News Brief: Spring/Summer 2024-25

Spring Cum Laude Inductees

Nine seniors were inducted into the Cum Laude Society this spring. Congratulations to (from left) Madelyn Hernandez, Eva Barth, Fiona Hernandez, Mia Darr, Joseph Berrien, Amelia Otjen, Jack Gilpin, Laya Sumithra, and Gabriel Ciralsky.

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Speakers Promote Mental Health

USM hosted REDgen speakers Lynn Lyons and Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore (pictured). Lyons spoke about managing emotions; Kennedy-Moore about friendships. REDgen is a local organization that fosters healthy lifestyles, and both were free and open to the public.

Honoring Silent Heroes

Chuck Taft, 8th grade American history teacher, participated in the National History Day Researching Silent Heroes webinar series. Taft researched and profiled an individual who is buried in an American military cemetery.

Authors Visit USM

Two authors visited USM this spring: Andy Griffiths, author of the Treehouse series, among others, and poet Charles Waters (pictured), author of “If I Could Choose a Best Day,” and more. They shared stories and ideas, and spoke about their inspirations.

MathCounts Takes 2nd

The 2025 MathCounts team (from left) Sam Yuan ’29, Niki Wagner ’29, Mishee Singh ’30, Jiyan Singh ’30, and coach Sonal Shah, took 2nd place at the state competition. Jiyan advanced to nationals, where he finished 37th out of 224.

A Home Run Field Trip

Kindergarten students enjoyed a special field trip to American Family Field to see physics in action. They learned about the retractable roof, studied Bernie’s slide and various ramps, and visited other behind-the-scenes locations.

Celebrating Holi at USM

The Upper School South Asian affinity group hosted a Holi celebration in May. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated by throwing colored powder and water, accompanied by music and dancing.

A Night of STEM

Middle School faculty and administrators hosted a STEM Night in April, where families learned about the extracurricular opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) that are offered to Middle School students.

Pulitzer Prize Finalist on Resilience

Meg Kissinger, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author, spoke at USM about the importance of resilience and minimizing shame surrounding mental health issues. As the 2025 Cindy Zautcke Memorial Speaker, her visit was free and open to the public.  

Getting Down to Business

Kindergarten students completed their economics unit by creating class-wide businesses, including a popcorn shop, café, ice cream shop, and carnival. The businesses take weeks to develop, and students create ads, products to “sell,” and more.

Strategies for Bouncing Back

The Upper School and Middle School REDgen student chapters hosted resilience weeks, which included events, activities, and meetings to promote conversations around resilience and mental health. 

Collegiate Athletes Honored

Eight seniors will play collegiate athletics this fall, and they were honored in spring. Congratulations to (from left) Brayden Becker, Ethan Feldner, Joe Berrien, Brock Miller, Luke Langlois, Bella Grenier, and (not pictured) Annie Norman and Bryce Irwin.

Yale Whiffenpoofs Visit USM

The Yale Whiffenpoofs, America’s oldest collegiate a capella group, visited USM in March. The group, hosted by Margy Stratton ’84, performed for Upper School, held a workshop, and gave an evening performance.

Interim Upper School Head Named

Joe Eason has been named interim head of Upper School for the 2025-26 school year, having taught in that division’s History department for 16 years. He also serves as varsity cross country and track and field coach. 

Check Mate

At the 2025 State Scholastic Chess Championship, USM, the defending state champ, tied for second place with Green Bay Catholic, while regaining the state title of bughouse champions. For the eighth year in a row, USM’s chess team won the City Chess Championships.

Honoring Veterans

Eighth grade students hosted the 14th annual March to the Memorials event, in which students march 8,000 collective laps around the Middle School car circle (the equivalent distance to Washington, D.C.) to raise money for veteran organizations.