The Flood Brook students, faculty and staff take great pride in the school’s Winter Carnival tradition. And why shouldn’t they? It’s pretty great.
Each year a day is set aside for students to step outside and celebrate the benefits of Vermont winter weather. This year’s pageant included a notable new ingredient: an invitation to middle school students from The Dorset School (TDS) and Manchester Elementary Middle School (MEMS) to join the fun.
“It felt like our own local mini-olympics, bringing people together who share a common goal from different corners of the Taconic and Green,” said Johanna Liskowsky-Doak, Flood Brook Principal and host of the day’s festivities. “The students and adults clearly had a terrific time. There was a lot of enthusiasm and tons of laughter and supportive camaraderie."
In recent years T&G has taken some measured steps to integrate its middle school population. There have been dances, sports competitions, and academic programs including Personal-Interest-Projects where self-directed students explore their own passions and create a presentation shared with their classmates.
What makes the 2026 Winter Carnival stand out is its scale, some 300 middle school students all together under the same roof, or in this case, blue skies.
“The idea came out of a brainstorming session of middle school teachers,” said Tracy Zaino, T&G Middle School Instructional Coach and chief architect of the day's festivities.. “The Flood Brook Winter Carnival was already on the calendar and the school’s outdoor campus is set up to handle a crowd of this size. With all the discussions about merging our T&G middle schools, why not give it a try?”
All the activities and freedom of being outdoors helped break the ice: The kids foot-raced, snowshoed, skied, and formed human “dog sleds.” They also used the snow for sculpting, snow painting and a wintry take on horseshoes called the “snowball toss.”
The featured event turned out to be Broomball (think hockey meets curling). Players took a shuttle bus to an outdoor rink in nearby Peru where they donned helmets, grabbed broom sticks and formed teams, before shuffling around the ice in an attempt to score goals.
“Broomball was the best!” was a common refrain.
And what would a Winter Carnival be without food? Students circled blazing campfires with graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows in hand to make s’mores. The kitchen staff prepared hot dogs and vegan chili for an outdoor “picnic.” Anyone seeking a respite from the winter were offered a “warming hut” inside the school serving hot chocolate.
In making the day a success a special shoutout was given to many contributors, including: Riley Rink for contributing the Broomball broomsticks; Stephanie Gates, who led the BRSU Kitchen staff in providing the munchies; Flood Brook’s Operations Chief Ryan Comar who made sure all the facilities and fields were in working order, and the entire FBS staff for their flexibility in hosting so many students.
“This was just a great day for our kids, staff, and the entire T&G District,” said BRSU Superintendent Randi Lowe. “Seeing the kids from all three middle schools together laughing, competing and getting to know each other brought the reality of a regional middle school to life. I couldn’t stop looking around and smiling.”.
(Photo above: Participants pull hard through the snow to gain a lead at the start the “dog sled” race.)
Students circled blazing campfires with graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows in hand to make s’mores.
The smiles and joy were infectious at the sledding hill on the Flood Brook campus.
T&G middle school students relished the nearly perfect warm and sunny weather and panoramic vistas at the Winter Carnival.
“Broomball was the best!” Players donned helmets, grabbed broom sticks and formed teams, before shuffling around the ice in an attempt to score goals.
These girls celebrate the survival of the down hill sledding course.
Spectators cheered on the participants at the start of a ski race.
Snow sculpting came in all sizes, both large and very small.