North Branch school play takes the stage April 12

Students at the North Branch School, the independent middle school in Ripton, have scripted an epic play set on the high seas. “Lost and Found on the High Seas” is a sprawling production that will be staged for the public on April 12 and 13 in the Ripton Community House. 

North Branch to stage annual student show

The students of the North Branch School, an independent school for grades 7-9 in Ripton, will present this year’s epic theatrical production, “All’s Fair In Love and Business,” on Friday and Saturday, April 14-15, at 7:30 in the Ripton Community House.  

North Branch students take a deep look at nature through drawing

All fall, every week, the 26 students in the Ripton school have been venturing outside with their science journals, drawing what they find in the woods, in the rivers, among the ferns and tree stumps, on the forest floor, or in the leaf-litter.

North Branch School educator to read from his book

The reading, at Tourterelle Restaurant in New Haven, is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 21, 4:30-6 p.m., and is open to the public.

Birdsey offers insights on how students learn

The North Branch School director has condensed a collection of real stories that occurred inside and outside the classroom over a span of 10-12 years into a new book titled, “Hearts of the Mountain: Adolescents, a Teacher, and a Living School.”

Tiger runners, Laird excel at the state meet

The Middlebury Union High School boys’ and girls’ teams finished second and third, respectively, in Division II at the Vermont high school cross country championships in Thetford on Saturday, while North Branch School ninth-grader Estella Laird claimed th … (read more)

North Branch School celebrates learning with fire and meaning

“I don’t know of any school that celebrates the start of the year by burning something the students spent a month creating and building,” said Tal Birdsey, head teacher and co-founder of the school.

MUHS runners are second at Harwood

North Branch School 9th-grader Estella Laird once again posted the best local finish, coming in second in the girls’ race behind winner Ava Thurston of Harwood.

Tiger teams, North Branch runner excel at Mount Abe meet

The Middlebury Union High School cross-country teams breezed to wins, and North Branch ninth-grader Estella Laird claimed a 99-second win in the girls’ race.

North Branch runner excels as local teams vie in Randolph

RANDOLPH — Middlebury Union High School runners posted several top-20 results at Saturday’s Randolph Invitational, while North Branch School 9th-grader Estella Laird’s third-place finish in the girls’ race was the best result for a local athlete.Tigers El … (read more)

WWII vet shares his experiences with students

After a full year of studying religion, the students at the North Branch School experienced a rare and special gift in the person of George Jaeger, 95, of Middlebury.Jaeger, a retired Foreign Service Officer and former Diplomat in Residence at Middlebury … (read more)

North Branch learns lessons from COVID

RIPTON — North Branch School Co-founder/Director Tal Birdsey has heard some people refer to the COVID-19 pandemic as “the lost year.”Not so fast.“I think that’s the wrong philosophical place to start,” Birdsey said during a teaching break last week.  “It … (read more)

North Branch hockey tournament cancelled

RIPTON/MIDDLEBURY — COVID-19 has claimed another casualty in terms of long-running public events that have been called off because of the pandemic. The North Branch School Board has decided to cancel this year’s NBS Hockey tournament.  The tournament, whi … (read more)

Steve Holmes joins North Branch School

RIPTON — Teacher Steve Holmes has joined the ranks of the school faculty at The North Branch School in Ripton. Homes will teach seventh, eighth and ninth grade math to its students. In addition, Rose McVay, longtime NBS math and science teacher, will assu … (read more)