Fall/Winter Bulletin 2022
Innovation, Inclusivity, and Impact
B OAR D O F TRUSTEE S 2021–2022 Vince Lorusso PRESIDENT
Patti Satterthwaite VICE PRESIDENT
Kirsten Kester ’01 TREASURER
Sarah Khetani SECRETARY
Irene Todd GOVERNANCE CHAIR
Danielle Heard HEAD OF SCHOOL
Matt Boger Matthew Burr TG’89 Anne Elton Elizabeth Garonzik ‘03 Lynne Goltra Kate Graham ‘98 Lindsey Gund Agnes Lubega Thomas Mazza Lydia Napoli Sophie Robart ‘09 Kyle Rusconi Conor Shapiro Adam Sureau Charlotte Whitmore Alice Flint, TRUSTEE EMERITUS John Moriarty, TRUSTEE EMERITUS
C ORE VALUE S INTEGRIT Y
We act with honesty, sound judgment, and strong character to build a culture of trust.
COLLABORATION
We build partnerships, foster teamwork, and encourage camaraderie.
INCLUSIVIT Y
We celebrate and affirm all aspects of individual identity and global diversity.
EMPATHY
We seek to understand the feelings of others, value multiple perspectives, build meaningful connections, and inspire ethical action.
RESILIENCE
We value persistence and pursue excellence through continuous learning and growth.
200 Strawberry Hill Road Concord, Massachusetts 01742 978.369.4591 nashobabrooks.org
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4 Danielle Heard Head of School Rachael Beare Director of Marketing and Communications Quincey Katz Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Mac Stephens English and Communications Jevan Jammal Director of Development Eliza Cowan Senior Development Associate, Director of Annual Giving & Parent Engagement Tandy Bryant Admission and Development Associate, Alumni Engagement Coordinator Nicolaus Czarnecki Photography Kirsta Davey Photography Kate Doherty Photography Porter Gifford Photography Kate Renyi Photography Joe Wallace Photography Nashoba Brooks School Archives
MIS SION
FALL/WINTER BULLETIN 2022
C O N T EN T S 3
From the Head of School
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Growing Roots in Strong Winds: Alumni Impact
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The Choice to Teach…and Why Nashoba Brooks Employees Make it
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Fall Sports
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Immediate, Transformative Impact: The Campaign for Our Future
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Community News
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Constructed Critters
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Innovation and Sustainability in Dining
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Innovative, Inclusive Curriculum: Grade 3 Study of Native Peoples
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Class Notes
Nashoba Brooks School educates children for a life of continuous learning, accomplishment, and leadership in a diverse and changing world. The School nurtures students’ growth and character, while fostering the development of each child’s personal excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts. © 2022 Nashoba Brooks School
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“We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet.” –MARGARET MEAD
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DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING INSPIRED EDUCATION The teachers are phenomenal. We have been beyond impressed with the amount of work the faculty and staff have done to respond to the ongoing COVID pandemic and all of the challenges the school has confronted has been nothing short of amazing. As an example, when our children had to go remote [for a few days], their teachers went above and beyond to make sure they were engaged and they never skipped a beat. There are so many strengths of the school, but if we had to name one, it would be the teachers. - Nashoba Brooks Parent, January 2022 AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, it can be hard to see beyond COVID-19 and the impacts it has had on our daily lives, but in this issue of the Bulletin, we invite you to do just that. As we celebrate the incredible, joyful teaching and learning that our teachers and students create together every day, we are reminded that it is deeply rooted in the mission and strategic directions of Nashoba Brooks School. In 2014, Nashoba Brooks School launched unique and ambitious Strategic Directions with a 10-year time horizon and a commitment to creating inspired education through innovation, inclusivity, and impact. This issue of the Bulletin highlights just a few of the many initiatives that have marked an incredible eight years of progress. INNOVATION Building on a commitment to innovative and integrated curriculum can be traced back to the visionary leadership of Gladys Brooks as she established Brooks School in 1928, Nashoba Brooks has implemented model programs in curriculum, teacher evaluation, and professional development that have gained regional, national, and international recognition. From integrated curriculum units, to participation in global research initiatives, to the mission-driven launch of the reVision Tuition Plan, Nashoba Brooks is proud to lead in the field of education. INCLUSIVITY Recognizing that the most important work must be shared by all to be most effective, employees, students, and parents share a commitment to building and actively maintaining an inclusive community in which all members experience a sense of belonging, engagement, and recognition. Schoolwide training in Responsive Classroom,
professional study of identity development, and shared planning to ensure that our core values are reflected in all that we do have been highlighted in our work this year. At a time when record numbers of teachers in the United States have left the profession, our exceptionally talented team of employees have drawn on their care for students, their passion for teaching, and a shared sense of purpose to dig deep, exceed expectations, and renew their commitments to teaching and learning. The energy they create on campus is both inspiring and infectious! IMPACT The flexibility, innovative problem-solving, and tenacity that are so much a part of our practice and program at Nashoba Brooks School are clearly reflected in the hyFlex model that has allowed us to maintain on-campus learning while supporting synchronous learning for students who need to be remote due to COVID-related circumstances, the new facilities made possible by The Campaign for Our Future, and the extraordinary contributions of our alumni who see challenges as opportunities to have a meaningful impact in their communities. When we launched our Strategic Directions in 2014, we embraced a flexible mindset and aspirational vision for the next ten years, describing the plan as a “compass,” rather than a “map.” We recognized then that the pace of development would be swift in our rapidly changing world, but we could never have imagined just how much change we would see in these eight years. Now more than ever, inspired education through innovation, inclusivity, and impact has provided the directional guide needed to navigate challenging times. Our community has proven to be strong, resilient, generous and forward-thinking in our pursuit of inspired education as a foundation for lifelong learning and a life well-lived. With gratitude,
Danielle Heard Head of School
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Emily Cohen ’98 walking the runway at Runway for Recovery's 15th Anniversary Runway Show
GROWING ROOTS IN STRONG WINDS: ALUMNI IMPACT NASHOBA BROOKS SCHOOL ALUMNI make a positive impact in their schools and their communities. When they identify a problem in need of a solution, they take action. We had the opportunity to speak with several graduates who channeled their desire to address community concerns by founding non-profit organizations. Sparked by personal experiences, these graduates focused their understanding, skills, and determination to acknowledge and address inequities by improving support for families who have lost a family member, providing warm and durable clothing for individuals who do not have consistent housing, or developing more inclusive classroom discussion methods. In each scenario, Nashoba Brooks’ graduates decide not simply to identify an issue or to support it from afar; instead, they bring people together to find productive ways to make a difference. What is even more incredible 4 | NA SH OB A BROOK S S CHOOL BU LLE T I N
is how often these graduates are likely to tackle these challenges together. Liza Garonzik ’03, knew she wanted to pursue a career in education. “During my years at Harvard, I became interested in an international non-profit called Circle of Women that focused specifically on girls’ education, and it was a women-led organization,” she explains. Her role at Circle expanded quickly as she was able to “be involved in everything from operations to board work.” Liza remarks, “I learned how to build and scale an organization, and I saw the power of a female-run organization, especially in the way we communicated with each other.” These experiences planted the seed for the next step in her professional career as a teacher and administrator at
