Greetings From Epiphany!
Dear Friends,
So much good news in this edition of Always Learning—e.g bPrescient’s amazing support as a corporate partner, Rashelle Centeio’s ’12 terrific work as a graduate, a mock trial, creating sweatshirts, the Fall Clean-Up day, the Winter Showcase, Bishop Gates’s visit, Epiphany’s cool banking program, turkey giveaways over Thanksgiving, presents for Christmas, and two graduates winning Posse scholarships. If, however, I had to pick a favorite it would be the final article about the work with some of young men. Epiphany is a place with so many great male role models. Each of them and their students set inspiring examples, and so do you, our readers, who each do what you can to support this school. Thank YOU!!!
Your Grateful Fan,
The Rev. John H. Finley IV
P.S. PLEASE mark your calendars for Epiphany’s 25th Anniversary Gala on May 12th. I would love to see you there.
Partner Spotlight
bPrescient
This month we are proud to highlight our friends at bPrescient as the first Epiphany Partner Spotlight of 2023!
In addition to being a generous supporter of Epiphany School, bPrescient is also a creative force solving serious medical challenges through the application of advanced analytics and machine learning. Leveraging a unique and highly effective business model, bPrescient has become a leading resource for life science firms trying to bring method, order and insights to the growing flood of research and clinical data.Their mission is to ensure all their clients have the foresight needed to “be prescient” and well positioned to optimize the future by making sound decisions in the present. This is not unlike our approach at Epiphany School where we do all we can to give our students the skills and tools they need today to ensure their futures are bright.
We are grateful for the support and partnership of the team at bPrescient. Thank YOU!!!
Epiphany Stars: Graduate Profile
Rashelle Centeio ‘12
As a community leader and advocate, our graduate profile for this edition of Always Learning, Rashelle Centeio, class of 2012, remembers how her time at Epiphany both prepared her for the challenges to come and taught her the importance of supporting her community. At Epiphany, Rashelle helped organize events such as the “We are Trayvon Martin” movement, Teacher of the Month award, a baby shower for Mr. Brown, and school dances. No one was surprised when she was elected president of the student council, but it was not easy for her initially. Rashelle was the fourth Centeio to go to Epiphany, and she had to push herself to get outside her sisters’ shadows, but she did it! Among her many memories, Rashelle remembers singing the National Anthem at a Red Sox game, visiting Washington D.C. with her classmates, and becoming a crew member aboard a sailboat as formative experiences at Epiphany. Moreover, Rashelle also pointed to many of her teachers at Epiphany as important role models that made a “monumental” impact in shaping the woman she is today.
After graduating from Epiphany, Rashelle went on to UMass Amherst and earned both a degree in Psychology and Legal Studies as well as a certificate in Criminology. From scholarships, letters of recommendation, and even helping her get a laptop, the Graduate Support Team was proud to help Rashelle on her academic journey, and we are all wildly proud of how she has seized opportunities to make a difference as an adult. After college, she won a fellowship with the Congressional Black Caucus, and which in turn led to working with State Senator Liz Miranda, first as a legislative aide and now as Director of Community Development and District Director. In her current role, Rashelle works closely with local residents and community advocates to achieve Senator Miranda’s legislative goals, such as building more affordable housing, ending solitary confinement, increasing mental health support for young students, and increasing the quality of reproductive care with a focus on Black maternal health.
Rashelle has a bright future ahead of her and remains closely connected to Epiphany. She still keeps in touch with her classmates and participated in last year's Career Day. We are so proud of what she is doing to make the world a better place. Thank you, Rashelle, for all you do and for who you are! We can’t wait to see what you do next!
Learning is Cool: Epiphany Curriculum Highlights
7th Grade goes to Dorchester District Court for a mock trial
On December 19th, Steeve Joazard ‘04, a Lead Teacher at Epiphany, took his 7th grade class to the District Court to enact their mock trial presentation of S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders.
This mock trial centered around the question of whether Darry met the definition of being a “good caregiver.” If not, then the boys would need to be separated, but if he was, then they should continue to stay together. The prosecution, the State of Oklahoma, won the case. Students met the judge and clerks who work in the court, explored the courtroom, and through their presentations learned how a trial is conducted. This rich, immersive learning experience is a good example of ways we can enhance learning and support academic achievement.
Early Learning Center Corner
The Early Learning Center is going through a time of transition as we prepare to welcome the next cohort of newborns. We supported their families through pregnancy, and now we are moving up the other cohorts to make room for these adorable little ones, each of whom will start out with $3,000 invested in a 529 plan for their education after Epiphany.
Epiphany News
Our Posse Scholars!
We are excited to share that Arn Jones and Dário Brandoa, both from the Epiphany class of 2019 have been chosen as Boston Posse Scholars and awarded a four year scholarship to Rutgers University in New Jersey (Arn) and Union College (Dário). We now have had three Epiphany graduates receive this prestigious award, and we are wildly proud of each of them!
