Campus nEws

These renderings show a renovated art room in Haynes (left) and a classroom in upper Haffenreffer

LOWER LEVEL ART ROOM new Round of Campus Improvements Moves ahead

UPPER LEVEL CLASSROOM

Great schools don’t stand still. Head of School Ned Parsons has made the point many times, and by this reckoning, Rivers is great indeed. Now that The Revers Center for Science and Visual Arts is complete, the new athletics fields and the pavilion and patio are open, and the boardwalk over the wetlands is in place, the school’s attention has shifted to the next phase of updates to improve our students’ experience.

The vision calls for the Prince, Carlin, Haynes, and Allen/ Lewis buildings, in addition to the classroom spaces in Haffenreffer, to be extensively renovated and reconfigured, turning them into fully refurbished and reimagined teaching, learning, and community spaces. The results will enhance Rivers’s Middle and Upper School programs, making them more conducive to 21st century academic needs, more reflective of the school’s interdisciplinary program, and better suited to collaboration and community-building.

The renovations, already underway, will unfold in several stages. Over this past summer, two classrooms on the lower level of Haynes were refreshed, with a brighter, cleaner look featuring new windows, new projectors, white boards, furniture, and finishes that match those in The Revers Center. The space, currently being used for Middle School humanities, will be shifted to Middle School art rooms, with the necessary new equipment and fixtures, for the 2021 school year. The COVID crisis also necessitated the creation of a new health center in Haynes.

Next up will be renovations to Prince, as well as to lower Carlin, scheduled for summer 2021. The reconfigured Prince building will house three classrooms, two of which will increase in size by 50 percent, with breakout spaces to allow greater instructional flexibility. Exterior windows will be replaced, using high-performance glass that admits plenty of daylight but improves insulation. A new gathering space gives students and teachers a place to convene and collaborate. Throughout the building—and in all of the renovated spaces— new finishes, lighting, and furniture will modernize the aesthetic of these learning spaces, bringing them to the level of The Revers Center.

While Prince undergoes a renewal, work will also be done to the lower levels of Carlin, which will be home to the tutoring area, as well as new breakout/study spaces.

The campus transformation will continue in the fall of 2021 with planned renovations to the Allen Building, which houses the Lewis Math and Science Center. The building will have dramatic open spaces and views of Nonesuch Pond. Once the renovations are completed, it will serve as the Middle School’s primary building.

The configuration of the first floor of this building will be changed dramatically so that large rear windows overlooking Nonesuch Pond will flood this central community gathering space with natural light. That level will also be home to new Middle School science classrooms, as well as an office for the head of the Middle School. The lower level will house a suite for the IT department, renovated classrooms, and a maker space. In the summer of 2022, upper Haynes and Haffenreffer will both receive extensive facelifts, with new finishes throughout both buildings.

Finally, a new campus gateway is planned, providing a clearer sense of “arrival” on campus, addressing parking and traffic-flow challenges, and setting the stage for future campus enhancements.

None of this, of course, comes cheap. The total project cost is $9 million. Of this, $6.1 million remains to be raised in this final phase of the transformational FutureMakers campaign. The new slate of campus updates will require the Rivers community to build on the momentum of the past few years. The ultimate schedule and scope of the renovations will, of course, depend on the school’s ability to raise the necessary funds, but Parsons is optimistic the Rivers community is up to the task. “As the last round of campus improvements demonstrated,” he said, “this community is capable of doing whatever it puts its mind to, especially when the benefits to our students are so profound.”

The Great Rivers Baking Show

Pandemic baking has become a bit of a cliché—and for good reason. At times like these, we could all use a little more sugar, butter, flour, and chocolate in our lives.

So last spring, even though corona- virus kept everyone physically out of one another’s kitchens, math faculty member Victoria Mizzi figured there was no better time to start a Rivers baking club. “I knew kids who baked, so I thought this would be a way to bond and make the best of being at home,” she explains.

Maggie Barrow ’20 says that baking club was “a great way to keep connected with people.”

And a great excuse to bake. The club met once a week (online, of course) and was loosely structured around a particular baking theme each week.

“The challenge,” says Mizzi, “is to bake something you’ve never baked before and to experiment, to use ingredients you’ve never used, and to complete the task.”

The theme of the first week was cake.

Baking club members Sofia Buckle ’20, Maggie Barrow ’20, and Zoie Gainey ’20

“But it had to be a unique flavor—not chocolate or vanilla,” says Mizzi. Barrow took the opportunity to create a chocolate-chip tahini cake, which she says was “really good—kind of dense, like something you could have for breakfast.”

