When national attention turned to ICE immigration activity last winter, a group of PC seventh and eighth graders didn't want to just watch from the sidelines. Inspired by an Upper School walkout protesting the raids, the students decided to take action of their own — becoming, in their words, "change cultivators."

Their eighth-grade civics class, taught by Jim Pilkington, had spent the year exploring the Bill of Rights, the Civil Rights Movement and civic engagement — themes that connected directly to what students were seeing in the news. "Learning about the Bill of Rights and connecting that to rights that are being threatened right now was really important," said eighth grader Leela Vedanthan.

With support from Middle School leaders Kathleen Clinchy and Erin Howard, and guidance from Alyson Goodner OPC '96 of the Center for Public Purpose, the group designed a two-part campaign: fundraising and education.

They created buttons spreading messages of peace and equality — including a nod to Philly's iconic LOVE sign — and sold them at a lunchtime bake sale to raise money for Puentes de Salud and the Nationalities Service Center, two organizations serving immigrants and refugees. "It's a subtle way of spreading awareness," said eighth grader Andie Shaginaw.

The students also led a fact-based "Know Your Rights" teach-in for their peers, breaking down terms like undocumented, green card and birthright citizenship for an audience spanning fifth graders through faculty.

For Clinchy, the project pushed back on a common assumption. "I so wholeheartedly disagree with the idea that students are too young to lead," she said. "Any age can be a leader — and we're seeing that here in the Middle School."

Pilkington agreed the experience reflected something bigger than a class assignment. "Civic engagement isn't something to learn for a class or a grade," he said. "It's a vital skill for our democracy to succeed."

Felix Robinson, a junior, grew up listening to Phillies games on the radio with his family. "We never had cable TV," he said. "So we would sit around the dinner table every evening of the summer listening to Phillies games." Without instant replays or graphics, he noticed, announcers "have to be the center of focus—have to be entertaining."

Inspired by Phillies broadcaster Scott Franzke, Felix reached out to PC's Athletics Department last fall to ask about broadcasting basketball games. Director of Athletics Daniel DiBerardinis, who came to Penn Charter from a school with its own broadcasting program, loved the idea and helped provide equipment and training. The team also brought in Bob Long, a broadcasting expert from La Salle College High School, to show students how to set up streaming.

"There was a ton of support for helping me set it up," Felix recalled. After basketball season, DiBerardinis and the athletics team encouraged him to turn the effort into an official club.

Sports broadcasting involves researching teams and players, tracking stats, live commentary, and player interviews. Felix hopes to build a dedicated group of students to consistently cover PC sports going forward. Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive. "It's been really cool to see that it's reaching the Penn Charter community, past and present," he said.

Watch live broadcasts on PC Athletics' YouTube channel, and follow @pc.sports.broadcasting on Instagram for interviews, live updates, and more.

Each spring, Penn Charter's Art Show transforms the Kurtz Center lobby into a gallery showcasing student work from every division—pre-K through 12th grade—spanning painting, sculpture, fabric work, graphic design, photography, ceramics and more.

The Visual Arts and Design Department faculty chooses the show's theme together each year. "We start with a brainstorming session, discuss our ideas and share what resonates with each of us," said department chair Joy Lai. This year's theme, "Make Your Mark," highlighted how art leaves a lasting impression on both viewer and artist.

Lower School students contributed weavings, clay work, wood sculptures, paintings, prints and drawings. "They beam with pride seeing their work in this more formal setting," said Lower School art teacher Karen Riedlmeier. Middle schoolers explored painting, clay work, collage and perspective drawing, embracing what Middle School art teacher Jennifer Chernak called the freedom of "learning through process"—including both setbacks and creative surprises.

In the Upper School, preparing for the show is part of the curriculum: students select their pieces, write artist statements, and help mat, frame and hang their work. In Eva Kay Noone's Advanced Costume Design class, students research a historical era and design a mask and full costume for a character—this year drawing on Italian Commedia Dell'Arte.

The show also featured work from eight OPC photographers spanning multiple decades, including Griffin Lipson OPC '12, who has photographed celebrities like Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, and Keith Helmetag OPC '71, whose award-winning installations appear at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Yankee Stadium.

"The show is an extension of what it means to be in an artistic community," Lai said. "Our hope is that our viewers will be impressed by the breadth of our program, awed by the creativity of our students and inspired to make their own art."

Inspired by Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York, Joy Lai, chair of the Visual Arts and Design Department, had long wanted her photography students to create a similar project celebrating the Penn Charter community. This March, that vision became "People of PC."

