Meadowbrook Magazine Spring 2021

MeadowbrookMagazine

spring 2021

SPRING 2021

The Meadowbrook Magazine is published by

The Meadowbrook School of Weston, 10 Farm Road, Weston, MA 02493-2493

www.meadowbrook-ma.org

President of the Board of Trustees

Chris Austen

Head of School

arvind s. grover

Meadowbrook Magazine Editors

Madison Powers

Pam Scafati

Guest Writers

Barb Ruppert

Maura King Scully

Contributing Writers

Michele Daly

arvind s. grover

Niki Leiter

Madison Powers

Pam Scafati

Art & Design Direction

Dan Beard Design

Photography

Rosanne Beard

Norm Harnick

Christy McGraw

Madison Powers

Joshua Touster

ON THE COVER: JK student Anton D. enjoying tech time.

ABOVE: No mask can hide the giant smile from JK student Charlie H.

In the face of a global pandemic, Meadowbrook continued to live by its mission and created a safe and supportive environment for the whole community.

Teaching by Example

The Multicultural Teaching Institute, originally founded by Meadowbrook faculty members, demonstrates the importance of teaching diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom.

20 RULER

Teachers and students alike are working towards mastering their feelings with this innovative SEL curriculum.

The Meadowbrook middle school is a place of joy, challenge, and dramatic development.

I’m

inspired...

Head of School arvind grover on perseverance and challenge in the wake of a global pandemic

I’ve often thought about what our children will remember about this time, going to school in a pandemic. It’s something I would not wish on any community, and yet it’s also something I would never want to go through without a community. It’s not something I’d want for any child, and yet, if one has to live through a pandemic, I’d wish for a place like Meadowbrook for every child.

Long before COVID-19, Meadowbrook was known for having a challenging academic environment. We set the bar extraordinarily high for children so that they can continuously stretch and grow beyond what they thought

to serve me.” Those alumni stories bolster my faith in what we do.

And now, our children are facing enormous life challenges — kept from their friends and their extended family, living through a viral pandemic — and yet they persevere. We persevere.

While we have no control over the pandemic, we have ultimate control of our community. We have actively chosen to stand together, to come to school together — some of us in person, some of us virtually — because we believe in education and school. We believe that participating in a community serves us and the greater good simultaneously. And we’ve shown it to be true — while this may be the worst and most challenging time Meadowbrook has ever faced, we’ve come together to defy the virus with a simple radical act: going to school. We learn, and we laugh, and we gather (leaving six feet of distance and wearing masks at all times, of course). And we persevere.

possible. I am often shocked at what our children, be they 4-year-olds learning to read or 14-year-olds learning geometric postulates, can achieve. What I have long known in my heart of hearts is that when you are used to being challenged all the time in school, from mathematics to cross-cultural dialog, you are prepared to persevere through the trials of life. I hear it from our alumni all the time. They tell me, “I was prepared,” and “the lessons I learned at Meadowbrook continue

Leading is the most humbling work I know. But I was unprepared to be as humbled as I have been this year, watching learners thrive against the odds, faculty members sacrificing to make it possible, and families collaborating with us day in and day out. Working together, we are collectively seeing our students and our community through the storm and stronger out the other side.

I told the faculty in August of 2020 that this may be the hardest thing we ever do. I sure hope that it is. And I doubt that we’ll remember all of the things we’ve had to do, but I’m confident that we’ll not forget how we made each other feel. Now is the time to have each other’s backs and come through it all together, as one Meadowbrook community. u

COVID-19 | Meadowbrook Responds

In March 2020, the whole world changed, and Meadowbrook changed with it. With reports of a virulent respiratory virus spreading across the globe, we knew that at some point, our beloved community would be impacted by its worldwide reach. Like with so many historic events before, most people will remember where they were when they found out that COVID-19 had reached pandemic proportions. At Meadowbrook, it was just another school day, one right before spring break, when faculty gathered in the

MacDowell Center to prepare for what we thought would be two weeks of distance learning. As we all know by now, those two weeks turned into the rest of the school year. While businesses, municipalities, and even our federal government scrambled to prepare for what would ultimately become nearly a year of “new normals,” Meadowbrook did what it does best: came together as a community and adjusted to provide support to our students and faculty and to plan for a school year that would be like no other.

In the following pages, you will read about how each and every member of our community rose to the challenges that COVID-19 posed to our school, and how we have remained steadfast in our mission to provide a rigorous academic program in a warm and loving environment.

We are grateful for the many people who have spent the last year working tirelessly to keep our school not only open but safe and special as ever.

Preparing for Anything

A group of dedicated individuals helped plan for an uncertain future

When it became clear that our state-wide lockdown was in no uncertain terms, indefinite, the Meadowbrook administration knew it was time to get into serious planning mode. With the possibility of COVID-19 lasting well into the fall of 2020,

STEERING COMMITTEE

Susan Littlefield

David Cappillo

Kate Ellis

Vince Montemaggiore

Nicole Fitzpatrick

Brian Sung

Ethan Thurow

Chris Austen

Head of School arvind grover put together a team of people that would ultimately become responsible for some of the biggest decisions the school has had to make in its history.

Comprised of Meadowbrook administrators and board mem-

Cathy Connolly

Paresh Patel

Jen Block

Matt Mittelstadt

arvind grover

Rashna Mehta

Justin McLean

Jordan Bentley

bers, the COVID-19 Steering Committee began meeting in May of 2020 to plan for the 2020-2021 school year. Their tireless work is one of the primary reasons Meadowbrook was able to open in-person school, five days a week, in September 2020. u

Jonathan Schmid

Pam Scafati

Kristin Eisenhardt

Michele Daly

Alethea Dunham-Carson

Laurie Geromini

John Austin

Kathy McNamara

Answering the Call

Meadowbrook has always relied on the generous financial support of our community for annual giving, which accounts for approximately 12% of our operating budget. This was never more important than in the spring of 2020 when all of our fundraising events, including the financially impactful Parents Gala, had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We knew that in order to support our work to deliver the excellent Meadowbrook program in new ways, that we would need additional financial resources.

At that time of uncertainty, and with the mission on our minds, we combined the traditional Annual Fund with the fundraising goal of the Parents Gala to create The Meadowbrook Fund

In true Meadowbrook form, the community rose to the challenge, raising a record-breaking $2.1 million for the school, including $1.2 million towards The Meadowbrook Fund, which allowed us to prepare the campus for in-

person learning and enhance our infrastructure for @Home learning. Thanks to all of our generous donors both past and present, we are able to continue to deliver our exceptional academic program despite the challenges presented by this crisis while prioritizing the health and safety of our faculty and students.

The Meadowbrook Fund was used to provide the best educational experience for our students by providing unrestricted operating support to Meadowbrook’s budget. It both fills the fundraising gap that we need to fill every year and helps to support the additional $2 million in costs associated with COVID-19. Some examples include:

• Hiring twelve new teaching assistants (TAs), additional school nurse, PE teacher and a Zoom Specialist.

• Technology expenses including infrastructure upgrades, software and hardware for faculty and students

• Commissioning campus-wide space planning analysis

• HVAC upgrades and facility reconfiguration renovations

• COVID testing and PPE for faculty

• Additional financial assistance for existing families

• Consulting school physician

• Additional professional development

• Loss of auxiliary revenue for summer program, facilities rentals, and after school programs.

This year, we permanently renamed the annual fund The Meadowbrook Fund. We are grateful to all of our donors who supported the school in a time of need.

To see a list of names of all donors, please visit the Annual Report website at www.annualreport1920-meadowbrook-ma.org

Password: Meadowbrook

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Meadowbrook has a long history of rigorous academics. It is part of our mission to challenge children in an environment in which they feel known, loved, and supported. The COVID-19 pandemic posed new challenges across the board, but perhaps the largest one was continuing to deliver our world-class curriculum to students when we could not all be in our shared spaces seeing each other’s smiling faces.

When planning was underway over the summer, we quickly realized that if we were able to reopen for in-person school, we would also need to have a remote option prepared. We knew some families would require a remote learning option for health reasons, and we knew we had to be prepared to move the entire school to remote learning again if needed. Thus Meadowbrook @Home was born. A creative, high-touch remote learning experience, Meadowbrook @Home allows families that choose to keep their children at home to still feel involved and connected to their peers learning in school. Students in the @Home program are members of cohorts just like their in-person friends, and have dedicated @Home guides to help with logistics and promote community time. Each day, they join their classmates via Zoom for regular lessons and even specials like art and music.

To increase safety for on campus students, each grade was broken down into two cohorts, each led by one of the grade-level co-teachers in the Lower School and by dedicated faculty members in the Middle School. Additionally, Meadowbrook hired 12 new Teaching Assistants for each lower school cohort to support the lead teachers. The addition of these new faculty members has been critical to the success of our school year thus far.

