Back-to-school 2025 saw Brunswick boys invited to deepen their understanding of themselves and others through opportunities in arenas large and small: they accepted new challenges, met new people, considered thrilling mysteries of the world, listened to experts, stepped into leadership, and were even encouraged to try new food. Their outreach, grit, caring, thoughtful conversations, and hard work helped bring the language of The Brunswick Trust to life in every corner of the Brunswick community and beyond.
Community Trust
More than 400 Upper School boys wrote personal, handwritten thank-you notes to Susan Casey, a bestselling author whose books were the subject of the 2025 Brunswick Trust Summer Read and who gave a lively and popular talk to students in Baker Theater in September.
Casey is The New York Times bestselling author of both The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogue, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean, and The Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America’s Great White Sharks. Casey also met with environmental science classes and hosted an evening discussion with parents; she told boys that she first became interested in ocean waves and especially rogue waves after learning that huge, 600-foot ships regularly and swiftly vanish in the global seas.
She surprised everyone with a special Zoom call with Laird Hamilton, an American big-wave surfer whose exploits riding monster waves were detailed in The Wave.
Hamilton said that giant surf reminds him to stay humble, which he believes “is the proper way to go about being in the universe.” He said if you approach surfing with a “puffy chest,” then you will quickly find out how “tough you are not.”
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Brunswick Trust Coordinator Kate Duennebier said one emphasis of Casey’s talks was human connection in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
The Brunswick Trust
Community Trust
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With absolutely zero warning or preparation, Lower School boys took on a special challenge as they headed out to Robert L. Cosby field to try to organize themselves, by grade level and in five minutes or less, into the letters W, I, C, and K — spelling out the word ’WICK in giant letters, of course!
The task proved challenging, indeed, and served as a fitting way to kick off the Challenge Accepted theme at the Lower School.
First results were a little “ICK,” with the W proving particularly tricky for boys.
A second try on another day also came up empty, with too many boys trying to be the boss and nobody listening.
Workshops ensued, as boys studied the photos of previous attempts, leading to a big win on the third try. Fourth grade boys came up with a plan to organize themselves by classroom, with one class tackling each side of the W and a third taking on the upside-down V in the center.
“They did it!” exclaimed Lower School Head Katie Signer.
Signer said the goal is to develop a “can-do” muscle in boys.
“Life presents challenges,” she noted.
Boys also got to cheer on their teachers as they shared all sorts of personal achievements — from running in the 2025 Marine Corps Marathon to a 1859-day streak of Duolingo language learning — in a special Challenge Accepted/ Challenge Chosen assembly.
“Brunswick teachers and students: We can do hard things!” Signer exclaimed. “We believe in you! We believe you are capable of doing hard things.”
A timeless, celebrated, 68-year-old courtroom drama — filmed in the 1950s in black and white — served as the Upper School Brunswick Trust movie. The film, 12 Angry Men, first opened in 1957. It is set in a hot, summertime courthouse at the height of the McCarthy era and features 12 men deliberating on a death penalty case of a teenager accused of killing his abusive father. With a run time of 96 minutes, the full-length feature served as a good opportunity for boys to come together for a shared experience around one of the duties of being an American citizen, serving on a jury. Afterward, boys in advisories were invited to talk about the film with the help of a thoughtprovoking, post-film discussion guide.
Eighth grade boys stepped into some leadership roles as they helped kick off the second year of the House and Den program during Opening Ceremonies. They were tasked with
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greeting and welcoming new Middle School students. They introduced new students in each House and included at least two things they had learned about their new schoolmates. Eighth graders, new and existing, also wrote “nice-to-meetyou” post cards, each with a specific detail about what they enjoyed about the other person.
The House & Den program was created to maintain and ultimately enhance the intergrade connections in the Middle School, unifying the four grades that are now established in two buildings on either side of King Street.
