Dr. Callen Encourages Students to “Lean In”
The following is a transcript of our 23-minute interview with Head of School Alixe Callen ’88, edited for brevity and clarity.
News
Students Go Global through Exchange Trips
For students who traveled on one of the three exchange programs this month, learning does not have to live in the classroom. On May 19, 21, and 27, students traveled to Spain, France, and Japan, to solidify modern language skills developed at Milton, to explore new cultures, and to deepen connections between Milton and other schools around the world. All programs partnered with local high schools and host families and featured programming that familiarized with local cultures.
Reunion Weekend Brings Alumni Back to a Lively Campus
On Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, as Milton students attended classes, 620 alumni, from graduation classes every five years before 2021 (e.g., 2016, 1991), arrived on campus for Reunion Weekend, marking the first time in fifteen years that the event has taken place during the school year.
Alumni Profiles
In 1986, lifer Farah Pandith ’86, now a senior fellow on the Council on Foreign Relations, sat stumped in her senior Middle East elective. It was her first day, and Mr. Proctor, the instructor, just handed out a map of the Middle East without any country labels. Pandith’s job was to fill everything in.
Bisbee Tea Celebrates “Exceptional” History and Social Science Papers
On Tuesday, May 19, around 60 students, faculty, and parents gathered in Straus Library to hear from Bisbee Prize winners who shared their U.S. research paper findings, as well as from students recognized for outstanding work in the social sciences as part of the Social Science Forum.
Speech and Debate Team Flies from Practice Rooms to NCFL
On May 21, eleven Milton Academy Speech and Debate team members and three chaperones boarded a flight to Washington, D.C., for the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) tournament, which brings qualifying speech and debate competitors from across the country.
“Take Back Tuesdays” Spur Mixed Levels of Conformity
In Upper School Meeting on Monday, May 11, 2026, Upper School Principal Rachel Stone encouraged students to step back from their devices on Tuesdays and instead connect with the broader community. Dubbing the initiative “Take Back Tuesdays,” Stone suggested students keep the dining hall, library, Stu, assemblies, class meetings, and campus walkways phone-free spaces on Tuesdays.
Eli and Jenny, Signing Off
To Classes II, III, and IV,
Class II Trades Stress for Dancing and Photography on a Boat
On May 9, 162 Milton Academy juniors and 62 guests attended the annual Class II Boat Dance, bringing the grade together amid the early stresses of the college admissions process.
Seniors Pursue Their Passions Through Senior Projects
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Is it a robotic bird soaring over campus? This May, Class I students are working on bringing their dreams to fruition through the Senior Project, a month-long capstone experience, free from the confines of traditional academic programming.
Chris Lewis ’15 Takes Charge of Residential Life with “Student Perspective”
On July 1, Associate Director of Admissions and Hathaway dorm parent Chris Lewis ’15 will succeed Anika Walker-Johnson as Director of Residential Life following her departure at the end of the academic year. His appointment—confirmed in a recent Milton family newsletter and announced at Upper School Assembly on Monday, May 4—marks a transition shaped as much by personal history as by institutional need.
Symposium Showcases Computer Science to Mandatory and Voluntary Audiences
On Monday, May 4, 150-200 students, faculty, and community members gathered on the first floor of the Farokhzad Math Center for the Computer Science (CS) Symposium, a mandatory event for all computer science students, with students in a non-level-one class required to present. CS students of all levels, including middle school representatives, presented their work from the year. According to CS teacher May Blair, the Symposium aimed to provide an opportunity for “all of our computer science students… to show off the work they’ve put in this year… that they’re really excited about.”
Students Fight Food Insecurity One Step at a Time
On Sunday, May 3, eighteen Milton students, faculty, and family members participated in Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger to raise awareness of food insecurity in Massachusetts. At the annual event, 3,500 people walked three miles around Boston Common, raising one million dollars for Project Bread, an organization that aims to provide Massachusetts communities with reliable food sources.