The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia. Liza started paying attention to “the dynamics of deception in a classroom, particularly thinking critically about how we assess discussion.” She observed during studentled discussions that the voices that were heard were those who were also “successful in my gradebook.” She felt her assessment practices were at fault, not the students themselves, so she developed a system to “broaden the definition of success in discussion, to make it more accessible to more students.” Over the next five years, Liza created R.E.A.L. Discussion. “I remember one Grandparents’ Day, the kids wanted to showcase a ‘R.E.A.L.’ Discussion, and, when we finished, the grandparents were amazed. They told me, ‘This is what our government needs,’ and ‘We need this method at Thanksgiving.’” Their perspective made her realize R.E.A.L. should not be just a “pedagogical intervention,” because it also has applications outside of the classroom. In early January 2021, Liza made the decision to leave Westminster and dedicate her focus to R.E.A.L.: “I realized I was sitting on a tool that could help children learn to communicate across the lines of difference, and I wasn’t doing everything in my power to get it out there.” Liza’s organization grew quickly. As interest grew and the
work expanded, Liza hired Nashoba Brooks’ graduates to help bring R.E.A.L. to the next level. Katherine Burd ’06, who practices R.E.A.L. Discussion in her English classroom at The Chapin School, came on board as an editor for R.E.A.L.’s blog, and Lily Faucett ’16 joined as an intern. Lily came to work for Liza after experiencing discussions in her secondary school that were “difficult to join” because “everyone was competing to talk, and certain aggressive students talked the most.” Lily credits Ms. Rabb’s Grade 8 English class at Nashoba Brooks for helping her to build the confidence and skills to successfully navigate discussions in high school and college, “I think what Liza is doing is so important, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” Lexie Steinert ’17 was also inspired by personal experience to take action and help others. In high school, Lexie struggled with anxiety, but was able to receive guidance and develop skills to combat this challenge successfully. “I needed a community,” she says, “a whole group of people to help me emerge from that period, and when I eventually came through it, I became aware of how fortunate I was to have the ability to acquire all of that help.” This is when Lexie decided, much like Liza, to help others who might not know how to speak up for
Liza Garonzik ’03 with a group of R.E.A.L. Discussion students FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 5
discovered that the National Alliance for Mental Illness and the Chase York Foundation were two charitable organizations that were helping people suffering like I did.” Project Smiles raises awareness through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and provides a conduit for donations: “We wanted to reach a younger audience, and I wanted them to see that it’s possible to make it through. I did this by telling my own story to reach a broad audience in support of young people in need of help.” Olivia Achtmeyer Boger ’95 started an organization by telling her story. Olivia’s mother, who fought breast cancer for over a decade, passed away when Olivia was just beginning her college career. After her mother passed, Olivia’s world changed. Everything becomes more difficult because of the “strain losing a parent can have on a family unit.” Her family saw how imperative outside support could be during these years, and Olivia knew that most households dealing with breast cancer did not have the means to shore up the damage such a loss created: “I knew there were organizations raising money for breast cancer research, but it was difficult to find any raising money for families affected by the disease.”
Lexie Steinert ’17 with Project Smiles apparel
themselves. Lexie created Project Smiles at the end of her junior year at Groton School, and continues this work while studying at Vanderbilt University. Lexie works to raise money for teens struggling with mental illness: “With the help of my mom, Hilary Steinert, I
Like Liza, Olivia went into education after college, teaching English and working in administrative roles first at Middlesex School and then at Phillips Academy Andover and The Fenn School for 12 years. Olivia notes, “My mother taught me to value education. Her desire for me was to pursue as much as I could, and so it made sense after college that I would pursue a master’s degree in education.” As Olivia was starting her career,
Olivia Achtmeyer Boger ’95 welcoming guests to the 15th Anniversary Runway for Recovery Show
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she decided to rent out a space and hold a Runway for Recovery fundraising event, to celebrate “brave survivors and individuals walking in memory” of those they lost to breast cancer. It was a joyous event, meant to show families that they weren’t alone in their struggle, and the money that Olivia raised went to the Patient and Caregiver Fund of the Mass General Cancer Center. The event grew both in venue size and participation. “I had a few, very dear friends tell me that ‘after 12 years, Runway has legs to be something bigger,’” Olivia explained, and when someone encouraged her to “Imagine what you could do if you took it full time,” she decided to do just that. Starting in 2019, Runway for Recovery evolved from an annual event to an official non-profit supporting families directly. It was no longer just a conduit for other organizations: “When we started giving grants directly, we got to know the families better.” The more personal interactions helped to raise visibility and unlocked a floodgate of new ideas. Runway for Recovery not only issued grants, they found and vetted resources like childcare and counseling; paid for academic tutors, financial advisors, and even family meals. Olivia and her growing team addressed needs on a case-by-case basis, bringing families some calm in the storm. And recently, because of the compassion and dedication of another Nashoba Brooks alumna, Emily Cohen ’98, Runway has created its first scholarship.
Olivia knew of Emily as a classmate of her younger sister, and also knew that Emily was also 20 years old when her mother died from breast cancer. “Emily sought me out soon after her mom died. She had heard of Runway and looked me up through my sister’s Facebook page,” Olivia explains. As a self-described introvert, Emily was hesitant to get up on the Runway stage, but Olivia convinced her: “She did not want to do it at first. Her mother had just passed and she was grieving. It was so brave when she stepped onto the runway. There was not a dry eye in the room.” Emily remembers feeling “all of a sudden, just, empowered by all these people I didn’t know.” Today Emily works in biotech, having earned her Ph.D. in Genetics from Harvard Medical School. She is currently working on fighting cancer at its source. Emily has had a huge impact at Runway by helping to create a new scholarship initiative. Emily worked directly with the first recipient of the scholarship, helping her apply and get into a great high school. Emily has now known Olivia for more than 30 years, “and it all started at Nashoba Brooks.” “The strongest of roots grow in the greatest of winds,” is the yoga mantra that motivated Lexie’s Project Smiles logo. It is a rugged bush above ground with roots that are three times as deep. Each of these organizations has put down strong roots, anchoring those served by their respective missions. Liza, Olivia, Lily, Katherine, Lexie and Emily all saw the great winds for what they were, then they got to work. Talking with fellow alumni at a Board of Visitors meeting several years ago, Liza noted that “Everyone feels this way about Nashoba Brooks: We were always taught to speak up and to trust our voices and our opinions, but we were also taught to think about whose voices weren’t being heard and how important it was to make space for them.” Together, Nashoba Brooks graduates go into the world with the empathy necessary to recognize important needs and the creative problem-solving skills to take on the challenges they see. The Project Smiles logo
Olivia Achtmeyer Boger ’95, Rebecca Campbell Melendez, and Emily Cohen ’98 at a Rally for Runway cycling event FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 7
Art teacher Lisa Stanley in year 38 of teaching at Nashoba Brooks
THE CHOICE TO TEACH… AND WHY NASHOBA BROOKS EMPLOYEES MAKE IT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has brought with it a seismic shift in how people think about their work and their work-life balance. Americans across multiple industries have left their jobs in record numbers in what a variety of news outlets have dubbed the “Big Quit” or the “Great Resignation.”1 As employees across multiple industries were having to simultaneously work from home and care for their families, they reassessed the nature of their work, and recalibrated their expectations for their work environment, in-person engagement, and compensation, among a host of other things. Education is an area that has been hard hit by this process; teachers have left their positions in large numbers over concerns about unreasonably high community expectations, unsafe work environments, and low compensation. By the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, AP News was reporting on the challenge to fill teaching positions in school districts across the country: “Teacher shortages and difficulties filling openings have been reported in Tennessee, New Jersey, and South Dakota, where one district started the school year with 120 teacher vacancies. Across Texas, the main districts in Houston, Waco, and elsewhere, reported hundreds of teaching vacancies at the start of the year. Several schools nationwide have had to shut classrooms because of a lack of teachers.”2
