Letter from Head of School Jennifer Price

I’ve come to realize that a head of school can sometimes learn the most interesting things about our BB&N community not from an office, or at a board meeting, or a senior leadership retreat, but rather while dressed head-to-toe as Bucky, our mascot. Several weeks ago, our Trivia Club members traveled to the WGBH studios in Brighton to compete in the statewide High School Quiz Show and I accompanied them incognito. Seeing the way our students competed—passionately and proudly for sure, but also with an unmistakable sense of excitement and joy at being engaged in this enterprise with each other—it struck me that this day encapsulated the mindset and attitude of our entire community this school year. Post-pandemic, BB&N has its familiar zip back in its step. And I’m thrilled to be along for the ride

In early March, I delivered my annual State of the School presentation to the BB&N community. Our school truly is in a good place, with a lot of important and exciting work going on. In my presentation, I shared these various developments

Elevating the Student Experience

Spaces and wellness are the two dominant themes of this strategic objective, and substantial progress has been made in both areas. The standout moment this year was the opening in October of our stunning new athletic campus on Grove Street in Watertown (see story on Page 20)—a pivotal moment not only for our student-athletes, but also in support of well-being, community building, and principled engagement with our neighboring communities.

The next major project on the horizon will be equally transformative: a renovation of our Lower School campus whose last significant change occurred more than two decades ago. Currently in design phase, this project includes the construction of a new multi-purpose community space, modernized and expanded learning environments across all grades, and enhanced outdoor spaces for play and learning.

through a strategic lens, specifically the five pillars of the Strategic Plan, which we developed together as a community four years ago. Let me share a few highlights with you here (and you can view the whole presentation here: bbns.org/stateofschool).

Empowering Our Educators & Broadening Our Academic Experience

Innovation is the north star shaping the work across these two strategic objectives. Professional development for our faculty and staff has never been firing on more cylinders. It starts with a wide array of workshops, seminars, and conferences, including the upcoming “Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education: Demystifying the Technology and Exploring its Potential” conference that BB&N will host on April 29 th for educators across New England. In addition, the office sponsors an extraordinary array of opportunities for our teachers, such as curriculum development grants, global education opportunities, BB&N summer institutes, and travel grants— all with the goal of disrupting, evolving, transforming, and enhancing teaching and learning at BB&N.

We’re also already seeing tangible results emerge from our Innovation Grant program, which launched just two years ago. The first round of grants have generated a new pollinator garden being built at the Upper School, the start of an elective ethics course and student-led conference, the development of a “Bivouac and beyond” vision for Camp Marienfeld, and a successful first campaign of the Maker Break program for Middle School students. New initiatives already underway in round two of the I-Grants include an Upper School serenity room, the BB&N Arts Fest, and a student history symposium.

Promoting a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Community

Being on the other side of the pandemic means the return of a fully flourishing global education program. In September eight students attended the Round Square International Conference in the UK. One of my favorite reports from the trip came from Nnema Epee-Bounya ’24: “I have never experienced the feeling of being a part of a group of people who are from different nations who are all excited to get to know each other. My favorite experience was walking around Oxford with friends we made from Argentina or bonding with a student from South Africa during a scavenger hunt.” These are the sort of boundary-breaking opportunities that I’m so happy to see return for our students. They’ll have plenty of opportunities this spring with trips to locales such as Greece, the Adriatic Coast, Morocco, France, and Spain.

A date all of us in the BB&N community have circled on our calendar is May 20 when we will hold our One School One World event for the first time in three years. This event, first held in 2008, is an occasion for all of us—students, families, alumni/ae, faculty, and staff—to come together and celebrate the richness of our diverse, global community. I always love how this celebration serves as both a showcase and an appreciation for the unique contributions each person brings to our school. I hope to see you there!

Four years ago, our committee identified the need for us to reimagine our health and wellness program from B-12. I am excited to announce that next year we will launch a consistent, cohesive, and comprehensive program across grades 4 to 12, led by trained educators. It’s my belief that this sort of high-quality programming will make an enormous difference in the lifelong health and well-being of our students.

Leveraging the Power of Our Community

The BB&N community is simply extraordinary, as showcased in part by our Parents’ Association who lifts our community in so many ways, from their appreciation effort in which 439 families contributed to a fund that ultimately provided each faculty and staff member with a $450 holiday bonus; to events commemorating occasions such as Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Black History Month; to the establishment of “Team Parent” roles to assist our athletic teams. We are a happier, more connected community due to their insatiable work, and I am very grateful for them!

