Catched the rays of sunrise from the drop-off circle last week, it got me thinking of beginnings and endings. With graduation coming next weekend, it’s hard to believe that a full school year has passed: 272 sunrises, over 10,000 fist bumps, and four Graduation ceremonies coming next weekend. I look forward to celebrating this remarkable year with our graduates, whether our Kindergarteners, our 5th graders, our 8th graders, or our Seniors — each of them about to start off on a new journey, their own new cycle of sunrises and sunsets. So let us celebrate our accomplishments this year, and the experiences that have made it so unforgettable.
A Celebration of Learning
Every time I go into the quad lately, the 1st graders are there enjoying the perfect Spring weather, whether that’s story time with Ms. Danielle or practicing a bean bag toss that required a surprising amount of coordination.
3rd graders enjoying spring celebration3rd graders enjoying spring celebration3rd graders enjoying spring celebration3rd graders enjoying spring celebration3rd graders enjoying spring celebration
Our 3rd and 4th graders spent time with Ms. Melissa exploring the campus, making nature mandalas and identifying spring beauties.
Meanwhile, our 4th graders made their own mandala, and then presented their state research to a captive audience at the “State Fair.” And our 5th graders cooled off on a particularly hot day by dipping their toes in the stream.
And the Middle School has enjoyed two special days recently, an Eco Fashion Show in which they made their own outfits from recycled goods, and a Deepening Day in which — in addition to meditation — they went for nature walks and wrote poetry.
In Upper School, our 9th and 12th graders have been busy with their crowning unit on dissection, demonstrating their understanding of everything from pig kidneys to the thoracic cavities of frogs, and reminding this queasy photographer why I’m a vegetarian.
Academic Accomplishments
All-Union Senior Class
Sohni SinghWe’re proud to honor Sohni Singh as this year’s Maharishi School representative of the All-Union Senior Class. You can read more about Sohni and her time at Maharishi School in this lovely article in the Southeast Iowa Union.
We’re so thankful to Sohni for her many contributions to the School, and recognize both her remarkable achievements and her tremendous humility.
International Science and Engineering Fair
Antariksha Sharma Antariksha Sharma 
Antariksha Sharma capped an incredibly successful 7-year run in the Science Fair by once again qualifying for the ISEF. Out of 1400 participants from over 60 countries, Antariksha placed second in the world in her category, Translational Medicine. Please join us in congratulating her on an exceptional career, and in wishing her well as she continues her research on the early recognition of Alzheimer’s disease in college.
National Honor Society
Our chapter of the National Honor Society was proud to induct two new members this Spring, junior Ria Altynska-Ross and sophomore Sohani Singh. Both of them display the four pillars of the National Honor Society: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character. In addition to excelling in the classroom, both young women have spent many hours serving others as part of the Interact Club, both serve on the School’s Student Council, and both have been conscientious contributors to school culture. Whether it’s Ria with her advocacy for students and desire to improve student life (e.g. on the Dress Code committee), or Sohani and her constant role-modeling of integrity, both students are highly deserving of this honor.
Rocketry
2026 rocketry team
Out of over 1000 entries, our Rocketry team was one of 100 teams to qualify for nationals. Unfortunately, their launch in Virginia didn’t go as planned, and they ended up placing 73rd. The team learned a lot over the season and, with only one graduating senior, are primed to return next year with an even better performance.
Athletic Accomplishments
Bernie Sagau Award
Congratulations to junior Ria Altynska-Ross for earning the Bernie Sagau Award, which recognizes outstanding high school student-athletes based on several criteria, including academic achievement, citizenship, extracurricular involvement and athletic participation for at least three seasons. Ria’s high level of play in tennis (7th in the state in girls’ doubles), combined with her many hours of community service through the Interact Club and her work with the Student Council show just how well-rounded and accomplished she is.
Soccer
2026 maharishi school soccer tea
Our soccer team continues to excel, and improved to 10-5-1 on the season with their first post-season victory, a thrilling 2-1 Substate opener against Mid-Prairie. Sophomore Oliver Siemsen scored the winning goal with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game. You can read more about it in this Southeast Iowa Union article, which provided the perfect picture of Oliver celebrating above. Next up is the Substate Semifinal on May 27.
Tennis
Bowen Zhang Tennis champion 2026Bowen Zhang Tennis champion 2026
Our boys’ tennis team participated in several post-season matches over the past couple of weeks. In the League Championship, sophomore Bowen Zhang cruised through his first two matches, and then gritted out a tough contest to capture the League singles championship. His resilience when he was down, and his ability to stay composed during pressure points produced some intense and entertaining tennis for the large crowd watching. The doubles team of Caelan Chang and Pranit Ruia took 3rd place in the league, and Pranit was earlier named Ottumwa Radio Athlete of the Week for his performance against Mt. Pleasant.
School Play — Unmasked!
Showtime: Tuesday, May 26, 7:00pm, Henry Ogden Clark Auditorium
Unmasked is developed by the cast and crew, and based on the one-act play New Girl by Josh Hornbeck.
New student Rachel (Zoey) arrives mid-year at a divided high school and quickly finds herself caught in a whirlwind of social drama. Desperate to fit in, she makes some painful choices that risk hurting the very friends she fears losing. Meanwhile, Eddy (Jacob) faces relentless teasing from Sandy and Jeff (Shanaya and Mars). With only his loyal allies Camille and Clare (Lilah and Mehar) by his side, Eddy turns to the one thing that gives him hope — his book, Wizards of Light (presented by actors in the lower school). As the book begins to circulate among the students, its playful yet powerful themes start to challenge the conflicts tearing their class apart. Will Rachel find her way before it’s too late? Can the message within Eddy’s pages help heal a fractured group? Come see this heartfelt story of friendship, courage, mistakes, and redemption.
Seed to Table Day!
A huge thank you to all the parents and students who participated in our Seed to Table Day, helping to prepare the gardens for summer and clean the greenhouse. And special thanks also to Zarwa and Dania for their consistent help in the Garden during lunch period all through the Spring.
2026 seed to table day volunteers2026 seed to table day volunteers2026 seed to table day volunteers
Parent Series
Several of our Parent Series webinars are still available online until June 30. If you missed one and would like to see the recording, you can register at this link.
And please let me know if you found this Series valuable. As we consider whether to invest in this tremendous resource next year, we’d like to now how many people are using it and whether it’s worth the renewed investment. Any feedback from you is helpful.
Shew! We are going to need a break after this! The Newsletter will also be taking a break over the summer, so get some good rest and see you next year!