Over the past 29 years, since our founding in 1996, the world has steadily evolved. Schools have changed immensely. Yet, at Prospect Hill Academy, we remain faithful to our mission: to prepare each student for success in college, inspire a lifelong love of learning, and foster responsible citizenship.
When our students enter our mission-driven school, they embark on a PHA educational journey full of experiential, project-based, and play-based learning opportunities where they can engage deeply, be ignited to think flexibly, and make connections within themselves, with others, and with the ever-evolving world around them.
Undeniably, the PHA journey profoundly impacts our students and their families, as well as our broader community of faculty and staff, and our Board of Trustees. In this year’s Impact Report, we illuminate the PHA journey through “Stories of Impact,” told by and about the very people that PHA has nurtured and helped to grow academically, socially, emotionally, and professionally.
In this report, we have created the space for our PHAmily to share their personal PHA stories with you, our valued donors, supporters, partners, and champions. We hope you will come away inspired and with a deeper understanding of the meaningful impact of your generous contributions to our school. THANK YOU!
Sincerely,
Angela F. Allen, Ph.D. Head of School/CEO
ENGAGE
Jeronimo: Transforming a Young Scholar’s Life
Jeronimo entered Kindergarten as a “newcomer,” having just arrived in the US from Colombia, speaking no English. With so many life changes happening all at once, starting school for the first time in a place so foreign to him proved challenging. By nature a talkative and social child, Jeronimo was extremely intimidated to be in a classroom where he couldn’t understand his teacher and fellow students, and felt no one could understand him. In fact, at the beginning of the school year he often refused to enter the classroom altogether. However, by the end of the school year, Jeronimo absolutely loved school and was successfully meeting all grade-level assessment benchmarks, including those in English.
What contributed to that significant change in his sense of belonging, his behavior, and his academic success? A combination of English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, an inclusive curriculum, a positive classroom culture, and wrap-around family services allowed Jeronimo to thrive as a child and a scholar.
At first, Jeronimo was most comfortable during the 60-90 minutes a day he spent in small group ESL instruction. He also bonded with our Spanishspeaking Family Liaison, who communicated with his mother multiple times a week to ensure his needs were met, and with the Spanish-speaking front office administrator, whom he called “La Directora” because to him, she clearly ran the place.
Over time, Jeronimo became more at ease in the classroom. He realized that many of his fellow students were from all over the world with varying degrees of English proficiency, working to become bilingual just like him. He easily connected with and engaged in the PHA-designed play-based curriculum that allows students to learn through hands-on exploration and collaboration and encourages children to communicate and problem-solve together.
To ensure Jeronimo adjusted well to his surroundings, his teacher and the Family Liaison were in continuous contact with his mother. His teacher used a texting platform with automatic translation, allowing the two of them to communicate despite not speaking each other’s language. When Jeronimo started missing class and falling behind because his single mom struggled to bring him to school, our Family Liaison went into problem-solving mode and found a Spanish-speaking parent of a classmate willing to carpool and ensure Jeronimo could be at school every day on time.
Today, Jeronimo is excited to come to school, is happily connected with his peers, and actively engaged in his learning. He and his mother are immensely proud of his amazing accomplishments, both academically and socially. Yet, despite having gotten to know the Principal, the office administrator remains his “Directora.”
A
combination of English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, an inclusive curriculum, a positive classroom culture, and
wrap-around family services allowed Jeronimo to thrive as a child and a scholar.
Developing a Compassionate and Confident Leader
Saoirse:
When Saoirse and her twin brother Liam started Kindergarten at PHA, she was a quiet and shy child. A good student, she was conscientious about her work and engaged in her learning, but she did not speak up in class and kept mostly to herself. Early Childhood Campus Principal Johnson recounts how all that changed when Saoirse was selected to become a third grade peer mentor. As a mentor, she underwent training in mediation and conflict resolution. She was then routinely asked to work with fellow students from Kindergarten to third grade to guide them through resolving their disputes and to help them repair trusting relationships. With her quiet confidence, she found the strength in her voice and experienced the impact she could have on others.
Now entering sixth grade, Saoirse has no hesitation to readily speak up in class. When working in groups, she is often the natural leader of the team. Whether during an exploration of different types of snakes during the Nature’s Classroom overnight trip, while making smoothies in her STEAM Saturday cooking class, or designing and presenting a lesson plan on a natural disaster, Saoirse easily collaborates with her group while making sure the work gets done well and on time.
During a recent playwriting and performance residency with the Central Square Theater, Saoirse and her fellow fifth graders worked together to script, perform, and film original plays about “Leaders of Social Change,” culminating in a screening of their movies at the Central Square Theater in Cambridge. The students then voted on awards for best script, editing, acting, and overall performance, with several groups, including Saoirse’s, receiving awards.
Saoirse reflected on how her group succeeded in producing a winning project: “I learned that we’re different people, we’re all unique, but we can still work together even if it requires a bit of motivation. We had selected different leaders, but we worked together to come up with a good story. My favorite part about the Leaders of Social Change project was going to the premiere in the theater and seeing four groups (including mine) get awards for their work.”
