A Welcome from Our Head of School

I am delighted to welcome you to Commonwealth. In addition to being Head of School, I am also an alumna of Commonwealth, and I’ve had many years to reap the benefit of the habits of mind I developed as a student. The writing skills, analytic dispositions, and confidence in my voice that I developed here positioned me to thrive in college and continued to open any doors I decided to walk through. The same continues to be true for our students today.

You don’t have to spend too many minutes in our school before sensing the buzz of deeply engaged learning. Walking by classrooms, you hear teachers pose the kind of complex questions you would expect in a college classroom. You see students testing computer code, finessing their pronunciation of Mandarin, titrating a solution in our chemistry lab, and parsing metaphors in their English class. Later in the day, the building hums with students heading off to soccer or fencing, tuning their instruments, packing up supplies for a community service outing, or convening meetings of Feminism Club, Robotics, or our literary magazine, Helicon

Many schools offer strong academics and enriching extracurriculars. What sets Commonwealth apart? Certainly, you will be hard pressed to find courses of such rigor taught with such compassion and commitment. Or a curriculum that celebrates the full breadth of the arts. Or a physical space, our elegant brownstones, that serves as a launching pad to Boston’s bounty of culture and history.

But it’s the vibrant sense of community within our walls that makes Commonwealth truly special. Each faculty member serves as a mentor and guide. Each student is known, valued for who they are—and then asked to grow. And all students treat each other well: cliques are rare, and inclusion is more than just a word. Community, connection, and kindness are woven deeply into the fabric of a Commonwealth education. (A recent student engagement survey speaks to the strength of school morale.)

We cannot wait to introduce you to the exceptional opportunities that await you here. Until then, you can delve into Commonwealth’s course catalog, linger over the gallery of student art work, and meet our talented faculty. And we hope you visit our school in person as soon as you can.

Warm wishes,

Jennifer Borman ’81
Head of School

Jennifer-Borman

Jennifer Borman '81
 

Meet Jennifer

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