Academics
Balancing his athletic commitments with strong academic discipline as a fifth-form (8th Grade) student at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, MA.
Expand the sections below to read what Briggs' teachers have to say about his academic performance.
Fall Trimester 2025
What his advisors had to say:
We hear so much about hockey, and rightfully so—so much of Briggs's time and energy is devoted to the sport. We were thrilled to finally get to see him play in Burlington at the beginning of Thanksgiving break, and he's exceptional. Honestly, though, it's no surprise. The athleticism we saw during Varsity soccer was just a hint of his ability, and watching him on the ice confirmed what we already suspected: this kid is a serious athlete. We look forward to continuing to cheer him on. In the dorm, he's a great friend and roommate who consistently follows rules and makes mature, responsible decisions. His grades are excellent, reflecting the same dedication he brings to athletics. He's got a great sense of humor and we genuinely love spending time with him. Here's our one request: we want him to remember we're here and ready to help with whatever he needs - stock him with supplies, Windex his mirror, throw his water bottle in our dishwasher—truly anything. We know he's more than busy juggling academics and athletics, and we want to make sure he feels comfortable reaching out when support would help. He handles everything with impressive independence, but we're right here when he needs us. Keep up the excellent work across the board, Briggs.
Heidi Pieroni & Michel Pieron
Kravis House Advisors
Winter Trimester 2026
What his advisors had to say:
We have been so impressed with Briggs this trimester. He juggles an enormous amount and does so with remarkable grace — but what has stood out even more than his ability to manage his responsibilities is the strength of his character in the moments that matter. Time and again this term, we have watched Briggs make the right decision even when it was the harder one. He looks out for those around him, knows when to involve adults, and consistently steps up — even in the small, quiet moments when no one is watching. He is exactly the kind of person who makes this community better simply by being a part of it, and we could not be more proud of the young man he is.
Heidi Pieroni & Michel Pieroni
Kravis House Advisors
Heidi Pieroni & Michel Pieron
Kravis House Advisors
What his advisors had to say:
We have been so impressed with Briggs this trimester. He juggles an enormous amount and does so with remarkable grace — but what has stood out even more than his ability to manage his responsibilities is the strength of his character in the moments that matter. Time and again this term, we have watched Briggs make the right decision even when it was the harder one. He looks out for those around him, knows when to involve adults, and consistently steps up — even in the small, quiet moments when no one is watching. He is exactly the kind of person who makes this community better simply by being a part of it, and we could not be more proud of the young man he is.
Heidi Pieroni & Michel Pieron
Kravis House Advisors
Pre Algebra
Fall Trimester 2025
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs finishes the trimester with an impressive A, characterized by a perfect homework average, strong participation, excellent test results, and a 100 on the final exam. His enthusiasm for learning and willingness to embrace challenges are truly commendable. Briggs's continued growth in confidence, persistence, and accuracy is evident. He exemplifies the balance of enjoying learning while taking academic responsibilities seriously. His natural curiosity drives him to grasp not just the steps of a problem but also the reasoning behind them. His positive attitude is infectious and creates a motivating environment for his peers. I am excited to see him continue to shine in the next trimester.
Jack Faulstick, Pre Algebra Teacher
Pre Algebra
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs had an excellent winter term in Pre-Algebra. He continues to approach class with enthusiasm, persistence, and a strong desire to do well. He participates regularly, takes pride in his work, and is willing to put in the effort needed to understand new material, even when it becomes challenging. His positive attitude and willingness to stay engaged each day helped him maintain strong performance throughout the term. Briggs shows resilience when working through difficult problems and does not get discouraged easily, which is a great strength as the material becomes more complex. I look forward to seeing him continue to build on this success in the spring.
Jack Faulstick, Pre Algebra Teacher
Jack Faulstick, Pre Algebra Teacher
Pre Algebra
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs had an excellent winter term in Pre-Algebra. He continues to approach class with enthusiasm, persistence, and a strong desire to do well. He participates regularly, takes pride in his work, and is willing to put in the effort needed to understand new material, even when it becomes challenging. His positive attitude and willingness to stay engaged each day helped him maintain strong performance throughout the term. Briggs shows resilience when working through difficult problems and does not get discouraged easily, which is a great strength as the material becomes more complex. I look forward to seeing him continue to build on this success in the spring.
Jack Faulstick, Pre Algebra Teacher
Pre Algebra
Spring Trimester 2026
Grade:
What his teacher had to say:
Coming Soon
Jack Faulstick, Pre Algebra Teacher
Beginning Spanish
Fall Trimester 2025
Grade: A-
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs is highly engaged in class and is often one of the first to raise his hand to answer or ask questions. He completes his homework thoroughly and on time, showing responsibility and commitment. While his writing and speaking are strong, he sometimes makes small syntax mistakes. Briggs encourages classmates and contributes positively to our class community. He attempts to use Spanish in class as much as he can, which is fantastic. Briggs asks questions to learn more that go beyond only clarifying expectations.