Steadily building on the skills she acquired as a third grade mentor – understanding the power of bringing people together, of listening to different voices, of building on each other’s strengths, and finding consensus – helped Saoirse grow into the confident leader she is today.
With her quiet confidence, she found the strength in her voice and experienced the impact she could have on others.
Matthew Ferry:
Striving to Innovate In Service
of Engaging all Students
9th
grade Biology teacher Matthew Ferry came to work at PHA in the middle of the pandemic because he felt a sense of urgency to impact outcomes for increasingly marginalized students and families. He felt an immediate alignment of values and a connection with our students who are the “heart and soul” of PHA. Now entering his fifth year teaching at PHA, he says that what keeps him here is the freedom to be creative, the attention to students’ voices, and the collaboration between faculty. This was a striking contrast to the three previous schools Matthew taught at, where he was given a curriculum and decision making came from the top down. Throughout his time at PHA, Matthew has been able to grow his professional practice by exploring various ways to more deeply engage students in science and inspire their curiosity and interests.
As a lifelong learner, Matthew is proud of his continuous improvement and impact on teaching and learning. One big highlight of his impact on student learning is a year-long interdisciplinary collaboration between his biology classes and the 9th grade English classes which involved incorporating literacy into science and vice versa.
The culmination of this work was a year-end exhibition of student projects at a Somerville art gallery entitled “Visions of the Future.” During English class, students explored visions of their own future and the world they would like to live in, while in Biology, they used their knowledge of evolution and ecology to predict what the natural world might look like in the far future. In the process, they used artificial
intelligence to generate visual images. They then combined their projects into a single work of art using text, painting or drawing, and sculptural elements.
Matthew explained the significance of this project as follows:
“There were two major things that stood out: One was the level of engagement. We put students in front of a public audience, which had a ripple effect. Obviously, you have the students who normally do all their work on time, and they’ll continue to do so, but now the other kids, who don’t always keep up, are recognizing that ‘oh man, my work is going to be public, I should put some effort into this.’ Then there was a further ripple affecting students who we’ve had a really hard time engaging all year. They saw everyone in their class was invested in their work, even the kids who are not usually on top of things, and they were like, ‘Wait a second, I’m gonna miss out on this if I don’t try harder.’ As a result, we saw nearly 100% student engagement.
The second marker of success was the level of ownership: Students enjoyed themselves. I’m getting a little emotional here. . . the students showed a lot of pride in what they had accomplished. For me, I saw what it means for kids to own their learning in a way that is meaningful to them; they talked about their project as the confident experts on the subject. It was so beautiful to observe.”
Matthew looks forward to more interdisciplinary collaboration and learning, which more closely reflects how the real world functions. Thinking about real challenges in a holistic, multidisciplinary fashion is what preparing our students for the future looks like.
“For me, I saw what it means for kids to own their learning in a way that is meaningful to them; they talked about their project as the confident experts on the subject. It was so beautiful to observe.”
What will I miss most about PHA? The beautiful, tight-knit community. We all know each other so well! Most of my fellow students and I have been at PHA together since Kindergarten.
My teachers and college counselors are truly invested and interested in me; they ask about my family, and they want to know how I am doing and what I am planning. We all really care for each other. I know I will have small classes at college, but they will never be the same.”
Tamar Etienne graduated from PHA in June 2024 and is on her way to study molecular and cellular biology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She reflects fondly on her 13-year educational journey at PHA, what she has learned, and how she arrived where she is today: “One of the most important things I have learned at PHA is developing good study habits: how to manage my time, how to navigate challenges independently and when to ask for help, how to work in teams and when it’s okay to rely on others. And resilience – sometimes you fail, but you can’t give up. I learned that in AP Bio.”
“When I graduate from Johns Hopkins, I want to go to medical school to become a pediatric oncologist. I know this because the summer after 10th grade, PHA recommended I join the STEM+M Connect pre-college program at Tufts University, where I got to tag along with a cancer
researcher who let me conduct my own research. I got to investigate lung cancer rates in Malden (where I live) and present my research findings at the end of the program. Then after 11th grade, PHA helped me get into the very competitive CURE program run by Dana-Farber and the Harvard Cancer Center. I was again assigned a mentor and shadowed an oncology researcher studying the impact of vitamins on cancer patients. Both of these experiences hugely influenced the direction I want to go in.”
Tamar also benefited from PHA’s dual enrollment program, where students take college courses to receive both high school graduation and college credits. Tamar completed Statistics and College Writing courses at Bunker Hill Community College, giving her an early experience of studying with college students and a head start with college credits.
Although she will have to leave her PHA family behind, Tamar is excited and ready to begin college this fall. After spending most of their freshman and sophomore years in pandemic-related remote learning, Tamar and her classmates had to re-learn how to socialize and re-engage with each other upon their return to school. As they moved through their pivotal junior and senior years at PHA, they were thoughtful and intentional in teaching each other how to rebuild their community, emerging even stronger and better prepared for college than before.