Studying works by photographers like Dawoud Bey, Carrie Mae Weems and Irving Penn, students learned about pose, angle and background before each chose a PC teacher or staff member to photograph and interview. "The goal was to celebrate the people who make up the school while highlighting meaningful personal connections," Lai said. Students created black-and-white portraits layered with colorful artistic designs of their own.

Freshman Sophie Wilmerding photographed Shelby Tucker, a Middle School teacher and her former lacrosse coach. Tucker told her that watching students grow over the years—rather than losing touch after Middle School—was her favorite part of teaching at PC. Sophie set the portrait against the "Joy in Community" banner with purple accents, "because it feels like her vibe."

Sophomore Bridget Elliott photographed frequent substitute teacher Yola Nakchbandi, learning about her past teaching at a military school in the UAE. "She really loves being a part of Penn Charter, and the community loves her," Bridget said, choosing warm accent colors to match Nakchbandi's personality.

Students found the project offered a new way to connect with teachers—and a deeper understanding of the people behind the PC community.

Girls Lacrosse

The Quakers enjoyed their strongest season in decades in 2026, riding a wave of magic to multiple program milestones. A 7-6 loss to Inter-Ac rival Episcopal Academy on March 19 dropped PC to 2-2 overall, and it was the last time the team tasted defeat for the rest of the year.

Penn Charter responded to the EA setback by embarking on a staggering 24-game win streak, collecting the program’s first Inter-Ac championship since 1999 along the way. PC finished 9-1 against league opponents, a game ahead of Episcopal in the standings, and earned a hard-fought 9-8 win in the regular season rematch against EA on May 1. The two teams met again in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) championship game three weeks later, with the Quakers claiming a 7-4 victory and the program’s first state title since 2022. Louisville recruit Claire Cho led the way with a team-best four goals. 

Penn Charter ended its season as the No. 4 ranked team in the nation by USALacrosse.com. The Quakers had a plethora of selections on the all-league team, with senior goalie and Boston College recruit Maeve Magarity leading the First Team by being awarded the Inter-Ac Most Valuable Player honor. Magarity, also named to the New Balance All-America Lacrosse Senior Game in July, capped off her PC career with 10 saves in the PAISAA title game. 

Joining Magarity on the First Team were Ana Buckley (Dartmouth), Harbor Campbell (Loyola), Molly Dougherty (Michigan) and Makenna Myers, while Mia DiBenedetto and Lila Marciniak (Northwestern) earned Second Team honors. 

Boys Lacrosse

Following a winless season in 2025, Penn Charter enjoyed immense improvements on the field this past spring. The Quakers finished with an 11-12 overall record, their highest win total in four years, and swept last-place Germantown Academy during the regular season. The program also qualified for the PAISAA Tournament, winning its first round game against Academy of the New Church on May 13 before ultimately bowing out to eventual champ Malvern Prep the next day.

Girls Track & Field

The PC girls followed up their highly-successful winter indoor track season with more accolades in the spring. The Quakers first secured an Inter-Ac championship on May 9 at Episcopal Academy, then followed that up with a PAISAA championship one week later at Malvern Prep. 

Mackenzie Skelly broke the school record in the 1600m by running a 4:45.18 at the Haverford Distance Classic in mid-April. Two weeks later, Skelly and 4x800 relay teammates Abby Downin, Marlie Klein and Gwen Hamilton set a Pennsylvania record by running an 8:49.73 at the historic Penn Relays while earning a second-place finish in the process. 

Senior Michaela Poland was named as the league’s Most Valuable Athlete for the second time in her PC career, headlining the Inter-Ac all-league First Team. Also named to the First Team were Skelly, Hamilton, Taliyah Davis, Tisa Edwards, Logan Lloyd, Zsuzsi Pollock and Keagan Seth. Klein and Downin both were named to the Second Team. 

Boys Track & Field

On the boys’ end, Penn Charter’s season included a fourth-place finish at the Inter-Ac Championships, followed by a seventh-place showing at PAISAAs to conclude the season. At the league championship meet, the PC foursome of Nate Keller, Matthew Furda, Ethan Leggett and Christian Downs broke a school and meet record by completing the 4x100 relay in 42.55 seconds. That same quartet earned First Team all-league honors along with Matthew Dunn, while Lamir Calloway, Jak Kraemer and Andrew Marrone made for the Second Team.

Girls and Boys Track & Field
Then, in late June, as a capstone to such successful seasons, Poland, Lloyd, Leggett and Dunn finished in sixth place in the mixed 4x400 relay at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor, which features alternating legs of two boys and two girls. The PC foursome finished the race, which took place at UPenn’s Franklin Field, in 3:33.76. By virtue of finishing in the top six, the quartet earned high school All-American honors, further strengthening the reputation of both PC track programs. 

