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Bellows Free Academy - Fairfax
by Chris Santee
BFA Fairfax (802) 849-6711
School Board Chairperson Peg Stewart
Members Elaine Carpenter, Robin Freeman,
Kim Brown-Lesny and Lea Wimmette.
Fairfax School Board Website
Franklin West Supervisory Union
BFA Fairfax, Georgia Elementary &
Middle Schools and Fletcher Elementary
Superintendent: Bruce Chattman
BFA High School Principal Michael Clark
BFA Middle School Principal Thomas Walsh
BFA Elementary School 849-2222
Elementary Principal Lisa Delorme
Frog Test (2 minute limit)
Fourth Quarter Honor Roll BFA Fairfax
Congratulations to the Class of 2010
Former Principal Scott Lang was the speaker.
100th Annual Alumni Dinner Held Friday
at Bellows Free Academy Fairfax.
Vermont ranks # 2 in H.S. graduation rate.
Jason Holloway Receives Frederica Clarkson Award
Holloway is a Bellows Free Academy Fairfax graduate.
Progress Reports for Vermont Schools
B.F.A. Fairfax AYP Results
B.F.A. Fairfax Third Quarter Honor Roll
BFA Fairfax Second Quarter Honor Roll
BFA Fairfax Academic All-Stars
Lukas LaRiviere, Casey Baczewski Honored
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has appointed
Elaine Carpenter, of Fairfax, to the Vermont
Interagency Coordinating Council for Families,
Infants & Toddlers. Elaine is also on the
Bellows Free Academy Fairfax School Board.
BFA Fairfax Academic All-Stars Named
Past BFA Fairfax Yearbooks
Brent Coon Named Swanton Interim Principal
Curbing Underage Drinking in Milton
Brain teasers.....
We have several Brain Teaser winners.
Bob Mays, Andrew Stevens, Mike Cain,
Jim McGuinness, Erica Gould, Patrick and
Laurie Queor, Ryan Wells, Traci Hull and
Tom Feerick.
Brain Teaser
If:
2 + 3 = 10
7 + 2 = 63
6 + 5 = 66
8 + 4 = 96
Then:
9 + 7 = ????
e-mail answer to csantee@myfairpoint.net
Answer
Add the numbers and multiply by the first
Vermont students top nation in reading !!!
Vermont Math Scores Add Up
BFA Fairfax Planning Night & Course Fair
Thursday evening at Bellows Free Academy Fairfax.
Fairfax Community Fitness Center
A Public Forum was held November 23rd to
discuss establishing a fitness center in the
shop room at Bellows Free Academy Fairfax
Mock Trial at BFA Fairfax Wraps Up
The Fairfax Selectboard and the BFA Fairfax School
Board have been very busy preparing budgets in a
very tough economic time.
Thanks to the Fairfax Selectboard: Chairperson Bob
Horr, Bill Ormerod, Charlie Swanson, Randy Devine
and John Mitchell.
Thanks to the BFA Fairfax School Board: Chairperson
Margeret Stewart, Barbara Murphy, Robin Freeman,
Elaine Carpenter and Kim Lesny.
Attention Parents of Seniors & Juniors
The Problem of Paying for College
Poetry Out Loud Winners
Empty Bowl at BFA Fairfax
Cool Site for Kids - CoolMath.com
Vermont Woodworking School featured on WCAX
Mothers of PreSchool Children are welcome
MOPS.org
Kids enjoy July 30 StoryWalk
StoryWalk on Fairfax Recreation Path
Prom night 2009 for BFA Fairfax students.
Photos were being taken early at the White's
house on Hunt Street and some seniors were
headed to Shanty on the Shore in Burlington
before boarding the Lake Champlain cruise ship
the Spirit of Ethan Allen.
First Semester Awards at BFA Fairfax
Thank You BFA Fairfax School Board
Peg Stewart, Jeff Loller, Elaine Carpenter, Robin
Freeman and Barb Murphy, the BFA Fairfax School
Board, trimmed $271,938 from the proposed budget
Wednesday night in the Community Library.
The new budget is $11,317,945, a 1.49% increase.
Easy decisions were nowhere to be found.
It was a very painful meeting.
The big cut was Full Day Kindergarten.
No people lost their jobs at BFA Fairfax.
The Tech Industrial Arts Teacher position was
eliminated, but no one has applied for the job.
That was a savings of $61,033.
$36,000 was trimmed by postponing painting for
one floor of the Elementary School and not buy-
ing a new tractor for trimming grass.
$25,000 was trimmed from purchasing technology
and software.
Administrators were reduced to a 2.5% pay raise.
Water Main Breaks at BFA Fairfax
A backhoe was digging in the Library parking lot.
Thanks to Randy DeVine & Paul Langelier.