Trust Time at the Middle School featured a host of different assemblies and interactive activities. In fifth grade, the first lesson focused on Self & Others, beginning with the question “Who Am I?” Boys were asked to reflect on what makes them unique, with an eye toward understanding how their own
personal strengths help make the community stronger. Fifth graders also enjoyed visits from Upper School boys, who popped over to the Lower Middle School to discuss the idea of community and build action plans to foster it.
Sixth graders were invited to consider a “Values Inventory” as they worked through a first-ever “Core Four Fantasy Draft.” Boys selected personal values — instead of athletes — to create a Moral Compass Rose to be displayed in each of the 12 advisories. Boys chose between Courage, Honor, and Truth for the position of “True North,” with values for the remaining three compass points selected during rounds of the draft.
Seventh graders sat for a 30-minute assembly on Selflessness and were asked to consider why it is important to put others first, a reflection that dovetails with the community-service projects that were begun in each House last year.
Eighth graders used Trust Time to workshop the idea of Leadership and take stock of their own strengths and weaknesses through a Leadership Inventory that had them quantify their personal assets, motivations, and inclinations.
Sean Stanley led these Trust Time activities for fifth and seventh grades, while Duennebier handled the lessons for sixth and eighth grade.
“We call these sessions ‘Trust Time’ because The Brunswick Trust is the name of the program that houses all the noncurricular stuff that we think really matters,” Duennebier told boys. “I think ‘Trust’ works because it implies connection, a mutual respect, a safekeeping, a faith in one another. If that can be our baseline, Trust and Community, then we’re off to a good start.”
Seven veterans from the Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich visited with fourth graders on Veterans Day. The men hailed from different branches of the U.S. military, including the Army and Air Force. Some were veterans of recent conflicts, while others served as far back as the Vietnam War. The men shared experiences, what it means to be a veteran, and what Veterans Day means.
The Brunswick Trust
Encouraging Meaningful Conversations
AGlobal Brunswick returned to Baker Theater, drawing over 30 people to the 18th annual allcampus diversity gathering organized and facilitated by the Upper School Diversity in Action club. The evening featured a panel discussion led by DIA Co-Presidents Joshua Greene ’27 and Fernando Uyaguari ’26, as well as Vice President Owen Kaseta ’26. The theme of the evening was “Unity in Diversity,” and panelists shared their thoughts on the topic before the group moved into the Upper School Dining Hall to enjoy a convivial potluck dinner with pizza and cuisine from around the world.
“We hope tonight encourages meaningful conversations, new connections, and a deeper appreciation of the many cultures and experiences that make up our community,” Kaseta said as he welcomed the group to the Upper School.
The potluck dinner featured a lively game of “Cultural Pursuit” before the gathering broke into small groups to give everyone a chance to share their thoughts. Finally, a representative from each group was invited to participate in a Fish Bowl activity — an annual mainstay of A Global Brunswick that sees the gathering listen silently while group representatives discuss the evening’s theme.
“Everyone has a chance to speak, and everyone has the chance to experience being heard,” Rev. Thomas L. Nins, Brunswick diversity coordinator, said. “That’s golden.”
With its first major event of the year complete, DIA continues to meet every week on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The club has begun planning for its next big event, the Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations in January. DIA meetings draw about 25 students and feature a section for freshmen
and sophomores and another for juniors and seniors. Rev. Nins said students often join the club as freshmen and continue through their senior year; he calls the progression a “continuity of positive energy” on campus.
“It just fosters understanding,” he said. “That Brunswick is able to provide this opportunity is priceless. A homerun.”
Upper Schoolers gathered for an African-American Focus Group luncheon, with Rev. Nins and math teacher Dwight Jackson serving as advisors. The luncheon serves as an opportunity for students to gather for friendship and connection.
