Solebury Speaks

We are proud to announce Evie Lee ’25 was awarded a National Silver Medal in poetry in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Solebury’s residential life program offers a holistic approach to ensure that students not only pursue rigorous academics but learn lifelong skills while building strong bonds with peers and adults within our community. We believe our students can flourish with a balance of structure and flexibility that allows them to learn essential life skills, try new things, and develop a stronger sense of self.

The emphasis of Solebury’s Global Education Concentration is on the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development, a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The goals address global challenges of poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. 

Offered at the sophomore level and above, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Concentration at Solebury allows STEM-loving students the opportunity to go beyond the classroom offerings to take their passion and interest to the next level through hands-on opportunities and experiences. To take a deeper dive into this concentration, we caught up with Britta and current STEM Concentration student Jan Mejia-Toro ’23. 

On a normal day, you will find teachers and students smiling as they move through their day. These smiles come in spite of, and in many cases because of, the hard work they are putting forth. But during the holiday season, there are festivities galore that make these smiles even brighter.  

On May 19 we held our annual all-school Day of Service with over 20 projects for students, faculty, and staff to participate in. Working together, we made a big impact building an entirely new trail in the trail systems, installing a new garden, making more than a dozen blankets for donation, painting three murals for installation, raising more than $800 for Fisherman's Mark through bake and thrift sales, and so much more. 

I write to you with mixed emotions as I process the outcome of the trial of Derek Chauvin: relief mixed with sadness and anger, renewed commitment tinged with hope.

The growing violence and increase in hate incidents against Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities over the past year is a terrible reality that we must acknowledge and work against.

It is natural during Covid to feel a sense of loss because we weren’t able to engage in the typical shenanigans and allegedly ironic enthusiasm surrounding boarding traditions that make Solebury such a fun place to be. However, with spring around the corner and the virus on the decline, these traditions will be back! 

Debating with our kids about their attachment to their phones has become a common conversation in so many households over the last few years. Yet during the time of Covid, they have also become lifelines for our kids as they deal with this new reality where social distancing is a thing and so many of their routine interactions no longer happen. However, Putting it down occasionally in order to engage with their family, do something helpful for someone else, or begin developing other interests is essential. But how do we do it without feeling like a nag and instigating an argument?

I wanted to speak to you about the events that unfolded in our nation’s capital yesterday. One senator compared the day to Dec 7, 1941—a day then-President Roosevelt labeled “a date which will live in infamy.” I suspect for all of us, January 6, 2021, will join a list of dates we remember vividly. In the immediate aftermath of what was a truly horrifying day in American history, I would like to focus on glimmers of optimism in the midst of one of our democracy’s darkest moments.

There are so many worthy reasons to give this holiday season. And while we must stay distant for a while as we wait for winter to pass and vaccines to be distributed, there is hope on the horizon. Wouldn’t it be incredible to start 2021 with the good news that 2020 shattered more charitable giving records?

It’s a cruel irony that COVID-19 has made the issue of food insecurity both much more acute and also more challenging than ever to address. For those of us fortunate enough to be in a position to help, now, more than ever, we have to make fighting hunger a priority. It is real and everywhere and exploding.

It’s that time of the year again when students of all grades begin to feel their anxiety rise; as the end of the trimester and the possibility of an exam or a final paper loom large. For many kids, their fall has been a flurry of new faces and attempting to settle in—stretching their social muscles and finding their places amongst the student body. Within the whirlwind of all of that, it is suddenly November and that signals the closing of the first trimester of their year. Unfortunately, it also signals exams, final projects, and a rise in many of our students' stress levels.

Human history is mostly evolutionary in its nature, punctuated by moments of life-altering revolutions. Upheaval and unrest are the engine of radical change—both positive and negative—for humans and the societies they create. Solebury students are now witnesses to such upheaval and unrest. A global pandemic has altered everything about how we work, learn, travel, vacation, eat, gather, recreate, interact, and on and on. Layered over this global threat, centuries of systemic racism that was built into the very fabric of our nation at its birth is being challenged in ways no American has ever seen.

Human history is mostly evolutionary in its nature, punctuated by moments of life-altering revolutions. Upheaval and unrest are the engine of radical change—both positive and negative—for humans and the societies they create. Solebury students are now witnesses to such upheaval and unrest. A global pandemic has altered everything about how we work, learn, travel, vacation, eat, gather, recreate, interact, and on and on. Layered over this global threat, centuries of systemic racism that was built into the very fabric of our nation at its birth is being challenged in ways no American has ever seen.

School has finally begun again and things are as “normal” as they are going to get for the moment. Schoolwork, social interactions, and big transitions have suddenly been thrust upon these kids who have had their lives disrupted for the last 7 months. All of these things often lead to the same place—STRESS! Stress is a normal and natural part of our human experience, however, learning how to effectively manage our own stress is a lifelong endeavor.

My faith in Solebury’s profound commitment to being “what school should be” and its pledge of respect for all individuals has not wavered. There still are and always will be more issues to tackle, and I am confident we can work through them together to continue to ensure our community connections stay strong and we deliver a world-class education to our students. Together we can construct a new and “better” normal.

We don’t know about you all, but we are incredibly grateful to have the ability to head back to campus next week and see our students and colleagues live and in person! In the midst of what has been such an uncertain and difficult time, this ability to return to campus is certainly a bright spot for us all. We’d like to take this moment to talk about how recognizing this “bright spot” is beneficial for our emotional well being.

Many of us have lost our routines and our kids in particular have probably been off of their track for so long they may struggle a little bit to get back on. We should all expect some pushback and struggle, but now is the time to begin getting back to routines, schedules and definitely some better sleep hygiene.