With these measures in place, Meadowbrook students have been able to receive the stellar academic experience families expect from Meadowbrook. While some of the hallmarks of each year have had to change, students have still been able to participate in time-honored traditions like 1st grade marshmallow day, 7th grade debates, and 4th grade mask assembly. u

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Michelle Gonzalez -JK-T

Trupti Pandit - SK-B

Alicia Kolovson - SK-M

Thomas Williamson - 1A

Annie Elbadawi - 1J

Christy McGraw - 2R

Samantha Salopek - 2P

Joseph Gottlieb - 3P

Trinity Johns - 3T

Susan Roche - 4N

Abigail Beermann - 4S

James Davis - 5F

Michael Carucci - PE

Ellen Cintolo - Nurse

Safety First!

If you’ve been in any of the parent Zoom meetings this year, you have definitely heard Head of School arvind grover use the term “layers” when referring to the safety precautions Meadowbrook planned for the opening of the 2020-2021 school year. It’s not just a buzzword, but a guiding principle.

Creating numerous health and safety protocols that overlapped to optimize the safety of faculty and students allowed Meadowbrook to open for in-person school, five days a week.

Throughout the summer of 2020, a dedicated team of faculty and volunteers worked together to plan for multiple eventualities for the fall. Their ultimate goal was to open Meadowbrook for in-person learning, but they knew it would not be easy. Bringing back over 400 students and faculty to campus safely was not a decision to be made lightly, and as such, Head of School arvind grover along with Sue Wright and Jonathan Schmid and other members of the administration, attended twice-weekly

pandemic briefings with health experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, among others. In addition, Meadowbrook partnered with a local physician, Dr. Rose Dieffenbach, who has continued to serve as a medical consultant throughout the school year.

Through the briefings, meetings with Dr. Dieffenbach, and extensive research on best practices, Meadowbrook implemented layers of safety precautions, including:

Masking: every person on campus is required to wear a mask at all times, except while eating. During snack and lunch, students sit at their desks quietly to prevent particle spread.

Distance: all students remain six feet apart or more while in the classroom.

Daily screenings: families are required to screen their children each day for COVID-19 symptoms, and answer daily screening questions before their children are allowed on campus. Faculty are also required to complete the questionnaire daily.

Testing: Meadowbrook’s testing program has evolved throughout the year, and it now includes twice weekly PCR testing for every student and faculty member on campus. Most recently, our school nurses were given access to rapid antigen tests to be able to diagnose symptomatic students or faculty members right on campus within 15 minutes.

Visitors: no visitors were allowed in school buildings at any time, including parents.

In addition to these safety protocols, Meadowbrook taught and trained students on the 3 W’s: Wash– washing hands upon entry and exit of every space, before and after eating, and when donning and doffing masks; Wear– wear a mask that meets strict safety guidelines, and always keep it over your nose and mouth, unless eating; and Watch– watch your distance at all times. You must always remain 6

feet away from from your nearest peer or colleague.

With all of these safety layers in place, the 2020-2021 school year certainly looks different, but the spirit has remained. Our students have shown once again how resilient they are, taking to the new protocols like old pros, and our faculty have gone above and beyond to find creative ways to connect with students in the classroom and at home. u

Trading Spaces

Our facilities team put in time on the ground to make in-person school possible for students and faculty.

While much work was being done behind the scenes to prepare Meadowbrook to reopen in the fall of 2020, our facilities team, led by Director of Facilities Chris O’Toole, was front and center, working with architects, engineers, consultants, and vendors to prepare a safe environment that would meet state guidelines.

Over the summer, many updates were made to our campus and buildings to promote the physical safety and wellbeing of our students and faculty on campus. We engaged the school’s architect and HVAC engineer to evaluate infrastructure, help us to configure the spaces for optimal safety, and to generate new wayfinding signage to guide people around the buildings. We made it easier to practice good hand hygiene by adding additional handwashing and hand sanitizing stations, and touchless and metered faucets were installed throughout campus. Additional cleaning crews were hired to clean high-touch surfaces throughout the day, including cohort-specific bathrooms hourly.

A special electrostatic sprayer was purchased to sanitize large surfaces like the playground structures, and we purchased 363 individual desks to eliminate shared workspaces for students. Beautiful outdoor tents were purchased for each cohort to have their own designated outdoor space for classes, lunch, or free time.

We are proud to report that due to the multitude of steps taken, our campus has met or exceeded all state guidelines. Our teaching spaces are de-densified, our students are at least 6 feet apart, and in terms of air quality, we exceed the guidelines set forth by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning

Engineers, a professional organization that is regarded as the gold standard in the industry. Our students and faculty quickly got used to the new layout and the new safety protocols in place throughout campus, proving once again how adaptable the Meadowbrook community is. While our teachers’ remarkable efforts are seen in the classroom each day, the work of our dedicated facilities department and volunteers often happens when no one is on campus. Time and time again they were asked to make quick decisions, to place large orders, to build, and to clean, and every time they did with trademark Meadowbrook spirit. We are so proud of the work they accomplished over the summer and the efforts they continue to make to ensure our school environment is safe. u

COVID-19 TECH TEAM

Jonathan Schmid

Susan Fisher

Dan Riles

Brian Longo

Meadowbrook has always been known for its evolving innovation. Whether it’s in the classroom, in the Danoff Family Innovation Center, or online, the school always strives to be on the leading edge of technology in schools. When it came to meeting the increasing technological demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was no different.

pandemic

i n n o

v a t i o n

Last March, when Meadowbrook had to quickly pivot to distance learning, our Technology and Innovation department quickly advised faculty and administration on the best tools to use and were by their side as they implemented and improved upon them throughout the spring. Over the summer, the department had to prepare for not only students learning at a distance, but also for the new way that students would be learning in school. That included adding technology in new learning spaces like the MacDowell center and Black Box Theater. New TVs, charging stations, and computers were installed throughout the school, and the wireless internet signal was boosted so it reached every corner of the buildings.

Aside from the devices that were reorganized and installed, our technology team researched, recommended, and helped implement a number of software programs for faculty and students:

Zoom: for @Home students, cohorts remoting in, and even for meetings across campus, Zoom has been an integral part of learning this school year. The school hired a dedicated Zoom specialist for @Home students made possible by the gift of a generous donor.

SeeSaw: our lower school teachers are using SeeSaw to manage classwork for students learning in the classroom and at a distance.

Schoology: our middle schoolers and middle school faculty have relied on Schoology to manage work and turn in assignments.

None of this work would have been possible without the dedication of the members of the technology department. u

Meadowbrook’s Multicultural Teaching Institute leads the way in training culturally competent educators

Teaching By

Example

Some things never change—like the fact that Meadowbrook School provides an outstanding education. That has been a constant since the school opened its doors in 1923. What constitutes an outstanding education, however, has evolved over the years. In the 1920s, for example, there was no need to teach computer literacy or construct maker spaces.

Today, computers are ubiquitous and design-thinking labs like the Danoff Family Innovation Center are common at top independent schools. Meadowbrook prides itself in keeping pace with best practices to ensure that students receive the very best preparation for high school and for life. This is why the school has become a national leader in diversity and multicultural education. Multicultural education refers to any form of education or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from multiple cultural backgrounds. Like computers and maker spaces, diversity is critical knowledge for students. As tomorrow’s citizens, parents, and professionals, our students must have the tools to work with all kinds of people in order to thrive.

This leadership is most visible in the Multicultural Teaching Institute (MTI), an organization launched six years ago by a faculty team to promote anti-bias and multicultural pedagogy.

Supported by a grant from the Meadowbrook Leadership Institute, the group developed an intensive three-day summer conference to give teachers real-world tools for culturally competent teaching. The idea was that MTI would provide

this cutting-edge training to Meadowbrook faculty while also opening it to other schools. That concept took root and has blossomed. To date, more than 360 educators have completed the Multicultural Teaching Institute—some attending multiple times. Though most of the conference goers are from Boston-area independent schools, MTI has drawn participants from a half dozen states representing independent and public schools as well as a college and a museum (see sidebar).

Diversity = Excellence

MTI’s popularity doesn’t surprise Director of Multicultural Affairs Alethea Dunham-Carson, who co-directs MTI. “Study after study shows that the diversity of a school directly contributes to the quality of the education it provides,” she says. “When students are exposed to a variety of perspectives, they learn to think critically, challenge their assumptions, and explore different approaches and solutions. Communities that address diversity and multicultural education effectively are psychologically safer places for students of all backgrounds, which leads to greater academic success.”

“The awareness that we live in a global community and that contributions to our society have come from every corner of the world needs to be woven into any curriculum.”

–

YOCELIN GONZÁLEZ, MTI DIRECOR

“The mission of MTI is to inspire and equip teachers to continue personal exploration of their own cultural identity and where it intersects with teaching and learning. We do this by providing a collaborative, workshop experience where participants can share and develop multicultural teaching tools with other educators.”

– JENNA CHANDLER-WARD, MTI CO-FOUNDER

Such work doesn’t happen by accident. It must be intentionally and thoughtfully incorporated at both an institutional and classroom level. “The awareness that we live in a global community and that contributions to our society have come from every corner of the world needs to be woven into any curriculum,” notes Yocelin González, MTI co-director and director of community partnerships and admission outreach. “A diverse population and a multicultural education prepares all students to live in our increasingly diverse world.”

