As Brunswick strives for the fullest intellectual development of every young man, our academic programs seek to instill in each student a desire to learn, to challenge each boy to fulfill his unique potential, to foster critical-thinking skills, and to develop the creative and independent qualities of mind necessary to reach intellectual maturity and increased self-confidence.
This e-newsletter, published twice yearly, offers parents a top-line view of the latest happenings and curricular initiatives in selected academic departments. For greater detail, please refer to the Course Catalogue.
Modern Language & Classics Department
PHILOSOPHY & GOALS
Language acquisition and cultural literacy have traditionally been the two primary purposes of the Brunswick Modern Language Department. Consequently, the overall goal of the language program is to lead students to a level of proficiency that enables them to interact effectively with native speakers, with linguistic and cultural accuracy, in one (or more than one) language. Thus, language instruction emphasizes what we call “Brunswick’s Three Cs”: Communication (with an emphasis on speaking); Cultures (with an emphasis on the contemporary world and cultural comparisons); and Curiosity (striving to make our students lifelong learners).
Similarly, the Classics Department’s principal objective is to teach the languages and literature of the Greeks and the Romans; and, by doing so, to develop a deep and genuine appreciation among our student body for the literary, cultural, and historical achievements of the two classical civilizations.
▶ UPPER SCHOOL MODERN LANGUAGE STUDENTS
travelled to Sicily, Spain, and Taiwan for school trips in January; Spanish students flew to Madrid, where they boarded a bus and traveled through a gently falling snow to their first destination.
“We spent the entire first day in Segovia, which felt especially magical, covered in snow!” teacher Tara Allen said. “The trip was fantastic! We packed a lot in and, honestly, everything was great!”
After Segovia, the group traveled south to Andalucía, stopping on the way for a warm sunny day in Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its historic coexistence of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities. The group also visited Sevilla, Granada, and Córdoba.
Tara said one highlight of the trip was the bus ride from Toledo to Sevilla, which turned into a memorable time for group bonding, with plenty of laughter.
“All of the tours were conducted in Spanish, giving students valuable immersion and real-world listening practice,” Allen said. “Throughout the trip, students
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were able to witness firsthand the blending of cultures that have shaped the Iberian Peninsula.”
Another 21 students from Brunswick and Greenwich Academy visited Sicily in January, where they kicked off a seven-day excursion in the famous Mercato di Ballarò in Palermo. The market dates back a thousand years and has been a meeting point of cultures, thanks to Palermo’s long history of Arab, Norman, and Mediterranean influences.
Students also visited Monreale, Agrigento, Taormina, and Syracuse; one highlight was the Valley of Temples in Agrigento.
Chinese students visited Taiwan through a trip organized by Greenwich Academy.
▶ IN A BRUNSWICK FIRST, six Upper School French students visited the Lower Middle School in February to make a crêpe breakfast for sixth graders. The gathering was scheduled around the French festival of La Chandeleur, when many families gather to make and eat crêpes.
“We made only sweet crêpes,” said French teacher Mikel Berrier, who used his own family recipe. “The batter for those is made with wheat, as opposed to buckwheat for savory crepes.”
Berrier and Middle School English teacher Annie Kohart first started brainstorming about ways to connect Upper and Middle School French students when they were sitting in a Paris cafe last January. The two were chaperoning the Upper School French trip.
“It was our first chance to really get to know each other, and we spoke about how we could create more of a sense of community and connection among our language students,” Kohart said. “The idea for a La Chandeleur crêpe class seemed like the perfect place to start.”
One highlight of the breakfast was the simple act of bringing Upper and Middle School boys together.
“My favorite part was seeing the Upper and Middle School boys help each other cook and flip the crêpes, then sit down to eat together with their favorite toppings,” Kohart said.
“We are really looking forward to making this a tradition!”
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▶ THE STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Babel and Orient Express have once again achieved distinguished national recognition from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Babel, a multilingual and art magazine, was awarded the Gold Crown, Gold Medal, and All-Columbian Award, honors that collectively reflect excellence in editorial quality, design, and overall publication standards. Orient Express similarly earned the Gold Medal and All-Columbian Award, underscoring its strong scholastic journalism achievements.
The CSPA recognized 1,071 Gold Circle Award winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Certificates of Merit) from a total of 6,060 entries — spanning news, magazine, digital media, and yearbook categories. In the Crown Awards competition, 221 finalists were selected from 527 submissions, and winners were announced in March 2026.
“Together, these results highlight the exceptional caliber of both publications within a highly selective national field,” Arabic teacher Mimi Melkonian said.
