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Deerfield has a long history, stretching all the way back to the school’s founding in 1797. With a lengthy history comes many beloved traditions that are cherished by both students and staff alike. Here is a list of 5 favorites amongst students: Choate Week Students love Choate Week because of the tradition’s rich competitiveness and embodiment of school pride. During Choate week, students and faculty bleed green more than ever. Students bombard each other with battle cries and enjoy bacon cookouts as the anticipation for the fateful day continues to grow. The week leading up to Choate Day is capped off by the pep rally and bonfire, fully invigorating students with school spirit. Students welcome Choate Week as a much-needed change of pace. Ted Freedman ’27 said, “[Choate Week] reinforces school spirit and togetherness that can dry up [during] this time of year when we’re settled into school routines and the weather is getting harsher.” Choate Day provides an opportunity for students from both schools to connect and compete. Among the sports teams squaring off, the long-awaited football game between the rival schools is a classic. Unfortunately, however, the greatest team of all, Quad Squad, is unable to compete in the beloved tradition. Semi-formal Dance The Semi-formal Dance, colloquially known as Semi, takes place during the Turkey Term. As soon as students return from Thanksgiving break, they begin to dress up in formal attire, and in the weeks leading up, frantically search for a date, quickly scrap together a charming poster in the iLab, and hope to snag some cute pics. Another plus of the event is the free food. A major downside of the dance includes the requirement of female interaction from male students in order to find a date. Step Up While a bittersweet ceremony overall, students still get to enjoy the end-of-year Step Up dance, as it is a rite of passage in which every class rises to their new grade. During this ceremony, students also convene around a large bonfire, feeling both the physical and figurative warmth of their new class. The soon-to-be seniors wear white, symbolizing their transition and new role in the school. Charlotte McFadzean ‘26, a senior, reflected on the experience, saying, “It’s the last day of the school year. You get to be with your class as you become the new senior of the school. It’s an important event to become a leader.” School Meeting Every Wednesday students file into the Hess Auditorium for School Meeting, which occurs each Wednesday. Students sit with their grade and shout their grade-wide cheers, before culminating in a collective singing of the Deerfield Cheering Song. There are presentations from different departments in the school, mindful moments, and game show-style activities. Students also get the opportunity to share their experiences through programs such as the Deerfield Story. Senior Bryan Gianvecchio ’26 elaborated, saying, “I like that there’s a good variety of things. Some academic stuff, performing arts, and the occasional motivational speaker.” He added, “Yeah, it’s a good time. You get to be with your friends and experience cool music.” Sit-Down Meals Sit-down meals occur during lunch on every weekday except Wednesdays, and excluding the winter term, on Tuesday and Thursday dinner. As part of the school tradition, all students must serve as their tables' first or second waiter, usually once per school year for both roles. The tables are also assigned randomly, allowing for interactions between unfamiliar students and staff. and creating a unique experience. Sit-down serves an important role in fostering community: Deerfield states on their website, “At Deerfield, we believe that sit-down meals provide an important opportunity for strengthening our community.”

Q: How did you find Deerfield? A: I was introduced to Deerfield about 15 years ago when I was a teacher at Vermont Academy. And I got to know Deerfield because I coached soccer against it. In fact, my first ever game that I coached was against Deerfield. But more important than that, a very good friend of mine from childhood is Mr. McVaugh. I knew that he was an hour down the down the road, and so we had been in touch, and almost immediately, when I started Vermont Academy, Tim [Mr. McVaugh] reached out and asked if I wanted to join an indoor soccer league at night, so I would come down every Tuesday night to play on a team that was mostly Deerfield faculty. So Mr. Flaska, Mr. McCraw, Mr. Dancer, Mr. Keller, and a handful of others that have been here for a long time, that’s the sort of the community that I got to know. And so it took about 15 years for me to circle back to Deerfield, but I’m really happy that it happened eventually. Q: What did you major in in college? A: I majored in economics with a minor in English literature. Q: Are you currently reading any books? A: Yes, I just finished a book called there Are Rivers in the Sky. And just last night I started a collection of short stories by Haruki Murakami. The collection is called First Person Singular, and they are excellent! Q: Favorite thing so far about Deerfield? A: This is such a cliche answer, but the community. There are genuinely good people here, and every aspect of my day is interacting with genuine people. Q: Where do you see yourself in five years? A: I always hesitate to answer that question, because I like to be open minded to whatever experiences come up in life, but realistically, I see myself here. I think that my wife and I have had a variety of experiences in our adult lives, both together and separately from one another, and this is a community that both of us would be like, “Okay, this feels great. Yeah, I’d like to stay.” Q: What’s a fun fact about you that people on campus probably wouldn’t know just by looking at you? A: Given what I teach, probably very few people would guess that I read as much as I do, and one of my favorite things to do with colleagues and students is to trade reading lists or trade book recommendations. So if there’s anything that I would like people to learn about me, it would be that. Come give me your book recommendations.

