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July 2009 |
Ottauquechee 5th graders “Dog Show” made from recycled cardboard, egg cartons and yogurt cups
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July 2009 |
 
A study in the effect of using complimentary colors, resembling an indian style of art called “Mola.” at Mid Vermont. Above: Joey Batchelder, 3rd grade; below: Olivia Knudson, 2nd grade.
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Written by Thea R. Cole -- Dothan Brook School
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July 2009 |
 Local costume designer Robina D’Arcy-Fox loved fairy tales as a girl. But unlike most growing up girls she never wanted to be the princess or Cinderella. She always wanted to be the Fairy Godmother because something about that job caught her eye: the fairy god mother didn’t wear the dress. She got to make the dresses for the princesses. She got to make the magic. Besides, “if you were a princess you would only be able to wear one dress at a time,” she says.
The owner of the theatrical costume design shop Fancy Felix in White River Junction, Robina started sewing and designing clothes when she was only three years old. She cut up her dad’s dress shirt made of Egyptian cotton and combined it with the silk edge of her blanket to make a princess gown. When she was nine years old she was given a marvelous fairy tale book and wanted to make all the beautiful gowns, capes, and dresses illustrated within it. She didn’t use patterns when she sewed. In fact she only learned to follow a pattern when she was twenty one, and still rarely uses store bought patterns. If she has the time, shemakes her own patterns to follow. She can feel a piece of cloth and in her mind she sees what she will make it into. “The fabric tells me what it wants to be.”
Robina specializes in 18th Century and Renaissance period custom costuming, and hand embroidering. The most modern costumes she makes go up to the fifties. Right now she’s working on costumes or outfits for six different events at once: three weddings; an opera, The Marriage of Figaro; a Bach Festival; and a prom. In Fancy Felix you can see flower tutus, hand embroidered dresses, cloaks, hats, and masks.
Robina loves Italy and has given each of the six rooms in her shop an Italian name. The first room in the shop with the gorgeous window display is named La Vettrina, meaning display. The other rooms include: Felixi (from a real Latin word, but Robina made up her own definition—being comfortable where you are), Carnevale, (carnival), Sgabuzzino (storage), Tessuto (room of fabric), Alberi d’Oro (trees of gold, which Robina is actually going to paint on the walls of the room), and Venezia (Venice). Robina goes to Venice all the time. “I thought I’d bring a little bit of Venice to Vermont.”
To be a successful designer like Robina, she says you don’t have to get a degree in costume designing. Instead, to make wonderful clothes you must have studied science, writing, math, art, and most of all history. Studying history helps you know what the clothes should look like for that time period.
Robina doesn’t just make period costumes. Now she also designs and sells couture clothing especially for you, which she displays in the trees of gold room or Alberi d’Oro. You will be able to tell her what you want your clothing item to look like from start to finish. Then within two weeks she will give you back that personalized piece of clothing. Believe it or not.
For 14 years Robina had a shop in White River Junction but moved this March a few blocks over to 58 North Main Street in the Dreamland building. “I love the light here,” she says. You can contact her at 295-5285, or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Thea Cole is a fifth grader at Dothan Brook School and after interviewing for this article will always look at costumes another way. |
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Written by Kayla Lancor -- Qttauquechee Elementary School
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July 2009 |
 As I look back at my past years at Qttauquechee Elementary School one teacher stands out to me the most.
Mr. Christensen is one of my favorite teachers because he makes me smile everyday. He is an amazing teacher because he can make you laugh while teaching. He is an awesome gym teacher as well as a bus driver. Everybody in the school calls him Mr. C! Mr. C is 59 years old. He has been married for 38 years and has two daughters named Sarah (22) and Holly (30).
Mr. C knew he wanted to be a gym teacher late in his high school years. One of his favorite teachers was also a PE teacher. Mr. C wanted to become a gym teacher because he was very athletic and after a summer of working at a summer camp he soon found out that he loved teaching the children.
Mr. C enjoys woodworking, fishing, and watching baseball games. Mr. C loves his life in Wilder, Vermont because he spends his day with his wife and gets to do the job he loves. Mr. C is one of my favorite teachers because he is very funny and helpful. Mr. C is very humorous all the time in class and that is what makes him a great teacher.
Mr. C, age 9 in front of a ’55 Chevy with a baseball bat.
You can always count on Mr. C. |
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Written by George Spearing, 5th grade Ottauquechee Elementary School
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July 2009 |
George Spearing
Ms. Sinander has been doing this job for 17 years now and loves it. She loves to work with all the children to see smiles on their faces. “The creativity of music is extraordinary, the movements and music together. One of the best parts is integrating with the other staff and teachers at the Ottauquechee School. Taking music and integrating it with other subjects to help the children learn and have fun doing it is incredible all on its own,” she said.
 When Ms. Sinander isn’t doing her job at the Ottauquechee school she enjoys walking, listening to music, and yard work. For a music teacher yard work sounds like gardening and planting flowers, but in this case hard work means moving grass cutting and weed whacking.
The reason I picked Ms. Sinander for a teacher to write about is because she has a fun way to get people to learn dance routines and songs. She lets students help her with planning motions and moves to do in concerts, and lets students help her with organizing the concert. Ms. Sinander is a wonderful teacher at the Ottauquechee School. Thanks for teaching us. |
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Snowboarder Sam Dwyer Competes at the USASA National Championships |
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July 2009 |
 Six years ago, 11-year-old Quechee resident Sam Dwyer learned to snowboard on the Quechee Ski Hill. This past April he qualified to compete at the 2009 United States of American Snow-board Association (USASA) National Championships at Copper Mountain Colorado.
Sam snowboards as part of the Snowboard Core Team at Whaleback Mountain in Enfield, New Hampshire. Sam has been with the team for the past three years. He got interested, “When my mom and I’d drive past Whaleback, I’d ask her about it.” When the mountain re-opened five years ago, Dwyer spent two years participating in the December and February ski and snowboard camps before joining the Snowboard Core Team.
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