▶ THE UPPER SCHOOL LOBBY was the scene of a cultural extravaganza for Arabic Language Day in April. Boys enjoyed a taste of Arabic cuisine as they
worked to practice their language skills and showcase Arabic culture.
▶ THE UPPER SCHOOL CELEBRATED LUNAR NEW YEAR in February. Chinese students paraded a colorful dragon through the halls and decorated the dining hall with lanterns and calligraphy, creating a festive and meaningful atmosphere for everyone to enjoy a delicious Asian-inspired lunch with dumplings, sushi, and of course, fortune cookies.
“Our students brought the celebration to life with an amazing dragon dance, filling the halls with energy, color, and joy,” teacher Wenyi Che said. “It was a wonderful way to learn about and appreciate Chinese culture together.”
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▶ SIXTH GRADE LATIN STUDENTS sat for the National Latin Exam for the first time ever, and the results were fantastic. The yearly, standardized exam is sponsored by the American Classical League; sixth graders answered 40 questions covering a range of grammar, translation, history/culture, and interpretive reasoning skills. Of the 34 students who took the test, 22 received an award-earning score above the national average of 29/40. Students earned, in ascending order, either a “cum laude,” “magna cum laude,” “maxima cum laude,” or “summa cum laude” certificate. Students in the silver and gold tiers also received a medal. The seven students in the gold tier were Owen Ladino, Mackey Reuter, Nicholas Desimini, Nikhil Leih, Daniel Saenko, Luke Merwin, and Rafael Da Silva.
“I will also add that the NLE is not a test based on grade level, so our students were likely in competition with a number of students in older grades,” teacher Tyler Boudreau said.
▶ IT’S BRUNSWICK TRADITION: Middle Schoolers once again enjoyed some French cuisine in a special luncheon to celebrate national French Week in November.
“The boys love it; those who are familiar get quite excited, and that enthusiasm transfers pretty well throughout the student body,” Erin Withstandley, chair of Modern Languages and Classics, said.
The menu was originally designed by the late Middle School Chef Billy LeVasseur, who passed away in October. Over the years, LaVasseur always stood eager and ready to apply his prodigious culinary talents to providing a host of savory delights for programs of all sorts.
His Francophile offerings have typically included French onion soup, boeuf bourguignon, potatoes au gratin, and haricots verts. The cold bar often has apple and blue cheese pastries, crêpes, and fresh fruit with whipped cream.
▶ KINDERGARTENERS WRAPPED UP A UNIT on “La Familia” in Spanish class by creating a special video for their moms; boys recorded a special message all in Spanish, and Kindergarten teacher Chiara Wilson sent the final product home to families for Mother’s Day.
In the unit, boys learned vocabulary around family members, adjectives, numbers, size, and interests.
“The boys were thoughtful and creative and had a lot of fun with this unit and assignment,” Wilson said.
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Chef Billy LeVasseur in 2006
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Math Department
PHILOSOPHY & GOALS
The aim of the Brunswick Mathematics Department is to develop in its students strong understanding and skills in the areas of quantitative thinking and mathematics. An understanding of numbers is established at the start of the student’s time at the school, and this is developed continually through the years that follow. The goal of the department is to develop in every student a firm grounding in the basic facts and skills, to extend these skills to advanced topics, and to encourage the initiative required for the solution of mathematical problems. A wide range of courses is offered in order to accommodate all students, including those who need the challenge of high-level content. The department aims to produce students who fulfill their potential in math, having knowledge at their fingertips and the courage and ability to solve problems.
▶ IT’S BEEN ANOTHER BANNER YEAR for the Upper School Math Team; Brunswick won its fourth straight New England title after a successful season at added competitions at Harvard and Brown, where boys competed and won against teams and mathletes from around the nation and the world.
surpassed all large schools except for Lexington High School.
Standout achievements came from Vikram Sarkar ’26, Jack Whitney-Epstein ’26, and Sohan Javeri ’28, who each earned perfect scores.
It was a similar result at the Connecticut State Math Match in early April. The Bruins placed first in the small schools’ division, and again, in addition to winning its division, outscored all medium-school teams and, on a per-student basis, topped all large schools as well.
The Bruins likewise delivered an outstanding performance in March at the Brown University Math Olympiad (BrUMO), posting one of the strongest results in program history against a highly competitive field of ad hoc teams, each drawing math enthusiasts from a wide area.
Brunswick’s A-team rose to the occasion in this highly rigorous competition. Whitney-Epstein finished fourth overall, Javeri placed sixth, and the team earned fourth place in the overall standings.
