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Hill Happenings SUMMER 2026

CLASSROOM Building Connections between Classroom Subjects, Hawks, and the Wider Community

Magazine of The Chestnut Hill School

Classroom Connections

Creating Meaningful Connections Between Students, Subjects and The Community

Kind Today, Conscious Tomorrow

CHS Hawks learn each year how interconnected they are to the Greater Boston community.

A Legend at CHS

Eric Edwards has been a fixture of the CHS experience since 2000, Take a look back at the beloved teacher’s history at CHS

THE CHESTNUT HILL SCHOOL MISSION The Chestnut Hill School is an inclusive community of joyful learners who think critically, embrace diversity, and act with empathy.

D E PA R T M E N T S

THE CHESTNUT HILL SCHOOL VISION At The Chestnut Hill School, our vision is a world transformed by childhood optimism and enduring curiosity.

2 LETTER FROM THE HEAD A welcome from Dr. Rod

GUIDING PRINCIPLES Our philosophy is founded on four guiding principles.

3 LEARNING IN ACTION

Kindness: Empathy and discovery are integral to fostering the growth of inquisitive minds.

Glimpses of learning across the grades

Belonging: Every child is known and valued.

26 AROUND CAMPUS

Pursuit of Knowledge: Our students develop a lifelong love of learning.

Check out snapshots from community events like Carnival, Family Picnic, and more!

Perseverance: Children can learn as much from failure as they do from success.

38 CLASS OF 2026

Congratulations to this year’s graduates! HEAD OF SCHOOL Roderick MacNeal, Jr., Ed.D.

42 STAFF MILESTONES

Honoring our long-time faculty

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Alex Weliever, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications and Digital Media

44 CLASS NOTES

Hear what alumni are up to across the globe

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE/CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Christine Augustyn, Emily DiDonna, Kerryn Hinds, Ashley Mosley, Erin Piper, Virginia Siu, Angie Zomer

IN MEMORIAM

PHOTOGRAPHY Adam Richins Photography, Alex Weliever, Coffee Pond Photography

Remembering those who have passed

DESIGN The Truesdale Group

48 BEFORE WE GO

COMMENTS Class notes, letters, and comments may be emailed to communications@tchs.org or mailed to The Chestnut Hill School, 428 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.

Fill in a custom CHS coloring page, designed by one of our Hawks!

Hill Happenings is a publication for current CHS families, past families, alumni, staff members, and friends.

Students drew lots of pictures of Hercules the CHS Hawk last year — see how many Hercules drawings you can find throughout the magazine!

A Culture of Belonging

The many different cultures of CHS families on display at our annual Festival of Lights community gathering.

Alumni in Athletics Read a few stories of our school’s impressive alumni in the field of athletics!

The Family Association

There’s always time to pitch in to the Family Association at CHS. .

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LETTER FROM THE HEAD

Dear Friends of CHS,

his year’s issue of Hill Happenings centers on Classroom Connections, which is a direct testament to how our extremely talented teaching faculty form positive relationships with students and their families. The resulting impact extends to every aspect of our community which aligns with one of our core values, Belonging, and our focus on inclusivity. Our efforts to connect with students and their families are very intentional and begins with faculty and staff braving all kinds of weather to welcome students in the morning upon arrival. It is during this time that Senora Feder, our Spanish teacher, serenades students or Mr. Edwards catches up with an alumnus in the car as their parents drop off a younger sibling. With the music playing most mornings, faculty and staff have made opening car doors and welcoming students to school each morning an important daily ritual. Another time-honored tradition that builds connections is our famed Learning Partners program in which fourthgrade students are paired with one of our Beginners until both students have completed their Kindergarten and sixth-grade school year respectively. Our fourth through sixth-grade students learn to care for their peers through mentoring and our younger learners enjoy forming a relationship with an older student. Learning Partners meet weekly on Fridays and complete projects together. The relationship culminates when the Kindergarten Learning Partner walks their sixth-grade mentor down the aisle during the sixth-grade graduation ceremony. The learning partnership is also reprised annually during the Learning Partners Reunion. During this time, the elder Learning Partners of our sixth graders are invited back to campus to give sage advice about the secondary school experience, as part of the current sixth-grade graduation activities. The overall experience has proven to be a beloved tradition that many alumni highlight as one of their favorite CHS experiences. In addition to keeping track of our alumni for Learning Partner festivities, we also highlight their accomplishments in the section “Class Notes” of the magazine. The connections with our alumni remain strong through their continued relationship with faculty and staff. In this edition, you will be able to read about the continued connection

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between Mr. Edwards, our physical education teacher, and alumni. Within our curriculum, teachers make connections between each content area through interdisciplinary projects. Projects such as our second-grade Amazon Rainforest Living Museum challenge students to use different skills they learned in various disciplines to complete their projects. A huge part of the project requires students to use their art skills to create a costume that emulates the animal they choose to research for their project. Featured in this magazine are other examples of how students connect skills they learn in special subjects to their core content area classes. Embedded in our core values is the importance of giving back to the outside community. Our students are taught that giving to others helps to strengthen our connection to the community in which we live. Examples include our Heart of the Hill clothing drive and our SOUP-er Bowl during which we collect cans of food to donate to the Greater Boston Food Bank. Our student government also participates in giving by organizing community service projects. As I look back on my time at CHS, I am grateful for the strong bonds that tie our school community together. It is my hope that you will enjoy reading this edition of Hill Happenings and learn how making Classroom Connections inspires the many connections made inside and outside our school community. Best Wishes,

Roderick MacNeal, Jr., Ed.D., Head of School

L EARNING IN ACTION

Students lead the way in student government It’s never too early to learn about democracy and community-service, a philosophy that’s clear to see in the lived experiences of one of our newest programs: CHS Student Government.

s students have clamored for more responsibility and representation in school decisions, this fledgling program has grown into a full-blown, schoolwide exercise in democracy. At the beginning of the year, all students vote for grade-level student representatives. Hawks running for school office have the chance to create posters showing their top priorities (less food waste and more recess are often top favorites among students) and give their own stump speeches. Post-election is really when student government, led by teachers Ms. Curran and Ms. Gilbert, gets off and running. Student representatives take note of the needs of the school, and report back in regular student government meetings. Cabinet members take notes at meetings, query early childhood teachers to learn about the wants of their youngest schoolmates, and make plans for future initiatives. “Year One, the bake sale was such a huge success,” said Ms. Curran, as she reflected on the almost $2,000 raised in a single day. Students chose to raise money for the Boston Children’s Hospital, and sold baked goods prior to the start of a school concert. The natural drive and ambition of Hawks is something that Ms. Gilbert feels especially proud of, as she looks back on a year of student government and cross-grade

community-building. “At least for third graders, it’s one of the only times that feels really student-guided and student-led,” Ms. Gilbert says. “The thing that I like most is being able to work with students of different ages. I feel very fortunate about being able to interact with previous students, and students I haven’t yet met.” One of the largest initiatives of this past year has been a focus on reducing food waste at CHS. Student government members take time to make posters educating the school on the importance of not wasting food, and every day, representatives collect and dispose of extra food not eaten during school lunch. “They’re responsible for the food that kids aren’t eating from their snack boxes, and bringing it down to the CMR,” Ms. Curran said. “We made sure that class reps have actual jobs.” As Student Government continues on to next year, with a new slate of elected officials, Ms. Curran is proud of the work already accomplished and excited for the year ahead. “It was really amazing to see a student’s vision come to life,” she said. “To be an elementary school with a student government is awesome and feels really great. “It’s really just nice to show students that they’re more than a student — they can be so much more.” TH E CH ESTNUT H ILL SCH O O L

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L EARNING IN ACTION

Pinta

Visiting the Galapagos

Marchena

For some teachers, summertime signals a chance to take a break from the classroom setting, spend some time on the beach, or learn something new. For Upper School Science Teacher Katerina Orfanos, this summer came with a whole new assignment — traveling to the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, thanks to a very special CHS grant opportunity.

ach year, one teacher is awarded the Heartstone Grant, which is funded by an anonymous donor. The grant allows teachers the opportunity to travel near and far to learn about something close to their subject areas, and they bring that experience back to Hammond Street to share with their students. For Ms. Orfanos, the Galápagos offer an enormous variety of fields to study, from biology to geology to climate science. “I think when everyone thinks of Galápagos, it’s very closely tied to science,” she said, invoking the famous studies of Charles Darwin. “Even when looking at all of the other units I teach in Grades 2-6, there’s at least one to two units per grade where there is a great opportunity to connect the trip with those units.” Ms. Orfanos spent time in the Galápagos from the end of June to the first week of July, giving her time to explore Ecuador with fellow science educators on the trip of a lifetime. She spoke to the importance of the wide range of topics available for study in Ecuador. There’s natural selection and Darwinism, of course, but there’s also ornithology (the study of birds), weather and climate, conservation, and geology too. Fourth graders take on the study of rocks and the Earth in Ms. Orfanos’ class, and she’s excited to share photos of the volcanoes she hiked firsthand with next year’s students.

