‘What I Did This Summer …’
Local schools use the summer break to make substantive changes capable of transforming the student experience.
“There’s never been a summer like this,” says Mark A. Devey, head of school at Perkiomen School, a Pennsburg-based independent, coeducational boarding and day school for students in grades six through 12. By that he means he’s never had to be so closely tied to campus in the off-season.
The reason for his demanding schedule: the opening of a new building “that feels like a student union building in college,” a space where day and boarding students can come to relax, connect, express their creativity, and otherwise enrich the time they spend on campus. The sleek new building, whose design differs vastly from the more conservatively styled buildings on campus, has been years in development. After a year of construction, the building will be ready to welcome students for the start of the school year.
Summertime may be when students and educators unwind from the September-through-June grind, but the progress being made at Perkiomen School underscores a fact that many people may not realize: Schools are alive and bustling with activity during the so-called vacation months. Things are being built, renovations are being made, and new ideas are being hatched to bear fruit by the time students return to the classroom at summer’s end.
Devey is ecstatic about the possibilities Perkiomen School’s new student center will create, especially in regard to the arts. The new building will host multiple music rooms, which double as performance spaces, as well as places where students’ visual art is on full display—immersive and inescapable.
“To me, nothing is more important than the arts, but I also say that about academics and athletics; I value them all the same,” he says. “But the arts are so important. We don’t give enough credit to creativity and beauty and sound and performance. Those are the things that light us up.
“All the rooms [in the new building] are full floor-to-ceiling glass, so as you walk through the center to grab a bite or pick up your mail, you pass these two big music rooms and see someone you know, and say, ‘Hey, I didn’t know you played bass,’” he continues. “Those kinds of interactions draw you in. We’re developing ways to draw students in and develop their choice. At this stage of life, I want to be sure students are getting as much exposure to the arts and other things that inspire you to ‘risk becoming your best’—that’s our motto.”
The student center will also offer multiple gathering spaces where students can study, relax, and otherwise enjoy each other’s company. It will also house Lloyd’s, a new café named after Philip A. Lloyd, a member of the board of trustees who has been a driving force of growth initiatives at Perkiomen School. The café will include a teaching kitchen where students will have opportunities to test their interest in the culinary arts.
“Completing this new building has stretched me in every way, but in a positive sense,” Devey says. “I’ve never had to be such a presence on site [in summer]. I love having to wear a helmet every day.”
‘It Smells Like Progress’
Changes to local school campuses come through more ways than christening new buildings. Even modest improvements can make a dramatic difference in students’ daily lives.
Changes to local school campuses come through more ways than christening new buildings. Even modest improvements can make a dramatic difference in students’ daily lives.
On the Main Line, Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr has seen several key developments designed to enhance the student experience. In September, for example, the school will reopen an early childhood education program for 3- and 4-year-old girls—and boys, a first for the all-girls school.
“The program is going to play a key role in their learning and socialization,” says Robin Nolan, interim head of school at Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr. “There will be opportunities for kids in the preschool to interact with lower school students, and we’re excited to give them that opportunity. Plus, having little ones on campus just adds extra joy to the day.”
Beyond resurrecting the early education program, the summer break has given the school an opportunity to “freshen up” the campus. Nolan, who recently assumed the leadership role previously occupied by Carla Jantos MacMullen, expects renovations such as new carpeting, upgraded bottle-filling stations, and power-washing the school’s exterior to make a noticeable impact.
“It’s the summer of construction and renovation,” she adds. “I think everything that’s happened here over the summer will be obvious and build excitement. Our athletic director pulled on to the campus during the activity here and said, ‘It smells like progress.’
“We have been very intentional about our refresh and improvements,” Nolan continues. “They align with our year of transition; we’re seeing change from top to bottom this year.”
At Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, over-the-summer enhancements include additions to students’ coursework. In the upper school, for example, GA increased its computer science offerings with classes such as “Computers in Our World,” “Digital Business Development,” and “Python Programming,” according to a school spokesperson. Also, new English and history seminars will include “African American Lyric Poetry,” “Hamlet in Three-Part Harmony,” “Social Justice,” and “U.S. Presidential Elections and Society.” Beyond academics, new performing arts classes such as “Acting for TV, Film, and Commercials” and “Dance Technique & Composition” will enable students to build on their creative and performative skills.
At Perkiomen School, Devey’s busiest summer in recent memory has been both demanding and invigorating. He cannot wait to see how the new student center will transform life on campus for day and boarding students alike.
The changes won’t come to an end once the new school year has officially kicked off. Aside from the student center, Perkiomen School is putting the finishing touches on a new outdoor space, similar to a college quad, called Finnegan’s on the Green. It’s also adding other outdoor spaces, including a three-quarter basketball court, ping-pong tables, and a firepit with seating; pickleball courts will follow. Beyond that, Devey says future priorities include upgrading the sports fields and the school entrance.
“The whole campus is being transformed, and much of that work will be completed by the end of fall,” he says. “At Perkiomen, we have become a different school in the past 10 years with our academic model and growth. Now we’re growing in other ways, specifically in our facilities and spaces, and how we’re utilizing those spaces for the students’ benefit.”
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, July 2025
