Chris Garber, eighth-grade Class of ’08, has launched the Nueva Connection Challenge! — a friendly competition to see which class can create the most new alumni connections. 

For Nueva students studying Japanese, “Doshisha” has a special meaning. This is especially true for the more than 500 students who over the years have participated in the exchange program that has grown from one high school to four middle and high schools in and around Kyoto.

When Laena Wilder was 10 years old, a walk down San Francisco’s Market Street with her Nueva art teacher Barbara Marino and her best friend set fire to a passion that would drive the rest of her life.

It’s a long, winding road from Uganda to Nueva, but Marissa Maimone, associate teacher and middle school alum, found her way back.

Over the last week of the school year, the class of 2019 celebrated and reflected on their time at Nueva. From the “Lifers” who attended the school since early in the Lower School, to the seniors’ sentimental songs and speeches, it all culminated on Sunday, June 9 with a joyful ceremony to commemorate the twelfth-graders’ achievements. 

In a joyful ceremony, eighty-five eighth graders reflected on their years at Nueva in traditional 100-word speeches.

It all started with a question: “Why is the ocean so salty?” Which led to another question: “What is salt?” What could have ended there with a simple explanation turned into a months-long study this spring for the inquisitive four and five-year olds in the Nueva PreK class where they learned about the elements that make up our bodies and the world around us.

At Nueva, gifted learners are encouraged to learn by doing, learn by caring, and to explore their passions inside and outside the classroom. It is this empathic spirit that has inspired students to take action to help make their communities and the world a better place.

In “Ocean Plastic Paradise,” sea animals navigate the perils of a habitat overrun with discarded plastic. Written and performed by Laraine Ray’s Kindergarten class, the film is the culmination of months examining the effects of plastic pollution in the sea.