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Commonwealth is a co-ed independent day school welcoming curious, highly motivated students in grades 9–12. In an academic atmosphere that is exhilarating, genuine, and joyful, our students learn to read closely, to think critically, and to write with clarity and power. Our close-knit community thrives on making meaningful intellectual and personal connections, while tapping into the opportunities surrounding our home in Boston’s Back Bay.
Meet Faculty and Students
It is humbling and exhilarating to come to work every day to a place where people are working for a common goal with such a mix of competence and humanity.
César Pérez, History, Languages
My eighth-grade self would never have believed I would love homework so much.
Ilaria ’22
Commonwealth taught me how to interact with different people, and I think I've learned a lot of skills regarding meeting new people. It's having that safe space, where I can make myself uncomfortable, but I also have my advisor and I have friends who support me.
Avery '23
Commonwealth attracts a great mix of students that I've made a lot of strong connections with. In that area, it was much easier for me than I expected to feel comfortable going up and talking to new people, since everyone is getting to know each other the same way you are.
Ben ’23
My students teach me so much that each subsequent year the course is informed by their insights.
Melissa Glenn Haber '87, History
Classes have been absolutely amazing. The teachers here really care about what they’re teaching, and that makes all the difference.
Olivia ’24
By the Numbers
147
students in grades 9-12
50%
students of color
$1.5 million
financial aid granted for 2021–2022
88%
teachers holding advanced degree
5:1
student-to-faculty ratio
2
all-school trips each year
1530
median SAT composite score (Class of 2021)
Happening Now
![A small blue cup with cracks repaired with gold filling using the Japanese kintsugi method.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1658170173/commonwealth/q9pcnqu3milu3ulyhhfc/howweheal.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1658170173/commonwealth/q9pcnqu3milu3ulyhhfc/howweheal.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1658170173/commonwealth/q9pcnqu3milu3ulyhhfc/howweheal.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1658170173/commonwealth/q9pcnqu3milu3ulyhhfc/howweheal.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1658170173/commonwealth/q9pcnqu3milu3ulyhhfc/howweheal.png","width":1600}])
Three Commonwealth alumni/ae—the founder of a therapy collective, a dietician, and a mental health practitioner—are taking on the challenges left in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with attention to the lived experiences of those they serve.
![Crop termination line]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1657202811/commonwealth/b1trmqkvruonpvswvayn/ScaleofSustainabilityblogicon.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1657202811/commonwealth/b1trmqkvruonpvswvayn/ScaleofSustainabilityblogicon.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1657202811/commonwealth/b1trmqkvruonpvswvayn/ScaleofSustainabilityblogicon.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1657202811/commonwealth/b1trmqkvruonpvswvayn/ScaleofSustainabilityblogicon.jpg","width":1200}])
Join five alumni/ae on their career journeys, from policy to agriculture to engineering, as they work to further “sustainability” in all its critical, thorny, fascinating incarnations.
![Paying Tribute to Barb Grant, History Teacher]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1657903441/commonwealth/uxrnjlxspllcggnyzb0a/barbgrant.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1657903441/commonwealth/uxrnjlxspllcggnyzb0a/barbgrant.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1657903441/commonwealth/uxrnjlxspllcggnyzb0a/barbgrant.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1657903441/commonwealth/uxrnjlxspllcggnyzb0a/barbgrant.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1657903441/commonwealth/uxrnjlxspllcggnyzb0a/barbgrant.png","width":1600}])
For twenty-five years, Barbara Grant introduced Commonwealth students to diverse societies within the ancient Mediterranean, East Asia, and modern Islamic countries. As we mark Barb's retirement, read reflections from our community about her extraordinary impact.
![Commonwealth alumna Jessica François ’10, laughing and standing in front of a brick wall.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1655404545/commonwealth/fsajxjtaxv3bxywrdxi2/jessf.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1655404545/commonwealth/fsajxjtaxv3bxywrdxi2/jessf.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1655404545/commonwealth/fsajxjtaxv3bxywrdxi2/jessf.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1655404545/commonwealth/fsajxjtaxv3bxywrdxi2/jessf.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1655404545/commonwealth/fsajxjtaxv3bxywrdxi2/jessf.png","width":1600}])
M.P.H. candidate, nonprofit founder, and world traveler Jessica François ’10 is just who "I can imagine actually cheering me up if I'd just tested positive" for COVID-19, says English teacher Catherine Brewster. Read on as Ms. Brewster catches up with her former student and her public health endeavors.
![Lisa Palmero McGrath and Jennifer Borman ’81 having a conversation in our Head's Office.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1655410363/commonwealth/tqffhmnj2pyehkhsswl5/ConvoswtheHeadblogicon.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1655410363/commonwealth/tqffhmnj2pyehkhsswl5/ConvoswtheHeadblogicon.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1655410363/commonwealth/tqffhmnj2pyehkhsswl5/ConvoswtheHeadblogicon.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1655410363/commonwealth/tqffhmnj2pyehkhsswl5/ConvoswtheHeadblogicon.png","width":1200}])
It has been a year of transition for Jennifer Borman ’81 and Lisa Palmero McGrath, to put it mildly. Read our Head of School and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic, DEI work, and what they love about the city of Boston.