Pre-K and kindergarten boys learned about life in Peru — and even got to meet two South American alpacas in real life
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— in a special celebration of Hispanic-American Heritage Month at the Pre School. Teddy and Bear, two alpacas from Clover Brooke Farm in Hyde Park, N.Y., made the trek over to Lake Avenue to give ’Wick’s youngest a chance to experience the soft wool coat alpacas are known for and also get personally acquainted with the animals that are integral to Peruvian culture and history.
“It was so much fun and the boys really enjoyed it,” Spanish teacher Denise Shepard said.
Pre-K teacher Dani Clark invited Shepard to the Pre School to teach a lesson on her Hispanic heritage. Shepard was born in Peru and immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was four.
“The boys also practiced Spanish throughout,” Shepard said. “They were incredible!”
Students and faculty are getting to know one another in Asian-American Focus Group luncheons, held monthly in the Dining Hall. The luncheons attract a broad group of Asian descent, including students and faculty from India, China, Korea, and Bangladesh. Computer science teacher Poonam Gupta said she enjoys the luncheons and uses them to share a little bit about herself while also inquiring about others’ family backgrounds. She encourages students to speak to grandparents, learn a bit of their native languages, and record family stories.
“They do have stories,” she said. “I encourage students to document them if they can.”
Gupta said the idea is for students to forge connections with one another and with their own identities. She said she takes pride in her own identity as a first-generation American immigrant. Will Perkins, Upper School health, and Marianne Barnum also serve as advisors.
The popular Middle School DIA club has changed its name to LEAD, short for Listen, Empathize, Act, Discuss. The seventh and eight grade club continues with the same mission but with an added emphasis on leadership, said club advisor Sean Stanley. This year’s group has about 15 members, and it meets at lunch on Thursdays.
Brunswick was well represented at the Bronx Lacrosse benefit , held at Westchester Country Club in October, as well as the Harlem Lacrosse benefit held at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers.
Alecia Thomas, director of diversity and inclusion, David Bruce, head coach, and two varsity lacrosse players attended the Bronx Lacrosse event, while Brunswick’s new goalie coordinator Thomas Brill and two Brunswick parents attended the benefit for Harlem Lacrosse.
Bruins regularly host Bronx and Harlem Lacrosse on campus for clinics and scrimmages; both benefits featured student stories about the impact lacrosse has on young people, including the transition to college and beyond.
“These are more than just lacrosse programs,” Thomas said. “It’s much deeper than that. Lacrosse is the vehicle for getting young people to the next level.”
A librarian and teacher who used donkeys to deliver books to children in rural Columbia was the subject of Trust Time readings to Lower and Pre School boys. Thomas visited classrooms to share the storybook Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown. The book was inspired by real-life librarian Luis Soriano, who brought the transformative power of reading to children in remote Columbia.
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Brunswick students observed Diwali , India’s largest and most important holiday, with special visitors, timely morning announcements, and lunchtime Indian food offerings in dining halls. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, marks the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. At Brunswick, diyas (tea lights) were displayed in entrances at both the Lower School and Pre School, while first graders in Toni Raissis’ class enjoyed a special visit from a parent. At the Upper School, Arjun Kolluri ’27, Armaan Lakhani ’27, and Vijay Ranganathan ’26 shared an announcement about Diwali during morning meeting; at lunchtime all Upper Schoolers had a chance to enjoy both sweet and savory Indian lunch food in the Dining Hall.
Thomas represented Brunswick at the Youth Inclusion International Forum in New York City. The theme of the conference, organized by Life Project 4 Youth and co-organized by Year Up United, was Inclusion at a Crossroads: Innovation and Resilience in the USA & Equipping Youth for a Tech-Driven Future. Thomas served as a guest speaker on a panel that discussed innovation, adaptation, and resilience in the U.S. inclusion ecosystem.
The Pre and Lower School CUBs group kicked off the year with a meeting that featured the newly published picture book, The ABCs of Being the Best Me, written and illustrated by two of Brunswick’s own, Pre School teachers Deborah Schwartz and Margot Butler. The reading was followed by some fun, family-style yoga inspired by the book. Faculty members taking part were Beth Barsanti, Katie Signer, Tim Coupe, Porter Hill, and Alecia Thomas. CUBs is an acronym for Culturally United Bruins.