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Surveys conducted by both the National Education Association and the RAND Corporation explored the impact of the pandemic on teacher stress, burnout, and choices whether to take a break, retire, or choose another profession altogether. The RAND survey also highlighted the fact that “One in three teachers were responsible for the care of their own children while teaching.”3 In this context, it is no surprise that the early days of the pandemic caused many teachers to stay home in order to care for their families. Some school districts in Massachusetts also faced challenges this September with filling much needed rosters for substitute teachers.4 In spite of the upheaval in schools and districts across the country, Nashoba Brooks School started the 20212022 school year retaining an impressive 90% of its employees from the previous year. The School entered into the second year of its hyFlex learning model continuing to prioritize in-person and synchronous learning experiences for students. Prioritizing health and safety, and keeping key COVID-19 protocols in place remained essential, but the School was also able to expand its offerings to reopen specialized learning spaces, reintroduce before- and after-school programs, and relaunch interscholastic athletic offerings. Throughout this process, School employees were steadfast in their commitment to preserve a high quality, in-person learning environment for our students. During a professional
development day in the fall, employees took some time to reflect on the things that inspire their outstanding commitment to Nashoba Brooks School. As our community adapts and grows in the context of COVID-19, we want to share a few employee reflections on why they teach and what makes working at Nashoba Brooks School a uniquely special and rewarding experience. Their care for students, passion for teaching, and shared sense of purpose shine through in their reflections and display a heartfelt dedication to inspired education at Nashoba Brooks School. Derek Thompson. “Three Myths of the Great Resignation,” The Atlantic, 8 December, 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/12/ great-resignation-myths-quitting-jobs/620927/. 1
Jocelyn Gecker. “COVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff,” AP News, 22 September, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/businessscience-health-education-california-b6c495eab9a2a8f1a3ca068582c9d3c7. 2
Elizabeth D. Steiner and Ashley Woo. “Job-Related Stress Threatens the Teacher Supply: Key Findings from the 2021 State of the U.S. Teacher Survey,” Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2021, https://www.rand. org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1108-1.html. 3
Nicole Shih. “Low pay, shrinking substitute teacher pool leaves schools scrambling to cover classrooms,” Telegram & Gazette, 2 September, 2021. https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2021/09/02/substitute-teachershortage-spikes-central-massachusetts-pre-pandemic/8244646002/. 4
Ioana Carter, STEAM “Nashoba Brooks School creates an innovative, integrated curriculum unlike any school I have ever been a part of. Having a creative space such as the Shilling STEAM Lab encourages students to participate in project-based learning and problem solving. It creates an environment where students can think outside of the box and become makers, scientists, and engineers.”
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Megan McGuin, Physical Education “What makes Nashoba special is working with an amazing team of colleagues who truly care about the whole-child experience. They motivate and inspire me to bring my very best each and every day. Plus the excitement and eagerness of kids that show up, want to learn, move, and meet the everyday challenge at hand, is contagious!”
Patrick Sedney, Middle School Science “Teachers here are constantly rethinking, reevaluating, and revising their curriculum. We are able to shape our lessons to reflect current events, the values of the community, and the learning needs of our individual students. Everything here is a team effort. Whether it is collaborating on a project, helping navigate a student issue, or celebrating the success of an individual, the faculty and entire community is working together.” 1 0 | NA SHOB A BROOK S S CHOOL BU LLE T I N
Kara Angeloni Williams, Lower School Art “I believe that the arts have the power to change how people think and feel, and, ideally, take action in the world as responsible citizens.”
Susan Lewis, Middle School Science “This is an extraordinarily supportive and inspiring community of educators. I am continuously awed by the creativity, passion, patience, warmth, and dedication of my teaching colleagues, administrators, and other staff members.” FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 11
Kate Noel, Grade 1 “I love the students here! Each year is different and brings a whole new group who inspire me to be a better teacher. This year, one of our morning sharing activities was to share what you love about NBS. Here are a few of the students’ thoughts: we are inclusive; people are flexible in their thinking and take turns; people help each other; we have a school motto (and chanted the whole thing). I was blown away by their thoughtful and genuine responses. We truly have an amazing community of learners here!”
Kirsta Davey, Lower School Literacy “I like the excitement of the classroom and making a difference in a student’s life. Each day at our closing meeting, I ask my students ‘what was your favorite part of the day’ and often kindergartners say ‘everything!'”
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Maritere Mix, Latin “I feel working at NBS has made me a more empathetic educator through the work we do in the Middle School to help students internalize our core values.”
Sarah Thomsen, Middle School Math “I went to an all-girls school that gave me the support and push that I needed, and it changed my life. I want to give that to my students, especially in an all-girls environment.” FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 13
FALL SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY Cross Country had a terrific fall season. Our team of 11 athletes—led by captains, Anika A., Zoe W., Bridgit S., and Addison S.—competed in a total of seven races and were competitive in each one. In our final race of the year at Nobles and Greenough School, each athlete ran their fastest time of the season for 2.1 miles. This accomplishment is a true testament to the hard work and grit they demonstrated during each practice and race. We will miss our tenacious group of seven Grade 8 students, but look forward to building another strong team next year.
JUNIOR VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY JV field hockey had an excellent season. Our players showed up every day excited to learn more about the sport. Both their skills and their ability to play together as a team improved tremendously over the course of the season. Everyone brought positive energy to each practice and game, and they supported each other beautifully. Our team ended the season proudly with a record of 3-2-1.
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VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY After waiting a year and a half to get back on the field, our varsity field hockey team started this fall with wide eyes. Dusting off their sticks and working muscles that many had not felt in a while, they took the field ready to compete. Our captains, Phoebe R. and Charlotte G. led the team to a 3-4-1 record and helped to create good memories like team psyches, the beep test...twice, a chilly early morning turf practice with temperatures in the 20s, and an amazing parents vs. players game. This was a season to remember and one we are all grateful to have played.
VARSITY SOCCER Varsity soccer experienced many highlights throughout the season. While this was a building year for the program, our Grade 8 students demonstrated incredible strength and leadership. All players enjoyed the camaraderie, personal excellence, and achievement that comes with playing team sports. Our team saw significant improvement through the season, particularly from those who were brand new to the sport; they gave it their all each and every day. Between thrilling games of “World Cup” during practice and enthusiastic shout outs and support for each other, our players certainly made the most of the season. FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 15
The porch of the Sureau Family Discovery Barn
IMMEDIATE, TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT: THE CAMPAIGN FOR OUR FUTURE IN 2018, NASHOBA BROOKS SCHOOL LAUNCHED THE CAMPAIGN FOR OUR FUTURE to bring a new vision for the School to life. It was time to reimagine the School’s existing campus spaces and how they might evolve to better reflect and enhance the spirit, creativity, and curiosity of the students and teachers. In only three years, we have completed Phases 1 and 2 of the Campaign, securing approximately $6 million for capital initiatives and $1.4 million for the Nashoba Brooks Fund, and creating several new spaces on campus that enliven the student learning experience every day. Throughout this process, community leaders have shared their experiences, offered their thought leadership, and invested their dollars to help expand the scope, flexibility, and impact of the School’s resources.
