December 3, 2025
Category: Community, Parents, Robotics & Makerspace
The strength of the Waring community lies in more than just those of us who walk the campus daily – our parents are essential, invested partners in all we do.
In recent weeks, we have had the opportunity to chat with three remarkable parents, who, between them, have five current Waring students: Charlotte, Ed, and Suzanne. They have each been part of the Waring family for varying lengths of time and agreed to share their personal journeys, invaluable insights, and parental advice for families exploring a Waring education. Their diverse perspectives shed light on the unique aspects of Waring that have shaped their families’ experiences.
The conversations encompassed three core themes: why Waring was the right fit, what their child’s journey has been like, and essential advice for prospective families.
For every family, the decision to join the Waring community is personal, and the “right fit” looks different for each student based on their needs and where they are in their educational journey. Our conversations with Charlotte, Ed and Suzanne help us understand the distinctive paths that brought each of them to Waring.
For Charlotte and her son, Nico, Waring was never on their radar until after COVID, when classroom behaviors of fellow students became an issue and an ill-suited match at a private school led this family to look elsewhere for the “right fit” for his educational journey. Nico joined Waring in his 8th grade year, becoming active in three sports: soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and lacrosse in the spring. His mother fully expected him to find friends quickly, as that is his personality, but what she wasn’t expecting was to, as she put it, “get her son back.” She saw his demeanor, love of school and a genuine sense of ease with himself come rushing back with the welcoming and authentic environment cultivated at Waring.
Similarly, Ed Plummer found Waring during their family’s search for a middle school/high school experience that would give their two sons, Henry (eighth grade, Group 1) and Oliver (Core, 6th grade), not only a robust liberal arts education but a school that would tackle common middle school issues in a way that wasn’t just “structure and discipline” related. What they witnessed during their tour of Waring’s campus and classrooms resonated with them. Students worked in tandem with teachers to engage with the material. Mixed ages collaborated together and the students they met were genuine and authentic with no fear of judgment from their peers. It was Waring’s approach to education that made it an easy choice for their family.
For Suzanne and her daughters, Juliette (a senior, Group 5) and Audrey (a freshman, Group 2), the decision to attend Waring was based on several key factors. Having attended the Devereaux School in Marblehead and the Devereaux at Waring program since Kindergarten, the girls had a strong, immersive French background. Waring was thus the perfect fit for continuing their language studies. Furthermore, the family highly valued the school’s experiential and intentional learning approach, which features trips, events, and experiences designed to challenge and expand the students’ education.
Beyond the initial decision to enroll, the measure of a Waring education lies in the day-to-day experiences that each student encounters. While each family had different experiences, they all had common themes of welcoming, openness and intellectual challenge.
Charlotte immediately noticed that at Waring, everyone is accepted, from avid sports fans to music- and theater-loving kids. Her son felt welcomed, accepted and able to truly be himself during a time in his life that is often marked by awkward navigation of social dynamics, as well as the changes that come in the teenage years. She witnessed her son’s willingness to get involved in classroom discussions and even bring them home to explore topics further.
The Waring experience for Henry and Oliver involves a little bit of everything, from JV and varsity soccer games for both boys, to private voice lessons for Henry and piano for Oliver. Engagement for the Plummer boys doesn’t stop there; they are both highly involved in the Waring Robotics program, where they build and code robots for local, state, national and international competitions. Henry’s dedication to the robotics program has soared since he started at Waring three years ago, with coaches Sarah and Francis often spending hours working with him on his robot beyond the typical school day. The excitement for learning is palpable, according to their father.
Having two daughters who love to go to school, talk about what they are learning and have a love of knowledge is how Suzanne knew choosing Waring was the right fit for her girls. Like many of their peers at Waring, Juliette and Audrey are highly involved in the school community. Juliette is the captain of the girls’ varsity soccer team and is an active member of the Waring Robotics program. She even took part in the trip of a lifetime when the Waring Wolfpack Machina Robotics team traveled to Singapore to compete as Team USA in the annual FIRST Global robotics tournament. Audrey, like her big sister, is involved in the robotics program but has also thrown herself into soccer, lacrosse, and writing for the school newspaper.
As parents and families gain experience within the Waring community, they accumulate invaluable knowledge, from balancing extracurriculars to understanding the school’s unique rhythm. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom from parents who have been there.
Charlotte and Ed encourage future Waring parents to get involved, suggesting avenues such as Parent Group Meetings and attending events like soccer matches, Soirées, Convocation, robotics competitions, and concerts. They encourage parents to embrace the fun, quirky side of Waring that makes the community so special.
Getting involved in the school community looks very different for every family, according to Suzanne, who lives in Swampscott. For parents looking to get more involved but who live further away, she suggests attending the potlucks at the beginning of the year, where families can reconnect after the summer or meet new families. She also encourages parents to attend Soirées and other school functions to connect with what their children are learning and the talents they are nurturing while at Waring.
The decision to join the Waring community is a unique and personal one for every family, often proving to be the right fit due to the school’s welcoming, authentic, and intellectually challenging environment. Charlotte McAleer, Ed Plummer, and Suzanne Hale have found Waring to be a place where their children, Nico, Henry, Oliver, Juliette, and Audrey, can thrive. Their students have developed and fostered a love of learning and engaged in diverse activities such as sports, music, and Robotics. Their collective advice for new families centers on the importance of being involved with their students and attending school events to fully integrate into the Waring community.
