What's New at Montrose

Congratulations to the Montrose Speech Team who recently competed at the Needham High Tournament! Elizabeth Kelly '09 finished 5th in Dramatic Interpretation, Jenn Kessler '11 finished 6th in Prose Reading and Maya Kachroo-Levine '09 finished 4th in her first attempt at Radio Broadcasting! Elona Castro '09, Rebecca Sullivan '09, Kate Fitzgerald '10, Maya Kachroo-Levine '09 and Liz Kelly '09 were all part of The Multiple Reading Group, which finished 3rd!

The 6th grade art class recently enjoyed an interactive workshop with Ms. Emily Dreifus from ArtQuest Programs (ww.artquestprograms.com). While viewing slides of Greek pottery, urns, vases and sculptures, the girls pieced together great myths from the stories of Dionysus and Hercules to Artemis and Nike. In addition to studying these great cultural artifacts, the students learned about art history, technique and archeology. Ms. Dreifus engaged the girls in an animated and analytical discussion while helping to hone their observational skills and re-invigorating their appreciation for art.

February 2008:

Mrs. Osborne’s AP Biology class is conducting a genetics investigation with fruit flies that will run for several weeks. Scientists have adopted certain organisms as good choices for studying basic processes common to many life forms. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model organism for genetics research. Students will begin by observing the phenotypes of wild-type flies and by learning to distinguish male and female flies. Then students will observe flies of three different mutant strains. Each mutant strain has a single mutation, and thus differs from the wild type strain in one trait only. The mutation will be in eye color or shape or wing size or shape. Students will study the offspring produced by crossing two strains of flies. They will then cross these F1 flies to obtain F2 flies. Students are responsible for making close observations and keeping accurate records concerning what happens as these traits are passed from one generation to the next.

January 2008 :

In Mrs. Ginnetty’s 8th grade history class, students recently did a study of ancient Egypt and created their very own mummies! Students used authentic hieroglyphics to write messages and their names in hieroglyphics on the mummy. They reproduced the colors available as dyes to the ancient Egyptians. They learned that mummies had personalized faces and represented a particular individual, and they also came to understand Egyptian funeral rites through their writings on the mummification process.

January was a successful month for the Montrose Speech Team! At the Newton South Tournament, Elizabeth Kelly '09 placed 6th in Dramatic Interpretation; Jenn Kessler '11 placed 2nd in Novice Reading, and Rebecca Sullivan '09 placed 4th in Play Reading.

Friday, January 4, 2008 Enrichment Seminar: Ernestina de Campourcin: The Unknown Poet of the "Generation of 1927" (6:30 PM:Refreshments and socializing, 7:00 - 8:00 PM: Presentation). All Montrose Spanish speakers and Spanglofiles – parents, students, alumnae, faculty and friends – were invited to a seminar about the remarkable Spanish poet Ernestina de Campourcin, presented by Montrose Spanish teacher, Ms. Elizabeth Mahoney. Readings of Ernestina's poetry were performed by Montrose alumnae: Teresa Keeley '03, Shannon Burns '05 and Brigid Grogan '07, who continue to pursue Spanish in their college studies. Ms. Mahoney presented video clips from Ernestina's biography, as well as an analysis of her poetry. The seminar was conducted entirely in Spanish.

The Alumnae Basketball Game is back! On Friday, January 4, The Montrose Mavericks Varsity Basketball team, lead by coach Betsy Keefe '03 battled Alumnae in a competitive game. Alumnae emerged victorious, winning by only a few points!

December 2007:

First Christmas in Medfield!

It's hard to believe that just a year ago, we were packing the school for a move. For our very first Christmas in Medfield, the seniors have decorated a magnificent tree in the front foyer and set up a Mitten/Giving tree to provide gifts for families in need. Secret Santa is underway, and the Toys for Tots drive lives on. Student Government launched a new tradition: inviting classes to decorate the green poles that make such a bold statement in our cafeteria.

On Sunday, December 9, the Montrose family -- students, parents, alumnae and friends -- came together to celebrate our first Family Christmas Party and Concert in Medfield. The Great Hall at Montrose School was filled with traditional Christmas carols, chamber music and gospel spirituals. Music teacher Christianne Chiodini led the 6th Grade Chorus and 7th and 8th Grade Chorus, and Chorale Director, Karen Demirjian led the High School Chorus. Highlights of the afternoon included the Middle School Chime Choir and the High School Handbell Choir, whose beautiful ringing delighted and impressed audiences. For the first time in Montrose history, faculty members formed a handbell choir to accompany the High School Chorus in a piece by Jacob Handl. The Treblemakers, Montrose's student-led a cappella group continued their Christmas tradition by inviting all Treblemaker alumnae on stage to sing "Silver Bells" at the end of the concert.

As always, Santa arrived in the nick of time to spread joy and wish a very Merry Christmas to all!

December 6, 2007: Boxwood Night. On Thursday evening, December 6, Montrose current mothers, mothers of alumnae, faculty, staff and friends gathered for a social evening of Boxwood decorating. This annual tradition, hosted by the Mothers of Montrose School, kicks off Montrose's Christmas season and brings new and old friends together.

December 1, 2007: Congratulations to the Montrose Speech Team which finished 1st overall in the small school division at this past Saturday's tournament at Lincoln Sudbury High School. Additionally, Rebecca Sullivan '09 finished in fourth place in Play Reading and Jenn Kessler '11 finished third in Novice Reading.