Rowan's Report
Hi, everybody! Welcome to Rowan’s Report, the column that aims to inform the wider student body of what’s going on with the SGA. We understand that our meetings and responsibilities generally remain a mystery to those beyond our SGA group, and we see a lack of transparency as a big problem considering our job is to represent every student voice. We hope that this section will allow our community to feel included in the SGA effort.
A Conversation with Joshua Emmott
How did you end up in Milton?
Science Symposium Celebrates “Trying New Things”
On Tuesday, April 28 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Pritzker Science Center, Advanced Science students presented their Design Your Own (DYO) experiments at the Science Symposium to 111 faculty, student, and parent attendees. DYO brainstorming began before spring break, and for their final product, the students needed to “prepare data, [set up a] website for Science Symposium, make the poster, and write a report,” according to Disease Biophysics student Leah Li ’26. At the Symposium, advanced science students Vickie Mao ’26 and HT Xue ’26 shared opening speeches about how they have explored their passion for science at Milton. Afterward, all students orally presented their posters, pasted around Pritzker's walls, to eager attendees.
Nemo and Pati Reflect on Their Term
This interview has been edited for length and clarity while preserving meaning and intent.
Phone Policy Committee Weighs New Guidelines, Seeks Input
During a Stables meeting on April 13, English Teacher and Phone Policy Committee member Katherine Hamblet, speaking in a video shared to students, said that Milton is considering new phone usage policies for the Upper School. She invited students to debate and propose a possible phone policy to the committee. Head Monitor Pati Pogorzelska ’26, in that same video, revealed, “there will definitely be some sort of [new] policy either this spring or next year.”
Hackathon Challenges Students to Navigate AI, Mixed Groups, and Engagement
On Monday, April 13, 104 Computer Science students Class III and above gathered in the Roberts Ice Rink for the 2026 Computer Science Hackathon, where students were tasked with creating a discipline-specific academic tool or game for use at Milton. This year’s event also introduced access to Flint AI and other AI tools without any regulation of their use.
Seniors Make the Best of Unpopular Skip Day Venue
On Friday April 17, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., the Class of 2026 boarded buses bound for Supercharged Entertainment, a venue offering go-karts, “ninja” courses, a video game arcade, axe throwing, and laser tag.
Revisit Days Invite Accepted Students to “See Where Their Passions Might Play Out”
On April 6, 7, and 9, prospective students explored campus, sat in on classes, and heard from current students about their memories and experiences at Milton Academy. Revisit Days, organized by the Admissions Office, aim to give accepted students a chance to visit campus and try to imagine themselves attending the school.
Class IV Spring Fling Aims for Cohesion, Sees Limited Turnout
The annual Class IV Dance, hosted in Goodwin Room on Saturday, April 11, gathered 31 students and featured spring fling themed attire, music, food, drinks, and colorful decoration. There was even a handmade photobooth cutout for students to take photos with. Class IV representatives Tatum Lee ’29 and Isabella Chen ’29 welcomed the attendees enthusiastically when the dance commenced at 8:00 p.m. Originally set to happen in February, the dance was postponed due to exams, which limited the representatives’ ability to prepare properly.
Motivated by Grades, Students Falsify Data More Often than Teachers Believe
The situation is easy to imagine. It’s the Thursday before March break, after hours in open lab. A glance at your lab notebook makes it clear that whatever graph emerges from these numbers will look awful. Just a few points stand between the complex reality of your lab and the clean story your report could tell.
Day of Silence Receives Mixed Student Reactions
On Friday, April 10, Milton Academy held a school-wide march during the Day of Silence, which seeks to address the silencing of LGBTQ+ youth in schools. Since 1996—when the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) first organized the event—schools across the U.S. have observed the occasion to spread awareness about those lost or silenced by homophobia or transphobia.
“DEIJ Super Bowl” Culturefest Introduces New Model to Celebrate Diversity
On April 14, in the Athletic and Convocation Center (ACC), the Culturefest Committee hosted the biannual Culturefest, an event that brought together the entire Upper School and Middle School for a day of cultural celebration and learning. Upper School students attended fourteen unique workshops across two sessions, before joining with the Middle School for performances and catered food from 26 restaurants.