A Remarkable Admission Season
By Shanae Vaifanua-Pace, Director of Admission and Enrollment Management
This year’s admission season was one for the books! We received an unprecedented number of applications and inquiries, and we had the pleasure of welcoming more prospective students and their families to campus for buddy days than ever before. Each visit was an opportunity for students to experience the rhythm of a Bosque day and for families to get a genuine sense of the relationships and learning that define our community. What made this season truly special was the way our community came together. Our students, parents and guardians, and staffulty showed up to help with admission events, campus tours, hosting prospective families, answering questions, and sharing their stories. These authentic moments are what leave a lasting impression, and they reflect the spirit of Bosque in a way that no brochure ever could. I am deeply thankful to everyone who played a role in welcoming prospective families so wholeheartedly.
We cannot wait to see our 81 (and counting) new Bobcats on campus in the fall!
Welcome, New Bobcats!
On Thursday, April 23, Bosque School warmly welcomed our newest Bobcats and their families to campus for our annual new family welcome event.
New students across all grade levels, along with their families, spent the evening getting to know one another, participating in onboarding activities, and beginning to feel at home in our Bosque community. While enjoying a delicious catered taco bar and some sweet treats, guests heard from current students Atticus (‘31), Maliyah (‘30), and Rhys (‘28), connected with staffulty, and learned more about the year ahead. There was even a special appearance by the Bobcat mascot and a spirited paper-airplane competition.
We’re so excited to officially welcome our new students this fall, and we’re glad they’ve already begun to find their place here at Bosque.
(Pictured at the left, from left to right: Molly Bell, Assistant Director of Admission and Enrollment Management; Shanae Vaifanua-Pace, Director of Admission and Enrollment Management; Ophelia Aragon, Admission Office Manager)
Bosque College Counselors Featured by ACCIS
The Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS) recently featured Bosque School’s Mark Giesmann, director of college counseling, and Joanna Hart, college counselor and dean of students. At Bosque, Mr. Giesmann and Ms. Hart work closely with every student, collaborating on everything from building balanced college lists to essay development and recommendation writing. They begin getting to know students as early as 9th grade, and this support continues through a dedicated college counseling curriculum and individualized guidance during students’ junior and senior years. Together, they help each student find a thoughtful college match.
Thank You for an Incredible Founder’s Days
Because of Bosque, this year’s Founder’s Days was a tremendous success. In just 48 hours, 327 donors from 22 states came together to raise more than $125,000 in support of Bosque’s students, staffulty, and programs. The Bosque Fund helps fuel the unique experiences that make Bosque so special, and your generosity ensures those opportunities continue to thrive. Whether you gave, shared the campaign, or supported in other ways, thank you for being part of this effort. This is Collective Impact. Limitless Possibilities in action. You can explore campaign highlights, participation rates, and community stories on our Founder’s Days page. As we approach the close of the fiscal year, there is still time to make an impact. If you have not yet made your gift, we invite you to join in helping us finish the year strong.
State Champs!!!
The Bosque esports team glittered gold after their victory at the state championship tournament, which was held at the Berna Facio Professional Development Center on April 23-25. Participants included seniors Johnathan, Maddie, Jakob, and Kyle; juniors CJ, Violet, Niko, Bella, Joaquin, Trent, Isaiah, Tas, Sam; sophomores Lola, Sully, and Ezra; freshmen Luke and Ben, and eighth graders Lucas and Mateo. Sam, who is a sub for the Mario Kart team, described the experience of being on the team as “special, because the team is all friends, so there’s a great sense of community. There are captain roles within each game opportunity, but we mostly work together and support one another by encouraging one another to practice and hone our skills, the most important of which are communication within each team and collaboration with others.” Isaiah added, “As we practice, we develop a greater understanding of how each game works and become more proficient in using the knowledge and executing well in competitions to accumulate the points necessary to advance.”
Congratulations, Juniors!
We are excited to announce that Bosque School juniors Alessandra J., Bella G., Lucy P., Marco R., Marley L., Sebastian J., and Violet D. have earned well-deserved academic honors through the College Board's National Recognition Program! The College Board's National Recognition Program specifically commends these students’ remarkable performances on the PSAT and provides them a valuable platform to showcase their dedication and hard work throughout high school. Way to go, Bobcats! We’re proud of you!