Santiago

Isabela Floreana

Genovesa

Ms. Orfanos explored the mountains of Ecuador during her trip to the Galápagos Islands this summer.

Baltra

Another piece of the grant-funded trip is how teachers connect to local communities where they visit. “We want to learn about different cultures, and make sure we’re appreciating different cultures” during the trip, Ms. Orfanos said. “My goal going to Ecuador, before, is to learn the history of Ecuador, food, customs,” and more, to be prepared for her time abroad. The science teacher has already spent time practicing her Spanish with Sra. Feder, of course. Ms. Orfanos picked the islands because of their close connection to units she already teaches every year, but the trip has a few additional benefits too. From snorkeling in the ocean to hiking grand peaks to exploring the natural wonder of the volcanic archipelago, there’s plenty to be excited about. But in the end, it all comes back to what she’ll be bringing home to Hammond Street to teach CHS Hawks. “It’s important to think about, what will serve the kids first?” Ms. Orfanos queried. “It’s really aligned with the goal of the grant.”

Santa Cruz San Cristobal Santa Fe Española

Ms. Orfanos works with students in Grades 2-6 as they explore the many different fields of science: geology, topography, hydrology, and more through hands-on activities.

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Fifth graders become student leaders at Nature’s Classroom For the second year in a row, the Grade 5 class ventured west to the woods of Charlton, MA for an overnight trip at Nature’s Classroom. For the second year in a row, the trip did not disappoint.

reeted by a dedicated and knowledgeable staff, our students were treated to classes grounded in our science curriculum, opportunities to explore and connect deeply with nature and one another, and meals that were served family style and offered occasional rare treats such as Pop Tarts and Fruit Loops. The trip itself is meant to deepen students’ science knowledge via hands-on experiences, including a close look at the water and ecology of the region, exploration of engineering concepts, and the opportunity to dissect frogs Additionally, the trip is meant to build community and strengthen leadership skills, including perseverance when things feel challenging like being away from home overnight. Supported by our incredible teaching staff — Ms. Babbott, Ms. Reinold, Ms. Orfanos, Mr. Cervantes — and accompanied by Upper School Division Head Emily DiDonna, students navigated the complexities of peer dynamics, unfamiliar territory, and site-specific expectations and traditions. In just under 72 hours, Hawks learned that one should always travel in a single direction when dining in a crowded place (“One way system!”), that food waste matters not only for financial reasons but because of its impact on the environment and other humans, that singing before bedtime is a great way to cap off a long, hot day, and that being silly and having fun are just as important as the business of learning.

Students enjoyed numerous activities relating to their science curriculum at CHS during their trip to Charlton.

Students explored the wilderness of Charlton, MA for a multi-day trip as part of their science curriculum and to help deepen their leadership skills. TH E CH ESTNUT H ILL SCH O O L

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L EARNING IN ACTION

Moss Park Many hands come together to create the Learning Partner Project, an iconic CHS collaborative art experience between Kindergarten and sixth grade, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. Layered over an armature of core components, the project organically evolves each year, welcoming new partnerships, exploring new themes, and introducing new opportunities to share and connect across the table.

t begins as art teachers, Rosie Sweeney and Justine Curran, convene to dream up the latest iteration of the project. With years of experience under their belts by now, they skillfully set in place the most important structural elements before handing the building process over to students who then make it their own. “There is both intentionality and movement embedded in the design,” says Ms. Sweeney, “like a dance.” “We say to the sixth graders, this is your project, no other project will ever be the same,” Ms. Curran adds. It’s true. Through the years students have paper-mached cows for Cow Cavalcade, crafted ceramic bowls to accompany a family potluck for Art Soup, fabricated huge bird sculptures for Night Birds, and taken to the outdoors as the sun set for Flashlight Tales. The Learning Partner Project welcomes collaboration and engagement from a wide swath of the surrounding community including CHS teachers and outside organizations. This year brought artist Michelle Davis to the table as creator of TheWorldingProject, whose purpose is to use art to connect people with the natural world. After collecting a variety of natural materials around campus, Kindergarten and sixthgrade students, along with CHS faculty and staff, laughed and shared stories as they created creatures that looked as if they might scurry across the tables at any moment! Previous collaborations have led to the adoption of the student’s artwork for display in places like the Discovery Museum in Acton. The Learning Partner Project has also seen partnerships with local community organizations such as the Perkins School for the Blind, Rogerson House, and Common Art. An essential component of the project is the opportunity for sixth graders to gain leadership experience as they learn an art technique that they then teach to their younger Learning Partners. In this year’s project, called “Moss Park,” sixth graders learned about rovings, which are produced through the process of making spun yarn from wool or other fibres. As our oldest students teach their Learning Partners how to make felted wool, curriculum in art and science bolster both grade levels’ understanding. Kindergarteners learn where sheep’s wool comes from and what wool fibres look like un-

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Families gathered for a night of community-building, art, and joy during Moss Park.

der the microscope while sixth graders, who are learning about composting in science, are experimenting with which foods can be used to make natural dyes. Rather than being product oriented, the Learning Partner Project is unique and quite special in its emphasis on collective art making, the development of new skills, the celebration of a moment in time, and the experience of creating in community. When all has come together, families of both grades gather for an evening event on campus to share and experience the joyful connection between students. Live Bluegrass music fills a room set with artfully designed tables ready for a meal that will be shared among friends. As parents connect, exclamations of how wonderful it is to see such special bonds between students of different ages ring throughout the community meeting room. Families are invited to view and engage with the art that students have created. Often this takes them outdoors to cozy corners around campus where artwork is displayed. There’s even an opportunity for everyone who’s gathered to roll up their sleeves and try their hand at creating.

Social Media Literacy As our students navigate an increasingly digital world, we want to ensure they have the knowledge, skills, and mindset to thrive both online and offline. This year, CHS introduced a new digital well-being program, Social Media U, a curriculum developed by HalfTheStory, for our fifth and sixth graders.

s students gain more digital access, questions and concerns about online interactions, screen time, and social media naturally increase. Rather than waiting to address challenges as they arise, we want to be more proactive about helping our students build the resilience and self-awareness they need to make thoughtful choices in digital spaces. The HalfTheStory team partnered with CHS to host a family webinar in February to learn and discuss digital wellbeing. The session was led by Dr. Kelly Mendoza, a media literacy expert and parent of a teen, who shared the latest research on screen use, its impact on child brain development, and practical, research-based strategies to support healthy digital habits at home. Now, as a school, and as a society, we are grappling with reclaiming learning and a demand for more intentional use of technology, screens, and artificial intelligence in the classrooms. In the coming years, we look forward to partnering with families to help students achieve academic excellence, on- and off-screens.

Kindergarteners loved spending time with their older sixthgrade Learning Partners at Moss Park!