November 2007:

November 16-18 2007: Two Montrose 7th grade students competed recently in the New England Oireachtas 2007 (Irish step dance competition) in Connecticut. Grace Schiller '13 received 10th place out of 100 dancers and qualified for the World Championships. Ceili McLaughlin '13 placed 17th out of 56 dancers. Congratulations to both of them!

November 17, 2007: Family Work Day had another successful day last weekend assembling bookshelves, equiptment and needs for the school. It was a hard working crew that included many Montrose families. Thank you!

November 16, 17, & 18, 2007: The fall drama production of 12 Angry (Wo)men was held in the Great Hall at Montrose for 3 great shows last weekend. The ensemble did an amazing rendition of the original 12 Angry Men. Congratulations to all of the cast and to director Nancy Gahagan!

November 6, 2007 Internet Safety Presentation: Representatives from the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office presented a Internet Safety to parents.

November 5-9, 2007: JOSH week happened once again at Montrose! Juniors and Freshmen had fun bonding over the old Montrose traditions.

November 3, 2007: Despite wild rain and wind on Saturday, Montrose hosted it's second FUN DAY for prospective students in grades 3-6. Several students in the 9th grade, Emily Iannerelli, Sarah Prichard, Caitlin Ronan, Sara McPherson, Ji-Hyun Seo and Yewon Chung led the activities of jewelry making, dancing and fun games. Eighth graders Brea Reardon, Carolyn Carr, Tina Dinapoli and Caroline Spada also helped out. The end of the morning was capped off by a pizza lunch. Thanks to all for a fun day!

October 2007:

October 31, 2007: The Cross Country team ended their season in winning fashion with a 15-50 win over Dana Hall. It was complete dominance by Montrose coming in the top 10 places. Winner Rebecca Leal '11 was first, Molly Young '09 second, Kylie Cameron-Burr '08 third, Gabrielle Rex '08 fourth, and Teresa Crevier '08 fifth, respectively.

October 30, 2007: The Varsity soccer ended their season in the semi finals of the Independent Girl's League with a 0-3 loss to a tough Waring squad. It was tied 0-0 going into the 2nd half, but Waring had the home field advantage and poured on the pressure in the 2nd half. Great job to all the girls! Several were named to the Conference All-Star team. The IGC League All-Stars this year are seniors Abby Milton and Kerry Burns (both team captains), junior Cathy Childs, and freshman Alice Pottackal. All the All Stars play in an All-Star game, which is this Sunday, November 4th at 2:00 PM at Gann School.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Montrose Speech Team for an outstanding start to the season! Maya Kachroo-Levine '09 – 4th place in Play Reading at the Dighton Rehoboth tournament on October 20. Kate Fitzgerald '10 – 3rd place in Prose Reading at the Hull tournament on October 27. Liz Kelly '09, Emily Morgan '10, Maya Kachroo-Levine '09, Kate Fitzgerald '10 and Rebecca Sullivan '09, otherwise known as, the Monty Pythons, finished 2nd place in Multiple Reading. The team took home 2nd place overall for small schools. Good job girls!!!

October 25, 2007 - Varsity Soccer is on a role and heading to the Independent Girl's Conference Tournament. They play their last regular season game today against Landmark away and hope to end with a win. Their result from today will determine where they end up in the standings and who they will face off against on Monday in the Semi-Finals of the tournament. Good luck soccer!

October 19, 2007 - On Friday Montrose faculty enjoyed a workshop with Assistent Professor of Patristics in the Honors College at Baylor University, Michael Foley. His areas of specialty are Patristics (the study of the Fathers of the Church) and the political, philosophical, and theological thought of St. Augustine of Hippo. Among the many articles and books he has published, Mike recently served as editor of the second edition of Frank Sheed's classic translation of Augustine's Confessions. The 12th grade Theology class will be reading this next month. In addition, his interest in popular culture has led him to write phenomenal and very readable essays on the philosophical and theological significance of the Truman Show and Groundhog Day. Another recently published book is a popular reference guide called Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Friday? The Catholic Origin to Just About Everything. Mike received his doctorate in Theology from Boston College in 1999.

October 17, 2007 - Varsity Cross Country continues to dominate as a group on the cross country course! On Wednesday, October 17, the team traveled once again to Gann Academy in Waltham facing over 75 runners, girl's and boys. The girl's came away with not only another win as a team, but also major improvements on individual times by all Montrose runners.

October 16, 2007 - The 6th grade class visited the Broadmoor Audubon Society on Tuesday, October 16th in South Natick. The students participated in the "Landforms, Weathering, and Erosion Program" and connected aspects of their Earth Science curriculum with their art curriculum. The focus of this program, led by a teacher naturalist from the society, is the changing of the Earth’s surface. The girls had a great time, creating pieces of beautiful art as well as learning about the Earth's surface. .

October 14, 2007 - Montrose hosted the first Open House in the Medfield location this past Sunday! It was a huge success with a record number of families joining in the festivities. Families were taken on tours by current students, meeting faculty along the way, and a presentation from faculty, students, and parents. Thanks to all who helped make the day a huge success!

October 10, 2007 - Head of School, Dr. Karen Bohlin gave a fantastic presentation "Teaching Courage: Inspiring Confidence in Your Daughters" on Wednesday morning in the Tower at Montrose. She started the lecture with a short movie clip and encouraged interaction with the 30+ parents/faculty/staff in attendance. Dr. Bohlin spoke about young women acquiring a sense of self-satisfaction for work well done, love and being loved and the sense of suffering. Stay tuned for future seminars on parenting issues.

