What's New at Montrose

February 2010

Acts of Kindness in the Bronx: In the fall of 2009, Montrose English teacher, Ms. Kate Cusack, Montrose students and Montrose alumna, Molly Keefe '05, started a 9th grade service club called Random Acts of Kindness, in collaboration with Cedar Wood, an Opus Dei center. The club sponsored a trip to the Bronx, New York over February vacation to give 9th graders an opportunity to serve others outside their own communities. Ms. Cusack explains, "We wanted to help students understand the dignity of each human life and show their love for others by feeding, visiting and caring for society's most destitute - in essence, to see Christ in everyone around us."
 
The five-day trip was filled with a variety of service projects. Students served lunch at the Momentum Project soup kitchen, visited a nursing home in a poor neighborhood, sorted clothes at the Catholic Charities thrift store, cleaned the home of an elderly widow and stocked shelves at food pantries. They also spent a day at Rosedale Center in the Bronx - a tutoring and mentoring program for inner-city girls.

Throughout the trip, there were opportunities to pray, attend Mass, and discuss one of Pope John Paul II's encyclicals on social justice. Students appreciated the opportunity to take to heart all that was happening.  Says Ms. Cusack, "Through this experience, we hope that Montrose students will deepen their spirit of service by continuing to look for ways to serve at home and in their communities."
 
Reflects Ms. Cusack, "Our students gave 100% to every project, working tremendously hard, always smiling. The people in charge at each organization commented on how impressed they were with the girls, how fast they worked and how terrific their attitudes were. One woman said to the group, 'Now I know Heaven sent you, but where did Heaven send you FROM?'"
 
Hope for Haiti: On Friday, March 26 at 7 pm, students and faculty will be hosting a Hope for Haiti Evening. Mass will be celebrated in the Montrose Chapel followed by a short educational program organized by students. 

Betsy Bowman '95 in Haiti: Betsy Bowman '95 is working at the Louverture Cleary School outside Port Au Prince, Haiti. Thankfully, she and her students survived the earthquake, and they are in a position to assist many refugees. Click here to read more about how Betsy is helping in Haiti.  

Click here to see a photo of Betsy teaching, featured in the Boston Globe.

Students Lend a Hand at The Thomas Upham House: Montrose students regularly lend a hand at the local nursing home in Medfield, The Thomas Upham House. Students spend time with senior citizens who often do not have families of their own to visit.
 

 

Discoveries at the MFA: Latin teacher, Mrs. Karen Demirjian, Academic Dean, Mrs. Katherine Ginnetty and studio art teacher, Ms. Christina Ferguson took all Latin middle and upper school students to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston where they explored ancient arts. Escorted by a knowledgeable docent, students first visited the early and classical Greek galleries. They saw the first image of Apollo, looked for myths written on Greek vases and discussed the "growth" of Greek art through images of athletes and gods. They then traveled to the Roman gallery to view busts and idealized versions of famous men and women.  Finally, the group spent time in the art room making clay images of mythological monsters and characters.  The MFA docents commented on our students' gracious behavior, strong knowledge and willingness to participate...They even loved the uniforms!

Mr. Schirripa Speaks to History Students on the Stock Market: Academic Dean and history teacher, Mrs. Katherine Ginnetty invited Montrose father and investment manager, Mr. Joseph Schirripa P '10, '15, to her 20th Century History class on February 8. His presentation and trade simulation helped students understand today's market better and relate it to their study of the Great Depression. 

January 2009

Competitive Spelling Bee: Students in grades 6-8 participated in the Scripps Spelling Bee - a nationwide competition. Students competed in two preliminary rounds by grade. The three top spellers from each grade participated in an oral bee during Common Homeroom on January 28. The spellers were Olivia Giannakopoulos '14, Annie Murray '14, Catherine Schickel '14, Sarah Baker '15, Sarah Morrill '15, Katrin O'Grady '15, Clara Cahill Farella '16, Mary Grace King '16, Katrina Jackson '16.
After a long-fought battle, Katrina Jackson finally won over Annie Murray, spelling "synthetically" correctly to earn the title "Montrose Champion." Katrina will now compete in the South Shore Regional Spelling Bee in Rockland on March 13.