The life of our school is so much richer when our alums stay connected to us, and when we stay connected to them. It’s a big reason why BB&N recently held its inaugural Alumni/ae Pitch Competition. Sponsored by the Alumni/ae Council, the competition sought proposals from BB&N’s young alumni/ae who are living our school’s mission of principled engagement around the world. From 14 proposals on early-stage business ideas or social ventures, three finalists were selected to present to a panel of BB&N alumni/ae and faculty. Winners were awarded funding, mentoring, and one-on-one business development support. It was so inspiring to see all these young graduates committed to leave the spaces they move in better than they found them.

So far it has been an inspirational, exciting, and connected year. Thank you for being a part of this uKnighted community—one that I grow to appreciate more and more each year. Wishing you all a healthy and wonderful spring,

A Triumphant In-Person Return for MLK Brunch at Upper School

After a 3-year hiatus of an in-person Martin Luther King Day Brunch, the BB&N community once again gathered to listen to keynote speakers and enjoy good food with good company. The day featured personal reflections on Dr. King’s legacy and beliefs by BB&N’s Head of School Jen Price, and members of the DEIG department—Leila Bailey-Stewart, and Candie Sanderson—as well as a presentation from keynote speaker Oneda Horne.

Price and Bailey-Stewart discussed Dr. King’s dedication to service and love and how as a community and as individuals, we can learn and serve the greater good. Bailey-Stewart talked about her “beloved community,” a term used and popularized by MLK, to encourage people to band together against poverty and inequity. These introductions with themes of love, service, and education were an appropriate segue to the keynote presentation.

Oneda Horne, the Boston Executive Director at Room to Grow, detailed how her upbringing ignited a passion for learning and advancing equity in the earliest years of life, an ideal match for the mission of both MLK and Room to Grow. The not-for-profit focuses on early childhood care, beginning in the third trimester of pregnancy and providing resources in a wrap-around approach until the child’s third birthday. The first few years of a child’s development are critical, and deficits can leave a lasting impact throughout the child’s education. Room to Grow seeks to bridge gaps in equity across all aspects of early childhood development and currently aids more than 400 families in the Boston area.

Seeing smiling faces back together, in person, bolstered the spirit of the day and reinforced Dr. King’s legacy as the BB&N community came together.

Exploring Multi-Cultural Traditions at the Middle School

As part of BB&N’s ongoing mission to DEIG, multiple faculty members organized “Faith Traditions,” a program that introduces students to beliefs and practices in various religions. The program—now in its sixth year—included lunch talks with leaders from a multitude of faiths, followed by group discussions and field trips to the First Church in Cambridge, the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC), and Temple Beth Zion. Students then reflected on their experiences through art the following week.

The month-long project aimed to help students grasp customs and traditions across worldwide religions while connecting them to their local community in the greater Cambridge area. Students spent a day visiting places of worship in Boston to learn and ask questions about those faiths’ practices and historic spaces. Some of the discussions focused on what students had learned through lunch talks, while others centered on the physical space and the extra information provided by local leaders.

Organizer and Middle School English teacher Betsy Canaday discussed the importance of this program, saying, “The Faith Traditions program is designed to give students windows and mirrors into an aspect of our diversity here at the Middle School and beyond. Through lunch Q and A sessions with practitioners of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Humanism, students are exposed to a wide range of belief systems and are asked to think about the commonalities and differences between them.”

Canaday also emphasized the importance of emphasizing diversity and understanding, noting that “students learn from windows into other people’s perspectives and may experience mirrors in the validation of their own ideas reflected back to them. Our field trips to a synagogue, church, and mosque deepen this exploration by giving students an opportunity to actually experience these diverse places of worship.”

Echoing the sentiments of his teacher, eighth-grade student Zachary Kesselheim ’27 remarked that “it was interesting to see

by Hannah Garcia

places of worship that I was unfamiliar with, and to compare and contrast them to ones I was familiar with.” The experience exposed him and his peers to the multitude of ways and places where people practice worship, right in his backyard.

Similarly, Kai Veson ’27 commented that “the best part was visiting the mosque and the temple because I got to see how passionate they were and all the things they have to do to keep the mosque running.” Veson also mentioned that it was interesting to see all the different traditions, especially as he visited around one o’clock when there were people actively praying—it was a “window” into other people’s communities and faiths.

Visiting three places of worship and the pre-field trip discussions were integral to comprehending the similarities and differences between faiths. The thing that stood out most to Veson was “the variety of when each faith was practiced…at the mosque, they practice five times a day but on the Zoom call talking about Buddhism, they talked about how they practice it throughout the day…it is a thing you take with you.” From these virtual and in-person experiences, Veson and his peers were able to see where traditions differ, but also the “small key differences” that unite us all in a shared practice.

