Greetings From Epiphany!
Dear Friends,
“Loyalty” is our theme for this year. Many of our donors, volunteers, and teachers have been with us since Day One. Indeed, our average Lead Teacher has taught at Epiphany for over 14 years! Our families have stayed loyal too, and finally, there are our graduates, whose abiding support of Epiphany sets an inspiring example. You all mean the world to us. Thank YOU!!!
Your Grateful Fan,
The Rev. John H. Finley IV
Partner Spotlight
M&T Bank
M&T Bank believes that healthy communities are the foundation of successful businesses and supports that through their corporate philanthropy. We are proud to be one of their partner nonprofits and grateful for their support for our annual spring galas and the amazing young people in Epiphany's Graduate Support Program. We hope you will join us in extending a warm THANK YOU to our friends at M&T Bank for all they do for our community!
Epiphany Stars: Graduate Profile
Aly Tran ‘07
This month, we're excited to highlight Aly Tran as a living testimony of what it means to pay it forward. Aly grew up as a Vietnamese-American in a family of six. When his mother tragically lost her battle with cancer, he leaned on Epiphany as his second home. Later, after attending Boston College High School, Aly played professional basketball in Vietnam until he suffered an injury and had to return home. He then joined the Epiphany team, transitioning from an administrative assistant and basketball coach to Athletic Director. Like a lot of our graduates, Aly received a lot from Epiphany as a student but has given back so much as an adult.
His early life experiences built his trust in community support systems and deepened his connection, in particular, to the mission of addressing food insecurity, something he experienced firsthand. Today, he is the logistics manager at Food for Free, a nonprofit that improves access to healthy food by establishing innovative programming and partnerships to overcome barriers and strengthen the community food system.
Through Food For Free’s Heat-n-Eats program, Aly’s able to provide 60 nutritionally balanced, microwaveable meals every week to individuals in the Epiphany family facing food insecurity. 'One of the most gratifying things you can experience is giving back to the community that raised you.'.
Early Learning Center Corner
This January, the Toddler Room focused on broadening the students’ science knowledge by finishing off the dinosaur unit, observing a “fireworks” demonstration (where they mixed oil with food coloring), and experimenting with the properties of ice. The kids were exhilarated in explaining their observations and asking questions. Engaging their curiosity in a safe and informative environment shows them how school can be fun and meaningful. Hands-on learning is the best!
Epiphany News
Another Holiday Production in the books!
The Annual Winter Showcase was spectacular! This year, thanks to Teaching Fellow, PJ Tucker, and his mom, Ingrid Tucker, the Deputy Director of the Madison Park Development Corporation, her friends at Hibernian Hall in Nubian Square hosted the show. What an amazing venue! The night began when our 5th & 6th-grade theater students performed our traditional Nativity play, after which the 7th & 8th graders performed an original Christmas play of they wrote themselves. The event also featured dance performances and a percussion performance led by our partners at the New England Conservatory. Their choreographed routine with half a dozen basketballs captivated the crowd.
In addition to the performing arts showcase, students displayed their work, much of which was for sale. Items included an almost deadly hot sauce made from peppers grown on campus with seeds Johnny Wilson'04’s mother brought back from Vietnam, along with hand-made soaps, photographs, drawings, and ceramics. A few students even went to a recording studio and recorded a holiday song played at the end of the show.
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! Click here to view a snapshot of the showcase!
City Reach
Recently, our 8th graders spent a night with City Reach at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul learning from those affected by homelessness. They listened to their stories and then took a night walk with them around Boston Common. They also spent time sitting together on the floor of a Bank of America ATM. They were cold and wet from their walk and hungry, a small taste of what life is like for too many. After sleeping on the floor of the Cathedral, they woke up early to prepare 300 sandwiches for a three-hour "soup kitchen" and a clothing drive, including items they collected at Epiphany.
“Walking into this experience with an open mind, I discovered the power of listening to shared stories, including childhood memories. It didn’t feel transactional; it was a human connection, a natural exchange that left me feeling inspired to do more for those navigating the challenging journey of homelessness.”- Aniyah, 8th Grade.
Epiphany aspires to be a loving community that reaches out with concern for all. Thank you for all you do to make this place what it is.
EPIC Annual Holiday Toy Drive Partnership
Right before the Holidays, we partnered with Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC) for their Annual Holiday Toy Drive. EPIC prepares young people with disabilities to be engaged community leaders while eliminating ableism to equip the world for today’s disabled leaders. The event resulted in an impressive total of 420 gifts over the weekend for families at Epiphany.
We’d like to shout out the standout Dorothy, a current mom at the Middle School, for fostering this partnership. “It's an invaluable experience to be able to serve a mutually beneficial cause with an initiative that engages young people with a developmental aim similar to Epiphany.” - says Dorothy
Need a New Podcast to Listen?
Often, the general public has little familiarity with independent schools…about how we operate, or what type of students we serve. To paint a fuller picture and explain what might be possible at an independent school, Mr. Finley recently participated in a podcast in partnership with Boston University Academy, a high school affiliated with Boston University where several Epiphany graduates have flourished. The podcast helps demystify the financial aid process and show what might be possible for students at independent schools. The two-part series is called Demystifying Independent Schools, and, if you have a minute, here’s a link: https://www.demystifyingindependentschools.com/
The Wilson Pepper!
The Wilson Pepper is a multigenerational story. Brought over from Vietnam in the early 2000s by Mrs. Liz Wilson, (mother of Mr. Johnny Wilson: Epiphany graduate and parent of two at the ELC) this family heirloom pepper has a Scoville level estimated to be 300,000 - 500,000 SHU and an impressive lifespan. The original plant from those seeds is still going strong after 20 years.
This fall marked our third season of growing Wilson’s Vietnamese Devil Pepper in the garden. The students love growing it with its bright colors, and its spice level has become an in-school food challenge! Our students have learned how to germinate, plant, harvest and consume the peppers from the Wilson family, passing along the wisdom and history of this powerful little plant with every seed.
The seeds from this pepper are now available at Truelove Seeds! Maybe you’d like to give them a try?
Upcoming Events
Join us on May 3, 2024, for our Spring Gala!
Click here to become a Table Captain, a Sponsor, or Buy a Ticket.