Our team capped the 2025-26 year with an outstanding performance at the New England competition held at Canton High School in early May; the team placed first among small schools in a field of 35 public and private schools from across the region. The Bruins finished well ahead of second-place Hopkins, outperformed all medium-sized schools, and, on a per-student basis, continued on page 6
“I had no expectation of a high ranking for our top squad in a competition of this caliber,” said coach and math instructor Michael Allwood. “But the boys delivered an outstanding performance.”
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The B-team also performed well, winning the team round and seeing junior Magne Sogaard-Srikrishnan ’27 place first among individual competitors.
The A-Team members were Sarkar, Javeri, WhitneyEpstein, Ashwin Siva ’28, and Arjun Leih ’28. The B-Team consisted of Lucio Costantini ’27, Max Lanson ’26, Alex Meconiates ’29, Harry Saunders ’27, SogaardSrikrishnan, and Luca Tichio ’29.
The A-team also earned first place overall at the prestigious Harvard-MIT Math Tournament in November.
Allwood said that the team chose to go to the BrUMO and Harvard-MIT competitions in order to provide a higher level of competition for the truly exceptional students currently in the program.
▶ A NEW, HIGHLY ADVANCED college-level course, Mathematical Statistics, was added to the course catalogue this year to meet the needs of the high intellects who are studying math at Brunswick.
Allwood said the level of talent of these students, including two sophomores, is extraordinary — and keeping them working at their highest possible level has been an extremely satisfying part of his 41st year as an educator.
“This is the greatest gathering of minds in a class that I’ve ever had,” he said, “and everything they’re given they absorb with a deep sense of purpose and inquiry.”
Allwood traced his own love of math to his father, Bert, whose own passion for the subject was “infectious” and inspirational.
He said it was his father’s example that led him to return to college in 2012 in midlife, at the mature age of 49. It was a consequential time; Bert Allwood died in early June of that year, and later that month the younger Allwood began work on his master’s degree at New York University.
Allwood said he loved becoming a student again, and
he draws on what he learned then as he works to meet the needs of his students.
“I have to work incredibly hard to teach these courses,” Allwood said. “I love to do it. It’s extremely satisfying.”
▶ STATISTICS WAS AN ESPECIALLY POPULAR pursuit in the Math Department this year, as Brunswick’s three statistics courses enrolled almost 40 percent of the senior class. Brunswick offers the subject at three levels: Statistics, AP Statistics, and the highly advanced Mathematical Statistics; high enrollment was driven partly by parents who have encouraged boys to study statistics given its growing importance in many careers.
▶ SEVEN MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS, including two sixth graders, qualified for the 2026 Connecticut MATHCOUNTS State Competition at Yale University this spring after competing in the regional competition. State qualifiers included Nikhil Leih ’32, Henry Franke ’30, Danny Follansbee ’30, Ayan Bakaya ’32, Evan Lanson ’30, team captain Toluwa Tobun ’30, and William Weber ’30. Coach Kevin Landesman noted that a junior Math Team for fifth and sixth grade Middle School boys was created two years ago, which has created a pipeline for boys to hone their skills.
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Michael Allwood with his father, Bert, in Oxford in 1984.
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Landesman said the team is young, so the future looks even brighter.
“This is probably the youngest math team in my 20 years as a teacher,” he said, “which speaks to the depth and future of our team. It’s really exciting.”
Landesman and Kim Gallagher were both coaches of the team; the countywide MATHCOUNTS competition was run once again this year by Landesman and Greenwich Academy teacher Will Roble.
▶ TWO MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS scored in the top five percent of test takers on the nationwide AMC 8 math test. Danny Follansbee ’30 and Nikhil Leih ’32 both earned a top score of 22 on the test, which is a precursor to the AMC 10 and the AMC 12 tests that are offered in the Upper School.
“It speaks to a strong future,” Landesman noted.
▶ MENTAL ARITHMETIC continues to be a big part of the curriculum for students in grades five through 12, with boys in each division regularly asked to solve math problems entirely in their head.
Boys in both the Middle and Upper School regularly face 3.5-minute quizzes that involve 10 questions, with only five of them allowing scratch work. The quizzes cover concepts such as basic operations, fraction operations, decimal options, percentages, exponents, and roots.
“In classroom mathematics, these skills are foundational, the mastery of which enables more class
time to be spent on higher level concepts and skills,” Landesman said.
▶ THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE BOYS accepted a new challenge as about 30 students signed up to participate in the Noetic Learning Math Contest; the third grade Noetic Math Team won the Noetic Learning Math Contest Team Achievement Award, which puts them in the top 10 percent of teams nationwide.
One goal of the contest is to develop problem-solving skills. The test features non-routine problems that require creativity, critical thinking, and advanced reasoning skills.
