Providing a

Foundation for the Future

PORTRAIT OF A PIKE GRADUATE

Trusted Friend • Curious Learner • Optimistic ​Innovator • Agile Collaborator • Courageous ​Advocate

The Portrait of a Pike Graduate committee provided ​faculty and staff with the opportunity to contemplate ​essential questions about Pike students: "Who are ​they, and who will they become after leaving Pike?"

In the quest to define the qualities of a Pike graduate, ​the committee went beyond traditional lesson plans ​and basic learning outcomes. They delved into the ​realm of values and skill sets necessary for careers ​that may not even exist yet. During this journey, an ​enlightening moment occurred with the realization ​that there was no need to explicitly include the term ​"leader" in the Portrait of a Pike Graduate. The ​attributes the committee chose to focus on naturally ​foster leadership qualities.

In the classroom, teachers have witnessed students ​engaging in agile collaboration during projects, eager ​to answer questions from their inquisitive peers. ​Furthermore, they have observed how established ​community members warmly welcome newcomers as ​Pike continues to grow.

In essence, the efforts put forth to define what it ​means to be a Pike graduate affirmed that Pike had ​essentially distilled the outcomes of the work ​educators are already doing in classrooms. This ​crystallization of Pike’s aspirations has been both ​reassuring and motivating.

PIKE FUND

Your support of the Pike Fund plays a crucial role in ​supporting our endeavors, providing the resources ​necessary to bring these visions of graduate ​excellence to life.

Enhancing Hands on Learning

LEGO ROBOTICS

During the summer, our Upper School science department made a significant ​upgrade to their LEGO robotics materials, transitioning to the latest iteration ​known as SPIKE Prime. This upgrade brings with it an exciting opportunity to ​further enrich the educational experiences of our science students in the realm ​of STEAM activities.

Traditionally, our fifth-grade students had been tasked with real-world problem-​solving, engaging in the complete cycle of designing, constructing, programming, ​and refining robots. Now, with these advanced materials at their fingertips, they ​can seamlessly integrate mathematics into their endeavors by collecting, ​accessing, and meticulously analyzing cloud-based data. This data-driven ​approach empowers them to make more informed decisions when refining their ​robotic designs.

What's even more exciting is that robotics will no longer be confined to just fifth ​graders. Eighth graders will now have the chance to dive into the world of ​robotics, where coding and tackling higher-level thinking problems will be at the ​core of their educational experience. Additionally, we are thrilled to introduce a ​robotics club, catering to students with a keen interest in this field.

None of these groundbreaking initiatives, including the enhancements to the ​fifth-grade engineering curriculum, would have been possible without the ​invaluable contribution of these upgraded materials.

PIKE FUND

Gifts to the Pike Fund play a critical role in enabling us to acquire new ​equipment for classrooms and to implement essential programming upgrades, ​ensuring our students receive a cutting-edge education.

Envisioning the Best Path Forward

SECONDARY SCHOOL ADVISING

Pike’s student-centered approach to secondary school selection prioritizes finding the perfect “fit” for each student and family. With the needs of our students and families at the forefront, we continue to enhance our program to ensure our families are prepared and supported as they navigate the ever-changing private secondary school landscape.

Our strategic decision to advance Jolene Buttress into the inaugural full-time role as Director of Secondary School Advising helps leverage Jo’s experience and understanding of the secondary school process in service to students and families as they discover their best paths forward. Throughout the Upper School journey, students and families are provided with learning opportunities that build confidence and understanding through multiple connections with Secondary School Advisor, Julie Ogden, Director of Secondary School Advising, Jolene Buttress, and Head of School, Ashley Marshall.

Throughout the research and application process, our Secondary School Team regularly meets with advisees, organizes lunches with school representatives, visits various schools, and engages with visiting admissions staff. Each student then receives a comprehensive counselor recommendation. Jo and Julie remain connected with families, providing valuable resources and support until final decisions are made in the spring. We believe that our individualized secondary school advising process will prepare Pike students to lead and thrive, no matter where they choose to matriculate.

PIKE FUND

This essential support for our students and families in their secondary school journey is made possible through your generous donations to the Pike Fund.

Leading the Way to Lifelong Learning

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Pike teachers from across both divisions exhibit a deep commitment to lifelong ​learning and regularly participate in professional development experiences to dig ​into the latest research, expand their professional circles, and bring research-​based, future-focused, and values-aligned best practices back to benefit our ​students and community.

Tiz Benson, Lower School Third Grade Teacher, attended Learning and the Brain’s ​virtual summer institute, “The Emotional, Social Brain in Schools.” This week-long ​experience showcased up to date research on how the brain works, child ​development, and the growing abilities and emotional, social needs of children. ​In preparation for Pike’s adoption of the RULER approach (Yale’s Center for ​Emotional Intelligence’s school-based social-emotional learning program), Tiz ​was able to deepen her knowledge of research-based approaches to best ​support students’ healthy social, emotional, and academic growth. Tiz shared ​that she was excited to “learn about various teaching practices to support the ​whole child - body, brain, and mind…and to incorporate this learning into my ​science lessons during the study of the brain.”

Mary Machado, Upper School History Department Chair and co-facilitator of ​Pike’s Critical Friends Group, participated in a two-week-long training through ​the National School Reform Faculty. Mary will use the protocols and structures ​she learned there to support faculty-to-faculty peer coaching, helping teachers ​to refine their lesson plans, to navigate conversations around the impact of ​teaching practices, and to solve classroom-based-dilemmas together. Mary ​shared, “I am excited beyond measure to have had the chance to gain this ​certification and look forward to working with colleagues who I so respect as we ​examine the craft of teaching.”

