Cathedral School for Boys

A Cathedral School full-circle moment.

Today, our Grade 8 students traveled to the Oakland Zoo with their Kindergarten Little Brothers, continuing one of CSB’s most joyful year-end traditions.

Eight years ago, these same Grade 8 students were Kindergarten boys on this very trip, standing alongside their own Grade 8 Big Brothers. Now, as they prepare to graduate, they are the ones leading, caring for, and making memories with the youngest boys at Cathedral School.

Then and now, this tradition reminds us that leadership begins in relationship, grows through responsibility, and continues from one generation of Cathedral boys to the next.

Last night, several of our Grade 8 students, soon to become Cathedral alumni, joined Fr. Timothy and Mr. Tesfai at City Hope for the annual CSB-sponsored Trivia Dinner & Birthday Celebration.

The evening was a meaningful final act of service before graduation, as our boys helped welcome neighbors in the Tenderloin through City Hope’s mission of radical hospitality. Back on campus, classmates contributed in their own way, baking more than 200 homemade cookies and brownies to share at the event.

While the boys served at City Hope, their parents gathered for a special reception with our head of school and his family, marking another milestone in these students’ final days at Cathedral School.

A sweet ending, in every sense, for the Class of 2026. Well done, gentlemen.

After completing their California Gold Rush unit in social studies, our Grade 3 students brought their learning to life yesterday with a field trip to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma.

The boys panned for gold, made leather pokes (small money pouches), and explored what it might have been like to prepare for a journey west by deciding what to load into a wagon. Through these hands-on activities, they connected what they studied in the classroom with the choices, challenges, and experiences that shaped this important chapter in California history.

Even with chilly weather and a storm rolling in just as the group was leaving, the trip offered a vivid, memorable way to wrap up both their Gold Rush unit and the school year. Field trips like this are a wonderful reminder of how experiential learning helps history feel tangible and real.

Congratulations to Cooper Kistler ’18, senior longstick midfielder and co-captain of the Princeton men’s lacrosse team, on helping lead the Tigers to the 2026 NCAA national championship.

Princeton defeated Notre Dame 16–9 yesterday, earning the program’s first national title since 2001. For Cooper, who arrived at Princeton from the Bay Area and grew into one of the team’s defensive leaders, the championship marks the culmination of a remarkable collegiate career built on hard work, commitment, and team-first leadership.

We are proud to celebrate this extraordinary achievement by a Cathedral School alumnus, and we congratulate Cooper and the entire Princeton men’s lacrosse team on an unforgettable season.

Cathedral School for Boys is delighted to announce the appointment of alumnus Duncan Lyon ’83 as our eleventh Head of School, beginning in July 2027.

A member of Cathedral’s Class of 1983, Duncan will return to his alma mater after more than 15 years of independent-school headship experience, including his current role as Head of School at The Allen-Stevenson School in New York City.

As Duncan shared with our community, “But for CSB I would not be an educator.” We are thrilled to welcome him home as Cathedral School prepares for its next chapter.

Please join us in congratulating Duncan Lyon ’83!