Ezgi Bas ’21 took on blondies as her first solo project. “I didn’t have enough brown sugar, but it turned out fine,” she says. Baking club members swapped tips, photos, and encouragement in a Google chat room between meetings.

Participants say they especially cherished the connections the experience fostered. Bas says that she really didn’t know most of the club members previously, but “everyone was so friendly— I never felt like an outsider.” And she says she enjoyed seeing a different side of her teachers: “It’s great to see them in a nonacademic setting. We’re close to our teachers at Rivers, but this is just another level of knowing them—to see them in their homes baking.”

In It Together: Students Reach Across Borders to Share Experiences

As the spring semester wound down, her connections to enlist high-schoolers It appears that some longer-lasting language faculty member Andrea overseas. Seniors Across Borders eventu- good will come out of the program, as Villagran found herself wondering ally included students from Guatemala, well. Although actual student travel may about high school seniors—not just those Panama, Slovakia, and France. A large be off the table for now, Villagran has at Rivers, or even those across the U.S., number of participants came from the been in conversations with our French but students in this cohort around the Lycée Georges Duby in Aix-en-Provence, partner school, coming up with ways to world. which has been part of an exchange have students connect in the classroom.

Much has been said and written program with Rivers for many years. Upper-level French students will also be about what these young people have lost, Rivers seniors who joined in say that working remotely with Boston-area ESL from prom to senior week to graduation. they were happy to make the connec- students from Haiti, with the language Villagran was a witness to much of that, tions. Ryan Johnsen ’20 says he was inter- learning going in both directions. And and it gave her an idea both inspired and ested in participating because he had Villagran has reached out to the school driven by current conditions. Why not taken part in the French exchange pro- she attended in Guatemala to set up a bring together high school seniors around gram in 2017. The session gave him some collaborative project for her Spanish V the globe, via Zoom, to connect, to com- insight into the universality of his plight: students this winter. “This could be a miserate, and perhaps to gain perspective? “I learned that although we come from valuable resource for both sets of kids,” The project was quickly greenlighted and different parts of the globe, we are expe- says Villagran. “That’s the exciting part: Villagran, a native of Guatemala who riencing the same disappointments and The possibilities just become larger.” oversees Rivers’s travel programs, worked hardships that anyone our age would.”

Charity Begins with Rivers Givers

Giving money away isn’t as simple as it looks. For philanthropists— and philanthropists-in-training— it’s rarely just a matter of raising the money and writing a check. Charitable causes must be chosen and vetted with care, ensuring that they are not just well intentioned but effective. Donors need to know where their dollars are going and whether the recipients are fiscally responsible. Grant proposals must be reviewed for feasibility and impact.

It’s a complex process, and that’s really the underlying purpose of Rivers Givers, a longtime Rivers program aimed at teaching students about the ins and outs of charitable giving. Each year, a group of juniors and seniors commits to the program, which includes a threepart curriculum, several workshops, a community service project, and extensive fundraising. Early in the year, the group solicits grant proposals from an array of local nonprofits, and over the course of the yearlong program, they evaluate the proposals and award the money to those groups they deem most deserving.

“They’re learning how philanthropy works, how the nonprofit world works, and about the intersection of nonprofits, government, and industry,” says Kit Cunningham, director of community engagement at Rivers.

In the course of pursuing the program, students also meet the people behind the organizations—both staff and clients. “Not only has the program provided me with the experience of creating fundraisers and awareness for non-profit organizations, it also has connected me directly to these organization’s leaders and people and initiatives they are supporting,” says Evie Thomajan ’20, who participated in the program this past year.

Once the group has narrowed down the competition, they take a day to perform site visits, so they can see the organizations firsthand. “Visiting some of the nonprofits was a great opportunity to see them in action, which helped us decide how much and where we should donate the money we raised this school year,” says Max Meyerhardt ’21, another Givers participant.

“Not only has the program provided me with the experience of creating fundraisers and awareness for non-profit organizations, it also has connected me directly to these organization’s leaders and people and initiatives they are supporting.”

EvIE ThomAjAn ’20

On a sunny day late last winter, the group boarded a bus that took them to Framingham, where they visited the offices of Call2Talk, a suicide prevention and crisis hotline supported by United Way of Tri-County, and SOAR Natick, which supports people in recovery from addiction. The students piled into the small, modest offices of both nonprofits, peppering the staff and clients with questions about their processes and approach. They later visited the Wily Network, which helps students experiencing life challenges such as home- lessness or foster care.

Cunningham notes that making the final choice about grants is “a really hard decision.”

