The Lawrenceville School

Across campus, Lawrenceville is getting Big Red-y to welcome students back next week. From faculty in-service meetings connecting, training, and planning for fall term, to student leaders returning and preparing to lead orientation events, the momentum is building. Check our stories for a glimpse of pre-season athlete arrivals and we can’t wait to see everyone soon!

Lawrenceville is excited to welcome 274 new students hail from 39 states and 32 countries this year. With classmates from Ethiopia to Russia, Lithuania to Bermuda, Lawrenceville is truly a global community. We can’t wait to see you all next week! 🌎

Acting Co-Heads of School Marquis Scott and Emilie Kosoff shared a welcome message with the community on the cusp of a new School year. Building on the School’s mission to inspire the best in each to seek the best for all, Scott and Kosoff shared their commitment to helping community members “ensure that we are not just reacting to change but actively shaping it, making the future possible through our actions each day that will inspire joy and a sense of home for every member of our community.” Swipe to read their guiding principles for more details.

One of the many benefits of Lawrenceville’s location is having easy access to nearby facilities such as Princeton University’s Neuroscience Institute. Earlier this summer, Christine Wu ‘25 organized a visit for members of Lawrenceville’s Brain Computer Interface Club to the Institute. Researcher Elizabeth McDevitt gave the group a professional electroencephalogram (EEG) demonstration at the Princeton Computational Memory Lab. Students experimented with how different stimuli, such as listening to happy vs. sad songs, affected brain signals recorded from the EEG wearer.

Captains, Coaches and staff gave a Big Red welcome to players and families for preseason today 🏠

The team kicks off training and practice tomorrow, all before the first home game under the lights on the new turf at Keuffel Stadium September 7. Let’s go, Big Red! 🏈

These friendly faces have been working hard getting campus ready to welcome our first preseason students next week. We can’t wait to see everyone soon!

Lawrenceville is excited to launch a new online hub for families: Parentsville. Parentsville is a central location that connects you to campus resources and systems, organizing information by theme and topic. Now accessible at www.lawrenceville.org/parents using your Veracross login, Parentsville features:

📍Quick access to task-oriented websites, including Veracross, Medicat, eCampus, and more
📍Quick access to informational resources, including the Family Resource Guide, at-a-glance calendar, wellness resources, and more
📍Back to school information
📍Social media feeds and campus news

Check it out now!

Lawrenceville’s partnership with local first responders is key to the School’s success and care of our students and community. Fire trucks parked by Tsai Field House last week brought staff from FMBA Local 96: Lawrence Township Career Firefighters who practiced swimming in their rescue gear and water rescue techniques in the pool. 🚒

Earlier this summer, Lawrenceville was honored to host the Centennial Gala for the Lawrence Township Police Department, who celebrated their 100th anniversary earlier this year. Head of School Steve Murray accepted a proclamation from LTPD thanking the School for their continued support of the department. 🚔

Thanks to all our first responders for the service and dedication provided to our community.

Centennial Gala photos credit: David Teng

Did you know that Big Red is represented at the Paris Olympics by alumna Lizzy Chesson ‘95 as Team Leader for the U.S. Olympic Jumping Team? The team took silver in the Jumping Team Final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - way to go Lizzy and Team USA! 🥈

Check out the stories of other Big Red summer Olympians from years past, who medaled in events from swimming and rowing to sailing, equestrian and track and field. Read their stories and more at https://thelawrentian.lawrenceville.org/departments/on-the-side/

Photo credit: Taylor Pence/U.S. Equestrian

Being a Big Red Farm Intern is especially sweet this summer. Third Former Gabriel Vemut and his grandmother, Teresa Samuels, recently treated the Farm crew to homemade apple pie featuring heirloom apples (Canadian Strawberry and Gravenstein) from the Farm’s orchard. Give the Easy Apple Pie recipe a try with your favorite apples. (link to recipe in our story)
 
Left to right: Ava Moses ’26, Gabriel Vermut ’27, and Gerise Kelly ’27 🍎🍏

All eyes may be on the Olympics this weekend, but we are celebrating Lawrentian achievements in everything from economics and volunteerism, art and physics, music and more. Read about these outstanding students at https://www.lawrenceville.org/life-at-lawrenceville/news-events/news-detail/~board/school-news/post/laudable-lawrentians-may-july-2024

Every morning, just as the sun starts to rise, Gabriel Vermut ’27 heads to Lawrenceville’s Big Red Farm with four other Big Red Farm student interns. Eager for another day of farm life, the group usually begins with the discovery that a few chickens have escaped from their coop. Taking care of them is a big job, but it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my time at the Farm, says Vermut. Read more at his blog at the Lawrenceville News link in our bio. 🐓

Beat the heat with back to school planning. We are excited to welcome families to campus in August. Check out lawrenceville.org/backtoschool for a full list of all back to school materials, including administrative, academic, financial and logistical details. This page also includes links to Veracross where you can update your parent profile and student permissions.