As more and more schools recognize this reality, there is growing demand for teachers and administrators to receive specific learning opportunities and workshops in these areas. Oddly, beyond an introductory class, many graduate institutions that offer an M.Ed. have little to offer in this realm.

Practically Speaking

MTI fills that gap, explains former Middle School English teacher Jenna Chandler-Ward, who

spearheaded the project. “The mission of MTI is to inspire and equip teachers to continue personal exploration of their own cultural identity and where it intersects with teaching and learning. We do this by providing a collaborative, workshop experience where participants can share and develop multicultural teaching tools with other educators.”

Participants praise MTI as an eye-opening and thought-provoking event. “MTI is the best professional development experience I’ve ever had,” says Julia Spiegelman, a former Meadowbrook French teacher who also serves on the MTI faculty. “In the day-to-day business of teaching, there’s not always time to do that reflection piece—to think about your identity and student identity. MTI is a space to reflect on this, to have these conversations,” says Spiegelman, who is now pursuing a Ph.D. in linguistics.

“It’s not heavy-handed. It’s very supportive,” adds Afrika Afeni Mills, an instructional coach for BetterLessons. “It’s about making learning spaces better. And you’re able to take what you learn at this conference and immediately put

MTI PARTICIPANT SCHOOLS

CALIFORNIA

Prospect Sierra School

CONNECTICUT

Kingswood Oxford School

Pomfret School

MARYLAND

Forest Knolls Elementary

MASSACHUSETTS

Advent School

Atrium School

BB&N

Belmont Day School

Berklee School of Music

Boston Collegiate

Boston College High School

Cambridge School of Weston

Carroll School

Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall

Charles River School

Chestnut Hill School

Concord Academy

Dana Hall School

Dedham Country Day School

Derby Academy

Fayerweather Street School

Institute of Contemporary Art

Lawrence Academy

Milton Academy

Noble and Greenough School

Northfield Mount Hermon

Phillips Academy (Andover)

Pike School

Rivers School

Shady Hill School

St. John’s Preparatory School

St. Mark’s School

Tenacre Country Day School

Thayer Academy

Waltham Public Schools

Worcester Academy

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Phillips Exeter Academy

OHIO

Columbus School for Girls

PENNSYLVANIA

Episcopal Academy

Germantown Academy

Swain School

Winchester Thurston School

RHODE ISLAND

Lincoln School

Moses Brown School

Wheeler School

it into action. It’s my privilege to travel around the country for BetterLessons and deliver professional development to educators. When I’m doing my lessons, what I learned at MTI is always there.”

Such practicality makes MTI stand out.

“It’s so different from other conferences because it’s focused on classroom practice,” says James Greenwood, who attended MTI when he was at Shady Hill School in Cambridge. Now dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, he serves on the MTI faculty. “MTI gives teachers the tools and the time to nail things down more granularly to operationalize all of this knowledge.”

Meadowbrook’s Liz Wand, a 5th grade teacher, appreciated the resources she discovered at MTI that she was able to bring back to her classroom. “I found a book of personal narratives and interviews, Tell Me Who You Are, and used two of the stories in class,” she notes. MTI also gave Wand time to develop a social justice math project. She had students look at per-student education spending in towns across Massachusetts and then map those amounts on a bar and whiskers plot. After, she asked students to reflect on the assignment in their journals. Wand was impressed by their thoughtfulness. “One student wrote, ‘If people in power could make the world more equitable, why don’t they do that?’”

Building Reputation

MTI has helped Meadowbrook stand out in the fledgling field of culturally competent education. “What distinguishes us—why people love us—is the blend of personal work with professional

work and amazing speakers,” says DunhamCarson. These include nationally recognized educators and consultants such as Barbara Love and Rosetta Lee as well as Tim Wise, author of White Like Me: Race, Racism and White Privilege in America.

Nick Hebert, an English teacher at Concord Academy, was certainly drawn to MTI by the marquee presenters. What made a lasting impression, however, was the opportunity to connect with other educators interested in working on questions of race and equity in schools. “It was so helpful to talk with other English teachers about approaching conversations about identities in literature in a more rigorous way. I am really invigorated by the work from MTI. The people I met there have become touchstones in my professional life.”

“I don’t know of another JK to 8 school that has something like this. It’s something for a school of our size to have national recognition. It sets us apart,” says González. “It differentiates Meadowbrook and helps with recruiting and retaining faculty, students, and families of color.”

Beyond its reputation-boosting ability, Dunham-Carson is proud of MTI’s impact on Meadowbrook’s own students. “With MTI, we are giving our students the education they deserve. The dividends this pays for our own students is tremendous. Kids have to be prepared to interact with people who are different from them. When they get to high school, they can be leaders in this area because they’ve already had lots of practice at Meadowbrook.” u

Please note that the photos accompanying this article are from the 2019 MTI Conference.

“It was so helpful to talk with other English teachers about approaching conversations about identities in literature in a more rigorous way. I am really invigorated by the work from MTI. The people I met there have become touchstones in my professional life.”

– NICK HEBERT, MTI PARTICIPANT

R U L

Recognizing emotions

Understanding causes and consequences

Labeling emotions

Even before 2020 challenged us all, Meadowbrook was making plans to take social and emotional learning to the next level.

Think about it: How much information do you take in and remember when you’re upset? Are you able to focus on the task at hand when you’re worried or excited about something else? How comfortable do you need to feel with others in order to share your ideas?

Our emotions influence everything we do, whether we’re conscious of it or not. Being more aware of our emotions, and how they may be impacting us at any given time, is the key to better relationships, better work, and better learning.

Meadowbrook has recognized this and implemented social and emotional learning (SEL) programs designed to teach emotional intelligence. Research has shown that students receiving quality SEL instruction have fewer reports of depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal, as well as higher achievement scores, greater motivation to learn, and deeper commitment to school.

Meadowbrook is particularly excited about the newest K–8 schoolwide SEL approach it has implemented, called RULER.

Sarah Williamson, chair of Meadowbrook’s Counseling Department, explains that RULER is a culturally competent SEL approach based on research from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

“RULER teaches us how emotions impact all our interactions with each other as faculty, as well as with students, and then between students, which then impacts how they are able to learn,”

Williamson says. “We’re always looking for best practices. RULER is now widely known as an approach that shows positive outcomes.” Studies have shown that RULER enhances teacher instruction, increases student engagement, improves academic performance and work habits, and decreases bullying.

“It helps us with the ‘know’ and ‘love’ part of our mission—which is also key to being able to challenge each student,” Williamson adds.

How RULER Works

The RULER acronym stands for five key emotional skills: Recognize emotions. Understand their causes and consequences. Label them. Express them. Regulate them with helpful strategies.

The process in a school setting is to train faculty leaders, who then train the rest of the faculty, who in turn teach these emotional skills to their students.

Meadowbrook sent a small team to Yale to be trained in fall 2018, including Williamson and Head of Middle School Justin McLean. “I wanted to get involved because it’s not a boxed

Expressing emotions

Regulating emotions

curriculum,” recalls McLean. “It’s a set of skills, an approach that helps all of us deepen our own understanding of emotional intelligence. If we can give students a real way to express and label their emotions, they can understand their own state more, and we can understand them more and tailor what we’re doing. It’s an approach that allows teachers to be independent, which reflects what we traditionally do at Meadowbrook.”

The team first learned how to build an “emotions matter” mindset, and then practiced the key skills. They then learned how to use RULER’s four “anchor tools”: the charter, used to create agreed-upon norms; the mood meter; the meta-moment, a process for determining how to be one’s best self in a situation; and the blueprint, used to navigate conflict.

Originally, the team went to Yale planning to use RULER as a program for the Middle School, but they were so impressed with the possibilities that they urged its use for the entire school. Thus, a team of faculty from the Lower School attended a training session at Yale in summer 2019, preparing for a rollout to the entire faculty that fall.

Second grade teacher Sharon Palmer was part of that training team. She says, “It teaches why and how to manage emotions—which are skills that need to be taught. We can start this work in Junior Kindergarten and build upon the skills each year.”

Time was dedicated at each faculty meeting to build the RULER competencies. Wil-

A Key to Better Teaching, Better Learning, and Better Living

liamson notes, “I like that RULER is an approach based in solid research, but it’s not an SEL program in a kit. It is more dynamic, acknowledges the larger sociopolitical context that affects us, and allows teachers more autonomy.

“Also, many SEL programs tend to focus on one key concept, such as anti-bullying or mindfulness, whereas this approach to emotions really addresses foundational skills. If one can be aware of one’s emotions, be able to ‘name it to tame it,’ take a breath before reacting, this space offers more options for resilience and problem-solving—no matter what the situation.”

RULER is an evidence-based, schoolwide K–8 approach to SEL. Studies have shown that RULER enhances teacher instruction, increases student engagement, improves academic performance and work habits, and decreases bullying.

Perfect Timing

As it turns out, Meadowbrook undertook its RULER training at the perfect time. Explains Williamson, “We were able to call upon RULER language and tools as a faculty when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and then every cohort last fall at the opening of school created a charter of ‘How do we want to feel in this cohort?’ We are also using the approach to consider how we talk about race. Emotions matter intensely when we are discussing identity, race and racism. It’s been so helpful to have an ‘emotions matter’ mindset in the middle of a dual pandemic.”