Katti Mayk, Upper School Theatre Teacher and Sixth Grade Team Leader, ​attended the American Alliance for Theatre Education conference this summer. ​There, she had the opportunity to collaborate with other Theater educators, to ​participate in workshops on innovative and inclusive ideas for middle-grades ​Theater programming, and to grow in her own teacher leadership practices. Katti ​is bringing this important learning back to launch the fifth grade theater program ​this year, and to innovate exciting units for our new eighth and ninth grade ​theater structure. Katti shared that, “...the conference was amazing. I really felt ​renewed in a lot of ways…and inspired” as a teacher leader.

PIKE FUND

The Pike Fund supports ongoing professional development for every faculty ​and staff member at Pike, creating lifelong learners who share their discoveries ​with their students and fellow educators.

LIVING OUR VALUES

YOU invest in student well-being

AUTHENTICITY

We are thrilled to announce the official launch at Pike of RULER, an approach to Social and ​Emotional Learning (SEL) developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Over the ​summer, our SEL learning team underwent training at the Yale Center for Emotional ​Intelligence, equipping themselves with the knowledge and tools necessary to implement ​this evidence-based approach to social-emotional learning within our community.

RULER is an acronym that emphasizes the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence: ​Recognizing Emotions, Understanding Emotions, Labeling Emotions, Expressing Emotions, ​and Regulating Emotions. Through this approach, both staff and students will gain a ​comprehensive understanding of emotions and their profound significance in our lives.

Our journey with RULER will encompass a wide array of benefits, ranging from heightened ​social and self-awareness, to fostering positive emotional climates. Through lessons, tools, ​and adult training, RULER supports entire school communities in understanding the value of ​emotions, building the skills of emotional intelligence, and creating and maintaining positive ​school cultures.

PIKE FUND

We are excited to begin this journey of learning and practicing this comprehensive ​approach to social-emotional learning, made possible through your generous donations to ​the Pike Fund.

YOU spark curiosity

INTELLECTUAL AMBITION

One of the remarkable aspects of Pike’s Upper School is its encouragement for students to ​take charge and to establish their own clubs, fostering a deep sense of ownership and ​initiative. In the fall, a sixth grade student approached an Upper School science teacher with ​an intriguing proposition: to become the mentor for a Science Trivia Club. Each meeting was ​dedicated to exploring various scientific domains, all in preparation for a middle school ​competition at MIT's Broad Institute. Without hesitation, the request was accepted, and not ​long after, a remarkable group of sixth graders began attending club gatherings each week.

The opportunity for educators to connect with students whom they haven’t taught is a ​source of immense satisfaction. The collective dedication and hard work of club members ​were palpable. Students took pride in their design and creation of Pike Science Trivia Club t-​shirts as a symbol of their unity.

When the day of the spring competition arrived, a team of Pike sixth graders participated ​with a sense of excitement and joy. Their correct answers to intricate science questions were ​met with celebratory high-fives, fist bumps, and genuine elation. It was an undeniably ​memorable experience for everyone. While we can estimate their placement as somewhere ​in the middle of the group, achievements were embraced wholeheartedly.

To celebrate, the Pike Science Trivia Club embarked on a field trip to the Museum of Science, ​leaving with renewed inspiration and determination to return even stronger the following ​year. The Science Trivia Club eagerly anticipates its next competition at MIT, with exciting ​prospects for expansion and the inclusion of other science based competitions.

This year, there are 17 student-led clubs ranging from Pike News to the newly created Tech ​Innovations Club and we are celebrating the return of third and fourth grade clubs.

PIKE FUND

Gifts to the Pike Fund help us provide these enriching opportunities for our students to ​explore their passion for science and learning.

YOU empower changemakers

SOCIAL GOOD

The Pike School is nestled within 35 acres, featuring a picturesque one-mile nature trail that ​meanders through campus, offering a distinctive backdrop for hands-on learning in a natural ​environment. Throughout the various seasons, our community utilizes the nature trail for a ​wide range of educational activities.

Our youngest learners in Pre-K and Kindergarten explore the trail using their senses, eagerly ​searching for signs of changing seasons and embarking on spiderweb hunts. The trail ​provides an ideal setting for an observational science unit for second graders, who ​document their observations through words and pictures. Third graders utilize the adjacent ​stream for water testing activities for science class. Regardless of age, the trail serves as a ​perfect location for exercise, movement breaks, and fresh air.

This past spring, Lower and Upper School teachers dedicated a day to collaborating with a ​representative from the Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology program, who worked with our ​educators to establish new data collection sites along our nature trail. These new data ​collection sites enable our students to delve into the growth and transformation of forests ​over time. They also support exploration of forest composition and growth through the ​observation of how both respond to natural and human-induced disturbances.

This invaluable partnership builds community and enviornmental connections, while also ​contributing to our students' comprehensive understanding of our carbon footprint. The ​chosen locations for these new sites are deliberately situated to foster collaboration ​between the Lower and Upper Schools, aligning with Harvard's initiative to enhance data ​collection efforts while encouraging cross-divisional interaction in an outdoor classroom ​setting.

PIKE FUND

This collaborative endeavor, which enriches our educational offerings and furthers our ​commitment to ecological awareness, is made possible through the generous support of ​our Pike Fund donors.

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