January 2024

Hello Alumni, Alumni Parents,

Grandparents and Friends

My name is Olivia Brochu. I was introduced in the last alumni news and I’m thrilled to be writing to you all this year with the latest updates and happenings around Touchstone! I graduated from the OSP in 2011 and since being on the board this year, I have so much enjoyed staying up to date with what’s going on with the school. I hope that you do too!

As I’m sure many of you have experienced yourselves, there has been some serious winter weather around New England over the last month or so. As always, the children have loved making forts in the snow, sledding, and a new (snowy) type of outdoor exploration. I can so strongly remember sledding down the big hill on the playground in round orange sleds. Seeing the pictures below makes me a little jealous!

In addition to outdoor learning, the children also recently participated in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Meeting, which included music and poster presentations and ended in a school dance and collections of donations to Abby’s House. Reflecting on this, a few memories from Martin Luther King Day celebrations at Touchstone resurfaced for me. Alumni and parents of a certain age might remember Ginny’s famous ‘Melanin! Melanin!’ song. I was even able to dig up some picture from 2003!

In the last issue of Alumni News, I know you were introduced to the new Alumni Instagram. In case folks are not on Instagram, I wanted to share with you our latest Alumni Spotlight highlighting 2010 alum and my dearest friend Julia Miller! 

Julia graduated from the OSP in 2010 and has been on a ride of adventures ever since! Currently, she’s living the ranger life as a National Park Ranger, with her most recent post being at the iconic Statue of Liberty! 🗽 Fun fact: Did you know the Statue of Liberty is a National Park site? 🤯

But wait, there’s more! Julia took a trip down memory lane and shared a favorite Touchstone moment with us. 🌈🔬 Remember those unforgettable OSP projects? Julia recalls a nutrition experiment on the deck, where they lit marshmallows ablaze to understand the concept of calories. 🍡🔥

👉 “It was a hands-on way to solidify the scientific idea of a calorie as a unit of energy, all while burning stuff outside with my friends – truly the dream!” - Julia Miller 💭🌟

To stay updated on more alumni spotlights you can follow the Instagram at @tcsalumni_. If you’re interested in being spotlighted yourself, please feel free to email me at oliviadbrochu@gmail.com. 

In other news, I also want to mention that Touchstone was able to meet their annual fund fundraising goal of $65,000! I’ll admit, this was my first year donating to Touchstone…but I am so glad I did! We younger alumni might not yet be able to donate a ton, but still every bit counts. I feel so proud that my contribution was able to support the Touchstone community, funding things like the playground, field trips, and overall improvements to the school. It’s still not too late to become a first-time donor! You can make your donation here. 

Lastly, I’m thrilled to invite you to join us at Touchstone’s Annual Auction on April 27th at the White Room in Worcester! In my role on the board, I support the auction planning committee. This means that I can guarantee to you this will be a night you don’t want to miss! Stay tuned for ticket info and a special invite to the super exclusive alumni afterparty 👀 👀.

In addition to inviting you to the auction, I also want to invite you to donate items or services! Donating in this way is another great way to get involved with the community. I’ve included some examples of donation ideas below:

• Professional services
• Homemade treats
• Red Sox tickets
• Weekend babysitting
• Beginning piano lessons
• Tickets to a Patriots game
• Week or weekend at summer house on the beach or in the mountains
• Autographed memorabilia
• Custom artwork  
• Casting/Fishing Lessons
• Room painting  
• Sewing, needlework or craft lessons
• Digital photography lessons

Please email auction@touchstoneschool.com to donate or learn more. 

That’s all for my updates! Thank you so much for being a part of our Touchstone Community, and please do reach out if you are interested in being involved in alumni engagement efforts. 

All the best,

Olivia

oliviadbrochu@gmail.com

Alumni Instagram