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L EARNING IN ACTION

Rigor in Beginners and Sensory Play Large glass jars of colorful sand, shredded rubber, beans and rice line the back classroom wall, giving the look of an apothecary shop rather than a Chestnut Hill Beginners classroom. Nearby, on tiny tables, several 4-year-olds scoop sand into tiny flower pots and count “one, two, three, four,” building the number they see written on the clay flower pot.

hile it may look like the students are pretending to plant a garden as a part of their gardening unit, they are also actually practicing one-to-one number correspondence, connecting real world experience to nonfiction books they have read as a class, and building academic rigor. “Rigor in Beginners is using developmentally appropriate activities and centers, to extend what we learn together into something hands-on and meaningful,” said Beginners teacher Julia Guzman. “It comes from taking a shared experience like a book, a song, or a group discussion, and then giving the students the materials and space to explore that idea more deeply, either independently or alongside a teacher.” This may also be seen when blocks are mixed with sensory items like leaves and manipulatives like toy animals, and students show what they know about building animal habitats after reading a nonfiction book. “They are not just playing,” said Ms. Guzman. “They are recalling information, making choices, and applying what they learned in a real way.”

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This spring, Beginners learned about frogs, and their studies carried into math, where Ms. Guzman said they used frog jump movements to measure, compare, and count. Ms. Guzman said students feel excited because their lessons connect to their interests. They ask questions, collect data from classmates, and count and compare responses to questions like, “What is your favorite pond friend: a duck, or a turtle?”

Questions like these not only help students gather information, she said, but it also helps them deepen their understanding of a pond eco-system that feels meaningful to them. “Rigor also shows up in how we support language during play. We take what a child says and gently stretch it, modeling fuller sentences and introducing vocabulary connected to our studies,” Ms. Guzman said. “Whether it is frogs, families, nocturnal animals or seasonal changes, over time, children begin to use that language more independently and with confidence.” This learning was apparent in the spring when students played at a table center filled with toy caterpillars, birds, green leaves, blocks and sticks. Students were observed building nests and homes for the birds, who, as one student said, “eat the caterpillars and feed their young.” Joy, curiosity, and ownership over the information was evident as the students built, tore down, and rebuilt multiple versions of their nests and bird houses, all while laughing and chatting with each other about what species lived where, and if it was a “predator or prey bird.” “Sensory play and centers is where all of this learning comes together,” said Ms. Guzman. “When children are scooping, pouring or searching for numbers and letters in different material, they are strengthening the fine motor skills needed for writing while also building early math and literacy concepts in a concrete way.” Ms. Guzman explained that this kind of learning builds

strong, lasting understanding through repetition, and that it also supports the social emotional growth of a child. As children practice sharing and cooperation, they solve problems and make choices. “All of these experiences act as building blocks for future learning,” she said. “It creates a foundation that is intentional but joyful!”

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CLASSROOM

Connecting Students to the World Through Curiosity, Community, and Academic Rigor

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sixth grader holds hands with their Kindergarten buddy as they walk across the Boston Public Garden. Second graders study the climate of river valleys across the globe and write speeches based on their research. Students of all ages show off their classroom work to their grandparents,

and then share a snack on the playground together. Wherever you look, connections abound between students, subjects, and the community at The Chestnut Hill School. Learning is never limited to a singular subject, classroom, or cohort. CHS Hawks spend their year engaging in a wide breadth of subjects, while also building a foundation of community across grades. From studying a single unit from every subject angle, to forming friendships that go beyond their years, to designing a future that’s accessible to all, everything comes back to classroom connections at CHS. Read on to learn more about how CHS Hawks expand their learning in the classroom and beyond on Hammond Street. The world, through rivers

For many CHS students, the Charles River is a simple backdrop to their everyday life — something they see on the car ride to school, or a pretty background during summer in the city. Once they arrive in their second-grade classroom, however, the river turns into something so much more. “They learn about this river that’s in their world,” says Michelle Bissanti, one of our second-grade homeroom teachers. Students learn about what they can do to protect the river, who lived on it first, and who came next and changed the river’s use. That studying of the Charles River isn’t limited to just social studies time in second grade. Students work through the vocabulary of rivers, talking through the meaning of “habitats,” “climate,” and “watersheds.” These same words are studied in Spanish, giving students more of a global context for the necessity of healthy river valleys. Students chat about the animals that depend on the Charles River and the people who use it every day. Once students are confident in their knowledge of local environmental science, second-grade teachers shift the focus from local to global; Hawks begin their study of the Amazon Rainforest.

“They build that appreciation and understanding of a watershed,” Ms. Bissanti said, and then students bring that appreciation to a new subject and area of culture. “They’re grappling with this world that they live in. Then when they shift to the Amazon, it’s a whole different world and environment.” With the change in location comes a renewed focus on connecting the river unit to even more subjects. Third-grade teacher Christine Augustyn visits second graders to talk about her trip to the Amazon several years ago. In science class with Katerina Orfanos, students practice creating different types of river valleys and explore the effects that bodies of water have on erosion. In art class, Justine Curran teaches students about drawing in perspective, which comes in handy as students create their animal headpieces for the annual Amazon Living Museum performance. And for that performance, they enlist music teacher Ms. Jacuzzi’s help in practicing their speeches, which they write after extensive research on a self-chosen Amazon Rainforest native animal.

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“No one ever says, ‘oh my gosh, we’re doing this again,’” Ms. Bissanti said of the global rivers unit with a chuckle, “They roll with it really comfortably. The fact that it’s so woven into so many different aspects of their day allows them to really immerse themselves in it.” Studying a specific animal and climate from so many different vantage points gives students an enormous number of touchpoints as they take charge of their own learning. Researching an animal in-depth, developing notetaking strategies, weaving in “hooks” and “kickers” in their speech-writing process — it all connects back to classroom learning.

Though some young learners are nervous as they look forward to the living museum, Ms. Bissanti said they always find a whole new side of themselves after performing for the whole school community. “I do love the living museum,” she said, “because I feel like it comes at a time in the year when they’re really going through a growth spurt. When they come in as new second graders, they’re still inwardly focused. By the time they leave, they’re more open to other people and socially mature “I just love the enthusiasm they have for it, the effort they put in. They’re so committed to it, and so self-motivated.” 12

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After connecting with their animal through extensive research, students share their speeches with the entire school and their families, embodying their weeks of research into a single performance. For the second-grade team, their students’ growth after the performance is clear as day. “That feeling the day after where — I’m telling you — I feel like they’re different people!” Ms. Bissanti said laughing. “It’s funny, it’s literally a one-hour thing, and I think it changes them into different people.” Advising the next generation

The sixth-grade experience at CHS covers a lot of ground in just a single year. Students are launched into Farm School in their first weeks on campus, begin their second language class with Mr. Gallegos in Latin, and take on more nuanced history lessons with Ms. Maybury as they cover the Civil War. Our oldest Hawks likewise grow into leaders for the school community, as they lead assemblies, play with their Kindergarten Learning Partners, and prepare for the secondary school transition process. One constant through it all? Their staff advisors! Each year, faculty and staff members volunteer to serve as advisors to sixth graders for the whole year. Students meet with their advisors on a regular basis to have lunch together, chat about how the year is going, and talk about students’ thoughts for the future. During “advisory,” sixth graders love getting the chance to get to know teachers and staff they might not see otherwise on a regular basis. Advisors are not only teachers who lead sixth-grade subjects, but also faculty and staff from elsewhere around the school. Sixth graders might meet weekly with their favorite receptionist Ms. Carlisa, or catch up with Mr. Edwards or Ms. Sweeney, teachers from their days in the CHS Early Childhood program. As the school year progresses, sixth graders and their advisors forge strong bonds. Weekly lunches might morph into weekly chats about students’ dreams for their future schools or their worries about the transition to middle and high school. By the time the school year ends, students, faculty, and staff alike feel they know their school community even better.