Palmer has seen good results with her second graders from creating their classroom charter and talking about what they need to feel safe, respected, and encouraged. She says, “Students are feeling emotions they may not have experienced before and don’t have words to express them. They may be reacting to situations in ways they would normally not react, at home or in the classroom. We have been working on using words to identify emotions, on understanding that to feel this way is ok, on articulating what we need from our peers and teachers, and on how to be our best selves. I think students have been more open with us and each other since this has been implemented.”

“We have been working on using words to identify emotions, on understanding that to feel this way is ok, on articulating what we need from our peers and teachers, and on how to be our best selves.” – SHARON PALMER, 2ND GRADE TEACHER

McLean notes that with middle school students, it’s important to acknowledge that every emotional state is relevant. “You need them all at different points in your life,” he says. “For instance, a tragedy happens in our community, and we could be sad, or ‘blue’ on the mood meter. We need to recognize that we’re all going through that roller coaster of emotions. Middle school students are striving to blend in as a method of social survival, and it’s critical for them to understand that, ‘Yes, throughout my day, I’m in the yellow, I’m in the red, in the blue—and that’s okay.’

“The RULER tools are incredibly adaptable. For instance, the mood meter in the Middle School is a link that students use individually to plot their emotions using a website. In faculty meetings, we use our cell phones. In younger grades, it might be looking at the colors as a class and asking what color they’re each in.”

Teachers at every grade are in various stages of implementing the RULER tools. Williamson has helped students in older grades use the blue-

print a number of times to resolve social conflicts and build empathy. She has also taught fifth graders how to use the meta-moment process to determine how best to respond in different situations. At this age, it involves role playing, with “Meta-Moment” as a superhero—complete with cape—who swoops in to “freeze” the scenario and remind participants of the strategy.

All faculty members have read Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett, the lead developer of RULER. “It’s a fabulous book,” says McLean. “It’s not just about outcomes for individual students, but for the kinds of communities we want to build. We want to be sure we listen to each other more. We want feelings to be seen as strengths, not weaknesses.”

Ultimately, employing SEL approaches such as RULER is about more than good schooling, or even dealing with a pandemic. As McLean explains, “It’s a long-term play for students to have better lives.” u

MIDDLE SCHOOL

is essential

At Meadowbrook, we believe that middle school is one of the most important times in a student’s life. That’s why our faculty go beyond to create a warm, nurturing, and challenging environment for the leaders of the school — our 6th-8th graders.

When you think back to middle school, you might remember it as a drama-filled time of life. The middle school years are certainly dramatic, but not just in the way you may occasionally recall with some dread! Middle school is a time of dramatic physical and cognitive growth and hormonal changes for children. Young adolescents begin shifting their focus from their families to their peers. Thus, an effective middle school program must do far more than prepare students for high school’s academic challenges. It must consider the interplay of intellectual, emotional, social, and physical changes at this age and very deliberately foster students’ growth in all areas.

Marc Brackett, Ph.D., founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a pioneer in social and emotional learning, found that student success often rests on having a relationship with a trusted adult. Brackett’s latest research indicates that connectedness with teachers is particularly important in early

adolescence. Explains 7th Grade Dean Jordan Bentley, “Middle school is the time where, if students can connect with that one adult in life, whether it’s in the arts, a coach, or an advisor, they will feel like they belong, which will lead to greater happiness and success. Connection and belonging are themes that run through everything we do at the Middle School at Meadowbrook, both academically and through social and emotional learning.”

Meadowbrook’s mission to “know, love, and challenge each child” takes on special significance in Middle School. Teachers spend a great deal of time with students outside of class, in weekly one-on-one advisory time, during regular office hours, and mentoring and collaborating on everything from service projects to tech internships and film competitions.

Strengthening connections among Meadowbrook’s middle school community is a priority as the school adapts to meet the pandemic’s health and safety demands. This year, teachers

and students have been grouped into small cohorts and assigned new classroom spaces. Cohorts will change on a rotational basis so that students will get to interact closely with more teachers and their other peers throughout the school year. Should Meadowbrook need to move to a distance learning model, the cohorts will remain together, too.

Last year’s 8th graders particularly appreciated the efforts that the 8th Grade Dean John Boger and faculty made to connect everyone and make their last semester memorable even though they were all quarantined at home. The team created online group events and held virtual game and movie nights at least once a week. Joshua L., a 2020 graduate, notes, “They could have been with their families, but they took the time and did something for us. One teacher, who’s still a kid at heart—and an awesome teacher and a great musician—would just go on Zoom some evenings and sing songs and talk with anyone who wanted to come on and hang out.”

a time of transition

Middle schoolers are truly balanced between childhood and adolescence, able to play with carefree abandon one moment and wrestle with sophisticated concepts and issues the next. Meadowbrook’s middle school program respects and guides this transition. For instance, the schedule includes recess along with rigorous academic demands. “We balance playfulness with the intellectual life in the classroom. Both are needed,” says Bentley.

Meadowbrook middle schoolers excel in the National Foreign Language Exams, garner state math and writing awards, and still find time to participate in games and projects with their younger “buddies” from the Lower School. As part of a K through 8 school, they can be role models and leaders without the pressure to grow up too fast.

Celeste R., a graduate from the class of 2018, was captain of Meadowbrook’s track team and had lead roles in musicals. “But the most important way I learned about leadership was through our buddy system, where younger and

“Middle school is the time where, if students can connect with that one adult in life, whether it’s in the arts, a coach, or an advisor, they will feel like they belong, which will lead to greater happiness and success.”

– JORDAN BENTLEY

older students are paired each year,” she said. “By eighth grade, you’ve gradually and steadily gone from being a follower to being a leader. It was very helpful when I entered Phillips Academy. It was an entirely new environment, but I knew how to make that progress into a leadership role.”

Balance was also key as Meadowbrook reexamined its middle school curriculum this summer to determine how best to deliver instruction in a year filled with uncertainty. The middle school team decided to adopt block scheduling to allow for more in-person teaching time and deeper dives into subjects. Rather than short class periods for courses that run all year, the schedule now includes fewer courses each semester that meet for longer periods of time.

“Meadowbrook

Bentley explains, “Instead of, say, reading seven novels in English, students will read four, but at an even deeper level. We will continue to foster academic excellence, critical thinking, and the joy of learning. I’m excited to see where our students will go with this.”

a time of discovery

A motto at the Middle School at Meadowbrook is “Try everything.” Students engage in the arts all three years, choose from a wide range of student-run electives, and participate in Project Challenge, an adventure-based team-building and leadership course. When the state allows middle school athletics to resume, all students will once again practice a sport every day.

Celeste explains, “My main interest is theater, but exploring Meadowbrook electives also encouraged me to put myself out there in high school and try new things such as the debate club, the newspaper, and dance teams.”

Meadowbrook offers unbounded opportunities for middle school students to lead and contribute. Students produce many of the school’s news videos for social media, lead environmental efforts at the school, and have designed and 3D printed prosthetic hands to give to patients in need. In addition, students explore new perspectives on self-identity, racial equity, and global issues through curricula specially developed by Meadowbrook middle school faculty.

opened my eyes to the world around me, in history and English classes and especially in the service and cultural trips to Costa Rica and South Africa.”

– 2020 GRADUATE LAUREN Y.

All of these opportunities are carefully designed to help students discover what they are most passionate about and that they can make a positive impact in the world. Lauren Y., a 2020 graduate who is now a student at Concord Academy, entered Meadowbrook in sixth grade. “Meadowbrook opened my eyes to the world around me, in history and English classes and especially in the service and cultural trips to Costa Rica and South Africa.”

Connections and relationships are, indeed, at the heart of the Middle School at Meadowbrook. As Celeste sums up, “Everyone at Meadowbrook is extremely dedicated and has a sense of purpose—and knows how to treat each other. Meadowbrook taught me what to expect from a community.” u

This article was originally published as a blog post on the Beyond News and Notes section of the Meadowbrook website. It has been edited for this publication to reflect the current timeline. For more blog posts, please visit https://www.meadowbrook-ma.org/blogs

meadowbrook moments

Artists Abound

Despite the changes across the school, art classes and creativity have continued to thrive. From embroidery in 3rd Grade to metalwork in the middle school, our students are enjoying expressing themselves in new and exciting ways.

Advancing the Meadowbrook Mission

An interview with Alexis Montemaggiore P’25, ’30 and Giselle Nelson P’26, ’29, Parents Association Co-Chairs. The Parents Association helps to advance the mission of Meadowbrook and strengthens the community. Every parent is an automatic member.

What are the goals of the Parents Association this year?

Our two goals for this year are to maintain and build community and support our faculty. In the face of this global pandemic, we want the Meadowbrook community to be stronger than ever. Collaboration between parents and the school is critical. We are one team with the focus to help our children thrive despite COVID-19. The Meadowbrook faculty have always gone above and beyond for our students, but even more so this year. Our families are so grateful that the school has been open for in-person learning throughout this year. This would not have been possible without our dedicated faculty putting their students first. We want to make sure our faculty feel supported and appreciated.

