Issue 1 2024-2025
News
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Lighting the Way is Launched!
In October, we launched Lighting the Way, a comprehensive campaign for Westtown. This campaign is the largest in the school’s history, and our goal is to raise $62 million. The…Read More Read LessIn October, we launched Lighting the Way, a comprehensive campaign for Westtown. This campaign is the largest in the school’s history, and our goal is to raise $62 million.
The campaign will increase our endowment to help ensure that all students and their families have access to and the ability to afford a Westtown education, and that our faculty may continue to engage in professional development opportunities. The campaign will also help us provide thoughtful community spaces that align with the way we teach, learn, and live as a community and sustain our beloved campus.
But Lighting the Way is more than just a campaign—it is a call to action to sustain and amplify Westtown’s unique spirit. Please consider joining other Westonians in supporting this ambitious endeavor. For more information, please contact Dean of Advancement, Ellen Urbanski or call 610-399-7915.
Learn more about this campaign, our priority areas, see up-to-date details about our fundraising goals and the schedule Friends of Westtown events at our Lighting the Way website.
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Thank-a-Thon!
Many have given to the Westtown Fund and to the Lighting the Way campaign already and we are so grateful for the generosity of this community. During our recent annual…Read More Read LessMany have given to the Westtown Fund and to the Lighting the Way campaign already and we are so grateful for the generosity of this community. During our recent annual “thank-a-thon,” 28 Upper School students staffed the phones to call nearly 300 donors to show appreciation! We know the Westonians who spoke to students were happy to receive their calls, and we extend our thanks to our students as well for sharing their time!
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New Director of Sustainability
Over the summer, we were thrilled to welcome Francine Locke to our community as the new Director of Sustainability. She also serves as the Director of Sustainability for Germantown Friends…Read More Read LessOver the summer, we were thrilled to welcome Francine Locke to our community as the new Director of Sustainability. She also serves as the Director of Sustainability for Germantown Friends School (GFS). Through an innovative partnership, Westtown and GFS created this shared role that offers both school communities the benefit of an experienced Director of Sustainability. This cross-school collaboration is generating energy and innovative ideas and already students from both schools have visited each other’s campuses to find creative and effective ways to collaborate.
Locke brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. She has a Master’s in Environmental Health from Temple University, and previously served as Chief Sustainability Officer for Delaware County and as the Director of Sustainability and Green Schools for the School District of Philadelphia. About her new position she shared, “Everyone at Westtown and GFS gets it, and that’s a beautiful thing to inherit in this position. There is already a ton of interest and wonderful people leading this work. I am working with generous, kind communities at schools that value Quakerism and sustainability. This mindset is expressed through meaningful actions that are the norm at both schools.”
Locke says she is highly impressed with the sustainability practices already in place at Westtown, noting many examples from implementing green stormwater management practices, to composting, eliminating single-use plastics, and procuring locally grown produce in the Dining Room. “From a sustainable campus perspective, Westtown is a leader in operationalizing sustainability into its facilities management program. The school’s state-of-the art building automation system allows for an efficient way to control HVAC systems within historic facilities. All of the facilities’ lights have been converted to high efficient LEDs. From a renewable energy perspective, the school purchases 100% of its electricity through renewable energy credits sourced from wind farms. There is much to be said about the sustainable campus operations at Westtown,” she says.
She also notes that, “Westtown is a true leader in education for sustainability. The campus is a living laboratory, and an outdoor classroom, and the curriculum reflects the abundance of natural resources present at the school. Teachers and students at Westtown experience education in a way that allows them to find their own connections with the natural world and sustainability, while also applying their understanding of math, science, religion, art, and other areas of study. This is an interdisciplinary approach that is not limited by subject area.”
One of Locke’s first projects is to create a sustainability plan for Westtown along with members of the Sustainability Committee—a group comprising faculty, administrators, staff, and students. “The sustainability plan will include input from the entire school community so that it becomes a product of the school’s collective thinking rather than a document that is delivered to the community for implementation,” she shares. “Communities tend to support a plan that they help create, and we want this to be a living plan that delivers measurable outcomes and reflects the Quaker values of the community. My hope is that we will develop a holistic, whole-school sustainability plan that connects education, physical spaces, and organizational culture as a sustainable system. We want to consider economic, social, and environmental issues in an interconnected way rather than as separate issues. For example, we will work towards balancing economic growth with equity to ensure that everyone is uplifted on the journey towards sustainability. Through a robust outreach and engagement process, we will identify baseline data for energy, waste, water, emissions, food, and much more. We want to then develop manageable sections or focus areas of the plan such as education, energy, zero waste, and health and wellbeing. When this framework is created, we can identify measurable targets and the actions needed to attain them. Threaded throughout the plan will also be inspiring stories of the work currently taking place at the school, including highlights of programs, practices, and people. It’s an exciting time to be here and I’m looking forward to growing more sustainability initiatives from the seeds that have been planted by my predecessors.”
