A historic HOMECOMINg
9/22/2026
At this year's annual Homecoming, Montrose School celebrated on a campus transformed by the recent Campus Renewal Project. The School welcomed a record crowd for the festivities, including students, parents, alumnae, parents of alumnae, faculty, staff, and friends of the school
Homecoming kicked off with a favorite student tradition, the pep rally, led by Athletic Director Caroline Langhurst. She shared with the students and guests the significance of the development of Miracle Fields, the two new regulation-size turf athletic fields that were created as part of the Campus Renewal Project:
I've had the opportunity to coach at both the collegiate and international levels, and one thing I've learned is that facilities matter. They matter because great facilities create opportunity. But there's something even bigger than that. These fields are an extension of the classroom. Some of the most important lessons our students will learn at Montrose won't happen sitting behind a desk. They'll learn them here.
They'll learn what it means to be a teammate. They'll learn how to handle adversity, how to respond when things don't go their way, how to work toward a common goal, how to lead, how to listen, how to win with humility, and how to lose with grace. They'll learn that sometimes you have to pick yourself up, work a little harder, and try again. Those are lessons that stay with you long after the scoreboard is turned off.
Facilities don't make great teams. The work, the commitment, the coaching, and the culture — that's what develops great teams. But great facilities give our girls the environment and opportunities to reach their potential, both as athletes and as people. These fields represent an investment in our student-athletes, our coaches, and the future of Montrose athletics.
Mrs. Langhurst introduced Michael Roberto, the new Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who described the work by the Board of Trustees over the past five years to develop a Campus Master Plan to guide the school’s development for the coming decades. "The milestone we’re celebrating today is the completion of the first phase of that Master Plan. Head of School Katie Elrod and our Board are overjoyed to see this first phase coming to its conclusion," he said. He thanked all those who supported the project, especially former Board Chair Bill Noonan, and all the dedicated faculty, coaches, and staff members who will help our girls flourish in these new spaces.
Mr. Roberto explained the story behind the name "Miracle Fields":
The original Miracle Field was built in 2009 and named in honor of our Founding Chaplain, Fr. Dick Rieman. He requested the name “Miracle Field”, to reflect the many gifts from God that we received in the establishment of Montrose School.
Fr. Dick was a big sports fan, and he was the Mavericks’ biggest supporter. He was always positive, no matter how the teams did. He’d come to all the home games, and if he couldn’t make it to one of the games he would call up the Athletic Director afterward and ask, “how much did we win by?”
You’ll note that there are paver stones throughout this area that are engraved with the names of alumnae, faculty and friends of the school. And I want you to take note of one paver that you’ll see right before you step onto these beautiful new fields. Every Montrose student will cross it on her way here. It says “God’s in charge.” That was Fr. Dick’s motto, and it’s fitting to remember it today as we celebrate our renewed campus and look to the future of this wonderful school.
Donna Volpe Strouse, Montrose School's Chief Financial & Operating Officer and Assistant Head of School, spoke next. Dr. Strouse served as the project manager for the Campus Renewal Project. Thanking the Board for their support of this investment in the Montrose campus, she gave an overview of the many benefits of the project beyond the new turf fields, including:
- 2 new pergolas for home team and visiting team spectators to gather under, protected from rain and sun.
- Pedestrian pathways connecting the entire campus, to support the mentoring program at the heart of the Montrose mission.
- 3 new bridges over Vine Brook made of weathering steel to reflect the site's industrial history (the main Straw Hat school building was once a factory where young women labored to manufacture straw hats).
- The Retreat area, which includes outdoor learning spaces like a pond platform where girls can sample species, and an Orator’s Disc where they can practice public speaking; and The Grove, a space for prayer and reflection, featuring a statue of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom.
- A redesign of the entire site and traffic flow for improved safety on campus, with improved signage coming soon.
- A beautiful new gate around the quad for increased security.
- Updates to the landscaping and restoration of our more than 1.5 acres of campus wetlands, replacing almost 15,000 square feet of invasive species with native plantings.
Montrose Chaplain Rev. John Grieco then blessed the two new turf fields.
After the Treblemakers delivered the National Anthem, the four Montrose varsity teams went on to compete, with all four notching victories over their opponents - soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and cross country. In a historic first, the varsity soccer and field hockey teams played their home games side by side on the Montrose campus for the first time ever.