On October 16, the Academy welcomed a group of Prep 9 students and their families to campus for a half-day of class visits, campus tours, and conversation. The few dozen seventh graders were recognized and welcomed at sit-down lunch. While this visit happens routinely, Deerfield’s partnership with Prep 9 represents more than three decades of widening access to independent school education. Prep 9, founded in 1978 as an outgrowth of Columbia University’s Teachers College, is part of the larger Prep for Prep network, which, according to Prep 9’s website, identifies “high-achieving, motivated students from New York City…[to] prepare [them] for success at top independent boarding schools in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.” Their program “equips students to develop as leaders, pursue their passions, and make a lasting impact in school and beyond.” According to Deerfield’s Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Chip Davis, the Academy has been connected with Prep 9 for roughly 35 years. He also mentioned that the program began as an academic enrichment program, saying, “I don’t think that it was founded with a boarding idea in mind.” Now, however, Prep 9 has evolved into a program that includes students who are interested in boarding schools like Deerfield. The program mainly aims to provide access and exposure to under-resourced students. Mr. Davis emphasized that “not all the kids that were here will end up applying here,” explaining that prospective students often come from “modest income backgrounds and would not have the knowledge of schools like Deerfield” without the opportunities that Prep 9 provides. Deerfield hosted visiting students and their parents for a half-day of activities. Mr. Davis described a typical visit: “We’ve given them and the parents access to one class…they went to sit-down lunch, and then the parents were hosted by members of the admission office.” The day also included a student panel. “We had a little panel of current DA students, some of whom were Prep 9 kids, and they were just sharing about their Deerfield experience and answering questions,” Mr. Davis said. This part of the visit allowed Prep 9 students to hear "rsthand how attending a school like Deerfield can impact students from backgrounds similar to their own. Reagan Deery ’28 hosted five Prep 9 students and echoed Mr.Davis’ sentiment: “It was really great getting to know the kids. I think the program is very helpful in the sense that it helps kids get the opportunity to do something they wouldn’t normally be able to do: being able to see the school and get the opportunity to see what life at boarding school is like. They got to come eat lunch with us and just immerse themselves in the experience of Deerfield.” She added how she especially enjoyed her time with the students while touring the Athletic Center, noting that “when we went to the basketball gym…one of them was draining threes.” Not only does the connection between Prep 9 and Deerfield provide unique experiences for visiting students, but also encourages unlikely interactions that mutually benefit Deerfield and Prep students alike. Deerfield is one of about a dozen schools that Prep 9 is connected with, and Mr. Davis stressed the role Prep 9 plays in providing a structured, intentional path for students to explore selective boarding schools. “Their founding principle was academic enrichment, kind of giving kids a little more access to quality education. It’s not about boarding schools, just more about giving them a better path,” he said. The relationship between Deerfield and Prep 9 reflects the Academy’s broader commitment to expanding academic opportunity. “We see some…kids who are boarding-school-interested,” Mr. Davis noted. By offering visits, class experiences, and exposure to current Deerfield students of similar backgrounds, the Academy provides insight into campus life and academic expectations, helping students make informed choices about their educational futures. Prep 9’s connection to Deerfifeld has endured for decades because of its alignment with both the Academy and the program’s missions: offering academically promising students access to top-tier education while enriching Deerfield’s student body with diverse experiences. As Mr. Davis concluded, “it’s all about providing access.”