In addition, we are offering several parent webinars to support the transition to the 2024-25 school year. Visit Veracross or check your email for registration links.

Special delivery 📮 - Lawrenceville’s Family Resource Guide is arriving in mailboxes now! Read through to find important details including commonly used abbreviations and campus lingo (“The Josh” or “smeeting,” anyone?), a list of what to bring to campus in the fall, a quick reference calendar, contact information for key campus leaders, and more. Keep this useful guide handy throughout the year to help make your Lawrenceville experience incREDible.

We went behind the scenes with Head of School Steve Murray and three students who are part of the summer Leopold Scholars in Ecology and Ethics program. In honor of the 75th anniversary of the publication of Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold, Lawrenceville class of 1905, the School produced a video for the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s Amplifying the Almanac project.

The students chose a selection from “On a Monument to a Pigeon,” believing that this passage speaks to the elusive nature of life. Aldo Leopold emphasizes the significant role the now-extinct passenger pigeon played in maintaining a balanced ecosystem, yet through human destruction the passenger pigeon eventually dwindled from billions of organisms to extinction. Thus, the role the pigeon once played is now filled by worms and other organisms who must cover the loss of a species.

Thank you to Director of Sustainability Stephen Laubach, to Head of School Steve Murray, and to Scholars Riley McKibben ‘25, Shailen Zimmerman ‘25, and Kiara Lam ‘25 for their contributions to this project.

Today is Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of slavery, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed.

Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement Cameron Brickhouse encouraged the community to engage in reflection, education and action, deepening our understanding of the struggles, activism, and triumphs of African Americans throughout history.

Dean Brickhouse and Lawrenceville’s Office of Multicultural Affairs provided curated readings, photo essays, and a list of local celebrations and affinity gatherings. Community members can stop by Pop Hall to pick from a selection of books exploring and celebrating African American history and heritage. See Dean Brickhouse’s email for more information.

Lawrentians are traveling the globe this month on Harkness Travel Programs. First, a dispatch from the Spain group, guided by Spanish Teacher Julio Alcantara Martin, History Teacher Eduardo Hernandez
and History Teacher Rebecca Missonis.

Students are experiencing the rich multicultural and multi-religious legacy of medieval Spain, walking on stone roads built by the Romans, experiencing the smells and tastes of Andalusian cuisine, and witnessing the rich heritage of religious and cultural traditions while connecting the past and the present. 🇪🇸

to when Big Red represented at the Lambertville/New Hope Pride Parade last month. During Spring Term, Lawrenceville’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance hosted a celebration of Pride Week that included raising the Pride flag and observing the Gay, Le***an and Straight Education Network’s annual Day of Silence. Other activities included a GSA-sponsored dessert event, a faculty panel and senior stories, as well as pride bracelet-making in the Bunn Library. 🏳️‍🌈

Sitting in on English teacher Ash Shah’s “Case Studies in International Policy and Strategy” class is akin to having a front seat for the critical questions of modern geopolitical history. Taught in two sections over three terms, with each section built around two related problem sets, the course explores the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to issues rooted in history, economics, and political power. With Shah ‘93 as their guide, students ultimately have an opportunity to share new insights on U.S. policy with a few of the individuals working to shape it. Read more at the Lawrenceville News link in our bio.

While school may technically be “out for summer,” students and faculty in Lawrenceville’s research institutes have kicked off their hands-on summer residential programs.

This year’s Hutchins Scholars in Science Research have already commenced research. In the first year of a collaboration with Cornell University, scholars are working with Dr. Julia Vrebalov in the lab of Dr. James J. Giovannoni who studies molecular and genetic analysis of fruit ripening and related signal transduction systems. The students are looking specifically at CRISPR mutations of a Tomato ripening mutant called Cnr. Other students are participating in a long-time partnership with the Seung Kim Laboratory at Stanford University Medical School studying gene expression in pancreatic diseases using drosophilia, or fruit flies.

Stay tuned for more updates from Lawrenceville’s research institutes, and read more at the Lawrenceville News link in our bio.

A community service-based environmental education partnership between The Lawrenceville School, Slackwood Elementary School in Lawrence Township, and The Watershed Institute, a local environmental education and protection nonprofit, was recently recognized for achieving excellence in environmental teaching and learning.

Last month, The Watershed Institute honored Lawrenceville’s Director of Sustainability Steve Laubach with the Richard Rotter Award for Excellence in Environmental Education. Laubach was awarded the honor along with Jeanne Muzi, Principal of Slackwood Elementary School in Lawrence Township, for their collaborative work on the program “Together We Can - A Green Partnership.”