October 5, 2007 -Head of School, Dr. Karen Bohlin, was featured and spoke on the “Power of Narrative” at San Francisco's Presidio Golden Gate Club. She was joined by the Archbishop of San Francisco, Most Reverend George H. Niederauer, author of Precious as Silver: Imagining Your Life with God, and Professor William Park, author of Hollywood: An Epic Production. The Conference entitled, "Christians in the World: A Story Waiting to be Told," celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Canonization of St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei.

Varsity soccer had their first WIN Friday against Chapel Hill Chauncy Hall. It was a great game. After trailing 0-2 at halftime, the girls turned the game around and came out with a bang in the 2nd half. Senior Abby Milton scored 4 goals, 2 of which were penalty kicks. Midfielder Hannah Schickel '10 had her first goal of the season, a strong shot from outside the 18. Outstanding play was seen by Coach Keefe by all in the 2nd half. Jenn Robbins '08 played with a lot of aggression, Alice Pottackal '11 played her heart out, and an injured Judith Delvecchio '08 really put the pressure on Chapel Hill's goalie. In a comeback win of the season, Montrose won 5-2.

Head of School, Dr. Karen Bohlin stands with senior National Merit Scholar recipiants Ellen Zatkoski, Alex Ghiz, Judith DelVecchio, Claudia Lau, Grace Daher, and Academic Dean Dr. Edwina Maksym.

October 5 - Dr. Karen E. Bohlin, Head of School, announced Claudia Lau '08 from Needham, MA was named a Semi-Finalist in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship program. The names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 53rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program were announced on September 12 by officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These academically talented high school seniors like Claudia Lau have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $34 million, that will be offered next spring.To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must advance to the Finalist level

Three Montrose Students, Judith E. DelVecchio '08, Alexandra M. Ghiz '08, and Ellen K. Zatkowski '08 have been named Commended Students in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship program. Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.4 million students who entered the 2008 competition by taking the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Grace A. Daher '08 was also recognized by the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program. The National Hispanic Recognition Program, established in 1983, is a College Board program that provides national recognition of the exceptional academic achievements of Hispanic high school seniors and identifies them for postsecondary institutions. Students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as high school juniors and by identifying themselves as Hispanic. This year, more than 196,000 PSAT/NMSQT takers nationwide identified themselves at Hispanic, and more than 4,000 of those students have been recognized as National Hispanic Scholars or Honorable Mention Finalists based upon their PSAT/NMSQT scores and their academic achievements.

Varsity Cross Country: The girl's had their second meet on Wednesday at Newton Country Day School. With a tough course, humidity a factor again, and 2 seniors unable to run, the girl's impressed the other 171 runners. Newcommer, Rebecca Leal '11, finished first among Montrose runners, second overall, in her first ever race! Coach Mrs. Roy was happy with the determination of all the girl's on the hilly terain.

September 2007:

September 30 - We had a beautiful, fall day apple-picking at Tougas Farm in Northboro for a Montrose family gathering. All enjoyed a wagon ride into the orchard, pumpkin patch, barnyard animals, corn maze and of course the apples. Student government led many young and future Montrosians in fun games that were enjoyed by all.

Madison Brosler ’13 received an invitation to train with the Massachusetts Olympic Developmental Soccer Program. She will be traveling with the Olympic Developmental U13-14 soccer teams to Barcelona, Spain in 2008. There, she will train with the Pros and play against some of the Spanish teams. Congratulations, Madison!

Spirit of Service began last week and the group headed to the Thomas Upham (Nursing) House in Medfield. With a record number 25 girls, Ms. Pence is excited to have monthly visits there to simply talk or play games such as Bingo with the residents. Spirit of Service is also planning future events such as the clothes drive, the trip to Washington DC for the March for Life, and other service projects.

Medfield Day was a huge SUCCESS and a fun-filled day! Despite the morning rain many from the Montrose School family came and helped out in a variety of ways. THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped with crafts, the baked goods, the tours of school, and the many happenings during the day. Special thanks to Mrs. Malloy for her efforts in organizing the activities and volunteers.

Varsity Cross Country: (1-0) The girls are off and running! The Mavericks had their first meet on September 25 at Gann Academy in Waltham with a win! Kylie Cameron-Burr '08, Molly Young '09, and Gabrielle Rex '08 came in 1st,2nd, and 3rd respectively on the team. Despite the heat and humidity, the girl's ran hard! Their next match up in October 3 at Newton Country Day School.

Varsity Soccer: (0-4-1, League, 0-4 non-league) The Varsity Soccer team has had a tough start to the season, but they aren't looking down. They had a terrific game against Brimmer and May on September 19th ending in a tie, but dominating play. Coach Ms. Keefe has been impressed with the tenacity and determination of all the girls during each game!

JV Soccer: (2-2-1) JV soccer is off to a great start with a record number of girls on the team! With wins against Gann and Newton Country Day, and a tie to Brimmer and May, Coach Mrs. Morrison is excited to see the girls improvement in every game.

SUMMER 2007 - Montrose Travelers:

Spain- Montrosians Ana Buckley '09, Kerry Burns '08, and Rebecca Sullivan '09 all traveled to Spain this summer for an international experience. Faculty member, Ms. Mahoney organized the annual visits for Montrose girls who lived with Spainish families for 3 weeks.

England-Seniors Mary Greene and Charlotte Boyd traveled to England this summer and studied Thomas More. They were engaged in classroom work, travel, and fellowship with peers from all over.

What did your teacher do this past summer?

Ms. Jackson traveled all over New England to perform Slam Poetry. She is the 7th grade Literature and Civics teacher, as well as the 10th grade US History teacher.