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PHASE 1
In September of 2019, one year into the Campaign, we opened three new flex classrooms and the Shilling STEAM Lab, highlighting our innovative and integrated curriculum. SHILLING STEAM LAB The addition of the Shilling STEAM Lab has transformed the ways our teachers and students collaborate across disciplines. Strategically located in direct connection to the Denault Library, the STEAM Lab creates an integrated hub for interdisciplinary research and mixed-media exploration. It includes a fabrication lab and green screen studio, and it provides opportunities for prototyping, robotics, coding, filming, and engineering. As one of the busiest areas on campus, the STEAM Lab allows students at every grade level the opportunity to actualize their ideas, problem solve collaboratively, and practice flexible and creative thinking. Kiki Shilling, campaign steering committee co-chair, and Drew Shilling were instrumental in bringing the bold vision of the STEAM Lab to life. Drew captured the significance of the STEAM Lab for the Shilling family, as education in science, technology, and engineering become more and more important: “To get kids more interested in the hard sciences and integration of the sciences with art is what this STEAM lab is all about.” He noted that “there will be kids whose paths through life will be transformed by the experiences they have at an early age, and that is what this project will allow.” FLEX CLASSROOMS Our three new flex classrooms reclaimed student space strategically located at the center of the School. These beautiful new spaces create opportunities to differentiate instruction in all grades and provide the flexibility we need to support program enhancement, while providing high quality learning spaces.
PHASE 2
In the fall of 2020 and 2021, the Campaign created two new, innovative spaces on campus that underscore students’ connection with the natural world. SUREAU FAMILY DISCOVERY BARN The Sureau Family Discovery Barn serves as a launchpad to our outdoor learning environment, enhances our students’ skill development as stewards of our natural world, and provides additional performance and event space for up to 150 guests. Students create obstacle courses for their robotics competitions, study birds from the porch, prepare for a hike and pond study, and explore rhythm and improvisation in a space created to maximize program flexibility and connection to the outdoors. The Sureau family—Adam and Melanie Sureau, parents of Alexander TG’20 and Sophie ’28, and grandparents Carole and Jean-Claude Sureau—gave a multigenerational gift that was instrumental in realizing the vision for the discovery barn. Adam Sureau notes: “both of our kids love school and we know their experiences at Nashoba Brooks have helped to make them more thoughtful and caring people. This gift helps to honor how important this school has been to our family and to our children.” The Sureau family hopes the naming will encourage and inspire other multigenerational gifts to the School’s campaign. “We are a very close knit family. We ski together, we play soccer together, we play chess together; it makes sense that we would make this gift together,” remarks Carole Sureau. She adds, “one of my hopes is to help educate the students to take better care of the environment.” The discovery barn’s design celebrates the natural environment through its use of natural light, outdoor learning spaces, and sustainable, green design; all elements that were important to the Sureau family. DENAULT LIBRARY COURTYARD The renovation of the Denault Library Courtyard brings new life to one of the most magical places on campus. The Denault Library is at the heart of our campus and at the core of all student learning. The extension of the library to the courtyard provides amphitheatre seating for outdoor learning and gathering, cozy nooks for students to curl up with a book, and hardscape and landscape features that enhance the library’s connection to the outdoors. Dorothy Denault remembers, more than 40 years ago, when the School had no library: “At the time,” she says, “there were books stacked up in the School hallways and
Students in the fabrication lab within the Shilling STEAM Lab FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 17
Students working in the Denault Library Courtyard
overflowing on shelves. There was nowhere to put them all.” For Dorothy, building the library was not only to create a place to house the School’s collection of books, it was also about creating a quiet, reflective, communal space where students could enjoy reading together. When Dorothy learned about the School’s interest in adding the Library courtyard, she was thrilled to help: “I love being outdoors and working in the garden, and I thought it would be amazing to have an outdoor space for the library.” Her son, Charles Denault adds “the library is central to any school’s community and educational process. This outdoor courtyard is very exciting because it extends the library into the beauty of the natural environment, and provides teachers with an outdoor space where they can teach. There’s nothing more powerful than that on multiple levels.” Charles and his family have also played a significant role in the development and stewardship of the library through the Dorothy and Elliot Denault Library Fund, an endowed fund dedicated to maintaining the library and its collections. The fund has grown steadily over more than 20 years. Charles reflects passionately on his family’s steadfast commitment: “There’s an old saying that ‘I warmed at a fire that I did not build and I drank from a well that I did not dig.’ Schools like Nashoba Brooks exist because of the largesse of people that came before us, and I think we have a responsibility to those who come after us to keep reaching into the woodpile to throw another log on the fire so that the fire never goes out.” 1 8 | NA SHOB A BROOK S S CHOOL BU LLE T I N
The Denualt family’s dedication to keeping the library’s fire burning for future generations is an inspiration. It underscores the significant impact campaigns and endowed funds have in helping our School thrive. Head of School Danielle Heard reflects on the “visionary philanthropic leadership” shown by the Shilling, Sureau and Denault families over the first two phases of the Campaign. “Their gifts are perfect reflections of our values, our vision, and our commitment to creating inspired education through innovation, inclusivity, and impact. These spaces will inspire generations of students to fall in love with learning, build confidence, create connections, and expand their imaginations. These are gifts beyond measure. We could not be more grateful!”
PHASE 3
Nashoba Brooks School has the opportunity to evaluate our priorities in the third and final phase of our Campaign while staying true to what matters most—our mission and core values, our Strategic Directions, and the experience of our students, employees, and families. Together, we can fully realize The Campaign for Our Future and ensure that Nashoba Brooks continues to provide an inspired educational experience for generations to come. NEW ENTRANCE At Nashoba Brooks School we build and actively maintain an inclusive community in which all
students and families experience a sense of belonging, engagement, and recognition. A new main entrance will create a clear and controlled entry point that offers a warm welcome to visitors and community members while enhancing School safety and wayfinding. From the lobby, a renovated east-west passageway will connect to the Wallace Dining Commons, create a sight line to the Discovery Barn and woods, and provide a more centralized reception and administrative office area.
individuals. They practice collaboration, push the limits of their comfort zones, and exercise leadership skills.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CO-LAB A Middle School Co-Lab will enhance the cohesion, collaboration, and community that are hallmarks of our Grades 4-8 program. Middle School students will have a communal space to call their own—to meet for group work, dig deeper into a challenging problem with a teacher, and connect with friends. This flexible, dynamic, developmentally-conceived space will strengthen collaboration and creative problem-solving in an energetic hub for student life. Strategically located at the entrance to the Middle School, the Co-Lab will include the office of the assistant head of middle school. This axis of activity within our Grades 4 through 8 community will provide a space that both defines and highlights the unique character of our Middle School program.
