Building Community Through Voice and Choice at Brownington Central School

By Liz Butterfield 

When the Orleans Central Supervisory Union (OCSU) adopted its new sister-school model this 

year, the reorganization paired existing schools into grades "K-4" and "5-8" sister schools. 

One of these new partnerships unites Orleans Elementary School, grades K-4, with Brownington Central School (BCS), hosting grades 5-8. At Brownington, Principal Jennifer Ullrich and her staff have embraced the change as an opportunity to highlight what the school does best: build community through student and teacher voice. 

Advisory: Connection Through Conversation 

Each morning at Brownington begins with Advisory, a time when every student and teacher gathers in small, mixed-grade groups. Students stay with the same teacher advisory throughout their four years at BCS. Principal Ullrich explains, "It's a nice way for teachers to make connections with kids in other grades. By the time they reach eighth grade, the group really feels like a family." 

BCS Beautification Club students hope to spread joy throughout BCS. 

In Andrea Gratton's advisory, a student with a toy alligator held the floor as the day's speaker idea borrowed from the tradition of a "talking stick." Gratton, Grades 7/8 social studies teacher, presents the day's prompt: 

"If you could change places with anyone, who would it be, and why?"

Student answers illustrated the kind of thoughtful reflection Brownington strives to cultivate. One student said they'd switch places with a 21-year-old "to see how drinking would affect me — I'd be in their body, so it wouldn't actually hurt me. If it affects me in a bad way, I wouldn't drink." Another shared that they'd trade places with their dad "to see what goes through his brain, his perspective on what I'm doing, so I'd know what to do.' 

These small but meaningful conversations set the tone for the day — thoughtful, respectful, and centered on student voice. 

Choice in Learning: Electives and Clubs 

Following Advisory, fifth through seventh graders attend core classes, while eighth graders explore electives such as Drawing, Music, Acting, Guitar, Spanish, and Algebra. 

In the Drawing elective, Art Teacher Ashley Gerhart's students are sketching the Parthenon in two- point perspective. They analyze light, angles, and shadow before applying what they've learned to their own designs. "It's about building skills," Gerhart says, "but also giving students room to create something that feels like theirs." 

Across the hall, Dr. Brian Holder, music teacher, leads the Digital Audio Workshop. Using GarageBand, students compose original soundtracks for scenes they have chosen from a video game. "Each student chooses a clip they connect with," Holder explains. "Then they design the sound to match the mood and motion." Every project concludes with a peer showcase—a celebration of student creativity and courage. 

Dr. Brian Holder helps a student compose music with GarageBand. 

Lily Butterfield scores music to a Taylor Swift video clip. 

Friday Clubs: Students Choose, Teachers Inspire 

Every Friday afternoon, Brownington transforms into a hub of exploration through its trimester-based Club Program. Every teacher and paraeducator at Brownington leads a club. Students in good standing select a club of their choice for the trimester, while others attend Homework Club some even by preference, appreciating the quiet time to catch up on assignments. 

Paraeducator Jennifer Rodriguez leads the joyful Beautification Club, whose mission, according to Ms. Rodriguez, is to "lift spirits for everybody as they walk into the school and let students express their creativity for everyone to see.”

Student August SteMarie summed up the spirit of the club perfectly:  

"This school deserves just as much love as anyone else, because this is the environment we're in every day. Why not make it beautiful?” 

Yearbook Club, led by Paraeducator Haley Zola, teaches skills such as time management, organization, graphic design, collaboration, and fundraising. Club member Jemma Powers shared how the club members feel about their teachers in light of the new sister school arrangement. “We appreciate them dealing with and adjusting to all the changes this year.' 

Library Media Specialist Brittany Armstrong

BCS Yearbook Club member Kayleigh Sanville with paraeducator Haley Zola.

Library Media Specialist Brittany Armstrong's Book Club fills the library with quiet energy. Armstrong showed the students how to access eBooks and 

audiobooks on their laptops, intertwining traditional reading with modern technology. She recently used a VREC grant to expand the library's collection, and was enjoying reading The Flicker by H.E. Edmon, one of the new acquisitions. 

For students seeking adventure, the Dungeons & Dragons Club-led by paraeducator Noah Annis and Grades 7/8 English Language Arts Teacher Travis Barrett-combines fantasy storytelling with learning. "It's more than a game. Playing Dungeons & Dragons supports math, language, social skills, and critical thinking," said Annis, as he helped students create their own D & D characters and narratives. 

Down the hall, the popular Vintage Video Games Club transports students to the 1990s, with retro consoles like Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64. 

"No computers allowed," said Grades 5/6 Science Teacher and club leader Joe Cornelius. "This is history you can play." Cornelius explained that he often leads a Tinkering Club, and is currently working to accumulate enough electronics for a future session. 

Avery Marckres is looking forward to rebuilding a CB radio gifted to him by teacher Joe Cornelius.

Mason Farley plays Sega Genesis on a vintage television supplied by Mr. Cornelius, to experience what his parents and  grandparents played "back in the day.".

Expanding Horizons: Jessica Cyr and the French Club 

Jessica Cyr, BCS Grades 5-6 social studies teacher, is bringing culture and curiosity into the classroom through her French Club. Using videos, worksheets, call-and-response exercises, and Duolingo, students are learning the basics of the French language — from numbers and colors to greetings and expressions. 

But French Club isn't your typical quiet language class. "I encourage them to yell the words in French," laughs Cyr. “It helps with pronunciation, and it makes learning fun.” The room often echoes with joyful shouts of "Bonjour!" "Fromage!" and "Merci!" as students build confidence and enthusiasm together. 

Cyr believes that learning French isn't just about language it's about connection. She notes the cultural similarities between Vermont and Quebec — from shared traditions to overlapping histories and wonders why a disconnect persists despite geographic closeness. Her hope is to help students develop a stronger sense of place in the world. "Some of my students aren't sure whether Vermont is a state or a country," she shares. "That tells me how important geography and context are. It's unfortunate that it's easier to take students to Boston or New York City than across the border to Canada, when our histories are so intertwined.” 

Jessica Cyr and enthusiastic French Club students. 

After teaching American History last year, Cyr is now focusing on Geography, integrating lessons on American Indigenous peoples, climate change, and global interdependence. This fall, her class will read Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac, a coming-of-age novel based on historical events that explore themes of identity, prejudice, and the legacy of Native American boarding schools. 

Cyr's connection to the topic is personal she spent time on a Navajo Reservation in 2009. "Many people don't realize that Indigenous Americans are still being displaced, and treaties are still being broken," she says. Through literature, discussion, and projects, Cyr hopes her students gain not just knowledge, but empathy. "I want them to leave my class with a sense that there's a bigger world out there and that they have a place in it. 

A Culture of Voice and Choice 

Brownington Central School Principal Jennifer Ullrich

From advisory to electives, from clubs to classrooms, Brownington 

Central School has woven student and teacher voice into the fabric of everyday learning. Teachers design experiences that reflect their passions, while students choose how to explore, express, and connect. Principal Ullrich, who has worked at Brownington Central School for more than 27 years, reflects, “This model has given us space to focus on relationships, creativity, and growth the things that make school meaningful." 

At Brownington Central School, students and teachers learn side by side, supported by a culture of voice, choice, and belonging.