| Hello, Fellow Bulldogs! Staying connected to all of you and sharing updates from campus is one of my favorite parts of this role. In this issue of The Belltower, you’ll meet Ada-Grace Perry ’22 in Five Things That Matter, read about the relaunched Mountain Campus program and the Spring musical, and celebrate our Indoor Track team’s state championship. Also, I’m excited to let you know that this year’s Reunion will take place on September 18–19, so please mark your calendars! We hope to see many of you back in Manchester, especially those celebrating milestone years (looking at you, fellow '96ers).
We are also currently accepting Hall of Fame nominations through March 10, so please get your submissions in so we can recognize the individuals and teams who have helped shape our shared story.
Finally, you may also have seen Headmaster Mark Tashjian’s recent emails about education reform in Vermont. As those conversations continue, there may be opportunities for alumni to show support for Burr and Burton. Please stay tuned; we’ll be sure to share more information as details unfold.
All my best,
Sam (Eisenstein) Watson ’96, P’28
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Five Things That Matter with Ada-Grace Perry '22 By: Samantha Watson '96, P'28, Director of Advancement Not every road is meant to be straight. After high school, Ada-Grace Perry ’22 did what many students feel expected to do: she enrolled in a four-year college, joined a team, and stepped into a traditional nursing program. But something didn’t feel right. Instead of pushing through, she made the courageous decision to step away.
What followed wasn’t a detour but clarity. She chose an approach that allowed her to learn and work simultaneously, and she is now ahead of her original timeline. Today, she is a practicing nurse, graduating without student debt, and preparing to begin her dream role in cardiac care, all at the age of 22. She credits her parents, Sarah (‘89) and Eric, as her constant source of encouragement and stability. They are not the only ones who believe in her; this past year, she was one of only two nursing students from Vermont State University to receive a DAISY Award nomination for above-and-beyond compassionate care.
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Mountain Campus Relaunch After a year-long pause to reevaluate and redesign the Mountain Campus program, it is back up and running! Last semester, close to 40 students enrolled in integrative, half-day courses and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from students, teachers, and parents. As we heard from one student, “Mountain Campus changed how I think about learning" and another shared that "Mountain Campus gave me the space to try something new—and that changed everything." The content of the two courses, Literature, Leadership, and Learning in the Outdoors and Conservation Biology and Environmental Literacy: Principles and Practice, mattered as much as the environment itself. Another student reflected that they "learned that taking time in nature makes me more focused and more productive." The impact of the Mountain Campus on students last semester exceeded even our highest hopes and the momentum is continuing in the Spring semester. You can read more about the Mountain Campus in this Manchester Journal article from December. |
Spring Musical Experience the infectious energy and radical spirit of the counterculture as Hair takes the stage at Burr and Burton Academy’s Riley Center for the Arts, March 24–28, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Celebrate the “Age of Aquarius” in all its barefoot, long-haired, and beaded glory.
Set to a legendary rock score, the show features iconic anthems including “Aquarius,” “Good Morning, Starshine,” “I Got Life,” and the soaring “Let the Sunshine In.” More than a time capsule of the 1960s, Hair remains strikingly relevant today, exploring timeless themes of identity, community, and global responsibility. It is a powerful examination of what it means to be young in a changing world. |
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| | State Champs! Huge congratulations to the Girls Indoor Track Team and Coach Phillisa Jones Prescott, who recently won this year’s D2 State Championship! From sprints and hurdles to distance, relays, jumps, and throws, the Bulldogs outpaced the field by 50 points in a true team effort. Years of steady growth led to this moment, with athletes from freshmen to seniors shining and contributing across the board.
Congrats, Bulldogs!
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| | Stay Connected Burr and Burton's mission is to educate students intellectually and morally for a life of responsibility, integrity, and service. |
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| | | | PO Box 498 Manchester, VT 05254 |
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