Fall 2019

2019 marks the reunion year for classes ending in 4s and 9s. Austin Prep would like to help you and your classmates reconnect in celebration of your years at Austin. Whether it has been 5 years or 45 years, we look forward to bringing you back together to evoke memories of your time here, to experience Austin Prep as it is today, and to look forward to Austin’s bright future! Please register using the links below no later than November 15th. **Pre-registration is required for all events. No walk-ins.**

Join alumni, current families and faculty during our annual Autumn at Austin weekend, October 18th & 19th – there is something for everyone!!

Friday, October 18th
7:15 a.m. - Golf CCL League Championship, AWAY Gannon Municipal Golf Course
3:30 p.m. - Volleyball - Girls - Junior Varsity 2 vs. Swampscott, Richard J. Meelia Hall
4:30 p.m. - Volleyball - Girls - Junior Varsity vs. Swampscott, Richard J. Meelia Hall
5:30 p.m. - Volleyball - Girls - Varsity vs. Swampscott, Richard J. Meelia Hall

Trunk or Treat Hosted by Student Council,@ 6:00- 7:00 p.m.​​​​​​, FREE
Bring your whole family in Halloween costumes and trick or treat from festively decorated cars throughout the designated Trunk or Treat area. Before you start your trick or treating, stop by the Alumni/Admissions tent in front of the main doors of McLaughlin Hall for your free bag!

7:00 p.m. - Football – Varsity vs. Cathedral, Fr. Seymour Field

Saturday, October 19th

Pancake Breakfast with Cubby, @ 8:30 - 10:00 a.m., Dining Hall, $5 per person or $15 per family (4+ people)
SAGE Dining Services will provide a full buffet pancake breakfast* for the whole family in the Dining Hall! Austin Prep mascot, Cubby, will be greeting and taking photos with guests. Green Key Student Ambassadors will be on hand to give tours to families.
Student clubs will be offering face painting. 
*SAGE Dining is a nut-free catering service. Please note dietary restrictions on Step 3 during registration process.

9:30 a.m. - Soccer - Girls - Junior Varsity vs. Weston, Fr. Seymour Field
10:00 a.m. - Volleyball - Girls - Junior Varsity 2 vs. St. Mary's and Archbishop Williams, Richard J. Meelia Hall
11:00 a.m. - Soccer - Girls - Varsity vs. Weston, Fr. Seymour Field
1:30 p.m. - Soccer - Boys - Junior Varsity vs. Malden Catholic, Fr. Seymour Field
3:00 p.m. - Soccer - Boys - Varsity vs. Malden Catholic, Fr. Seymour Field
5:00 p.m. - Cross Country - Coed - Varsity, AWAY, Barnstable Fairgrounds 

All of us keep deep in our hearts the memory of a loved one who has gone home to God. That memory is precious and sacred. The month of November begins with the celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, and closes with Thanksgiving. Each day is an appropriate time to celebrate the lives of those who have gone before and upon whose shoulders we now stand. In gratitude for their gifts of faith and family, let’s thank God for all those who have touched our hearts and our lives.

Austin Prep invites you to share the names of your loved ones who have died. Throughout the month of November the school community will pray for your beloved dead and remember them during our weekly Community Masses, held in the Chapel of St. Augustine at 12:10 pm. Please share the names of your loved ones here.

This is our gift to you in thanksgiving for your prayers for us, and for your continuing generosity and support of Austin Prep.

This summer, the Austin Prep facilities team, in collaboration with contractors, worked tirelessly on campus updates and improvements. One improvement included the installation of a renovated plaza in front of Richard J. Meelia Hall. Due to a recurring drainage issue, some of the alumni brick walkway was replaced with a concrete surface. The alumni bricks will be reinstalled in the near future. All alumni will be notified where to find their brick once it has been replaced.
If you would like to purchase an alumni brick, we will include it in the new location. Please click here to purchase your alumni brick by October 15.

For the second consecutive year, the Boston Globe has awarded Austin Prep Athletics the Nason Division III Trophy. This award recognizes overall athletic excellence among Catholic co-educational schools across the Commonwealth, with overall, regular-season winning percentage as the criteria for selection. Congratulations to all our student-athletes and coaches for their unparalleled success over the past two academic years. For more information on all the Boston Globe Scholastic Awards, including the Nason Award, click here.

This summer Austin Prep faculty members were awarded Summer Sabbatical grants that empowered them to pursue in-depth professional development experiences to enhance their teaching. Support of the Austin Prep Annual Fund makes professional development programs such as the Summer Sabbatical possible. 

Ms. Alicia Varrasso -- The Sixth Grade Odyssey
Alicia’s sabbatical transformed her sixth grade unit on Greece as she journeyed to the birthplace of democracy and cradle of Western Civilization to experience Greek history and culture in the same hands-on way that she teaches her students.

Ms. Michele Brewer -- Boosting Engagement in Mathematics
Coming on the heels of her second Masters of Education with a speciality in emerging Technologies, Michele traveled to Orlando to participate in a workshop on the Kagan Structures, instructional strategies aimed at increasing understanding, confidence, achievement and engagement with secondary mathematics.