What motivated you to be a volunteer at Meadowbrook?

Alexis: My motivations have changed throughout the years. I started as a parent volunteer for field trips and in-classroom celebrations in order to meet other parents and to catch a glimpse into my child’s day. Then as a room parent, to work closely with the faculty planning events and communicating to the parents. As co-chair of the Gala, I was able to contribute on a different

level and gain insight into executing a school fundraising event. Now as co-chair of the Parents Association the motivation has become to work closely with the administration to strategize on new ways to support our faculty and staff and bring our community together.

Giselle: I love and appreciate opportunities to stay involved in my children’s lives, particularly their academic community. I also enjoy showing my children the importance of giving back by volunteering at Meadowbrook.

What is the biggest benefit of volunteering at Meadowbrook?

Alexis: Involvement in my child’s school community, meeting new parents, supporting faculty and staff, and helping to create and execute special moments at Meadowbrook to engage both children and parents.

The Nelson Family - Giselle, Camille ’26, Chloe ’29, and Casey

The Montemaggiore Family - Vince and Giselle with children Alexander, Graham, Brice ’25, and Camille ’30

Giselle: As a former teacher, getting to know faculty and students on a deeper level is always interesting and fun for me.

Did you know many parents before you started to volunteer?

Alexis: No! When my oldest started at Meadowbrook I did not know anyone. Volunteering enabled me to not only meet the parents within my child’s grade but to also get to know parents throughout the Meadowbrook community.

Spring Day of Giving

On March 8 and 9, 2021, Meadowbrook’s parents, alumni, faculty, parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, and friends came together for our Spring Day of Giving.

Over a 36-hour period, three generous donors challenged our community to make 100 new gifts to The Meadowbrook Fund and 100 new connections to The Meadowbrook Professional Network, our new LinkedIn profile. In record-time our community met both these challenges and unlocked $50,000 and $20,000 in donor challenge gifts, respectively. Our donors were so inspired that they issued an additional challenge to double our goals to 200 new gifts and 200 new connections with an additional $50,000 and $15,000 in challenge funds, respectively.

As always, the Meadowbrook community did not disappoint and exceeded both these new challenges! The first-ever Spring Day of

Giselle: Nope! I signed up to volunteer as a new parent and haven’t looked back. It’s a great way to meet other families.

How can I get involved in the Parent Association?

Ask your room parents or send us an email: Alexis: maffeia@gmail.com

Giselle: gisellemason@gmail.com

Many more opportunities should be available in the fall!

Giving resulted in almost $500,000 raised from 230 donors to the school including $135,000 in challenge funds and grew our new professional network with almost 250 new LinkedIn connections, showing once again that together, we can accomplish anything!

Thank you Meadowbrook!

The Power of the Meadowbrook Network

Your relationship with Meadowbrook doesn’t end when you leave the school. We hope you will have a lifelong connection with us and stay connected with each other. The Meadowbrook Network is a powerful resource of social relationships, professional contacts, mentors, and cheerleaders.

Whether you are looking to keep in touch with classmates and friends or looking for professional opportunities, the Meadowbrook alumni and parent network is here for you.

Stay connected and join the Meadowbrook Network on LinkedIn.

NETWORK

Remember to include The Meadowbrook School of Weston on your LinkedIn profile under your education or volunteer experience.

Welcome New Faculty

Linda Brouillard

Linda joins the Development Office as the Development Operations Coordinator. She has significant experience in the field of higher education, having previously worked at Lasall University, Wellesley College, and Bentley University. Linda attended Bentley University and grew up in the Waltham area.

Michele Daly

Michele Daly joins our team as Chief Development Officer. Michele is an experienced and accomplished fundraiser, most recently, working at Babson College as director of development. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade as the senior vice president for institutional advancement at Boston College High School. Michele has also worked at Stonehill College and Saint Anselm College. Michele holds a B.A. from St. Anselm College and an M.S. from Suffolk University.

Kristi Jacobi

Kristi Jacobi joins Meadowbrook as the Director of Auxilliary Programs from her role as the Director of Teaching + Learning (academic year) and Director of Operations (summer) at EXPLO. She brings over 20 years of experience in camp, after-school, enrichment, and out-of-school time programs, including The Steppingstone Foundation, Milton Academy, and Kingsley Montessori School. Kristi will serve as the Director of Auxiliary Programs at Meadowbrook, overseeing summer programs, after-school and enrichment, transportation, and facility rentals. Kristi holds a B.A. from Colby College and an M. Ed. from Harvard University.

Alicia Mathewson

We welcome Alicia Mathewson as our new music teacher. Alicia earned a B.A. from Middlebury College, an M.A. from Smith College, and an M.F.A. from NYU Tisch School of Arts. She has taught music all over the world and has released five albums of her own. She has instructed students in voice, guitar, and ukulele, and is ready to bring her experience to Meadowbrook. Previously Alicia taught music at Wellan Montessori in Newton, and she has been a music and choral instructor at Cape Cod Academy. Alicia is also a certified Yoga and Wellness teacher for children.

Dan Riles

Dan Riles joined us in the summer of 2021 as our new Innovation Coach. He’s a seasoned educator, having been a homeroom teacher from grades 1-6, a skilled educational technologist, and an instructional coach for teachers. Dan joined us from the Brookwood School; prior to that, he taught at Derby Academy and Kingsley Montessori, among other schools. He has been working directly with students teaching classes and with teachers helping them innovate and integrate with technology. Dan received a B.A. from Haverford College and an M.A.T. from Webster University. .

Lisa Troy

Lisa Troy joins us from The Sage School in Foxboro, where she has been teaching science for nine years. Previously, Lisa worked at The Woodward School for Girls and The Indian Mountain School. Lisa earned a B.S. from Dickinson College and an M.S. from the University of Montana, and comes to Meadowbrook with over seventeen years of independent school experience.

Leah Weintraub

Leah Weintraub joins Meadowbrook as a middle school math teacher and as the chair of the middle school math department. Leah comes to us with many years of teaching and administrative experience at Harlem Academy in New York, where she was most recently the Educational Director. Leah received a B.A. from Williams College, an M.A. from Columbia University’s Teacher College, and an M. Ed. from the University of Virginia.

Danny Williams

Joining our music department is Danny Williams. As a professional musician in the Felix Brown Band, Danny has spent the last 25 years entertaining people across the country. He has also worked as a private music instructor through Traveling Musician MA since 2004, teaching children of all ages in singing and instrumental music. Danny attended Berklee College of Music.

38 faculty news

S inging a New Song

WHEN LINDA RAPCIAK offered to volunteer in her daughter’s new school library in 1985, she had no idea that she was launching a long and storied career. Having just moved from Ohio, Linda was searching for a school for her daughter, Aislynn ’91.

They found Meadowbrook, and within a few months of enrolling her daughter here, Linda began helping out as an assistant to Mary Kenney, the librarian. Linda recalls that she was doing a lot of helping out wherever was needed in those early days. In the early 1990s, she began working with Lynn Webber to help run the school’s music program for grades 4, 5, and 6, and by 1993, she was Meadowbrook’s full-time teacher of music for the whole school. The rest, of course, is Meadowbrook history.

Linda left Meadowbrook after 34 years. As she begins the next chapter of her life, she reflects on some of her proudest and most laugh-inducing moments here at 10 Farm Road. Over the years, she has done so much more than teach music. For 15 years, she was a fixture in the Senior Kindergarten classroom, helping with their reading program. She is the founder of the school’s community service program, creating relationships with many local organizations to extend Meadowbrook’s outreach. She is the co-founder of our Best Buddies group, an organization that helps foster meaningful connections among students with other differently-abled children.

Tradition is of great importance to Linda. She speaks beautifully about the importance of keeping traditions so that it links people across time. She feels it is a way to honor those that came before us and acknowledges that she herself has been the creator of many Meadowbrook traditions. One such tradition is the annual singing of

“The Reindeer Twist” each year at the Winter Assembly. The story of how that song came to be a time-tested Meadowbrook tradition is surprisingly unremarkable. Linda was looking through the J.W. Pepper music catalog, a publication that arrived annually, and paused at a short description of the song. Back then, there was no way for her to preview the words or the catchy tune — but Linda just had a good feeling that it would be a fun song. All she knew was the title, the composer (Stephen Lawrence, whose work she had long admired), and that it would involve dancing and audience participation. The sheet music arrived, and it was an instant hit with the kids and audience alike. Now, generations of students have “done the Reindeer Twist” on stage, as kindergarteners and all through middle school. Some alumni have even brought it to their secondary schools to share the joy.

While there are almost too many to count, some that stand out to her are the production of West Side Story, an assembly celebrating 100 years of film, the annual Veterans’ Day assembly, and many other celebrations. She recalled when the school was able to honor people like Fred Rogers and Jim Henson, whom Linda describes as “just having a beautiful way of looking at the world.” She fondly remembers all the visits to local nursing homes and assisted living facilities to share the children’s joy and the music. When asked about some of her funniest moments, she laughs,, recalling this past November after the 7th grade production of Toy Story, when David Canfield and Evan Glenwerks hooked her to the flying apparatus and let her “fly” above the stage; just as Buzz Lightyear had done in the show!