“They get very passionate about certain ones and really argue for the ones they want. It can be a lengthy process,” she says. In the end, this year’s Givers awarded grants to all three groups, as well as the MetroWest Free Medical Program, which provides medical care to uninsured and underinsured area residents.

Typically, the awards are announced and distributed at a school assembly, with representatives from the nonprofits on hand to make brief presentations. This past year, of course, there was no spring assembly, though one may yet be scheduled for fall. But with or without the final presentation, there’s no question that the lessons of Rivers Givers have been learned. “This program has taught me so much about how nonprofit organizations operate and how to read grants and decide where to donate money,” says Meyerhardt. “I gained so much knowledge about what community service can look like and about the financial side of service.”

Says Thomajan, “Our work goes beyond providing funds. We get the opportunity to raise awareness within the Rivers community about these meaningful organizations and hopefully garner them more support.”

The (Art) Show must Go on

In a typical spring, Rivers students would participate in two major art shows: The Small Independent School Arts League (SISAL) exhibition and the juried Page Waterman/Next Up! competition.

But nothing about the spring of 2020 was typical. The SISAL exhibition was canceled, due to the coronavirus outbreak, but the Page Waterman show went ahead—albeit virtually. Instead of being mounted in the gallery, the entire show went online at the Page Waterman website.

Rivers art department faculty member David Saul explained that the Page Waterman show is the brainchild of alumnus Sturdy Waterman ’74, who owns the gallery. “Back in 2017, he decided to celebrate the gallery’s centennial with the first Next Up! exhibition. It was very successful and now has turned into an annual event.”

Seven Rivers students submitted a total of 12 artworks. Of those 12, one was awarded a third-place award in its category and two earned honorable mentions.

Saul was pleased that the gallery made the decision to move ahead with the show, despite the difficulties. “This event has

Marin Broderick ’22 Adebiyi Oyaronbi ’21

become an annual springtime tradition, and we’re grateful to the Page Waterman Gallery for creating this virtual exhibit to celebrate student creativity during these challenging times,” said Saul.

The students represented in the Page Waterman show were Aliesha Campbell ’20 (stoneware and porcelain); Nicholas Hardy ’20 (photography, three works, including an honorable mention award); Dylan Mentis ’20 (stoneware); George Reinhardt ’20 (photography, three works, including a third-place award); Adebiyi Oyaronbi ’21 (drawing); Marin Broderick ’22 (printmaking and stoneware, two works); Keira Harder ’22 (dry point print, honorable mention award).

Nicholas Hardy ’20

Dylan Mentis ’20

microbiology Class Puts Students Under the microscope

Bacteria: Friend or foe? A little of both, and students in the new interdisciplinary course Microbiology are learning just where the lines are drawn.

“The premise of the class,” says science faculty member Carina Chittim, “is that we’re learning the basics of how bacteria work—how they interact with humans, how they live on humans and inside of humans, and how they help keep us healthy but can sometimes also cause disease.”

The students’ newfound understanding of bacteria leads them to the course’s other crux: antibiotic resistance and the broader implications of antibiotic overuse. “We’re investigating how the widespread use of antibiotics can lead to larger global health crises,” says Chittim.

Students started their studies on the personal level. To gain insight into the

Choosing one’s preferred hypothetical superpower is a fun parlor game, but Dr. Jamil Zaki has an answer that actually lies within anyone’s grasp. The renowned Stanford psychology professor, who addressed the entire student body on October 21 as part of The Hall Family Speaker Series, maintains that empathy is a superpower— divisive times. organized by the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, in their advisory groups. Human beings, Zaki said, tend them mentality, says Zaki. “That’s not inherently bad,” he said, “but it can turn bad”—as when it prevents us from seeing those who are different from us, or whose ideas differ from ours, as fully human.

That dehumanizing of the other makes it difficult, if not impossible, to connect human microbiome, they swabbed their own skin and grew what they found in petri dishes. Then it was on to the microscopes, where the teeming world of common bacteria was revealed.

What makes the whole undertaking possible, Chittim says, is the new laboratory space and equipment in The Revers Center. “That allowed us to look at more practical applications,” says Chittim. New tools make it possible for students to delve deeper into the hands-on processes and master high-level skills: “Creating their own petri dishes—I didn’t do that until grad school,” says Chittim, who recently completed a PhD in microbiology at Harvard.

