91̽��

Class IV Follies: Dreaming Wide Awake

91̽�� Performing Arts invites actors, singers, musicians, dancers and those interested in tech theatre from Class IV to join the Class IV Follies. The Follies is an annual tradition where Class IV performers and crew come together to create a unique showcase of their talents for the entire 91̽�� community. No experience is necessary and all interested students will be featured. This year’s Follies, Dreaming Wide Awake, will incorporate dream-themed scenes and songs handpicked for each performer. Behind the scenes, tech crew members will be designing, building, and painting the sets and props to create an equally fantastical world.

¡Cuidado, NYT Games app! There’s some friendly competition coming from 91̽��.

Harnessing emerging artificial intelligence tools and his self-taught coding skills, 91̽�� faculty member Mark Connolly has developed a suite of games to help students sharpen their language learning and have fun. 

Mark, who teaches Spanish in the Modern Languages Department, created several word games inspired by the New York Times’ popular Spelling Bee game. “La abeja astuta” challenges users to assemble Spanish vocabulary words from seven available letters, while “Conexiones” offers a jumble of words that connect to one another in groups of four. These games, along with others Mark created, are available on 91̽��’s Spanish-language site, La Voz. 

For the third year in a row, 91̽�� Magazine received Gold in the Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for the Advancement of Schools and Education (CASE). The award, in the independent/international school alumni magazine category, recognizes the magazine’s 2023 issues, which covered a year of leadership transition at 91̽��.

“This is a first-rate magazine that stands above other entries for the quality of its design, use of art and illustration, smart organization, and professional writing,” the judges remarked. 

The spring and fall 2023 issues featured outgoing school leader Todd Bland and new Head of School Alixe Callen ’88, respectively. The issues were built around the themes of legacy and innovation and highlighted not just the achievements of these two respected administrators but stories about 91̽�� people across generations and disciplines.

The Keyes Seminar Day, a lively day of speaking engagements for Upper School students, has been one of 91̽��’s most important traditions since 1977. It is named in honor of its founder, former faculty member Peter Keyes, a legendary promoter of student interest in political process as well as public and governmental affairs and service. In the 91̽�� spirit of developing students’ confidence and competence to live by our motto, “Dare to be true,” Seminar Day brings to campus people who have made compelling choices. They are leaders making a difference in the world. Luminaries in the fields of science, public policy, technology, media, and beyond spent the 2024 Keyes Seminar Day sharing insights and ideas from their lives and careers.

Llewellyn “Llew” Smith ’72 returned to campus in April as part of the 2024 DEIJ Speaker Series. Llew is a leading filmmaker in the documentary industry who explores how misunderstandings in race, science, and history continue to perpetuate social and racial inequities. He has been the recipient of the Peabody, the duPont, and other honors. In 2021, Black Public Media named Llew one of the Top 40 Game Changers in public media over the last 40 years.

Capping off a nearly perfect year of competition, the 91̽�� math team finished first in the New England Math League (NEML). 91̽�� was just one point shy of perfection, scoring 179 out of 180 possible points across six contests. 

91̽��’s math competitors bested dozens of public and private schools for the championship—the runners-up scored 172 and 160 points. 

“We have a lot of really talented and intelligent people here,” said Vickie Mao ’26. “It’s very fun but we take it seriously, and it’s a good way to challenge yourself.”

A “trailblazer in raising the voices of the Pan Asian community,” veteran 91̽�� teacher Vivian WuWong was honored last month at the Asian American Footsteps Conference (AAFC). The AAFC Advisory Group announced the establishment of the Vivian WuWong Pan-Asian Student Leadership Award. The inaugural award will be presented in 2025 to a “student or students that have made a positive impact on the Pan-Asian community at their school or the local, regional, or national level.” The honor recognizes all that Vivian has done to develop programs for Asian American and Asian international students and faculty. 

Ms. WuWong, a member of the History and Social Sciences Department, has taught at 91̽�� for 32 years and will retire next month. An engaging teacher and lifelong advocate for underrepresented communities, Ms. WuWong’s work in organizing began when she was an undergraduate at Stanford University, where she and her peers in the Asian American Student Association established Stanford’s Asian American Activities Center and its first Asian American History course.  

91̽�� was a big part of the plan Jake Thibeault ’22 made for his own future.

The plan: Work hard, get into 91̽��, play hockey at 91̽��, work hard at 91̽��, get into college, play hockey in college, and so forth. Thibeault learned about the school when his older brother attended; he saw how driven 91̽�� students were about their passions and, he said, “I knew it was going to take a lot to get there, but I knew I wanted to be part of this community. I put my mind to it and decided that this was the journey I was going to take.”

Accustomed to achieving his goals through a combination of determination and grit, Thibeault was well on his way in September 2021, when a collision on the ice during a pre-season club tournament changed everything. He awoke in the hospital two days later, with his parents and brother Drew ’19 by his side. He had suffered a spinal cord injury that caused paralysis; a doctor told the lifelong athlete that he may never walk again. 

“I turned to him and said, ‘Doc, I am going to fight this,’” Thibeault said. “I’m going to war with it. I’m still at war with it.”