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Abelardo Almazán-Vázquez Receives Distinguished Teacher Award
The Spanish teacher and language department chair was recognized by the Vermont Foreign Language Association for his commitment to his students and diversity initiatives.
Spanish Teacher and Language Department Chair Abelardo Almazán-Vázquez received a 2025 Distinguished Teacher Award from the Vermont Foreign Language Association. Part of the Vermont Organization of Classics and Language Educators (VOCALE), each year the organization honors an outstanding World Language teacher in the state.
“Although one of my school’s fundamental beliefs is ‘to work not for badges and honors,’ I am sincerely grateful,” Almazán-Vázquez said. “This achievement in my teaching career presents an opportunity to continue connecting, collaborating, and learning alongside inspiring educators. I hope to continue lending a hand to the community at large and not just teaching in an “ivory tower.”
The organization looks for those who are innovative, creative, and reflective in their practice, strive for professional growth, inspire and encourage students to become active global citizens, share expertise with colleagues, and exceed professional expectations.
“In addition to his dedicated work in the classroom, where students learn Spanish language and hispanohablante culture in a variety of authentic ways, Abelardo also serves his school as a soccer coach and dorm parent, among other titles,” VOCALE said in a press release. “His colleagues state that ‘students are centered and seen in Abelardo’s classroom,’ and ‘people talk about identity and work-life balance, but Abelardo is a teacher to the bone.’
“His work on the school’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee demonstrates his commitment to his school’s student body and community as a whole. It is an honor to present Abelardo with the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, and we at VOCALE congratulate him on his deep and meaningful work.”
Reunion Schedule 2025
This schedule is being finalized. Keep an eye on it for additions and slight revisions.
Return to the reunion website.
Friday, June 6
| 2:30–8:30 PM | Registration in Currier Center lobby |
| 2:30–4:00 PM | School store open in Old Boys dorm post office |
| 3:30 PM | Putney Mountain walk. Meet in main parking lot. |
| 4:30 PM | Afternoon barn chores (not mandatory) |
| 5:15 PM | Class of 1975 welcome back reception in KDU Faculty Room |
| 5:30 PM | Happy hour near KDU (location weather dependent) |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner for all classes |
| 8:30 PM | Sing in Barnes Assembly Hall |
| After dinner | Bonfires outdoors, weather permitting |
| Ongoing | Archives viewing and gathering space in Currier Center Gallery |
Saturday, June 7
| Ongoing | Archives viewing and gathering space in Currier Center Gallery |
| 5:45 AM | Morning barn chores (not mandatory) |
| 7:00–7:30 AM | Coffee and pastries in KDU |
| 7:15 AM | Bird walk with ornithology teacher Todd Dowling. Meet lower level of Reynolds Building. School will provide binoculars. Listen and hopefully see some of the resident species on campus. Lower Farm and then up through the pasture. Be prepared with shoes and clothes that can handle some insects and a walk through the pasture. |
| 7:30–8:30 | Hot breakfast in KDU. (Continental breakfast available until 9:30) |
| 9 AM–5 PM | Registration in Currier Center lobby |
| 9 AM | State of the School assembly with Danny O’Brien and board of trustees in Barnes Assembly Hall. |
| 10:20 AM | Supervised kids’ play time. Drop your kids with Putney students and enjoy your morning sessions. Please sign up at registration table so we know how many kids to expect. Meet at registration table! |
| 10:30 AM | Morning sessions (Details below. This list may grow) |
| * Open studio time in fiber arts studio with Melissa Johnson ’77 | |
| * Genderless Latin Dance with Abelardo Almázan-Vázquez in dance studio in Currier Center | |
| * “Empty Bowls” ceramics workshop with Naomi Lindenfeld in ceramics studio | |
| * Putney Mountain hike. Meet in main parking lot. | |
| * Madrigals singing with Jenna Rae. Meet in Currier Center music room. | |