Montrose Spelling Bee Champion, Katrina Jackson '16

BU's CityLab Program: On January 28 and 29, the 9th grade biology students and the 11th and 12th grade AP Biology students participated in Boston University's CityLab Program.  CityLab is a biotechnology laboratory program for high school students at the Boston University School of Medicine.  Students participate in laboratory experiments in the field of biotechnology.  This year, students performed labs involving bacterial transformation, DNA isolation, amplification, gel electrophoresis and assays.  Montrose students have participated in and benefited from this excellent educational program for the past several years.
 

MA District & State Choruses: Hailey McAvoy '13 and Isabella Daher '10 were both accepted into the 2010 Massachusetts Eastern Senior District Chorus, which presented its concert on January 9. Both girls scored high enough at their district auditions to receive recommendations to audition for the 2010 Massachusetts All-State Chorus. Hailey auditioned and was accepted into the All-State Chorus.

March for Life: On Friday, January 22, twenty-three Montrose upper school students traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the 37th annual March for Life. Despite the frigid temperatures, students stood proud in solidarity with thousands of other pro-life supporters. Their trip began on Thursday evening at 8:30 pm when students boarded a bus and traveled throughout the night. Upon arrival in Washington early Friday morning, they attended Mass at the National Basilica and prayed with hundreds of other people of an end to abortion.

December 2009

Merry Christmas from Montrose:
             Christmas Slideshow

On December 8 - the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, His Eminence Sean P. Cardinal O'Malley, OFM Cap. visited Montrose School's Medfield campus for the first time.  He was welcomed affectionately by Montrose students, parents, alumnae and trustees.  The entire school gathered for Mass in the Montrose Chapel and families spilled out the doors into Founders' Hall. Cardinal O'Malley celebrated Mass and reminded us to follow the Blessed Mother's example of trust during this special Advent season.  Following Mass, the Upper School Choir performed "Christmas Lullaby" by John Rutter and "Montrose is Here to Stay," a variation on George Gershwin's "Our Love is Here to Stay." The students thanked the Cardinal and presented him with a spiritual bouquet and a Montrose sweatshirt.  

"The visit was truly a joy for me and for the Cardinal," said Fr. Jonathon Gaspar, priest Secretary to Cardinal O'Malley. "We were so impressed with the school, the girls, the building and all the faculty and staff." 

Josh Week 2009: Josh Week is an annual Montrose tradition where the Junior class spends a week in November "officially" welcoming the freshmen into the upper school. This year's juniors warmly welcomed the freshmen with a week of fun and creative skits, games and activities to the delight of the entire student body.

The Festival of Ten Minute Plays presented by the Montrose Players was a wonderful success and featured original one-act plays written by Montrose upper school students. 

In an effort to help students better understand the themes of racial discrimination and segregation that permeate the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, English teachers, Ms. Kate Cusack and Ms. Melanie Belcher invited Montrose parent Brenda Twyner Thordarson to speak about her experiences growing up in the segregated South. Mrs. Thordarson shared pages from her yearbooks, photos from the Mississippi Archives and information about the KKK, while tracing the history of the Civil Rights Movement in this country.  

Mrs. Thordarson's high school yearbook picure

The Civil Rights Movement parallels Mrs. Thordarson's life. As a child, she never thought twice about the fact that she  and her family marched at the back of the Christmas parade behind the horses. On September 15, 1963, her 10th birthday, however, everything changed. Four children were killed at  Sunday school when their church was bombed. She remembers seeing parents' frightened faces and hushed voices as they talked about this and other acts of violence. From 9th to 11th grade, Mrs. Thordarson attended Oak Park High - a segregated school in Laurel, Mississippi. It wasn't until her 12th grade year - 1970-1971 - that she attended an integrated school, graduating in '71 from R.H. Watkins High. 

Students were moved by Mrs. Thordarson's presentation. "Mrs. Thordason's visit really helped me to make the connection between this novel and reality.  I can't believe she had to go through so much as a high school girl.  She is an inspiration," remarked Grace Schiller '13. 