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Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown
Diwali in my New Home by Shachi Kaushik
The Brunswick Trust
Opportunities to Build Character
Arenowned clinical psychologist and expert in “twentysomethings” spoke to students in Baker Theater in a visit that kicked off the 2025-26 ’WICK Center Speaker series, now in its fourth year. Meg Jay, Ph.D., a bestselling author and associate professor of human development at the University of Virginia, spoke about what she describes as the most underappreciated and “defining” decade of life, the 20s, and how to get the most out of both high school and college.
She told students that authenticity, specifically something she calls “Identity Capital,” is one of their most valuable assets in life. She urged students to understand the imperative of using both college and high school to “invest in themselves” — and said that many young people do not know how to take advantage of the opportunities that college, or even a high school like Brunswick, presents. Most of those opportunities are not degree requirements, she noted.
“It’s a travesty how many don’t know ‘how’ to go to college,” she said. “Your 20s are where all the action is. Your learning curve then predicts your earning curve later on. There’s a tip: Your job is to put yourself on the steepest learning curve you can.”
“Go ahead and start right now, actually,” she said.
“crowdsourcing” that drive opportunities in every arena, including employment, housing, and relationships.
Jay is the author of The Defining Decade: Why Your 20s Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now, and The TwentySomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Treatment for an Uncertain Age. She also spoke separately to parents and faculty.
Students in a new Medical Problem Solving and Diagnoses class recently finished up a unit on the respiratory system with a quiz on the science of breathing — and they followed that lesson up the very next day with a 40-minute Breathwork Class in the Health & Wellness lounge. Jenn Warwick, a certified breathwork coach, worked with 14 students on the art and science of breathing well; breathing exercises have been shown to help make lungs function better, regulate the nervous system, and improve athletic performance. Medical Problem Solving and Diagnoses is a new one-semester elective taught by Marcie Molloy, M.D., director of health and wellness.
The entire junior class participated in Insights Discovery, sitting for a 30-minute personality assessment in the first week of school. Afterward, they received a detailed report highlighting individual strengths, communication styles, and more. Every boy then met individually with a coach to go over the results — Brunswick has three trained Insights coaches, including Melissa Shahbazian P ’30, ’32, co-founder of Spark InSight Coaching, as well as Molloy and Sarah Burdett.
Early next year, students will advance to a group setting as they practice communication skills in small-group clinics of about 25 students in the Health & Wellness lounge.
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Healthy eating was the subject of Trust Time lessons for sixth graders . Boys sat for two classes on how to eat well when you are 11 and 12 years old, with Brunswick nutritionist Gianna Masi and Molloy visiting classrooms to share nutritional information with students.
Upper Schoolers have taken on some of the responsibility for sharing the lessons of The Trust with younger classmates through the Health & Wellness Ambassador program.
Ambassador Marco Sethi ’27 visited sixth graders at the Lower Middle School to talk about healthy eating.
Sixth graders also heard from schoolmate Peter Saunders ’27, who created and shared a digital video short showing everything he eats in a day and why — including snacks as well as the food he selected at an evening water polo banquet.
“I want to encourage more people to make meals and beneficial snacks for themselves, so they can see success,” Saunders said.
Henry Ginnel ’26, meanwhile, offered lessons to sixth graders about why sleep is important to everything from growth and development to mental health.
Healthy sleep was a message also shared with third graders, this time by cross-country phenom Nathan Lee ’26, who visited the Lower School to share his own dedication to healthy sleep from a very young age.
Nutrition was also the focus of some Learning Lab lessons for kindergarten boys this fall — students discovered facts about food groups and healthy eating through games like nutrition Bingo and Stand Strong, which uses the skeleton to connect the dots between strong bones and calcium and vitamin D.
