Keeping You Up to Date

Lower School STM Center Named for Lehner Family

Students and faculty returning to the Lower School campus this fall noticed a new name on the former Science, Technology & Music (STM) Center: The Lehner Center. This major addition to the Lower School Campus opened in September 2001 and was named this summer to recognize the extraordinary generosity of the Lehner family during BB&N's previous capital campaign, Campaign 2000.

The Lehner family legacy at BB&N includes Peter Lehner (Browne & Nichols Class of 1941), in whose honor the Center is named; Philip Lehner (B&N class of 1942); and former trustee and Campaign 2000 Chair Heidi Lehner, mother of Hans Sherman '99, Lauren Sherman '01, and Corinne Milbury '12. Thanks to their generosity, current and future generations of Lower School students and faculty will continue to enjoy the exceptional science, music, and technology facilities of The Lehner Center for decades to come. Top

Bivouac Bus Departs

Hoisting bags in many cases as big as themselves, BB&N 9th Graders set off for another year of Bivouac early in the morning on September 10.  The annual rite of passage for freshmen (such as Nico Enriquez, above) always features hugs, smiles, and plenty of anxious parents to send the packed bus off on its way.

“I'm confident that they'll return having had a great learning experience and with more knowledge about not only their classmates, but themselves as well,” said Dixie Morse (P '09, '11), who has been through the process before with her oldest son.  “It's a great program.” Top

2007-2008 Community Directory Updates

Please CLICK HERE to access a password-protected document listing updates for this year's Community Directory. Top

Girls' Varsity Soccer Welcomes Alumnae

The BB&N girls' varsity soccer team was visited by some familiar faces the second week of school, when two alumna soccer standouts dropped by to partake in a scrimmage with the squad. 

Becca Splaine '97 and Jen Murray '97, all-star players who together led the Knights to Eastern Independent League titles in their time at the School, relished the opportunity to share their soccer acumen and some fun with the students.

“Those two were fantastic players at BB&N, they were the best one-two punch in the league,” said Coach Katie Gayman.  “It's great to have them here.”

Joining in the scrimmage were two friends of Splaine and Murray, Olympic goaltender Kristin Luckenbill and Dartmouth standout, Gretchen Biggins.  Together the four combined to give the team an inspiring dose of championship caliber soccer. Top

BB&N Football Gives Back to the Community

BB&N football players kicked off their season in an unusual fashion this year. Instead of banging helmets and pads against an opponent, they used their heads to help give back to the community. On Wednesday, August 29th, Coach Jon Papas (above) and his team ran a free clinic in West Roxbury for inner-city Pop Warner teams.

“Our night spent teaching football to the youth of Boston was incredibly rewarding for all involved,” said Coach Papas. “Our BB&N players embraced the challenge of teaching the game they love to young players, and the Boston Pop Warner players were a captive audience soaking in the skills that were being taught.”

Whether being led through drills by BB&N players, or absorbing impassioned lectures on the ways of the gridiron from Coach Papas, the Pop Warner players' energy knew no bounds. As dusk set in, many of the players lingered, hoping for one more snap despite the encroaching night.

"It was nice to see so many of my teammates turn out for our community service day, and it's always great to give back to a local community,” said Senior Captain Nick Halloran. “It felt good to take the things that you have learned and love as a football player and pass those things onto someone else.” Top

BB&N's New Upper School Building Needs a Name!

Three years ago, a $10 million challenge grant from an anonymous donor allowed BB&N to embark on its Opening Minds Campaign. The doors we open this year are one important step in reaching our campaign goals.

We're excited to let you know that our anonymous donor has asked the BB&N community to help the School come up with the perfect name for this beautiful new building. Please submit your suggestion(s) to the Head's Office at: building_name@bbns.org.

Submissions should include: 1) the suggested name for the building; 2) a brief (1 - 2 paragraph) explanation of your choice; and 3) your name. Only one rule applies: the building may not be named after a person.

We ask that you submit any and all suggestions by September 20. A final decision about the building's name will be made by the donor in consultation with the School. Top

Upper School Tennis Star Competes on the Professional Circuit

Senior Erica Robertson made her debut this past summer in Professional Tennis competing in the USTA Pro Circuit Women's 50K Challenger Tournament. Playing against a tough opponent in Salome Devidze, Robertson lost 6-0, 6-3, although she remained positive about the outcome, looking at it as a good learning experience.

Robertson is currently ranked No. 2 among New England 18-and-under girls. Last season at BB&N, Robertson went 17-0 and won the Independent School League singles title. She will also compete in the minor leagues of the WTA, the USTA National Clay Court Championships, the National Hard Court Championships, and the Junior International Tennis Federation Cup.

“She can play professionally now,” her coach Sidney Cooper told the Boston Globe. “It's just a matter of how well she puts her entire game together.” Top

Seventh Graders Hone Team Building Skills

Seventh graders got to know the Middle School as well as their new classmates during a recent Community Building Day. “We broke the kids up into six groups and had them do different team building games to get them use to working together,” said math teacher Angus Means. “It was a chance for the 7th graders to have the campus to themselves and really explore the space. Some of the activities were less structured and allowed them to discover different strategies on their own.” Top

New Crosswalk on Upper School Campus

In conjunction with the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) the Upper School campus has put a crosswalk into service at a busy intersection between Gerry's Landing Road and Greenough Boulevard. What had been a somewhat daunting journey across Greenough Boulevard to the student parking lot is now a safe and easy stroll. Top

Spanish Classes Launch at Lower School

In order to better prepare students to be well-rounded global citizens, BB&N has implemented a Spanish language program into the Lower School curriculum. Although Spanish is currently being taught to only Fifth and Sixth Graders (First Graders will begin a short class in just a few weeks), the program will eventually be taught to all Lower School students. Currently, Fifth and Sixth Graders are focusing on cultivating basic language skills through listening comprehension and learning the authentic pronunciation of words.

“French, Spanish, and technology are all working together to come up with fun, interactive activities for the classroom,” said Lower School Spanish teacher Cristina Carrion. “We want the students to have fun with languages and understand how to use them in the real world.” Top

Triple Word Score!

This fall, BB&N is offering a Scrabble program for BB&N students in Grades 5 and 6. It will run from September through December, on Thursday afternoons from 3- 4 PM. The activity is free of charge.

The activity is being led by Upper School math teacher Mark Fidler, who has coached many BB&N Lower and Middle School teams in Scrabble competitions over the years. One team won first place in the first National Scrabble Championship in 2003.

The activity will be a mix of fun Scrabble activities, and playing games. We ask that students enroll in Scrabble if they anticipate being able to attend at least 7 of the 9 sessions listed below.

2007 Schedule: Thursdays, 3-4 PM, LS – Sept. 27 Oct. 4, Oct. 18, Oct. 25 Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Nov. 29 Dec. 6, Dec. 20

Any questions, contact Mark Fidler at mark_fidler@bbns.org or 617-800-2288. Please email him your child's name, grade, and homeroom teacher to enroll your child in Scrabble. Top