Greetings From Epiphany!
Dear Friends,
As many of you as can, please join us on March 5th for the first-ever Epiphany “Soirée.” Unlike past galas, this event will be self-directed. You will be able to chart your own course through several different experiences covering all the key features of Epiphany: the Early Learning Center, the Middle School, Graduate Support, the Teaching Fellow Program, and Epiphany Impact. There will be plenty of food and drink, and spaces to relax with friends. Come for an hour or make a night of it. (There will be a dance floor!) You can click here for more information. Together we can have a lot of fun and make a real difference.
The Rev. John H. Finley IV
Partner Spotlight
Schrafft Charitable Foundation
Many of us are familiar with the iconic Schrafft neon which has been hanging in Charlestown since 1928, but you probably do not know that the Schrafft Charitable Foundation has been a supporter of Epiphany for 25 years! This venerable institution was established by candy company founder William F. Schrafft and his wife Bertha in 1946. Their mission is to help young people in Boston and New Bedford develop the skills and knowledge to succeed in school and beyond. Over the past eight decades they have helped countless young people, and we are proud to be among the organizations they support. Please join us in saying a hearty THANK YOU to everyone at Schrafft for their abiding generosity!
Graduate Support Spotlight
Our Graduate Support Program (GSP) provides lifelong support to our graduates, and this work begins long before students walk across the stage in their caps and gowns. In the 7th grade, more than a year before graduation, the GSP teams challenges each of them to articulate for themselves the “why” of their education. Part of that curriculum includes our annual Career Day event where students interview a wide variety of successful professionals, many of whom come from backgrounds similar to theirs (and some of whom are Epiphany graduates themselves).
The process of selecting, applying to, and eventually enrolling in the high school that is the best fit for each child requires a deep understanding of each child’s strengths and challenges, as well as a lot of coaching, paperwork, cheerleading, and heart-to-heart talks. We are so lucky to have staff members Morgan Monteiro, Grace Cronin, and Will Brown taking the lead in managing the campus visits, essay writing, and interview prep!
When our graduates move onto their new schools, they remain within the Epiphany family all the same, and our Grad Support team stays in close contact. For example, Program Director Steeve Joazard ’04) visits each of them in their new schools. It is one of Steeve’s favorite Epiphany traditions, and it is something the graduates look forward to as well. As they spread their wings and leave the nest, they will still always have a home at Epiphany.
Learning is Cool: Epiphany Curriculum Highlights
The Arts are Alive for Our Middle Schoolers
December was a particularly busy month for Arts programming at Epiphany, including a field trip to the Loeb Drama Center to see the new musical “Wonder.”
Based on a novel by R.J. Palacio (which the students read in Rev. Daly’s class earlier this fall) and featuring songs by pop duo A Great Big World, “Wonder” tells the story of a boy with a genetic condition that causes facial differences. Tackling topics that challenge any middle schooler like bullying, self-esteem, and friendship, the play tells an uplifting story. Our students were so excited to see the show and thrilled to meet its star, Garrett McNally, a talented young actor with the same condition as the character. Here you can see the Epiphany kids proudly posing with Garrett. (The student on the left is showing off Garrett’s autograph on his arm!) We love to see our students engaging with powerful storytelling that helps them grow in maturity and kindness. Bravo!
Winter Showcase in Full Bloom
Our Winter Showcase, as always, was…AMAZING. In these showcases, students, staff, and families got to see the fruits of all the time our singers, actors, dancers, and musicians spent developing and rehearsing their performances, but the spotlight isn’t reserved for those who love being on stage. The afternoon’s program also blocks time for the audience to tour the school and see what the photographers, sculptors, illustrators, and even gardeners have been working on, so they can be celebrated, too (and sometimes even make a sale)!
Early Learning Center Corner
There is something special about the times when a new infant classroom opens up, and a fresh class of new babies arrives at the school. It is the end of time-intensive process where expectant mothers are recruited, befriended, and ultimately welcomed to bring their beautiful babies into the Center, and it is the beginning of something joyous. We all get only one childhood, and we want each of these adorable newborns to have a great one!