From October 14 to 16 of this year, Deerfield Academy partnered with LoneSpruce, a videography and creative studio, to produce a promotional video for the Academy’s upcoming 2026 fundraising campaign. Director of Communications Jess Day described the initiative as a “comprehensive campaign,” explaining that it will raise money for many projects, including the dining hall construction, financial aid, faculty support, and a new dormitory. She noted that comprehensive campaigns run parallel with annual fundraising events, such as the Deerfield Fund. Currently, the Academy has set a goal of raising $425 million through this upcoming campaign, which will run for four to five years. The Academy has been in a “quiet phase,” a period before the campaign’s public announcement. The campaign is scheduled to officially begin on May 13, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The video will be displayed during a formal event for the Deerfield community, where parents, alumni, select faculty, and students will gather to share their experiences, celebrating the school’s many facets. Ms. Day emphasized that the purpose of the video is to “highlight all the things that we’re raising the money for… and the things that are important [to Deerfield], like the meaningful traditions, and everything else that makes Deerfield great.” The Filmmaking process began this past spring, when the LoneSpruce crew captured footage of athletic games, classroom discussions, and everyday campus life between May 13 and 14. This fall, the crew returned to capture more footage, much of which included faculty and student participation in discussions. Ms. Day explained that, since the primary audience is alumni, the Academy “wanted to highlight teachers who are wellknown,” such as Science Teacher Heidi Valk, who has taught at Deerfield for almost 30 years. Ms. Day added that the crew also selected History Teacher Hayden Fox’s classroom to illustrate the humanities at Deerfield, offering insight into the school’s academic environment. Beyond showcasing its classroom experiences, the Academy hopes to capture the most authentic version of campus life, something Ms. Day said was “tough to do.” To accomplish this, the crew has spent time “capturing the beauty of the place…filming everything as you would for a movie,” Ms. Day said. “We want to show as much as we can…to show all the aspects of Deerfield, like humanities, sciences, arts, and athletics.” Students also had the opportunity to partake in multiple scenes, contributing to the film’s depiction of an authentic school environment. Associate Editor for the Scroll Rory Hartblay ’26 participated in a scene where he and two other students had a discussion with Head of School John Austin in the library. Hartblay explained that the reading room on the first floor had been set up to look like a mock class. During the filmmaking process, “[the film crew] told us to have an actual conversation with Dr. Austin, but make it random because they weren’t actually going to take the sound from the recording,” Hartblay said. He explained that as a result, “Dr. Austin decided to have each of us make a meal for him.” Nate Ugwonali ’27 also participated in the filming of the mock classroom with Dr. Austin. “The filming of the promotional video was fun,” Ugwonali said. “I got to talk to Dr. Austin about his favorite foods and books, and it was especially cool seeing [the] behind the scenes of a production like this.” Another student who was featured in the same scene, Tashvi Reddy ’27, shared her perspective on the filming experience, stating, “The film crew asked us multiple times to either take down notes, to lean in or out of the camera, and even asked Dr. Austin to say something that makes everyone laugh.” Reddy recalled that her participation was unplanned and that she happened to be studying in the library when the filming began, and she described the experience as “unexpected but incredibly fun.” Hartblay described the filmmaking process as being very professional, saying, “I was kind of shocked because I didn’t know that it was going to be a professional film crew. I thought it was just going to be like another film promo that Deerfield does like with the communications o&ce, like the ones you see on Instagram every other day.” The film crew also captured footage of students at the rock to display more facets of the Academy’s culture. Luc Ruminski ’27 was part of this process, and he described the experience, saying, “It was really fun getting to work with the crew, since I got to meet a bunch of new people during filming. I was happy to represent Deerfield and be part of the filmmaking process.” The film crew will return to campus in January of 2026 to capture scenes of a sit-down meal after the renovations of the new dining hall are complete. Ms. Day shared the possibility of an on-campus premiere once filmmaking wraps up. She further expressed her excitement to witness the completion of the production and the opportunity to participate in the filming process. “[The video] is supposed to be inspirational. It’s supposed to get people excited to participate in the campaign…and I think it’s a privilege to share things about Deerfield.”