We are excited to work with donors as we reimagine the spaces that house our arts programs. The reimagined arts platform will include: • Visual arts and music studio renovations to increase studio, prep, and storage spaces and provide flexibility and deeper exploration of a variety of activities and media. • A Tucker Auditorium renovation to transform the current space by increasing seating flexibility, modernizing technology, and providing flexibility for enhanced and efficient use of space. • Acoustic enhancements of Moriarity Gymnasium to improve the sound quality for larger gatherings such as graduations.
Interdisciplinary connections between art and science, literature and drama, music and history are critical components of our integrated curriculum. Our students will become stronger thinkers, problem-solvers, and leaders when given the space to create, perform, explore, and make connections.
Without the extraordinary financial support of our generous community, we simply would not be able to maintain the flexibility and creativity it takes to operate in these uniquely challenging times. Nashoba Brooks School owes our strength not only to the Shilling, Sureau and Denault families, but to all of the supporters and partners who commit so generously to helping our School community thrive. As we report on the accomplishments of the Campaign thus far and look to the promise of Phase 3, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for this remarkable community. Through ongoing generosity and commitment to inspired education, Nashoba Brooks School will continue to provide a campus where students engage in learning that empowers them to connect with each other, find their voice, discover a lifelong love of learning, and become leaders who will shape our world in powerful, and productive ways. A rendering of the Middle School Co-Lab
ARTS PLATFORM The arts are integral to the Nashoba Brooks School experience. We cannot walk through the halls without catching a glimpse of the visual arts teachers encouraging their students to describe what they notice in a painting, Middle School students rehearsing their next drama production, or Lower School students exploring rhythm on the xylophone. Through the arts, our students develop confidence and a deeper understanding of themselves as FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 19
IT ’S TIME FOR PHA SE 3 !
It’s time to reach as far as we can to match our students’ ever-expanding love of learning, their insatiable curiosity, their limitless creativity, and their vast potential. It’s time to complete The Campaign for Our Future. Join us as we bring a brilliant new vision for Nashoba Brooks to life. We would love to discuss the impact of making a gift to The Campaign for Our Future with you. Please contact Director of Development, Jevan Jammal ‘02, at jjammal@nashobabrooks.org or 978.369.4591 ext. 122.
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Grade 8 students carry supplies to their Chewonki tent site
School counselor, Liz Joyce
COMMUNITY NEWS GRADE 8 EMBRACES THE CHEWONKI CHALLENGE CAMP CHEWONKI IS AN ANCHOR of the Grade 8 experience at Nashoba Brooks School, and after a hiatus last year due to the pandemic, students and teachers alike were happy to return. For years, Chewonki has provided a place for the leaders of the student body, the new Grade 8 class, to come together, bond, and think about the year ahead. It was clear from the start that this was going to be a hands-on trip, when Hailey, one of Chewonki’s leaders, explained that students and teachers would be packingin all the tents, food, water, and supplies needed for the next four days. And the distance to the campsite? A mile and a half. Students walked in lines, carrying long poles with kitchen equipment, water, and food adorning their lengths. The poles needed to be held up by two, four, or even six pairs of hands. This was certainly not easy. Just underneath intermittent laughter and nervous energy were questions about the storm coming the following day, the lack of a bathroom or shower, and really, just a general fear of being away from home. But, there were no complaints, just encouragement. “Do you all need any help?” Zoe asked, as she carried a heavy three person tent with both arms. Angelina turned to her, and smiled; “We’re ok! Do you need help?” They laughed, both realizing the absurdity of their offers. As they walked, it was clear to see that what carried them forward was a communal
trust—a faith molded from last year’s close and personal community building—a silver lining of the cohort model. The class fell into step knowing that they were ready to weather any storm, literal or not. As the class of 2022 walked a mile and a half, carrying heavy gear, drowning out the hardship with songs and laughter—their teachers observed with wonder and pride in the collaboration, resilience, and joy the class displayed. The days that followed did include a storm, but after the clouds broke, there was a high ropes challenge, a water quality study, basil picking, gathering and chopping wood, cooking over an open fire, and commitment to a common endeavor and community.
LIZ JOYCE ACCEPTED AS AN ACTION RESEARCH FELLOW BY NCGS SCHOOL COUNSELOR LIZ JOYCE was accepted as a 2021-2022 fellow by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools’ Global Action Research Collaborative. NCGS is an advocacy group that helps connect schools and organizations that educate and empower girls. Their “action research” fellows are trained to use realtime research and analysis from girls’ schools around the world to develop pedagogy that can make a difference now, rather than purely for academic publication. “I was so happy to be selected,” Ms. Joyce commented, “I think Nashoba Brooks is a great place for this year’s Action FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 21
Gender Specialist Rebecca Minor
Research focus on problem-solving; both the idea of it and the process of achieving it with confidence.” Ms. Joyce’s research will focus on how middle school students can engage thoughtfully and productively in direct dialogue with their peers. All of the NCGS fellows will be presenting their research and findings at the NCGS Global Symposium in June. We look forward to hearing more about Ms. Joyce’s results and how they can improve our teaching and learning.
DIGGING INTO IDENTITY EMPLOYEES SPENT MUCH of their fall professional development day discussing identity—both personal and communal. The day started with discussing and practicing language they can use with students to create a more positive and productive school environment. They also invested some time to consider Nashoba Brooks’ identity as a community, reflecting on the things that matter most, and discussing how we can continue to highlight and enhance the things our community does best. The afternoon featured gender specialist Rebecca Minor, whose presentation “Getting Comfortable with Gender” explored the shifting definitions and more expansive methods for expressing gender identity and sexuality. Her talk explored ways that educators can use more gender neutral language, diversify historical role models, and better support students in being themselves. It was a beneficial and thought-provoking end to a day dedicated to enhancing the welcoming and inclusive nature of our School.
2 2 | N A SHOB A BROOK S S CHOOL BU LLE T I N
Author Christine Day
GRADE 3 MEETS AUTHOR CHRISTINE DAY MS. GAFFNY AND MS. KEADY’S GRADE 3 students had the exciting opportunity to meet Christine Day, the author of I Can Make This Promise. Having just finished the book, third grade students were eager to talk to the creator of a tale about an adopted girl searching for her Native American identity. As a citizen of the Upper Skagit tribe, Ms. Day explained that “my story is inspired by my family's history,” which makes it a wonderful addition to Grade 3’s interdisciplinary study of Native peoples in America. (To read more about this exciting example of our integrated curriculum, see the story on page 28.) Students prepared questions and listened to Ms. Day’s responses. They wondered predominantly about being a full-time writer. At the end of the gathering, Ms. Day left Grade 3 students with some sage advice: “read a lot and read widely, even if you’re not sure you’ll like it.” Students left that day still chatting excitedly about “how cool” it was to hear the advice of a real author.
brooks bear builds a barn
A Nashoba Brooks School Collaborative Project Written by the Class of 2025
Brooks Bear Builds a Barn book cover
The S’mores & More winning logo
GRADES 4 AND 6 STUDENTS S’MORES & MORE LOGO CREATE A CHILDREN’S CONTEST BOOK LAST FALL, IN CELEBRATION OF the Sureau Family Discovery Barn, the most recent addition to our beautiful campus, our students embarked on an effort to create their own children’s book entitled Brooks Bear Builds a Barn. The Grade 4 Writer’s Workshop students worked together to develop the story as a part of their narrative storytelling unit. They worked diligently through four drafts, refining details with their teacher and “editor” Mr. Jameson TG’90, before passing the manuscript on to Director of Marketing and Communications, Ms. Beare, “the publisher.” Ms. Beare consulted with the School’s Librarian and Transliteracy Integration Specialist Ms. Surprenant, who applied her expertise with children’s books to make recommendations for laying out the text and possible illustrations. Middle School Art Teacher Ms. Stanley worked closely with her sixth grade students to draw images of the barn and the animals who serve as characters in the story. Several students’ drawings were selected and used by the graphic designer to develop the final illustrations for the book. This book project is a wonderful reflection of the collaborative spirit that is a hallmark of Nashoba Brooks, and a creative expression of gratitude to the generous donors who helped to make the discovery barn a reality. You can view the eBook version of this project at issuu.com/nashobabrooks/docs/brooks_ builds_a_barn.