Ms. Pence, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade theology teacher, attended 2 conferences in Steubenville, Ohio. The first she attended was the “Feast of Israel, Feast of the Church”, studying the Liturgical Life of the Ancient Jews and its’ influence on the Catholic Church. The second conference was also in Steubenville at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. It was an Applied Biblical Conference which was a training program for those who teach the scripture.

Montrose’s AP Literature teacher, Ms. Rice, attended the AP Literature workshop at Rice University in Texas. She also spent 3 weeks in the mountains outside of Mexico City, Mexico studying Ecumenism, Bioethics, and Spanish.

New to Montrose this year, Mrs. Ginnetty, led and participated in the Charter School Resource Association conference in Worcester, MA. Her workshop was called “Virtues through the Advising Program- a Middle School Model.”

Mrs. Osborne, high school science teacher extrodinaire, here at Montrose, attended the Flynn Scientific Chemistry Workshop in Milwaukee, WI. It was a week long lab and demo course. After that she went to the AP Biology conference in Fitchburg, MA for a week.

Spanish guru, Ms. Mahoney, spent several weeks in Spain this summer. She was in Barcelona and Madrid for one week each and did a mini trip to Avila, Spain. She followed up with Montrose students Kerry Burns, Rebecca Sullivan, and Ana Buckley, also abroad this summer in Spain.

Mrs. Morrison, our new Registrar and Assistent Dean of Students, spent time at the Administrator’s Plus conference in Springfield, MA learning the ways of the school’s software. After nailing that down she headed to England and Scotland in a whirlwind of a trip!

College counselor, Mrs. Zatkowski traveled in search of the perfect colleges this summer in Washington DC, Michigan, and North Dakota. While in North Dakota she and her family traveled on a combine in 100 acre field of wheat. They also traveled to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

New to the admissions office in August, Mrs. Roy, spent most of July traveling after she was married on 7/7/07!

2006-07 Past Events:

Bridget Baker '07 works in the Montrose courtyard as part of Senior Service.

The Class of 2007 completed four days of Senior Service on May 24. Following a "Think Globally, Act Locally" theme, seniors produced a video for Mustard Seed, a non-profit in Medfield that serves children in Jamaica and other countries, applied fish decals to over 500 storm drains reminding people not to dump toxins for the Medfield Conservation Commission, removed a planting bed and installed a new bed in the Montrose courtyard, spent time tilling the ground at the Pfaff Community Center and performed for and visited with seniors and alzheimer patients at the Forge Hill Senior Center.

Judith DelVecchio '08 and Samantha Ulloa '08 participated in the annual Boston Regional Brain Bee in February. The Brain Bee is designed to encourage future student participation in the sciences.

Every year, the eighth grade takes the Introductory Level of the National Latin Exam. The ninth grade Latin II class takes the Level I team. This year, the entire eighth grade scored significantly above the national average: every student scored 90% or higher (more than half the class scored 97.5% or higher) and received a certificate and ribbon signifying “Outstanding Achievement.” There were three perfect scores: Sarah Pritchard ‘11, Caitlin Ronan ‘11 and Demetra Venancio ‘11. Over 16,550 students worldwide took this exam and there were only 463 perfect scores. All ten students in the Latin II class achieved cum laude or higher on the Level I exam. The following students received Gold Medals: Marie Calapa '10, Kate Fitzgerald ‘10, Cheryl Deng ‘10, Cassandra Piorkowski ’10, Isabella Daher ‘10, Elizabeth Ea ‘10, Ellen Smith ’10 and Emily Morgan ‘10.

Montrose students participated in the Northeast Senior District Festival in January 2007. Seven girls in grades 9-12 auditioned; Helen Keefe, ’07, and Isabella Daher, ’10, were accepted into the Senior District Chorus. Helen scored high enough to receive a recommendation for an audition at the All-State level and was subsequently accepted in the All-State Chorus!

The National Spanish Examination is given nation-wide by approximately 3000 Spanish teachers each year; it is a standardized on-line test which measures each Spanish student’s achievement and proficiency in comparison with other students across the country who are studying the same level of Spanish. This spring, Montrose students competed against over 87,000 other Spanish students in the United States. Gold Medals are awarded to those students who score in the 95th percentile and above; Silver Medals are given to scorers between the 85th and 94th percentile; Bronze Medals are presented to those who score between the 75th and 84th percentiles; and Honorable Mention Certificates are granted to all who score between the 50th and the 74th percentiles.
The Montrose students who received National prizes are as follows: Brigid Grogan '07, Laura Smith '07and Katie Ostrowski '07 all received Silver Medals, Elysha Schickel '07 received a Bronze Medal. Alexandra Ghiz '08 received a Silver Medal, Abby Milton '08 earned a Bronze Medal, Judith DelVecchio '08, Nicole Salvaggio '08, Jennifer Robbins '08, Kerry Burns '08, Minsun Park '08, Vani Manchanda '08, and Katie Robinson '08 were all awarded Honorable Mention Certificates. Ana Buckley '09 earned a Gold Medal, Rebecca Sullivan '09 received a Silver Medal, Annie Conway '09, Elona Castro '09 and Meghan Reilly '09 won Bronze Medals, and Nicole Hofer '09 received an Honorable Mention Certificate. Marie Calapa '10 won a Gold Medal, Mariana Fernandez '10 earned a Silver Medal, Cheryl Deng '10 and Ellen Smith '10 received Bronze Medals, Hannah Werner '10, Emily Morgan '10, Isabella Daher '10, Cassie McDonough-Rice '10, and Katherine Hepinstall '10 all received Honorable Mention Certificates. Congratulations to all who participated in this contest!

