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from the head
A Message from the Head of School
BY ARVIND GROVER
The goal for this year was deceptively simple: offer a full program to our students. As simple as it sounds, it took a monumental effort from all—parents and guardians, the board of trustees, the administrative team, and of course, the faculty—they all collectively put the student experience first and made it happen. And now, with milestones like graduation and awards day in sight, I am looking back with amazement at what we’ve accomplished. After a year of limited games and few or no spectators, Middle School athletics was once again a huge part of the student experience. Our middle school student-athletes enjoyed an —dare I say it?—epic year. Our varsity
soccer teams shone in the fall, most notably at the Under the Lights game vs. our friendly rival Belmont Day School. Held at Babson College, the Under the Lights games resulted in two wins by Meadowbrook, as both the girls and boys teams came through victorious. Then, later on in the winter at a similar event—Friday Night Hoops—Meadowbrook once again came out with the sweep, with the girls team getting the W in spectacular fashion with a once-ina-lifetime buzzer-beater shot! We also added a new sport: for the first time, the Meadowbrook co-ed volleyball team competed and finished their first season with a winning record. Of
MEA DOW B RO O K M A G A Z I N E
course, I am not even touching on the many other athletics accomplishments of our students and coaches this year, in everything from lacrosse to cross country to softball and more. When I say full program I’m also thinking about the complete academic experience, things like working in groups, showcasing student work to parents and guardians, doing lab experiments in science, participating in math competitions, and taking field trips. One especially joyful day this winter had our 2nd graders making mini-presentations to visitors (fellow students and other faculty members) about an animal they had studied as part of their rainforest unit. These presentations were impressive! Second graders used resources from the library to research facts about their chosen animals; then they put together interactive presentations using their iPads. They created 3D models of their animals using materials from the EurekaLab and then wrote a report. Let me tell you—I learned a lot that day about sloths, howler monkeys, and macaws, oh my. There’s more, of course—we’ve had plays, community service projects, visiting authors, concerts, a celebration of Earth Day, and a book fair, to name a few. We’re moving forward with anything that serves the best experience for our kids. What’s come into sharp focus for us is how critical ALL elements of the school program are for the students to flourish. We know academics are our bread and butter, and we know equally that without the other parts of the program, the academics can’t fly as far. As you look through the pages of this magazine, enjoy the full program through the photography and articles—we’ve delivered on our goal. Our teachers have stepped up and made this a year to remember for the students. And the students, as always, amaze and delight me with their tenacity, curiosity, and endless enthusiasm for learning. Team Meadowbrook is as strong as ever, and I couldn’t be more proud! u
