Commencement 2013

This is the season of diplomas, ceremonies, and speeches. Across the country, traditions like these mark the end of a young student’s journey through high school and the start of a new phase—the journey to college and to adulthood, self-discovery, and fulfillment. 

This past Sunday, USM held its Upper School Commencement ceremony. Families, friends, and faculty and staff members gathered together in the Middle School gym to celebrate this momentous occasion and honor our 76 seniors as they transition to the next stage of their educational journey. 

This class has worked extremely hard over the past four years—and it shows. I am happy to report that 100% of the Class of 2013 is matriculating to a college or university in the fall, and 92% of our seniors will be attending a first- or second-choice school. Considering the remarkably high level of competition in college admissions, I am very proud of these students and look forward to hearing about their future accomplishments. 

As Commencement speaker Dr. Raj Chetty, would agree, a great deal of credit for our students’ achievement is owed to our outstanding faculty. In his speech, Chetty, Professor in the Economics Department at Harvard University and Valedictorian of USM’s Class of 1997, discussed his research measuring the correlation between quality teaching and students’ success in college and adulthood. Our teachers are our most valuable asset at USM and together they guide our students towards success in college and beyond. I know our students also concur—many of them have told me they consider their teachers to be the best aspect of USM. 

Congratulations to the Class of 2013! I wish you a safe and fun summer and hope your first year of college is full of learning and excitement. 

To read the Commencement addresses of Head of Upper School Roseann Lyons, our Valedictorian Kern Khanna, and myself, click here.

USM Community Reconnects at Tower Breakfast

With Commencement just a few short days away, and summer weather finally here to stay (fingers crossed!), the excitement and energy within our hallways is at a fever pitch.

Exciting Happenings at our Ice Rink

USM’s Polly and Henry Uihlein Ice Arena has been a very busy place over the past week! Last weekend, Rummage at the Rink, an important Parents’ Association fundraiser, set records for both its Saturday attendance (1,448 people) and, more importantly, for its net revenue, which came in at an amazing $72,307.47!

In addition to the fundraising component, the event is a great example of how USM gives back to the greater Milwaukee community, with all remaining items left after the bag sale on Sunday (which I understand had just as many people came through the door for) being donated to various local charities to support their efforts. This is truly an amazing event put on by our PA, and is a great example of our USM community coming together and donating their time and effort – and treasures! – for a great cause. 

However, no sooner than the Rummage ended on Sunday, preparations began for a major project in the rink, the replacement of the current floor and dasher board system. The rink, home to not only our USM teams but also the Milwaukee Winter Club hockey programs, was built in 1985, but the refrigeration system that allows for the ice surface was constructed with existing equipment, owned by the School, which was manufactured in 1962. 

There is no question that the Arena and its ice surface are significant resources for USM, and concern over the potential for the system to fail, which was identified in a 2011 ice system evaluation study, was too great to risk. In an effort to not interrupt any scheduling needs, work on the Arena – including demolition and removal of concrete and cooling tubes, the addition of heat mats for year-round usage, new insulation, cooling tubes, and concrete slab, and work on the dasher boards and protective glass and netting – began this past Monday, as soon as the Rummage was cleared out. 

This project is expected to be completed by mid-July – but stay tuned, as we hope to announce more exciting Arena news soon. We are excited for these enhancements for our facility, which has hosted numerous figure skating, open skating, and youth and adult hockey events, in addition to being the home of our USM Wildcat boys and girls and Milwaukee Winter Club hockey programs. Anyone who is interested in following the progress of the work can view a time-lapse video from this past week below, and we hope to also have a live video feed of the rink work available on the USM website in the coming weeks.

History Comes to Life During D.C. Trip

Students at USM are provided with countless opportunities to learn and explore every day, and some of the very best of those take place outside of the classroom. Teeming with excitement and anticipation, our eighth-graders recently embarked on a weeklong visit to Washington, D.C., where the sights and sounds of our nation’s capital brought hundreds of years of history to life for our young students.

Walking in the footsteps of our country’s leaders, both past and present, our students toured the U.S. Capitol, laid down the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, and roamed the famous terrain of Gettysburg, where fierce battles once raged and Lincoln gave his iconic speech in 1863.  

The opportunity to not just read about history, but to touch it, feel it, and live it in such an authentic way is powerful, producing memories and lessons that will endure for years to come. I’m extremely proud of all of our students who made the trip, and look forward to hearing their stories firsthand in the weeks to come.

I encourage you to explore Eighth-Grade History Teacher Chuck Taft’s blog for more about the wonderful experiences our students had during the trip, as well as photos and audio comments. A big thank-you goes out to all of our faculty members, parents, and staff for helping make the trip a success.