Deerfield Academy’s current Dean of Students Samuel Bicknell has been appointed as the new Head of School at The Dublin School in Dublin, New Hampshire. Mr. Bicknell will succeed Bradford Bates, who has served a 17-year tenure at The Dublin School, in the 2026-2027 academic year. Over his fifteen years at Deerfield, Mr. Bicknell has helped oversee student welfare, behavior management, and non-academic student life at the Academy. He has also served as Director of Sustainability, Director of Student Activities, Residential Head, Spanish teacher, coach, and advisor. “[Deerfield] has been home for over 15 years, and when I arrived, I was a single guy only a couple of years out of college, and now I’m with Ms. Bicknell and [have] three3 kids,” Mr. Bicknell said. Mr. Bicknell learned about the Head of School position in May through Resource Group 175 (RG175), a search firm that specializes in Head of School and school leadership positions. After going through a few stages of the application process, he was selected for a three-day finalist interview in early October. The Dublin School Board of Trustees stated, “[Mr. Bicknell] stood out among an incredibly strong pool of applicants for his collaborative leadership, vision, and deep alignment with Dublin’s mission and motto: ‘Truth and Courage.’” Although he knew the hardest part of the process would be grappling with the possibility of leaving the Deerfield community, Mr. Bicknell and Ms. Bicknell felt like it was the right time for a new change. When they first visited Dublin, they “could feel the warmth and kindness from everyone, and [they] were blown away by the beauty of the campus.” Mr. Bicknell especially liked that the school had over 500 acres of outdoor education opportunities, which he knew would cultivate a culture of intellectual curiosity and belonging among the students. “It is a smaller school of about 170 students, and that was very appealing as well, because it means I will be able to build strong relationships with every community. Mr. Bicknell believes in the Dublin School’s mission and the way it supports students through their formative high school years. He shared that “Dublin’s commitment to helping young people know themselves and contribute meaningfully to the world resonates deeply with [him],” a sentiment that was evident during his visit to the school in early October. “I’m really energized by the idea of working closely with all constituents and balancing both the internal-facing and external-facing aspects of the role,” Mr. Bicknell added. Living, studying, and working in places such as New Zealand, Spain, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Argentina provided Mr. Bicknell with international perspectives on how to create an inclusive, student-centered education and how to mentor global citizenship. The Board of Trustees at Dublin shared how “[Mr. Bicknell’s] thoughtful approach to education and ability to build strong relationships across communities make him an ideal "fit for Dublin’s next chapter.” Mr. Bicknell expressed gratitude for those whom he had learned from over the years at Deer"eld, and he believes Associate Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh has been the most influential "gure in his professional journey. Mr. Bicknell described Ms. Creagh as “a mentor, friend, and sounding board” who has continually “pushed [him] to grow and reflect on who [he] is and how [he] can be the most effective leader in this community and beyond.” He expressed his gratitude for Mr. Bates’ “remarkable leadership over the past seventeen years,” and he looks forward to working with him to ensure “a smooth and thoughtful transition.”

On October 30 after sit-down dinner, President and Head Curator of the Boston Public Library Leventhal Map & Education Center Garrett Nelson gave a talk focusing on the connections between physical geography and community. "The talk, titled “The Here In Togetherness: Place, Territory and the Challenge of Common Ground,” sought to bring the conversation over geography and physical location back into Deerfield’s limelight, focusing on spatial analysis, how we construct community, and how our concept of it has changed over time. Nelson opened his talk by examining the pre-modern world and its relatively static boundaries—a world where “the boundaries of the community are the boundaries of the government, are the boundaries of the economy, are the boundaries of the environment,” according to History Teacher and Department Chair Brian Hamilton, who organized the event. Covering a widerange of topics, places, and times, Nelson anchored his talk in several critical questions: “How do we decide on boundaries, and who and what are we excluding?”, “How do we balance diversity and conformity when community-building?” and, referring back to his opening thoughts, “What comes next for present communities who no longer have the intimacy and constraints of the pre-modern ‘village-style’ community?” Aside from these questions, Nelson introduced three schools of thought—three methods people have used in the modern era to form communities. Mr. Hamilton described the first method, which involved “returning from the stressful, broadening modern world [and] returning to small, insular communities.” Mr. Hamilton said that “Historic Deerfield was an example of that,” explaining that “people in a Cold War context, when they imagined what made America great, [imagined] communities like Deerfield, small towns that had a sense of shared government and shared purpose.” The other two methods directly clash with each other. Nelson juxtaposed the rising idea of a global community, having things on a worldwide scale, embodied in our own Center of Community Service and Global Citizenship, with an exclusionary reaction to that where “people anxiously build higher and higher walls between communities.” Nelson then substantiated these questions with multiple case studies. For example, he talked about how multiple countries from both the communist Warsaw Pact and Western-aligned NATO came together to manage transportation and commerce on the Danube River as an example of finding common ground. In another example, Nelson used Frederick Law Olmsted’s journey of bringing public national parks to America and designing Central Park to introduce bigger ideas of constructing a communityand what sharing spaces looks like in a democracy, where anyone, rich or poor, can use the park together. Associate Editor for the Scroll Nicholas Xu ’27 found the unique combination of subject matter and expertise exciting. “[Geography is] pretty much treated as an aspect of history courses … and to have someone who specialized in that field come and share some of his ideas was intriguing.” He also believed that the evidence and the talk itself were meaningful: “I think a lot of the examples he gave were niche examples … everyone could have gone to the talk and taken something away from it.’ Similarly, Mr. Hamilton found the subject matter of the talk stimulating: “I’ve admired Nelson’s work for a long time, and I find it inspiring the way that planners and other thinkers have wrestled with these questions and come to very different conclusions.” While the talk wasn’t specifically tailored to Deerfield specifically, Nelson still managed to use Historical Deerfield as an example in his talk. Mr. Hamilton shared that Nelson “was struck by the many markers of community and the community-building practices that we employ even in his short time here.” Perpetuating these practices to create a purposeful community and a strong sense of togetherness is key to keeping inspiring those in and out of campus.