Members of Montrose School's DeTore chapter of the National Honor Society sponsored an all-school service project to collect gifts for Operation Christmas Child, a program of Samaritan's Purse. Students sent shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies and personal hygiene items for distribution to children worldwide.   

The Montrose Speech Team is competing fiercely and meeting much success! Nicole Lueders '13 and Camille Corre '13 placed 6th in Duo Interpretation and Maggie Fitzgerald '14 placed 7th in Novice Reading at the Gracia Speech Tournament on November 14. At the Lincoln Sudbury Tournament on December 5, Katie Miklus '12 placed 7th in Novice Reading, Grace Schiller '13 placed 5th in Prose Reading, Camille Corre '13 and Nicole Lueders '13 placed 4th in Duo Interpretation and Caroline Cassidy '13 and Maria Buckley '13 placed 5th in Duo Interpretation.

Alex Marian '12 earned a perfect score on our first National Math League exam of the year!

Hailey McAvoy '13, Jennifer Kessler '11 and Isabella Daher '10 auditioned for and were accepted into the Massachusetts Music Educators Associaton (MMEA) Eastern District Chorus. All three students scored high enough to be recommended to audition for the All-State Chorus in January!

Click here to read Dr. Bohlin's latest article, A Greatful Heart: Lessons from my Father, in Boston's The Pilot, America's oldest Catholic newspaper. 

Our drama director, Ms. Nancy Gahagan recently played the role of Truvy in Acme Theatre's production of Steel Magnolias.Click here to read an article about the play.

October/November 2009

Life Portraits Speaker Series: Film producer, director and President of Journey Films, Mr. Martin Doblmeier, was the second speaker in our 2009-2010 Life Portraits Speaker Series. On November 23, Mr. Doblmeier spoke to Montrose students, parents, alumnae and friends about the Power of Forgiveness. Click here to read more.

Mr. Andreas Widmer, a former Swiss Guard to Pope John Paul II, was the first speaker in our Life Portraits Speaker Series. Mr. Widmer shared his experiences working as a bodyguard for the Pope.  

Isabella Daher '10 was named a Commended Student in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The members of Montrose School's Junior Classical League, led by Latin teacher Mrs. Karen Demirjian, recently participated in the Mass JCL Catapult Competition. Their catapult won second place in the Marshmallow Catapult Division! 

Head of School Dr. Karen Bohlin gave the Schmidt Lecture in Ethics at Susquehanna University on October 26. Dr. Bohlin spoke on "The Ultimate College Test: Character". Click here to read more. 

Montrose teachers are now using blogs to extend learning and  conversation beyond the classroom. Mrs. Katie Elrod created a blog for History of Philosophy and Cathlic Social Teaching, and Mrs. Becky Roberts has developed one for 11th grade British Literature.  

Art teacher Ms. Christina Ferguson hosted a special art workshop for students featuring Becky Gibbs, a lifelong artist who has worked as an illustrator, silkscreen artist, graphic designer, corporate designer and art director.  

Alumna Ilse Willems '06 made a life changing journey to Africa as part of the College of the Holy Cross' inaugural "Kenya: Development, Peace and Social Justice" internship and community-based learning project.

September 2009

Miracle Field Dedication: Click here to view a slideshow and also view the video below.

The brilliant autumn sun provided a fitting backdrop as Montrosians young and old joyfully gathered to celebrate the dedication of our home athletic field to beloved Chaplain of thirty years, Reverend Richard Rieman.  Friends and family members from as far away as Texas were in attendance for this memorable occasion, which included speeches by Head of School, Dr. Karen E. Bohlin, Chairman of the Board, Mr. Neil Jacob, Student Government president, Emily Morgan '10, Athletic Director Miss Betsy Keefe '03 and Director of Alumnae Relations, Mrs. Lauren Noble Marshall '99.  After years of praying for a permanent home field, Fr. Dick was happy to provide the blessing of the field.  "It's a miracle," he said.  And with that, the sign was unveiled to the cheers of the crowd. 