The advisory tradition solidifies in the spring, as advisors and their students participate in the annual Farewell Dinner and graduation festivities together. During the last week of school, students and their parents attend a dinner to celebrate their accomplishments over the past school year. Advisors each give a speech on their experience working with sixth graders, and all honor Hawks for their contributions to the school. By the time graduation begins and sixth graders receive a ceremonial lei from their advisors, it’s difficult to imagine a sweeter scene. The time-honored connections that advisors build with their sixth graders is a hallmark of the CHS experience.

where the magic happens on Hammond Street every day. The day began with coordinated performances, as families enjoyed settling into the day. In our Community Meeting Room, grandparents and friends were treated to performances by older students enrolled in The Chestnut Hill School of Music after-school program. Upstairs, a Pre-K violin trio and fellow young performers delighted even more event guests, before the day’s learning programming began. In classrooms across the school, students were excited to share their daily routines and classroom activities with their special guests. Grandparents and special friends tried their hands at third-grade mathematical puzzles, drew and colored with their 3-year-old kids, and picked up a bit of Latin in sixth-grade classrooms. During snack time, guests and students alike enjoyed time relaxing in the CMR or on the fields, as students showed off their soccer skills and relaxed on the playground. Connections abounded even between grandparents and parent volunteers, as families lent a hand to serve as second-language translators, pop-up shop sellers, and guides as guests navigated the voluminous school building. By the end of the day, guests and students were full of joy from a day spent together in their beloved school.

The return of a beloved tradition

On a cool spring morning, as students streamed into the school building to start their days, they were accompanied by a very special guest. In fact, more than 250 guests were on campus on April 17 to celebrate the return of an incredibly treasured tradition at The Chestnut Hill School: Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Put on hiatus during the pandemic, the special event historically included grandparents, extended family members, and family friends attending school with their CHS Hawk for a day of fun and shared learning. This year, Grandparents and Special Friends Day came back with much fanfare, as students’ families were all eager to see

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KIND TODAY, CONSCiOUS TOMORROW S tudents at CHS are often reminded of the importance of giving back to the

community, and what it means to be a helpful member of the greater local community. Through bake sales and field trips, donation drives, athletic games, and special school

visitors, CHS Hawks learn each year how interconnected they are to the Greater Boston community. For many students, their first glimpse of giving back to the local community comes in the form of collection drives. As the call is made to CHS families to donate nonperishable foods and hygiene products throughout the year, students of all ages can be seen hoisting their donations onto tables in the front lobby. Older Hawks help carry heavy bags of cans as their younger siblings practice counting out each donated can on their fingers, often amazed at how quickly the donations pile up. From Ms. Carlisa’s annual Mother’s Day basket collection, to the Family Association’s food drive, to Ms. Mahoney’s Kindergarten “SOUP-er Bowl,” students have plenty of opportunity to see community giving in action. The Mother’s Day collection in particular is a point of pride for Ms. Carlisa, who has helped organize the project since 1995. As the story goes, that’s when a member of the CHS community lived in a women’s shelter, alongside her young children. The CHS mother was given a single rose on Mother’s Day, which was greatly appreciated. When this expe-

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CHS Hawks show off the baskets they donated and organized for St. Mary’s Center.

rience was shared with the CHS community, the Mother’s Day Basket project was born. Each year, families donate hygiene products, hair products for all hair types, and other self-care items. Ms. Carlisa works with students to lovingly create gift baskets containing each item, which are then donated to the St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children. Beyond simply donating items to people in need, CHS stays in connection with the wider community

through myriad other ways. Upper School students bridge the gap between them and fellow peer schools through regular athletic match-ups over their three sports seasons. Hawks face off against players from the Tenacre School, Rashi School, Meadowbrook School, and other local independent schools every week during the soccer, basketball, and baseball seasons. Though students are playing competitively, they also feel great pride when they make friends on the other

CONNECTION WITH COMMUNITY

side of the court. Hawks know the students they play today may well become their close classmates after graduation at CHS, and that camaraderie helps them form friendships over the years. Off the soccer field, students interface with fellow schools in a series of student-focused conferences throughout the year. Headlined by teachers at both schools, the CHS-Tenacre School Conference provides a time each year for third and fourth graders to enjoy a day at each others’ schools, to learn about the importance of community and diversity, and to push each other to become even better students. Each year, the schools alternate playing host to the other school’s students. CHS Hawks delight in getting to visit the Tenacre School and explore its spaces, but perhaps even moreso, they love getting to show off their own classrooms, halls, and playgrounds. During the conference, students of both schools worked together to write letters of love and kindness to accompany food donations to the Newton Food Pantry, further strengthening their community bonds. Students played together at recess, made new friends, and ended the day with a stronger sense of community in Newton and beyond. For younger learners, other opportunities abound for exposure to the wider community beyond Chestnut Hill. Consider the partnerships that art teachers Ms. Curran and Ms. Sweeney have cultivated with local orga-

nizations over the years — and won awards for. As part of their annual Learning Partners Art Project, the art educators have woven in communitybuilding activities throughout the spring. Each year, Kindergarteners and sixth graders learn a kind of art technique, which they use together to create a communal art piece during Friday’s Learning Partners time. You can read more about their most recent art project on Page 6. As they learn and grow alongside each other, students also welcome special visitors from different nonprofits across the Greater Boston region. This school year, folks from the memory care community Rogerson House spent time creating art with students during Learning Partners time. Kindergarteners and sixth graders taught their older peers how to wool felt and create lino-cut prints, as the groups prepared alto-

gether for the upcoming “Moss Park,” the capstone event to celebrate the students’ achievements. Learning Partners welcomed visits from fellow students, too — children from the Perkins School For The Blind visited CHS this spring to share in the joy of community art. The year-after-year commitment to honoring the local organizations that support our community has earned Ms. Sweeny and Ms. Curran multiple iterations of the Community Service Awards from PIN, the Parents’ Independent School Network. Certificates announcing their latest award (for their 2024 “Wool Wonders” Learning Partner Art Project) line their classroom walls. But of course, for the longtime art teachers, it’s not about the accolades. Ms. Curran and Ms. Sweeney find their joy in teaching today’s students how to be a part of their wider community, and how to make connections

Donated baskets fill the CHS lobby around each Mother’s Day.

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A LEGEND AT CHS W

hen you ask Eric Edwards about himself and his over 20 years of teaching at The Chestnut Hill School, the beloved P.E. educator somehow starts off by talking about his students. There’s the students he remembers from his early days, when he taught Beginners through third grade in the

gym. Then there’s the students he remembers coaching on the CHS basketball team, who now play under the lights during annual March Madness tournaments in the NCAA.

At the moment, Mr. Edwards is reflecting on the skills of the current sixth-grade players on the court, and remembering how he first taught them when they were wee 3-yearolds, still learning how to control their bodies. “There’s no words to put into it,” Eric Edwards says, as he remembers his many years teaching generations of students in the gym and on the field at CHS. “You — somehow — poured into them in a way that they felt like they could overcome what’s in front of them.” Mr. Edwards has been a fixture of the CHS experience since 2000, and alumni remember him as a leader and inspiring teacher, who always pushed them to try hard and achieve their goals. Take a look back at the beloved teacher’s history at CHS, what he’s looking forward to in the field of physical education, and how the longtime educator found himself in a Scottish castle last summer. From summer to all year-round

It’s a common way to get drawn into working full-time at The Chestnut Hill School: CHS Summer Camp. 16

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After seeing an ad in the Boston Globe for camp employment, the D.C. native found himself on Hammond Street, where he spent more than 10 years as the intermediate camp sports director. As a camp employee, he found joy in mentoring folks who later found their way back to CHS as employees — like Mr. Trevor Zacks, who was once Mr. Edwards’ young counselor-in-training. A few years into working at camp, an opening appeared in the physical

education office. Current Athletic Director and fellow longtime employee Marcus Nickerson interviewed Eric, and by the time the school year started, the newly renovated gym was home to a new P.E. teacher. “All these little corridors,” Eric recounted of the school’s architecture, right after the gym renovations of the early 21st century. “It was very imaginative.” Since then, Mr. Edwards has left an impact on hundreds of students,

CONNECTION WITH STUDENTS

Mr. Edwards has worked at CHS for more than two decades, and has spent time both as a Summer Camp employee and in the athletics department.