Baseball

The Quakers posted an 11-15 overall record, reaching double-digit wins for the first time since 2023. The team was 4-6 against Inter-Ac opponents, good for a fourth-place finish in the league standings. PC also secured a 10-0 first-round victory over Friends’ Central in the PAISAA Tournament on May 15 before sustaining a season-ending loss to Inter-Ac and PAISAA champ Malvern Prep a couple of days later.

Pitcher/shortstop Brice Staples was the team’s lone selection to the Inter-Ac’s all-league First Team, while outfielder Ryan Musial earned a spot on the Second Team. Freddie Master, Augie Turner and Braden Hall were head coach Justin Hanley’s picks for the team’s Coaches Award winners. 

Softball

PC ended its 2026 season in fourth place in the Inter-Ac, with one of the major highlights of the campaign being shortstop Madelyn Bergmann picking up her 100th career hit. Bergmann and catcher Maddie Wray were selected to the Inter-Ac all-league First Team, while Ellie McKernan, who rotated between playing second and third base, and first baseman Elaina Nicolucci secured spots on the Second Team. Wray, senior DP/outfielder Jordan Simon and freshman second base/pitcher Logan Goodheart were the program’s Coaches Award winners. 

Boys Tennis

PC finished 5-7 overall and 2-3 against Inter-Ac opponents during the 2026 boys tennis season, finishing in fourth place in the league standings. The Quakers earned a 6-1 postseason victory against Perkiomen School in the first round of the PAISAA Tournament before falling to eventual champion Haverford School in the next round in a season-ending defeat. 

Simon Zoldan was named First Team all-league, while teammates Nico Addimando, Jonah Serotta and Ramzi Wilkins all nabbed Second Team honors.

Crew

The Quakers secured a pair of top four finishes at the historic 99th Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the world’s largest scholastic rowing regatta that is held annually on the Schuylkill River in mid-May. Vivienne Riley, Sophia Toncich-Mandel, Parker Grimes and Grace Choate captured third place in the Junior Quad event, marking the first time a quad team had medaled in PC program history. Additionally, the senior double team of Hannah Aldinger and Lili DeMartinis brought home a fourth place finish in their race.

Aldinger and DeMartinis were far from finished, as the very next week the duo placed second at the SRAA National Team Regatta in the varsity 2x race. 
 

With three performances in February, Penn Charter Upper School students brought "Once on This Island" to life with vibrant music and dance, powerful storytelling and a stage transformed into a Caribbean island. The musical celebrated love, resilience and the power of community. Set against the backdrop of a divided island, "Once on This Island" weaves together folklore, music and dance to tell the story of Ti Moune, a young girl guided by the gods as she navigates love and sacrifice.

The production challenged students to explore complex cultural themes, which they embraced fully. For director Eva Kay Noone, the production was a standout experience. “From the amazing cast, who brought life to the music and dance, to the production crew who created a Caribbean island for them to inhabit, this was a dream production,” she said. “The challenging story did not dissuade our students, and they leaned in to understand the nuances of this show.”

For many cast members, the production's strength came from the connections they formed along the way. Junior Chelsea Gadsden reflected on the sense of belonging within the group. “Every person was included and had a friend, and that made putting on such a difficult production fun,” she said. “I always felt supported and celebrated, which translated so well to chemistry and trust on stage.”

“The show’s cast is like a team where everyone needs to play their part,” freshman Luke Wakefield said, “and seeing this show come together really helped me realize that.”

“This musical helped me grow in so many ways,” junior AJ Bouie added. “I learned to work with different personalities and became good friends with people I might not have met otherwise. It was great being a teammate in an activity other than sports.”

Students also found themselves pushed artistically in new ways. Sophomore Norhi Goodman, who played he lead character, Ti Moune, described how the role helped her grow. “Being Ti Moune really pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to be more expressive than I usually am,” she said, crediting the guidance of Noone and the choreographer for helping her bring emotion and depth to the character.

Congratulations to the Penn Charter Class of 2026! The celebration commenced in the Graham Athletics & Wellness Center, as our graduating seniors, surrounded by family, friends, faculty and staff, celebrated their Penn Charter journey.

Paul Hough OPC '77, clerk of the Board of Trustees, led a scripture reading followed by silent worship in the manner of Friends. Student speakers followed, including Rainer Malhotra and Mireille Ohemeng.

