News

Kindergarteners held puppet shows for each other and their Big Friends in fifth grade on Friday after reading and studying storybooks like Caps for Sale, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Carrot Seed, and Frederick. Students designed puppets for each character in the stories, drew the setting of the story, and performed a puppet show for their classmates. To design the puppets, students looked for familiar shapes that make up each character and attached movable legs using brass brads. They performed their puppet shows for their classmates using Tenacre puppet theaters created by Tenacre’s tech and design department.

This morning sixth graders participated in a collaborative STEM project in which they created a chute for a ping pong ball to travel 12 feet, starting at a height of 12 inches and ending in a specific location on a piece of tape! Their only supplies were office paper and kapla blocks. They worked in teams of four and tested a variety of options to create a successful chute.

In honor of Veterans Day, Tenacre welcomed three veterans this morning to share their experiences at an all-school assembly. Tenacre current parent and Specialist Anjuli Hyppolite, Lt. Colonel Tom Duff, and Nurse Mary Beth Sandman all spoke about their service and answered questions from the student and faculty audience. We are grateful for the service of all veterans and thank them for keeping us safe and protecting our country.

Measuring, mixing, and having fun together, first and sixth graders made loaves of pumpkin bread this morning. An annual project of the Big Friend/Little Friend program, students love working with their Big or Little Friend on this project. The baked loaves will be donated to a local food pantry.

Fourth graders hosted a heartwarming all-school assembly this morning to introduce their Little Friends in PK. Each fourth grader presented his or her Little Friend, explaining what they learned about their Little Friend and then sharing their hopes for their Friend’s school year. Hopes included such ideas as learning their letters, making great new friends, having an amazing school year. The Little Friends stood right next to their Big Friends and enjoyed their time in the spotlight.

Tenacre students joyfully participated in the annual Halloween parade this morning, displaying their colorful and creative costumes. Happy Halloween!

Wellesley police officer Kathy Poirier visited Tenacre’s sixth-grade classroom this afternoon to speak about her job as a school resource officer and answer students’ questions. Serving as the liaison between the Wellesley Police Department and schools in Wellesley, Officer Poirier, works with schools from pre-kindergarten through grade 8 in Wellesley. Officer Poirier answered many questions about safety and what to do in different situations.

Fifth graders performed their class play this morning, “Superheroes Unite.”  In this tale, the citizens of Nova City need a patron superhero to save them from the evil clutches of the nefarious Colonel Mustard and his sidekick Hemlock.  They learn that by working together, they can bring justice and security to Nova City.

Tenacre hosted it annual Apple Pie Run for the school community this past weekend. The course of this longtime tradition winds through the campus, finishing on the playground with apple pies for everyone! A fun and delicious way to start the weekend!

Fourth graders presented their class play this morning – “Let’s Eat! A Tasty Musical for Anyone who Loves Food!” Fourth graders celebrated food in this musical, which included songs like “The Fast Food Tango,” “Chicken Pot Pie,” “My Banana Split” and “Pizza.” Guest appearances were made by Tenacre’s chefs and Mr. Riseborough!

Girls Can, Tenacre's affinity group for fifth and sixth grade girls, had their first meeting of the 2024-2025 school year last Friday. At this first meeting, the participants learned about the group's purpose and history. Then, they completed a survey that asked about topics of interest, project ideas, and future opportunities to bring back alumna to speak (a past favorite). To end the meeting, the students made inspirational bracelets with short phrases (ex: joy, try, brave) to wear as a reminder of the group.

Fourth graders and pre-kindergartners met this morning as part of Tenacre's Big Friend Little Friend program. Fourth graders "interviewed" PKers about their hopes for the school year in honor of this year's school theme of Hope. In the coming weeks, fourth graders will present the results of their interviews at an all-school assembly, where they will be joined on stage by their pre-kindergarten Little Friends.

This morning, Tenacre’s Multicultural Group learned about the holiday Diwali and were taught how to make diyas, oil lamps lit during the festival of Diwali to symbolize prosperity in the new year. Special thanks to current parent Dr. Niti Shama for her help.