First Home Game Ever!
For the first time in 30 years the Montrose Mavericks varsity soccer team hosted a game on their own turf. Parents, students and faculty packed the bleachers on September 18 to witness Montrose's first official home game and cheer on the team. Fittingly, our Mavericks were victorious, winning 6 - 0!

Ellen Smith '10 and her dad, Warren Smith, were interviewed by WEEI.
Montrose Senior Ellen Smith and her father, Warren, were recently featured on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan radio show as part of the Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon. With her characteristic cheerfulness and grace, Ellen, who has been undergoing chemotherapy for Ewing's Sarcoma, spoke about coordinating her treatments with her busy schedule--including school work, prom, and the Witherspoon Institute philosophy conference at Princeton University!

May & June 2009

Congratulations to the Class of 2009!

Diana Baker, College of the Holy Cross
Ana Teresa Buckley, University of Virginia
Hilary Cullen Budwey, Amherst College
Ilona Castro, New York University
Catherine Childs, University of San Diego
Ann Conway, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Laura Cummer, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Susan Elliott, University of Richmond
Colleen Grogan, Loyola College in Maryland
Nicole Hofer, Hamilton College
Maya Kachroo-Levine, Ithaca College
Elizabeth Kelly, Johnson & Wales University, North Miami campus
Michelle Ng, St. Lawrence University
Meghan Reilly, St. Anselm College
Rebecca Sullivan, University of Notre Dame
Molly Young, James Madison University

Awards Day 2009: Faculty, parents and friends celebrated students’ academic achievements at the annual Awards Day on May 29.

Field Day 2009: Students enjoyed the annual Student Government led Field Day, celebrating the end of the school year.

Meeting of the Minds: Students in Mrs. Katie Elrod’s 12th grade philosophy class wrote and performed a play where they impersonated history’s great thinkers like Socrates, Rousseau, and Hobbes and imagined a conversation among them centering on the questions “What is man’s true nature?” and “How do men best live together?”

A Visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Making the great leap from simply learning facts to internalizing lessons was the purpose of the 9th grade’s visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Students study medieval history in ninth grade with Mrs. Heather McKinney, and a tour of the museum provided context and a tangible connection to the past.

MIT Researchers Come to Montrose: For Ms. Heather Osborne’s science students, studying with actual MIT researchers offered insight into how scientists solve problems and find answers. They tackled the subject of radiometric dating which is an extension of both sixth grade geology studies and high school chemistry. The researchers began with a power point presentation and lecture on the subject, which they followed with a lab where the scientists worked side-by-side with students.

Students Attain National Recognition on 2009 National Latin Exams: Congratulations to our Latin students who attained national recognition for their excellent performance on the 2009 National Latin Examinations. 
 
High school students in Latin II and Latin IIIa earned a total of 11 Gold and 7 Silver medals, equivalent to 95% of the upper level enrollment.  Over 135,000 students in the United States and 11 foreign countries took Latin examinations in 2009.

Level II and IIIa students scoring at or above the 90th percentile are awarded a Summa Cum Laude Gold Medal; students scoring from the 84th through the 89th percentiles receive a Magna Cum Laude Silver Medal; and students scoring from the 75th through the 83rd percentiles receive a Cum Laude Bronze Medal.

On the Introductory Level Exam, over two-thirds of the 8th grade Latin I students earned certificates and ribbons for Outstanding Achievement (at or above the 88th percentile).  Latin I students scoring at or above the national average on the Introductory Exam (75th percentile) are awarded a Certificate of Achievement.

Gold Medals were awarded to: Emily Morin ‘11, Arun Sidhu ‘11, Caitlin Ronan ‘11, Deme Venancio ’11, Emily Iannarilli ’11, Jennifer Kessler ’11, Marie Calapa ’10, Bakhita Thordarson ’12, Ghee Rye Lee ’12, Alexandra Marian ’12, and Olivia Ghiz ’12.  

