News
Our Exceptional Tour Guides
We are in the heart of admission season, and I want to give a shout-out to our incredible student tour guides. On most days, I greet prospective students and families on tours in the hallway outside my office and get to listen as they walk around the second floor. I hear our tour guides talking about our curriculum, class discussions, homework expectations, BU classes, and the college process. I hear them inviting and answering questions with clarity, candor, and humor. The experience with these tour guides is often a major reason for a family’s decision to join BUA – moved by the tour guides’ maturity, independence, thoughtfulness, wit, and mental agility, and eager to be part of a school filled with students like them. This is one way our students perpetuate the kind, curious culture we try so hard to foster. Parents play a role as well. I often hear from... More
BUA Robotics Team Represented at MA STEM Week Kickoff Event
On Monday, October 16, Boston University Academy's robotics team, the Lobstah Bots, represented BUA at the MA STEM Week Kickoff event hosted by Boston University at the Center for Computing & Data Sciences. The event featured remarks by Massachusetts Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll; Massachusetts Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler; and Boston University Provost ad interim Dr. Kenneth Lutchen. At the kickoff event, the BUA robotics team demonstrated one of their robots as part of the STEM exhibits on display, and also met with New England FIRST robotics director Michael Fantom and a reporter from WBZ radio. Says Lobstah Bots team captain George Baltus '24, "We were really happy for the opportunity to attend the event and continue to find more new ways to contribute to our Boston community!" A collaboration of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education and the STEM Advisory Council, STEM Week is an annual statewide effort to boost the... More
Happy Kids
On October 5, we welcomed nearly 150 BUA parents and guardians to our first-ever State of the School event. It was a beautiful moment of connection – families from over 50 cities and towns enjoying the company of the teachers who are folk heroes around their dinner tables and other parents whose children they hear so much about. We are excited to make this an annual tradition. Please enjoy these pictures from the event. I told a story about my recent phone conversation with a parent of a BUA graduate. She was telling me about her daughter’s experience in college – adjusting to a new environment and navigating her newfound independence. I was telling her about our three-year-old’s first few weeks at school – getting used to the routine, getting to know his teachers, making friends. In the end, we both landed in the same place: what we want – the... More
BUA Seniors Earn National Merit Honors
Thirty-seven percent of the Boston University Academy Class of 2024 received recognition in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program competition. The competition honors the nation’s scholastic champions and recognizes exceptional academic promise in high school seniors nationwide. Twenty current BUA seniors were named National Merit Commended Scholars. Out of these 20 Commended Scholars, six BUA seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists, placing them among the top 1% of all US high school seniors who entered the competition. Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The nationwide pool of Semifinalists includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. Semifinalists will have the opportunity to compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $25,000 Scholarships. National Merit Scholar finalists will be announced in February of 2024. One member of the BUA Class of 2025 received College Board National Recognition Program honors by scoring in... More
Holding Doors
I noticed one of our students holding the door for her classmates on several occasions during our opening days. She did it without fanfare or hesitation. Everybody who passed through the door said thank you. And then one of them held the next door for the group further down the hallway. I like to imagine that this door-holding behavior was contagious and lasted all day! Whenever I see a small moment of kindness – holding a door, picking up a piece of trash, showing a visitor where to go – I make sure to take the student aside and thank them for doing the right thing. Small moments like that inspire others in the community. They spread joy. And, most importantly, those habits build character – which, in the end, is what we care most about.
Exploring Adventurously
I walked out of the BUA building one morning last week with three of our seniors, each of whom was on the way to a different BU class. One was headed to a history course: Magic, Science, and Religion. She was finding it fascinating and contrasted her reaction to that of many of her BU classmates, who admitted to taking it to fulfill a core requirement. Another student was on his way to an American literature course, which he described as a great opportunity to build on the novels he had read last year in his BUA English course. The third was bounding off to Cosmology; she shared that the course made things tough on her schedule, since it backed into soccer practice, but the material was too interesting to pass up! Our mission describes BUA as a place where students can “explore adventurously the wider world of learning at Boston... More
Letting Students Lead
Last year, we formed a committee – led by students and including several members of the faculty – to generate ideas for how to improve the senior experience, with a particular focus on encouraging senior connections with younger students and with life in the BUA building. The group made three recommendations, all of which have been implemented: hosting a senior retreat, which took place on Thompson Island in late August for some early bonding before a busy fall; bringing much-needed new furniture into the Junior-Senior Common Room; and designating the Quiet Study Room, formerly open to all students, as a place for juniors and seniors to work between BU classes rather than going to the BU library and other spaces up and down Comm. Ave. It’s all working! Despite a rainy day, the energy at the retreat was positive and fun, and it has continued into September. We are seeing... More
“On Grades and Mindsets”: Opening Day Remarks from Head of School Chris Kolovos
On September 5, 2023, Boston University Academy Head of School Chris Kolovos welcomed students, faculty, and staff back to school with the following remarks "On Grades and Mindsets." You can watch the full recording of Mr. Kolovos's ASM remarks at this link. **** Good morning. It is lovely to see you all today. On behalf of the faculty and staff, welcome to this 31st year of BU Academy. A special welcome to our new students. You are impressive individuals, but what binds you together is your curiosity and your kindness. That is also what connects you to all of us. You make us better, and we are so glad you are here. An extra special welcome to the class of 2024. You have earned a reputation – a good one – for being cohesive and inclusive. That was on full display at the senior retreat, where I watched your friend groups mix and morph... More
Congrats and Good Luck, Class of 2023!
As summer wanes and back-to-school energy fills the air, we are wishing our most recent graduates the very best of luck as they embark on the next step of their journeys at college and beyond. As you can see from the impressive matriculation list below, the members of the BUA Class of 2023 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 forgot to stop by for a visit when you’re in town — you’ll always have a home at BUA. Members of the BUA Class of 2023 will attend the following institutions this fall: Barnard College Bentley University Boston College Boston University (11) Brown University Bryn Mawr College University of California – Berkeley University of California – San Diego Carnegie Mellon University (2) University of Chicago Cornell... More
The Many Side Projects of Dr. Brett Abigaña
In addition to being BUA's longtime and beloved music teacher, Dr. Brett Abigaña is a nationally-known, highly in-demand composer and conductor who crisscrosses the country (and beyond!) showcasing his talents. In the past year alone, hiss work has taken him from Hawai’i to Mystic, CT, from the hallowed chambers of Carnegie Hall to the toes-in-the-sand amphitheater on Cape Cod’s National Seashore. In December of 2022, Dr. Abigaña traveled to Chicago to present his music at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and in February did the same at the California State Music Educators Conference, where he met conductors and educators from all over the west coast, had performances of his music, and discussed new projects. A new music podcast, “Off the Shelf,” was born from one of these conversations. The first episode has been recorded and will be launched in the coming months (stay tuned!). This summer, he was a guest on... More