Locke is also very excited about the upcoming construction of a 2.1 MW solar array. “This infrastructure will support the school’s goal of working towards a carbon-neutral campus. There is a potential to calculate carbon sequestration of the 600-acres of natural land, accompanied by the offset of carbon emissions from the new solar array and together, with reduced waste from the campus, highly sustainable procurement practices, and changes in human behavior, the school has the potential to lead the way in a more sustainable environmental footprint. This will also be a powerful educational tool for students who may be able to study the system, once again demonstrating Westtown’s campus as an innovative laboratory.”
Energized by this community and the work already underway, Locke says she looks forward to bringing her prior experience to bear in this role. “I am so grateful to be at Westtown leading the sustainability efforts of this extraordinary school. My past work involved crafting successful sustainability solutions with limited resources. As the Sustainability and Green Schools Director for the School District of Philadelphia, and the Chief Sustainability Officer for the County of Delaware, PA, I found that the development of a community-created, highly organized and results-driven plan allowed for these institutions to connect resources to prescribed actions. This led to measurable progress that could be shared out with the larger community, inspiring hope and optimism for a better world. I would like to bring this approach to Westtown, creating limitless possibilities with the vast 600-acres of mature, beautiful, preserved land, and the already-existing foundation created by my predecessors. Students are our purpose at Westtown, and I look forward to supporting their journeys to become global sustainability leaders. They will be the changemakers who crack the code to climate change and an equitable, kinder world.”
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Westtown Dining Services Recognitions
Westtown School Dining Services has earned 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant Ⓡ recertification from the Green Restaurant Association (GRA)! Dining Services at Westtown first earned a 4-Star rating back in 2019.…Read More Read LessWesttown School Dining Services has earned 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant Ⓡ recertification from the Green Restaurant Association (GRA)! Dining Services at Westtown first earned a 4-Star rating back in 2019. The GRA’s standards “reflect over 30 years of research in the field of restaurants and the environment. Thousands of restaurants and hundreds of thousands of restaurant personnel have provided the living laboratory for the continued evolution of the GRA Standards. The purpose of the GRA standards is to provide a transparent way to measure each restaurant’s environmental accomplishments, while providing a pathway for the next steps they can take to increase their environmental sustainability.”
Restuarants are evaluated in several categories such as: energy and water use, recycling, reusable disposables, chemicals and pollution, food, buildings, and education transparency. This 4-Star designation by the Green Restaurant Association—an honor rarely given to a school dining facility—was awarded to our Dining Services after being evaluated in six categories: energy, water, waste, food, disposables, and chemical use. Thirty seven percent of all food served in our Dining Room is locally sourced. Our Dining Room serves produce from the student farm year round, as well as produce from 80 area farms through Philadelphia’s Common Market.
Westtown’s Dining Services team has also been awarded The Slow Food Snail of Approval by the Slow Food organization. “The Slow Food Snail of Approval award is a recognition given to food and beverage establishments that are pursuing and practicing Slow Food values in their business. This is more than about making good food — it’s about making commitments to the environment, local communities, employees and purveyors, and our core values of antiracism and anti-oppression.” The Snail of Approval is awarded based on evaluations focused on the following six areas: sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support, and business values.
Congratulations to our Dining Services Team on these recognitions!
Features
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Identity, Values, & Politics: Katina Bays ’01
As part of our Identity, Values, and Politics series Katina Bays ’01 spoke at an Upper School Assembly this fall. This series, organized and hosted by Dean of Equity, Justice,…Read More Read LessAs part of our Identity, Values, and Politics series Katina Bays ’01 spoke at an Upper School Assembly this fall. This series, organized and hosted by Dean of Equity, Justice, and Belonging Louisa Egan Brad, brings speakers to Westtown to talk about their work and life experiences especially as they relate to these topics. Bays is Deputy Director of Outreach and Engagement at the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, serving under a Republican governor, Mike DeWine. Originally from New Jersey, Bays enrolled at Westtown in ninth grade. She was a two-season athlete and was involved in Service Network. After Westtown, she earned a B.A. from Spelman College, then went on to earn a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University. She is also a licensed independent social worker.
Bays presented an engaging assembly and Q&A session where she described her roles, what inspired her to pursue work in social service, and both her positive and negative experiences at Westtown. She noted that regardless of the political party in office, the issues remain and their department’s mission is to serve the children and families of Ohio. “I think that red, blue, independent aside, many of us in helping professions, get into it because we want to make a difference and help families thrive…And when we put the politics aside and look at the fact that African American babies in the state of Ohio are dying at two times greater rates than their white counterparts, that has absolutely nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the social determinants of health. And so I think that it is very important that as we are having these discussions and that we are starting to frame them in a different way.”
