Faculty and Staff
The faculty is comprised of a full-time lead teacher (arts, social studies, and language arts) , a science teacher, and a math teacher. All three teachers work together to conduct outdoor education, art projects and sporting adventures and competitions. Numerous friends, teachers and parents come into the school to tutor, assist and help out. A diverse assemblage of community members is invited into the school to teach or speak about other topics.
Tal Birdsey (B.A. Middlebury College, M.A. Breadloaf School of English; 30 years experience)
Tal is the head teacher, co-founder, and director of the school. He teaches writing, literature, social studies, art, student government, and ethics and serves as the school counselor, soccer coach, and newsletter and literary magazine editor. He's been State of Vermont licensed and certified and has taught previously at the Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia, and abroad in Taiwan. Tal has published poetry in journals around the country and is a working visual artist. In 2008, he published a book about the founding and first year of North Branch School, entitled A Room for Learning: The Making of a School in Vermont (St. Martin's Press). He has a second book forthcoming from Green Writers Press (Spring 2021), Hearts of the Mountain, about a year in the life of teaching and learning at the North Branch School. Tal has been teaching middle school since 1989.
Tal is the head teacher, co-founder, and director of the school. He teaches writing, literature, social studies, art, student government, and ethics and serves as the school counselor, soccer coach, and newsletter and literary magazine editor. He's been State of Vermont licensed and certified and has taught previously at the Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia, and abroad in Taiwan. Tal has published poetry in journals around the country and is a working visual artist. In 2008, he published a book about the founding and first year of North Branch School, entitled A Room for Learning: The Making of a School in Vermont (St. Martin's Press). He has a second book forthcoming from Green Writers Press (Spring 2021), Hearts of the Mountain, about a year in the life of teaching and learning at the North Branch School. Tal has been teaching middle school since 1989.
Rose McVay (B.S. University of Pittsburgh, Materials Science Engineering; 17 years experience teaching at NBS)
Rose began teaching at North Branch in 2004, having studied engineering, physics, adolescent psychology, and education. Since then, she has taught math for thirteen years, created an after school ceramics program, coached the NBS MathCounts team, designed a stained-glass curriculum, designed sets for the school plays, taught drawing, sculpture and painting, and founded the NBS Wiffleball League. She has completed coursework at Vermont Mathematics Initiative and Vermont Energy Education Program, taught ceramics at Middlebury Studio School, worked with a local retirement community, and as a WomenSafe volunteer. Rose is the Associate Head of School and for the past four years has taught physical, earth & space, and life sciences.
Rose began teaching at North Branch in 2004, having studied engineering, physics, adolescent psychology, and education. Since then, she has taught math for thirteen years, created an after school ceramics program, coached the NBS MathCounts team, designed a stained-glass curriculum, designed sets for the school plays, taught drawing, sculpture and painting, and founded the NBS Wiffleball League. She has completed coursework at Vermont Mathematics Initiative and Vermont Energy Education Program, taught ceramics at Middlebury Studio School, worked with a local retirement community, and as a WomenSafe volunteer. Rose is the Associate Head of School and for the past four years has taught physical, earth & space, and life sciences.
Steve Holmes (B.A. Colgate University, Mathematics)
This is Steve's second year teaching at North Branch School, having come to us after teaching middle school math at both Otter Valley and Mill River. For 25 years prior to teaching, Steve ran a software development company and worked in computer tech. He is very interested in teaching mathematics using 'real world' examples from his earlier endeavors. Steve has coached many youth sports in the area, including ice hockey, boys and girls lacrosse, basketball, soccer, and, if there is sufficient interest, he has promised to coach the NBS MathCounts team. In his free time he writes children's books and hopes to publish Emmaline and the Fluffles in the near future.
This is Steve's second year teaching at North Branch School, having come to us after teaching middle school math at both Otter Valley and Mill River. For 25 years prior to teaching, Steve ran a software development company and worked in computer tech. He is very interested in teaching mathematics using 'real world' examples from his earlier endeavors. Steve has coached many youth sports in the area, including ice hockey, boys and girls lacrosse, basketball, soccer, and, if there is sufficient interest, he has promised to coach the NBS MathCounts team. In his free time he writes children's books and hopes to publish Emmaline and the Fluffles in the near future.
Mia Allen (left; co-founder and mother of alums Sophie '04, Walker '06 and Lydia '10) chairs the NBS Board of Directors and oversees longterm strategic initiatives of the school.
Donna Rutherford (right; mother of alums Nick '04 and Devlin '06) provides administrative support to the students, families, faculty, board, and staff of the school. In addition, she cheerfully offers unending supplies of #2 pencils to all.
Donna Rutherford (right; mother of alums Nick '04 and Devlin '06) provides administrative support to the students, families, faculty, board, and staff of the school. In addition, she cheerfully offers unending supplies of #2 pencils to all.
Joanna Doria works in the office at NBS as administrative support to the teachers, students, board, and families of the school while working closely with long-time administrator Donna Rutherford. Joanna also oversees the many fundraising events of the school which help to support tuition assistance for families.
Board of Trustees
Mia Allen (Ripton)
Michael Seligmann (Ripton)
Cindy Seligmann (Ripton)
Donna Rutherford (Bristol)
Nate Heilman (New Haven)
Annabelle Maroney (Leicester)
Viscaya Wagner (Burlington)
Joe Nelson (Ferrisburgh)
Mia Allen (Ripton)
Michael Seligmann (Ripton)
Cindy Seligmann (Ripton)
Donna Rutherford (Bristol)
Nate Heilman (New Haven)
Annabelle Maroney (Leicester)
Viscaya Wagner (Burlington)
Joe Nelson (Ferrisburgh)