all of whom have experienced the joy of playing four square, learning how to dribble a basketball, and more under his expert tutelage. Mentoring through the ages

The love for Mr. Edwards carries on long after students graduate from CHS. In his time here, Mr. Edwards has been honored — twice — by CHS alumni at the Roxbury Latin School during their “Teachers Who Made a Difference” celebration. Eric finds it difficult to brag about his impact on CHS alumni, but lucky for him, those alumni have plenty to say about their memories of Mr. Edwards. “I love Mr. Edwards!” said Jolie Zink ’19, now a collegiate tennis player at Haverford College. “PE was like my favorite subject, and Mr. Edwards is definitely a big component of that. He had such a great energy, and he really cared about us too. When Jolie stops by campus to

help pick up her younger brother, a current fifth grader, she said she enjoys getting to catch up with Mr. Edwards in the carline. Fellow Class of 2019 alum Jordan Hayden has fond memories of the educator too, and not just for his lessons on the court. “I remember during P.E. classes, when I was really, really, young,” Jordan said, “sometimes he would gather people together, and he would talk about life lessons. He would just talk to us about stuff that was important.” Mr. Edwards’ fondness for chatting with his students and giving them advice is a throughline for many. Catherine Fortino ’25 always found joy in talking with the P.E. teacher, no matter the subject. “We would talk about theater,” the alumna said, “and he always said when I got my first Tony, he would have to be in my acceptance speech.” “When I changed my name to Cate in second grade he always tried his best to make sure that he called

me by the right name. After a few years when he finally started calling me Cate, I changed back to Catherine, and he never let me let that go — but I think I made it up to him by putting him in my graduation speech.” Former CHS staff members and alumni mom Wendy Borosavage had similar kind things to say of Mr. Edwards, both as a colleague and a teacher. “Eric Edwards is a legend at CHS!” she said. “He is an amazing educator that teaches students the love of sports while bringing out the talent in each child. Eric is patient and kind and exemplifies the CHS spirit.” Just as many alumni hold warm memories of Mr. Edwards, he looks back on his time with each cohort of CHS Hawks with affection. “You’re here to lift your students up,” the teacher said, as he spoke to his teaching philosophy. “I’ve been very fortunate to have some people

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come back and tell me I’ve had some small part in them (growing). It’s so humbling.” Beyond anything else, Mr. Edwards is extraordinarily proud of the many phenomenal athletes now playing in the collegiate and professional level, who trace their first soccer kicks, football catches, and ball dribbling back to their time at CHS. Philosophy in the field of P.E.

It can be difficult for some to conceptualize the wide advancements made in the study and pedagogy of physical education. The CHS gym is not a place of beeping PACER tests and student anxiety. Instead, Mr. Edwards has seen the P.E. curricula grow, just as he has grown in his time teaching Beginners through third grade the skills they need to be confident players on and off the field. “You’re not fixated on times and

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numbers,” Eric said of modern physical education. “Everything is based on effort and perseverance. You are trying to incorporate some type of healthy habits, coping mechanisms when they go through struggle.” “Obviouly, our athletics mindset is everyone gets a chance to play. I always try to make sure my classes are geared toward getting them ready for our interscholastic program.” Mr. Edwards stays up-to-date on the needs of modern student-athletes through myriad of methods. Outside of his time teaching at CHS, he has spent years coaching at various secondary schools in the Greater Boston area, giving him a detailed view of what high schools expect of their young athletes. When CHS parents are nervous about the transition to secondary school, Eric lends a helping hand, explaining the high school athletic process and what their student-athlete needs to succeed.

Traveling across the pond

Perhaps the most exciting moment of the P.E. teaching veteran’s past year was his trip to Scotland, as part of being the recipient of the Heartstone Grant for the 2024-25 school year. The grant provides annual funding for one CHS teacher to go on a trip to deepen their understanding of their subject, and explore the world through a teacher’s lens. When Eric submitted his proposal to attend the 21st Biennial Conference of the International Study Association on Teachers and Teaching, he didn’t know what to expect. “I don’t even really know how to describe (the experience),” Eric said. “Never would I think I would be at such a conference, in a foreign country.” The conference, held in the Summer 2025 at the University of Glasgow, was incredibly timely and effective, Mr. Edwards said. The educators at the conference arrived

CONNECTION WITH STUDENTS

Mr. Edwards (left) poses with his son. (Right) Eric chats with his Beginners students during P.E. class.

from all over the world, and topics ranged from teaching across cultures, to learning about bias, to incorporating social justice into teaching. Eric pointed out that the building the conference was held in was built by a Black man — the first Black person to earn a doctoral degree from the University of Glasgow. “It was more emotional in ways that I didn’t think it was gonna be,” Eric said, adding that part of the learning at the conference was about educators’ perceptions and how they separate their biases from their dayto-day instruction. “How are we teaching these things,” Eric said of the conference’s main questions, “and also incorporate them in a way that’s empowering our students?” That pedagogy strikes a familiar chord with those familiar with the CHS philosophy of inclusion, empowerment, and academic excellence. “We have a lot of different folks

here,” Mr. Edwards said of CHS, “and we celebrate them as much as we can.” And of course, an educational visit to Scotland would not be complete without a little expert knowledge from Chestnut Hill’s very own Scotswoman, Ms. Rosie Sweeney. The two gallivanted across the city after the conference, giving Eric an even wider worldview of different people and cultures.

The feeling he gets when alumni stop by the school, and share their accolades and hopes with their longtime teacher and coach. “The growth of seeing them mature, and be confident in themselves,” Eric said, trailing off as he reflects on the generations of students who have passed through his athletics program. “That’s when I know I did my job.”

The future of P.E.

There’s so much more Eric Edwards is excited about when he thinks of what’s coming next in the field of physical education. Preparing young learners for the CHS interscholastic program. Helping student-athletes become even more confident in their athletic abilities. Focusing on perseverance, grit, and qualitative improvement. Something that will stay the same, in Mr. Edwards’ eyes?

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A CULTURE OF BELONGiNG S

tudents squeal with excitement as they try different foods from around the world, while their families learn new skills on the fly, like braiding different hair styles and trying their hand at Chinese calligraphy.

There’s so many different cultures represented in The Chestnut Hill School’s families, and they’re all on display at our annual Festival of Lights community gathering. Festival of Lights is hosted by the hard-working Family Association, made up of parents and caregivers who give hours of their time to plan, prep, and put on an event attended by hundreds of students and grownups alike. Co-chairs of the Community and Belonging Committee, Kim Alston P’ 29 ’32 and Aditi Subramaniam P ’28, organize both parent

volunteers and cultural contributions, as the event can only happen with the support of the family community. “Festival of Lights brings us together as a community to shine a light on the unique, beautiful and diverse cultural threads that each family weaves into the collective sense of belonging at the school,” Aditi said. “Every year, it is extremely humbling and an absolute joy to see how everyone comes together to make this a deeply meaningful event centering connection for our children, our

families and the school community.” Over the years, the Festival of Lights has evolved to suit family interests and needs. The free-flowing event now includes time for both student and family performances, a popular Cultural Fair, and hands-on cultural workshops, where families can get firsthand experience in traditions and activities from another culture. Students peeking their heads into each classroom were awestruck at the different opportunities available to them throughout the night. In one

Students take to the stage with their families during the group performances of Festival of Lights.

