News Archive

Last week, Middle School students enjoyed Calvert’s second annual Mini-Week.

Our amazing community came together once again to support BARCS. We had our largest crowd since 2016 and raised over $6,000 for a nobel cause. Fifth Grader Johanna P. has recapped this amazing day.

Social media has become an ever-present factor in adolescents’ lives. The social stigma of always being “on” and being present through social media has become a topic of conversation amongst teachers, parents, and children. Fortunately, Calvert has seen the need for proper education and spreading awareness about how to navigate the tricky world of social media.

Head Master Andrew Holmgren and Board Chairman Ward Classen ’71 had dinner with Chet Carey ’72, Bill Eaton ’47, Tracey Lankford ’81, Katie Atkinson Magnuson ’75, Corbin Marr ’55, and Nina Rawtani ’99. The group shared their favorite Calvert memories and took the opportunity to ask questions about Calvert today.

Alumni viewed “Expedition Reef” in the Luetkemeyer Planetarium on October 23 and received an update from Alumni Board President Clemmie Miller ’81 (pictured with Jean “Scotty” Prema ‘57), Head Master Andrew Holmgren, and Lower School Science Teacher Lori Wlodarczyk. Chris Davis ’94 and Jamie Hodges ‘93 brought their children in for the planetarium show, which allowed them to share this special experience as a family.

Families of the Class of 2015 came on campus in early October to help us assemble care packs for our college freshmen. In addition to packing, parents were able to catch up with old friends, reminisce about their favorite Calvert memories, and even drop in a note from home. We sent almost fifty packages, filled to the brim with Calvert goodies, a taste of Baltimore, and well wishes! Packages went to places near and far, including London, Boston, and California.

Eva Finney ‘16 was the Elite Winner in the Dread Squash Cup Tournament in Baltimore, and Parker Davis ‘21 took 1st place (BU15) and Bren DiGiovanni ’21 took 2nd place (BU15) at the Novum Energy Texas Junior Bronze in Houston, TX.

During MiniWeek, Lawrason Riggs Sayre '40 met with current students at Broom's Bloom Dairy to show students the ins and outs of dairy farming.

Lisa and her husband, Joe DeLoss, co-founded Hot Chicken Takeover, a “purpose-focused” restaurant in Columbus, OH that provides jobs to men and women who need a fair chance at work, no matter the circumstances. Since opening, their restaurant and mission have been featured on the Today Show and in Politico, Huff Post, Food & Wine, and other notable media outlets. We hope their next stop is in Baltimore!

Please mark your calendars to attend Rosy Keyser: Distal’s Musk at UMBC Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture. Her paintings exhibition opens on October 31 and runs until December 14.

Calvert’s Director of Leadership Gifts Sarah Caldwell spent the day in Dallas in early October reconnecting alumni Jay Wagley ‘73 and Andrew Sinwell ‘77 to Calvert. They had a wonderful time reminiscing about their Calvert days and learning about what’s happening now. Both say, even today, they continue to utilize the skills they learned at Calvert.

The 14th Annual Calvert Golf Classic was held on Monday, October 7 at Green Spring Valley Hunt Club. It was a wonderful showing of nearly 100 alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of the school. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Chip Merrick ‘88, Jonathan Clark ‘82, Lee Schmelz, and Mark Sucoloski.

Congratulations to Elizabeth R. Paal Goss ‘99 of Heritage Financial Consultants, LLC for being named one of the Daily Record’s Leading Women winners. Leading Women recognizes women age 40 or younger for the tremendous accomplishments they have made so far in their career. They are judged on professional experience, community involvement, and a commitment to inspiring change. Elizabeth is a wonderful contributor to the Calvert Alumni Board.

Calvert held the 14th Annual High School Night on October 2. Many of our high school alumni came back to campus to share their experiences with current Seventh and Eighth Grade students and families. We were fortunate to have so many schools represented this year, including boarding, local independent, parochial, and public magnet schools.

Our Middle School had the honor of hosting Yale University’s a cappella group, the Whiffenpoofs. The Whiffenproofs are the world’s oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group. The esteemed group is on an East Coast tour, and thanks to current trustee and parent Betsey Hobelmann ’87, they were able to arrange a visit to Calvert. As a student at Yale, Betsey sang in the female counterpart of the Whiffenpoofs, Whim ’n’ Rhythm. Both groups are considered to be the premier vocal ensembles of the university. Betsey shares, “I feel so lucky to be a part of these communities.”

Dr. Ances was on St. Louis’ Fox 2 News recently to talk about a new blood test that may have potential for diagnosing early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Beau Ances is a professor of neurology at Washington University. He has been highlighted in our e-news in the past for his participation in the PBS documentary Alzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts.

