Now Available: Quad Prep Magazine, Fall 2026 Edition
By Regan Todd | Senior Manager, Communications
We are excited to share a snapshot of our 2025-2026 school year in our Fall 2026 edition of Quad Prep Magazine!
Our latest edition is now available on our News & Media page.
This magazine, with its enclosed gratitude report, is a gift to those who have been gifts to us: our inquisitive students, collaborative parents, dedicated faculty, generous donors, and community champions alike. Page after page, the generosity and steadfast support of our community are front and center—proving that we are truly better together.
Here is a glimpse of the stories that await you within the pages of this year’s publication. We hope you enjoy!
The Next Generation of Neuroscientists Starts Here
In 2023, Upper School Science Teacher Hemal Pathak started a Neuroscience Research course for eager scholars—and our gifted, high-achieving high school students jumped at the chance to combine physics, biology, and chemistry to conduct original research. Now aimed for publication, Hemal and his students are the first researchers—not just high schoolers—to propose that the structural composition of a mutated NRXN1 (the gene associated with autism) is a main contributor to behavioral phenotypes of an autism diagnosis.
The “Why” Behind the “What”: Deeply Exploring Different Cultures and Traditions in Lower School Humanities
Cultural beliefs and values have guided people for centuries, molding society as we know it and enriching our lives. Guided by Lower School Head Teacher Kaylee Huntley and her colleagues, our gifted fourth and fifth-grade students explore what this means and why it matters. Through books, gallery walks, a trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Socratic seminars, students were challenged to take on the perspectives of other cultures than their own.
From the Park to the Playoffs: The Quad Prep Soccer Team Finds Victory and Belonging
Only three years since the first sports teams launched, Quad Prep is preparing for its first-ever six-sport season. How did this happen so fast? Suffice it to say, when it came time to ask students to join the inaugural soccer team, the answer was a resounding yes. For our students, the belonging that comes with team sports carries unique weight. Walking into school the day after a win and receiving high-fives in the hallway—those moments matter.
“He’s on a school team. He’s able to represent a school and be with his friends.” — Upper School Parent
Spotlight: Communications Intern
As part of the Post-Secondary Planning (PSP) course for 10th-grade students, Quad Prep Zenith High School student Vivian ‘29 participated in an internship with the Quad Prep Communications Team during the 2025-2026 school year. PSP is a course for gifted high school students that prepares them for the next steps in their academic, professional, and personal journeys.
A Snapshot of Snapshots: Advanced Photography Defines Students’ Creative Identities
A picture is worth a thousand words, and in the Quad Prep Advanced Photography class, sometimes words paint the picture. Over the course of the school year, the gifted students in Upper School Advanced Photography built their own bodies of work and established creative intentions, culminating in a display of their series and accompanying artist statements.
Breakthroughs in Twice-Exceptional Futures 2026
The annual Breakthroughs in Twice-Exceptional Futures Conference is a mission-centric tradition for the Quad Prep community—and the 2026 conference was no exception. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful International House architecture, this year’s conference was a testament to the importance of neurodiverse minds, voices, and advocates.
Save the date for the 2027 Breakthroughs in Twice-Exceptional Futures Conference on Thursday, March 4, 2027! Learn more here.
From Concrete to Abstract: Multisensory Math in Action
At Quad Prep, we know that gifted learning practices are often the best practices, and Multisensory Math is no different. What is Multisensory Math, though? Developed by Marilyn Zecher, M.A., CALT, Multisensory Math creates a mind-body connection to help students associate a physical sensation with each step of solving a mathematical expression. For our students, this could look like mapping out your own roller coaster, designing and building a 3D model of your favorite city, creating a stained glass art project, baking cookies, or playing hopscotch!
Senior Spotlight: Omri
Omri ‘26 called Quad Prep home since eighth grade—and after graduating in 2026, he headed to Swarthmore College as an undeclared student to continue pursuing rigorous, wide-ranging academics. Omri’s time at Quad Prep was marked by unexpected transformations, uncovered passions, and proud accomplishments (including his participation in the Neuroscience Research course).
Senior Spotlight: Samuel
When Samuel transferred from a public elementary school to Quad Prep in 4th grade, the adjustment wasn’t easy. Nine years later, he’s heading to Cornell University—poised, purposeful, and deeply thankful for the journey. Samuel’s academic record reflects genuine commitment—a commitment that will continue as he pursues degrees in animal science and public policy on a veterinary track.
Modeling Lifelong Learning through the Certificate in Meeting the Needs of Twice-Exceptional Children Program
Developed by Dr. Kim Busi, the year-long Certificate in Meeting the Needs of Twice-Exceptional Children is a postgraduate professional certificate program for the purpose of deepening participants’ understanding of educating gifted, twice-exceptional students. Congratulations to this year’s cohort: Sarah Chalmers, Paris Hitchens, Kelsey Phillips, and Molly Vallejo!
From the Page to the Stage: How Theater and Storytelling Help Young Learners on a Journey of Self-Discovery
Through an integrated Library and Theater storytelling class for gifted students in Kindergarten and first grade, Librarian Abbey Mather and Theater Teacher and Lower School Arts Integration Coordinator Joanne Magee harness the power of stories to fuel a new type of self-discovery.
“We are finding that books are the gateway to self-expression in theater. Using picture books with diverse characters, settings, and dramatic plots serves as a bridge from page to stage. Creativity blooms when stories are read and enacted. We are expanding students’ skills to be deep thinkers, orators, and actors.” — Joanne Magee, Theater Teacher and Lower School Arts Integration Coordinator
Q&A with Chief Gifted Education Specialist Dan Rosenberg
At Quad Prep, learning is ceilingless and personalized. Every 2e student has a unique learning profile, and that’s why our curriculum is rooted in gifted education practices. We personalize our curriculum for each student’s learning style, strengths, and interests. In this Q&A, Dan Rosenberg, Quad Prep’s K-12 Chief Gifted Education Specialist, shares his thoughts on the best practices in gifted education programming based on over 30 years of experience.
“The question is not if students will learn, but how to best facilitate their learning and growth.” — Dan Rosenberg, Chief Gifted Education Specialist, K-12
Robotics: R.A.D. Robotics Finishes Standout Inaugural Season with Victories Big and Small
In its inaugural season, Quad Prep’s R.A.D. Robotics team is already an award-winning group. Out of over 300 teams in the FIRST® Tech Challenge League, R.A.D. Robotics finished in 59th place—the only rookie team to place in the top 100—and was the recipient of the Design Award. Awarded to only one team, the Design Award recognizes outstanding robotic design and engineering process.
“In doing robotics, I have found joy in being a team player. I like being able to help problem solve and have people help me problem solve. We worked together to create this robot that I don’t think any one of us could have made on our own, and that’s really, really cool.” — Daniel ‘26
Gratitude Report 2025-2026
Thank you 2.9 million times! We needed you, and you stepped up in the most incredible way by sharing your time, expertise, and resources. Thank you! Your generosity in 2025-26 was unparalleled—together we raised over $2.9 million to support our incredibly gifted neurodivergent students and advance neuroinclusive futures.
This issue of Quad Prep Magazine explores a snapshot of the transformational education that you made possible. Within the magazine, this Gratitude Report is a celebration of YOU and the entire Quad Prep Community. We can’t thank you enough.
A not-for-profit independent college preparatory school, Quad Prep’s rich and robust curriculum engages, challenges, and inspires students at all levels, K–12, through our Lower School and Upper School programs. Quad Prep does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to, but is not limited to, educational policies, admission, financial consideration, hiring and employment practices, use of school facilities, athletics, and other school-administered programs.
