Performing in 65 shows over 50 days makes it hard to remember every audience member interaction but Becky Winickoff will never forget an exchange with a young fan after a recent Circus Smirkus show. Winickoff, a soon-to-be Brookline High School senior, did what she and her peers usually do: ask the swarm of kids if… Continue reading Brookline teen flies high in summer tour with Circus Smirkus
Category: Schools
School Committee appoints interim deputy superintendent of teaching and learning
The School Committee has appointed Robin Benoit, a science teacher and middle school administrator, to serve as the district’s interim deputy superintendent of teaching and learning. Benoit, who most recently worked as a middle school principal in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District in central Massachusetts, will succeed Jodi Fortuna, who came to Brookline in 2023.… Continue reading School Committee appoints interim deputy superintendent of teaching and learning
Town moves to quickly install Driscoll School solar project as Trump slashes clean energy tax credits
The town is moving forward with a plan to purchase solar panels for the Driscoll School, despite uncertainty over federal tax incentives in the Trump administration. The Select Board on Tuesday signed off on the $343,155 purchase of 272 panels for the K-8 school’s roof, which is funded as part of the budget for the… Continue reading Town moves to quickly install Driscoll School solar project as Trump slashes clean energy tax credits
Student, teacher burned in summer school chemistry class fire at BHS
A Brookline High School student and teacher were burned when a fire broke out on July 3 during a chemistry experiment in a summer school class, according to Brookline and state fire authorities. The student, a 15-year-old, was treated at the scene by Brookline firefighters and taken to Boston Children’s Hospital for first- and second-degree… Continue reading Student, teacher burned in summer school chemistry class fire at BHS
In Brookline, 23% of students identify as Asian. Just 6% of their teachers do. The gap poses challenges for both.
For Ashley Eng, an Asian American student who graduated from Brookline High School in 2019, interacting with teachers who didn’t share her background was not always easy. In math class, she said, “I would see my teacher stopping at students’ desks to ask if they need help, but not really Asian students because of the… Continue reading In Brookline, 23% of students identify as Asian. Just 6% of their teachers do. The gap poses challenges for both.
Colorful games designed by students brighten up asphalt at the Old Lincoln School
A 3,600-square-foot mosaic of blue, green and purple has cemented itself in the asphalt space near the Old Lincoln School, the temporary home for the youngest Pierce School students. As part of a monthslong effort to liven up a drab blacktop, each class of students designed its own game to be played on a single… Continue reading Colorful games designed by students brighten up asphalt at the Old Lincoln School
Alumni golf tournament helps fund scholarships for 17 students in BHS class of 2025
Maria Udalova, who graduated from Brookline High School this month, will attend George Washington University this fall with her first year fully paid — thanks in part to a scholarship awarded in the memory of a lifelong resident. Udalova, who helped found Brookline’s Students for Nuclear Disarmament club and lobbied at the U.N. as a… Continue reading Alumni golf tournament helps fund scholarships for 17 students in BHS class of 2025
New parent group aims to reduce kids’ screen time, hold off on smartphones
A growing group of parents in Brookline are teaming up to try something new to keep their kids off screens. With mounting evidence surrounding the negative impacts of smartphones and social media, particularly on the developing brains of children and teens, groups and coalitions across the country have pledged to delay introducing children to smartphones… Continue reading New parent group aims to reduce kids’ screen time, hold off on smartphones
School Committee hires Bella Wong, Brookline native who led three other school districts, as interim superintendent
The School Committee unanimously voted to appoint Bella Wong, a former science teacher who most recently served as interim superintendent of Natick Public Schools, to serve as interim superintendent for the Public Schools of Brookline during the 2025-26 school year. Wong has 16 years of superintendent experience across the Wellesley Public Schools, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School… Continue reading School Committee hires Bella Wong, Brookline native who led three other school districts, as interim superintendent
Budget cuts force Brookline Education Foundation to rethink mission as teachers lose training funds
Teachers in Brookline will receive significantly less funding next school year for non-mandatory professional development, leading a Brookline nonprofit that raises private funds for educators and administrators to re-evaluate the grants it provides. The Brookline Education Foundation was founded in 1981 and has allocated more than $6 million around the district since then, for initiatives… Continue reading Budget cuts force Brookline Education Foundation to rethink mission as teachers lose training funds