No matter what you call it, how you experienced it or what political affiliation you most consider yourself, I think we can all agree that COVID 19 and the shutdown of our country was disruptive for everyone. As Solebury School gears up for fall, whether your student is returning in person or virtually, I think it is safe to say that we can expect the transition may have some speed bumps.

In this moment, I think we educators have a powerful opportunity to impact the lives of our students, ourselves, and each other by creatively and thoughtful rethinking how and what we teach. Consider this: how can our course curriculums fully represent the diversity of human experiences and perspectives? In this moment, how can we make the Black voice more central?  It is not enough to simply include Black voices as I know many of you do…

I wanted to reach out and address the wave of protests resulting from the killings of George Floyd...and the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Freddie Grey, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and so many more. 

My God, has nothing changed?

I am a child of the 1960s. I vividly remember watching the riots in Detroit and so many other cities in 1967 and ‘68. I was young then and didn’t fully comprehend what I was watching, but every night I watched as city after city self-immolated, poor neighborhoods and black neighborhoods disintegrated. I listened as Bobby Kennedy tried to find some words of wisdom to share at the death of Martin Luther King Jr. I was devastated. And then I was devastated the morning I awoke to read of Bobby Kennedy’s assassination. And now this, another black man murdered by someone sworn to protect us...all of us, not just those who happen to be white. 

This April marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and we can see the need for sustainability more than ever. So what are we at Solebury School currently doing to make our community more sustainable?

Signature Memories. I suppose as we make our life’s journey we all collect them—those moments, seared into our consciousness, frozen in time. For me, a few key memories come to mind: learning of the Kennedy assassination and watching my tough-as-nails, battle-tested former Marine father, crying. Sitting in a hospital room, holding my firstborn, a son, throughout the night in the first hours of his life. And now, COVID-19 and an empty campus.

Yesterday afternoon we had Assembly. This time-honored tradition of bringing everyone together—faculty, students, staff, even facilities and dining hall as schedules allow—goes back to the founding of our school 95 years ago. It has been called different things over the years, but it has always had the same goal: bring together the community to share information, celebrate accomplishments, have a laugh, and see each other’s faces. 

Perspective 

I was listening to NPR this morning and found myself thinking about just how lucky I am; how lucky we, the Solebury community, are at this moment. 

An odd thought at first blush, I agree. But there were two stories that drove home this feeling and reminded me that perspective is a valued traveling companion. 

Today began for me like most trimesters: outside, greeting my students, with a few high fives. My typical query at the circle is, “how are you?” And the typical answer came my way, even this morning, “Tired.” (You have to be impressed with the amazing consistency of many of our teenagers: always tired.)

Of course, there is nothing typical about the start of this spring trimester, 2020. 

In January, Solebury School students were invited to RobustWealth for a maker session with Raspberry Pi, Scratch, and interactive components.

It is time to rethink what we mean by “college prep.” Director of Admission, Scott Eckstein discusses what is needed to prepare our students for college. 

On Sunday, November 3, Solebury School made the exciting announcement that it has acquired 50 acres of adjacent land directly east of the school.

Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Art. These critical elements of a 21st-century education have found a home in Solebury School’s newest offering - the IDEA Lab.

"The first day of school is A LOT, and the first day at a new school is A WHOLE LOT. Today, they gave me a microphone, so here are the three things I want you to do while you’re here for high school."​​​​​​​

"Spring at a school is an interesting time. Memories and dreams mingling together, competing for attention as we embrace our history, all the while pondering the future of those about to embark on a new journey that will take them away from us."

On Friday, May 17, we resurrected an age-old Solebury School tradition of an all-school Service Day — a truly wonderful and productive day that celebrated Solebury's big giving heart.

"When you learn how to make art, particularly when you learn how to work from observation, you start to see things more clearly..."

Can you trace a path over all seven bridges shown here, without crossing any of them more than once? The solution to this problem led to a new field of mathematics. The riddle also happens to illustrate what it is that mathematicians do...

Last summer, Julianna traveled halfway around the world with people she had just met...and had one of the best months of her life. In celebration of Global Education Week, here are just a few of the things she learned in Cambodia.

"Most kids aren’t disorganized on purpose — organization is actually a skill many students need to be explicitly taught." Here are a few ways to help them.

"Community service cultivates our interests, gives us a chance to reflect on and appreciate what we have, and advances humanity. And it can be fun."

Our Solebury School family has it own traditions for celebrating the season...

'Tis the season for giving — and for appreciating the power of philanthropy.

As a school that values diversity, one of our best field trips of the year is to a conference that celebrates diversity in an impactful, unforgettable way.

Head of School Tom Wilschutz reflects on the shooting in Pittsburgh and our students' 5K for Gun Safety the following day.

Every year, Solebury School offers new electives to keep our academic program fresh and innovative. Here, Director of Studies Rick Tony highlights two of our popular new courses.

Jen shares her tips, based on her own experiences as a young person traveling abroad.

Travel tips for our international families.

Solebury School’s faculty and staff share pearls of wisdom for our graduating seniors.

At this eagerly anticipated event, boarding students can win experiences like a murder mystery party (shown here), a gigantic basket of snacks, dinner out, and more. Bill Christy, our Dean of Residence Life, explains...

Is our school counselor approachable and does she have a terrific sense of humor? Yes! These shenanigans are proof...

Creativity is a skill most 21st century employers seek in their candidates. So why isn't art prioritized in all schools? Senior Lakumi Dias explores this issue.