Bays also visited the Peace and Justice class and hosted a drop-in session in the South Room where a steady stream of students talked with her individually. She says that she was impressed by the students. “In both Jonathan’s [Ogle] classroom and as well as my time in the South Room with students, I just felt like [students] were wise beyond their years,” she shared. Some of the questions they were asking were very forward-thinking, and oftentimes I think that we sometimes have misconceptions of who and what teens are. But these students were ones that you knew were going to go out and do great things. For me, it was energizing, it was invigorating, and it was a reminder of how much Westtown pours into students… I left thinking that there are so many budding leaders that I was able to engage with that I know will make a difference in many of the professions that they choose. I felt excited to be a part of the Westtown family and the legacy that Westtown is continuing to make.”
After her visit, Bays and Egan Brad spoke more extensively. Bays says being back at Westtown made her feel nostalgic and like “coming home in many ways. While it was great to see some of those same things, it was also so encouraging to see the increased diversity in the student body and staff population, much of which I had not experienced, at least to that level, during my time.”
Egan Brad asked Bays what major points she wanted to students to take away from her talk. “That everyone’s journey is unique,” she replied. “The time you have at Westtown is a special time to find yourself, and you have the ability to explore who you are and who you aspire to become. It was my hope that individuals would take away that not only was my experience unique as is everyone else’s, but it was also important for me to use that time at Westtown to explore who I was as a young African-American woman. I also wanted people to take away that it wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies, and that there were some challenges that I experienced. I don’t think that my challenges were abnormal, but I also wanted to make sure that I was telling a very accurate story. Despite the highs and lows, Westtown helped me be very intentional in my decision for my next phase in life, which was college. I made the decision to attend a historically Black college because I knew that for some of those pieces that I had not yet fine-tuned at Westtown, I needed to be in an environment in which I would be able to cultivate those and grow. I really do hope that students took away that you can still have a great experience that may have some valleys that are a part of it, but that it is important to take away all that Westtown has to offer and use that as you are making your next steps into adulthood.”
Finally, Egan Brad asked Bays how she felt her Westtown education set the stage for her subsequent education and career. Bays says that there were so many ways that Westtown prepared her for her future, noting discipline first. “If I think back to study halls from the age of 14, I got used to having the discipline to study at my own pace and make sure that I was prepared,” she says. “The other piece is just the level of independence. I was active on campus at Westtown, so it was a lot of me having to put myself out there, and also go into places and spaces where it may have been a little bit uncomfortable. I think that played a huge role in my life because now, oftentimes, I am the only one that looks like me in a room. I also know from Westtown that although I may be the only one in the room that looks like me, I’m in that room for a reason, and so my value is the same as everyone else that’s in the room. I think that Westtown also allowed me to speak up for marginalized groups. Westtown made me confident and made me feel like the sky was the limit. The other piece is how important community is, and how important having a firm foundation is. As I just noted, after my visit I went back to my closest Westtown friends, and we’ve been together since our time at Westtown. In many ways, those ladies have grounded me and have kept me sane through highs and lows in life. But all of that began on what was then Girls Third [dorm]. We were all just young girls from New York and New Jersey and we needed each other throughout our time there. Westtown gave me so very much and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. At 14, when my mom told me I was going to apply to the Wight Foundation, it was met with apprehension. I wanted to stay home, I wanted to stay in a world that I knew well. But going to Westtown completely set me on the trajectory of where I am in life, and I am forever grateful for everything that I received from Westtown. Even the lows, because I think it helped to shape me into who I am today.”
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Joseph Daniels: PA History Teacher of the Year
Upper School history teacher Joseph Daniels was named the 2024 Pennsylvania Gilder-Lehrman History Teacher of the Year! Joseph was chosen by a panel of teachers, administrators, and scholars for his…Read More Read LessUpper School history teacher Joseph Daniels was named the 2024 Pennsylvania Gilder-Lehrman History Teacher of the Year! Joseph was chosen by a panel of teachers, administrators, and scholars for his achievements in American history education. In addition to this state-level honor, he was in the running with 53 other teachers across the country for National History Teacher of the Year.
Joseph Daniels is the Chair of the History and Religion Department. Over the last 20 years, he has taught World History, U.S. History, U.S. Government, and several electives including Modern Asia, Modern Africa, Genocide Studies, and US-China Relations, among others. Additionally, he has led student experiential learning tours to Israel and Palestine as well as Central Europe. He is an active member of several organizations, including the Gilder Lehrman Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia. Please join us in congratulating Joseph!