Silver Medals were awarded to: Sarah Pritchard ’11, Erin Hepinstall ’12, Kaytie Miklus ’12, Jaimie Hartwell ’12, Christine Naguib ’12, Molly Brennan ’12, and Sarah  Barry ’12.

Ribbons and Certificates for Outstanding Achievement on the Introductory Latin Exam were awarded to the following members of the Class of 2013:  Maria Buckley, Hailey McAvoy, Taryn DiPalma, Sheila Hufnagle, Julia McNiff, Camille Corre, Katherine Casey, Sohee Min, Sangji Lee, Bridget Rose, Natalia Hutner, Ceili McLaughlin, Annemarie Ng, Kayla Lilly, Mary Beth Irwin and Cati Iannarilli.

Certificates of Achievement on the Introductory Latin Exam were awarded to the following members of the Class of 2013:  Jessie Marshall, Sarah Maguire, Devin Caccavaro, Caroline Cassidy, Grace Schiller, Madison Brosler, Madison Godshall and Maisy Halloran.

Sonia Scaria ’13, received a PERFECT SCORE on the Introductory Latin Exam.  Only 386 students out of over 17,400 who took the exam worldwide attained this distinction.

Taught by Latin teacher, Mrs. Karen Demirjian, Montrose students have a long history of high achievement on these exams.   The Latin program continues to grow in scope and enrollment with the addition of a Latin IIIb course in the 2009-2010 academic year.

Students Attain National Recognition on 2009 French Examinations: The National French Exam, otherwise known as Le Grand Concours, is a prestigious competition where over 100,000 students in the United States participate annually. The competition includes an oral and written exam, which measures students' proficiency and achievement in comparison with other students across the country who are studying the same level of French. Congratulations to Montrose French students for their outstanding performances!
 
The following students received a Certificat de Mérite, also known as an Honorable Mention: Ann Crowley ‘11, Elizabeth Spada ‘11, Diana Baker ‘09, Maya Kachroo-Levine ‘09, Elizabeth Kelly ‘09

The following students received a Certificat de Réussite for scoring from the 60th through the 79th percentile nationally: Emily Iannarilli ’11, Elizabeth Ea ‘10, Natalia Perdomo ’10, Hilary Budwey ‘09

The following students received a Certificat d'Honneur for scoring from the 80th percentile through the 89th percentile nationally: Crystal Correia ‘11, Sarah Pritchard ’11, Cassandra Piorkowski ‘10

The following students received the Lauréat National and medals for scoring at or above the 95th percentile nationwide: Christine Naguib ’12, Jennifer Kessler ’11, Kaitlin Fitzgerald, ‘10

Taught by French teacher, Ms. Kathy Dollason, Montrose students have a long history of high achievement on these exams.

Students Attain National Recognition on 2009 Spanish Exams: Congratulations to our Spanish students who attained national recognition for their excellent performance on the 2009 National Spanish Examinations. 
 
Montrose Spanish students earned a total of 5 Gold, 12 silver and 5 bronze medals along with 14 honorable mentions.  50% of Montrose Spanish students received a gold, silver or bronze medal. "Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious," said Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, National Director of the Exams, "because the exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with well over 115,000 students participating in 2009."  

Students scoring at or above the 95th percentile are awarded a Premio de Oro (Gold Medal); students scoring from the 85th through the 94th percentiles receive a Premio de Plata (Silver Medal); and students scoring from the 75th through the 84th percentiles receive a Premio Bronce (Bronze Medal). Students scoring at or above the national average (50th percentile) are awarded a Premio de Excelencia (Honorable Mention).

