News

Third graders as part of their Westward Movement Unit took on the pioneer life for Prairie Day. Students presented scrapbooks they created, sang songs they learned and participated in a hoedown with dances they learned in P.E. 

As a school administrator at a place such as Renbrook School, it’s easy to spend entire school days sequestered in front of a computer or in meetings. However, best practice dictates that I should get out of the office each and every day for “walkthroughs,” and this is a practice that I very much enjoy.

“Many hands make light work.” – John Heywood. Many thanks to all of the Lower School Families that helped us with the Adopt a Family Holiday Drive for Gifts of Love. We are so grateful for your support in helping us help your children bring “neighbors helping neighbors” to life. 

6th grade students attempted to solve the mystery of King Tut’s death. They became CSI detectives by collecting evidence pointing to a suspect to bring before a grand jury for indictment with a victimology report.  #renbrook #renbrookschool #bringinglearningtolife #renbrookpride 

5th grade welcomed the living history museum Plimoth Plantation from Plymouth, MA as part of their history program. Museum teachers talked about clothing, family roles, school, games, food, and farming. They came to their annual visit dressed in traditional clothing to discuss the Mayflower Compact. As part of the history program, students will create a colonial village and learn colonial skills, trades, professions, music, and dance, portraying characters from colonial times. 

Emily Perzan, class of 1999, presented to Upper School students about her spending the past year playing the Wicked Witch of the West with the Broadway National Tour of The Wizard of Oz.

As part of the seventh grade “Introductory Ornithology” unit in Life Science, Ginny August of The Parrot Club of CT brought along some of her winged friends!

8th graders took the annual trip to Washington D.C. recently and took in all of the sights and sounds the city has to offer.  They toured the Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, and much more.  The highlight was a Renbrook School wreather being placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Design and Engineering students visited Renbrook to meet with the playscape design representatives from the lower school. The Wesleyan students brought some introductory designs to show the Renbrook team as they progress in the prototype creation of a playscape designed for children of all ages and abilities.

Renbrook upper school students led a Veteran’s Day assembly with an appearance from Abraham Lincoln (aka Mr. Wright). Renbrook alum Tori Hooker ’02 visited campus and share about her active duty in the U.S. Navy where she has been a corpsman (combat medic) for over 11 years and have been stationed all over the East coast. She spent three years working in the emergency room at the naval hospital in Virginia and three years on a guided missile destroyer doing anti-piracy operations. She moved back to Connecticut to go to school and see her family and spent four years as a reservist supporting the navy funeral honors program in New England. She was recently called back to active duty to run a medical mobilization department in a reservist support center in Connecticut. Tori says that the best part of what she does is getting to visit over 23 countries and swim in the middle of four different oceans. 

Senator Chris Murphy came to visit our grade 5-8 students to talk about his life in legislative office and to answer a few questions form our eighth grade hosts.  Thank you for visiting Mr. Murphy!

How might Renbrook students create a playscape that children of all ages and abilities would enjoy? K-5 students at Renbrook School worked on just that and Wesleyan University Design & Engineering students selected a Renbrook prototype to build to scale! 

Apples and cider & donuts…oh my! A good time was had by JKDS at Bushy Hill Orchards in Granby,CT!

8th graders got a lesson in flag folding today. Did you know that each of the 13 folds has specific symbolism?

2nd graders have been hard at work designing their bulletin boards! Stop by and check them out in the Nelson Building.

During this year’s faculty in-service days at Renbrook, I presented the lower school teachers with a TED Talk titled, “The Happy Secret to Better Work” by psychologist, Shawn Achor.  Shawn is a quick-witted, passionate storyteller with an overall helpful message to anyone who is looking to become more productive in their work.