More than 30 years ago, Molly Baldwin ’71 founded Roca in Chelsea, MA, which has since expanded to five Massachusetts locations. From first-hand work and research, Molly found that highly troubled youth needed targeted, relentless intervention in order to emerge from the cycle of violence. In the summer of 2018, with significant funding from local foundations and the business community, Molly brought Roca’s effective anti-violence model to Baltimore, its first replication outside of Massachusetts. Currently, Roca works intensely with 100 young men to help them change high-risk behavior. Participation will grow substantially next year and increase in the coming years. Be sure to visit Roca’s website, see coverage of this innovative nonprofit on WMAR-2 News and in the Washington Post, NYT Magazine, ProPublica, and the Baltimore Sun, and view Molly’s Ted Talk online.

Our latest issue of Reflections is now available online. Read through class notes, learn more about our writing program and new Writers' Room, and scan the annual report.

Leaders do not simply take chances — they grab them. At Calvert School, we intentionally create a culture that promotes risk-taking and fosters growth among our Fifth Age through Eighth Graders. It is woven into our fabric, fulfilling our promise to provide the Foundation for a Lifetime.

We are pleased to announce our annual school-wide fundraiser to support the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS), by creating a Bees for BARCS team to represent Calvert School on October 26 at BARCStoberfest in Patterson Park. We hope you can join us in supporting this meaningful student-led initiative to help a great organization. Each year, BARCS cares for 12,000 animals in the Baltimore area by providing shelter and medical care.

Our Lower School Character Education class has a new name, Pillars. Pillars represents the emphasis placed on the four Calvert Pillars of Respect, Compassion, Honor, and Responsibility. These words, like real pillars or columns, ground us as well as hold us up. While they are "big" words, our Lower School students know responsibility as recycling, respect as welcoming new students in the classroom, honor as apologizing when one says something hurtful, and compassion as being a caring friend. We break these words down and then open them up to our young learners.

Over 80 Calvert Fund volunteers gathered at 2 Oak Place on Tuesday evening to kick off the 2019-2020 Calvert Fund. This annual event serves as an opportunity to thank our dedicated volunteers for their leadership, generosity, and advocacy.

Our Middle School hives are buzzing! Last week, Hives were revealed for our Fifth Graders and new Sixth Grade students as they were welcomed into their new family. The hives program has an exciting agenda for this upcoming year for our Middle School students.

Calvert School’s alumni community boasts many successful authors whose articles, books, screenplays, and other works cover a diverse range of topics and interests. The early foundation received at Calvert provided these writers with the skills necessary to produce notable content. It is no surprise that the authors, poets, playwrights, journalists, essayists, memoirists, and novelists who attended Calvert first have been among the most well-known writers in America.

Calvert School is proud to announce the launch of our Leadership Certificate for our Seventh and Eighth Grade students. Sponsored by The Institute for Leadership & Purpose, the Leadership Certificate provides an opportunity for interested students to engage in a deeper learning experience over their final two years at Calvert. Elements of this new program include weekly meetings, guest speakers, cornerstone projects, and a leadership portfolio. Last spring, thirty-two Sixth Grade students were accepted into the certificate program, and this fall they have entered as our inaugural, Seventh Grade cohort.

While students and faculty were enjoying their summer breaks, our campus received a few upgrades. The Lower School lobby has been restored to honor its original design. Our Fifth and Sixth Agers will enjoy a new space-themed playground, and our Middle School students now have access to a dedicated writing space to hone their writing skills.

Anne Perkins '71  will release her first book Yale Needs Women: How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant on September 10. This release, by Sourcebooks, is fifty years after Yale went coed in 1969. Yale Needs Women follows the story of five of Yale’s first women undergraduates—three white and two black—through the tumultuous early years of coeducation. You can read early reviews and more about the book at www.yaleneedswomen.com.

Lauren Trexler '18 has spent the past three summers in Montana riding horses, this being her second summer in Red Lodge, MT working for Elk River Outfitters. Her love of horses began as a young child when Lauren began riding at seven-years-old. At the age of thirteen, her dad said she could go on a horse focused vacation. Through some research, she and her family found Elk River Outfitters. 

Lundy Farm is a 62-acre property—2 hours north of NYC—surrounded by 30,000 acres of state forest in the Hudson Valley. The estate features a four-season regenerative organic farm and greenhouse, places to swim, and an expansive landscape to roam. The farm produces the majority of the food for our innovative, seasonal plant-based cuisine.

Our six-week Summer at Calvert program saw another successful year with returning options and new partnerships!

Lower School teachers, Peggy Szczerbicki and Kim Miles, spent last week in Boston, MA at the Learning and the Brain Summer Institute which focused on promoting positive school climates and motivation in students.