Gold Medals were awarded to: Emily Morin ‘11, Arun Sidhu ‘11, Caitlin Ronan ‘11, Marie Calapa ’10 and Isabella Daher ’10

Silver Medals were awarded to: Alexandra Marian ‘12, Erin Hepinstall ‘12, Olivia Ghiz ‘12, Sarah Berry ‘12, Gabrielle Colvert ‘12, Sonia Fitopolous ‘11, Sarah McPherson ‘11, Deme Venancio ‘11, Cheryl Deng ‘10, Katherine Hepinstall ‘10, Mariana Fernandez ‘10, Rebecca Sullivan ‘09

Bronze Medals were awarded to: Shannon Cunnane ‘12, Bakhita Thordarson ‘12, Ellen Smith ’10, Ana Buckley ’09, Ilona Castro ‘09

Honorable Mentions were awarded to: Meghan Reilly ’12, Kathleen Miklus ’12, Jaimie Hartwell ’12, Ghee Rye Lee ’12, Molly Brennan ’12, Katharine Slayton ’12, Claire Hughes ’11, Ji-Huyn Seo ’11, Meagan Sievers ’11, Alice Pottackal ’11, Bridget Burns ’11, Emily Morgan ’10, Casey Irwin ’10, Meghan Reilly ‘09

Taught by Spanish teacher, Ms. Elizabeth Mahoney, Montrose students have a long history of high achievement on these exams. Ms. Mahoney has also helped coordinate our fourth summer of language immersion and exchange program in Spain. Thirteen Montrose students will be visiting Spain this summer!

Grandparents' Day 2009: On Saturday, May 9, over fifty grandparents and students gathered at Montrose for Grandparents' Day.  They enjoyed Mass celebrated by Fr. Dick, a tour of the school and a luncheon hosted by the MOMS.  Grandparents were invited to write a "love letter" to their granddaughter, sharing their hopes for her future and passing on their advice about how to live a meaningful life.  The envelopes will be kept safe and given to their granddaughters on graduation day. All grandparents are invited to participate in the love letter project by sending their letter to Montrose School, attention:  Jennifer Schiller.  The day concluded with a performance of the middle school play, Fractured Fairy Tales. Click here to see a slide show of the afternoon.

Varsity Lacrosse - What a Season! Congratulations to the Montrose Varsity Lacrosse Team. Currently undefeated, the team is ranked number one in the league, and seven girls are representing the school at the All-Star game: Diana Baker '09, Cathy Childs '09, Michele Ng '10, Mary Crevier '10, Casey Irwin '10, Hannah Schickel '10 and Deme Venancio '11. 
   

An Outstanding Volunteer
Medway Girl Scout and Montrose eighth grader Camille Corre ‘13 was recognized as the "Outstanding Girl Volunteer" for her exceptional performance and contributions to the Medway Service Unit.  This marks the first time in the history of the Medway Girl Scouts that this award has been given to a girl, rather than an adult.  "Camille stepped into an adult's role and performed it with extreme poise and competence," commented troop leader, Kim Campbell.

April 2009

Dedicating Spring Break to Service: Recognizing that our time and talents are gifts from God and are meant to be shared is a message with which Montrosians are well acquainted. Over April vacation, 11th and 12th grade students joined Mustard Seed Communities on a service trip to Jamaica. Accompanied by Ms. Mary Jane Rice, Diana Baker '09, Rebecca Sullivan '09, Emily Morgan '10, Ana Lourdes Cecco '10, Mary Crevier '10, Hannah Schickel '10 and Bridget Schirripa '10 served disabled orphan children and unwed teenage mothers in Kingston, Jamaica. They also helped complete much needed work projects such as painting and gardening. When they weren't working, the group traveled to several centers operated by Mustard Seed and attended a special 4:00 AM sunrise Mass with the founder of Mustard Seed, Fr. Gregory. 
 
"This experience showed me how to live simply.  The children we met took joy in the simplest things and found happiness in making us smile." - Rebecca Sullivan '09
 
"Going to Jamaica was an awesome experience; our group worked well together, and we all learned so much about each other, and most importantly, about ourselves." - Mary Crevier ‘10

"This trip to Jamaica helped me realize that we can always do something to help other people and in doing so find ourselves to be better people." – Ana Lourdes Cecco ‘10

  "It was amazing to see how much the disabled children understood.  They led songs and clapped their hands as we sang praise songs.  They were all so happy." – Diana Baker ‘09

"As a parent, I was thrilled that my daughter had the opportunity to give of herself to those less fortunate." - Mrs. Ellen Baker

Father/Daughter Breakfast with noted author Jim Stenson: Having recently presented at the Boston Catholic Men's Conference, leading Boston author and education consultant Jim Stenson came to the April 28 Father/Daughter Bagel Breakfast at Montrose. Speaking to a group of fifty Montrose dads, Mr. Stenson's message was clear: fathers are the protectors who strengthen the conscience and will of their children.