“This is a very challenging test, and every problem solved represents an accomplishment,” Math Specialist Sarah Trager said. “We are so proud of all of our participants, and we congratulate all boys for their ambition in participating in such a rigorous math contest.”
The optional test served as a great opportunity for boys to further the Lower School 2025-26 theme, “Challenge Accepted!”
▶ AND FINALLY, Lower School problem-solving and grit were clearly evident in early May, when third grader Taj Ahluwalia won first place for his age/stage at the U.S. Chess Federation 2026 National Elementary Championship in Baltimore. Just over 2,500 players from 36 states and Washington, D.C., competed across four grade-based sections.
The Arts
PHILOSOPHY & GOALS
Philosophy & Goals: The visual and performing arts program at Brunswick is an integral part of the curriculum, with the guiding objective of providing fundamental artistic literacy for every student. It is extremely important to involve the boys in different art forms, not only to develop their talents but also to encourage appreciation of the aesthetic dimension of the world. Often, our boys display a penchant for music, theater, or the visual arts; others simply enjoy the experience of learning something new about themselves by taking creative risks and experimenting in new media.
At the Upper School level, students have the option to specialize in the visual arts (including computer graphics), instrumental music, vocal music, and/or theater. In addition to pursuing these fields as academic disciplines, students can participate in numerous musical ensembles, theater groups, performances, and clubs. Those with talent, interest, and ambition are given numerous opportunities to achieve excellence.
▶ A CELEBRATED ACTOR and master clown visited in February to speak with students about his long career in theater and film, including his most recent stagecraft that famously blends expert clowning with the bleak writings of Irish playwright Samuel Beckett.
Bill Irwin, a MacArthur Fellow who won a Tony Award for his role in the 2005 Broadway production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, sat with students in the Black Box adjacent to Baker Theater for an intimate, thoughtprovoking conversation moderated by Robert Tichio, father of Luca ’29.
“It’s a privilege, not just to be amongst students but also with a teacher and instructor who I think is singular in trying to educate,” Tichio said, tipping his hat to Seth Potter and his 12th-grade English students.
Tichio asked Irwin to share thoughts on the decisions that took him from a childhood in Santa Monica to his education with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College and beyond.
“It’s not an education path that’s going to be familiar to the people in this room,” Tichio said. “Tell us, from Santa Monica to clown college, what were the drivers of the decisions along the way that led you to that point?”
Irwin said he initially wanted to be an acrobat, but landed initially in a place that taught him critical job skills.
“And I got thrown in an experimental theater direction, which I’m very grateful for,” he said.
“I’m also grateful that my first grounding was in basic scene work. Because that is auditioning in a nutshell. And I’ve worked with a lot of incredible performers, especially in the world of circus, who could do the most amazing things that we who were normative actors could only dream of, but they
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didn’t have the grounding in how you sit and just think about the conversation. Listen and talk. Listen and talk.”
Irwin delighted students with snippets of the famous nonsense monologues from On Beckett, his one-man homage to Beckett, which opened in Washington, D.C., a short time after his visit to Brunswick.
“And it is a great help, because I’m about to do this, you know, on a stage in Washington, D.C., and just to share it with you, thank you so much!” Irwin said.
▶ VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS continued to showcase student talent throughout the year; the Upper School produced a rousing rendition of Mamma Mia! and across all divisions, a myriad of musical performances highlighted the depth and range of student opportunity. As always, the Latin Carol Service, held in the chapel on the Lake Avenue Campus, provided a traditional and moving celebration. The Upper School showcased AP art portfolios at the annual Art Show — highlighting
the depth, dedication, and individuality of our most advanced student artists.
▶ MIDDLE SCHOOL THESPIANS once again had a busy year, producing both a musical and a play, with both performances taking place in Baker Theater.
The fall musical was The Wizard of Oz, youth edition. A total of 45 students in grades seven and eight, from both Brunswick and Greenwich Academy, came together to make the show a triumph.
“Directing The Wizard of Oz was incredibly rewarding!” seventh grade Class Dean Logan Stamey said. “Watching students grow in confidence, take creative risks, and come together as a true ensemble always reminds me why theater is such a powerful experience. By opening night, the show belonged to them, and seeing their pride and joy on stage made all the hard work worthwhile.”
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The spring play was The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood, and it featured the work of 60 students in grades five through eight, from both Brunswick and Sacred Heart. This performance, too, was a success.
“I was incredibly proud of our cast and crew throughout this process,” Stamey said. “They supported one another, took creative risks, and brought a sense of joy and confidence to The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood, making the entire production special.