The program concluded on February 6, when students synthesized what they learned from the experience into an art project. Each student created a unique rendering of how they interpreted each discussion and aspect of the field trip, summing up their experience into a piece of art and written reflection for their peers and teachers to enjoy.

The efforts of Middle School teachers and faculty members Betsy Canaday, Youssef Talha, Sasha Bergmann, Tiffany Rice, Christa Crewdson, and Nathalia Jimenez were invaluable in making sure the program ran smoothly. A special thanks to the First Church in Cambridge, the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC), and Temple Beth Zion for hosting the students and sharing their culture and customs.

Pictured

1 Students examine a Torah at Temple Beth Zion. 2 x Eighth graders learn about the First Church in Cambridge. 3 Grade 8 students outside of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center 4 & 5 x Sample drafts of student reflections.

Students Spearhead Community Day at the Upper School

Upper School students celebrated a different kind of love on Valentine’s Day this year: they marked the day by strengthening their community. Aptly named Community Day, the students kicked off the day with an opening speech by Jason Talbot, co-founder of Artists for Humanity, then launched into an art workshop creating squares for a shared mural based on the work of local artist Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs. The crux of the day came when students and faculty members broke out into conversations with affinity groups and interest groups to tackle one of the objectives for the day: did you feel seen and heard?

The day was a rousing success, and students cited all parts of the day as their favorite activity. One student spoke about the impact of the keynote speaker, saying, “Jason’s speech at the beginning was definitely the highlight. Not only did I learn more about his passion for art, but also the ways in which art has impacted/shaped multiple communities.”

Another peer echoed one of the goals of the day, noting, “my favorite part of the day was the first conversation I had about athletics and academics because it was a great time to be surrounded by people like me, so I felt comfortable and my voice was truly heard.”

The idea for this event came from a student over the summer and transformed into a reality through the tireless efforts of faculty and students. The morning focused on coming together and discussing individual and group identities which transitioned into team-building games and assembling the community mural in the afternoon. Particular kudos go out to the student leaders for the day: Fatmata Sesay ’23 and Jaiden Douglin ’25!

Fall Sports Wrap-Up

ALL ISL HONORS

Girls Volleyball: Madera Longstreet-Lipson ’23, Sofia Khoury ’23, Sherry Ren ’24

Football: Bo MacCormack ’25, Brett Elliot ’24, Brian Brennan ’24, Isaiah Kacyvenski ’23, Leo Sarzana ’23

Boys Soccer: Thomas Angelone ’24

Field Hockey: Clara Noyes ’23 (First-team, All-NEPSAC), Hannah Weyerhaeuser ’25 (First-team, All-NEPSAC)

Girls Soccer: Caitlin Mara ’24 (first-team ISL and NEPSAC), Francesca Valverde ’23 (NEPSAC Player of the Year, All-NEPSAC, first-team ISL and NEPSAC) Maeve Theobald ’25 (first-team ISL and NEPSAC)

Girls Cross Country: Caroline Kovacs ’26, Naomi Hammerschlag ’25

ISL MVP

Girls Volleyball: Kate Jiang ’23

Girls Soccer: Caitlin Mara ’24 (Co-MVP)

ISL HONORABLE MENTIONS

Girls Volleyball: Corinne Holness ’25 (All NEPSAC), Avery Hart ’25 (All NEPSAC Honorable Mention)

Football: Isaiah Ohuabunwa ’23, Jake Berglund ’23, Henry Machnik ’24

Boys Soccer: Kellan Fournelle ’23, Oliver McNamara ’24, Mason Sullivan ’25

Field Hockey: Emily Huehn ’24 (All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention), Alexsa Caron ’24 (All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention)

Girls Soccer: Sophia Recupero ’24 (second team), Samantha Mahoney ’24 (second team), Ava Venuti ’23 (second team)

Girls Cross Country: Alana Kramer-Gomez ’23, Sylvia Brennan ’24 Boys Cross Country: Joshua Curhan ’25

COACHES CUP WINNERS

Football: Leo Sarzana ’23

Boys Soccer: Christian Pineda ’23

Field Hockey: Clara Noyes ’23

Girls Soccer: Ava Venuti ’23

Girls Cross Country: Sylvia Brennan ’24

Boys Cross Country: Ford Legg ’23

Pictured

7

BB&N Girls Varsity Soccer Team Wins Championship, Again!

Building on their recent history of excellence, the BB&N’s Girls Varsity Soccer Team took home the NEPSAC Class A Championship this fall with a 4-0 victory over Westminster School. The resounding win secured the team an incredible third consecutive NEPSAC Class A Championship. Astoundingly, in the past two years, the Knights have navigated their schedule without a single loss—a remarkable accomplishment considering the strong quality of their opponents. Way to go, girls!