This morning, first graders performed their class play for an enthusiastic audience. “Our Musical World: An International Musical Revue” included a lively selection of songs from Scotland, Ghana, Japan, and Brazil. Class plays are an important tradition at Tenacre. With each class play, students gain confidence performing for an audience and become more comfortable speaking in public. In addition to speaking roles, plays often provide opportunities for creative expression through song and dance. Working together to perfect their performances, students learn valuable lessons about cooperation and teamwork.

Tenacre's fifth- and sixth-grade flag football team notched a win yesterday on Centennial Field against The Fay School, 32-20. The Tigers took an early 6-0 lead, but fell behind 13-14, before scoring three consecutive touchdowns to break open the game.

Yesterday, pre-kindergartners investigated whether a pumpkin could float (it can) and explored the inside of the pumpkin to see what they could find. After reaching their arms in to see what it felt like, PKers described the interior as “gooey,” “slippery,” “cold,” and “wet.”

Sixth graders are investigating mold growth in science class after collecting samples from different locations in school. Using the scientific method, they have been analyzing the results over the course of a week. Locations that students tested include a window sill, a keyboard space bar, a bathroom sink, a toilet seat, and the gecko cage in the science room. They transferred their swabs to a petri dish and then watched to see what would grow. They measured the diameter of any mold colonies and recorded their observations onto a data table. Sixth graders analyzed their data and wrote a concluding statement that summarized their findings.

Fourth graders started the year with a team-building field trip to Hale Reservation, focusing on teamwork and cooperation. Students participated in a variety of games that required them to work together to solve challenges as a group, helping them learn the importance of collaboration. During a ropes challenge, they supported and cheered each other on. Afterwards, they participated in reflection on the day and thought about a time they were brave and a time they were challenged. 

The boys’ soccer team hosted Charles River this afternoon on Centennial Field for their first matchup of the season. The Tigers played strong!

This morning, Tenacre sixth graders honed their person-to-person speaking skills while participating in mock interviews with Tenacre staff. The interviews are part of Tenacre’s public speaking curriculum, which also focuses on class presentations and performances. In addition, the mock interviews help students prepare for potential secondary school interviews. After each student was interviewed by staff members, the sixth-grade class met to debrief with Head of School Will Crissman and Enrollment Director Meg Burke.

Pre-kindergarteners are in the midst of their annual apple unit. They have listened to stories about apples, practiced counting with apples, and participated in crafts that involve counting, sorting, and creating apples. 

Pre-kindergarteners and fourth graders gathered this morning for their first meeting as part of the Big Friend/Little Friend program, a beloved Tenacre tradition in which younger students and older students are paired up for the year. The group will meet regularly throughout the year and participate in different activities together. For their first meeting, the Big Friends/Little Friends met each other and spent time on together on the playground.

Tenacre welcomed artist Sammia Atoui as its visiting artist this morning. Her work is currently being exhibited in the Tenacre Art Gallery (TAG). Sammia started the morning by hosting a community assembly to tell students about her work. She then taught an art class to sixth-grade students. Sammia is a printmaker and painter whose subject matter spans portraits, flowers, and nature. She has a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in Printmaking, an MBA from Simmons School of Management. She currently owns and operates MiraMar Print Lab, a printmaking studio in Swampscott MA with her husband, artist Adrian Rodriguez. Previous to opening MiraMar Print Lab, Sammia worked as an artist out of her home studio creating works on paper featuring figures and flora, led Satoui Designs, and held positions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, City of Boston (Public Art), and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

Sixth graders recently returned from their class trip to Thompson Island–a two-night, three-day adventure. In this highly anticipated tradition, the class participated in various Outward Bound activities led by counselors from Thompson Island. In addition to beautiful weather, students enjoyed challenging activities, class bonding games, and downtime with their friends. They returned to campus a tired, but exhilarated bunch.

In honor of Chef Appreciation Week, Tenacre students and staff took a moment after lunch today to thank Tenacre’s amazing FLIK chefs for the delicious meals they prepare for our community. Each homeroom made personalized cards for our favorite chefs and gave them a standing ovation. We are so grateful to have them at Tenacre!

Tenacre students are getting into the swing of things during their first week back at school. Students have learned new routines, focused on academics, and connected with new and old friends.

Welcome back Tenacre! Students have returned to school, and we are thrilled to see the hallways filled with children. Students and staff were full of smiles as old friends reconnected and new friends were made.