BHS boys volleyball team wins state championship
With every new set on Friday night, Brookline looked more and more like the state’s consensus No. 1 boys volleyball team. The Warriors’ struggles to receive Needham’s serves ended midway through the second set. Their tendency to fall behind early and give the Rockets too much of a lead stopped being a problem in the… Continue reading BHS boys volleyball team wins state championship
Four finalists chosen for interim superintendent position
The screening committee tasked with appointing an interim superintendent for the Public Schools of Brookline has selected four candidates as finalists, and the School Committee will interview each candidate publicly next week. The screening committee privately interviewed six candidates between June 3 and 11, and aims to finalize a contract for the interim superintendent by… Continue reading Four finalists chosen for interim superintendent position
Graduation and gold: In one day, Altamo Aschkenasy takes home a diploma and a state championship
Sunday afternoon involved a mad dash — multiple, really — but Altamo Aschkenasy wouldn’t have it any other way. Around 1 p.m., the 18-year-old Brookline High School senior crossed the stage at Cypress Field to receive his high school diploma. By 5 p.m., the middle-distance runner had won the MIAA Meet of Champions mile, and… Continue reading Graduation and gold: In one day, Altamo Aschkenasy takes home a diploma and a state championship
BHS celebrates the graduating class of 2025
Friends and family gathered at Cypress Field on Sunday to celebrate the 531 graduates of Brookline High School’s Class of 2025. The graduation ceremony opened with a welcome from Associate Dean Jenny Longmire, followed by multilingual greetings from international students in celebration of the more than 70 languages spoken throughout Brookline High hallways. Sarah Moghtader,… Continue reading BHS celebrates the graduating class of 2025
Longtime School Committee member’s exit marks new chapter for Brookline schools
Helen Charlupski, long-time School Committee member known for pioneering early education and playing a role in nearly every major school renovation in Brookline since the 1990s, ended a 33-year tenure when she was not re-elected in May. In an interview with Brookline.News, Charlupski said she feels “really pleased” with what she accomplished during her decades… Continue reading Longtime School Committee member’s exit marks new chapter for Brookline schools
Search for interim superintendent moving forward amid disagreement over process, racial equity
The School Committee’s effort to find a short-term replacement for resigning superintendent Linus Guillory is underway, moving quickly but marked with tension and disagreement over the search process and how to take into account racial equity when hiring district leaders. A 22-person Interim Superintendent Preliminary Screening Committee is tasked with hiring an interim superintendent for… Continue reading Search for interim superintendent moving forward amid disagreement over process, racial equity
Student groups, teachers, parents ring in Pride month
Dozens of students, educators and parents clad in rainbow colors held signs and waved flags while marching from Brookline High School to the Brookline Teen Center on May 30, celebrating the start of Pride Month. Over the crowd’s chants and cheers, several drivers along the route honked in support of the group. Amid the Trump… Continue reading Student groups, teachers, parents ring in Pride month
Community responds to outside auditor’s report on Brookline school finances
The report published on May 20 by CliftonLarsonAllen, an auditing firm brought in to review issues with school finances in Brookline, elicited strong reactions from the community. To try to capture some of the wide range of responses and opinions, Brookline.News is publishing a collection of written pieces from community leaders and members, waiving our… Continue reading Community responds to outside auditor’s report on Brookline school finances
New mural springs up near Driscoll School as part of town art program
A new vibrant cartoon mural across from the Driscoll School is one of 10 pieces of art springing up on walls around brookline. The mural by artist Kenji Chai, sprawled across the side of Stoked Pizza Company on Beacon Street, is part of the Murals Around Town initiative orchestrated by Brookline Art Makes Community and… Continue reading New mural springs up near Driscoll School as part of town art program
BHS spring tournament preview: Girls lacrosse looks to surprise with record-breaking stars
Don’t let the Brookline High School girls lacrosse team’s .500 record fool you. After a slow start, the young Warriors (10-10) won six of eight to close the regular season. Now, they turn their attention to the MIAA Division I Tournament as the No. 22 seed with a matchup at No. 11 King Philip (16-4)… Continue reading BHS spring tournament preview: Girls lacrosse looks to surprise with record-breaking stars