Tal Birdsey's "Hearts of the Mountain" to be
released Late Fall 2019 from Green Writers Press
Tal Birdsey's Hearts of the Mountain: Adolescents, a Teacher, and a Living School sketches an utterly unique entity: an independent and virtual one-room middle school in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Hearts of the Mountain takes a deep look into an intimate, wild, and unpredictable year of learning, in and out of the classroom, with a diverse collection of funny, profound, troubled, and hopeful adolescents.
“If education interests you—if kids interest you— this is a magical story.” --Bill McKibben
https://heartsofthemountain.com
New Math Teacher Steve Holmes Joins North Branch School
We are excited to announce that the school has hired Steve Holmes to teach math. After reviewing many resumes from a wide range of teachers from all over the country, we believe we have found a gem right here in our midst.
Until the end of the last school year, Steve taught 7th and 8th grade math at Otter Valley High School. Prior to that, he taught math at Mill River, where he earned his Vermont State licensure for middle school math and was also was awarded the Mill River High School Rock Star teaching award. He comes to us looking forward to teaching in a smaller environment with kids who are eager to learn and be at school. Prior to teaching, Steve was Director of IT at Vermont Bicycle Touring; owner of Exetechs Custom Software Development; software project manager at Sempra Energy Trading; lead programmer and project manager at Willow Solutions; and blackjack dealer and pit boss at Grand Portage Casino in Minnesota. He holds a major in Mathematics from Colgate University.
In addition, he has home-schooled his children and for many years he's been an active hockey, lacrosse, basketball and soccer coach. He is the author and illustrator of two children's books under the pseudonym JJ McGeester (available on Amazon and other book sellers). He's worked as a carpenter and general contractor as well.
He has three children: Katie, who will be a senior at Stanford, Justin, who is at Duke, and Sarah, who will be attending the Hotchkiss School. His wife, Jessica, is a professor of Economics at Middlebury College, where she has been teaching since 2001. He and his family live in Cornwall.
We are excited that Steve (not really the guy in this photo- see the real Steve here) is joining us and look forward to the new energy, skills and perspective he will bring to the school.
Until the end of the last school year, Steve taught 7th and 8th grade math at Otter Valley High School. Prior to that, he taught math at Mill River, where he earned his Vermont State licensure for middle school math and was also was awarded the Mill River High School Rock Star teaching award. He comes to us looking forward to teaching in a smaller environment with kids who are eager to learn and be at school. Prior to teaching, Steve was Director of IT at Vermont Bicycle Touring; owner of Exetechs Custom Software Development; software project manager at Sempra Energy Trading; lead programmer and project manager at Willow Solutions; and blackjack dealer and pit boss at Grand Portage Casino in Minnesota. He holds a major in Mathematics from Colgate University.
In addition, he has home-schooled his children and for many years he's been an active hockey, lacrosse, basketball and soccer coach. He is the author and illustrator of two children's books under the pseudonym JJ McGeester (available on Amazon and other book sellers). He's worked as a carpenter and general contractor as well.
He has three children: Katie, who will be a senior at Stanford, Justin, who is at Duke, and Sarah, who will be attending the Hotchkiss School. His wife, Jessica, is a professor of Economics at Middlebury College, where she has been teaching since 2001. He and his family live in Cornwall.
We are excited that Steve (not really the guy in this photo- see the real Steve here) is joining us and look forward to the new energy, skills and perspective he will bring to the school.
