2025-2026
Volume 29, Issue 2
About U.S.
A Publishing Tradition of the Unquowa School
A Message From the Head of School
S
o much is going on in the world today that we might
Visual arts/Humanities projects such as Unsung Heroes and
choose to change if we had the power. Because we don’t,
Voices of Change - whose presentations take place in April -
at Unquowa we often talk about the “bubble of Unquowa
and the Upper School musical - which 6th through 8th graders
culture” that we fortunately can control and that we gratefully
present in early May each year. An 8th grade philosophy series
zip up around us each day when we arrive. We never forget that
is also taught each year by our humanities faculty in partnership
we are creating and practicing this culture in order to model
with Dr. Mathew Croasmun, co-author of Life Worth Living, a
as adults and develop in our students the habits of mind that
book based on a similar ethics course Croasmun teaches to Yale
will allow them to become
freshmen. This series, as well
young adults ready for life
as service learning at Sunrise
outside the bubble. We hope
Senior Living and Nourish
that they will lead lives where
Bridgeport, and the capstone
they cannot only make good
speeches given by our 8th
decisions in the world as it
graders before they graduate
exists but also where they
from Unquowa round out these
will hopefully become the
experiences.
adults who feel collectively
I urge you, as an antidote to
empowered to take part in
doomscrolling over the state of
shaping that better world we
the world, to check this issue
all hope for.
for the countless things that
It goes without saying
Unquowa faculty provide and
that at Unquowa we offer
students experience to combine
our students the strong
challenging academic lessons
academic foundation that will position them to go on to the well-
Nerushka Lopez Aponte ’25 “The Reflection” 2025 Pen & Paper Volume 15
respected day and boarding high
with the arts and ethics that make the Unquowa’s PreK through 8th grade experience so unique.
schools you see listed in this issue as high school acceptances
Check out Family Math night, where Upper Schooler design
for our 8th graders. More importantly, however, we are fiercely
and run an evening of math games for Lower Schoolers, our
committed to providing lessons that reach beyond high school
4th graders cultural exchange with Latvian students through
and college to ensure that our students become ethical adults
Creative Connections, and Pen and Paper, our Upper School’s
who discover life paths that are meaningful and fulfilling to
literary-arts magazine that just received its third Gold Crown
them. This commitment is the underpinning of providing that
award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, among
empowerment and it is the foundation of sustainable adult
countless other news.
happiness. The conversations and actual practice of making ethical
If you can’t be in town to attend the receptions for the Unsung Heroes/Voices of Change exhibits in April or attend the
decisions and having classroom experiences in areas like the
May performance of our musical, Matilda - please check out
visual and performing arts and community service that help
them out in our ”Around Campus” blogs on our website -
our students to discover their life paths begin the minute
unquowa.org and watch Matilda when it’s posted in May, as well
children step foot on our campus in PreK and run through all
as other past musicals on our Vimeo channel -
grades. These experiences are both with the other children in
vimeo.com/showcase/Unqmusicals.
their classrooms and with older or younger students in planned
Wishing you a glorious spring,
collaborations. They culminate in 7th and 8th grades with spring
- Sharon Lauer, Head of School