Welcome Back Letter from Head of School Gabe Burnstein

Dear Charles River School Community,

When the summer started, I was unprepared for how much Olympics coverage our family would watch together. In our modern world, entertainment and news are siloed and we are all in our own algorithms. It can be hard to find meaningful shared experiences. Except for Bluey, no programming has been so widely beloved by the Burnstein family. 

My daughter, Juliette, did eight thousand cartwheels on the living room rug while watching Simone Biles leap to gold. Juliette and Moses, the twins, were both inspired by Katie Ledecky during their first ever swim meet at Farm Pond in Sherborn this summer. Meanwhile, our four-year-old, Max, started training for the 100 meter sprint in his “fast shoes” after cheering on Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles. When Steph Curry hit his fourth straight three-pointer to secure a gold medal for the USA in Men’s basketball, we all jumped for joy. 

The shared experience extended beyond my family. Each morning, back at school, Elizabeth Clayton and I compared notes on our favorite events from the night before. Dorothy Gregoire and Paul Rupprecht, CRS’ own track stars, faced a barrage of questions about track and field events. (Apologies, Rupp… I’m still confused about the steeplechase.) 

At the start of our special 10th anniversary trip, Rebecca and I found ourselves in the international terminal at Boston Logan this summer. Looking up, the Olympics were playing on all of the televisions in the vast concourse. I counted seven different languages just within earshot. People from across the world watched together, and we all stood in awe of the capabilities of our fellow humans, and felt the pain of the disappointments and setbacks that inevitably come along with competition. 

In full disclosure, the relays are my favorite part of the Olympics: in the pool and on the track. Is there anything better than watching a team? Even the world’s most elite athletes jump up and down and cheer for their teammates like little kids! 

Charles River School is its own epic relay race. Every day and every year, there are so many relays happening on Old Meadow Road. 

Each day is an important relay as parents and caregivers drop their children off at school, and teachers take the baton of caring for them before passing the students back at the end of the day. Partnership between home and school is a cornerstone of a CRS education and a daily act of trust and teamwork. 

Each year, teachers pass the baton to their colleagues: kindergartners join the Coast and Highlands, second graders become third graders, and on and on until the seventh and eighth grade advisors run two laps as our anchor leg. It takes serious coordination and planning among our faculty to ensure smooth and intentional transitions that allow our students to start strong and fast each September. 

If we look backwards, we can see the hundreds of teachers, parents, alumni, and trustees that passed the baton to us at Charles River School. They built our playground and our pedagogy, our Sharing Assemblies, and our May Days. In early July, members of the CRS community gathered on campus to remember Cathy Gately, our ninth Head of School, and her transformational impact on our campus and student body. I felt fortunate to learn about Cathy from so many members of the CRS community who loved her and feel deeply connected to CRS. 

Our team has made and continues to make Charles River School such a special and joyful school for our children. We come from our own identities, backgrounds, and perspectives, and are brought together by our collective hope for the future of our children and our world. We even sometimes stand under the international flags in the Travis Middle School Building that are selected each year by our oldest students to represent their diverse backgrounds. While we don’t all wear red, white, and blue and “USA” across our chests every day, we do proudly wear blue and gold, and are connected by the pursuit of academic excellence and the joy of childhood represented by our own powerful three-letter acronym: CRS. 

Soon enough, a new school year will be here and we’ll all start running. Like the Olympics, childhood at CRS brings unity, sweat, tears, and lots of gold medal days as our students make new friends and proudly master new skills. But my favorite part is watching our community members cheer for one another as we all strive to learn, grow, and be better versions of ourselves. 

I can’t wait to see you all on September 4th, when we light the torch and start a new school year. 

With gratitude,
Gabe

 

Charles River School

6 Old Meadow Road
PO Box 339
Dover, Massachusetts 02030
TEL 508-785-0068
FAX 508-785-8290

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Charles River School is a PreKindergarten through Grade 8 independent school that honors the pursuit of academic excellence and the joy of childhood. We nurture each child by igniting curiosity, encouraging creativity, and cultivating intellectual engagement. Our graduates know themselves, understand others, and shape the future of our diverse world with confidence and compassion.

Charles River School admits students of any race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational or admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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