Colby RunkSpanish Teacher
Beginning Spanish
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A-
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs was very focused when completing homework and improved his attention to detail in his work. In class, he was an active participant and was often one of the first to volunteer to speak, read his responses, or answer a question, which enriched our discussions and showed engagement with the material. He could sometimes be distracting when seated near one of his friends, so I encouraged him to maintain his strong focus during class work time as well. Briggs's writing contained some errors that he was capable of identifying and fixing with careful self-editing, and I'd like him to build that revision habit before submitting his work. On his final verbal interview, he earned 102%. He demonstrated thorough understanding of the grammatical concepts we covered during the winter and went above and beyond in his responses.
Colby RunkSpanish Teacher
Beginning Spanish
Spring Trimester 2026
Grade:
What his teacher had to say:
Coming Soon
Beginning Spanish
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A-
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs was very focused when completing homework and improved his attention to detail in his work. In class, he was an active participant and was often one of the first to volunteer to speak, read his responses, or answer a question, which enriched our discussions and showed engagement with the material. He could sometimes be distracting when seated near one of his friends, so I encouraged him to maintain his strong focus during class work time as well. Briggs's writing contained some errors that he was capable of identifying and fixing with careful self-editing, and I'd like him to build that revision habit before submitting his work. On his final verbal interview, he earned 102%. He demonstrated thorough understanding of the grammatical concepts we covered during the winter and went above and beyond in his responses.
Colby RunkSpanish Teacher
Beginning Spanish
Spring Trimester 2026
Grade:
What his teacher had to say:
Coming Soon
Modern American History
Fall Trimester 2025
Grade: A-
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs brought a lot of background knowledge to class this fall, and he also displayed very good study skills in history class. His assignments were always completed on time and with great care, and he, at times contributed thoughtful questions and comments during discussions.
While he could get a bit sidetracked with friends, Briggs always was able to refocus. He worked well in any pair or group activities, and he often showed his leadership skills by getting others to do their best. Near the end of the trimester, he organized a very informative presentation on parts of Reconstruction. He spoke clearly and with ease in front of his peers. His last quiz score was a bit below his usual score, and he did not show his normal level of detail. Hopefully this winter, he returns with renewed focus, as we tend to go faster.
David Goodrow
Modern American History
Modern American History
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A-
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs had another strong trimester in Modern American History. He participated well, worked cooperatively with others, and completed assignments on time and with care. His understanding of key concepts was evident in his Gilded Age and Progressive Movement poster. That said, Briggs did seem a bit tired at times this trimester. His busy athletic schedule may have impacted his usual attention to detail, including on his poster project. While he performed well on the final quiz, it was slightly below his typical level. With a bit more balance and focus this spring, especially as we move into interest-based projects, Briggs is well-positioned to return to his highest level of performance.
David Goodrow
Modern American History
Modern American History
Spring Trimester 2026
Grade:
What his teacher had to say:
Coming Soon!
David Goodrow
Modern American History
English V
Fall Trimester 2025
Grade: B+
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs brought a commendable level of effort to Fifth Form English this fall term. In class he sets to work quickly, asks for feedback, and takes instruction well. In class discussions he answers questions and offers his own thoughts on our readings. As the class worked on new expository writing skills, such as paragraph unity and compare and contrast structure, Briggs demonstrated an understanding and ability to put those skills into practice; though his sentences and paragraphs remained fairly basic and unpolished. In the latter half of the fall term Briggs engaged productively, offering his suspicions and reactions to the twists and turns of our mystery novel. The culminating essay was a big step up for Briggs-he admitted it was the first essay he'd been assigned-and I was proud of how he took it on: asking for support, thinking creatively about the book, and putting extra effort into getting the major components of the assignment onto the page. I look forward to working with Briggs next term and supporting his continuing development as an English student.
Myles Olmsted
English V
English V
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A-
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs is an absolute pleasure to have in class. While not all aspects of English class come easily to Briggs, he works hard, wants to do well, and maintains a productive and positive attitude. I am really proud of his effort and attitude, and I trust they will keep paying dividends for Briggs. Throughout the term Briggs was consistent with his homework completion. As the class read Animal Farm this term, Briggs began using chapter summaries to put the pieces of the chapter together and come to a better grasp of the chapter overall. This seems to work well for Briggs, and he was able to participate productively and discuss the book in class. In the spring term we will keep working on reading strategies to improve comprehension. Likewise, we will continue building Briggs' confidence with writing. I look forward to working with Briggs next term.