Deerfield’s rivalry with Choate Rosemary Hall has fueled the Academy’s school spirit for over a century. Choate Week, the week leading up to the highly anticipated Choate Day, brings Deerfiel’s campus together, unifying the student body’s competitive spirit. During Choate Week, Deerfield students are encouraged to dress up in respective themes to support the campus morale. Every day of the Week has its own theme, and students go all out with their outfits that fill campus with anticipation for Choate Day. Choate Week’s themes have been established for many years and this year’s themes were mostly the same, with only one change made. Jarron Crosbie ’26, this year’s captain Deerfield, explained, “A lot of the themes are themes that have been happening for the past couple years.” He added, “I have a little book that … has a lot of the same themes … that were used in 2019. It’s kind of like a thing that we reuse a lot.” Monday kicked off the week with the theme of rhyme without reason, a returning favorite that allows students to pair up and dress as two unrelated things that rhyme with each other. An example of one rhyme is lobster and boxer, which was used Tuesday continued with Twin Day, a long-standing theme that has been a part of Choate Week since 2019. On Twin Day, friends would coordinate their outfits to match each other’s, often seen wearing matching hoodies, pajamas, or T-shirts. While some students simply dress in similar clothing and imitate each other's hairstyles and accessories, Sabrina Schulhof ’29 and Stella Goldsmith ’29 dressed up as Oompa Loompas, painting their faces blue and wearing green wigs. On Wednesday, students would dress up with their fall co-curriculars, giving them a medium to demonstrate the togetherness and spirit of their co-curriculars. Harmoni Dobbins ‘26, Cheerleader and Varsity Volleyball Captain, explained, “We try to make it something fun, so everyone can have a different character part in the costume.” Crosbie stated, “My favorite theme is always co-curric day… the stuff that I saw from the girls’ teams … were some of the best coordinated outfits that I've seen.” Whether the team is an undefeated varsity sport, at the thirds-level, or an arts program, every co-curricular buys into their specific team’s outfit. This year, Deerfield’s Varsity Volleyball Team received the best outfit award from the Deerfield Cheerleaders. Crosbie noted, “the funniest was definitely the volleyball team and their SpongeBob SquarePants outfits. Those were hilarious.” Dobbins went through the process that captains go through to decide their theme for Choate Week. “We try to make it something fun so everyone can have a different character or part in the costume,” she said. She claimed that providing a different costume for every team member promotes a sense of belonging, especially for new students. Thursday’s theme brought a change to Choate Week. Traditionally, Thursday has been ‘Generations Day’, where each grade dressed as a different age group, ranging from babies to senior citizens. This year, the Deerfield Cheerleaders introduced a new theme: Pajama Day. Crosbie noted that “we decided to switch generation day with PJ day because we felt like sophomores/ juniors didn’t really do much as teenagers and adults.” Making this change provided the Academy's student body with an accessible way to dress up during Choate Week. Pajama Day was introduced with the hopes of increasing student's participation in the themes. Friday wrapped up Choate week by returning to traditional class dress in the school colors of green and white. This Deerfield tradition has remained a staple for generations. The Choate Week theme of green and white class dress has traditionally served as a reminder that Choate Week is not purely about competition, but also about creating a unified student body. Choate Week is claimed to define Deerfield’s school spirit and instill motivation to beat their rival.