All Latin students in grades eight and nine took the National Mythology Examination (sponsored by the American Classical League). Silver medal winners are Cheryl Deng ’10, Jennifer Kessler ’11, and Emily Iannarilli ’11. Bronze medal winners are Cassandra Piorkowski ’10, Grace Lessard ’11, and Caitlin Ronan ’11.

The National French Exam (Le Grand Concours) is an annual competition sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. Students of French in grades 1-12, in all 50 states and abroad, are ranked against students with similar educational background. This year 104,000 students participated in Le Grand Concours 2007, with the Eastern Massachusetts chapter having the highest student enrollment in the nation. Out of the 28 Montrose French students who participated in the exam, eight were honored on Awards Day for receiving the Certificat d’Honneur, having received a score between 80 and 90 percent: Natalia Perdomo '10, Cassandra Piorkowski '10, Hilary Cullen Budwey '09, Renee Hopkins '08, Ellen Zatkowski '08, Grace Daher '08, Claudia Lau '08, and Mary Childs '07. Juniors Grace Daher '08 and Claudia Lau '08 received special prizes for scoring at 90 percent, one point from the National level in their division.

The 2006-2007 academic year came to a close on Friday, May 25 with Awards Day. Students were given awards in each department and in each grade. Senior Caeli Russell '07 received the Spirit of Service award for outstanding service to the school. Julia Hopkins '07 and Veronica Lau '07 received the Headmistress Award for outstanding leadership and service and Helen Keefe '07 was awarded the Montrose Cup, the school's highest honor. Mary Childs '07, Colleen Hughes '07, Helen Keefe '07, Akriti Kharbanda '07, Veronica Lau '07, Laura Smith '07, Andrea Weidknecht '07 and Danielle Yuen '07 were awarded Senior High Honors. Ellen Zatkowski '08 received the Harvard Book Award and Gabrielle Rex '08 received the Rennesslear Medal for outstanding work in math and science.

Emily Iannarilli ‘11 was nominated for the Julia K. Petrino Memorial Book Award, established and given annually by the American Classical League “to honor middle school classical scholars who exemplify the dedication, discipline, and love of classics exemplified by the young woman for whom the award is named.” Results will be announced in June.

The Montrose althletics seasons came to a celebratory end on Thursday, May 24 with the annual Sports Banquet. Athletes from the cross country, soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams were honored for their outstanding seasons and individual athletes were given awards for improvement, giving 110% and most valuable player. The Father Dick Rieman award, the Athletic Department's highest honor was given to Maria Perdomo '07.

The Montrose Chorus participated in the 2007 MICCA Choral Festival on March 30, 2007, an adjudicated event for ensembles at all levels, sponsored by the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association. Students presented a 20-minute program (including the gradual, “Laudate Pueri Dominum,” from the Mass for the Feast of Holy Innocents by Michael Haydn; “Sing Me to Heaven,” a contemporary a cappella selection by Daniel Gawthrop; and “O Sapo,” a Brazilian folk song, with percussion accompaniment, arranged by Stephen Hatfield) for a panel of three distinguished judges, received a detailed evaluation of their performance, had a 20-minute workshop with one of the judges, and, ultimately, received a Bronze Medal.

Congratulations to sixth grader, Sheila Hufnagle '13, for being a top winner in the “Best Mom” contest held for Mother’s Day by Leaf and Petal in Medfield.

Montrose students participated in the Northeast Junior District Festival in March, 2007. Over 500 girls, representing more than 100 public and private schools in the Northeast District, auditioned for the Girls’ Chorus: three Montrose students – Emily Morgan '10, Jennifer Kessler '11, and Grace Lessard '11 – were accepted into the Girls’ Chorus, which numbered approximately 140 girls.

Danielle Yuen ’07 was awarded the Level IV Performance Certificate from the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. This is the most advanced certificate offered by the school, and only twelve students were granted the Level IV Certificate this year. In order to be eligible, the student must complete several demanding requirements: the instrumental repertoire and technique requirements, evaluation by a special faculty panel, complete the school’s music theory program, fulfill the choral and ensemble requirements, and present a full recital program.

This semester the ninth grade read the Bradbury novel, Fahrenheit 451. The story, published in 1953, features a futuristic society completely absorbed by technology. Realizing their own infatuation with televisions, ipods, radios and cell phones, the students decided to ‘Take Back Their Imaginations”. For one school week, they adhered to a contract to "unplug". Over forty students and faculty of Montroses participated. Since there was no television or iPod to go home to, the ninth grade hosted evening activities like board game night and musician night.

The Montrose Mathericks kicked off its first school-wide math competition during common homeroom last week. Twelve student teams and one faculty team raced against the clock and each other to complete challenging math problems of all levels (example: Move ONLY one digit to make this equation work: 101 – 102 = 1). Top scoring teams earned candy prizes. Mathericks will be offered as a carousel class for high school students beginning next fall; middle school students can enroll in a similar course called MathCounts. Students in both courses will practice solving fun and interesting problems that don't appear in any regular textbook, and will compete in several local math competitions and tournaments throughout the year.

Karina Leon '11 and Deme Venancio '11 prepare their speakers for the science fair.

The eighth grade science fair was a display of electricity, magnetism, and the Rolling Stones. Working in pairs, the students built seven loudspeakers from scratch out of paint buckets, copper wire, magnets, paper, and a lot of hot glue. Each speaker differed from a "control" speaker in one respect--wire length, magnet arrangement, or paper quality--and the final products were plugged into a stereo system and put on display for all to hear. For the sixth grade science fair, each sixth grade student research a particular form of pollution that has impacted the environment and was caused by humans. Projects included oil spills, cancers caused by chemicals dumped into groundwater, tree loss for paper and cigarette production, coral reef and habitat destruction.