NEARLY 50 LOGO SUBMISSIONS were received for this year’s S’mores & More logo contest. Students worked in teams as well as individually to design their logos. Students used a variety of materials including colored pencils, crayons, markers, and a few logos were designed digitally using computers and tablets. Students and employees then voted on the logos. First prize was awarded to Colin W., Grade 3, and honorable mentions were granted to a group submission from Myda G., Mia L., and Hazel M. in Grade 5, and to Lara G. in Grade 6.
Logos awarded honorable mention
FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 23
CONSTRUCTED CRITTERS Grade 6 artists start planning animal masks by researching an animal of their choice. Focusing on the animal’s head, they look carefully at both front and side views, and create detailed observational drawings. Next they use the observational drawings to draft stylized plans for their animals. These become the 2D plan for a 3D project. Student artists learn how to make patterns, cut and form from cardboard, and attach these forms onto a cardboard mask base. When construction is complete, they move onto the painting focus for these masks.
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While the Wallace Dining Commons is closed, hot lunches are delivered to classrooms, using compostable containers and utensils as often as possible
INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY IN DINING IN 2016 NASHOBA BROOKS SCHOOL took a fresh look at food service. As good educators do, the School formulated essential questions to guide our work: What are our desired outcomes? What are our highest priorities? What will success look like? Answering these key questions helped to shape and drive the vision for how our food service would evolve into a much-cherished aspect of our School, and for how it will continue to grow in the future.
FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 25
Early planning and focus helped establish the following priorities for our dining services at Nashoba Brooks School: • We commit to providing delicious, safe, and healthy food options for our students. • We will draw on locally sourced and homemade options whenever possible. • We will favor delicious simplicity in our menu options, emphasizing quality over quantity of options. • We will seek to reduce waste through reusable, recyclable, and compostable resources whenever possible. • We will commit to educating our community about food sourcing, preparation, nutrition, and safety as a means of supporting healthy nutrition, responsible consumption, thoughtful environmental stewardship, and sustainability. With these parameters in mind, Chef Sean-Michael Tantinarawat embraced our lofty vision and made it a reality. Over the last six years, Sean-Michael and the Sodexo team have delighted all members of the Nashoba Brooks School community with their passion, commitment, care, and talent. As though creating an outstanding dining program with items deserving of 5-star ratings was not enough, this team also proved that they could tackle any challenge that came their way. When schools around the world were forced to pivot to remote learning on short notice in the winter of 2020, Sean-Michael made his debut as our very own celebrity chef, hosting online cooking sessions from home for our students and community members to try while away from campus.
When teachers across the nation were feeling the pressure of navigating new and complex hybrid learning models to support student learning, the Nashoba Brooks dining services team made homemade dinners for employees and their families once a month. No challenge is too great for the creativity and care of this exceptional group. In education, we are well aware that each new challenge is also an opportunity. As practitioners of Dr. Carol Dweck’s concept of a growth mindset, our students often remind us to embrace challenges, knowing that “we can do difficult things.” When Sean-Michael shared his plan to take on a new opportunity in his professional career with the Town of Fitchburg, we knew this would be a new and difficult challenge for Nashoba Brooks School. Fortunately, Sean-Michael also helped us to identify, build, and train the team to whom he will pass the proverbial baton in January. We are excited for SeanMichael as he embarks on this new chapter in what we know will continue to be an outstanding career in culinary arts, and we are thrilled that he will continue to stay connected with us through catering for special events. We are grateful that the vision and commitment to our exceptional dining program will continue to thrive with the dedicated team, including Chef Carrie, Chef Norma who will step in as the interim head executive chef, and Chef Steph, who joined us in December as the newest member of the team, bringing expertise in plant-forward and vegan cuisine. We know that we are in good hands with this team, as we move forward together with a renewed commitment to shared vision, values, and care for our community and each other.
In the summer of 2020, when schools in Massachusetts were told to develop multiple scenarios for reentry, and many found food service to be an insurmountable obstacle, Sean-Michael joined the reentry planning team and developed a system to deliver delicious, individual, hot lunches to classrooms daily. “We knew it was going to be difficult, but we made it work,” Sean-Michael said while describing the weeks of planning that led to the implementation of a schoolwide food delivery system in which parent volunteers shuttle individualized meals from the School's kitchen to classrooms each day. The whole system continues to reinforce the model that helps the School stay safe during the pandemic. Left: Chef Carrie and Chef Sean-Michael FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 27
Grade 3 students learn about Indigenous artifacts during a visit from the Concord Museum
INNOVATIVE, INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM: GRADE 3 STUDY OF NATIVE PEOPLES LAST SUMMER, during their “curriculum deep dive,” Grade 3 teachers Paige Keady and Peggy Gaffny discussed how they could enrich their students’ study of native peoples in America: “We decided to expand the scope of the curriculum by studying the entire country, not just Massachusetts.” Both teachers also wanted Grade 3 students to understand that Indigenous peoples are still very much a part of the United States and that there is no singular American Indian culture. They also wanted the learning process to be as immersive as possible. “When we decided to overhaul such an important unit,” Ms. Keady recalls, “we connected with Mr. Bryant in technology, and Ms. Russell and Ms. Piligian, because we knew science and library classes would play an important role.” At the end of their planning stage, the Grade 3 team settled on a project-based model for the unit. Working in teams of two, students would be assigned different 28 | NA SHOB A BROOK S S CHOOL BU LLE T I N
Indigenous groups across the country. These teams would be tasked with studying the history and cultures of their assigned groups. They would study the climate, dwellings, practices, and culture of their selected group, and how these areas of focus have endured and changed over time. At the culmination of the project, students gathered in the Sureau Family Discovery Barn to share their understanding with each other and School employees. In previous years, the study of Native American people and cultures was combined in a way that did not do justice to the diversity of Native peoples. Too much generalization leads to a misrepresentation of North American history prior to European colonization. The National Museum of the American Indian, a part of the Smithsonian, encourages teachers to become learners themselves in order to understand the intricacy of Native peoples: “Whenever possible, have your students