Deerfield cheerleader, tri-varsity athlete, and an incoming student-athlete for the Brown University hockey team Keira Austen ’26 joined Deerfield as a freshman. She had primarily hoped to play for the Girls’ Varsity Hockey team, but also participated and made the team for both the Girls’ Varsity Soccer and the Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse. Soccer was one of Austen’s first sports, as she often played with her sister, Olivia Austen ’27, in their backyard. Both of Austen’s parents played Division I Soccer and this further influenced her to begin her athletic journey with the sport at a young age. Some of Austen’s favorite Deerfield memories come from the soccer team. She recalled the soccer pre-season trip in Spain this summer, where the team bonded over long bus rides, watching pro soccer games, and singing in Pace’s bodega. In addition, during Austen's sophomore year, the soccer team beat Choate Rosemary Hall 2-1 during Choate Day, despite a large disadvantage in rankings. Austen emphasized that this was “genuinely the best feeling ever.” Austen recalled how one of her happiest seasons throughout her time at Deerfield was her freshman year soccer season, as there was less pressure on her. She felt that each year came with “more and more pressure.” The progressing responsibility eventually led Austen to becomecaptain of the soccer team her senior year. Despite the added responsibility of captainship, she said she still enjoys playing soccer as the increased pressure makes “it [playing soccer] way more fun.” On and off the field, Austen works with the co-captains to care for and cultivate a healthy team culture. “[Austen] is such a great teammate and I think our leadership styles worked well together … On the field, she has such a strong presence and I think the rest of our team, specifically underclassmen, really looked up to her,” said co-captain Eleanor DuPont ’26. DuPont added that when Austen was injured, “I got to experience how she cheered on her teammates and continued to bring the energy even as a captain on the bench.” On another note, Austen started lacrosse in seventh grade because the sport was popular in her town. She was able to carry this interest to Deerfield. As a freshman Austen played defense on the Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse team. Austen said that lacrosse is her newest commitment, yet she still enjoys playing on the team. She describes playing lacrosse as a “zero stress kinda sport” where she can relax and have fun with her teammates. Specifically, Austen mentioned that on the pre-season lacrosse trip, the team would go to the “shark attack capital of the world, New Smyrna Beach” each year. “[The trip was] one of the most fun things all year,” she said. Despite her love for soccer and lacrosse, Austen considers hockey to be her favorite sport because it is deemed one of the “cooler” sports. Austen mentions that when she was younger, she figure skated and after, she would see the “big girls” playing hockey. From then on she decided she wanted to play hockey. Austen recieved her commitment letter to play Division I Hockey for Brown University during her sophomore year. Expressing gratitude, she said that she “couldn’t have gotten that offer without my teammates on Mid Fairfield and Deerfield and my sister, Olivia.” Austen noted that she’s excited to spend another 3 years with her sister, who also committed to Brown University after Deerfield. Assistant Coach of Girls Varsity Hockey Toby Emerson described Austen in three words: “nasty, skilled, and strong.” Mr. Emerson also noted that Austen learned throughout her years on the team to be “less hard on herself,” which Mr. Emerson believes is an important skill for a defensive hockey player like herself. Emerson also offered that obtaining a positive mindset is a skill that Austen has continued to work on throughout her hockey career that will carry into other sports. Despite still being a little tough on herself, Mr. Emerson explained that Austen always makes sure her teammates feel supported. Mr. Emerson noted that after making a mistake, no matter the challenge, Austen's next thought is to bounce back by playing harder, all while continuing to stay positive. Mr. Emerson highlighted Austen’s knack for “hard work, grit and toughness,” showcasing the many facets of Austen as an athlete and person. Mr. Emerson remains confident that Austen will be able to carry these skills with her to Brown University in the future. Reflecting on her journey through Deerfield sports, Austen hopes to enjoy the last seasons of her senior year. “[I feel like I have] a family on each team … [and] just want to have the most fun with my teammates and try to savor every last moment of playing for Deerfield.” Though she is sad to leave the family she has found in her hockey teammtes, Austen remains excited for her future in hockey beyond Deerfield. Throughout her time at Deerfield, Austen, a tri-varsity athelete, described how she was truly able to find a true community in the ridfferent sports teams she played on. Austen explained how she began to view her teammates as family as each season passed and although she is sentimental about leaving, she anticipates her future at Brown University, especially with her sister by her side.

