The VA Community

On Tuesday, November 12, Vermont Academy held the annual Fall Sports and Activities Awards ceremony during Formal Meal in Shepardson Center. The hard work and accomplishments of the students and their coaches/advisors was honored. Each coach had the opportunity to speak on their group’s successes during the past season. The following are the award recipients.

For this fall’s theater production, the Vermont Academy Performing Arts Department chose to bring Working: A Musical to the stage. After many days and nights of rehearsals throughout the fall, the show was presented to the public on November 8, 9, and 10 in the Nita Choukas Theater in Horowitz Performing Arts Hall. Student and faculty actors and student technicians put on an entertaining and moving production, and took the audience through the relatable questions and emotions that arise as a member of the working-class in America.

Three of Vermont Academy’s talented musicians will be playing at The Stone Church stage on Saturday, November 2 for BrattRock’s Fall Edition of the 2024 series. Youth musicians from Brattleboro, VT and surrounding towns will showcase their original music and dynamic covers across genres like rock, punk, indie, R&B, folk, and jazz.

The Performing Arts Department kicked-off the year with a Cabaret performance on Friday, October 18 during the Family Weekend and Old Home Days celebration. Students, families, staff and alumni gathered in the Nita Choukas Theater in Horowitz Performing Arts Hall for the highly anticipated show. Photos can be found on flickr and a link to the recording of the performance is on Youtube.

On Wednesday October 9, Vermont Academy 9th grade students attended The Woman in Black at the Weston Playhouse in Weston, VT.  The Weston Theater Company presents beautiful, entertaining stories performed by astonishingly talented artists from near and far. Attending a production of this caliber is an exciting opportunity for VA’s newest class.

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 11 a.m., Vermont Academy will induct two athletes – Brooke Mooney ’14 and Chad Wittman ’98 – and one special contributor – James “Jim” Frey ’66 into the Athletic Hall of Fame during the Old Home Days & Family Weekend festivities.

Each year, the Vermont Academy Parents Association (VAPA) hosts a silent auction to raise funds for community-building activities such as faculty and staff appreciation initiatives, providing support for Winter Carnival, and sponsoring Spring Fling. The auction is VAPA's largest fundraiser and relies on generously donated items and services. The auction will be live Sunday, October 6 through October 19, and be available to view in person during Family Weekend & Old Home Days.

As summer activities start to wrap up, a chill enters the air, and September arrives, we know that a new academic year is on the horizon. At Vermont Academy, the Convocation ceremony follows a bustling weekend of registration and orientation activities and directly precedes the start of classes. It is a gathering of the entire school community, where Wildcats sit together in their advisory groups and prepare to step back into the role of student.

Each year, Vermont Academy students and faculty embark on its cherished Long Trail hike, a tradition that challenges the hikers to push their limits and bond in the beauty of Vermont’s wilderness. This multi-day trek brings participants together as they navigate rugged terrain, summit peaks, and learn valuable outdoor skills. With every step along the trail, hikers not only test their physical endurance, but also build lasting connections and create unforgettable memories that define their Vermont Academy experience.

During the past twelve months, our worldwide Vermont Academy family joined together to show their enthusiasm, loyal support, and love for our school. Together they gave $3.6M to VA, including a historic gift of $2.1M. Our heartfelt thank you to these 761 generous donors who supported Vermont Academy last fiscal year (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024). We look forward to sharing more in the annual report this fall. 

On a sunny day in May, family, friends, faculty, and of course, the Class of 2024, gathered on Vermont Academy’s South Lawn for our 140th commencement ceremony.

The nomination period is open for the Florence R. Sabin Class of 1889 Distinguished Alumni Award and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award! Nominations for these awards will close on Monday, October 21 at 8 a.m. (ET). Learn more about both awards, eligibility, and how to submit nominations below.

Over a celebratory June weekend, Vermont Academy alumni, their guests, and faculty joined together to reminisce on fond memories of their time as students at VA.

Vermont Academy is thrilled to announce the hiring of Dean of Residential Life and Belonging Eddie Carson.

The end of the spring season at Vermont Academy is an exciting time, jam-packed with events like Baccalaureate, Senior Night, and of course, Commencement. Important to highlight though, is a major success that our golf team saw before all of this end-of-year excitement began; the VA Golf team took home the Lakes Region Championship this season!

The celebrations for the Class of 2024 began with a Baccalaureate Ceremony that took place in the Nita Choukas Theater in Horowitz Performing Arts Hall. We welcomed families and friends of the soon-to-be graduates to our hilltop to celebrate with their beloved Wildcats.

The entire Vermont Academy Community assembled in the Nita Choukas Theater in  Horowitz Performing Arts Hall on the last day of classes to celebrate the end-of-year award recipients and the Class of 2024’s final days at VA. The bricks for each member of the Class of 2024 that would soon be placed on Long Walk were laid out alphabetically on the edge of the stage.

Outside of academics, athletic commitments, and artistic endeavors, students can select from a long list of clubs offered at Vermont Academy. The interests are wide-ranging, and students can even start a club of their own. Some of the clubs held over the ’23-’24 school year included the American Sign Language (ASL) Club, Debate Club, Chess Club, and Bread Club. We heard from each of these club leaders to find out how their year went in their respective groups.