Academy families and friends are invited to come together for an outing at the DAR State Forest in Goshen, MA.  Meet at 1PM at 78 Cape Street (on Route 112 near Route 9) to hike up to the fire tower with its gorgeous view, picnic on the campers' beach, and kayak on the lake. We'll finish up at 4PM. This event is hosted by 7th grade families, Marla BB and Ruby R, Cynthia P and Celeste D. We will be hiking even if there's light rain. Confirm with Marla or call (413-296-0187) by 9AM if you have any questions about weather.

We are excited to announce that Kimberly Overtree will be joining our math and theater departments next fall. Kimberly has fifteen years of experience teaching courses that range from Algebra 1 to Calculus at Rivers School in Weston, MA, The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut, and Mohawk Trail Regional High School. Kimberly also has a great deal of theater experience, including serving as Ethel Walker's Director of Theater Programs, serving as the Artistic Director of Amherst Leisure Services Community Theater, and founding the Ghost Light Theater in Northampton. Kimberly holds her B.A. in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College and her M.M. in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory of Music. We are looking forward to welcoming her officially in the fall.

The 7th grade class trip focused around electricity generation. Students toured Berkshire East's wind turbine and solar array, learned from a former employee of Yankee Rowe Nuclear, stopped in the Northfield Mountain visitor's center before hiking to the upper reservoir, and visited the Holyoke Dam and Fishway. We had a great night camping in Warwick on Thursday evening.

The eighth graders set off to explore Eastern Mass in connection with their studies in literature and civics. We started off with a personal Q&A with Senator Hinds and followed it with a visit to the Edward Kennedy Institute where students, playing roles as US senators, walked legislation through from inception to becoming a law. The next day we spent the morning at Plimouth Colony learning about the lives of early colonists as well as that of indigenous peoples. Later that day, we walked part of the way from Lexington to Concord, following the Battle Path which began the Revolutionary War. On our last day we traveled to Salem, the location at the center of their reading of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. The Salem Witch museum is devoted to understanding the frenzy behind the trials and celebrating the innocence and truth of its victims.

After a smooth and beautiful ferry ride, the ninth grade learned about the 18th century naturalist and astronomer Maria Mitchell from one of the association's historians, took an informative walking tour of Nantucket, and were treated to a great dinner that included some locally sourced foods. We enjoyed a spectacular beach sunset then went to the Maria Mitchell Association's observatory where the astronomy staff shared the history of the two telescopes before delighting us with close up views of Jupiter and its moons, the surface of our own moon, and a faint but exciting look at "M53", a globular cluster that's 58,000 light years from earth. A local Nantucket student gave us a tour of the stars visible with the naked eye before sending everyone off to sleep. Day 2 began with a morning visit to "Squam Swamp", a protected property, guided by a local ecologist. We walked through some unusual habitat, including tupelo and sassafras trees, to a vernal pool. Students caught, observed - and then replaced- a variety of specimens. From there, we visited the MMA Aquarium - closed but getting ready for a season of children's programming. For their service project, students decided to create an exhibit for the aquarium about the impact of plastic waste in the ocean and collected several pails full of flotsam and jetsam on the beach.  During the afternoon the town Shellfish Biologist gave a presentation about efforts to sustain the local bay scallop fishery and then we all went to the studios of the Artists Association of Nantucket where we made gelli prints using leaves and a variety of textured items. After dinner, we attempted to catch another beach sunset but it wasn't spectacular. Despite that, the intrepid students jumped into the calm, shallow, but cold water of Madaket Harbor on the west end of the island. Our final day began with early morning birding walk with an ornithologist. The group saw many varieties of gulls, some cormorants, a few seals, a loon, an Eastern Towhee, several pairs of nesting Osprey, and a few more unusual birds too - a Black Capped Heron and a Greater Yellow Legs. Before returning to the MMA to work diligently and collaboratively to complete the visual part of their exhibit they enjoyed a little free time in Town.

The sophomores arrived in New York mid-afternoon on Thursday, and after dropping off our bags at the Vanderbilt YMCA, we headed to the United Nations for a guided tour. We then had the opportunity to visit Mr. Green’s alma mater, the New York Academy of Art, where were given a tour of the entire building. Students had the unique opportunity to see students’ studios and to talk to artists before and after the formal critiques of their work. We finished the day in Times Square. On Thursday, we started with self-guided tours at the MET museum, had lunch in Central Park, visited the 9/11 memorial and walked through Wall Street, and then took the Staten Island ferry for spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan. The day ended with a walk across the entirety of the Brooklyn Bridge! Our trip ended on Friday with a guided tour of MOMA, with the group braving torrential rain and flash flooding on our way out of town. It was a culturally rich adventure and a great bonding experience for all.

