Editor’s note: This commentary is by Debbie Schein, of Peacham, who is the owner of Podo Shoes in St. Johnsbury. She is a member of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce and the St. Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce.
[I] have been hearing a lot of controversy about the financing of independent schools in St. Johnsbury and other towns. It is important for Vermonters to understand the way each of our school systems work. I felt compelled to write about how St. Johnsbury Academy serves not only its students and their parents, but the communities around it.
In 2002, my husband and I decided to uproot ourselves and our three daughters from our busy life in Sarasota, Florida, and relocate to rural Vermont. Our intention was to slow down our pace a bit and expose our kids to a different lifestyle. We scoured the state of Vermont for the right fit for our family. A priority for us was to settle in a family friendly area that had an excellent high school, especially since we were moving our oldest daughter who would just be completing her freshman year. We also wanted the quintessential Vermont old house with land for hobby farming. Through lots of research we discovered St. Johnsbury Academy and the town of Peacham.
We have always instilled the importance of education in our children as well as finding a lifelong passion through learning. We chose to live in Peacham, knowing that our residence there would give us school choice and allow our children to attend St. Johnsbury Academy.
I believe my children felt they could fit in at the academy no matter who they were or what they were like. It was a safe place to discover who they were and flourish.
The curriculum was rigorous, so my kids spent a lot of late nights studying. Their teachers all encouraged them to work at their fullest potential. The diverse international student body at the academy allowed them to understand and embrace cultural differences and strengthened their character.
The academy promotes personal growth, academics and athletics — our oldest was a tennis player; the other two played Ultimate Frisbee. Our youngest daughter combined her love for Ultimate Frisbee with her interest in Middle East peace relations and did her senior capstone on Ultimate Peace, an organization that engages Israeli and Palestinian youth in a weeklong camp of Ultimate Frisbee. Now, she still plays Ultimate and attends law school, still pursuing human interest studies.
Our oldest daughter was always interested in science. She’s now in chiropractic school and I think this stemmed from her experience with the sports medicine classes at the academy.
From a young age, our middle daughter always stated she wanted to be a teacher. The English teachers at the academy kept her engaged with interesting advanced placement classes. She is now teaching eighth grade English in the Bronx. The academy provided a strong platform for her.
I believe my children felt they could fit in at the academy no matter who they were or what they were like. It was a safe place to discover who they were and flourish. Each student gets to shine — whether in the arts or culinary classes or auto mechanics, athletics or a rigorous academic environment. It has a nice balance — we like that.
I’ve owned a shoe store in the town of St. Johnsbury for 12 years, so I have spent a lot of time in town. Even though my own children have graduated and moved on, I still see the academy students making our town a vibrant place to live. Without St. Johnsbury Academy, there would be a significant void — the school is the pulse of the town. The public/private partnership that allows St. Johnsbury Academy to thrive also fosters tolerance and diversity in our community.