For the second year Montrose entered a team in the John Smith Indoor Soccer league this winter. The girls played in an under 18 league against top notch public school programs, (all the public schools participated in this fall’s MIAA state tournament), as well as teams from the MAPLE premier soccer league. The Montrose girls improved greatly over the 14 game season even tying Division 3 state finalist Dover Sherborn High School 7-7. The team was anchored by seniors Maria Keeley ‘07, Laura Smith ‘07, Caeli Russell ‘07, and Andrea Weidknecht ‘07. The class of ’08 had strong efforts from Abby Milton ‘08, Kerry Burns ‘08, Katie Robinson ‘08, Jenn Robbins ‘08, Nicole Salvaggio ‘08 and Judith DelVecchio ‘08.

The Montrose Speech Team who competed in the state finals on Saturday, April 28. The team finished in ninth place overall out of fifteen schools. Rebecca Sullivan '09 placed third in Play Reading and the dynamic duo of Jennifer Robbins '08 and Ellen Zatkowski '08, also placed third in Duo Interpretation. The senior team took fourth place in Multiple Reading.

The Looking Glass, Montrose's student newspaper, recieved a second place award in the American Scholastic Press Association's annual newspaper competition. Editors Alex Ghiz '08, Kylie Cameron-Burr '08, Claudia Lau '08, and Danielle Yuen '07 and staff members submitted three issues from the Fall 2006 semester to the competition, and judges commended the newspaper on its thorough and varied content, harmonious editorial and visual style, and creative original artwork.

Montrose students and families joined together on Marathon Monday (April 16) to run and walk in honor of Dary Jacob '05. Several Montrose alumna ran 13.1 miles from Hopkinton to Wellesley braving torrential rainfal and cold conditions. They were cheered on by students who walked from Natick to Wellesley.

Grace Daher '08 has her ring turned by a member of the Class of 2007.

The Class of 2008 received their junior rings on Friday, April 13. Parents, family and the entire student body joined the Class of 2007 in conferring the rings. Brigid Grogan '07, president of the Class of 2007 spoke about the importance of the rings and the road ahead including senior year, college and beyond. Each student's ring was turned 107 times by members of the Montrose community after the ceremony. They will be turned a final time at graduation.

Katharine Slayton '12 placed first in the Zone 1 Equestrian Competition at the end of March. Katharine rides for the Ridgetop Farms Equestrian Team and competed against 18 girls in the New England Region. The competitors "draw" horses to ride so are never on a horse that they know or have ever ridden previously. The win qualifies her to ride at the National Interscholastic Equestrian Association Championships which will be held the last weekend in April in Cleveland, OH.

The 2007 auction, S.S. Montrose: Cruising in Medfield was a huge success! Many thanks to auction chairs Jone Daher, Hope and Rick Rex and Ruth Ronan for an unforgettable event.

Yoo-Rim Choi '11, Jennifer Kessler '11 and Sara McPherson '11 perform in The Clouds.

As part of their study of Ancient Greece, the Eighth Grade performed a scene from Aristophanes’ comic play The Clouds in March. Aristophanes is the best known of the Greek comedians and wrote numerous plays that poked fun at the political events, history and culture of Athens. The Clouds is a satirical portrait of the philosopher Socrates and plays on popular perceptions of this admittedly eccentric thinker. Following the performance, students completed their study of Greek comedy and philosophy with an essay comparing Aristophanes’ portrayal of Socrates with the more traditional view of the philosopher, most evident in the writings of Plato.

In February 2007, all juniors and most seniors took the American Mathematics Contest exam. The goal of this difficult exam is to spur interest in mathematics and to develop talent through solving challenging problems in a timed multiple-choice format. We are excited to announce our school winners: In third place, Laura Smith '07, in second place, Alexandra Ghiz '08, and in first place, Claudia Lau '08.

On Saturday, March 3rd, a talented group of Montrose actors, stage managers and set designers participated for the first time in the Massachusetts High School Drama Festival at Framingham High School in Framingham, MA. The Massachusetts High School Drama Festival is the High School Drama Guild's largest event of the year, which annually draws an average of 100 participating member schools. Now in its seventh decade, this play competition is open to every public, private, and parochial high school in the Commonwealth. Through participation in Festival, students with interests in acting, directing, and technical theatre gain valuable performance and production experience. March 3rd was the preliminary round, and Montrose students competed against seven other high schools with their production of the one-act play, When Shakespeare’s Ladies Meet directed by drama teacher, Nancy Gahagan. When Shakespeare’s Ladies Meet is a witty scenario of what would happen if several of Shakespeare’s leading ladies came together to give each other advice on their trials and tribulations in love. Sarah Hills ’07 played the role of the young and in love, Juliet; Chloe Abu-Jaber ’07 played the role of the powerful Queen Cleopatra (Anthony and Cleopatra); Helen Keefe ’07 played the role of the feisty Katherine (The Taming of the Shrew); Mary Childs ’07 played the role of the weary, suffocated Desdemona (Othello); Colleen Hughes ’07 played the role of the sensible, intellectual Portia (The Merchant of Venice); and Andrea Weidknecht ’07 played the role of the desperate and insane Ophelia (Hamlet). Bridget Baker ’07, Caeli Russell ’07, Abby Milton ’08 and Cathy Childs ’09 also spent the day at Framingham as the dedicated set designers and crew for the show. The judges gave the production rave reviews. Colleen Hughes ’07 received an acting award for her outstanding portrayal of the steady, grounded and rational Portia. Andrea Weidknecht ’07 also received an acting award for her outstanding portrayal of the troubled, delirious, and at times poignantly lucid Ophelia (from Shakespeare’s Hamlet). Julia Hopkins ’07 won an award for excellence in stage managing. She was chosen by the other stage managers at the competition for her congenial attitude and great commitment to teamwork and the quality of the production.

