Rock Point School

1 Rock Point Road, Burlington, VT, 05408-0540
Tel: (802)863-1104
Grades: 9 - 12 | 40 students
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Rock Point School is a small, supportive day and boarding school for young people who have not found success in other more traditional school settings. Rock Point is a place where young people - who have found themselves off-track academically, socially, and personally - are seen for who they are, take healthy risks, grow, find success, and discover their passion.  Located in beautiful and culturally rich Burlington, VT, we offer high school students small, engaging classes, experiential learning, close relationships with staff, and ongoing opportunities to discover who they are.  Academically, we support a range of learning styles, and work with students to improve their organization, self-advocacy, and study skills. In our dorm program, we encourage our students to have fun, laugh, try new things, make friends, and discover what excites them -- whether it be snowboarding, digital animation, or playing our piano. 

School Overview:
Rock Point School
School Type Alternative School
School Membership(s) New England Association of Schools and Colleges
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE)
Religious Affiliation Nonsectarian
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
Offers Post-Graduate Year Yes
Learning Difference Programs Yes
Learning Programs Supported Executive functioning support; study skills; tasks broken down into parts; repetition; tutoring; extra time, as needed.
Year Founded 1928
Student Body
Total Students 40 students
Student Body Type Co-ed
% Students of Color 12% (VT School Avg.: 7%)
Students by Grade
 
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers 6 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio 7:1 (National school avg.: 13:1)
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree 50%
Average Class Size 8 students
List of Courses Offered Link to List of Courses
Classroom dress code Casual
Finances and Admission
Admission Deadline None / Rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost $53,500
Tuition Notes Day rate is $26500.
% on Financial Aid 23%
Average Financial Aid Grant $10,000
Acceptance Rate 75%
Admissions Director Hillary Kramer
Extracurriculars
Total Extracurriculars 7 extracurriculars
Extracurriculars
Junior Iron Chef basketball
community service running
skiing and snowboarding theater
ultimate frisbee

School Notes:

    • Academic Courses:  Each year, Rock Point students take a class in each of our five core content areas: English, Math, History, Science, and Art. These classes generally meet for 45 minute periods once per day, all before lunch. Art and Science classes also have a 90-minute period once per week to work on longer-term projects in the studio and the lab.  In the afternoon, students have one hour of supervised study hall when all teachers are available to continue to provide support and instruction. Three days per week, study hall is followed by electives(including photography, stain glass, architecture, maple syrup making, honey production, and fiber arts). Students often look forward to these electives classes as a chance to connect with their core classroom teacher and their peers in a more free-form and creative setting.
    • Core Learning Skills:  Some core learning skills are practiced primarily in the classroom, although they can be applied more broadly: writing, critical thinking, note-taking, test-preparation, and test-taking. Other skills are practiced everywhere in our program, as we help students learn to manage their time, maintain healthy relationships, and develop essential character traits like compassion, creativity, and resilience. More and more current educational research is discovering that these are the skills that most reliably lead to success in any learning environment; at Rock Point School, we have been operating on that belief for decades. 
    • Tailored to the Individual:  At Rock Point School, we are serious about considering the particular strengths and challenges of each individual student in every aspect of our program. All schools seek to do this, of course, but our small size allows us to be more flexible, responsive, and nuanced than larger institutions. While we believe that all students benefit from a learning environment where they are more fully known by their teachers, experience has shown us that certain students seem to need this more than others. For some, being truly known allows them to grow and change in ways they had never dreamed were possible. 
    • Life outside of class:  The dorm staff shares their love for outdoor adventure and the arts, as well as just spending time with students. Every weekend there is a range of activities offered at school, in the amazing college town of Burlington, and throughout Vermont and upstate New York.  These include skiing/snowboarding, hiking, biking, cooking and baking, gardening, community service projects, watching sporting events, and attending art shows, poetry slams, music concerts, and plays. We also go backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, whitewater rafting on the Hudson River, and deep sea fishing in Maine.  Students even have the chance to run a “leg” in the Burlington Marathon. 
    • Trips:  We pursue travel education both far afield and close to home. Students have opportunities to go on trips to Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine.  Each year, usually during February vacation, we offer an international trip. During various years, we have travelled to Japan, Cambodia, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Nicaragua.  Each trip has included cultural exchange and, as often as possible, a service-learning component.
    • Teaching Healthy Living:  The personal, emotional and social wellbeing of every student is as important as his or her achievement in the classroom.  In everyday life at Rock Point School, students explore their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Through work crews, study halls in the evening, and all kinds of fun activities, students learn to manage their time and find a healthy balance between work and play.  Our activities in the dormare geared toward art and culture, outdoor recreation, and community service.  Throughout these areas, we teach students about the basics of self-care: getting enough exercise, getting enough rest, paying attention to nutrition, and having healthy ways to relax and de-stress.
    • Summer Session:  At Rock Point, we also offer a fun, exciting, supportive place for students to spend their summer. Whether they need to make up academic credit, or simply want to build organizational and social skills, and live in a structured setting, our summer session is a great option.  The summer consists of outdoor adventures as well as classroom work that is inspired by nature, including reading, writing, research projects, and making art.  We especially enjoy the way Burlington, Vermont comes alive in the summertime.  And, just as in our regular-year program, the summer session emphasizes healthy relationships with staff, learning to be good members of a community, a range of fun activities, and a chance to build academic skills. 

    Profile last updated: 02/27/2013

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Nearby Schools:

Rock Point School
Gr. 9-12 | 0 mi. away
North Avenue Christian School
Gr. K-3 | 1.8 mi. away
St Joseph School
Gr. K-9 | 3.3 mi. away
Y. M. C. A. Preschool And Kindergarten
Gr. Nursery/Preschool-PK | 3.9 mi. away
Vermont Torah Academy
Gr. 1-7 | 4 mi. away
Mater Christi School
Gr. Nursery/Preschool-8 | 4.1 mi. away

View all schools in: Burlington, Chittenden County, Zip 05408

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