News
HOS Blog: Catullus, Canterbury Tales, and the Beauty of Traditions
On Monday afternoon, the BUA community gathered -- some in the black box theater and many others on Zoom -- for one of this school’s great traditions. Twelve students from across the grades stood up in front of their peers to deliver Latin and Greek declamations, channeling Homer, Solon, Sophocles, Cicero, Catulus, Livy, Virgil, Ovid, and even Queen Elizabeth I (berating the Polish ambassador in 1597!). They spoke with poise, passion, skill, and more than a little bravery. The reaction of the audience impressed me nearly as much -- from the thunderous applause in the room for a student who fought through a passage that tried hard to evade her memory to the dozens of loving chat messages offering encouragement, praise, and heart emojis. And then, when the panel of judges stepped away to deliberate and choose the prize winners, another tradition reemerged to fill the time. Some juniors in... More
Celebrating BUA’s Retiring Great Teachers
On April 29, over 200 BUA students, alumni/ae, current and past parents, faculty, and staff logged on to celebrate BUA's Retiring Great Teachers: Gordon Harvey, Liz Cellucci, and Rich Horn. It was an evening full of emotion and community feeling, as generations of BUAers came together to share memories and honor these three teachers, and to wish them well in their next adventures. In case you missed it -- or if you want to watch again! -- the complete recording of the event is available here.
Head of School Blog – Senior Thesis: Purpose-Driven Inquiry
Over the past several weeks, our seniors have shared their Senior Thesis presentations — a beautiful showcase of their year-long efforts conducting research and writing an original piece of scholarship in an area of passion. Students work on those projects in partnership with a BUA faculty mentor and an outside expert: very often a BU professor, but sometimes another researcher or scholar in the field. The range of topics this year reflects the breadth of our students’ interests. Many dive deep into an area of scientific inquiry, often conducting research in labs around the area, and sometimes publishing their work in peer-reviewed journals. I heard presentations on using machine learning to improve genetic data analysis and health outcomes; applying lessons from tuna fins to increase maneuverability of large ships; and programming satellites to detect micro-plastic ocean pollution. I heard from students who explored topics in the humanities and social sciences:... More
BUA Junior presents research as part of BU Sustainability Earth Week
Abhi Lingareddy '22 presented his research on the urban heat island effect at the Campus Climate Lab Info Session as part of this week's BU Sustainability Earth Week 2021. Abhi is conducting this research for his senior thesis in concert with -- and funded by -- Boston University's Campus Climate Lab under the guidance of Professor Dan Li and Ms. Victoria Perrone. This project will measure how various surfaces in an urban setting impact temperature by using sensors placed around the BU campus, with the goal of analyzing the impact of existing solutions to the urban heat island effect: white roofs, green roofs, and landscaping. The resulting data will determine how effective solutions these are at reducing temperatures, and whether BU should invest time and money into converting existing surfaces into more sustainable ones in order to slow climate change.
HOS Blog: The Power of Community in Admissions
We have just wrapped up a historic year in admissions. Our applications were up 30% from last year’s all-time high, which put us in a position to be more selective in our admissions process than ever before. Our yield — the rate at which accepted students enroll at BUA — was also at its highest point in this school’s history. As a result, we have been able to bring together another extraordinarily talented, diverse group of new students who share this community’s commitments to kindness and curiosity. We can’t wait to welcome them in the fall. We know that the way this school adapted to the pandemic is part of the reason for this year’s admissions results. We have heard from prospective families that, given their experience over the past thirteen months, they were looking for a school that prioritized in-person learning and had the resources and agility to make that... More
BUA Smashes Records on Giving Day
Thanks to our amazing and generous alumni community, BUA raised over $85,000 from 254 donors in 24 hours on #BUAGivingDay! BUA set a new record for participation, with nearly DOUBLE the number of gifts compared to our last Giving Day. We also placed 4th out of all Boston University schools and colleges on the university-wide participation leaderboard. With 143 parent and grandparent gifts and 120 alumni gifts, we exceeded both our Faculty Appreciation Challenge AND our Alumni Challenge, unlocking a food truck celebration for the BUA faculty/staff and an additional $30,000 for BUA, respectively. This outpouring of support is a testament to the strength of our community and the warmth, gratitude, and connection so many of us feel towards BUA. Watch this brief thank you video from Head of School Chris Kolovos:
BUA Students Earn Recognition in SISAL, Scholastic Awards
Kasia Perks '21 won the Digital Art category in this year’s highly selective Small Independent School Art League (SISAL) Virtual Competition with her stunning "Portrait of Madison." Also recognized for their submissions were Saoirse Killion '21, Michelle Lisak '21, William Liu '23, Charlie Minney '22, Irene Mitsiades '21, Sasha Tyutyunik '22, and Madison Young '21. BUA students also earned recognition in the 2021 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Rohan Biju '23 earned two honorable mentions in the art category; Tracy He '24 and Serena Lei '22 each earned honorable mention for their artwork. In the writing category, Alvin Lu '23 won two silver keys and a gold key for his essay, and Emmanuel Smirnakis '23 and Cassandra Swartz '22 earned honorable mention for their submissions. Congratulations to our very talented student artists and writers!
BUA Giving Day 2021
Wednesday, April 7 is Giving Day! #BUAGivingDay is a 24-hour online fundraising drive that offers donors the opportunity to make their gifts to BUA go further. If BUA receives support from 75 current and past parents, grandparents, and friends, a fellow parent will underwrite an end-of-year food truck celebration for the BUA faculty and staff, who've worked so hard this year to give students the safe, rigorous, in-person learning experience they deserve. Make your gift at the links below -- and thank you for your support! https://givingday.bu.edu/campaigns/boston-university-academy-fund#/ https://givingday.bu.edu/campaigns/bua-diversity-and-inclusion-fund-1#/ https://givingday.bu.edu/campaigns/bua-great-teachers-fund#/
Head of School Blog: You Are Not Closing Doors
Earlier this week, I had the great pleasure of joining a career panel where BUA graduates working in the medical field shared their experiences with current students interested in medicine. It brings a smile to my face to watch generations of BUAers together — alums eager to give back and offer some guidance to the next cohort; current students meeting lifelong mentors and seeing reflections of their older selves looking back at them. One of the great gifts of being part of a school like this is that you are part of a multi-generational family that will always be there for you. Many of the questions from current students were tactical: How can I find a doctor to shadow as a high schooler? How should I structure my college choices to get ready for medical school? Should I consider an accelerated, seven-year liberal arts/medical degree? How do I choose between focusing... More
HOS Blog: A School Schedule Built for Students
Earlier this month, we announced that BUA will be moving to a new academic schedule for the fall of 2021. For too long, schools have defaulted to schedules that reflect the priorities of a factory model, ignoring what decades of research tells us about teenage brain development, student health, and the preconditions for deep, sustained learning. Outdated schedules have driven pedagogical choices, when the reverse must be true. Students deserve a schedule designed for them. The new schedule incorporates two main innovations: a late start every day, and fewer, longer class meetings per day — all while preserving the full teaching time we enjoyed before the pandemic. Pediatricians and experts on adolescent development have been telling us for years that the teenage brain tends not to “wake up” until later in the morning and that adolescents need between eight to ten hours of sleep per night. With all of the competing pressures on... More