“They really enjoyed that game,” said Claudia Tagliavia, kindergarten associate teacher. “They were super engaged.”
Pre-K boys have received the Health & Wellness teddy bears they will use over the next few years to help them digest some fundamentals lessons of self-care.
The stuffed animals are used in Care for the Bear lessons led by Molloy. She uses the bear to discuss a boy’s physical, emotional/psychological, spiritual, intellectual, and social needs — the five essential elements of health and wellness identified by Brunswick’s comprehensive schoolwide initiative, The ’WICK Center for Wellness, Insight, Courage & Kindness.
Pre-K boys will keep their teddy bears until first grade, when they will get to bring them home, take care of them there, and write about their efforts.
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Common Sense Media’s 2025 Survey: Boys In The Digital Wild: Online Culture, Identity, and Well-being (PDF)
Summary of Study:
• 1,017 boys age 11 through 17, conducted in July 2025
• National and diverse representation across socioeconomic backgrounds and racial/ethnic identities
• Questions on engagement patterns across social media and gaming platforms
• Questions on experiences with masculinity messaging
The Brunswick Trust
‘Dial Back the Rhetoric’
The Upper School Sustainability Council was pleased to welcome the CEO of Impossible Foods to speak in Baker Theater. Peter McGuinness spoke about the $1.4 trillion meat industry — as he also outlined efforts to “dial back the rhetoric” and invite more people to incorporate “delicious, nutritious” plant-based meat in their diets. McGuinness, the former marketing genius behind Chobani yogurts, told students that the meat industry is the largest industry in the world — “bigger than cars, bigger than everything” — and that making meat from plants results in a fraction of the environmental impact compared to animal products. That makes Impossible Foods “inherently positive from a sustainability perspective,” he said, but his effort going forward is to put an end to marketing zealotry and just share another great option for mealtimes.
“Dial back the rhetoric,” he said. “Don’t be a zealot.”
McGuinness said that Impossible Meat is nutritious, with more protein than animal meat and an all-day supply of iron, fiber, and zero cholesterol.
“It’s a good product,” he said. “Try incorporating it in your diet, and the world will be a better place, and your health probably will be a little better.”
Long time seventh grade dean and history teacher Jay Crosby has been named executive director of Horizons at Brunswick, following the upcoming retirement of Marianne Barnum.
day meaningful. It’s been deeply meaningful work and a wonderful reminder of why I went into education in the first place.”
Crosby brings an extensive background in non-profit leadership and character education. He served as executive director of a servicelearning program that brought high school and college students to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Haiti. His family helped build Bana Ba Letsatsi , a daycare center in Maun, Botswana, with which he partnered to work on the various summer service projects.
Pre and Lower School boys have accepted another challenge, this time to support their neighbors through a quick “Meet the Need Now!” Thanksgiving Drive. Boys are collecting canned fish and meat, household cleaning items, toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, peanut butter and jelly, personal care items, coffee and tea, dried fruit and beans, and pasta and sauce. Collected donations will be given to local families through Neighbor to Neighbor.
The Upper School Intergenerational Service Leadership Council is now in its second year. Boys have forged a partnership with The Broadview at Purchase College, a new retirement community situated right on the college campus, and they visit with residents there about once a season.
“As I begin this new chapter, I’m filled with excitement and gratitude,” Crosby said. “Spending this past summer with Horizons was nothing short of inspiring — the energy, curiosity, and joy of the students and their families, along with the dedication and passion of the faculty, made every continued on page 10
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“The residents have a lot to share with our boys,” Courtney Spada, director of service leadership and sustainability, said. “Afterwards, there’s such a glow of connection.”
Upper School boys also share experience and expertise with Middle Schoolers, helping the younger students prepare for their visits to senior living residences throughout the year.