Two years ago, Skye Maves ’27 and Alumna Grace Taylor ’25 started hosting weekly dance classes to bring together a group of energetic kids who shared a common love for dance. Currently, Maves is running these classes with Annie Loring ’26. When asked what motivated Maves to start these classes, she noted that she was previously a dance mentor and shared, “It's really fun to not always have a teacher, but almost like a big sister in the class. So, when I saw all the faculty kids running around campus all the time, I really wanted to find a way to continue to teach little kids.” Loring decided to collaborate with Maves because she too believed in the mission of uplifting young aspiring dancers. She explained, “I love kids and being able to nurture and engage their curiosity and love for dance has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It's been amazing to be able to continue to teach at Deer"eld and connect with the community around me.” Maves and Loring are passionate about inspiring kids in the community to see that dance is for everyone. Every Saturday morning, Maves and Loring hold these classes in the small dance studio in the Hess Center for the Arts and invite kids from across the community, such as faculty kids, to learn how to dance. Loring explained that the best words to fully capture the essence of kids would be “curious, endearing and energetic.” Walking in with cheesy smiles and pure enthusiasm to learn from Deerfield Academy’s very own dancers, Maves describes the kids as “so excited to be there.” She continued, “A lot of them don't dance any other time outside of our classes, so it’s a very special experience for them and us. Some of them have been dancing with us for the three years since we started the program.” The bond Maves and Loring share with the kids goes beyond the dance studio. “Afterwards, I'll sometimes take some of them to lunch in the dining hall or just seeing them around campus makes me smile so much,” Maves added. Maves and Loring teach two age groups: children aged 3-6 and 7-12 years old. The younger age group is “like a bitty ballet class,” Maves explained. “That class is focused on getting the kids to be comfortable in their bodies, coordination, and social skills in the classroom setting, because a lot of these kids don't go to school yet.” Because of their youth, Maves and Loring enjoy doing games and exercises to encourage the kids to “open their imagination and be creative.” The older age group is a jazz class for kids who are more experienced in dance. A class with this group contains a lot more choreography with an emphasis on technique. “Usually we start [class] with a warm-up and we'll do across-the-floor, working on typical skills for the age group,” Maves explains. "Then we teach a combo every class, so that they can practice picking up choreography quickly. One of Maves’s favorite moments from working with the kids was last year when her jazz class watched the International Dance Competition. She described their reactions as “just so amazed and inspired,” explaining that this was something that resonated with her as a dancer, and she loved sharing that experience with them. According to Maves, she and Loring seek to “incorporate more of the Deerfield dancers into the program this year,” offering students in the dance co-curricular the opportunity to apply as substitutes when they are unavailable. She added, “Also, we really want them to perform at our shows in the winter,” noting that the kids “come watch the shows all the time, so the opportunity to perform on the same stage would be a very memorable experience.”

For Art History Teacher John Leistler, the trip to the Met was a continuation of a long-standing tradition. “Before I came to Deerfield, I used to teach in the suburbs of New York, and so I used to take my class [to the Met] once a month,” he said. “It didn't feel like a school trip—it was a group of somewhat friends going to the Met.” Since coming to Deerfield, Mr. Leistler has worked to organize several such visits each year. “It's not a required trip, but just to get to go and see the enormity of the space, see the crowd, see some of the art that we've studied, and see what it’s like to see them for real instead of just a slide of it in class,” he explained. Mr. Leistler’s accumulated knowledge of the museum allowed him to curate an experience that directly connects to the Art History class’s curriculum, while allowing students time to explore independently. “At one point, when I was younger and in graduate school, I went "ve or six times a week to the Met, mostly because I had a terribly small apartment,” he said. “And so I know the Met well. I've done a lot of tours over the years there, so it feels like a second home to me.” Both the teacher and the students speak to the impact of seeing art in person as opposed to in class. “It is always better to see the actual thing and the real size and how it is displayed,” Mr. Leistler noted. “And I think when you see any artwork, and not just seeing a picture of it, you're reminded that somebody made this. Somebody had a vision to create something.” Mikaylah Meertins ’26 echoed the sentiment, saying, “It was my first time in the Met, and I was taken aback when I first entered…It was really cool, and a lot better than seeing it on a slide.” For this trip, the group mainly focused on the Greek and Roman galleries, as well as the newly opened African and Oceanian wings. “The Oceania and African wings have been closed for the last "ve years…and I wanted our students to not only see the art, but to think about what is new,” Mr. Leistler explained. “A lot of what the Met aims to do is to infuse as much dignity into art that was once viewed as exotic…I wanted them to really think about what the Met is trying to do with the arts of Africa, and whether it was successful for them.” One highlight of the trip for Meertins