Creating Sweatshirts
Grade by grade, the Middle School students visited AWOL Print Shop owned by Bratt, where they learned the process of creating their own sweatshirts under the tutelage of Frank Rivera, arguably Boston’s most respected streetwear and sneaker designer. He is the founder of BAU [Business As Usual], a brand known for its collaborations with a number of premium athletic shoe designers. He also worked as the senior manager of brand activation and influencer networking for Reebok Classics. Our middle schoolers loved being able to learn from such a talented and creative man, who has also faced many of the same challenges our students work to overcome every day. Every student received a hoodie after this experience. Huge thanks to Bratt and his team at Awol Print Shop, Frank Rivera, 7th grade Lead Teacher, A.B.Deleveaux, and Dean, Johnny Wilson, for making this happen for our students.
Holiday Production
This year’s Annual Winter Showcase was spectacular! On Thursday, December 15th, our 5th & 6th grade theater students performed a traditional Nativity play while the 7th & 8th grade performed two original (and very funny) Christmas plays. There were also dance performances and a sing along with a list of familiar Christmas songs. This was the first production since Covid-19 that families were invited back, and it was great to see the gym full of laughter, excitement, and positive energy.
In addition to the performing arts showcase, students displayed their work in the Greenhouse and our Graduate Support Center for faculty, staff, classmates, and families to admire and even to purchase. They displayed a variety of pieces from a range of classes, including: Ceramics, DIY, Sneaker Design, and Photography.
We are amazed by the creativity, energy and effort of our students who not only performed but also planned and helped produce both the performing arts and visual arts showcases. What a great way to celebrate the season!
Season of Giving
Each year, our community comes together to provide for our families during the season of giving. This year was no different, with a Turkey Giveaway by Grant Williams from the Celtics.
We also wanted to extend our gratitude to ABCD, Toys for Tots, and NBC for helping us have another successful Toy Giveaway drive! They provided a mountain of toys, and we could not be more grateful for all their support. Finally, a special thank you to our colleagues Daphne Walker and Shalaun Brown. Their leadership was essential! Thank you all who contributed to another great year of giving back to our community!
Fall Clean-Up Day
Our annual Fall Clean-Up was a great success! Huge thanks to the Leadership Council for ALL their help! We cleared yard waste into compost piles, raked leaves, harvested and dried herbs from our garden, and did critical maintenance work around the school. Over 20 community members volunteered their time, including Jennifer Fulton, our illustrious Board Chair, and Trustee Peter Keating, who brought along his tools, as well as the Leadership Council Chair, Tess Atkinson and her pup, and George Motley, a dedicated member of the Leadership Council. What a joyful family-friendly day together.
Banking
One of the ways Epiphany encourages our students to develop financial literacy skills by setting each of them up with a savings account. Huge thanks to our volunteers from the Church of the Redeemer, Dan McCarthy and Debby Mills, who come to school every Tuesday morning to open accounts and collect deposits. They also make sure the monthly statements get to the students so they can watch their accounts grow. When students graduate, the accounts are closed, and the money returned to the students. In addition, $2,000 from a donor is divided up among the 8th graders based on how many deposits they made, an additional reward for saving.
Bishop Alan Gates Visits Epiphany School
We were honored to have Bishop Alan Gates visit Epiphany! As the Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetrs, he is a strong role model and community leader, and it was a distinct privilege to be able to have him here. Bishop Gates helps coordinate B-Safe, or Bishop's Summer Academic and Fun Enrichment program, that provides a safe, fun, academically enriching environment for more than 600 elementary and middle school students, and he is also a member of Bishops United Against Gun Violence, a national organization that unites Bishops to work towards a safer future for our communities. During his visit, Bishop Gates spoke to our 8th graders about his work at the Episcopal Church, and his work to prevent gang related and gun violence. Afterwards, he joined our community for Eucharist and shared the sermon for the week. We were thrilled to have him visit, and we hope we will see him again soon!
Concepts Giving up to Epiphany
Another exciting project that took place in November and we are proud to announce is the collaboration between Epiphany, Keith Mascoll, and Concepts, an International “streetwear” store with branches in Dubai, NYC, Shanghai, and here on Newbury Street. Keith Mascoll is an actor, producer, mental health advocate, “sneaker-head,” and founder of The Triggered Project, a Boston-based foundation that focuses on how abuse and trauma can impact Black men and that works with communities and organizations to fight against the stigma and culture of silence that prevents many from seeking the help they need. Keith also collaborates with the Gardner Museum and is the co-host of “The Living a Triggered Life Podcast” with his wife Roxann.
Keith, alongside Mr. Deleveaux and Mr. Wilson, led a 5-week workshop with a few members of the Brotherhood, in which students learned about Keith’s work, reflected on the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on them, and wrote poetry to express their individual and shared identities, and how those identities impacted their lives. Our students then designed sneakers with words that described themselves as a final project. It was moving and powerful for the school to hear the boys perform their poetry, and we were lucky to have Concepts to give out free limited-edition sneakers to students and teachers in our middle school, with delicious food as an additional surprise.
Projects like this give many of our boys space they needed to reflect about much of the chaos that surrounds them. Together, we were able to use those experiences to show the importance of mental health, and strong community to bring us together during stressful times. Thank you to Concepts, The Trigger Project, Keith Mascoll, and especially Mr. Deleveaux and Mr. Wilson for helping us create such a powerful and impactful experience for our students!
Upcoming News
Let’s Celebrate our 25th Anniversary Together!
Join us on May 12, 2023 at the Boston Public Library as we celebrate our anniversary. We cannot wait to see you there!
