hartford, connecticut, as well as to manchester, new hampshire. There is train and bus service to brattleboro, Vermont. if traveling by car, do not rely on gPs directions or on online or mobile mapping services. Visitors are regularly led to an uninhabited piece of woodland which is identified as The Putney school by their gPs and online map instructions. take Exit 4 off of interstate 91; go north on route 5. turn left in the village of Putney at kimball hill road. approximately one mile later, turn left at west hill road. about one mile up west hill, turn left onto the paved road that leads to the main entrance of The Putney school. (should you get lost along your way, please do not hesitate to call the admission office at (802) 387-6219.) our student body comes from all around the country and all around the world. in a typical year recently we enrolled students from afghanistan, canada, china, colombia, democratic republic of the congo,
want to Visit?
Putney has to be seen to be believed. We encourage all
france, germany, Japan, korea, mexico, norway, rwanda, saudi arabia, slovak republic, spain, taiwan,
interested families to visit us
Thailand, and the west indies.
Vermont. Please call the
we encourage families to take full advantage of all that Vermont has to offer. nearby alpine ski resorts include okemo, stratton mountain, magic mountain, bromley, and mount snow. The town of grafton has the grafton Ponds cross-country ski center, with 16 miles of beautifully groomed trails. in autumn, green mountain orchard (our neighbor just across the road) and many other local orchards have apples to pick
on our hillside in southeastern Admission Office at 802-387-6219 and we’ll schedule a tour for you as well as an interview during which we’ll answer as many questions as you have. Keep in mind that, when
and homemade pies to buy. Each Thanksgiving weekend, the artisans of Putney and nearby communities
you tour campus, you will also
host the Putney craft tour, featuring: blacksmithing, bookbinding, quilting, furniture making, glass-blowing,
the barns. In other words, dress
tour art studios, the farm, and casually for your visit and wear
jewelry, metal artistry, photography, polymer art, pottery, sculpture and
shoes that are great for walking.
sculptured tiles, stained glass, weaving, wood turning, woodworking, and
This is Vermont and
yarn spinning. There are splendid, small art galleries in nearby grafton
sometimes storms can delay your
and Jamaica. The old train station in brattleboro houses an art museum.
you if you’re running late; please
arrival on campus. We’ll wait for call us, though, so we know when
most weekends you can find a contra dance. swimming holes (and
to look for you.
skating ponds) are everywhere, and Vermont’s many streams are made
We love to see samples of the artwork or academic work
for fishing; you can buy worms right in town.
of potential students. If you have anything you’re proud of (an essay, a math test,
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a painting, a blanket you’re
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woven—really, anything!) please bring it with you and show it off!
Portland
If you’re a musician, consider bringing a CD of something
The Putney School 9
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you’ve composed or played.
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Concord
Better yet, bring your instrument!
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To learn more about The
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Albany
Putney School, visit our website at www.putneyschool.org.
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tyPical numbEr of countriEs rEPrEsEntEd in thE studEnt body:
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tyPical numbEr of statEs rEPrEsEntEd:
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You can learn more about the town of Putney at www. iputney.com. There you will find a Music and Entertainment Calendar as well as local news and weather and links to local dining and lodging.
Preparation for
Visit to Campus
If you absolutely can’t make it to Putney to visit, call (802) 387-6219 or email admission@putneyschool.org to schedule an interview by phone or Skype. But visiting Putney is a chance to have fun, tour campus, attend an all-school assembly, visit classes, see the new net-zero Field House and the Currier Center for Performing Arts, get a sense of the great cultural diversity among the faculty and students, experience the farm, see the playing fields, walk in the woods, marvel at the views, and eat good food, including fresh bread cooked in our new wood-fired oven. It’s also, of course, your chance to meet with someone from our Admission Office. We’ll want to ask you some questions, and we’ll hope you’ll have questions for us, too. Here is a list of some of the questions we’ll ask. We’ve left space on the page for you to write questions that you have for us and for you to jot down your impressions of the school during your visit here.
Questions we might want to ask you: j
What draws you to The Putney School?
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What books have you found most inspiring or enjoyable?
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What websites, magazines, and newspapers do you look at?
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What kind of music do you listen to?
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How do you express yourself creatively?
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What do you like about your current school?
Questions you might want to ask us: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There are a few other ways to “visit Putney.“ Become a member on Facebook of “The Putney School Admission Office”, or follow @putneyadmission on Twitter. Families that want to talk with parents of current or former students can get a list of parents who are a part of the Putney Parents Network. For details contact the Admission Office at (802) 387-6219 or at admission@putneyschool.org.
What are you most curious to see on campus? (Check the boxes next to the locations mentioned.) h The new Michael S. Currier Center with its
h The Small Animal Barn with chickens,
h The observatory
art gallery, performance space, dance studio,
turkeys, pigs, sheep, and a pair of oxen,
meditation room, music composition lab
Walter and The Dude (who can actually be
exactly the right day, you won’t get to see a
and rehearsal rooms
ridden—though not by everyone)
class design fireworks.)
h The Jeffrey Campbell Theatre (the theatre program’s main performance space)
h The horse barn
h The biology lab
h The “Puddle” (It’s great for skating in the
h One of the “senior cabins”
h The sculpture garden and Art Building h The cow barn (don’t forget to pet a new calf or meet Mavis)
This book is printed on Mohawk paper which is manufactured with wind generated electricity and has a post consumer recycled percentage of 100%. The savings are:
winter and swimming in the late spring.)
h Weaving studio
h A dorm
h Instructional Technology Center
h The soccer field on a starry night
h Blacksmithing Shop
(Actually, it’s put to wonderful use by the
h All-School Sing (only on Thursdays)
Astronomy class.)
h Biodiesel Converter
1,065 lbs. solid waste not generated
22.66 trees preserved for the future 65.45 lbs. waterborne waste not created 9,629 gallons wastewater flow saved
h The chemistry lab (Unless you come on
2,098 lbs. net greenhouse gases prevented
16,055,941 BTUs energy not consumed
Savings from the use of emission-free wind-generated electricity:
1,090 lbs. air emissions not generated 2,593 cubic feet natural gas unused
In other words the savings from the use of wind-generated electricity are equivalent to: not driving 1,181 miles OR
Production Managers: Anne Seidenberg Heather Beard Design: Good Design, LLC Photography: Cathy Abbott, Don Cuerdon, Peter Finger, Pete Stickney, Lynne Weinstein Copywriter: Rebecca Coffey
planting 74 trees
Printing: Lithographics
The Putney School Elm Lea Farm 418 Houghton Brook Road Putney, Vermont 05346 802.387.6219 fax 802.387-6278 www.putneyschool.org