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CONNECTION WITH COMMUNITY

From dancing with their families to serving chai tea to teaching calligraphy, there were lots of ways the CHS community shared their cultural traditions with fellow families.

room, a mother-daughter duo taught families how to fold dumplings, before promptly boiling them and handing back tender little gyoza to each child. Across the hall, one family led a hair-braiding workshop, using professional hair dolls representing different hair types and styles. In the gym, families roamed dozens of displays in the Cultural Fair, each sharing pieces of families’ cultures from around the world. One board explained the origin of Hanukkah, while another shared the backstory of Diwali. A mother at one table gave quick lessons on Chinese calligraphy, while another table handed out miniature cups of chai, warm and fresh. Students were enraptured by the many different cultures and traditions on display — especially during the final piece of the festival: live performances by CHS Hawks! From a student performing a song with her grandfather, to a fatherdaughter spoken-word performance,

to a brother-sister traditional dance, everyone got in on the fun at the Festival of Lights. Families laughed and clapped in time as families danced, sang, and performed complex story-telling throughout the winter night. For CHS Hawks, this night is not just about tasting treats and performing on stage: each piece of the event speaks to the importance of building a strong community through sharing cultures, making friends, and highlighting the robust diversity of CHS families. “What I love most about this event is how deeply it’s rooted in the history of our school community,” Kim said. “Families have been building and shaping it together for years, and you can really feel that care the moment you walk in. It’s thoughtfully designed so that every child can feel connected, whether they’re sharing a piece of their own heritage or engaging with someone else’s. It’s so special to watch kids light up — in

those moments when they recognize themselves or discover something new. Nights like this remind me that belonging at CHS isn’t something that just happens — it’s something we create together, on purpose, for every child.” The night simply would not be possible without the dozens of family volunteers who help set up and clean up throughout the event’s festivities. The Cultural Fair could not exist without families spending time creating beautiful tri-fold boards, snacks, and games to bring in on a chilly school night in January. And the CMR stage would be empty without a full line-up of family-led performances, practiced for weeks ahead of time. Yet through the power of the CHS community, the Festival of Lights returns each year, better than ever.

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ALUMNI IN ATHLETICS P

laying soccer on the CHS field, learning to swing a bat with Coach Nickerson, racing around the

gym under the tutelage of Mr. Edwards: Hawk alumni can trace their athletic beginnings to any number of activities at The Chestnut Hill School.

Just as students grow into confident, enthusiastic learners in the classroom, they too discover their athletic potential in the gym and on the field during physical education classes at CHS. For years, students have passed through their elementary school gym doors and gone on to compete in a variety of sports across the country. Read a few stories of our school’s impressive alumni in the field of athletics!

Jolie Zink, ’19

For Class of 2019 graduate Jolie Zink, gym class with Mr. Edwards was unforgettable. “PE was like my favorite subject,” the current Haverford College student said. “Mr. Edwards is definitely a big component of that. I remember we used to play Remember Ball. We played a lot of different games.” From those first gym class games to now, Jolie has expanded her interests in the fields of sport and academics. Now an incoming sophomore at the Division III Jolie Zink Haverford College, the CHS alumna plays singles and doubles for the women’s tennis team, is studying physics and engineering, and recently won the Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year Award. She also earned First Team All-Centennial Conference honors in both singles and doubles for Haverford College. For the already-decorated student-athlete though, she can still remember the origins of her love for the sport. “My parents signed me up for a bunch of different

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sports,” Jolie said, rattling them off: softball, karate, basketball — and tennis. Her coach encouraged her to sign up for a tennis tournament, where she promptly ended up losing each of the three matches. Her takeaway? “I absolutely loved it,” Jolie said smiling. “What I like about tennis is that there’s a lot of problem solving and quick thinking. “When you step on court, every opponent is gonna be different. You have a 10-minute warm up to see how they play.” It’s a lot of quick-thinking, the engineering student said, which suits her perfectly. Jolie spent time this summer interning as an AI engineer at FSH Technologies, and she looks forward to a future of studying physics at Haverford. That love for problem-solving can be traced to CHS, where she remembers creating machines in engineering class. She remembers constructing a cardboard gumball dispenser, she said, and enjoying her time in the classroom. “Honestly I loved that; I was always looking forward to that class,” Jolie said. “When I went to Winsor, I was part of the robotics team. I like being challenged.”

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Jolie Zink: then and now!

Jolie also remembers the strong communiJordan Hayden, ’19 ty she felt at CHS, like through the Learning Jordan Hayden spent nine years Partners program. She still remembers her at The Chestnut Hill School, and older Learning Partner’s name — Tess — and he remembers loving that time of she recalls how they would read books toyear when the basketball season gether in the pretend kitchen in her classrolled around on Hammond room. The program is a great way that CHS Street. fosters its community, she said, which stayed “I enjoyed the basketball season true throughout her time at the school. the most, that was my favorite,” She recalled a time in third grade when she the Class of 2019 alumnus said. competed in a tournament over the weekend, “When I was there, we had a pretand came back to class the next week to a ty decent team. We won the supportive and caring classroom of peers. Meadowbrook Tournament.” “My whole class knew I played tennis,” JoThe most exciting part of the lie said. “I have a vivid memory of being in day was always P.E. class and rejordan hayden the third grade,” when her deskmate asked cess, Jordan said, adding that he her, “How was your tournament and how did always enjoyed time spent outit go?” side and playing sports with “Everyone cared about my tennis, and knew it was realfriends. Regular 1-on-1 games on the outside basketball ly important to me.” courts kept him active and up on his ball-handling skills, From CHS to The Winsor School to Haverford, sports especially during Extended Day after school let out. have always been a throughline for the student-athlete. Being under the tutelage of Coach Nickerson also sticks She’s grown stronger as a collegiate athlete, built up resilout in Jordan’s mind, he said. The alumnus remembers ience on the court, and found joy making close friends the moment when Coach Nickerson was teaching his class with girls on her team. how to do lay-ups in the school gym — one of a million “I am someone who cares a lot about my community moments where Jordan found his athletic side at CHS. and giving back,” the CHS alumna said, “and that all Since his sixth-grade graduation, Jordan has competed came from CHS.”

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Division III school in Medford. As he looks back at all the transitions he’s made in the past decade, the Hammond Street alumnus had some key advice for future CHS graduates. “Trust that the school that you’re at is going to get you where you’re going to need to be,” Jordan said. “Trust the process.” And for those considering a new sport? “Give it a shot, see if you like it,” he said. “If you do end up liking it, it might end up becoming a very important part of your life. “Sports has brought me a lot of friends, a lot of memories; I don’t know what my experience would be like without it.”

Jordan Hayden: Then and now!

in a range of sports. After CHS, he enJessie Silk ’18 rolled at the Noble and Greenough School, From CHS to Beaver Country Day where he played football, lacrosse, and a to Emerson College, Class of 2018 bit of basketball. alumna Jessie Silk has always had “I was always into more physical sports,” her eye on the ball. Jordan said, “and a lot of my really close “I was always into it,” the incomfriends played football and lacrosse.” ing junior point guard said of her In lacrosse, the alumnus played midlove for basketball. “(CHS was) fielder, and as defensive back in football. where it started.” He enjoys the high intensity and high Jessie now plays on the Emerson physicality of the sports, Jordan said, addCollege women’s basketball team, ing that sports practices were always the where she’s racked up some impresmost exciting parts of his day. sive stats. This past season, the then“People take it really seriously, which is sophomore scored 32 points in a sinwhy it’s so fun,” he said. “School wouldn’t gle game at Wesleyan, and in total, be as fun without (sports seasons).” jessie silk she contributed more than 320 During a post-grad year at the Phillips points throughout the season. Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, he She also earned a spot on the Acaalso explored a future in running. demic All-Conference Team for the New England Wom“All my friends have been encouraging me to run track,” en's and Men's Athletic Conference, in recognition of her Jordan chuckled. “It’s a very different sport.” efforts in the classroom as a sports communication major. Already, the alumnus has excelled at the sport, enough As with many CHS alumni, Jessie can trace her love of to commit to Tufts University to run track and field at the sports back to her time in the gym on Hammond Street,

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CONNECTION WITH COMMUNITY

and her time on the playground during recess. “We would play football almost every recess,” she recalled of her eight years at CHS. “It was always a sport! I was always very involved with the athletics.” She remembers her time in gym class under both Mr. Edwards and Coach Nickerson, and her sixth grade year (“a blast,” she says) with Ms. Blazar and Mr. G. The transition to Beaver Country Day School after CHS was seamless, she said, especially as she arrived with several CHS friends in the same class. Though she arrived as a middle school student, Jessie soon proved her skill as a high-performing, incredibly driven basketball player. “The middle school sports weren't competitive enough for me,” Jessie said of her time as a seventh-grade studentathlete at Beaver. So instead of playing with the middle school team, she found her way to the high school team — as a seventhgrader. “I basically would sit in the AD office, do my work for an hour, once the high school (team) started, I'd just stay after and go for practice,” Jessie said, with the casualness of a long-time varsity athlete.