learn about specific individuals from a community.”1 The museum also advises educators to “emphasize that Indigenous peoples have living cultures that change over time.”2 This perspective guided the Grade 3 team’s curricular development, and it was one of the reasons they chose to have the class read a novel by a contemporary author, Christine Day, who is a citizen of the Upper Skagit tribe in Washington State. Ms. Day's book, I Can Make This Promise, chronicles the early life of a girl who, adopted by a white family at a young age, becomes curious about her Native American heritage. As a winner of the American Indian Youth Literature Award, her story masterfully paints a picture of the modern day experience of an American Indian, and shows the complexity of identity that the main character, Edie, navigates. But the story also shows how, like any twelve year old, Edie is busy cajoling her parents, finishing school projects, and choosing good friends. After students read the book, Ms. Keady and Ms. Gaffny invited Ms. Day to the School for a virtual visit. She answered questions for inquisitive third graders and explained that her book is largely autobiographical. Ms. Russell, Ms. Piligian, and Mr. Bryant also helped these young learners with their research. “In science, we brainstormed how different tribes might have lived, given the environments they were in,” Ms. Russell explains, “and from the age of say, a third grader, early Indigenous populations could identify the species around them. They understood sustainability in a way that we’re just starting to see now.” Ms. Russell led students on trails connected to the School’s campus, identifying native and non-native species and inquiring what role each plant or animal might have played: “Here, where our campus now sits, there were members of the Nipmuc nation, which still exists today. They grew squash here and used the gourds as containers.” Ms. Russell has several containers, filled with various dyes, feathers, and replicas of Native tools that she has acquired over the years. One tool looks simply like a stone until she shows students how it was selected because of the way it fits easily in a person’s hand: “this is a grinding stone, used to mash corn, beans, and nuts.” She also has a dried milkweed rope, which students were able to hold and examine. Students spent their library time researching the environments where various tribes lived. Ms. Piligian curated a group of texts and online resources that were vetted for their accuracy so that the students could feel confident about the information they found. With their newfound knowledge, student teams took to the STEAM Lab with Mr. Bryant to build model dwellings,
A student’s model dwelling
which showcased the unique way that different Native peoples utilized their surroundings. In the Southwestern region, students built adobe homes out of clay and sticks, displaying how certain tribes established stationery homes near water sources; whereas, in the Great Plains, the Tipi were a staple of tribes that followed herds of buffalo, and their dwellings could be taken down and put back up quickly. The students’ creations also included ivas, wigwams, and longhouses, as appropriate to the peoples they researched. Ms. Piligian explained to students that “there were many generations of Native peoples as well, so it’s important to remember that these structures evolved and changed over time.” After months of immersive, project-based, crosscurricular learning, in December, Grade 3 set up their displays in the barn, and for one hour they delved into each other’s research in what Ms. Keady and Ms. Gaffny call a “jigsaw format.” One partner was able to rotate from presentation to presentation while the other presented, and then they had a chance to switch. It was clear how powerful the learn-by-teaching method could be as these Grade 3 students shared their knowledge with confidence, fielding questions and even asking a few themselves to engage new arrivals. From ideation to completion, the Grade 3 Native peoples investigation is a great example of the impact of the diversity, equity, and inclusion lens the teachers used in their curriculum review. Across all areas of the curriculum, and at every grade level, Nashoba Brooks School is helping learners of all ages to view history through different perspectives as we work to create a more equitable world. Smithsonian. “The Impact of Words and Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology: Am I Using the Right Word?” National Museum of the American Indian, https://americanindian.si.edu/ nk360/informational/impact-words-tips. Accessed 2 January 2022. 1
2
Ibid. FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 29
Class
NOTES Panha Sam TG’15 and Charlie Porter TG’15
Tessa Renyi ’20
TESSA RENYI ’20 was recently named to the Foundation of Metrowest’s Youth in Philanthropy Junior Board which is made up of 35 high school students from around Metrowest Boston. The Junior Board offers alumni of the Youth in Philanthropy program, which Tessa participated in during her time at Nashoba Brooks, the opportunity to engage in philanthropy and social entrepreneurship while serving on a student-run board.
AMAYA BENZAQUIN-MAGILL ’17 is enjoying her freshman year at Tulane University in New Orleans. She reports, “I enjoyed all of my classes this past semester and am continuing to play the drums. My favorite part of it all has to be enjoying all the music that the city has to offer!” KAITLYN ’17 AND KIMBERLY ’13 SCHUSTER continued to expand the reach of their organization Cold Feet Warm Hearts, which is dedicated to bringing warm clothes to those in need. This year they partnered with past parent, Liz Martineau P’13, director of Nashoba Learning Group, where students learned how to fold, sort, and package donated clothing. Kaitlyn is also working on founding a new chapter in Ithaca, New York, all while she attends Cornell: “I love that we’re helping people, and it’s a bonus to do all of this with my sister.” To learn more about their work, visit coldfeetwarmhearts.org. CHARLIE PORTER TG’15 is currently a sophomore at Lexington High School. He played for the soccer team this fall as goalie (a position that started in Kindergarten at NBS). He is skiing this winter for the ski team and recently had dinner with Panha Sam TG’15 who attends St. George’s School.
Danyelle Veillard ’18, Ruby Massengale ’18, Lilly Brock ’18
DANYELLE VEILLARD ’18 is in her final year at John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science where she won her first virtual hackathon for her global innovate program. She was captain of her soccer team this fall and writes “We won my soccer city championships for the first time. After five years of going to the finals and getting second place, we finally got first!” Danyelle also reports that she recently hung out with Ruby Massengale ’18 and Lilly Brock ’18 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. 30 | NA SHOB A BROOK S S CHOOL BU LLE T I N
LUCY LANNAN ’14 graduated magna cum laude from Brooks School and is now in her fourth year at University of Virginia where she is double majoring in biology and Spanish. She runs with the UVA running club and leads a program called Peanut Butter and Jelly, in which UVA students teach latch-key kids with food insecurity issues how to shop on a dime and cook a healthy meal. Last summer she had an internship with the Cardiac Thoracic Surgery Unit at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and plans to apply to medical school this spring.
OSCAR PATTON TG’13 loves being a junior at Deerfield Academy. He has been rowing on the crew team and was invited to the USRowing’s National Team Selection Camp last summer, where he won a seat in the U.S. 8+ boat that went on to compete in the CanAmMex race. HENRY PATTON TG’11 matriculated to Northwestern University in the fall. He’s majoring in theater, and studying Russian language and literature. He was recently invited to join a comedy writing group on campus, and he made the dean’s list in his first term. Both Patton brothers look forward to their sister Hazel’s graduation from Nashoba Brooks in June.
patent bar and the Connecticut bar, and she is now practicing law at Cantor Colburn, LLP in Hartford, CT. She also recently adopted a rescue dog named Clover. WREN MANLY ’07 moved from Washington, DC to Portland, ME last year to be closer to family. She now lives a few miles away from her sister, Rachel Adams ’01 and her two nieces, and only a two hour drive from her brother Howard Chandler (Scooter) Manly TG’00. Wren was previously working as director of external affairs for Indigo Arts Alliance, an artist in residency program for Black and Brown artists. She is now in the midst of starting her own venture in the realm of fashion and exploring additional opportunities in Portland. MARK RUSSELL TG’07 graduated from Bates College in May 2020. At Bates, Mark majored in math and economics, while minoring in philosophy. He also played baseball for his four years at the college. Currently residing in Boston, Mark works for Fidelity Investments in a strategy focused role.