"Jim gives you the tools and the means to be or become a better father, parent, husband and a better person." - Mike Rose, father of Bridget '13

Co-founder of The Heights School in Washington, DC, and a founder and headmaster of Northridge Preparatory School in suburban Chicago, Mr. Stenson has written many books on family life, most recently Father, The Family Protector. He has lectured to groups throughout the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, Singapore, and other countries. Click here to visit his website, which presents practical advice for parents.

Living and Sharing History: Dr. Bernice Lerner, author of The Triumph of Wounded Souls: Seven Holocaust Survivors’ Lives, speaks to Montrose juniors and seniors.

On Thursday, April 30, Dr. Lerner shared the story of her mother's experience at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Her mother was finally freed from the camps by Brigadier Glyn Hughes, whose biography Dr. Lerner is currently writing. Before attending Dr. Lerner’s talk, Montrose juniors and seniors read Elie Wiesel's Night and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning and completed independent research projects on Nazi resisters. The theme of this history unit was tales of defiance –from extraordinary heroics to everyday personal determination—to survive unimaginable horror. Dr. Lerner’s talk deepened students’ understanding of and appreciation for this theme by sharing such a heartfelt, moving and riveting account.   

Dr. Bernice Lerner is senior scholar at Boston University’s Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, prior to which she served as director of continuing education at Hebrew College. There she conducted research in adult learning, executed a host of programs, and worked on numerous collaborative projects. Dr. Lerner holds degrees from Boston University’s School of Education, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

MIT Science Trivia! Annie Conway '09, Zoey Ryu '10, and Cheryl Deng '10 participated in the Third Annual MIT Science Trivia Challenge.  This is the second year that members of Mathericks have attended this competitive and challenging event.  The students placed second in the opening round and advanced to the finals.  "Although although our students did not place in the finals," said science and math teacher Ms. Ashley Osborne, "we were very happy with the result because our students went up against larger teams from much larger math and science high schools!"

Alumnae Reunion: The April 3 Alumnae Reuniong at the Keefe family home drew alumnae celebrating their 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th anniversaries, as well as graduates and former faculty from other years! Click here for a slide show of the evening.

March 2009

Junior Ring Ceremony: Hosted by Montrose Seniors, the Class of 2010 received their class rings during the traditional Junior Ring Ceremony. Click here for a slide show.

No Guys, Just Dolls – 2009 Spring Musical Review
The Montrose Players did it again with another spectacular spring musical. A real show stopper, No Guys, Just Dolls featured forty-five songs from musicals such as Wicked, Hairspray, West Side Story, Chicago and many more.  The students perfected the music and choreographed the dances in only four weeks of rehearsal! Add 300 vibrant costumes and four nights of packed houses, and you have one incredible show. The experience was testimony to the leadership and talent of drama director Ms. Nancy Gahagan, choral director Mrs. Karen Demirjian and the incredible commitment of Montrose cast and crew.

The Runway at Montrose
The ninth grade, led by their class representatives Olivia Walker '12 and Olivia Ghiz '12, hosted an evening of elegance, charm and class, modeling clothes by Cabi and E.A. Davis. Dr. Edwina Maksym, Ms. Betsy Keefe and Ms. Kathy Dollason also modeled, and Ms. Heather Osborne was a masterful support behind the scenes. Proceeds from the Runway at Montrose will help to support the ninth grade's class trip to Washington, DC next year.

Ann Conway '09 Wins Prestigious Technology Award
Senior Ann Conway '09 was one of thirty-two young women around the country chosen to receive the National Center for Women & Information Technology's Award for Aspirations in Computing. The award-winners, chosen among 379 applications from thirty-eight states, are being acknowledged for their outstanding aptitude and interest in technology and computing, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education. All award winners were honored at a Technology Stars of the Future Technology Showcase & Awards Ceremony on March 7. The NCWIT Award was created to highlight the computing aspirations of young women, introduce them to leadership opportunities in the field, and generate visibility for women's participation in technology fields. 