| 12–1 PM | Lunch in KDU and under tent |
| 12:30–3:30 PM | School store open in Old Boys dorm post office |
| 1:00 PM | Class of 1975 class photo on East Lawn |
| 1:30 PM | Common reading discussion led by Lydia Davis ’65. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder |
| 2:30 PM | Class of 1975 class outing |
| 2:30 PM | Class photos, followed by class meetings (see below for photo times) |
| 3:30 PM | Campus tour. Meet outside of Main Building. |
| 4:30 PM | Afternoon barn chores (not mandatory) |
| 4:30 PM | Afternoon sessions |
| * Student Life conversation with Dean of Students Tarah Greenidge in Library classroom 1 | |
| * DEIJB: Staying the Course, a conversation with Dean of DEIJB Ann-Marie White in Calder Hall | |
| * Drop-in conversations with Putney trustees in Main Building Classroom | |
| 5:30 PM | Happy Hour outside of KDU |
| 5:45 PM | Putney Generations photo outside of KDU. Parents/children who both attended Putney please join. |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner |
| After dinner | Bonfires outdoors, weather permitting |
| 8:30–9:45 PM | Contra/square dance in Barnes Assembly Hall |
Class Photo Times/Locations
| East Lawn | Outside KDU |
| 1:00 PM: Class of 1975 | 2:30 PM: Classes of 1990–91 |
| 2:30 PM: Classes of 1965–66 (followed by class Zoom call in KDU Faculty Room) | 2:45 PM: Classes of 2008–10 |
| 2:45 PM: Classes of 1970–71 | 3:00 PM: Classes of 1950 and 1955 |
| 3 PM: Classes 1999–02 | 5:45 PM: Putney generations photo. Parents/children who both attended Putney please join |
Sunday, June 8
| 5:45 AM | Morning barn chores (not mandatory) |
| 8–9 AM | Continental breakfast in KDU |
| 9 AM–12 PM | Full brunch in KDU |
Art Exhibit: Transcendent Nature, Mar. 18 — May 12
Opening Reception Friday, March 28 from 4:30 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Michael Abrams is an artist and painter of nature who has exhibited his works around the United States and abroad. He grew up in Rensselaer County in a home perched above the majestic greenery of the Hudson Valley. These views became deeply engrained in his subconscious and profoundly influenced the way he sees the world.
Combining a love of art history and images collected from memory and nature, Abrams work offers a glance at personal observations summoning far off scenes, diffused tree forms, and glints of light reflecting off distant waters, all suggesting a selection of familiar fragments of nature meant to recall memory and emotion and instill longing for an idyllic world.
One of the strongest influences on Abrams practice has been the painters of the Romantic Period in Europe and then in America with the Hudson River School. These artists exemplified this era’s concept of the sublime in nature and art, robustly, and with an element of theater, extolled the virtues of nature as man’s spiritual cathedral. Their ability to capture the breadth and scale of the natural world exemplified an Arcadian ideal.
Since his move to Vermont in 2008 from lower Manhattan, Abrams has embraced the local natural environment as an increasingly direct influence on his work. Daily observations in the Green Mountains have altered his perception and appreciation of our environment, it’s fragility and our place in it. Humbled by the abundantly varied vistas and their never-ending seasonal rebirth, the striking physical character of the landscape, the unique qualities of light, and atmosphere oscillating between crystal clear to thickly obscuring, these elements have become key in the story he is telling of his relationship with nature.
The paintings are rendered with a layering of oil glazes mixed with color from semi- transparent to opaque creating an atmospheric and luminous quality.
He has lived and worked in lower Manhattan for thirty plus years and now enjoys life in his studio in the Green Mountains of southern Vermont.
Putney Reimagines Postgraduate Year with Individual Design Option
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After graduating high school, some students may choose to remain in, well, high school — opting for a postgraduate year as a way to refine their skills, explore focused disciplines, and deepen their understanding of specific fields before taking their next step.