And Joey Pidgeon
School would have been called off Wednesday anyway !
Tongues Untied met with the public in the
elementary gym to discuss video violence.
Last year, Governor Jim Douglas joined the
group at BFA Fairfax.
WCAX reported on BFA Fairfax's Security !
WCAX Covered BFA's Tongues Untied
and the St. Albans Messenger did also
A group of students from BFA Fairfax, did
not collect candy for Halloween this year.
Some collected canned goods for the Food Shelf.
Meet & Greet the Principal Candidate
On Wednesday, there was a "Meet & Greet" reception
for the BFA Fairfax community to get to know Mike
Clark, current Asst. Principal at Colchester, and
future replacement for outgoing Principal Scott Lang.
What are you looking for
in the next High School Principal ?
Link to survey provided by
Franklin West Supervisory Union.
BFA Fairfax HS Principal Search Committee
Franklin West Supervisory Union is pleased to
announce that Mr. Bruce Chattman has been selected
as Superintendent of Schools effective July 1, 2009.
(former Superintendent of South Burlington School
District) and former Interim Superintendent from
January 12 through June 30, 2009.
Bruce has an extensive back ground and is well-
respected by his colleagues.
Armando Vilaseca's last day as Superintendent of
FWSU was January 15, 2009.
Editor's Note: Bruce Chattman was the Vermont
Superintendent of the Year in 2003.
Fairfax said farewell to
Armando Vilaseca in a reception held at Bellows
Free Academy Fairfax in the Multi-Purpose Room.
Farewell to Armando
Vilaseca named Education Commissioner
Education Commissioner Choices Narrowed to 3
FWSU's Armando Vilaseca is in the field.
Scott Lang is in his last year at B.F.A. Fairfax.
Vilaseca on Vermont Education Plans
July 1, 2006
Armando Vilaseca named the new Superintendent of
Franklin West Supervisory Union.
Franklin West Supervisory Union met
at Bellows Free Academy Fairfax.
FWSU said good-bye to former Superintendent
Phil Higgins and welcomed new Superintendent
Armando Vilaseca.
Armando Vilaseca Accepts Superintendent Position
Current Colchester Superintendent, Armando Vilaseca,
has accepted the Superintendent's position of
the Franklin West Supervisory Union, consisting of
Bellows Free Academy Fairfax, Georgia Elementary and
Middle Schools and the Fletcher Elementary School.
Mr. Vilaseca met with faculty and staff last Monday
afternoon and the community Monday evening.
The Franklin West Supervisory Union (FWSU) met
Wednesday night at Bellows Free Academy Fairfax.
Current FWSU Superintendent Phil Higgins has announced
his resignation effective at the end of this school year.
The BFA School Board has tentatively approved the
2007-2008 budget in the amount of $10,618,235
or a 3.97% increase.
This includes the proposed articles if approved.
The increase will be 3.61% without the articles
to be presented.
The complete budget will be presented at a
public forum in the near future.
BFA Fairfax Misses AYP
The Fairfax News has some comments
from Superintendent Vilaseca.
This does not mean our school is weak.
A Complete List from St. Albans Messenger
Vermont Outstanding Teacher Day
BFA Fairfax's Sandy Brown Recognized
BFA Kindergarten Discussion
BFA Fairfax has Chorus !
Essex Wins H.S. Chess Championship !!!
FranklinOne.com encourages BFA Fairfax to create
a Chess team. Ivy League schools every year have
dozens of chess scholarships that go unfilled.
Mr. Al Daniels 6th Grade class at BFA Fairfax
is studying laws of motion, energy, gravity
and friction and in April they had a Segway
demonstration by Doug Young.
Admiral Hamm at BFA Fairfax
U.S. Navy Admiral Warren Hamm was at BFA Fairfax
in April to talk with Mr. Jim Lonergan's students
about the war many years ago in Vietnam.
Hats off to Bellows Free Academy Fairfax !!
BFA and VINS (Spring 2005)
Community Mapping Program
Mrs. Huffman’s fifth grade class participated in
a Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)
Community Mapping Program.
This community partnership between the Fairfax
Community Park & Recreation Path Project and the
class was formed as a result a grant written by
Mrs. Huffman and Fairfax Park Project Manager
Ms. Lizotte.
Since the beginning of the school year Mrs.
Huffman’s students have been gathering data
about the recreation land area by taking walks
with a Vermont State naturalist, a Vermont State
wetlands expert as well as the Fairfax Historical
Society information about the area.
This project, in coordination with Community Mapping
Staff instructors and the Fairfax Community Park
Project is an effort to educate students to their
community and the use of GPS
(geo-positioning satellite) mapping tools.
Specifically Mrs. Huffman’s class was looking to
collect and create a map of the recreation path of
the Fairfax Community Park Project and to create an
interpretive trail map of the recreation path with
its historical, environmental and park facility
features.