The 2018-2019 school year marked the beginning of our Middle-Lower School Peer Mentoring Program. Based in our Sixth Grade leadership class taught by Mr. Parker, Mr. Ali, and Mrs. Daly, teams of Sixth Grade peer educators have established partnerships with both the Sixth Age and Ninth Age students this year. Beginning last November, the Sixth Grade students visited their Lower School buddies on multiple occasions to bridge the gap between our divisions, and to inspire younger students to uphold the Calvert Pillars.

Did you know 89% of current parents have made a gift to the Calvert Fund this year? By giving to the Calvert Fund, you show your commitment to Calvert School and enable the continued excellence of a Calvert education. We’re so close to hitting our goal of 100% participation.

As we close the books on the 2018-2019 year in athletics, it was another very fun and highly successful season for our student-athletes. Our Eighth Graders, the Class of 2019, leave the fields and courts of Calvert as some of the most successful in school history. Below is a brief recap of our spring sports season.

In April, Kelsey Albert ’08 and Charlie Albert ’72 sat down with Carly Slagel, Director of Alumni Relations, to discuss their father-daughter acting experience. Kelsey has been performing since she was in Seventh Grade when she and her dad first appeared together in the Memorial Players rendition of Cats.

This past year, Calvert School has expanded its partnerships within and outside our school walls in order to promote teamwork and leadership. Central to these efforts have been the establishment of two unique collaborations; a Sixth Grade and Ninth Age mentoring program grounded in sustainability, and a Seventh & Eighth Grade initiative with the Baltimore arm of Harlem Lacrosse, based at James McHenry School in Southwest Baltimore. These groups have been meeting monthly throughout the year to create a deeper connection between partners.

Calvert School’s 2019 Alumni Reunion brought a record-breaking nearly 140 alumni and friends back to campus for a cocktail reception in the W. P. Carey Lower School Building. Guests arrived to the musical talents of current Calvert students, Wes Seba ’19, Le’la Greene ’20, and James Chung ’20, who were playing stringed instruments on the patio of the School’s newly-renovated front entrance.

This past weekend, The Institute for Leadership & Purpose at Calvert School hosted students from 16 Baltimore public and independent schools for the Spring 2019 Middle Grades Partnership (MGP) Leadership Summit. This event was the culmination of the first year of a School Year Leadership Program in partnership with MGP, a dynamic non-profit that builds bridges across our city and inspires growth in middle school students. Since 2005 MGP has supported thousands of middle school students to achieve academic and personal growth on their journey to high school and college.

From April 15-18, 2019 Calvert celebrated Earth Week in honor of Earth Day, which is observed annually on April 22. This year Earth Week blended the traditional Middle School theme days, such as “Lights Off Wednesday” and “Get Outside Friday”, with a focus on a specific biome of the world: the tropical rainforest.

In just 24 hours, 167 members of the Calvert community came together to raise $51,464 for the Calvert Fund. Our #CalvertForALifetime drive gave donors the opportunity to direct their support to a specific area of focus. Unsurprisingly, teachers were the most popular choice! Special thanks to our donors and advocates for their support, as well as an anonymous group of Calvert friends who pledged $16,000 in matching funds. Check out our full campaign, including videos, posts, and our Impact Leaderboard at: www.calvertschoolmd.org/choose.

Over 125 supporters gathered at Baltimore Country Club on April 10 to celebrate Calvert’s Presidents’ Circle donors. The evening began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a seated dinner.

Last week, the Institute for Leadership & Purpose at Calvert School hosted the World Leadership School for two days of events and trainings for our community and area schools. The World Leadership School (WLS) is an internationally recognized expert in program development with a mission of “partnering with K-12 to reimagine learning and create next-generation leaders.”

Nearly 30 Calvert alumni, parents of alumni, former faculty, and current and past grandparents attended a Calvert event at Blakehurst Retirement Community on Monday, April 1. Guests enjoyed drinks and appetizers in the Blakehurst Rotunda while reminiscing about their Calvert years.

After more than one year of planning and preparation, ten Eighth Grade students attended the Global Classrooms International Middle School Model United Nations Conference in New York City from March 28 to March 30.

Yale Sophomore Clayton Hebert '13 will head to Redmond, Washington, for 12 weeks this summer to participate in the highly-competitive Explore Microsoft Internship Program. The internship is available to college students who are in their first or second year and would like to learn more about career opportunities in software development. 

Check out this awesome article in Baltimore Fishbowl by our very own Mr. Jay Parker highlighting Calvert School's partnership with St. Elizabeth School for the Polar Bear Plunge.

Sarah Stifler ’84 is the Chief Communications Officer for The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles, California. Since 2014, she has worked to enhance the museum's public image.