“For our eighth grade students, this is an opportunity to practice reaching out and connecting with new people,” Middle School Latin teacher Tyler Boudreau said. “It is a great pleasure to see these boys thriving outside of the classroom and bringing smiles to the faces of the senior residents.”
A small busload of food was collected this fall thanks to a first-ever All School Food Drive launched by Upper School Student Council President Colin Officer. Collected food was donated to Neighbor to Neighbor.
“It was very successful!” said Keegan Gilsenan, Upper School teaching fellow. “We had donations from all divisions. Although we didn’t count the items, we filled up a small bus. We had hundreds of donations!”
Hartong Rink will once again serve as the venue for Greenwich Special Olympics ice skating practices this winter; volunteers are always needed. Brunswick Middle School library specialist Audrey Onsdorff can often be found lacing up to take a turn on the ice. She said volunteers help develop skating skills and techniques, as well as socialize with athletes, coaches, and fellow volunteers.
More and more Brunswick students and faculty are getting involved with Special Olympics throughout the year. Gilsenan volunteered with the Special Olympics as a Brunswick student and continued as an undergraduate at Middlebury College.
And, a handful of Middle Schoolers volunteered during spring swimming season at Sacred Heart pool, while two Upper School students helped with summer golf at the Stanwich Club.
In early November, Brunswick hosted a first-ever soccer clinic for Special Olympic athletes; many Upper School Bruins were joined by a few Middle Schoolers, including a handful from Sacred Heart.
Sean Mensi ’26 and his Upper School classmates have upped their game and are now regularly delivering meals to homebound people through Meals on Wheels. Mensi, also an enthusiastic baker who loves to share his creations, helps deliver 10 meals to the Greenwich community, including residents of Agnes Morley Heights. Adding cheer to the deliveries are homemade cards created by Lower School Librarian Beth Barsanti.
Seventh grade advisories have started visiting the threeand four-year-old boys in the Little Cubs Early Learning Center in a new program launched by new seventh grade dean Logan Stamey.
Cub Buddies sees the Middle School boys visit Lake Avenue to work with youngsters on Trust Time activities and read storybooks that reinforce those messages. There’s always time for just plain fun on the playground, as well.
“The little ones look at seventh graders like they’re All-Stars,” Stamey said. “And the big boys want to know when they can go back. They end up having so much fun — it reminds them of when they were that age.”
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For the second year in a row, the Middle School Animal Service Club hosted a one-mile Fun Run to raise money for the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary in Newtown. The Fun Run raised about $800 for the sanctuary and dovetailed with the work that Brunswick junior Gavin Spraker ’28 is doing for CVHAS. Spraker, who is on the junior board at CVHAS, put together the top team for the Race for Catherine!/5K for Kindness, raising about $2,010 for the sanctuary.
Trust Time saw second graders learn about gardening and the hard work that seventh graders from Sun House put in last spring to break ground and build 11 new garden beds.
Tenth graders in Gabby Sia’s advisory participated in a Great Pumpkin Rescue; boys collected Halloween pumpkins from various Brunswick campuses, saving them from the incinerator and instead delivering them to the Greenwich Land Trust for composting. According to Waste Free Greenwich, “more than 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are sent to incinerators and landfills annually in the U.S., and diverting this material from incinerators cuts the pollution generated by burning waste that negatively impacts public health.”
The 15-member Melody Men, an a capella group of the Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich, visited the Lower School to give a special 30-minute concert to boys. After the concert, Lower School boys sang “Men of Brunswick” to the RMA performers.
“It was an incredibly moving moment of connection,” Courtney Spada said.
Pre Schoolers earned an award from The Greenwich Tree Conservancy for a poem they wrote and submitted to that group’s 8th annual Awesome Tree Contest . Pre-K and kindergarten students all collaborated on the poem, with each classroom adding a line in celebration of trees and all they do — from photosynthesis to shade to beautiful autumn colors — to make the world better for humans.
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The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again by Robert D. Putnam
