Birch Wathen Lenox School

Arch Day is a cherished BWL tradition celebrating our Kindergarten–8th grade students as they move up to the next stage of their educational journey. Walking through the arch symbolizes growth, accomplishment, and new beginnings. We are especially proud of our 5th graders as they transition to middle school and our 8th graders as they prepare for high school.

Congratulations to all of our students on a wonderful year. As they walk through the arch, they carry with them the memories and accomplishments of this year and excitement for the chapters that lie ahead. 🦁💙🎓

Our 7th and 8th graders wrapped up the school year by stepping into the role of entrepreneurs!

Over the past several months, students in our Middle School Entrepreneurship course identified real challenges within our school community, developed innovative solutions, and built working prototypes. Last week, they presented their ideas to a panel of parent volunteers with entrepreneurial experience, sharing their pitches and receiving thoughtful feedback.

We were so impressed by the confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills on display. Thank you to our parent judges for supporting our students and sharing their expertise, and congratulations to every student who presented.

Spring Fair Fun! Thanks to our incredible Parents Association for bringing us together under the big top to celebrate the end of the school year! 🎪🍭🍿

Summer hasn’t even started yet, and our rising seniors have already checked a major college application milestone off their list: the first draft of their college application essay.

Over the last three days, a facilitator from College Essay Guy joined us on campus, leading students in a three-day workshop that took them through the essay-writing process, including brainstorming, outlining, and drafting a personal statement. By the end of the workshop, every student had a strong outline or solid draft in hand—a strong foundation for one of the most important pieces of the college application process.

The College Essay Bootcamp capped off a year of unique events and inspired programming designed by BWL’s College Counseling team. After beginning the year with the overnight Junior College Trip, the class continued gaining insight, knowledge, and confidence through a series of workshops and seminars, including “Extracurriculars: Beyond the Classroom”, Junior Seminar, Financial Aid workshops, and “Inside the Decision Room,” a mock admissions committee experience that gave students a firsthand look at how admissions decisions are made.

Thanks to our incredible College Counseling team, our Class of 2027 is ending junior year feeling prepared, informed, and excited to step into senior year, where years of hard work and preparation come together as they refine their college lists and discover the schools where they will write their next chapter.

BWL students are helping restore one billion oysters to New York Harbor by 2030 through our partnership with the Billion Oyster Project. And earlier this month, our 6th graders were invited to participate in the Billion Oyster Project Symposium, a citywide event celebrating the incredible work students have done throughout the year.

At the symposium, students proudly presented projects they developed through their research and fieldwork, sharing their ideas with peers, educators, and environmental leaders from across New York City. Their presentations reflected their creativity and critical thinking, and a deep understanding of how local environmental challenges connect to the health of our communities.

We were especially proud to see several of our sixth-grade students receive awards for their outstanding projects and innovative solutions. Seeing them present their work with confidence—and be recognized for it—was a proud moment and a reminder that young people can make a big impact when they have opportunities to engage with meaningful, hands-on learning.

What if Juliet’s story didn’t end with Romeo?

That’s what our 8th graders got to watch unfold during their trip to see & 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘵 on Broadway, a witty and unexpected reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic.

The performance challenged students to think about how stories evolve, how different perspectives can reshape a narrative, and why Shakespeare’s characters continue to resonate centuries later. The show sparked thoughtful discussions in class in the days that followed, giving students a fresh way to engage with a text they know well.

Members of the BWL Class of 2021 returned to campus on Thursday to celebrate their five-year reunion! Alumni reconnected over drinks and snacks, shared memories from their time at BWL, and caught up on life since graduation. It was a joyful evening filled with laughter, reflection, and renewed friendships.

We’re so grateful to have had this time together and can’t wait to see everyone again soon!

Our Lower School students are getting a glimpse into the future through Career Chats!

Parents and guardians from a wide range of professions joined our Kindergarten–5th grade students for a morning of career talks, sharing their experiences and passions while helping students connect their interests to future possibilities. Students enjoyed asking questions and learning from professionals in fields such as psychology, education, finance, media, music, real estate, entrepreneurship, public service, and AI.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and expertise to m make this experience so special for our students!

Congratulations to the Middle and Upper School students who performed in our Student-Directed Movie Musical Showcase!

Directed by Emily M. ’28 and Delia H. ’28 as the culminating project for their year-long Directing class, the showcase featured songs and monologues from 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘔𝘪𝘢!, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮, 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯’ 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘴, and more. We are so proud of Emily, Delia, and all of our talented performers for an incredible production!

Earlier this month, our 11th grade families stepped into the college admissions decision room for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the admissions process.

During an interactive workshop led by the BWL College Counseling team and admissions officers from the , , , the , , and , students and parents took on the role of admissions committee members—reviewing applications, debating candidates, and making the difficult decisions to admit, waitlist, or deny applicants.

The experience offered valuable insight into what colleges are really looking for and how admissions decisions are made.

At BWL, college counseling begins long before senior year. From programs like College Conversations...with Coffee for 8th grade parents to early engagement with our expert college counselors and ongoing access to the resources of our College Counseling Office, we provide students and families with proactive, comprehensive support every step of the way.

We’re proud to help our students and families feel informed, confident, and prepared for the college journey ahead.