Saturday night wrapped up a four day run of Calvert’s 5^th annual full-scale musical, Once on This Island Jr. A retelling of the Little Mermaid tale, this colorful story is set in the Caribbean and features memorable melodies and lively characters. Fifty middle school students participated in total, comprising the cast, stage crew, and those who worked on the creation of sets and props. Students and teachers alike were captivated by the whole experience. “I really liked the effort that a lot of people put into it--the set was beautiful,” says Yasmine Worley.

On Friday, February 15, Séamus Miller ’04 and fellow actor Gregory Burgess, were on WYPR’s Midday with Tom Hall to discuss their play, Henry IV. That same evening, Henry IV Part I opened at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and Henry IV Part II opens on March 15.

Carol Campbell Haislip '69 recently traveled to India. 

The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) 2019 Varsity Individual Squash Championships were held February 13 – February 19.

It is not uncommon to view adolescence — particularly the middle school years — as a dark and stormy time that parents, teachers, and even adolescents themselves must simply endure. Even within the world of education, those who teach lower and high school students often express bewilderment at their middle school colleagues. As someone who has worked with middle school students for over twenty years, I think it is important to provide a narrative about adolescence that offers an equally valid, but definitively more optimistic view of the majestic and incredible design of what I will refer to as the middle school brain. Moreover, it is important that we understand how the structure of a well-designed middle school program supports and nurtures its students, and their families, through these dynamic years of development.

This week, five area schools participated in the first annual U.S. Squash Maryland Girls High School League Individual Tournament. Eight Calvert alumnae were among forty young women who played in the tournament, which was held February 5-7.

A group of Middle School students with their parents and a couple of teachers braved the chilly temperatures on January 19th, 2019 to attend Baltimore’s third annual Women’s March.

The Calvert School campus came together this past week for another successful International Week. This year, we celebrated Peru, South Africa, Italy, Taiwan, and Martinique complete with food, music, games, research, and discussion.

Alexandra Alevizatos Kirtley ’83 has fond memories of being transfixed at an early age by the stories depicted in art. Along with her parents and siblings, Chris Alevizatos ’76 and Dolly Alevizatos von Hollen ’80, Alexandra frequently traveled to Europe, where she developed her appreciation of art. After Calvert, Alexandra graduated from Roland Park Country School. Further education at Hamilton College and the University of Delaware-Winterthur Program in Early American Culture, where she earned her master’s degree in art history, as well as more travel, led her to a curatorial post at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA). At the museum, she has enjoyed an accomplished 17-year career as The Montgomery-Garvan Curator of American Decorative Arts.

Leaving for a trip on a school day is always exciting: no classes, no homework, and spending time talking and playing video games together is a strong reason so many Middle School children love taking trips. This past weekend, some Calvert Middle Schoolers left on a great field trip all the way up to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut for the U.S. Middle School Squash Championships. However, the Middle School students had to leave on a train at 5:30 AM! It was tough for them to get up so early and get on that train, but a lot of fun things happened along the way.

Cheer on our Mighty Bees boys and girls squash teams as they compete at the 2019 U.S. Squash Middle School National Tournament this weekend at Yale University.  Both groups will take on the best MS squash teams in the nation for a chance to be crowned 2019 Division III Middle School Squash Champion! Click here and search for “Calvert School” or click on the New Haven Tournament. Go Calvert!!!

Calvert School and St. Elizabeth School team sends 150 Plungers into the Chesapeake Bay!

On Monday, January 21st, we held our tenth annual Martin Luther King Day of Service. Close to 300 community members joined together to participate in a variety of service activities in honor of Dr. King's vision and legacy. We offered onsite and offsite activities where students and parents worked together on service projects to better the lives of the people in our community.  

Over the past 120 years, Calvert School has had the privilege of educating genera­tions of families, yet few families can trace their Calvert legacy as early as the School’s inception.

When talking with Anne Apgar, one wonders, “How does she do it all?” Anne has an impressive academic pedigree, is accomplished in multiple areas, has supported myriad philanthropic causes, traveled the world, renovated seven historic homes, and, while doing all of that, raised three children. At this point in her life, she is understandably most excited about her precious granddaughters: Emory and Arlyn.

Calvert’s winter sports season is in full swing! With a record number of middle school students participating in basketball, ice hockey, and squash every afternoon is bustling with activity.

This year, Calvert’s Seventh Grade student council will be joining the Eighth Grade, jumping into the Chesapeake Bay to raise money for the Special Olympics! More important, they will be buddying up with 16 kids from St. Elizabeth School, and plunging alongside them for the first time on January 24th at Sandy Point State Park! This is a tradition we would love to continue in the years to come.

Charlie Niccolini ‘17 will make his professional debut in the role of the Crown Prince Edward in Shakespeare Theatre Company's upcoming production of Richard the Third.