Myles Olmsted
English V
English V
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A-
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs is an absolute pleasure to have in class. While not all aspects of English class come easily to Briggs, he works hard, wants to do well, and maintains a productive and positive attitude. I am really proud of his effort and attitude, and I trust they will keep paying dividends for Briggs. Throughout the term Briggs was consistent with his homework completion. As the class read Animal Farm this term, Briggs began using chapter summaries to put the pieces of the chapter together and come to a better grasp of the chapter overall. This seems to work well for Briggs, and he was able to participate productively and discuss the book in class. In the spring term we will keep working on reading strategies to improve comprehension. Likewise, we will continue building Briggs' confidence with writing. I look forward to working with Briggs next term.
Myles Olmsted
English V
English V
Spring Trimester 2026
Grade:
What his teacher had to say:
Coming Soon!
Myles Olmsted
English V
Earth Science
Fall Trimester 2025
Grade: B+
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs has displayed diligence and determination to succeed in Earth Science this fall. He comes to class each day enthusiastically and is prepared to learn. Briggs asks fantastic questions that show a deep reflection in his assignments which contribute to greater understanding of course material. He is excellent in partner work and strong as a notetaker and occasional contributor to class discussions. He has shown a mostly strong understanding of course material throughout the trimester. During the first unit, Briggs demonstrated a high level engagement but incomplete understanding of the scientific method and unit conversions. At this point in the term, he doubled down and began seeking extra help and asking more clarifying questions during class time. Each of his next two assessments performances on chemistry and minerals showed a growing understanding of material where he continued to refine his blossoming study skills for Earth Science. The strongest performance of the term for Briggs came during the rock identification, where he took advantage of review sessions and showed a mastery of material. He maintained a strong level of performance on the final assessment on rocks. A unique trait which Briggs' possesses is his innate curiosity in the natural world. He thrived during extension activities and field trips in nature at the end of the term as he was able to connect concepts from class to our natural world. I encourage Briggs to continue bringing this curiosity to class and allow it to be a vehicle for continued success in the classroom during the rest of the year. It was a pleasure teaching Briggs this fall and I look forward to seeing his continued success over the remainder of the year.
Michael Armstrong
Earth Science
Earth Science
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: B+
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs brought a high level of engagement and focus to Earth Science class this winter. He was consistently prepared for class and exhibited thoughtfulness and care in his approach to class material. He was an active participant in class discussions, group work, and hands-on activities. Briggs had impressive performances this term especially on the map quiz at the beginning of the term and his final project on the Indian Ocean tsunami where he did a great job on his poster, presentation, and written analysis. Briggs continues to bring an enthusiasm and love of learning to Earth Science and asks many thoughtful questions. This spring, I encourage Briggs to always carefully read through rubrics and expectations so that he is able to achieve levels of academic success which match his engagement in the course. His Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics lab was solid overall in terms of the quality of work, but a more thoughtful read through of the rubric prevented him from achieving an even greater level of academic achievement. Briggs continues to be an important member of Earth Science and I look forward to him continuing to build his academic skills and thrive as a scientist this spring.
Michael Armstrong
Earth Science
Earth Science
Spring Trimester 2026
Grade:
What his teacher had to say:
Coming Soon!
Michael Armstrong
Earth Science
Earth Science
Spring Trimester 2026
Grade:
What his teacher had to say:
Coming Soon!
Michael Armstrong
Earth Science
Fall Trimester 2025
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs enjoys laughing and having fun, so this is a great class for him. He has said several times that it is one of his favorite parts of the day.
Some of the highlights have been our sillier games, such as creating a survival plan for a zombie apocalypse and playing online, group Jackbox games that require impromptu responses. At the end of the term, Briggs and I teamed up for a debate on the difficulty of playing hockey. I was very impressed by his ability to come up with our four main points, each of which was clear and distinct. He did good research to support the two points he was arguing. Overall, Briggs had a great term.