Montrose School HMMT Math Team (from the left): Claudia Lau '08, Veronica Lau '07, Mary Childs '07, Alexandra Ghiz '08 and Helen Keefe '07.

On February 24, Mary Childs '07, Alexandra Ghiz '08, Helen Keefe '07, Claudia Lau '08 and Veronica Lau '07 competed in the 10th annual Harvard-MIT Math Tournament, an all-day multi-event competition that was held on the MIT campus in Cambridge. The tournament, which is one of the largest in the country, drew nearly 600 high school students from around the country. The morning segment consisted of two individual tests, one team round, and several mini-events (like juggling, rubik's cube, math relays, and "Set"). In the afternoon, students participated in a fun-filled "guts" round, in which all the teams crowded into an auditorium and raced to solve problems, three at a time. Scores were updated in real time and posted at the front of the room, adding excitement to the already fast-paced event. By the end of the day, the Montrosians were exhausted but happy, and already looking forward to returning next year.

Maria Perdomo '07 was selected as an All-League player by the eight coaches in the Independent Girls' Conference for the 2006 soccer season. Only 13 girls are selected as an All-League player out of the approximately 120 girls who play in the league. The coaches in the league gave her this honor because of Maria's unfailing hustle and hard work. Maria played left attack-wing and started all fourteen of the season’s games. Throughout those games, she kicked a total of 71 shots at the opponent’s net and scored 9 goals. In addition to soccer, Maria also played basketball and led her team as co-captain. Throughout the 2006-2007 season, Maria scored 184 total points, averaging 11.5 points a game and even scoring 23 points in a single game which was the highest of any player on her team. In addition to her great offense, she also excelled in defense. Her ability to read the other team’s offense and anticipate their passes lead her to average 4 steals a game which were often converted into fast breaks and quick lay-ups. She was recognized by the Independent Girls’ Conference as one of 18 players on the All-Star team.

Helen Keefe '07 has spent the last two seasons leading the basketball team as co-captain. As point guard, she outworked her opponents’ defense and scored a total of 210 points this season averaging an impressive 13 points a game. In addition to being selected as a member of the league All-Star team, she was rewarded for her hard work by also being elected co-MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the Independent Girls’ Conference. In addition to her own coach, the seven other coaches of the league recognized both her drive and intensity and her talent and skill as qualities to foster in all basketball players.

In December, Andrea Weidknecht '07 won the Montrose School Shakespeare Competition. On January 27 she competed against students from 33 Boston area schools at the English-Speaking Union's Shakespeare Competition in Lexington. Andrea recited 20 lines from A Winter's Tale.

Montrose School Speech Team at the Revere Speech Olympics

On January 20, the Speech Team traveled to Revere for the "Revere Speech Olympics." The team had a very successful day -- almost everyone "broke" (which means to place in the top 6 of a category, go to a final round, and receive a trophy)! Chloe Abu-Jaber '07 received 6th in Dramatic Interpretation. In Duo, Colleen Hughes '07 and Mary Childs '07 received 2nd, and Jenn Robbins '08 and Ellen Zatkowski '08 received 1st! Maya Kachroo-Levine '09 received 3rd and Andrea Weidknecht '07 received 1st in Extemporaneous "Kitty" Lit. The Multiple "Nunsense" (comprised of Chloe Abu-Jaber '07, Sarah Hills '07, Colleen Hughes '07, and Andrea Weidknecht '07) received 2nd. In Play Reading, Mary Childs '07 received 5th and Rebecca Sullivan '09 received 4th.

Sixteen Montrosians spent the day before Medfield orientation at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Led by intrepid chaperones Miss Belcher and Miss Pence, students rode on a bus overnight to join students from across the country on the Mall for the 34th annual March for Life.

Cathy Childs '09 and Colleen Grogan '09 pack boxes.

Montrosians of all ages pitched in on December 15 to pack up our Natick campus in preparation for the move to Medfield. Students packed literally hundreds of boxes, cleaned desks, labeled books and shelves all with energy and enthusiasm.

Sarah Hills '07 at the Natick Fire Department

Sarah Hills '07 dropped off hundreds of Toys for Tots at the Natick Fire Department on December 15. Almost 150 toys donated by Montrose students and staff filled the area under the tree and two large bags remained for Marines to pick up for distribution to families in need. Sarah initiated this program as a seventh grader and it has become a wonderful Secret Santa week tradition ever since.

The seventh grade

The last day of school before Christmas vacation brings the traditional class Christmas skits. This year was no exception and the caliber of performances was arguably the best ever! Students in every grade wrote, choreographed and performed an original skit for students, faculty and parents. Themes ranged from the seventh grade's rousing song about the merits of both real and artificial Christmas trees to the tenth grade's "The Grinch who Stole Medfield."

Members of the Class of 2007 talking with Professor Keyes after class.

Political Science Professor, Mary Keyes PhD, from the University of Notre Dame visited our twelfth grade History of Philosophy class on December 11 to lecture on the life and work of St. Thomas Aquinas. Professor Keyes’ most recent book is entitled Aquinas, Aristotle, and the Promise of the Common Good (Cambridge University Press, 2006). A visiting professor at Harvard University, she is currently engaged in research on “Humility and Modern Politics.”