Brooklyn and Violet Present at LPSC
In March, two Bosque School students, Brooklyn (‘26) and Violet (‘27), traveled to Houston to participate in the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC). For 57 years, LPSC has been convening the lunar and planetary science community to showcase the latest science, research, and discoveries in the field. More than 2000 planetary scientists and students attended from all over the world. Accompanied by Samantha Williams, science department leader and middle school math and science teacher, Violet and Brooklyn presented a poster that represented research they conducted in partnership with their mentor, Dr. Tony Gargano, of the University of New Mexico’s Institute of Meteoritics, and the Center for Stable Isotopes, a longtime Bosque School partner.
The annual upper school awards ceremony celebrates Bosque School students’ dedication to academics, sports, arts, leadership, service learning, and our school’s core values. This year, Alex Starr was the recipient of the President Gerald R. Ford Character Award. The Gerald R. Ford Character Award honors the legacy of President Ford, an early supporter of Bosque School. It is given annually to the senior who embodies the school’s mission, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, personal integrity, hard work, and dedication to making a compassionate contribution to a more just world. It is the top award given by Bosque School. This year's Class of 2005 Enduring Good Award was given to two seniors who reflect the spirit of the class of 2005--Eleanor McArthur and Dusti Peterson! The Enduring Good Award is presented to a senior (or seniors) who conducts themself in a manner most beneficial to the class and the school, not necessarily because of a specific act or achievement, but because of their sustained positive impact on the community. Congratulations to all the winners, and be sure to click on the button below to see the full list of award recipients.
Once Upon a Mainstage
There was little to prepare the spectator who attended one of the performances of “Once Upon a Mattress” for the explosion of vibrant color, brilliant sound, and high-stepping action that unfolded in the Black Box Theater over seven performances in March. Megan Bode, director and choreographer, Doug Lowry, technical director, Julia Manganaro, musical director, and Zach Lang, house manager, led a large cast and crew on their romp through this humorous adaptation of “The Princess and the Pea.”
Grand Finale Concert and Arts Crawl
On Friday, April 24, Bosque families gathered in the quad for a beautiful Grand Finale concert where our band, strings, and choir students had us all singing along and dancing in our seats to ABBA! The concert was followed by the annual Arts Crawl in Budagher Hall, where guests were able to view art created throughout the year by our students across all grade levels. We were so impressed with all the students' creative artwork, especially the senior portfolios!
Welcome to the Writing Center!
Next fall, Bosque School will open a Writing Center staffed by peer tutors. A common feature of collegiate life, writing centers offer students in all disciplines support in their writing process. Fourteen students were selected in a careful application process earlier this year. They are rising juniors Kiki, Gideon, Zander, Nola, Josie, Audrey L., Callie, and Ezra, and rising seniors Elizabeth, Amelie, Sam, Eleanor, Mackenzie, and Hannah M. These students will participate in an immersive course this May to train and strengthen their identities as writers and members of the peer tutor team. They will visit the writing centers at UNM and CNM to see this work in action at the college level. A highlight will be a writer’s retreat in the Pecos, including an afternoon attending author presentations at the Santa Fe International Literary Festival. They will write, role-play, and study both the writing process and the best ways to help their peers. During the application process, many of the tutors shared stories of their struggles to master the various modes of writing in academic life and expressed a strong desire to help others overcome similar obstacles.
Bosque Marks 18 Years of Student Research at JAM
Bosque School was well represented at the February Joint Annual Meeting of the New Mexico and Arizona Chapters of The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society (JAM) in Sedona, Arizona. Current students Lola (‘28), Jakob (‘26), Dusti (‘26), Julius (‘26), Eleanor (‘26), Lucy (‘27), Maya (‘28), Gray (‘26), Audrey (‘28), Gideon (‘28), Katie (‘26), and Jaiden (‘26), along with alum Isabel Robertson (‘25), presented original wildlife research and engaged with professional biologists, university faculty, and undergraduate and graduate students studying fish, wildlife, and related fields. Students were accompanied by staffulty members Dan Shaw, Kim Fike, Jim Daly, Conrad Padilla, and Donny Kelley-Currens, and supported by University of New Mexico Department of Biology postdoctoral researcher Emma Elliott Smith from UNM’s Center for Stable Isotopes. Isabel Robertson (‘25) also served as part of the conference leadership team. This year marked the 18th consecutive year Bosque School students have presented at JAM, and we were especially excited by the size of this year’s cohort and the exceptional quality of their work.