Dr. Ricardo Vanegas -- Understanding and Applying Biotechnology and Bioinformatics in the Curriculum
The Biotechnology course at AP uses some of the latest techniques in introducing students to genetic and medical engineering. The field is a revolutionary way to understand many scientific concepts using computer science, math, and statistics - and is one that is evolving at a rapid rate. Dr. Vanegas traveled to the John Innes Center in Norwich, United Kingdom to learn alongside a global community of scientists on the emerging PCR technology and its application to personalized medicine.

Mrs. Nicole Putney, P'26 and Mrs. Stephanie Choate -- Harkness Method of Teaching
English faculty members Mrs. Putney and Mrs. Choate attended the Philips Exeter Institute for the Humanities to be trained in the Harkness method of teaching. The Harkness style is a student led and student centered discussion technique where students sit around a table and drive the conversation and ask the questions. Mrs. Putney and Mrs. Choate spent a week on Exeter's campus and participated in the daily discussions, observed classes, and led discussions. This is the same Professional Development opportunity that English Faculty Mr. Matthew Diapella '99 attended in the summer of 2018, and the Harkness table method is used in his sophomore Discussion and Debate course.

Sabbatical Spotlight: Roger Stone
This summer Latin faculty member Mr. Roger Stone celebrated the completion of his 50th year of teaching at Austin Prep by returning to the site of his Fulbright Grant Fellowship for coursework paired with an in-depth study of Aquileia, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site Mr. Stone visited included an Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia. The Roman city dates to 181 BC and became one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the early Roman Empire until it was sacked and destroyed in 452 by the Huns led by Attila. 

The city was a major trading center connecting the Mediterranean to Central Europe. Aquileia’s wealth and status within the empire was reflected in its magnificent public buildings and private residences, many of which survive as archaeological remains. The most striking remains of the Roman city are those of the port installations, a long row of warehouses and docks that stretch along the bank of the river.  Many of its treasures are currently housed in a local museum. Mr. Stone is looking forward to bringing the lessons he learned in the field at this archeological site to his Latin classroom.

Austin Prep has announced the appointment of Mr. Jonathan Pollard '97 (JP) as the school’s new Head Varsity Baseball Coach.

No stranger to Austin Prep Athletics, JP served as Austin Prep’s Director of Athletics from 2014 -19, where under his leadership Austin Prep secured 55 Conference Championships, 5 State Championships, and back-to-back Nason Awards from the Boston Globe in recognition for being the winningest high school Catholic co-ed athletic department in the Commonwealth. In July, Mr. Pollard was promoted to Assistant Headmaster for Enrollment and Athletics at Austin Prep. A 1997 graduate of Austin Prep, Mr. Pollard went on to play college baseball at Salem State University where he was a two-time all-conference selection.

“It was a privilege to play at Austin Prep, and to have the opportunity now to lead the great young men in the baseball program is simply a dream come true.” Pollard said.

Mr. Pollard’s experience in the sport extends far beyond the prep level. In 2011, Mr. Pollard began coaching for USA Baseball in Cary, NC. During his time with USA Baseball, he led national teams around the globe, collecting two silver medals, and a gold medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games. In 2014, Mr. Pollard was named USA Baseball Developmental Coach of the Year.

“In my fifteenth year as a head of school, I have had the opportunity to work with many talented coaches in my career and JP is among the best I ever encountered,” Headmaster James Hickey, Ph.D. P'22, '23, '24 said. “He has been a fixture at Austin Prep for the last ten years as an alumni volunteer, coach, champion of Austin Prep, Director of Athletics, and, now, Assistant Headmaster for Enrollment and Athletics. Without question, Austin Prep is a better community because JP is in it.”

Mr. Pollard will take the helm of one of the premier baseball programs in the state in recent years. Austin Prep won the MIAA Division 3 state title in 2018, and has gone 103-17 since 2015.

"We are thrilled to announce Mr. Pollard as our new head baseball coach. His coaching experience and love of Austin Prep will raise the level of our baseball program to new heights,” Director of Athletics Patrick Driscoll '97 said. “His understanding of the league and the balance between academics and athletics will provide a strong foundation for our student-athletes to succeed both on and off the field. Our current and future baseball players are extremely blessed to have Coach Pollard leading them.” 

The 2018 - 2019 academic year brought many alumni visitors back to campus! From writing workshops and mentorships, to athletic competitions and informal gatherings, alumni had the opportunity to engage with current students and each other. We expect even more alumni returning to AP this year!

Pictured above, alum Jen Kruh '16 visited with Mr. Tony Biscardi '88 and brought by a signed poster of the movie "Knives Out" where she was the set decorator. The movie is scheduled to be in theaters in November 2019. Jen just finished working on the new season of Castle Rock, a series on Hulu, and will be working on a new Ryan Reynolds movie soon. The poster has been added to Mr. Biscardi's "Wall of Fame" in his classroom. 

If you would like to come back to campus to visit a teacher, class, club or team, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations to coordinate your visit 781-944-4900, ext. 852.

Are you getting married? The Office of Alumni Relations will loan you an Austin Prep banner for photos at your wedding.

Did you recently welcome a new cougar cub into your family? Let us know what size onesie your little cougar needs and the Office of Alumni Relations will send along one of our new Austin Prep baby onesies.

Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 781-944-4900, ext. 852.