“I definitely got close with kids that were five years older than me,” she said of her time practicing every day with older students. “That really shaped who I am today.” That competitive edge especially came out when she found herself playing on Beaver’s team against students at Newton Country Day School, where she was already familiar with her opponents’ coach: Mr. Edwards. “We would always chat after the games,” Jessie said, reminiscing on her years playing against a team that Mr. Edwards has coached for years. “I loved talking to him — he’s always so supportive.” Now, those years of playing at a higher level are paying off, as she continues to push herself at Emerson. Jessie says that she feels being a college athlete is one of the best things an alum can do — and it’s definitely the best thing she’s ever done, she says. Her advice to aspiring ballers? “It’s not gonna come easy,” she clarified. “I’d be in here, getting 1,000’s of shots up.” “If you wanna get good, put in the hours every day. Play 1:1 with people that are better than you. Step outside your comfort zone.”

Jessie Silk: Then and now!

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MOSS PARK

K + GRADE 6 LEARNING PARTNERS PROJECT

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

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ORANGE YOU GLAD SPECIAL SUBJECTS NIGHT

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FIELD DAY

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GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY RETURNS!

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or caregiver of a Are you a parent tnut Hill School? es Ch e Th t a t en stud e be more involved Would you like to y? school communit

Tr y joining the Fa

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mily Associa tion!

is nt and caregiver At CHS, ever y pare bu t ember of the FA — au tomatically a m gning up ly mee tings and si at tending mon th key thing special even ts . A to pi tch in during ys to ere are always wa to know is that th whether you have help wi th the FA, ga ch mon th or durin ea e tim ee fr al on occasi e school year! specif ic week of th

ec Wha tever your sp role for you.

Like decora ting?

Stop by the teacher ’s lou nge during special appreciat ion weeks to create fun dis plays of treats for faculty.

ialt y, there’s a

More business-minded? Help run the Pop-Up Shop during community even ts, and don’t forget to pick up some Hawk merch for yourself while you’re at it!

Just like chatting? Sign up to help our admissions team during enrollment season . There’s always a need for parents and caregivers who can share their CHS story with prospective parents during campus tours.

Remember: There’s always time to pitch in to the Family Associa tion at CHS.

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the Tune into mon thly Zoom mee tings throughout FA year to get a behind-the-scenes look into how teer volun rite even ts are planned, and grab your favo slot before it’s gone!

This year, the CHS community came together stronger than ever before to make a difference for our Hawks. During our 7-day spring campaign, CHS Blooms, families and friends of the school donated more than $200,000 to the CHS Fund. As a result, families unlocked a series of challenges and prizes for students: from ice cream days and pizza parties, to “Principal for a Day” bonuses and more. We cannot thank our community enough for their gifts of time, talent, and treasure this year. With gratitude,

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Class of 2026 Congratulations Class of 2026 graduates!

urrounded by classmates, friends, and family, the CHS Class of 2026 celebrated a joyous graduation ceremony on Friday, June 5. Our oldest Hawks, who now count themselves as CHS alumni, are departing Hammond Street for the next schools. Still, they bring with them loving memories of their many years at CHS. In their graduation speeches to families and school faculty, every graduate shared their favorite moments from their time at CHS, from their first time making friends to their final performance on stage. “I’m going to miss CHS and all the fun I had with my teachers and friends,” said graduate Sammy Belton. “All those memories of my life here at CHS felt like they would last forever, but I’m still looking forward to new things.” “I am forever grateful as I start my next journey and will remember everyone who shaped this one,” said grad-

The Class of 2026

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uate Tate Mulhern, “Thank you CHS.” “One of my most recent and favorite memories has to be the biennial Curtis Timothy Memorial sixth grade vs. faculty soccer game,” said graduate Arjun Shivdasani. “We sixth graders faced the faculty in a game of soccer, and everyone worked together as a team. We may not have won, but we scored a lot of goals and came very close. The most important thing is that we tried our hardest and played phenomenally.” In Head of School Dr. Roderick MacNeal Jr.’s opening speech, he shared a few quotes from the graduating class: “Need me? I’m on the stage.” “Family, work, read, math, soccer, repeat.” “Be kind, be helpful, be caring.” “CHS: One more word for home.”

Graduates enjoyed spending time with their staff advisors, families, and friends during the graduation festivities.

Throughout the ceremony, graduates spoke to the kind and supportive community they found at CHS. Class performances, the Farm School, time on the soccer field and in the classroom were common favorites. During Friday’s ceremony, graduates performed a song from The Addams Family Young@Part, to roaring applause. Several students earned accolades for their leadership, kindness and community service. Aires Better Piermarini earned The Wendy Lamont Award, which is named in memory of the daughter of former CHS Headmistress Augusta Lamont. The award goes to a person who not only possesses qualities admired by the faculty, but also has demonstrated impressive and admirable individual growth. Ryan Famili earned The Schreiber Family Community Service Award. The award honors a sixth-grade student who demonstrates the spirit of responsibility and initiative

in serving the community exemplified by the Schreiber family. The John Lowell Sportsmanship Award was awarded to Riley Desmarais and Tate Mulhern for their commitment, teamwork and respect for others throughout the athletics season. The sixth graders who graduated are: Sammy Belton, Aires Better Piermarini, Cleo Davies, Riley Desmarais, Charlotte Deutchman, Ryan Famili, Britta Karlsson, Brooke Mendes, Tate Mulhern, Robert Murphy, Ben Nayor, John Rudy, Prem Shah, Lulu Shea, Arjun Shivdasani, Ewan Walsh, and Simone Young. The Class of 2026 will matriculate to several excellent independent and public schools, and in all, they were accepted to 23 institutions. As graduates descended from the stage, a staff member rang the school’s historic chapel bell the moment graduates crossed the school seal, a long-honored CHS tradition.

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Class of 2026

“I am forever grateful as I start my next journey and will remember everyone who shaped this one. Thank you CHS.” G R A D U AT E TAT E

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Aires Better Piermarini

Cleo Davies

Riley Desmarais

Charlotte Deutchman

Ryan Famili

Britta Karlsson

Brooklyn Mendes

Tate Mulhern

Robert Murphy

Benjamin Nayor

John Rudy

Prem Shah

Louise Shea

Arjun Shivdasani

Ewan Walsh

Simone Young

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STAFF MILESTONES

The following staff members are celebrating milestone anniversaries at CHS! We are extremely proud of the collective experience of our amazing faculty and staff!

Angie Zomer

Deb Bloomberg

Assistant Director of Summer Camp 30 years

Director of Nursing & Wellness 30 years Retired 2026

Mark Boylan

Erin Piper

Chief Financial & Operations Officer 10 years

Jairo Mendoza

Special Subjects Teacher 10 years

Jaclyn Sutherby

Facilities Assistant Technician 5 years

Hannah Jacuzzi

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Learning Specialist 15 years