Karina Leon '11 and Magdalena Zegers '11 with their simple machine.

The eighth grade physical science class demonstrated their "Nifty Lifting Machines" to Mrs. Weyman's ninth grade geometry class on December 8. The contraptions relied on simple machines to make weight-lifting a simple task. The students pieced together pulleys, levers, and ramps to make compound machines that could raise a 600 g mass five centimeters off the ground with very little effort. One of the machines made it more than 100 times easier to lift the mass!

Isabella Daher '10 and Helen Keefe '07 were accepted into the Northeast Senior District Chorus. Helen also received a recommendation to audition for the Massachusetts All-State Chorus.

At the Gracia Burkill Speech Tournament on November 11, 2006, Colleen Hughes '07 received an Honorable Mention in Play Reading, Kate Fitzgerald '10 placed seventh in Novice Reading, Vani Manchanda '08 got fifth in Declamation, Rebecca Sullivan '09 and Maya Kachroo-Levine '09 placed seventh in Duo Interpretation, Elizabeth Kelly '09 received sixth in Prose Reading, Andrea Weidknecht '07 placed third in Humorous Interpretation, and the Multiple (made up of Chloe Abu-Jaber '07, Sarah Hills '07, Colleen Hughes '07, and Andrea Weidknecht '07) received second in Multiple.

Congratulations to the Montrose Speech Team who traveled to Hull for the Early Pumpkin Speech Tournament on October 29. Maya Kachroo-Levine '09 and Rebecca Sullivan '09 placed seventh in Due Interpretation. Ellen Zatkowski '08 and Jenn Robbins '08 were awarded fourth place in Duo and Emily Morgan '10 received the fifth place award in Prose Reading. Overall, the team placed third in Small School Sweepstakes.

Hannah Schickel '10 attends the To Kill a Mockingbird Tea.

On Monday, October 23, the ninth grade students held a To Kill a Mockingbird Tea as part of their English class. Each student in the class studied an assigned character from the novel. Hosted by Dr. Bohlin (Aunt Alexandra Finch), the students drank tea, ate southern-style refreshments, and conversed as their characters. Many of the girls chose to dress from head to toe as their characters replete with props. A lovely, educational time was had by all!

The Montrose Speech Team had a terrific showing at the first tournament of the year on Saturday, October 21. At the Hall of Fame Tournament, Sarah Hills '07 and Mary Childs '07 placed third and fourth respectively in Play Reading. Kayla Fraser '11 earned an honorable mention in her first tournament in Novice Reading.

Gina Damiata '10 practices CPR with a trainer.

Through a partnership with Trinity EMS and ZOLL Medical Corporation, High School students attended an American Heart Association Heart Saver Class on October 19. The class certified the girls in Adult, Infant, and Child CPR as well as the use of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators). The High School girls were also certified to teach the AHA Friends and Family CPR course.

On Tuesday, October 12, Montrose welcomed Nat and Wendy Samuels, Missionaries from the Mustard Seed Community in Jamaica. Our high school students gathered in the auditorium for a moving presentation - punctuated by song and dance - on the missionary work of Mustard Seed in different parts of the world. The students were riveted as Wendy and Nate showed slides and told them about the children who have been orphaned or abandoned, children with serious physical handicaps or diseases. Mustard Seed strives to restore dignity and provide love to the most vulnerable children. The stories Nat and Wendy shared illustrate the faith-filled affection they have for each child in their care.

Kayla Fraser '11 and Ji-Hyun Seo '11 plan their egg drop.

The eighth graders put their science design skills to the test on October 12 with the first annual 8th Grade Egg Drop. The goal of the project was to build a container that would protect a raw egg from a second-story fall. Working in pairs, the students spent several weeks designing and building their containers out of popsicle sticks, egg cartons, straws, paper, and cotton. Though the containers had to meet a strict set of size and weight requirements, they came in all shapes and sizes: some had parachutes, others used sturdy frames to break the fall; one was covered in wrapping paper like a present. One girl from each group was the designated "dropper" (the containers were dropped from the gym balcony) and the other, stationed on the floor, the designated "checker." On the day of the event, a small crowd of Montrosians stopped by the gym to see the action. As told by one eighth grade student: "Cameras were drawn. People had flocked. And one after one, each of us climbed up the stairs slowly, holding our precious egg in our hands. We waited each time as the dropper nervously stood over the balcony. Seconds passed. Then, without a word, the dropper let go....Seven of the eggs survived. Yet one did not. To this one egg, I say, that although its fate was cruel, the egg was brave 'til the end, and we will never forget that." --Jenn Kessler

Montrose Fall Family Hike. On Sunday October 1, 2006 Montrose families and friends from St. Sebastian’s School met in Dover to hike the beautiful Noanet Woodlands in honor of Dary Jacob ’05. Despite the rain—indeed heavy at times—several groups hiked to the summit of the Woodlands and built a small rock cairn in memory of Dary. For more on Dary, please click here.

Student Government Executives at the Groundbreaking Ceremony on September 8, 2006.

Montrose School celebrates a ceremonial Groundbreaking on September 8, 2006 at their new home campus in Medfield, MA. For 26 years, Montrose School’s mission of educating the whole person has laid a foundation of excellence in academics and character development. The time has come for Montrose to build a home campus that befits our mission. The current renovation project to be completed in January 2007 includes all of the work in the main academic building on North Street. We will have new classrooms, a larger art studio and music room, science laboratories, technology center and library, chapel, dining room, locker rooms and showers, a student activities common area, administrative offices and a workplace for our parent volunteers.

For 2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and earlier news, please see the archives.