was the Greek section of the Met, where she encountered kouros statues: ancient Greek sculptures of young men used in funerary practices. “It’s supposed to be the depiction of the ideal young man,” she explained. “When you look at it, you’re supposed to feel that you have the potential to go on and be great…it’s really inspiring.” Mr. Leistler expanded on the same piece, saying that “Greek mourners would go to the graveyard to be sad about somebody who had died a loved one, but when they saw this funerary sculpture, it would remind them that when they leave, to go live their lives as best as they can.” For both, the trip was a much-needed break from the classroom. “I would love to do it again… It was super refreshing to be able to get out of the classroom and be in a place that’s as signi"cant as the Met,” said Meertins. “Art History is the course that I teach where people feel the smartest the fastest,” Mr. Leistler remarked. “If you learn one artwork well, you feel empowered in a way that you did not half an hour ago…so it’s always fun for them to see it for the "rst time themselves.” For Mr. Leistler, the trips to the Met ultimately serve as a reminder of what makes art and the study of it so relevant. “You don’t have to make art—I am totally untalented. But mine is appreciation, and mine is the historian’s thing,” he said. “We all spend time on our phones, and we're all assaulted by thousands of images a day, and so it is always wise for us to just sharpen our own understandin

Q: Why did you choose to be a teacher, and who inspired you to do this profession? A: Since my grandfather was a teacher, I certainly think that teaching was something that sort of seemed appealing to me. In graduate school, I grew less passionate about research and sort of stumbled upon boarding schools as an option where I could teach and coach, so that seemed like a nice fit. I’d say my department chair, John Ford, when I was working at Choate, was one of the most incredible teachers I’ve ever been around. During undergraduate school, my organic chemistry teacher was also an incredible mentor. I did some undergraduate research with him and he kind of pushed me to go to graduate school for organic chemistry. However, I knew I didn’t want to be in a research lab after graduate school, and I think that’s where I sort of gravitated to teaching. The area that I did well in college and school in general was science, so it was just something to continue and graduate school was the opportunity. I think somewhere in graduate school, that’s when I realized I really want to be a teacher, or at least try it. Q: What was one of your most memorable teaching memories? A: I’ve told this story to my students before but during my second year evaluation at Choate, I was working with alkaline metals and water. I caught the bench and rug on fire as the mixture exploded and my department chair, John Ford, sat beside me. So that’s memorable. Q: How do you incorporate the balance between hands-on learning and analysis-based learning? A: For me, I think organic chemistry in college was super hard, but what made it great were the labs. What made the course more accessible to me was the visualization of the labs and how it taught me the textbook content. So the balance for me feels like, get in the labs, get your hands dirty. I think if a lab is done well, it can serve the same purpose as memorizing a chapter. In terms of analysis-based learning and prepping for the AP, while we could have focused entirely on just the chemistry and the content, I think there were a lot of other things to discover. For Honors Environmental Science, I try to incorporate field trips and labs because it’s critical. Instead of focusing entirely on learning new content, I want to show them what they were learning. If we want to talk about how our sewage system works, we go to sewage treatment. It’s nasty but we want to see it in action. Q: What is the most important value or belief for you when it comes to approaching students? How do you apply that in your teaching? A: I think what comes to mind is building trust among the students. It is essential to build a relationship in class between the students, amongst themselves and the teacher. It’s particularly important to push yourselves in classes and build a sense of community. I think that’s definitely prevalent at Deerfield, but if you don’t have that sense of community and trust within the class, I think it’s hard for students to really take criticism and grow. I try to allow students to really get to know themselves as students, and hopefully that’s something that can grow. As the year goes on, students grow to be instrumental in creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere in class where people had fun and wanted to learn. That’s important. If I could be a facilitator in that, that’s great. Q: What is your goal for the students? How does this goal influence the way you teach them? A: I think it’s super important to embrace being a nerd. If you have no interest in science, but you are a talented and engaged student, you can find some really interesting tidbits in the class. Get your hands dirty, because that’s the beauty. I mean in biology, until you’ve dissected a heart, you don’t really know what a heart is, right? There are all sorts of things with chemistry and environmental science to see. I think it’s important to understand that the buffet is out there, and you get to choose from that buffet any way you see fit. I try to build enough energy and interest in the material that even a kid who has no interest in science can look forward to going to that class. You guys are so talented in many ways. It’s kind of silly, but I always remind myself to do no harm, not screw the student up, and make sure there’s a lot of stuff for them to devour. There’s a place in the classroom and field to really allow students to push them