This December we hosted a “Welcome Baby” shower for the new families where they were given diaper bags, books, and, most importantly, a demonstration of the many ways the ELC will be with them throughout their parenting journey. They also had an opportunity to meet one another for the first time in a fun, celebratory environment. Experience has shown us how these young mothers and fathers can become a friendly support network. It is a joy to be able to walk alongside these young families and help them achieve their goals for the benefit of their whole families.
Epiphany News
A Beautiful Day for a Grand Unveiling
In our last issue we extended an invitation to an October celebration in honor of a new exterior mural by local artistic superstar Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs. It was an honor to have him on-site this fall and have a front row seat to witness his creative process. The final work depicts a happy young Black girl shedding light into the vastness of space, surrounded by open books and notebook pages where she has written our character benchmarks - words every Epiphany student knows well that inspire and instruct them to exemplify traits like courage, curiosity, perseverance, and pride. The mural is both beautiful and inspiring.
For the official unveiling we were blessed with the perfect fall day, and over 200 people came together to view the work, enjoy the food (and ice cream!) trucks, and meet with old and new friends and neighbors in our backyard. The festivities included a panel discussion in which Boston Globe columnist Jeneé Osterheldt led a conversation about everything from ProBlak’s process to the role of public art.
We are particularly grateful to our Arts Director A.B. Deleveaux who was instrumental in making both projects come together so beautifully, as well as to the City of Boston’s Unmonument Initiative, and the Andrew D. Mellon Foundation for their support for community-driven public art.
An EPIC Event Made the Holidays Brighter
Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC) is a wonderful local nonprofit dedicated to combating ableism and empowering young adults with disabilities to be actively engaged community leaders. Each year, we partner with our friends from EPIC to wrap donated gifts for children in the community, and this year’s event was a success! Many hands make light work, and, before long, there were 347 beautifully wrapped toys ready for Santa’s sleigh. Dorothy Whitfield, EPIC’s Boston Youth Program Specialist, described the event as “so meaningful” and “a joy”. We heartily agree and look forward to continuing this merry partnership for years to come.
Epiphany Grad’s Business Soars to New Heights
PYNRS Performance Streetwear, an athletic apparel company (pronounced “pioneers”) founded by Epiphany Grad Sid Baptista ‘01, hit a new high this fall with the release of a sneaker collaboration with a major running shoe brand! The BROOKS X PYNRS Hyperion Max 3 dropped in October, and Sydney reflected on his experience launching the project at the Chicago Marathon (and the journey that brought him where he is today) for Highsnobiety. The Epiphany family includes some of Sid’s earliest and biggest fans, and we can’t wait to see where else life takes this endlessly impressive young entrepreneur. If this is your first time hearing about him, we recommend this 2020 profile in Runners World Magazine about Pioneers Run Crew, the running club he started here in Dorchester that gave the brand its name.
Congratulations Dr. Sanchez!
We are so proud to share that our principal, Michelle Sanchez, received a Changemaker Award from the Institute of Nonprofit Practice. INP is a local organization dedicated to equipping social impact leaders with the skills, resources, networks, and confidence they need to boldly advance their organizations and missions, creating a more equitable future for all. In naming Dr. Sanchez a 2025 Changemaker, they recognized her many accomplishments and her instrumental role in the development of our middle school program as well as her visionary leadership in launching the Early Learning Center in 2016. We would like to emphatically echo their words: Thank you, Dr. Sanchez, for your enduring commitment to children, families, and community, and congratulations on being named one of this year’s Changemaker awardees!
We are Hiring!
We are always looking for dynamic people to join our community. All job openings are listed here, and if you know someone who might be the right fit, we hope you will pass that opportunity along.
Admissions
Tell your family and friends they can take the first step in an amazing journey: admissions are open for grades 5 and 6 in the Middle School and for the Early Learning Center!