School News

Part of the annual character development opportunities offered for King School athletes, last week’s Captain’s Council Workshop welcomed more than 40 varsity captains from all three athletic seasons. The event featured interactive programming focused on developing communication and leadership skills.

King of Spring athletic matches are fast approaching on Saturday, April 27! Read on for details on this exciting day of competition, and come cheer on the Vikings!

Culminating weeks of lessons, labs, and homework, students in Grade 6 put their knowledge to the test during the annual STEM Build-a-Boat Challenge. The competition tasked groups of students with designing and constructing a boat less dense than water at room temperature to ensure its buoyancy. While students had nearly unlimited access to materials, each material came with a fictional cost, with the total budget calculated into each vessel’s final score.

Over the past three months, students in Grade 4 have been diving deep into picture books. Challenged by their teachers, Rebecca Keogh and Katherine Baum, students identified universal themes with supporting text, producing five-paragraph essays highlighting their findings. The essays were then used as the basis for group podcasts where students had the opportunity to teach and learn from one another.

Last weekend, King School’s Performing Arts Center reverberated with passion as 160 students, 20 professional musicians, and numerous dedicated parent volunteers convened for the ninth annual El Sistema residency. The beloved event was a testament to King’s commitment to music and its ability to foster connections between communities of different socioeconomic backgrounds, give voice to diverse cultural identities, and amplify lived experiences.

King spring athletic programs have started the season strong, with three varsity teams yet to drop a contest. Girls Tennis, Girls Lacrosse, and Boys Lacrosse stand a combined 8-0 as of today.

On Wednesday, April 3, King College Counseling and the Athletics Department hosted the annual College Athletics Night. More than 50 families joined the call to learn more about the college recruiting process.

When King basketball player Nasir “Nas” Pettigrew `24 recalls scoring his 1,000th point last season, that single moment calls up years of perseverance and resilience. Nasir's path to success was marked by challenges. His journey began when he tried out for King's Varsity Basketball team as an eighth-grade student. He stepped onto the court to see the team display well-honed skills and realized he had a lot to learn. That tryout served as a starting point that culminated in that pivotal point, a career highlight, on February 15.

King’s inquiry-based approach to learning was in full effect during the solar eclipse that swept across North America on April 8. The event offered an extraordinary opportunity for educational engagement at every grade level, fostering a deeper understanding of the cosmos and Earth’s place within it. Students, faculty, and staff across campus donned protective glasses to view the eclipse phenomenon together as scientists and astronomy fans.

A whirlwind of color and creativity swept through the Lower School this week. In preparation for and during the visit from internationally renowned New York Times bestselling and award-winning illustrator Rafael López on Wednesday, April 10, students embarked on a journey of artistic expression and exploration.

An annual tradition, the Vikings' spring teams embarked on an intensive week of training in Florida, preparing fervently for the upcoming 2024 season. King Baseball and Softball squads, alongside Boys Lacrosse, capitalized on the conducive environment of Universal Orlando. Meanwhile, Boys and Girls Tennis, as well as Boys and Girls Golf teams, undertook rigorous training at the Saddlebrook Golf and Tennis Resort in Tampa. King Crew, Track & Field, and Girls Lacrosse squads also dedicated themselves to rigorous training, both on and off-campus, ensuring they are primed for success in the upcoming competitions.

Last month, friends and family gathered to watch Charlotte Frank ’25 and Connor Neary ’25 fasten pins above their hearts, hold candles of truth, raise their right hands, and take the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society pledge. Charlotte, who works on the King newspaper “The Pelican,” and Connor, who helped found and now contributes to “The Morning Show,” promised to do everything in their power to work for the advancement of the community and live up to the ideals of journalism with impartiality and authenticity.

Gearing up for the next chapter, the Class of 2024 got a taste of real-world knowledge on Tuesday, March 26, during Career Day. The annual event brought back 24 alumni from diverse fields like finance, law, education, fashion, and sports. These returning graduates offered valuable insights and inspiration to our soon-to-be graduates as they map out their futures in college and beyond.

It was a morning filled with innovation and exploration! King’s inaugural STEAM Morning on Thursday, April 4, was a smashing success. The event, led by science teacher Shevon Morris, brought students and families together for an enriching taste of inquiry-based learning at its very best.

Pre-K through Grade 5 students teamed up with their families to tackle fun, hands-on STEAM activities in their classrooms. These activities showcased how science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics come alive when applied to the real world. 

Ten Vikings were recently recognized with League and New England honors for their winter season contributions. Additionally, track standout Anya Anderson ’25 has qualified for the Nike Indoor Track Nationals and Football senior captain Owen Tucker ’24 has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award.

Students in Grade 5 revived Ancient Egypt, bringing the mystique of the civilization on the Nile to their classroom and transforming the space into a veritable museum. To the delight of their peers, the students shared what they learned during their weeks immersed in the subject through presentations that reflected their research and discoveries.