“I’ve seen what happens when people come together – when they listen, when they engage, when they respect one another even in disagreement.” These are the words of the Honorable Harold Pope, New Mexico State Senator from the 23rd district, which includes Bosque School. Senator Pope was speaking to the students and staffulty members who gathered on Saturday, April 18, for the inaugural Spread the WORD Dialogue Conference. WORD, which stands for Working on Respectful Dialogue, is a student organization sponsored by Julia Kingsdale, dean of equity, community and culture. It is dedicated to creating opportunities for the Bosque School community to address controversial topics through solution-oriented dialogue, without the explicit competitive goals that characterize the school’s Mock Trial and Model U.N. programs.
Alumni Staffulty Highlights
As both an alum and a staffulty member, Christine Phan (’16) brings a love of education, athletics, and community to her work at Bosque School. After earning her bachelor’s degree in international studies and her MBA from the University of New Mexico, Christine explored international business, world travel, and coaching, and she is now exploring a future in teaching by shadowing her former 12th-grade calculus teacher, Mr. Middleton.
Alum, Samantha “Samm” Williams (’10), is thrilled to be back in New Mexico and at Bosque School. As both a teacher and a former Bosque School student, Samm brings a unique perspective to our community. This year, her eighth-grade science students are reading "The Martian" by Andy Weir and exploring the real-world science behind the novel’s challenges.
Are you looking to connect with the Bosque School community in a meaningful way? We're hiring for several staff positions and invite parents, alumni, and community members to consider joining our team. This is a wonderful opportunity to work alongside our inspiring students and dedicated staffulty in the community that means so much to us all. If you’re interested in joining the Bosque team, we encourage you to explore the current openings linked below.
No Rules, Just Books
By Rachel Patton, Librarian
As the school year wraps up, so too did National Library Week (April 19–25). This year’s theme, “Find Your Joy,” feels like the perfect send-off into summer. The week of celebrating libraries and the essential role they play in our communities may have ended, but the spirit of it is worth carrying forward. Libraries are among the most radical, joyful spaces we have. Summer offers something rare: the freedom to choose what to read. Not for a grade. Not to annotate. Just because a story calls to you. Research is clear that students who read freely over the summer don’t just hold steady, they thrive. But beyond the data, there is something more personal at stake. Books grow our hearts as much as our minds. They connect us to people and places we cannot reach, and they keep us tethered to each other even when we are apart. Pick the weird one. The long one you’ve been putting off. The one someone told you was too easy. Reread an old favorite. One of the best things about reading for the joy of it is that there are no wrong answers; there is only the next page. If you are a teen looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity this summer, the Albuquerque Public Library’s Summer Reading Program wants you. Teen volunteers help spark a love of reading in younger kids and, in doing so, often rediscover their own.
Bobcat Track and Field Finishes Strong at State
Our track and field team successfully completed their spring season, with several athletes achieving personal records (PRs) throughout the year. The season concluded with two athletes competing at the state level: Audrey finished 7th in the 800m and earned a medal for her 4th-place finish in the 3200m. Theo qualified for the finals in three events (100m, 200m, and 400m) and earned a medal for his 5th-place finish in the 400m.
Bosque Tennis Teams Wrap Strong Seasons at State
The girls' and boys' tennis teams recently competed in the 6-4A state tournaments in both singles and doubles. The girls worked hard all season, finishing third in the district with a 4-2 record and an overall 11-6 record. The boys' team earned 2nd place in the district with a 3-2 record and an overall 6-8 record.
Give Them a Summer to Remember
With Bosque Summer, kids can build their own adventure with the flexibility of our weeklong half and full-day programs for students entering grades K–8. Whether you seek academic enrichment, creative adventures, skill development, meaningful movement, or just plain fun, Bosque Summer has you covered! Our full-day camps are specially designed for students entering grades 1–8. They are built on the pillars of creativity, discovery, movement, and performance, with students taking one class from each section daily. The programs culminate in a Friday showcase on the Bosque School campus for parents and families. Pick your passion with Bosque Summer's half-day camp options. These half-day weeklong programs allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the topics they are most interested in.
Submit photos and stories to our marketing and communications team, and your alumni photos and stories to the philanthropy department.