To welcome the community back from Winter Break, we built a (temporary) ice rink on Drew Common. Last Wednesday, students and faculty stopped by, skated, and enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches and hot cocoa from The Raft, our mobile food truck. It was a fun throwback to years of yore when our ice rink was built anew there each year, and at one point we even reenacted a photo from the archives.
The latest edition of Cushing Today launched this week, and it continues our year-long focus on the theme of creativity. I hope you enjoy the issue! Throughout the stories and articles, I think you will discover a common thread of support and community that weaves together all things Cushing.
In the Creative Visions feature, you'll find a conversation I had with interior designer and New York Times bestselling author Nate Berkus ’90 (video). In our talk, I was struck by how deeply interdisciplinary his practice is, and how much creative storytelling goes into his work.
When asked about how Cushing most influenced his journey, Berkus replied: "I think it's that sense of independence, the idea that you are in charge of your own destiny, starting right now. You decide whether or not you're going to go back to the dorm and do your homework. You decide how good that presentation is going to be. And that carries with you for the next 50 years, bringing forth those habits over time."
It's a great reminder that our students’ experiences here today are laying the groundwork for their Journeys far beyond Cushing. We look forward to seeing what lies ahead in the New Year.
On Monday, Cushing hosted the 2026 Girls* in STEAM Leadership Summit. More than 40 female-identifying students from 5 different NEPSAC schools engaged with experts in hands-on STEAM workshops. Here, Cherry Deng ’27 and Rania Gao ’28 use dental instruments to create fillings in a typodont (a dental model of a mouth, teeth, and gums) in the Fixing Smiles With Science workshop, led by Cushing alum Kayla Sargent ’15. Around Campus:Week Nineteen
Powered By Creativity
Intelligence Having Fun: Leaning into Creativity
The latest issue of Cushing Today features a variety of stories, images, alumni profiles, and news from the Academy. Here are few highlights:
Enrollment contracts for returning families will be sent February 15 and are due back on March 1.
Families who are allocated financial aid must reapply for tuition assistance annually. The due date for financial aid applications is February 1.
Late applications for financial aid will not be accepted. Please contact Kevin Smith, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, at kevinsmith@cushing.org with any questions.
Upcoming Ski Trips Cushing is hosting two ski and snowboarding trips in February:
Killington Mountain
Monday, February 2, 2026
Loon Mountain
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Interested students should sign up in advance. (After signup, parents will need to sign a waiver in MyCushing for each mountain.)
Athletic Commitment Ceremony
Mark your calendars! Cushing Athletics is hosting a special ceremony at 9:30 am on Friday, February 27 to honor senior student-athletes who are formally committing to pursue athletics at the next level. Families are welcome to attend. Please connect with Athletics Director Brian Krauss at briankrauss@cushing.org with any questions or concerns.
Basketball in Bean Town Sunday, January 18, 2026
Boys' Prep Basketball returns to TD Garden for a rematch against Newman School this Sunday! There will be a special reception for members of the Cushing community in the 1928 Club inside TD Garden. We'd love to see you there! > Register Here
This Weekend at Cushing
It's a Super Saturday Weekend! Also this weekend, Cushing goes to Boston; Faneuil Hall and TD Garden Edition. Coming up, the Love is Love Dance!
Max Parrish ’26 splits two defenders enroute to a 7-3 victory over Hillside School. Boys' Varsity B Hockey has started off the season on a 10-1 tear. Next up: a home game against Avon Old Farms on Saturday.
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