Caroline Eliopoulos ’10, Amanda Brown ’10, Dylan Miller, and Colby Schofield ’10
AMANDA BROWN ’10 celebrated her engagement to Dylan Miller at a party in September. Nashoba Brooks’ friends and classmates, Caroline Eliopoulos ’10 and Colby Schofield ’10 were able to attend. Amanda and Dylan are both orthotic/prosthetic residents in Charlotte, NC and plan to be married in August 2022. Tandy Bryant ’06, Stephanie Emmet Mighty ’06, Hannah Nardi ’06, Lisa Sample ’06
STEPHANIE EMMET MIGHTY ’06 got married to Roger Mighty in Nahant, MA in October 2021. Stephanie says she “was lucky enough to have my longest friends there to celebrate with me on a gloriously sunny day.” In attendance were alumni, Hannah Nardi ’06, who served as maid of honor, Tandy Bryant ’06, and Lisa Sample ’06. Maggie Russell ’09 with her brother Mark TG’07 at her graduation from law school
MAGGIE RUSSELL ’09 graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and received her J.D. from Suffolk Law School in May 2021. She passed both the
LESLIE SACHS ’06 married Sam Robinson in August 2021 at The Greenery in Milton, NH. She was joined by Nashoba Brooks ’06 classmates, Bridget Vellturo, Lizzie Kaplan, Hannah Nardi, Lisa Sample, Meaghan Lueck, and Stephanie Mighty.
FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 31
RACHEL (MANLY) ADAMS ’01 was recently profiled in the September issue of Maine Home and Design (https://mainehomedesign.com/profile/ outsiders) recognizing her distinctive work as a graphic artist. Check out our School LinkedIn page to read our recent Alum Spotlight on the great work Rachel has been doing.
Bridget Vellturo ’06, Lizzie Kaplan ’06, Hannah Nardi ’06, Leslie Sachs ’06, Lisa Sample ’06, Meaghan Lueck ’06, Stephanie Mighty ’06
MEGAN BROWN PASQUINA ’00 and her husband Lincoln were featured in the most recent season of the television series This Old House. The fall season of the program follows the Pasquina’s process of turning their 1880s Cape Cod–style house in Concord, MA into a modern family home. You can find a summary of the project at: https://www. thisoldhouse.com/the-concord-country-cape. LIZZIE MOORE ROGAL ’98 has spent two years as head of middle school at Crystal Springs Uplands School in California. She and her husband Keith plan to move their family back to the east coast this summer!
Kate Howerton ’04, Sarah Armitage ’04, Rachel Frenkil ’04, Elisabeth Denison ’04
KATE HOWERTON ’04 writes “Jack (Cherewatti) and I were married in Healdsburg, California in September 2021. My bridesmaids were NBS alumni, Rachel Frenkil ’04 , Elisabeth Denison ’04, and Sarah Armitage ’04. We live and work in Boston.”
Sarah Schindler Williams ‘94 and Kate (Moffat) Lostracco ’94
Meredith Davis-Yelinek ’02, E.B. Bartels ’02, Tucker Rosebrock ’02
E.B. BARTELS ’02 married Richie Corrado in August 2021 at Camp Kiwanee in Hanson, MA. Her two best friends from Nashoba each played a crucial role in the wedding: Meredith Davis-Yelinek ’02 signed as a witness for the marriage certificate, and H. Tucker Rosebrock ’02 did a reading in the ceremony! 32 | N A SHOB A BROOK S S CHOOL BU LLE T I N
KATE (MOFFAT) LOSTRACCO ’94 was featured in the winter 2021 issue of Preservation Magazine (https://savingplaces.org/stories/solid-as-a-rock-a-chatwith-preservation-pro-kate-lostracco) for her work preserving masonry in historic buildings as president and founder of Dominion Traditional Building Group. Last summer she connected with Sarah Schindler Williams ’94 whose son Max was born on the same day as Kate’s son Jefferson in 2014. MARJORIE BANGS TG’71 attended Chapel Hill Chauncey Hall and Massachusetts College of Art. She lives in Belmont, MA, and makes art. She is also involved with several non-profit organizations, including the Habitat for Humanity ReStore which sells donated building materials, furniture, and household goods to the public, and uses the income to
build housing for those in need. She is in touch with Brooks classmate Phil Rossoni TG’71 who also lives in Belmont.
Top row, l-r: Danielle Heard, Meaghan Lueck ’06, Lee Cross ’02, Sarah Flint ’03, Allie Dempsey '03, Katherine Burd ’06, Isabelle Hoch ’10 Bottom row, l-r: Jevan Jammal ’02, Tandy Bryant '06, Tess Pellegrini ’10, Colby Schofield ’10. Not pictured, but in attendance: Daniel Kramer TG’08 Phil Rossoni TG’71
PHIL ROSSONI TG’71 authored a TEDxBeacon Street Talk titled “Getting a Paper Airplane to Fly Forever.” Phil teaches the aerodynamics of paper airplanes at afterschool programs, libraries and STEM conventions. Phil is also the author of Build and Pilot Your Own Walkalong Gliders, published in 2012 by McGraw-Hill. LISA SHAW ’71 graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School in 1975 and Northeastern University in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She has worked as a pediatric nurse for over 40 years while married and raising 4 children who are now working adults. For the past 10 years, she has been fundraising and organizing surgical mission trips to Guatemala. She partners with the U.S. based, nonprofit The Shalom Foundation and has provided free orthopedic surgical care to over 500 children. She lives with her husband and two rescue dogs in Larkspur, Colorado. NYC ALUMNI REUNION New York Alumni gathered for a Reunion in December 2021 with Head of School Danielle Heard hosted by Sarah Flint ’03 at her pop-up shop.
Others thought back to their art classes with Ms. Stanley or finding their special spot on campus during science class with Ms. Svatek. Meaghan Lueck ’06 remembered spotting her teachers off campus, swimming and exploring at Walden Pond or venturing on a bike ride around Concord, demonstrating for her a model of strength and community. Lee Cross ’02 felt the academic rigor was remarkable and helped her develop the work ethic she continues to draw on today in her professional career. Katherine Burd ’06 remembered the character education she received and how learning to truly care for others was a skill developed while at Nashoba Brooks. Daniel Kramer TG’08 thought back to his time in the Lower School, where he learned about equity and inclusivity through intentionally interwoven and accessible curriculum. Colby Schofield ’10 remembered experiencing her one and only undefeated soccer season as an NBS varsity player, an impressive accomplishment! The event generated many lovely conversations, an unexpected reunion of a Big Sister-Little Sister pairing in Lee Cross ’02 and Meaghan Lueck ’06, and a feeling of shared connection to the place we all call our School. We look forward to seeing many more of our wonderful alumni at future events.
Alumni ranging from the classes of 2002 to 2010 gathered for brunch, connection, and a look back on fond memories from when they attended the School. In this intimate setting, each attendee had the opportunity to share a highlight, appreciation, or funny memory from their time at Nashoba Brooks. These included reflections around musical performances, namely Honk!, which seemed to be performed by at least two of the graduating classes in attendance. FALL/ WI N T E R 2022 | 33
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Building a snow person takes collaboration