From athletes to musicians, writers, and artists, students at Rivers wear a lot of hats. This January, Kristin Harder and Mary Carroll’s precalculus students added another role to the roster: financial planner. Though they were only roleplaying for a class project, students walked away from the experience with real-life knowledge and skills for the future.

This winter, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of Massachusetts recognized 24 Rivers students for their creative work in a variety of art mediums. Rivers students earned gold key, silver key, and honorable mention awards in the sculpture, mixed media, ceramics, editorial cartoon, photography, film, drawing, poetry, personal essay, and writing portfolio categories.

This year’s guest in the Visiting Artist Series, ceramics sculptor George Rodriguez, spent a day at Rivers in February to speak at an assembly, work with ceramics students, and attend the closing reception for an exhibition of his work, which has been displayed on campus since December.

Many students participate in community service at Rivers, either through clubs or personal passion projects. But this year, the Rivers in Action program brings the school community together for community service in new ways.

Though it’s only January, many members of the Rivers Class of 2026 have a good idea where they will be next fall, showcasing the strength of Rivers’ college-bound students in a highly competitive college admissions landscape. As of the last week in January, 92% of students who submitted early decision, early action, restrictive early action, or rolling admission applications have been accepted to at least one college, and 64% of students applying through early decision I or restrictive early action were admitted. Currently, 51% of the class has completed the process and enrolled. 

After nearly two decades of dedicated service, Board President Alan D. Rose, Jr. ’87 announced that he will conclude his tenure at the end of the 2025–26 academic year. Succeeding him in the pivotal role of board president is Peter A. Walter P’23, ’25, ’28, ’29, a seasoned trustee and current vice president of the Board.

Next fall, Rivers will launch a comprehensively redesigned academic schedule for the first time in over 10 years. Guided by Rivers’ updated strategic plan, mission, and core values, a cross-divisional steering committee and design team of professional community members have engaged in deeply collaborative work this year, centering the needs of students at every step in the design process.

The Rivers girls’ varsity hockey team opens the winter season with confidence, experience, and a clear competitive goal. According to Captain Chloe Chitkara ’26, the team’s main goal is to make it to the Elite 8 Tournament. Rivers has made the small school tournament the last two seasons, but is hopeful to break through into the Elite 8, which pulls the best eight teams from across New England regardless of size. “Although we’ve been predicted to be number 10 this year by the New England Hockey Journal, I believe that our team has the capability to be in the top eight and have a really successful season,” Chitkara said.

A. Ramón Rivera’s legacy has been intertwined with the Rivers School Conservatory’s for the majority of the school’s five decades—he was director of RSC for over 10 years and founded RSC’s Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young, now in its 47th year. So, it is fitting that Rivera was included in RSC’s 50th anniversary season programming, teaching a recent piano masterclass in his namesake Rivera Recital Hall.

At an all-school assembly just before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, members of the Black Student Union (BSU) at Rivers led programming to honor King’s legacy. During the assembly, the community heard from BSU leaders and from history faculty member Arturo Bagley, who delivered the keynote address.

Jordan Kreidberg ’75, the 2025 recipient of the Alumni Excellence Award, has dedicated his life to scientific research, specifically the molecular biology of kidney disease.