Joy is Linda’s favorite word, and it is the main reason she loves music so much. Of music, she says, “It brings unity, and it brings people together with a positive spirit.” One of her goals as a teacher is to “make music a joyful experience for everyone who enters the room and for them to feel good about who they are.”

Some of her fondest memories are of plays and special assemblies.

“I’ve tried my best each and every day to do my best and to bring out the best in the kids. I believe in them.”

Fellow faculty member and former student of Linda’s, Madison Powers, knows that sentiment personally. “Ms. R. gave me a life-long love for music and made me feel confident as a young performer. It was such an honor to be able to work as her colleague before her retirement and see her do the same for so many other students.” u

Linda Rapciak says goodbye to Meadowbrook and hello to life’s next chapter.

New Arrivals

Ryan and Katie Tahmaseb welcomed Grace Elizabeth Tahmaseb on June 23, 2019.

Azahara Lopez Suarez and Ron Parambi welcomed Henry Parambi on October 13, 2019.

Ashley and Timothy Wong welcomed Eirene Verity Wong and Caris Elizabeth Wong on November 6, 2019.

Virginia and Andrew McCarthy welcomed Parker Hopkinson McCarthy on February 4, 2020.

Peter Newby and Sudi Baker welcomed Miles Benson Newby on July 1, 2020.

Justin McLean and Julianna Gonzalez-McLean welcomed Santiago Eugene McLean on July 6, 2020.

Emma and Crosby Bain welcomed Grace Garrison Bain on August 2, 2020.

Alethea and Cinqué Dunham-Carson welcomed Langston James Dunham-Carson on August 28, 2020.

Weddings

Laurie Geromini married Kathy Keegan on March 22nd, 2019 in Leadville, CO. at 11,000 ft. above sea level.

Grace Elizabeth Tahmaseb

Henry Parambi

Eirene Verity Wong and Caris Elizabeth Wong

Miles Benson Newby

Grace Garrison Bain

Laurie Geromini and Kathy Keegan

Langston James Dunham-Carson

Santiago Eugene McLean

Parker Hopkinson McCarthy

Experts Speaking

Jonathan Schmid “Valuing Names through Data,” AISNE – Thinking in New Ways About Data; Sept 24, 2019, Boston College High School, Boston, MA

Mike Scafati and Jonathan Schmid “Building a Schoolwide Digital Citizenship Program & Culture,” MassCUE Annual Technology Conference; October 23-24, 2019, Foxboro, MA

Kate Thomas “Token Hire or a Voice at the Table? #youngnumbandwoke,” NAIS: People of Color Conference; December 7, 2019, Seattle, WA, (with Kristina Abella, Jacob Rivers)

Susannah White “Let’s Talk: Race and Equity,” Heronfield Academy Community Day; January 6th, 2020, Hampton Falls, NH

Jonathan Schmid “G Suite Secrets to Success; Google Forms and Sheets Automation Smackdown,” Future of Education Technology Conference 2020; January 14-17, 2020, Miami, FL

Ruth Mendoza “The impact of SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) locally and globally. SEED at Meadowbrook,” Dedham Country Day’s commUNITY evening: Diversity and Inclusion; January 16, 2020, Dedham, MA, (Emmy Howe Co-Director, National SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum)

David Canfield “Meadowbrook’s Multicultural Teaching Institute: A Teacher Created Model Program for Learning and Leading,” Independent School Experiential Education Network 2020 Winter Institute Just Communities: Learning and Leading through Listening to Each Other; January 23, 2020, Portland, OR

Dotty Corbiere “Integration At Its Best,” MassCUE 2021 Conference; February 10, 2021, Virtual, (with Susan Fisher)

Jonathan Schmid MassCUE Winter Googlepalooza 2020; February 19, 2020, Woburn, MA, Conference planner and featured presenter

arvind grover “Learning Isn’t Distant, It is Local,” NYSAIS (NY State Association of Independent Schools) Flexible Classroom Online Conference; July 14, 2020, Virtual

Daryl Wright “A Document Analysis of Leadership Language that Enhances,” August 19, 2020, Seattle University (virtual), (with Andrew Johnson) Dissertation Defense

Welcoming a Familiar Face as the New Board President

After leading the board through a period of unprecedented change at Meadowbrook, Susan Littlefield passes the torch to Chris Austen ‘81, a longtime board member, parent, and alumnus.

On January 1, Chris Austen ’81 became the new president of the board of trustees, succeeding Susan Littlefield, who ended her term after five years in the role. Ms. Littlefield, mother of Christopher ’15, Thomas ’20, and Peter ’22 Roper, stepped down this year after leading the board during a period of tremendous change. During her tenure, the school finished construction on the new Learning Commons and Lower School building, hired its 7th head of school, arvind grover, and reopened during the current pandemic. A humble leader, Ms. Littlefield accepts no praise for the massive accomplishments Meadowbrook has achieved over the past five years, instead, giving all credit to the administration and the faculty. “The faculty and the administration are really the folks getting the work done on a daily basis,” she said. “My job as the board president was to make sure they had what they needed and then get out of the way.”

For Head of School arvind grover, this transition is bittersweet. “Susan was quite literally my first introduction to Meadowbrook,” he remembers. “She drove to New York City to take my wife and me out to dinner when I was in the head search. She wanted me to have all my questions answered, and she spoke so passionately about the school, it was hard not to get excited about the possibilities.” As board president, it would be normal for Mr. grover to communicate with her frequently throughout the week, in addition to their regular weekly meetings. “So this will definitely be strange for me to not talk to her all

the time,” he said with a laugh. When asked about Ms. Littlefield’s contributions to Meadowbrook, Mr. grover is quick to start ticking off

accomplishments. Now, as the Board welcomes its new leader, Chris Austen ’81 to the helm, Ms. Littlefield is excited to tell the community about his

“The faculty and the administration are really the folks getting the work done on a daily basis. My job as the board president was to make sure they had what they needed and then get out of the way.” – SUSAN LITTLEFIELD

myriad qualifications for the job. She said, “He is one of those special people who embodies impeccable character, has proven organizational leadership skills, deep financial aptitude, creative commercial marketing experience, and the uncanny ability to hone in on the most important strategic and tactical issues. In other words, he checks every box to be a superb leader of the board.”

Mr. Austen feels well prepared to step into his new role, thanking

Susan for her service as his predecessor. “Susan Littlefield showed extraordinary dedication to Meadowbrook over the last 4 and 1/2 years. Her tireless leadership during some of the school’s most challenging times has been inspirational,” he said. “Over the last six months, she has been a terrific partner getting me prepared to take over as President and I look forward to her continuing to provide valuable counsel as she will remain a trustee.”

Mr. Austen certainly has an

abundance of Meadowbrook history to help guide him. When he was a student at Meadowbrook in the 1970s and 80s, his mother Patty Austen served as Board President. Now, Mr. Austen and his wife Penny have been Meadowbrook parents since their twins, Annabel ’18 and Cooper ’18, started in Junior Kindergarten in 2008. Their daughter Laura is currently a sixth grader and will graduate from Meadowbrook in 2023. Before succeeding Ms. Littlefield as president, Mr. Austen served as Chair of the Development Committee, the Committee on Trustees, and as CoChair of the Annual Fund.

Outside of Meadowbrook, Chris is co-managing director of BPEA Private Equity. Chris received a BA from Duke University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Chris serves on the limited partner advisory boards of numerous private equity funds and is a director of The Original Footwear Company. He is also a trustee of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where he serves on the audit committee and chairs the investment committee for the organization’s $2.3 billion endowment.

Head of School arvind grover is looking forward to his new partnership. He says, “Chris cares deeply about Meadowbrook — it is a part of his family’s history. He wants to help set Meadowbrook on a trajectory to build and sustain our community of learners, students, and faculty alike. We’re already digging into this work together, and I am excited to see where it will take us.” u

“Susan Littlefield showed extraordinary dedication to Meadowbrook over the last 4 and 1/2 years. Her tireless leadership during some of the school’s most challenging times have been inspirational. Over the last six months, she has been a terrific partner getting me prepared to take over as President and I look forward to her continuing to provide valuable counsel as she will remain a trustee.”

– CHRIS AUSTEN

Welcome New Trustees

Tim Mack

Tim is a Managing Director for Audax Private Equity, based in Boston. Since joining Audax in 2002, Tim has been involved with more than 25 of Audax’s platform companies across software/ technology, business services, and distribution sectors. Prior to joining Audax, Tim worked at Bain & Company in its Boston and Singapore offices. Tim grew up in Woodbridge, CT and attended Hopkins School in New Haven, CT. He received a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Tim and his wife Barrett live in Weston with their three children. Calais is currently in fourth grade at Meadowbrook where she has been a student since Junior Kindergarten. Tim and Barrett have both taken on various volunteer roles at Meadowbrook and in multiple other educational and community organizations.