Read more at the Lawrenceville News link in our bio. 🌿🌱

to when Big Red was red carpet ready for Prom! 🌟

See all the fashionable fits and glamour on our Flickr account.

The final Villeage Voices of the 2023-24 School year is the valedictory address by Emily Pan ’24, who shared her thoughts with her classmates at Commencement on May 26. Here’s an excerpt from her speech - read the full speech at the Lawrenceville News link in our bio.

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“Rather, what mattered to me during my time at Lawrenceville were those small, intimate moments of care and community. The times I spent catching chickens with the farm crew; the times I taught my friends to sew in the dingy KAC basement; the time nine of us gathered in a classmate’s dorm room and made puns about fruit flies while studying for an RMG test; the time our Hutchins Social Justice cohort explored New York City while making sense of the difference between places and spaces. Galentines, when the lights were dimmed and everyone was dancing like nobody was watching; the times we gathered in the KAC auditorium, in the bleachers, in the Chapel, in Clark, to support the passions of others, passions we may not share, but in spite of that, we showed up. All because we cared for each other.” ❤️🖤

Lawrenceville bid farewell to the great Class of 2024 at Commencement on May 26, an occasion that culminated not only their high school years, but also a joyous week-long celebration of these outstanding students. At Commencement, Lawrentians from around the globe received their diplomas and – with smiles and a few tears – left to begin the next chapter will certainly be remarkable lives.

Read more about Commencement and all the Fifth Form celebrations leading up to the event at the Lawrenceville News link in our bio. See photos from@the ceremonies on our Flickr account. ConGRADulations to the Class of 2024! 🎓🎉

Cheers to the Class of 2024, Lawrentians who have distinguished themselves in so many ways. The School is proud to honor some of members of the Fifth Form class for their excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service. Read more at the Lawrenceville News link in bio and see a full album of award recipients on our Flickr account. 🎓🏆

Lawrenceville celebrated achievement by Second, Third, and Fourth Form students at Friday evening’s annual Underform Prize Ceremony.

“We are here today to honor and celebrate not simply academic achievement, but the qualities in you students that lead to achievement,” said Head of School Steve Murray.

Congratulations to the award recipients! Find a full list of awardees at the Lawrenceville News link in bio, and see more photos from the event on Flickr.

In 1969, after a stint in professional baseball and two years teaching at Peddie School, Benjamin Champneys “Champ” Atlee ’62 H’74 ’75 ’79 ’80 ’83 ’84 ’87 ’89 ’06 P’92 received an offer to return to his alma mater as the housemaster in Woodhull. Today, he taught his final class in Room 2 of Woods Memorial Hall. He was greeted by applause and words of congratulations from students and colleagues as he wrapped up a legendary career at Lawrenceville. Read more about Atlee’s legacy in the Table Talk section of the new Lawrentian (link in bio).

Celebrations for the Class of 2024 are underway! Tuesday evening, Lawrenceville’s Fifth Formers took part in a signature end of year tradition, the Pinning Ceremony.
 
During the event, Fifth Formers were pinned with a black and red rosette by either an alum or a member of the faculty or staff who was formative in their Lawrenceville experience.

English Teacher Nick Martin H’23 and Spanish Teacher Julio Alcantara Martin were named as his year’s honorary class members, Asprey Walters ’24 presented the Fifth Form Class Gift, and Heather Hoover ’91 P’20 ’23 ’24 shared closing remarks as attendees celebrated their transition from students to alumni.

Congrats to members of the Class of 2024 and enjoy week of celebratory events! 🎓🌹

The culmination of a multi-year endeavor aimed at fortifying the heart and soul of the Lawrenceville community through a unified dining and athletic facility, Tsai Field House was celebrated and dedicated on May 17. This new hub for Lawrenceville’s campus life provides a host of opportunities for various aspects of wellness and extends the School’s commitment to environmental sustainability with Silver LEED status.

Read more about the dedication and the remarkable new facility at the Lawrenceville News link in our bio.

Standing ovations, emotional remarks, and expressions of gratitude marked the dedication of the H. Lyals Battle ’67 and Darrell A. Fitzgerald ’68 Atrium in honor of the School’s first Black students. The Atrium is located in the second phase of the newly unveiled Tsai Field House, a 250,000 square foot athletic, dining, and social hub on The Lawrenceville School campus.

The evening included a first look at the vibrant mixed media installation created by Lawrenceville’s Artist-in-Residence Stuart Robertson ’11 and students from his varsity arts co-curricular.

Read more about the event and the new Battle-Fitzgerald Entrance at the Lawrenceville News link in our bio.