Emily Stoller ’21 says she was drawn to the class because she hopes to pursue a career in medicine and public health. But the appeal of the elective isn’t limited

Dr. Amy Enright, of the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, chatted with Dr. Jamil Zaki during his virtual presentation.

with those with whom we disagree. The solution, said Zaki, is empathy—learning to understand where people are coming from, how and why they hold their

Maggie Leeming ’21 prepares to study the bacteria on her skin.

to future scientists. Maggie Leeming ’21 says she’s “more of a humanities person,” but she saw the course as an opportunity to explore something new. “One really cool thing I’ve learned in class is that our bodies have more microbial cells than human cells,” she says. The conclusion, as important as it is inescapable, points toward the value of studying our microbiomes: “Humans are more bacteria

Dr. jamil Zaki: A Powerful message for Challenging Times

one that’s particularly apt for our

Students viewed Zaki’s virtual visit, to categorize, to resort to an us-and-

than human.” particular viewpoints, and what areas of common ground might be found.

It’s a tough balancing act, he conceded. “Empathizing with someone is not the same as agreeing with them,” he said. “It isn’t giving up your ideals; it’s just acknowledging and respecting that there is a person on the other side of the argument.” At a moment when Americans are strongly divided, that empathy may be at once more difficult and more necessary than ever.

After a lively Q&A, CCCE Director Dr. Amy Enright thanked Zaki for a presentation that “gave us so much to think about.” Zaki’s approach serves as a reminder that, despite today’s challenges, a robust tool is near at hand: “Most people,” he says, “don’t realize how much of a superpower empathy can be.”

meet our new Trustees

This year, we are happy to welcome five new term trustees and a new life trustee to our board. Their expertise and enthusiasm promise to make them valuable assets to Rivers.

term trUSteeS

rachel hunter-

goldman ’08 lives in Brooklyn, NY, and was the recipient of the Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2018. She was named to the 2017 Forbes “30 Under 30” finance list after being nominated by her employer, Apollo Global Management. Prior to joining Apollo’s Commercial Real Estate Credit team, Rachel worked for Morgan Stanley. She helped found the Commercial Real Estate’s Young Professionals Steering Committee, as well as Women in Real Estate, and continues to be passionate about environmental conservation and protection—a passion that began at Rivers. Rachel attended Brown University.

matt Fruhan P’22,

’24, ’26 is a portfolio manager in the Equity Division at Fidelity Investments who has managed more than 10 funds distributed over multiple sectors. He has been with Fidelity since 1995 and is highly regarded by industry analysts. He and his wife, Greta, have three children at Rivers who have come through the Middle School. Matt attended Harvard College and Harvard Business School.

alison hall P’19

is a health, nutrition, and wellness editor in the publishing field. She and her husband, Max, who is a science teacher at Middle School’s The Lion King Jr. Concord Academy, have been part of the Rivers community since their daughter, Natalie ’19, entered in sixth grade in 2012. Deeply inspired by Natalie’s experiences at Rivers, including singing with the Conservatory Program and performing in theater productions, Alison has remained involved with the RSC. She is also active in projects that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as community and civic engagement. Alison received a BA in English from Colgate and an MA in creative writing from Boston University.

michael London

P’25 is a recognized thought leader in education tech- nology and online learning. He currently serves as the founding CEO of Uwill, a mental health platform that offers students on-demand access to counselors. Previously, he served as founding CEO of Examity, one of the nation’s fastest-growing education companies, as well as Bloomberg Institute, College Coach, and EdAssist. He received his BS with honors from Babson College and his MBA from Boston University. His volunteerism includes many years on the Babson Board of Advisors and a more recent appointment to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Trustee Advisory Board. He and his family joined the Rivers community two years ago when his son, Marc ’25, entered sixth grade.

Susan rapple

P’22 leads the fundraising team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and has more than 30 years of experience leading development strategy and comprehensive fundraising activities for nonprofits. Prior to joining BWH, she served as Harvard Medical School’s dean for resource development and Dana-Farber’s associate vice president of development, and in leadership positions in development at the Harvard School of Public Health and Dartmouth Medical School. Susan earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from Babson College and her master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She and her wife, Brandi Sikorski, live in Belmont with their daughter, Abigail Sikorski ’22.

LIFe trUStee

robert J. Davis P’06, ’08, ’13

is a managing partner of Highland Capital Partners. He joined the Rivers board in 2003, the year after his son Brian enrolled, and served two tenures (the second as board president) from 2014 to 2018. During his time on the board, Bob served on numerous committees: master planning, facilities, committee on trustees, athletics, major gifts, executive committee, and the head’s search committee. Under his leadership, the Board developed and adopted the 2015 Strategic Plan, providing a blueprint for the school’s future. Bob has always been a vocal champion of all things Rivers and is most proud of his three Rivers graduates: Brian ’06, Michelle ’08, and Danny ’13.