▶ THE FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE jazz ensemble trekked into the city on a Saturday in March to take part in the 2026 Fordham University Jazz Festival, a one-day celebration of student jazz performance and education. Fifteen students performed three numbers at the festival, held at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus, and then took part in a clinic with the judges. Noah Cappuccio ’33, Evan Meconiates ’33, and Nicholas Desimini ’32 were recognized for outstanding solos by the judges. Brunswick was the only middle school band performing at the festival, which featured high school groups from the tristate area. Teacher Peter Holsberg said this is the first year Brunswick has taken part in the festival; he hopes to make it an annual tradition.
▶ MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL jazz ensembles performed at a first-ever Jazz Fest for Cancer Awareness in April in Baker Theater. The concert featured Brunswick musicians from fifth grade up through Upper School, as well as two acclaimed New York City musicians, Will Anderson and Joe Boga. Anderson is a saxophonist and clarinetist, while Boga is a trumpeter; the two spent the day at Brunswick, rehearsing with the boys and then playing in the concert.
Holsberg said he was inspired to put together the festival after learning from Dallas trumpet player Ryan Anthony, a victim of cancer who himself put together a famous concert series to raise money for cancer research.
▶ THE LOWER SCHOOL TALENT SHOW had another successful year; the show kicked off with a rousing, bathtub rendition of Splish Splash from the hit Broadway musical Just In Time, and then progressed through at least one piano performance as well as guitar playing, drumming, dancing, and student-submitted acts.
It all seemed to wrap up with the time-honored show-stopper, Johnny B. Goode — and at that point, longtime Talent Show director Pat Meloni breathed a big sigh of relief.
But the show wasn’t over.
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The assembly concluded with a special, surprise appearance by a Brunswick alumnus, Grammynominated lyricist and vocalist Allen René Louis ’11.
Louis appeared in honor of his grade-school teacher, Mrs. Meloni, who is celebrating her 50th year at Brunswick. He performed Bridge Over Troubled Water. There were balloons and a cake prepared by Chef Patrick.
“This was the best surprise I could have asked for,” Meloni said. “I was totally overwhelmed. Everybody was crying. Just the fact that he took the time to be there, that really moved me.”
▶ LOWER SCHOOL ARTS NIGHT 2026 featured over 850 exhibited pieces, representing artists in first through fourth grade, in an annual tradition that celebrates the arts at Brunswick; it also served as an opportunity to honor and surprise another very special Brunswick teacher.
Pre and Lower School Music teacher Anne Wamunyu has been a Brunswick fixture for 20 years; she is moving back to Kenya after decades of stellar music instruction.
With the help of Spanish teacher Chiara Wilson, who wrote and directed a song, boys surprised their teacher with a special performance right before the final number of the Arts Night concert (“Waka Waka,” a favorite World Cup anthem from Africa and a Lower School favorite).
“The boys were so excited to surprise her, and that joy was evident when they broke out into song that night,” Lower School Head Katie Signer said. “Anne has always said her primary goal is to develop a love of music in her students and that was certainly on display at this concert. The boys sounded beautiful and performed so well, even adding a wave and lots of hand motions to the grand finale. We will miss her so!”
Wamunyu said she was totally surprised by the song and the special t-shirts everyone was wearing. Boys
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had practiced the song when Wamunyu was away from the Lower School, teaching at the Pre School, so they could surprise her.
“Arts Night was a very special night for me,” Wamunyu said. “I was so touched by this. This is my 20th year at Brunswick. I love music and I love teaching — and it has been so wonderful to combine the two.”
▶ FOURTH GRADERS staged a musical rendition of The American Revolution in March; 54 boys worked together under the direction of teacher Jenn Spaulding to bring the story to life, with lots of singing and dancing and cameos from none other than Samuel Adams, King
George III, Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and more. The production dovetailed with grade four study of American history, which includes visits to Sturbridge Village in the fall and of course, the Brunswick tradition that is Colonial Day.
“There was lots of singing, lots of dancing, lots of lines to memorize,” teacher Susie Foyle said. “It’s a full-on musical and brings history to life. The kids are amazing.”
▶ PRE SCHOOL BOYS have been learning about famous artists and replicating their work this spring. They painted water lilies in the style of Claude Monet; kindergarten boys stepped into some “starry, starry night” themes as they tried their hands at some thick, flowing brush strokes.
Art teacher Courtney Wilson said the boys love art, and Impressionism is a great way to introduce them to painting because of the way they can “get outside the lines.”
“There is no correct way to make art,” Wilson noted. “You can really see the ‘movement’ in these famous paintings (like The Starry Night), the blue and the yellow. These artists are really painting feelings.”
