Afternoon Work Program

Afternoon work program activities meet one or two times per week.

Biodiesel and Soap Making (spring)

After learning and understanding the chemistry and process of making biodeisel, students will collect used veg­etable oil from local restaurants, filter and heat the oil and process 40-gallon batches of biodeisel.This fuel will be used in tractors on the farm and fur­naces on campus. Interested students can make soap from the waste glycerin pro­duced in the process.

Carpentry (all terms)

Basic carpentry skills are introduced including the use of hammers, saws, measuring tapes, levels and square. Students assist in on-going repairs and construction projects on campus.

Cider Making (fall)

Apples are collected from campus or at a local orchard, then converted into cider. Here teamwork and cooperation are emphasized, both while pressing and, later, while cleaning. Each student rotates through the various tasks so he or she learns all the steps in making cider.

Community Service (one long afternoon, all terms)

Students work at a variety of local organizations that provide community assistance or enrichment, including the Hospice thrift shop, Brattleboro Museum, the Putney Central School, the Brattleboro area AIDS Project, and the Winston Prouty Child Development Center. Most work is clerical, but not all. Students at the thrift store steam and tag clothes and organize the shelves. Work at the Child Development Center is with small children, helping with snacks, walks and playground supervi­sion. Putney students spend all of Wednesday afternoon, leaving at 1:00 and returning at 5:00. For this, they receive two afternoons worth of credit for the four hours total time they com­mit each week to the work and travel.

Diplomas (spring)

Students will create a vast array of images for graduating senior diplomas. They will work in a variety of mediums including; painting, drawing, printing and photography.This activity is open to anyone interested in art and carrying on this wonderful Putney tradition.

Drama Tech (all terms)

This activity is responsible for the phys­ical elements of the current play in pro­duction. We build and paint the sets and fixtures, creating the magical elements that are part of a theater production. The students are included in the design concept and give input toward that end. They also learn how to use both hand and power tools, to mix colors and paint scenery.

Drama Tech Lights (one long afternoon, fall and spring)

This activity is responsible for lighting the current play in production as well as other performances.We will work as a team to design a light plan, hang, cable, focus and gel the lights. For those who can work methodically and safely to install a plan that uses one of the most nebulous of mediums, pure light in a dark room.

Farm (all terms)

Students are engaged in all aspects of running a diversified farm.Activities may include: fencing, haying, sugaring, animal husbandry (cows, chickens, sheep, pigs, turkeys, etc.), building and clearing land.

Garden (fall, spring)

Growing food locally and sustainably is an important way to address global envi­ronmental issues. It is also a rewarding and enjoyable way to connect with the earth that sustains us.The work in this activity varies seasonally. In the spring the work involves seeding, transplanting and work in the greenhouse. In the fall, time is spent harvesting and preserving veggies, flowers and fruits.

Kitchen (all terms)

Students work in the kitchen preparing dinner for the entire school.They are introduced to such basic kitchen skills as handling a knife and preparing salad and learn cooking techniques such as sautéing, steaming, boiling and roasting. Duties may also include cleaning and stocking. Students are expected to main­tain a professional level in terms of cooking skills, cleanliness and high food-quality standards.

Landscaping (fall, spring)

Students work on the grounds of the school campus.They prune large and small shrubs, plant, weed, dig, transplant and plan. Students put gardens to bed, and then wake them again in the spring. They work with all kinds of plants and flowers all around campus, and learn about invasive plants, healthy trimming, maintenance and clean up. Students learn how to think about aesthetic choices in landscaping as well as func­tional and practical overseeing of the plants around dorms, offices and path-ways.The activity involves mostly man­ual tools and provides a way to fulfill the land use requirement.

Maintenance (all terms)

Reality and its practical applications are given the hands-on approach in this activity. Carmelita Hinton’s work ethic versus the Victorian school of conde­scension toward dirt under the finger­nails are at the heart here. Entropy, creat­ing order out of chaos, a priori philo­sophical constructs and how to unclog a sink drain are all part of learning “grunt” work at Putney.

Office Help (all terms)

This activity provides clerical help (sort­ing, filing) to Putney’s offices, and allows students an opportunity to learn more about the various functions of some of these offices, such as Alumni relations, development and fund-raising, college counseling and summer programs.

Oxen Training (fall, spring)

What you learn from a pair of 1700 pound steers is surprisingly subtle. Greg and Heath are excellent teachers. Emphasis is placed on developing the skills necessary to drive our team with some confidence.Toward the end of the term we might get some useful work done. Counts as land use/woods crew credit.

Putney Cares (all terms) A long-standing tradition, this activity allows a group of students to go to Putney twice a week to do odd jobs, chores and visit with some of the elder­ly residents in town.This includes raking leaves, shoveling snow, piling wood, winterizing houses and taking people shopping.This interaction has been edu­cational and rewarding for us all.

Putney Child Care (all terms) If you love working with young kids, this is a chance to do so in the after­noons at an on-campus child care center for infants through five year olds.The Putney Family Garden is a local non­profit that operates a child care on the Putney School campus. Student workers help out in the afternoon assisting trained child care professionals. Reading books, digging in a small garden, playing tag, some light cleaning, singing to babies, and generally having fun with young children are all part of the activi­ty. Students should have an interest in working with young children, an ability to jump in when needed, and a love for being creative and having fun with young people.

Recycling (all terms)

Recycling is an active activity, responsi­ble for collecting and monitoring our recyclable waste. Students rotate through the buildings collecting recyclables and keeping the collection areas as sanitary and organized as possible. More than just collecting cans, the purpose is to educate the community about the reuse and recycling of waste.

Trail Maintenance (fall)

Students work on the extensive trail sys­tem on the school campus.They clear the trails of brush, fallen trees, and build or restore drainage for those trails in the wetter areas.This will prepare the trails for use by many recreational activities such as hiking, running, mountain bik­ing and cross-country skiing.The activi­ty involves mostly manual tools and pro­vides a way to fulfill the land use requirement.

Woods Crew (all terms)

This activity involves both firewood preparation and forest management. Students learn to fell, limb, split, stack, and operate a chainsaw.This is a rigor­ous outdoor activity that acquaints stu­dents with Putney’s wood lots, teaches them responsible stewardship of the land and instills in them a sense of self-reliance in a rural setting.