Lisa Halm

Grade 1 Homeroom Teacher 10 years

Erin Daniels

Music & Drama Teacher 5 years

Grade 1 Homeroom Teacher 5 years

Alison Carey

Grade 1 Associate Teacher 5 years

TWO CHS LEGENDS RETIRE FROM HAMMOND STREET After a combined 70+ years of working in various roles at The Chestnut Hill School, two staff veterans retired at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Longtime fourth-grade teacher Carrie Smith and Nurse Deb “Bloomie” Bloomberg retired this spring. At a reception held in their honor, many former and current staff members alike spoke to their love of Carrie and Deb. From former Head of School Greg Blackburn, to current teacher Dylan Gallegos and Rosie Sweeney, to former staff member Dr. Carla Haith, everyone had beautiful words to share about their times with the two CHS legends. In her most recent role as the Director of Health and Wellness, Nurse Deb has cared for generations of students and families through their years at CHS. She also previously served as Assistant Director of Admissions, shepherding many families and students into CHS. As Grade 4 homeroom teacher, teaching math and history, and as a previous Summer Camp Director, Carrie (aka Carrie Dan-

forth/ Carrie McGurn) has steered generations of students and families through their time at the school for 42 years. She has provided invaluable guidance and mentorships to colleagues in all stages of their careers, some of whom have continued on to become teachers (a few of whom are even CHS faculty today!) The two CHS veterans spent time during their retirement reception reflecting on their many years on Hammond Street, and the combined thousands of children children on which they have had an impact. Nurse Deb gifted Ms. Smith with one of her signature creations, a homemade quilt, and the longtime nurse received a custom charm for her beloved charm bracelet. Ms. Smith was honored with the creation of a new 6th Grade award. Nurse

The CHS community loved spending time honoring Carrie and Deb at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

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CLASS NOTES

Hear what alumni are up to across the globe

2009

far I’ve gone from a penny to a lollipop, then to a pack of gum, then a charging cord, and now, which kinda sounds crazy, I’m at an Amazon Fire Tablet. I’m posting my entire journey on Youtube so if you see this you can follow along! (@aureliobp7)

Julia Perroncello writes “Hi! Wanted to share some exciting news. My daughter (Julia) & I have just opened a better-foryou candy shop in Kenmore Square that may be well received by the CHS community. The concept is an interactive experience where you can make your own mix from an assortment of sweet & sour gummies or chocolates.

2024

Aurelio Better Piermarini caption

2023

Aurelio Better Piermarini (The Rivers School) writes “Right now I’m doing this challenge where I go and trade up from a penny to something of higher value. My goal is to get a Corvette by the time I can drive, which is around a year and a half. So

Rocco Choe (Belmont Hill School) writes “Husain Chowdhry (’24) and Rocco Choe (’24) competed against each other at the 2026 Massachusetts VEX V5 Robotics Middle School State Championship in February 2026. Both Husain’s and Rocco’s teams each separately qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, MO on April 25-27, 2026. Husain attends The Park School and Rocco attends Belmont Hill School.

2025

Harper Rosenfield writes “I go to Ursuline Academy!”

Julia Perroncello caption

2020

Montserrat Llacuna (Needham High School) writes “I will be attending Loyola Maryland in the fall for a double major in Biology and Psychology and a minor in Special Education on the pre-med track. I have been awarded the Dean’s Scholarship and the Loyola Scholarship for academic merits and involvement in community service. I was also awarded 3rd place in the State of MA for my Voice of Democracy Spoken Essay and have been honored with the Massachusetts Leadership Gold Medal in recognition of my work as a democracy and social justice advocate.” Husain Chowdhry ’24 (left) and Rocco Choe ’24 (right) competed against each other at the 2026 Massachusetts VEX V5 Robotics Middle School State Championship in February 2026.

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Class of 2020 Matriculation Montserrat Llacuna

Needham High School

Loyola University Maryland

Max Kesselheim

Roxbury Latin School

University of Chicago

Andrew Alexandrescu

The Rivers School

Boston University

Kenneth Foster

Roxbury Latin School

McGill University

Isabella Connelly-Dow

Boston Latin School

Harvard University

Vivian Dykema

The Rivers School

Pomona College

Corrina Wise

Noble & Greenough School; Concord-Carlisle High School

Colorado State University

Erin Alexandra Fisman

Buckingham Browne & Nichols

McGill University

Be a part of next year’s edition of Hill Happenings! Submit your class note to communications@tchs.org or visit tchs.org/alumni to share your life updates with The Chestnut Hill School community!

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LEARNING PARTNERS REUNION SNAPSHOT As sixth graders prepared for the transition to their secondary schools, they took heart in the advice and guidance of their older Learning Partners — the Class of 2020. During this year’s Learning Partner Reunion (formerly known as Secondary School Transition Night), students asked their seniors questions about the years ahead. How did you make friends in high school? What is your homework schedule? How did you balance school, sports, clubs, and after-school jobs? The Class of 2020 shared sage advice for students as they reminisced on their own transitions from CHS to their current schools. Some seniors advised Hawks to stay humble, especially as they move into schools with larger class sizes and talented peers. Others reminded students that friendships last a lifetime, just as their own friendships from their time on Hammond Street stayed strong. Sixth graders ended the night feeling more prepared for the year ahead and excited for their own transition into seventh grade.

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IN MEMORIAM Zachary Schwartz We are deeply saddened to share the news that Zachary Schwartz, CHS class of 2004, passed away on Monday, April 20, 2026. Zach graduated from Boston Latin School in 2010 and studied mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh before earning his teaching degree through Boston Teacher Residency. For the past 10 years, he was a dedicated math teacher at Burke High School / Holland HS of Technology, Boston Public Schools, where he was known for his deep commitment and the steady encouragement he offered to his students. An integral member of the school community, Zach was greatly respected by colleagues and staff. He leaves behind his wife, Lindsay, and their two-year-old son, Wesley. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist Lindsay with expenses in the near future.

Charlie Folco It is with great sorrow that I share with you that Charlie Folco, a much-beloved former educator at The Chestnut Hill School, passed away June 11, 2026. After a long career working for Boston Public Schools, Charlie found new inspiration in working at The Chestnut Hill School as the woodshop teacher in 1993. Mr. Folco was known and beloved by all, and students loved bonding with him during morning drop-off, which was one of his favorite parts of the school day. An enormous Boston Red Sox fan, Charlie was “Mr. Bostonian” to his fellow educators at CHS. When he retired from CHS in 2012, his school colleagues arranged a special surprise for him: the appearance of Red Sox mascot “Wally” at CHS morning drop-off! Mr. Folco delighted in welcoming students to school that morning alongside his favorite MLB mascot pal as they helped Hawks start the day off on a high note. Charlie was sweet, kind, and a mentor to the students who passed through his woodshop classroom. Faculty and staff members remember him as a warm soul who was always the first person to arrive at CHS each day. After he retired from CHS, Charlie found joy in moving to California to spend time in the sun and relax with friends.

Deborah Perry Arends Deborah Perry Arends "Grammy," 87, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 4, 2026. She and her husband, Harold (Hal) of 63 years, were residents at Willow Valley Manor for 24 years. Born on February 22, 1939 in Syracuse, NY, she was the daughter of the late Edmund and Carol Perry. Deb grew up in Wellesley Hills, Hull, and Chatham, MA. She graduated from Wellesley High School in 1957 and Endicott College in 1959. She taught at the Chestnut Hill School in Boston, MA. During Deb's life she was a Republican Committee Woman and president of the Woman's Club in Willow Street. She taught children with special needs at Hans Herr before moving to Gridley, IL with her family for 10 years. She was an EMT, worked at the bank, and served on the school board. Deb and Hal moved back to Lancaster in 1986. She worked as a Resident Assistant in independent living at the Manor nursing office for 26 years and moved to the Manor in 2002. She attended Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster. Deb's hobbies included: gardening, reading, traveling, bowling, golf, having parties, decorating for every holiday, and knitting. She loved the beach, especially in Cape Cod and Maine. Her greatest love was for her family, grandchildren, friends, all animals, and her cats. She leaves behind her daughter Betsy Arends (Mike) of Manheim, her son David Arends (Meg) of Cincinnati, OH, 4 grandchildren: Katie Arends, Andrew Groff (Madison), Maddie Arends (Caden), and Alex Groff (Carina) as well as 2 sisters-in law: Marilyn Murray and Barbara Holmberg. She had 3 nieces and 2 nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Harold Arends, her parents, and brother.

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TRY OUT OUR STUDENT-CREATED COLORING PAGE!

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Drawn by Julia K., Class of 2029

The Chestnut Hill School proudly continues our tradition of educating the youngest learners for a life of impact. To explore being part of this tradition, contact our admission office at admissions@tchs.org.

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