With that in mind, Putney has reimagined its postgraduate program by adding the option for students to design their own, personalized curriculum to meet their specific needs, whether they want to pursue college, start a career, or do something else entirely.
After successfully completing the first trimester of Putney’s postgraduate program, students will be able to apply for an individual design, working with their advisor, the college office and the academic dean to create a tailored schedule by choosing from a variety of courses that reflect their interests and aspirations. If approved, this can happen during the winter, spring, or both trimesters.
The program is carefully crafted to provide guidance and support, and this specialized option speaks to Putney’s commitment to progressive education, where students learn by doing.
“While we have accepted postgraduate admissions for years, allowing the option to apply for an individual program ensures students are able to deeply connect with their chosen fields, and truly benefit from a postgraduate year by gaining essential, hands-on experience,” said Co-Academic Dean Karla Baldwin.
Whether it be a solo art exhibition, a scientific research paper, a sustainable farming plan, or a self-defined project that merges diverse interests, students will work closely with mentors to create a course of study that reflects their passions and goals. Classes may combine advanced coursework, project-based learning and an interdisciplinary approach.
Putney’s postgraduate year is also carefully crafted to help students develop critical thinking, project management and communication skills, preparing them for college or career readiness. They will be surrounded by a close-knit, residential community that fosters connection, and work closely with a college counselor to navigate the college application process.
This year after high school graduation offers students a balance of academic exploration, personal development, and independence, equipping students with the confidence and skills needed along their journey.
Putney Launches New Artificial Intelligence Workshop this Summer
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Self driving cars. Voice-based virtual assistance. Face recognition technology.
These are just some examples of how advances in artificial intelligence are permeating our daily lives. With the potential for this technology to transform the future, Putney has launched an intensive summer workshop designed to inspire students to understand and apply AI to improve the world.
The Putney School Summer Programs will host a 1-week session in partnership with INSPIRIT AI, where instructors from Stanford and MIT will teach students the foundations of machine learning, and explore different applications of machine learning models.
Running from July 27 — August 1, the workshop is for middle and high school students (rising 8th through 12th graders), and is open to Putney School students, as well as students from other schools.
The AI workshop builds upon Putney’s well-established Summer Arts programs for teens and adults, applying the innovative values the school is known for to an emerging industry across science and technology, said Dan Folgar, director of The Putney School Summer Programs:
We had tried a STEM program in the past that ran during the arts program. It was a different kind of creative energy that came from that program. With this AI workshop, we are bringing something similar back to the summer, and giving it its own dedicated week.
Immersing students in cutting-edge trends speaks to Putney’s commitment to progressive education, where students ‘learn by doing’ through a hands-on approach. During the workshop, students will not only gain an understanding of artificial intelligence applications, foundational concepts and programming tools, but they’ll complete a group project that applies AI to a particular discipline such as music, healthcare, astrophysics, or finance.
While the AI workshop may be new, Putney’s tendency to find ways for students to learn from ground-breaking experiences is not. In another project, Lumi at Putney, Putney students were selected to test an AI-powered chatbot being developed by Boston College researchers. The app is described as a reflective intelligence co-pilot designed to help users clarify an intentional path forward.
Students have been putting it to good use during Project Weeks to flesh out their goals, identify the steps to take to be successful, and to reflect on what went well and what they could have done better.
The AI summer workshop is another way for Putney to empower students by providing them with the skills they’ll need not just in high school, but in life, says Folgar.
“Students,” he said, “are getting the opportunity to explore this technology, to learn how it works, and to better prepare themselves for the future.”
Summer Arts 2025 Applications Open
Experience a Summer of Art and Community
The Putney School Summer Programs offers unique art workshops for teens and adults, welcoming a diverse community of students to live and create on our beautiful hillside campus in southern Vermont.
3-Week Session for Teens: June 29-July 18 | 1-Week Session for Teens: July 20-July 25 | Adult Week: August 3-August 9