“ My teachers and college counselors are truly invested and interested in me; they ask about my family, and they want to know how I am doing and what I am planning. We all really care for each other.”
Alexandria Onuoha:
Launching the Journey of an Academic and Social Justice Changemaker
After graduating from PHA in 2016, Alexandria Onuoha remained connected to the school, guided by the love and appreciation she felt for PHA. Most recently, she rejoined the PHA community to lead middle school Bese Saka, a club that provided BIPOC girls an opportunity to explore identity and empowerment while simultaneously learning from her students and conducting research for her doctoral studies. When asked about what PHA means to her, she reflected on her educational journey as follows:
“Prospect Hill Academy provided the solid foundation and unwavering support that propelled me to where I am today in my academic and professional journey. I began attending PHA in the fourth grade due to my mother’s dissatisfaction with the lack of support and culturally affirming environment at my previous school. I went to PHA and began to envision a bright future for myself. The faculty at PHA nurtured my intellectual curiosity and instilled a passion for tackling societal challenges from an early age; they encouraged me and gave me the tools I needed to be confident in speaking about critical issues those at the margins face.
Thanks to the foundational skills and knowledge gained at PHA, I have been able to achieve significant milestones in my career at a young age.
I am currently a PhD candidate in Applied Developmental Psychology at Suffolk University in Boston, focusing on Black adolescent girls’ experiences with joy in school. This research has been supported by a prestigious grant, which underscores the impact of the academic preparation I received at PHA. In addition, I had the privilege of being a Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston Public Policy Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School last summer, an experience that significantly expanded my perspective and prepared me for future endeavors in developmental psychology, education, and policy. Recently, I was awarded the 2024 Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Bates College, my alma mater, recognizing my contributions and achievements in academia and beyond. I have been featured in the Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, and Al Jazeera. I am deeply grateful to PHA for a supportive learning environment that not only prepared me academically but also instilled in me a commitment to making a meaningful impact in the world.”
“The faculty at PHA nurtured my intellectual curiosity and instilled a passion for tackling societal challenges from an early age; they encouraged me and gave me the tools I needed to be confident in speaking about critical issues those at the margins face.”
Jeff
Kushner: Making a Difference and Finding Meaning
As a first-generation college-goer who benefited greatly from the credentials that come with a college degree, I knew I wanted to work within education. When I visited PHA, I knew this was the school for me. I had heard about the great work the school is doing, but walking into the building and seeing the joy and engagement of the students is what sold me.”
Jeff’s love for connecting with students also kept him on the PHA Board of Trustees for ten years, nine of them as chair. Three PHA traditions stand out for him as highlights: “One: Graduation marks the culmination of a 13-year educational journey for our students before sending them off to college, and no one knows how to celebrate our students’ accomplishments like the PHA community. The joy and excitement are simply palpable. Two: International Night lets us experience just a little bit of the rich cultural diversity of the PHA community. Personally, my favorite thing is tasting amazing food from across the world. And Three: Exhibition Night allows me to see our students’ innate curiosity and the pride and ownership they take in presenting their work. I love asking challenging questions and observing the students’ critical thinking process as they provide thoughtful and constructive answers and often push back on my challenge.”
Looking back at his tenure on the board, Jeff is grateful for all that the PHA community has taught him and how it has positively impacted his views and values.
“I grew up in a mostly homogeneous place and then entered an even more homogeneous workplacewhite men - working towards the same goal - making money. At PHA, I experienced collaborating with and learning from a hugely diverse group of people who brought their own perspectives and understanding of the world to the table, all striving to create the best educational opportunities for our students. I got to engage with people from vastly different backgrounds in a truly meaningful way.”
As Jeff is moving on to his next endeavor, he reflects: “At the core of why I came and stayed at PHA is my deep belief that every child deserves access to equitable educational opportunities. The way schools are funded today is guaranteed to perpetuate the status quo. Kids who need the least get the most, and those who need the most get the least. Charter schools are an imperfect solution to that challenge. At PHA, we have always strived to level the playing field and give our historically disadvantaged kids the opportunity of a great education. I will always cherish and be proud of that work.”
“ At PHA, I experienced collaborating with and learning from a hugely diverse group of people who brought their own perspectives and understanding of the world to the table, all striving to create the best educational opportunities for our students.”
2024-2025 Board of Trustees
Chair: Jennifer S. Gala, Senior Portfolio Director, Harvard Business School
Vice-Chair: Pam Dickinson, Strategic Consultant
Treasurer: Kate Austin, Research Analyst at Polen Capital Credit
Clerk: Giovany Morales-Ramos, IT Manager/Consultant, Insource Services, Inc.
Stephanie Deering, Director, Lee & Associates Boston
Krista Green Demas, M.Ed., Head of School, Tremont School
