News
Creative Teaching of Foundational Skills
I visited two English classes early this week. The teacher in the ninth-grade class asked students to prepare for and stage a trial of Odysseus to determine whether he should be held responsible for the disaster with the cyclops Polyphemus. During opening statements, rebuttals, and cross examinations, students cited facts and textual evidence (from Book 9 and beyond) to make their cases. The tenth-grade teacher had asked her students to draw one of the pilgrims from the General Prologue to the The Canterbury Tales for homework. Students presented their depictions of their chosen characters and accompanying accessories to their classmates, supporting their choices with references to specific lines in the text. Both exercises were quite fun; there was good energy and more than a little laughter in the rooms. But they were also lessons – if unconventional ones – in close textual analysis. Students were asked, in the words of our... More
Lyahnnette Morales ’27 Represents MA in Miss America’s Teen Competition
Lyahnnette Morales '27 competed in the Miss America Teen competition in West Palm Beach, FL in September. Lyahnnette advanced to the national stage after being crowned Miss Massachusetts' Teen in June 2026 through Miss America Opportunity, the nation’s leading tuition-only scholarship organization for young women. She previously earned the title of Miss Boston's Teen 2026. More than a pageant, Miss America's Teen is an opportunity to showcase community service initiatives and earn lucrative educational scholarships. Lyahnnette reflects on her experience: "From August 29 through September 7, I had the honor of representing Massachusetts in West Palm Beach, Florida. On the very first day of my senior year at Boston University Academy, I was walking the Miss America’s Teen stage representing Massachusetts, a moment that reflected years of education, service, performance, leadership, and preparation. As a national and international performer, I understand the discipline required to prepare at a high level, perform under pressure, More
Without Being Asked
Thank you to all the families who joined us for Parents Day earlier this week. What joy to have so many parents attending classes with their children and getting an up-close look at life at BUA. I heard from quite a few parents about how taken they were by the care and passion of the teachers and the engagement of the students around the table. I also heard from more than one who said they wished that they could turn back the clock and attend themselves! The following morning, I was helping a colleague collect the extra chairs we had distributed to all the classrooms to accommodate our visitors. It was early – around 7:45 before most students had arrived for the day. As we made our way along the first-floor corridor, a new ninth grader who was doing homework at a table outside the athletics office noticed what we were... More
Putting Phones in their Place
At our opening meetings in August, BUA’s faculty and staff voted to adopt a smartphone policy designed to support our students and preserve the community we cherish. In broad strokes, 9th and 10th-graders are now asked to deposit smartphones in a cabinet by the front desk when they arrive at school in the morning. 11th and 12th graders are welcome to keep their smartphones with them in the BUA building, but to limit their use to the student common areas and to school-related purposes. We have now completed three weeks with the new system. And the impact has been dramatic. Class conversations are spilling into the hallways after the bell, with no text messages or social media posts competing for attention. Lunch tables buzz with conversation. Board games have proliferated in the Student Commons. These early results affirm what I heard from my listening sessions with students before the change: smartphones... More
Zachary Soong ’30 Earns Spot in Top 300 Junior Innovators
Zachary Soong '30 earned a spot in the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge 2026. His project addressed the issue of sustainability in noise reduction. Zachary reflects: "I noticed that current solutions such as polyurethane acoustic foam are dangerous and environmentally unfriendly. I tested various natural materials, such as bamboo, moss, and a cornstarch-based foam. Through my experiment, I demonstrated that there are effective sustainable alternatives for soundproofing, which may apply to urban settings and classrooms."
“On Making Kindness Visible”: Head of School Chris Kolovos Delivers Opening-of-Term Address
On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Boston University Academy Head of School Chris Kolovos welcomed students, faculty, and staff back to school with opening remarks entitled “On Making Kindness Visible." Read the full text of his ASM talk below, and watch a recording of his opening remarks here. Good morning. On behalf of the faculty and staff, welcome to the 34th year of Boston University Academy. First, a few words of welcome. To the 61 ninth graders sitting to my left, we are so glad you are with us. Throughout the August mini courses and orientation week, you have already started building a reputation among the adults here as an exceptionally mature and thoughtful group. Keep it up! To our returning 10s and 11s and to the new students in those grades, welcome. We have every confidence in your ability to embrace the challenges and leadership opportunities that await you. And to the Class... More
Down the Aisle and Across the Stage: Sending Off the Class of 2026 with a Puzzle from the Heart
On Monday, May 18, the 58 members of the BUA Class of 2026 crossed the stage to receive their diplomas from Head of School Chris Kolovos and Associate Head of School Rosemary White as part of BUA’s 32nd Commencement exercises. The ceremony, held at BU's Tsai Performance Center, featured student addresses from Angelique Pacombe-Jones '26 and Owen Bergstein '26, each of whom offered powerful reflections on their BUA experiences and hopes for their classmates as they head off to write the next chapters. Angel Dong '26 and Nick Kohl '26 recited the Classics orations in Latin and Greek, respectively. Will Shortz, New York Times Crossword Editor and puzzle master for NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday,” delivered what one longtime faculty member called the “most BUA” keynote address in memory. In what he himself dubbed “the nerdiest commencement speech ever,” Shortz led the graduates and assembled guests through a BUA-themed acrostic puzzle that... More
Class of 2026 Matriculation List
On Monday, May 18, BUA graduated the Class of 2026 at a commencement ceremony featuring a keynote address by New York Times Puzzle Editor Will Shortz. As you can see from the impressive matriculation list below, the members of the BUA Class of 2026 have exciting paths ahead of them. Watch out, world — these talented, passionate, determined young people are ready to make their mark. To our newest alums: we couldn’t be prouder of you. Stay in touch, drop us a postcard from your adventures, and don’t forget to stop by for a visit when you’re in town. Whether you’re heading across the street or across an ocean, you’ll always have a home at BUA. One or more members of the BUA Class of 2026 will matriculate at the following institutions: Amherst College Berklee College of Music Boston College Boston University Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University University of Chicago Colby College Colgate University Columbia University Cornell University Duke University Emory University Endicott... More
BUA Students Honored for Contributions in Community Service
Ryan Song '26 and Cici Ye '27 received 2026 Community Service Awards from the Parents Independent School Network (PIN) for their work in Endoscope Repair, Delivery, and Demonstration to CHUK (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali) and the Youth Heritage Bridge Project, respectively. The PIN Community Service Awards recognize "compassion, courage, and enthusiasm responding to the needs of others" and spotlights projects that "show the world how to create community through caring in action." Congratulations, Ryan and Cici on this honor!
Senior Thesis Symposium: Real-World Research on Display
On May 11, 2026, BUA’s 58 seniors took the stage at Metcalf Hall for our 3rd annual Senior Thesis Symposium. Senior thesis is the culmination of a BUA education and gives students an opportunity to conduct research alongside a BU professor or other university advisor. The Thesis Symposium, open to the entire BUA community, puts that work on display: seniors present posters of their key findings, field questions from a general audience, and give standalone presentations to their peers, teachers, and families. The range of thesis topics this year is remarkable — bioinformatics to urban planning and everything in between. This isn’t an academic exercise for its own sake; this is real-world research on issues our students care about, and a preview of the purposeful work ahead of them in college and beyond. The complete list of Senior Thesis topics for the Class of 2026 is available here. View photos from the... More