To learn more about the NCWIT, click here.

Jennifer Kessler '11: All-State Music Festival and a Performance at Symphony Hall
The music program extends beyond the walls and risers of Montrose School. Choral director, Mrs. Karen Demirjian works individually with interested singers, encouraging them to audition for Massachusetts District and State Choruses. Montrose soprano, Jennifer Kessler '11 was accepted into the All-State Chorus after performing a solo piece and navigating a difficult sight-reading passage for an adjudicator. The All-State Chorus performed at the All-State Festival, sponsored by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association. Jennifer along with other choral students from around the state spent three days at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, rehearsing all day and each evening.  The weekend culminated with Jennifer's performance in the gala concert at Symphony Hall on March 28. 
 
Jennifer joins a small but select group of Montrose alumnae who have reached the All-State level:  Raquel Frisardi '02, Helen Keefe '07 and Alexandra Ghiz '08.

Massachusetts District and All-State Choruses: Every year, Montrose students audition for the Massachusetts Eastern District Festival Choruses: students in Grades 9-12 may audition for mixed chorus, orchestra, band or jazz ensemble.  Each student learns the same selection and must sing alone for an adjudicator; sight-reading is also required.  Students are evaluated on a number of musical and interpretive elements.  The highest scoring students are accepted into the Senior District ensembles.  This year, Hilary Cullen Budwey ’09, Isabella Daher ’10, and Jennifer Kessler ’11 were all accepted into the Eastern District Chorus.  After preparing a challenging repertoire ahead of time, they spent two intensive days in rehearsal and performed in the festival concert at Boston Latin School on January 10, 2009.  All three girls scored high enough to be invited to audition for the All-State Chorus, learning yet another audition piece and negotiating a more difficult sight-reading passage.  Soprano Jennifer Kessler ‘11 was subsequently accepted into the All-State Chorus. 

In addition, Bakhita Thordarson ’12 and Hailey McAvoy ’13 were accepted into the Eastern Junior District Chorus and participated in the Junior District Festival March 6-7, 2009.

Meghan Reilly '12 Selected for Walnut Hill Visual Art Workshop
Montrose teachers recognize students' talent and encourage them to pursue their gifts both within and outside the classroom. Art teacher, Ms. Christina Ferguson nominated Montrose artist, Meghan Reilly '12 for an art competition sponsored by the Walnut Hill School. Meghan was selected from a competitive pool of student artists to participate in the Walnut Hill School's Tuition-Free Workshop in Visual Art. The workshop is a community program for students from neighboring communities, and it offers training for specialized techniques in Walnut Hill’s well-equipped art studios. 

Montrose Students Get Hands-on Experience at BU's CityLab. Science teacher, Ms. Heather Osborne and her biology and Advanced Placement Biology students regularly visit Boston University CityLab to work with leading scientists in biotechnology at state of the art laboratories in BU's School of Medicine.  Working with CityLab is integral to Montrose School's laboratory-based high school science curriculum. This past January students performed labs involving bacterial transformation, DNA isolation, amplification and gel electrophoresis. 

Montrose Thespians Recognized at State Drama Festival. For the third year, Montrose Players participated in the Massachusetts State Drama Festival on February 28. Under the direction of drama teacher/director, Ms. Nancy Gahagan, a cast and crew of twenty-five Montrosians performed Salem’s Daughters for an audience of hundreds of high school drama students. Arun Sidhu ‘11 received an Individual Acting Award for her portrayal of Tituba. Also, the Montrose ensemble, Diana Baker ’09, Victoria Adams ‘10, Ana Buckley ‘09, Elizabeth Ea ’10, Sarah Pritchard ‘11 and Bakhita Thordarson ‘12 received an award for their technical and stage support.

Written by Wendy Lement, Salem’s Daughters takes place in Salem Village between November, 1689 and August, 1706, before, during and after the witch trials.

February 2009

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