Christopher Parris

Christopher Parris is the Chief Program Officer of The Steppingstone Foundation in Boston, MA. Steppingstone prepares students from historically marginalized communities to access, navigate and graduate from college. Chris joined Steppingstone in 2012 to lead the College Success Academy program and has been in his current role for a year. Chris is an experienced educator with a demonstrated history of leading start-up initiatives in the field of education. Skilled in program development, his expertise lies in the development and management of innovation within the social sector.

At Trinity Church, he has organized symposia on race, spotlighting the unequal access to education and health disparities within communities of color in Boston. Chris received his B.M. in Music Education from the Berklee College of Music and M.S. Ed. in Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania. Chris also sits on the boards of Trinity Boston Connects and Hartford Youth Scholars, and serves on the vestry of Trinity Church in the City of Boston.

He and his wife, Suki Garcia, live in Weymouth.

Jed Weiss

Jed Weiss is a portfolio manager in the Equity division at Fidelity Investments. In this role, Jed manages Fidelity Series International Growth Fund, Fidelity Series International Small Cap Fund, Fidelity International Small Cap Opportunities Fund, Fidelity Advisor International Small Cap Opportunities Fund, Fidelity International Growth Fund, and Fidelity Advisor International Growth Fund. Additionally, he co-manages Fidelity Total International Equity Fund and Fidelity Advisor Total International Equity Fund. Prior to assuming his current position in 2007, Jed covered the telecommunications, health care, and consumer sectors as an analyst on Fidelity’s Global Emerging Markets team. Before joining Fidelity in 1997, Jed was a summer associate at Goldman Sachs and a legislative affairs intern at the White House. He has been in the financial industry since 1997. Jed earned his bachelor of arts degree in government from Harvard University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

Jed currently resides in Boston with his wife, Ilana Braun and their children, Gideon ’24, Matan ’27, Eden ’29.

Nina Freeman Hanlon - Alumni Trustee

Nina Freeman Hanlon is a Meadowbrook graduate and attributes some of her best childhood memories to her time on campus. After Meadowbrook, Nina attended Noble and Greenough School and then Brown University, where she received her BA in Africana Studies. After college, Nina taught at Nobles as a drama and English teacher before heading to the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco, where she earned her MFA in Acting. Nina went on to work professionally in commercials, television and on stage before returning to her roots in education.

Currently, Nina is the Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid and a ninth grade English teacher at Greenwich Academy (GA), which is a PK-12, all-girls school in Greenwich, CT. Before her admission role, Nina was the Assistant Head of Middle School at GA and taught seventh grade English and fifth grade history, while serving on the middle school admission committee. Nina is on the Steering Committee for the Fairchester Consortium of Independent Schools as the Financial Aid Subcommittee Chair and also serves on the Executive Board of her local Jack & Jill Chapter.

Nina lives in Greenwich, CT with her husband Ron, also an educator, and their six-year old twins, Simone and Dylan.

Remembering Ted Rand

Theodore “Ted” Rand, 1923-2019 — Headmaster, 1968-1986

Former Meadowbrook Headmaster Ted Rand passed away on October 1, 2019, surrounded by his family. He was 95 years old. Ted grew up in Newton and enlisted in the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division (Ski Troops) as a young man. During World War II he engaged in heavy combat in the Apennine Mountains in Italy. When he returned home, he taught at Middlesex School before enrolling at Bowdoin College. He and his wife Lucy (Richardson) were married in 1948, and Ted graduated from Bowdoin in 1951.

Ted served as Meadowbrook’s Headmaster from 1968 until his retirement in 1986; he was the school’s fifth head. He and Lucy dedicated their lives to education and shaping the lives of children. Together, they owned and operated Hemlocks Camp for Boys in Hampton, New Hampshire for 18 years. Ted taught at Middlesex School and Dexter School before being appointed Headmaster at Meadowbrook. Lucy was a Meadowbrook alumna and taught kindergarten at Meadowbrook for many years. Truly, the Rands were synonymous with Meadowbrook for decades!

Ted is remembered for his easy smile, great laugh, firm handshake, and signature bow tie. Faculty who worked with Ted fondly recall his habit of sending handwritten postcards to commemorate birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or other special occasions. He wrote prolifically, showing great command of the English language. Claire Connolly, who worked as Ted’s secretary for many years, recalls, “He just knew what to say and how to say it.”

Ted was clearly a “people person,” and he cared deeply for the students and faculty of the school. Connolly recalls that “he was never too busy to take time for you. People were important to him.” Georgie Johnson, who was hired by Ted and went on to teach at Meadowbrook for over two decades, agrees. “He was especially interested

in the way [teachers] felt about children,” she says. “He looked for people who had a real love and understanding of children...He really wanted us to be about the whole child.”

At Ted’s memorial service, his daughter, Faith Rand, recalled her father’s often-repeated adage, “better to have golden teachers in wooden halls than the reverse.” By all accounts, during difficult times, Ted Rand kept the idea of “golden teachers” paramount, and in so doing, grew the school’s enrollment and helped put Meadowbrook on the map. His family tells us that Meadowbrook was close to his heart and “a labor of love.” Meadowbrook is truly indebted to him for his innumerable contributions to our school community that have allowed us to grow and thrive. u

“He was especially interested in the way [teachers] felt about children. He looked for people who had a real love and understanding of children...He really wanted us to be about the whole child.”

– GEORGIE JOHNSON, FORMER MEADOWBROOK TEACHER

Rong Huan Guo

Rong Huan Guo passed away on January 8, 2021. Rong was a member of our FLIK Dining Staff and was a dedicated employee, always smiling and willing to help. Head of School arvind grover said, “Rong was a wonderful member of the Meadowbrook School community. He always interacted with me in a kind and caring way, and he made it so that all of our students and faculty could eat healthy and delicious food to sustain our learning. We were fortunate to share time and space with him, and he will be missed at our school.”

his early life, can say he’s always been the same, an unchanged happy spirit through the years. There is no doubt that his daughters carry that lively spirit within them, along with his strong will and helpful personality.

Everything he did, he did with care and pride. From gardening to cooking to fixing and building things. The devotion he had for his garden was almost equal to that of his friends and family.

His family shared this beautiful tribute to Mr. Guo:

Rong was a kind hearted man known for his gentle, playful, joyful nature. Those who had met him in

Caroline Oldham Grape

Caroline Grape ’14, passed away on December 10, 2019 at the age of 20 after a brave battle against a rare and aggressive cancer.

Caroline, the daughter of former board president Tom Grape and Anne Grape and sister of Emily Grape ’17, was a proud member of the Meadowbrook Class of 2014. Upon learning of her death, faculty remembered Caroline with deep adoration, sharing samples of her work from when she was a student at Meadowbrook and giving the community a glimpse into the extraordinary type of person she was. They shared memories of her beautiful singing voice, incredible spirit, and warm soul.

No one is perfect but it can be easily said that he was the best of us. There is no one who was as kind and pure of heart. The world has lost a bright light but we hope that his memory helps and inspires people to remember to be kind to each other, to help one another, and to not forget to have fun and enjoy life. u

We fondly remember the following members of the Meadowbrook community who have passed away.

ALUMNI, ALUMNI PARENTS, AND FRIENDS:

IRVING “PETE” CONNOLLY

July 27, 2019

Husband of former Executive Assistant to the Headmaster Claire Connolly

STEPHEN ALPERT

March 4, 2020

Former Meadowbrook parent (Heidi Alpert McNeill ’77, Charles Alpert ’78 and Andy Alpert ’80) and grandparent (Connor McNeill ’10 and Hannah McNeill ’13)

Husband of former Assistant Director of Admissions Steffie Alpert

VALDIS SMITS

April 15, 2020

Architect who designed the MacDowell Center and other areas of campus

JAMES KURLAND

“She embodies the spirit of the school and has given all of herself to Meadowbrook with humility and grace.” After graduating from Meadowbrook, Caroline attended The Rivers School and Connecticut College. Caroline had a love of music that she shared with the world, and was an accomplished cross country and track athlete and scholar.

In her obituary, her family said of Caroline:

Headmaster Emeritus Stephen Hinds wrote in her “Meadowbrook M” that Caroline was of “generous heart and exuded intellectual curiosity.” On her graduation day he said

Caroline’s special grace touched the hearts of all who knew her. She made friends easily and kept them for life. She was a parent’s dream of a child, the world’s best sister, and a trusted confidante to many. She always made those around her laugh and feel good about themselves. She included those not included by others and left every place she had been better because of her presence and her generous heart. u

April 24, 2020

Father of Zachary Kurland ‘94

LOUIS CABOT

January 29, 2021

Meadowbrook class of 1933

GERTRUDE TRUMBULL BURR

February 12, 2021

Meadowbrook class of 1935

Attended Meadowbrook with her siblings

Philip ’32 and Walter ’36, proud aunt and great-aunt of many Meadowbrook alumni

FORMER FACULTY:

CAROLINE “PUG” MORSE

November 17, 2019

Former accountant, business office

JOY HOFFMAN

September 15, 2020

Former faculty member, admissions office

GRADUATION 2020

Just like so many things last year, the 8th Grade Honor Walk & Awards Day and Graduation looked different for the Class of 2020. While special recognitions and awards had to be given out via Zoom, the community was still able to hear from graduation speaker Lauren Y., and from their Beloved Speaker C.J. Bell. And although they were not able to make the traditional walk down Penny Lane to the cheers of the entire faculty, the 8th graders went by “COVID-style,” in their cars, passing many faculty members holding signs and balloons. The Class of 2020 was special for many reasons, not the least of which was their poise and leadership during the strangest year Meadowbrook has seen yet.

