Grade 9 Community Engagement Day Encourages Connection at Rivers and Beyond
On September 18, all Grade 9 students stepped away from their regular classes to participate in Grade 9 community engagement day—a morning focused on intergenerational connection, service, and class bonding. The initiative was guided by Director of Community Engagement Lucas Malo alongside Grade 10 dean and Upper School English teacher Meredith Caplan, Grade 9 dean and Upper School math teacher Christine Pynchon, Grade 12 dean and Upper School English teacher Daniel St. Jean, and community partner 2Life Communities, an organization dedicated to helping older adults live full lives of connection and purpose in dynamic, supportive environments.
The concept for the day grew out of research conducted last fall by St. Jean and Upper School English teacher and Enrichment Committee Chair Juliet Bailey P’23, who interviewed students, counselors, grade deans, and teachers to better understand the Grade 9 experience at Rivers. They identified some challenges, including bridging the social divide between students returning from Rivers Middle School and those entering from other middle schools.
“Advisors and the student-life team strive to help new students feel at home in the Upper School, but Juliet and I hoped that a class-wide event in September would create more opportunities to connect,” St. Jean explained. “We proposed a community engagement day because we wanted to give the kids a project; structure and a shared sense of purpose ease social anxiety, and icebreakers can only break so much ice.”
The team pitched the plan to department chairs, highlighting two main goals: enacting Rivers’ educational philosophy of Excellence with Humanity through direct service to an organization addressing economic insecurity and isolation among local seniors, and cultivating students’ empathy and cultural dexterity. The team also noted that these skills will benefit students in the Grade 10 Sages & Seekers program and far beyond, preparing students for lives of impact and purpose.
The morning started in Kraft Dining Hall with small-group bonding and orientation. The training outlined 2Life’s mission and the key challenges facing seniors today, including high housing costs in Massachusetts and the health risks of social isolation. Students were encouraged to embody Rivers’ core values—integrity, perseverance, empathy, curiosity, and joy—by staying off their cell phones, being engaged and approachable, and connecting authentically.
Following orientation, students headed to seven different 2Life sites across Greater Boston. In Brighton, students prepared garden beds before playing bingo and doing puzzles with residents. In Brookline, Newton, and Auburndale, activities included trivia, speed-friending, and a Zumba dance party. In Waltham, students organized 1940s–1960s games, paper airplane contests, and chair volleyball, while groups at Framingham and Devens locations participated in fitness classes, card games, and storytelling.
“One highlight of the day was allowing students to be fully present with us and in community with each other and with the older adults, without worrying about schoolwork and other commitments,” Malo reflected. “It was rewarding for students to engage in conversations, share stories, and hear authentic moments of laughter and joy as they connected with others.”
The morning also made a strong impression on 2Life leaders. Maya Cowan, a partner site lead, expressed gratitude for the collaboration, noting that hosting the eager, curious Rivers students was a wonderful experience for the residents. Cowan praised the school’s vision and flexibility in tailoring programs to each location, adding that the event was a tremendous success for intergenerational community building.
After completing their morning at the 2Life sites, Grade 9 students reunited at Bowladrome in Acton for an afternoon of bowling, arcade games, and pizza. The afternoon setting gave new and returning students a space to keep building connections and relationships within the class.
Reflecting on how the two parts of the day complemented each other, the team agreed that going from the service project in the morning to bowling in the afternoon gave the kids a shared experience right out of the gate that will help set the tone for the rest of the year.
“Rivers’ first community engagement day was a success, and we hope to make it an annual Grade 9 event,” St. Jean concluded.
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