As a foundation for a future Park Trail Map,
the information gathered this year will potentially
benefit the many users and visitors of the Fairfax
Community Park and Recreation Path in years to come.
Success By Six
by
Fairfax Success By Six Activities
Fairfax BFA’s PTSA’s Success By Six Committee
is a subcommittee of our school’s Parent,
Teacher, Student Association (PTSA) that focuses
on activities and opportunities for families with
children age 6 and under.
All Fairfax Success By Six activities are free
and open to all !!!
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Georgia Elementary & Middle Schools
by Chris Santee
Georgia Elementary & Middle School (802) 524-6358
Fax GEMS at (802) 524-1781
GEMS School Board
School Board meetings are held on the first
and third Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm
in the GEMS Library.
Middle School Principal Frank Calano
fcalano@gemsvt.org
Elementary School Principal Flora Hurteau
fhurteau@gemsvt.org
Business Manager Chris Sumner
csumner@gemsvt.org
A Public Hearing for School Choice was held
in St. Albans at the BFA Library March 31st.
It focused on consolidation and discussions
on choice being possible with consolidation.
School Choice for Vermont
School Choice: The Answer Under Our Nose
by Rob Roper
Angry Parents Converge on Montpelier
Consolidation could take "Choice" from Georgia.
People Who Live In Glass Prep Schools
by Rob Roper
School merger incentives still possible
High School Change for Georgia ?
Georgia Voices Defend Their Choices
On Tuesday evening, Georgia residents packed the
gymnasium at Georgia Elementary & Middle School
to voice their opinions on Act 44.
Cars were parked on Route 7 with the parking lot over-
flowing and almost all inside defended their school
choice for their high school students.
Some liked South Burlington while others praised
Essex and some spoke favorably of BFA Fairfax.
A majority of the students attend BFA St. Albans.
A woman asked all for choice to rise and only about
a dozen in the crowded gym remained seated.
A letter read on Representative Carolyn Branagan's
behalf defending school choice was favorably received
while Representative Gary Gilbert's defense of the
new law was not as warmly welcomed.
An end of Georgia's choice could impact Fairfax.
Check back for more on this continuing story.
Georgia crowd for school choice
by Leon Thompson September 30th.
Prior story by Leon Thompson
St. Albans Messenger
Pick up Wednesday's "Messenger" for more.
End of School Choice in Georgia ?
from WCAX Channel 3, Burlington, Vermont.
Should Vermont Consolidate School Districts ?
A Special Report from Beth Parent, WCAX, Channel 3
Story was written and aired in 2007
VermontTiger.com has some
excellent info on school spending.
Georgia elementary students work
on "cool" project for our troops !
Georgia Students Hope to Keep Soldiers Cool
from Fox 44
GEMS students were already covered by WCAX.
GEMS News - Summer 2005
Update from David Young
on a change that will occur THIS year.
As you know, our 2005-2006 School Budget did pass and Thank You for your support. Part of that budget is for transportation services (busing). The School Board, through a competitive bid process, voted to offer Terricel Transit (Grand Avenue Enterprises, Inc.), a three year contract. For the last three years, Mathieu Enterprises, Inc., has been our provider. They have been great to work with and have provided safe travel for our Georgia students.
The Community Transportation Committee, which is made up of parents, and the two members of the School Board Transportation Committee, along with representatives from Terricel, will be meeting to ensure that a positive transition happens. Our first meeting will be April 13th at 6:30pm.
If you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or stop in.
David Young
Principal EE-4
GEMS 524-6358
UVM Receives $5,000,000 Gift
Gift will benefit students across Vermont
Check Out Camping in Vermont Parks
Vermont State Parks Website
Campers Out in Vermont
Vermont State Parks Get Big Bucks
Vermont State Parks to Get Facelift
New Hampshire Camping Fees May Rise
Vermont aims to beef up park visits
Park Pass Program Very Popular
Community Library at BFA Fairfax 849-2420
Georgia Public Library on Route 7
Some Vermont Parks on Last Weekend
Middlebury College students have made the news
with a video titled "Midd Kid". Some found it offensive.
Video has 200,000 hits in two weeks.
Recreation Park News
by Katrina Antonovich
So much thanks goes to the whole Ben & Jerry's
St. Albans Community Action Team for their generous
support and donation!
All residents are encourage to check out the new
Fairfax Community Park.
Thanks to Mike Cady, Rob Schukei, Bob Horr, Ed Nuttall,
Brenda Paradee, Julie and Dave Filiberti, Myles Cahoon
and his son Kevin and the entire Patry family
who have so generously donated time and equipment.
Consider participating and supporting the Park
& Path Project!