Class of 2020 Secondary School Decisions

ALANA AKINC

Walnut Hill School for the Arts

NINA ANGELLA Newton North High School

JULIA ARBOLEDA Newton South High School

TESS BARTEL

St. Mark’s School

MARISA BEARD Concord Academy

ELLA BERGER Noble and Greenough

MAX BERKENBLIT Phillips Academy

LEIGHTON CALHOUN

Belmont Hill School

BERLEY CAMELIEN

Dexter Southfield

KAITLYN CAPPILLO

Milton Academy

EVAN DEEDE Rivers School

MARSHALL FISHER Concord Academy

LIAM FOLEY

Wellesley High School

ZACHARY GREEN Noble and Greenough

MEG HENSEN Newton South High School

KIKI HILLERY St. Paul’s School

LARA KARSLIGIL Newton South High School

MIA KIM Noble and Greenough

BEN LEE Concord Academy

NETA LESCHLY Weston High School

JOSHUA LEVINE Noble and Greenough

ASHLEY MCSWEENEY Rivers School

DANIEL MENZIE-BROWN New Hampton School

DYLAN MURPHY Concord Academy

GRAYLYN RHEE Concord Academy

THOMAS ROPER Phillips Exeter Academy

JAMES SABET St. Mark’s School

AMITH SALIGRAMA The Commonwealth School

PAYSON SALYER Rivers School

LOCHLAN SETH Newton North High School

SOPHIA VERMA Wayland High School

MILLA VUOLTEENAHO Noble and Greenough

HENRY WHITE Weston High School

LAUREN YOON Concord Academy

AUDREY ZHANG Phillips Exeter Academy

Class of 2016 College Decisions

BRAHM AGNIHOTRI New York University

EVA AUSTEN University of South Carolina

APSARA BALAMURUGAN Northwestern University

HAILEY BROWN Williams College

NICOLAS CAMPANA Swarthmore College

MADELINE CAPPILLO Colgate University

JACOB CREEM Washington University of St. Louis

ADAM DOSTIE University of Arizona

CAROLINE ELLIS Franklin & Marshall College

KAITI FILIPPOU University of Chicago

HENRY FINE Connecticut College

ETHAN FURDAK Columbia University

DINA GORELIK Brandeis University

LILY GRAY Dartmouth College

JACK GREEN Princeton University

JORDAN HAMELSKY Duke University

DANIEL HILLERY Northeastern University

STEPHEN IRVING Howard University

JACK JENNINGS Boston College

CHRISTINA KULOW Shenandoah University

SOPHIE LACHENAUER Dartmouth College

DAVID LAFOND Harvard University

SUAN LEE Columbia University

LUCA LESCHLY Harvard University

ANJALI MAY Pennsylvania State University

ISABELLE O’TOOLE Lehigh University

JUSTIN O’TOOLE Columbia University

OLIVIA PATZ Tufts University

JUSTIN POND University of Wisconsin-Madison

KATHERINE PROFY Hamilton College

MATTER REMLEY University of Massachusetts Amherst

WILLIAM QUEALLY Washington & Lee University

ELIZABETH SABET Tulane University

ADITYA SALIGRAMA Stanford University

ANNA SANDER Brown University

SPENCER SHADE Gap year

ROHAN SHARMA Cornell University

NIKKI SMITH Syracuse University

TYLER SMITH Universtiy of Richmond

ERNEST SMITHER Howard University

ALEXANDER SOUTH New York University

PRIYA THAKORE Colby College

Class of 2016 in Costa Rica

Alumni Spotlight: Callie Lupica ’14 and McKenna Lupica ’14

Callie and McKenna Lupica were the last of four Lupica children to graduate from Meadowbrook. While the twins don’t have everything in common, one thing is for sure: they both have smiles that light up a room and a drive to help those in need.

Tell us a little bit about what you’ve been doing since you graduated from Meadowbrook. Where did you go to high school? Where did you go to college?

Callie: Since graduating in 2014, I attended Westwood High School, where I played for the Women’s Varsity Soccer Team and ran for their women’s track team. I was honored with being their Captain for two years. While in Westwood, I was accepted into the inaugural Student Independent Project Program where I raised $2,500 for victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing via the OneFund Boston Foundation.

McKenna and I both were part of the University of Tampa Class of 2018, where we played many intramural sports games with (and against!!) one another. I pursued my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and have since applied it to Nonprofit Management. I’m currently the Volunteer Services Manager for Habitat for Humanity, the Hillsborough County Branch of Tampa, Florida, where we partner with local families to provide and build affordable housing with the help of volunteers. In my spare time, I continue to enjoy running. I just

ran my second 15K to raise awareness about Habitat and raised over $4,000 with my team.

McKenna: After Meadowbrook, I continued playing soccer all four years alongside my sister. She controlled the defending line while I ran around in the midfield. Off-season, I played for Westwood’s lacrosse team, coached by Leslie Frank. After a funfilled, spirited four years, I graduated in 2014. Huge thanks to Mr. M at Meadowbrook for inspiring my love

for video production because I went on to make my high school’s graduation video. Cal and I did not plan to go to the same college, but we both landed at The University of Tampa, and I am so grateful for the extra four years we had together. We actually roomed together our senior year of college! I got to continue my love for soccer by playing for the women’s club team. I finished with a degree in exercise physiology in 2014 and am currently enrolled in nursing school at the University of North Florida.

What did you learn at Meadowbrook that guides you today?

Callie: Meadowbrook places importance on kindness and acceptance, no matter your background. I have found deep and loving friendships with those I have met along the way in my life’s journey, and they have opened my eyes to new worlds. I could say I have Meadowbrook to thank for that.

McKenna: I can thank Meadowbrook for all the lessons of inclusion and support they gave me throughout my years there. From Open Circle to Project Challenge, Meadowbrook teaches you to leave a door open for anyone to walk through. It

“I have found deep and loving friendships with those I have met along the way in my life’s journey, and they have opened my eyes to new worlds. I could say I have Meadowbrook to thank for that.” – CALLIE LUPICA ’14

is easy to take this for granted as you embark on your own adventures past Meadowbrook, but these lessons are what help you make connections anywhere you go in the future. Meadowbrook was truly my second home, and it’s the teachers who made me feel like I was a part of a very large, fun family.

Tell us one (or some) of your favorite Meadowbrook memories.

Callie: Favorite memories range from intense soccer games with my teams, watching the new MacDowell Center being built and signing the beams that are still there today, the Halloween assembly with Ms. R. on the piano, and Mr. Richard dancing around the Grinker Gym in a skeleton costume, Mr. V. lifting McKenna and me up in the air at an assembly in homemade patriots sweatshirts to pump the school up for the Superbowl, and of course, hugs from Mr. Hinds.

McKenna: The list could go on and

on! To name a few: 1st grade Marshmallow Day with Mrs. Alpert and Mrs. Jennings, advisory shenanigans with Mr. Boger, Costa Rica, snakes in the grass with Mr. Snoddy, Holiday Lights with Ms. R at the Holiday assembly! One memory that does stand out was our 7th grade trip to Washington. Callie and I met up with the class a couple of days late because our grandmother had passed away. We pulled up in our taxi, and everyone started tapping on the car. When we got out of the car, we were met with smiles and hugs by every student and teacher. This is just an example of the love and support I received from this community during our years.

You chose very different paths after college. Can you tell us a little bit about why you decided to go into your respective fields?

McKenna: Our family says Callie and I are like two halves of a whole person! From the start, we had different strengths; Callie enjoyed English, and I loved math & science. Our

chosen fields may be different, but we are both passionate about making a difference in our small ways. I am so proud of everything Callie is doing at Habitat for Humanity. She is helping so many families that need a caring heart and strong advocate. Continuing with my love of science, I am more involved with healthcare. Currently, I am pursuing a career in nursing. The human body is so interesting with all of its different parts working together in unison. I chose nursing because I am passionate about health and love to make human connections with people. There is always something new to learn.

What advice do you have for current Meadowbrook students?

Callie: Learn all you can from your teachers at Meadowbrook. They’ve lived fabulous lives and will be your biggest advocates. They have a lot to teach you both in and out of a classroom. They’ll become lifelong friends if you let them. u

“Our family says Callie and I are like two halves of a whole person! From the start, we had different strengths; Callie enjoyed English, and I loved math & science. Our chosen fields may be different, but we are both passionate about making a difference in our small ways.” – MCKENNA LUPICA ’14

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September 14, 2020

“It’s Election Day at Meadowbrook! Students in grades JK, SK, 1, and 2 all had the opportunity to vote for “The Leader of the Pack.” Which favorite literary character will be chosen? Will it be Rocket, Martha, or Clifford? Check back tomorrow for the big announcement! #theleaderofthepack #electionday #themeadowbrookway

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