Meet the Clubhouse team

Each staff member brings in a fun new activity for students to learn!

Bobby Thies

Bobby Thies is a passionate music educator and director with over a decade of experience inspiring young performers. He most recently served as Head of the Music Department at St. Joseph Regional School in Keene, NH, and has brought dozens of musicals to life as music director at the New England Youth Theatre and Brattleboro Union High School. This fall, Bobby will begin an exciting new role as a Step Paraeducator at Green Street School in Brattleboro, VT. He's thrilled to be joining the Putney Clubhouse team, where he looks forward to sharing the joy of music, drama games, and creative play with your children!

Clubhouse Director

Ryan Kripp

Ryan Kripp is a high school math teacher that has been an avid Magic the Gathering player for almost 15 years primarily in tournament settings. During the summer he spends most of his time lifeguarding at the Putney Pool or playing disc golf.

Martial Arts Club
Gaming Master

Evelyn Nitch-Griffin

Evelyn Nitch-Griffin (she/her) is a math and computer science professor at Landmark College who has been teaching college students for almost a decade. Outside that she's the Dungeon Master, and has been playing and running games like Dungeons and Dragons for over 15 years. She believes in the power of collaborative storytelling for building connections with friends and providing a unique outlet for creativity. Outside teaching or math you may come across Evelyn riding her bike around town.

Customer Service Manager

Sarah Alain

Sarah has been working with children of all ages for 24 years. She is passionate about education. Her formal training is in behavior analysis, through which she supports students, teachers, and parents to create enriched environments for all learners to thrive. Her other major passion is martial arts and movement. She regards martial arts as a way of building strength, character, creativity, and healthy living. She loves laughing, hiking, camping, snowboarding, kayaking, and spending time with her family.

Fridays: Magic The Gathering

Magic the Gathering club will introduce players to the basics of the game, from rules to deck building and advanced strategy. No experience is necessary and players will get to take home the decks that they build. Cards and supplies are provided by Magikids

*Bobby will be at the Clubhouse Monday-Fridays, supporting alternative games and pursuits for those who aren’t interested in the activity being offered on a given day. On days when Bobby is hosting a club or activity, another instructor will be available for those who don’t want to participate.

Tuesdays: Martial Arts

In the Martial Arts group, students will learn to explore and control their bodies while centering their focus through fundamental principles of Systema martial art. Systema is a martial art based on 4 principles: breathing, movement, relaxation and structure/posture. Unlike other martial arts, Systema has no form, no special moves. The purpose is to learn how to move naturally, for each person. Through movement and play, students learn how to be connected to their breath, bodies and emotions. Once we learn how to move naturally and establish safety in our bodies, we then move on to the more martial actions and concepts.