For volunteer opportunities,
please don't hestiate to contact Katrina.
There was a well attended Ribbon Cutting
Ceremony 09/30/06 Morning at the
Fairfax Recreational Path & Park down
by the cul-de-sac at 9:30am.
Henry Raymond was there, camera in hand,
along with Mike Cain, official photographer
for the events. Check their sites !!!
Some of the events planned for were:
* A short running race for kids on the rec path
before the ribbon cutting and dedication.
* Obstacle courses for kids, which were fun
and educational.
* Kids received certification that they have
completed the "Bike Rodeo".
* Blue Cross-Blue Shield provided photo IDs for kids
* A representative of the Health Department
had a health/wellness display.
* Bike Helmets were available to purchase
at a reduced cost.
* Whites Bikes in Georgia had a
"bike shop" set up.
* State Trooper Bill Sweeney was present with
his companion - a Bomb Sniffing Black Lab.
* The Fairfax Rescue Squad was available in
the event of any mishaps, and the Ambulance was
on site and open to allow kids to see the inside.
The Georgia Recreation Committee and Georgia School
Community Relations Committee are joining forces with
the hopes of improving recreational and community
activities within the town of Georgia.
A group of ten, committed town residents met the
evening of Tuesday, September 12, 2006 to discuss
activities that would provide opportunity for Georgia
residents to be involved in recreation, workshops
and events close to home while meeting their neighbors.
Ideas abounded, and the group decided to target a few
events including a senior luncheon.
Other ideas and events will be explored in the future.
The committees plan to hold initial activities at
the Georgia School.
Are you interested in helping improve our town's
recreational and social opportunities?
The group met again on Thursday, September 28th
at 6:30 at the GEMS library.
We welcome enthusiastic people with a willingness to
help - so please get involved and bring a friend!
For more information, contact Lynn Knight at 527-9600.
Watch for schedule to be posted here.
The Milton Grove Academy of Music
(located at 92 Main Street, Milton)
is accepting new students presently in private
piano and violin lessons, and eventually
branching out into chambe music and other
instruments, and later on yet having courses
in theory and composition.
The Violinist (Mark Woodyatt) and I (Joseph
Pepper) are both conservatory trained (Eastman,
Ithaca College, and the Conservatory at
University of Missouri-Kansas City) classical
musicians that dabble in all musical genres.
We are looking for dedicated students to guide
in a mostly classical teaching tradition, but
also dabbling in other styles
(usually of the students' interests).
Substance Abuse
Just a reminder if you had not had a chance to
submit comments regarding substance abuse in
Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, you can still
submit comments on line to the Secretary of the
Agency of Human Services, Mike Smith,
by going to the following website:
www.healthyvermonters.org
and clicking on the right side of the page
that says "Comments on the Substance Abuse Forums"
The Secretary is looking for real concrete examples
of what is or is not working in our community
regarding substance abuse.
Please take a moment to share your thoughts.
Thank you!
"60's Mania" wrapped up in the BFA
Middle School Gym. It was another entertaining
show presented at the school.
Director John O'Brien and Producer Sara (Daniels)
Villeneuve put together another "winner" with
Craig Sodaro's comedy.
Michael Smith played Norman Hinkle to Sarah
Gottschalk's Barbara Hinkle.
Genevieve St. Hilaire played Aunt Hilda Winsap,
a busy body spinstress and Sheilagh Smith was
daughter Debbie Hinkle, looking to break free
from the confines of dullsville and find her
dream through Jon Koval's Starbaby.
Roger, played by Ryan Betcher, tried to stop
his beloved Debbie from running off, but when
Alison Hinkle, played by Hannah Duprat, wins
a date with Ringo (Patrick Fitzgerald), the
fun began.
Bellows Free Academy Fairfax received the
following letter from:
First Baptist Christian School
4141 Ponchartrain Drive
Slidell, Louisiana 70460
Dear Friends in Christ,
In the aftermath of Katrina I have seen the
worst and the best in a variety of situations
and people.
I have seen both, even within myself.
Never did any of us think that rebuilding of
our homes, schools and community would go on
this long, and there is still a long road
ahead of us.
In the middle of an existence foreign to us,
filled with confusion and sadness, God pro-
vided a tremendous blessing.
From people we have never met, an outpouring
of love and support has come.
It has been an overwhelming and unexpected
joy.
Hope and strength have returned to our lives.
A desire and eagerness to overcome has en-
gulfed us all.
Your gift has been a message to us of your
belief in us and our ability to overcome.
Your gift has been a reminder to us that we
are one family under God.
Please accept from the depths of our hearts
"Thank You".
Thank you for your care, your love, your
compassion, support and prayers.
Your gift is one that we will take with us
into eternity.
In His service,
Olive Zenon & Susan Flarity
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