Screening of “The World in Claire’s Classroom”
Wednesday, August 19, 7:30 pm
Westminster West Church
Organized by students who were in this wonderful documentary. Filmmakers Lisa Merton and Alan Dater will be in attendance.
Celebration of Claire’s Life
Saturday, August 22
2:00-4:00 pm
Calder Hall, Michael S. Currier Center
at The Putney School
418 Houghton Brook Rd., Putney, VT
For questions, please contact Lois Barber at (802) 387-6243 or lbarber@putneyschool.org
Claire with garden in background.
Summers on Windmill Hill were full of gardens, kittens, dress up and many, many hours enjoying being outdoors. I think any day it was sunny, we were outside, reading, cooking out, wading in the brook, riding bikes, playing catch, exploring the woods,… the list goes on and on. We were fortunate to have both Mom and Dad home during the summer since, as teachers, they had summers off. I think I was in Junior High before I realized not everyone had parents that could be home ready with popsicles all summer. – Alice io
For more images of summer, see below.
Claire and Alice, June 1964.
My parents moved to Vermont in 1960. Dad built a log cabin using timber from the Windmill Hill land. (During construction they lived in a tar paper shack.) I was born in February 1964 and Molly Callisto in October 1965.
The cabin served as a favorite play space after we moved into the frame house Dad built behind the cabin.
– Alice io
For images from those early years, please see the Photo Galleries page.
Claire with young Claire and Cyndy Prozzo, Easter 2009 at Majors' in Westminster West.
When Claire attended the Majors’ Annual Easter Dinner this year she brought her grandchildren along, introducing them to a Westminster West holiday tradition.
Claire and Mac were married in NYC on January 27, 1956.
On their 50th Anniversary we enjoyed a terrific home cooked meal at Molly’s house and took this wonderful family photo.
– Alice
50th Anniversary dinner family photo: Hugh Munro, Alice, Claire, Mac, Molly, Claire Callisto, Silas, Judy Sutula, (front) Terry Holmes and Jody Sutula
Claire, Mac, Alice and Molly in front of Nova Scotia house. (September 1971)
In the early 1970s we spent summers in Nova Scotia, along the Bay of Fundy, Canada. It is a beautiful and rugged place with spectacular rocky beaches.
Novia Scotia beach. Foreground, Molly and Claire - background, Anne and Alice. (July 1972)
The sound when the tide came in was amazing as all those rocks were rolled around. I don’t recall doing much swimming, as the water was cold and rough, but I do remember hours upon hours of seeing what creatures lived in the tidal pools. – Alice
I attended the Westminster West School for three years, with my mom, Claire, as my teacher. During those years I would spend the days being a student, and then the evenings being a daughter – easy enough to separate. I apparently had separated things to the point that upon arriving home each day, I would give my mom a play-by-play of all that had happened at school that day. I don’t think Molly had that same compulsion, so mom didn’t have to do six years twice every day.
There are a few images from the Westminster West School on the Photo Galleries page, but with over 30 years of teaching… well, we are working on getting more images online. Please check back. – Alice
- Working on Math problems at the Westminster West School. (December 1970) From left to right: Jenny Collins, Teja (Dorothy) Anderson standing, Mike Wright and Alice io.
Alice, Claire and Molly in the woodshop of Westminster West School, 1970.
Claire’s excellence in teaching was, to my memory anyhow, first officially acknowledged when she became Vermont Teacher of the Year in 1970. Since then she has been honored many times including in a wonderful documentary made about her titled The World in Claire’s Classroom and in receiving a Honorary Master of Arts from Marlboro College.
“A teaching team from Boston termed Mrs. Oglesby’s school “one of the best in the New England area.”
– The Independent Press, Thursday, February 4, 1971
News clippings can be viewed by clicking on the thumbnails below. – Alice
News Clippings – click on images for slideshow and larger views
The Grammar School years are before my time (or memory I should say, as I was born during the years Mom and Dad worked there), but I did find a few images to post. I do know that working at the Grammar School was key to enabling my parents to move to Vermont.
For more images, visit the Photo Gallery page. – Alice
Christmas at the Grammar School (year?).
Grammar School Picnic (June 1964)
Education/Teaching, Gatherings, In the News | alice August 11, 2009 | 
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