Jack Kraemer, senior class clerk, presented the Senior Gift. Head of School Karen Warren Coleman presented the Phi Beta Kappa Award to Jack Kraemer and Rainer Malhotra (given to the student outstanding in scholarship in the graduating class), and Alumni Society President Edward Morris III OPC '94 presented the PC Alumni Society Senior Award to Rainer Malhotra (given to a senior who on qualification of scholarship, character, leadership and athletic ability exemplifies the best PC type).

After the presentation of diplomas, the ceremony ended with Quakers Dozen performing "In My Life" by Lennon and McCartney, followed by the Penn Charter alma mater performed by the Quakers Dozen and Penn Charter Commencement Band.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! We are so proud of you!

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View Recording (starts at 35:11)

Students, families, friends, faculty and staff gathered in the Kurtz Center of the Performing Arts to celebrate fifth grade students at their Moving-Up Ceremony on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

The event began with the Handbell Choir performing "Festival Fanfare," directed by music teacher Jaysen Rosario. Head of School Karen Warren Coleman greeted the audience, followed by remarks from Director of Lower School Thu-Nga Morris.

Fifth grade students, including Anna Barsanti, Madeleine Cohen, Cora Sangobowale, Saya Shah, Aryana Adappa, Thomas Jackson V, Malcolm Sullivan, Leo Serventi, Leia Gannone, Emery Distel-Wherley and Zena Kapust St. Fort, offered inspirational words for their classmates and shared reflections on their experiences in Lower School.

Emma Milner, Maeve Cunningham, Henry Grinwis and Ava Mondrosch introduced the video presentation of the fifth grade, which featured photographs of the students through the years.

Thu-Nga Morris awarded each fifth grader a certificate, and Director of Middle School Kathleen Clinchy welcomed them to the Middle School. 

The Penn Pals sang "Blessing," followed by the entire fifth grade performing the Penn Charter Alma Mater, and finally "As We Leave This Friendly Place," a long-standing Lower School tradition.

Congratulations to the Class of 2033! 

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Video Recording

On Thursday, June 4, 2026, the eighth grade class concluded their middle school journey with a beautiful moving-up ceremony.

The Graham Athletics & Wellness Center was filled with family, friends, faculty, staff and fellow middle school students to celebrate the eighth graders who will be moving on to Upper School this fall. Eighth graders Graham Sala and Nabil Mustapha welcomed their classmates and introduced Head of School Karen Warren Coleman, who addressed the audience and shared reflections on the past school year. Inés Sheer and Sophia Balin remarked on their eighth grade experiences and initiated a call to gathering as the ceremony held a short Meeting for Worship.

The program featured speeches from six students: Paul Mazur, sixth grade; Nicky Howe, seventh grade; and Emerson Walsh, Mallory Michener, Simone Borish and Andie Shaginaw, eighth grade. Eighth graders Leela Vedanthan and Bianca Jones gave the teacher acknowledgment speech. Eighth Grade Choir performed "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" by Billy Joel, accompanied and directed by Choral Director Tony Yoo. Special awards and presentations for the graduates followed.

Director of Middle School Kathleen Clinchy led the Moving-Up ceremony and Director of Upper School Kim Berndt welcomed the eighth graders to Upper School.

Award Winners

Hal Commons Memorial Award
Presented by Kathleen Clinchy, this award is given to a Middle School student who best exemplifies the qualities of caring, sharing and responsibility.

• Rex Bremner, Lena Polite

Richard Mott Jones Memorial Award
Presented by Kerry Howard, assistant director of the Middle School, this award is given to an outstanding member of the eighth grade class who excels in academics, athletics, the fine and performing arts, and contributes positively to the social environment in our Middle School.

• Delilah Halcomb

Antonios S. Thomas Memorial Award
Presented by Karen Warren Coleman, this award is given to a Middle School student who best embodies the spirit, energy and enthusiasm of Middle School and has earned the respect of students and teachers alike. The recipient's presence in Middle School has made our community better.

• Juliette Torrisi

Congratulations to the Class of 2030!

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View Recording (starts at 31:38)

On May 22, Upper School students at Penn Charter were honored with various year-end awards during the annual Upper School Prize Assembly.

Faculty, staff, classmates, and family gathered to celebrate their achievements. Additionally, 37 students received recognition for completing Penn Charter certificate programs in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice, Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability, and Global Culture and Language. The ceremony concluded with the naming of this year's Commencement speakers, Rainer Malhotra and Mimi Ohemeng, and the formal dedication of the 2026 Class Record (yearbook) to teachers Charlie Brown and Susan Ahrenholdt.

See more photos.

View the range of awards and the recipients below. Congratulations to all!