The juniors visited sites in Concord, Boston, and Salem. Day one was spent in Concord at Walden Pond (where Henry David Thoreau was inspired to write Walden), The Old North Bridge (where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired), The Old Manse (a National Historic Landmark that became the center of Concord’s political, literary, and social revolutions during the 1800s), and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (where many noted authors are buried). The group filled the second day in Boston, walking the Freedom Trail, visiting the Old Granary Burying Ground (where Paul Revere rests), exploring the area near Faneuil Hall, enjoying time at the New England Aquarium, and watching the Blue Man Group perform. On the final day, free time was spent in Salem where a few completed a scavenger hunt before visiting the Peabody-Essex Museum.  The group showed special appreciation for exhibits on wearable art and a Chinese home that was brought to the museum in pieces and rebuilt.

The 12th grade enjoyed their trip to Martha's Vineyard. Seizing upon the opportunity to relax after their senior projects were turned in, the Class of 2017 stayed in Edgartown, with easy access to a range of in-town activities. Students shopped for their own groceries in preparation for a potluck meal together, which closed out a beautifully sunny Thursday, after having traversed to different corners of the island including the Aquinnah Lighthouse and the beach in Menemsha. The seniors returned from the trip refreshed (some having quite literally been refreshed by the icy waters at Menemsha Beach), and ready to close out their Academy careers with a renewed energy and bond.

As your students' senior year is almost upon us, the college season is already. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Gay if you would like to meet to discuss what the next six months hold. 

Mark your calendars, 8th grade parents! Wednesday, May 17th will be the Mock Trial, located at the US District Court House in Springfield, MA. Students will be on an all-day field trip where they'll be meeting with a variety of different people involved in the justice system. Parents who are interested in attending the Mock Trial should RSVP to Neale Gay as soon as possible.

An added bonus! Parents in attendance might have the opportunity to sit on the jury for the mock trial! Imagine witnessing your children as lawyers, witnesses, and court personnel, and now imagine the tremendous gravity of deciding a court case that is bound to bring up issues of morality, the law, and justice.

A letter will follow shortly with more specific details for 8th grade families. However, prepare to arrive at the US District Court no later than 2:00.

DEADLINE TO SUPPORT THE LIBERATION LIBRARY - MAY 19

Liberation Library is a Chicago-based organization that distributes books to incarcerated youth. Through reading and relationships, the organization aims to “empower young people to change the criminal justice system.” Click here for their story. Incarcerated youth at four detention centers have requested a variety of books that both reflect their own experiences and offer glimpses into the world beyond. You can find their Amazon wish list linked here. 

The Social Justice Council’s goal is to purchase and donate 25 books from this list. To support this endeavor please send in a check payable to The Academy at Charlemont with “Liberation Library” in the memo line. If you are interested in directing your contribution toward a specific book, please enclose a note with the title with your check .

Like the Liberation Library, the Social Justice Council believes that access to books and information is a right, not a privilege, and we thank you for your continued support for this and future efforts.

A bigger-than-ever-before group represented The Academy's Gender and Sexuality Alliance at this year's Noho Pride event. We had up to 30 in our contingent at one point, with a mix of students, faculty and staff, alums, parents and even trustees joining us along the way. The parade itself was the largest yet for this annual event, and we were glad to see our group match that enthusiasm. Students' handmade signs added a particularly poignant element of activism this year, advocating in support for the many faces and kinds of love, and supporting the need for more protection of transgender people. Many thanks to all who contributed to these efforts!

We will be welcoming a new sophomore boy from France next year: Julen, 15.  He is excited to follow in the footsteps of his brother Jon who spent last year at The Academy and loved it!  Julen is interested in living with an Academy family. He loves fencing, swimming and playing the guitar. He has heard a lot of great things from his brother about The Academy and can’t wait to practice soccer, basketball and Utimate. If you would like to learn more about Julen, please read his own engaging letter of introduction.  

Julen will arrive in our area in mid-August and be with us until mid-June. There will be a monthly family stipend to help defray costs for room and board.

Please indicate your interest by contacting Sabine Mauri.

We are getting ready for the annual Academy Parents Council (APC) Work Bee, a great day of working together and getting to know each other while we take care of needed projects at our school. Please plan to join the fun!

The day begins with an important 1-hour APC meeting at 9:30 AM - we hope you will join us to recap the year, think about next year, and provide input to the school in an exercise that will help inform short and long range planning.  You can find the working agenda here (HYPERLINK TO THE PDF I FORWARDED).

For the Work Bee there are two sessions.  You can join us for the morning (10:30 - 12:30), the afternoon (12:30 - 2:30), or both.  You can sign up here. We usually get pizza together in the middle of the day, and there will be coffee and tea aplenty all day long.

See you soon!

Phoebe Walker and Paul Catanzaro, APC Co-Chairs