Karen PleasantDebate and Public Speaking
Fall Trimester 2025
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
In Making Stuff, we investigated together the world of creative technologies, exploring different mediums of technologies from digital making using Adobe Illustrator and Autodesk TinkerCAD to 2D/3D fabrication using 3D printers and laser cutters. It has been a pleasure exploring this amazing universe with Briggs. In every class, he was always ready and willing to investigate and learn the subject at hand. To kick start our adventure together for our first investigation, we explored 2D making and fabrication using the application Adobe Illustrator to design our creations and we used Glowforge to laser-cut the creations. In order to understand the landscape and procedures/processes to get our creations fabricated, we learned how to prep our designs so the laser-cutter would understand what areas to engrave, vector mark, and/or vector cut—our first mini project was to design a stylized camera. At first, Briggs did not trust his abilities, but over time, he got familiar with the user interface, tools, and color differentiation. Before he knew it, Briggs finished his stylized blocky geometric digital camera. This was a springboard for Briggs, and he designed and fabricated a name tag that adorned a hockey stick. He also created a patriotic key with plenty of stars. Over the course of this medium's investigation, Briggs fell in love with this craft and created awesome pieces, including a self-portrait, his grandmother's dog, and his favorite hockey player. For our next adventure, we explored Digital 3D modeling, and the first project we modeled together was creating a die in TinkerCad-this project helped us to understand the basics of navigating through digital 3D space and to learn the systems to create 3D objects. I wish I could say the same with this investigation, but unfortunately, Briggs did not enjoy this part of our journey. Briggs was challenged with navigating digital 3D space, which is understandable because it is mind-boggling to see a 3D world through a 2D screen. But, with determination, he pushed through and digitally 3D modeled a die! Afterwards, he modeled Thor's hammer, a trophy, and for his final digital 3D modeling project a star fidget toy, which he 3D printed! With perseverance, Briggs became a trooper in digital 3D modeling. Briggs is well-liked in the class and brings a bright energy to the group. He is very friendly with his classmates and relatively quiet. Most of the time, he focuses on working on his creations. Briggs maintained his blog documenting his process and progress, writing mini blurbs about his successes and failures in his creative journey. Overall, Briggs is a great student and I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. Keep up the great work!
Nicholas Sadnytzky
Making Stuff
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs was a fun and engaged student in the Woodworking elective this winter. He worked hard to complete his folding lap desk and was only slightly distracted when waiting for directions or for a tool to be freed up, making hockey sticks using the scroll saw. He certainly must love hockey sticks, as he decided to make a larger hockey stick for his independent project. He chose to use Maple for the shaft and Cherry for the blade. He researched the blade angle and used dowels to join the two pieces. He and another student made them together, and they had some fun playing against each other in the hallway, using a wooden puck as well.
Solomon Lakey
Woodworking Teacher
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs was an absolute pleasure to have in class. He actively engaged in the material, asked thoughtful questions and was insightful, kind, and knowledgeable when he shared. Briggs consistently engaged in all of the work. Briggs contributes curiosity and engagement to our classroom environment. During our nutrition unit Briggs stayed about 20 minutes after classes to get a better understanding of nutrition and how he can make thoughtful nutrition choices. Going so far as to say, “I should do the food shopping when I am home.” Demonstrating he is internalizing the need for knowledge of where his food sources are coming from and the excitement to share that with his family. His first project was to focus on how to propose a more equitable health care system. His project was well done and thoughtful. Briggs has made choices to allow himself to get the most out of his classroom environment. Briggs is very impressive and am really excited to see how he continues to grow as a student throughout his time at Eaglebrook. Briggs earned a commendation for leadership and curiosity.
Heather Gagnon, MSW, LICSW, LADC
Health Teacher
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs was an absolute pleasure to have in class. He actively engaged in the material, asked thoughtful questions and was insightful, kind, and knowledgeable when he shared. Briggs consistently engaged in all of the work. Briggs contributes curiosity and engagement to our classroom environment. During our nutrition unit Briggs stayed about 20 minutes after classes to get a better understanding of nutrition and how he can make thoughtful nutrition choices. Going so far as to say, “I should do the food shopping when I am home.” Demonstrating he is internalizing the need for knowledge of where his food sources are coming from and the excitement to share that with his family. His first project was to focus on how to propose a more equitable health care system. His project was well done and thoughtful. Briggs has made choices to allow himself to get the most out of his classroom environment. Briggs is very impressive and am really excited to see how he continues to grow as a student throughout his time at Eaglebrook. Briggs earned a commendation for leadership and curiosity.
Heather Gagnon, MSW, LICSW, LADC
Health Teacher
Winter Trimester 2026
Grade: A
What his teacher had to say:
Briggs was an absolute pleasure to have in class. He actively engaged in the material, asked thoughtful questions and was insightful, kind, and knowledgeable when he shared. Briggs consistently engaged in all of the work. Briggs contributes curiosity and engagement to our classroom environment. During our nutrition unit Briggs stayed about 20 minutes after classes to get a better understanding of nutrition and how he can make thoughtful nutrition choices. Going so far as to say, “I should do the food shopping when I am home.” Demonstrating he is internalizing the need for knowledge of where his food sources are coming from and the excitement to share that with his family. His first project was to focus on how to propose a more equitable health care system. His project was well done and thoughtful. Briggs has made choices to allow himself to get the most out of his classroom environment. Briggs is very impressive and am really excited to see how he continues to grow as a student throughout his time at Eaglebrook. Briggs earned a commendation for leadership and curiosity.
Heather Gagnon, MSW, LICSW, LADC
Health Teacher
Teacher Comments About Briggs
Time and again, we have watched Briggs make the right decision even when it was the harder one. He looks out for those around him, knows when to involve adults, and consistently steps up — even in the small, quiet moments when no one is watching.
Heidi & Michel Pieroni
Kravis House Advisors