Students
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Upper School Assembly: George Lakey
George Lakey gave a rousing presentaion at a recent Upper School Assembly. Lakey is an activist and author who has committed his life to fighting for social justice in many…Read More Read LessGeorge Lakey gave a rousing presentaion at a recent Upper School Assembly. Lakey is an activist and author who has committed his life to fighting for social justice in many realms: racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and climate justice, among many others. As a Quaker, he has co-founded and led many organizations and campaigns focused on peace and justice. At the assembly, he spoke about his anti-war activism in Vietnam, his work in the civil rights movement, and his recent work fighting climate change. A sociologist and researcher by trade who has studied social movements across world and in Scandivia in particular, he addressed the extreme political polarization in the United States, reminding students that polarization very often precedes progress in societies; that it’s often this tension that propels movements forward. He reminded students that they can can be instrumental in change as well. The presentation was followed by a lively Q&A period.
Upper School religion teacher Lara Freeman, who was instrumental in bringing George to campus, shares, “George visited one of the Environmental Justice classes for an open conversation about social change and his long history of working for a more just world. The students came prepared with questions they wanted to ask. The conversation was rich and could have lasted another hour. Following the presentation in assembly, George also met with students, staff, and faculty in a reception in the South Room. It was exciting to hear from adults who had participated in trainings with George in their youth as well as to see a new generation of people motivated by his joy, humor, and creative engagement in this world.” It is of note that Westtown students who have taken the Peace and Justice classes over the last few years have used the Global Nonviolent Action Database, which Lakey helped to create at Swarthmore College.
Lakey is a member of the Earth Quaker Action Team and columnist for WagingNonviolence.org. You can learn more about Lakey and his work in the documentary film Citizen George, or through his books. He is the author of: Dancing with History: A Life for Peace and Justice; Facilitating Group Learning: Strategies for Success with Diverse Learners; Viking Economics: How the Scandinavians got it right and how we can, too; and HOW WE WIN: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning.
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National Merit Scholars
Congratulations to these seniors on their National Merit Scholarship (NMS) achievements! Over 1.3 million juniors across the country entered the NMS program and only 16,000 qualify as semi-finalists. Kyle Cui…Read More Read LessCongratulations to these seniors on their National Merit Scholarship (NMS) achievements! Over 1.3 million juniors across the country entered the NMS program and only 16,000 qualify as semi-finalists. Kyle Cui (3rd from left) is a semi-finalist and will continue in the competition. Terry Ma, Steven Zhao, Jacob Liu, Liam Sellers-Johnston, Shawn Xu, Sophia Park, Aveline Heryer, and Katherine Graham (not pictured) have been named Commended Students by the Nation Merit Scholarship Corporation, which means they were in the top 50,000 scorers of students who took the PSAT last fall.
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Tchin Visits Lower and Middle Schools
Middle and Lower Schoolers recently enjoyed a visit from Tchin, a nationally known Indigenous artist, musician, educator, and storyteller. He shared vivid lessons of how things like colorful flowers and…Read More Read LessMiddle and Lower Schoolers recently enjoyed a visit from Tchin, a nationally known Indigenous artist, musician, educator, and storyteller. He shared vivid lessons of how things like colorful flowers and rabbits came to be. During his performance, Tchin also played various rare Indigenous flutes, some of which have not been enjoyed for generations. We are grateful to Tchin for sharing his stories, music, and magic with our students!
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Dr. Smith Goes to Fourth Grade
Dr. Virginia Smith, Associate Professor of Water Resources in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Villanova University, visited fourth grade science classes to talk about her work in urban…Read More Read LessDr. Virginia Smith, Associate Professor of Water Resources in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Villanova University, visited fourth grade science classes to talk about her work in urban flooding and researching mitigation solutions and water management. She spoke to the students about water systems, how rivers change with climate, gardens that help mitigate runoff, and about rain gardens both create biodiversity and decrease the temperature of cities. She engaged the students in demonstrations on rainfall in urban areas and they discussed ways individuals can help the watershed in any area. Dr. Smith also noted that the new Lower School playscape will have rain gardens and is designed for runoff mitigation. Lower School Science teacher Colby Van Alen shares, “Before Dr. Smith’s visit, 4th graders explored how land changes shape without human and animal interference. This led to on-campus walks where numerous discoveries were made, such as signs of water runoffs. It was wonderful to have Dr. Smith in the classroom to deepen their inquiry-based learning in this area.”
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Seventh Grade Canoe Trip
The canoe trips have been a signature program in the Middle School for over 40 years. The seventh grade canoe trip’s placement at the beginning of the school year is…Read More Read LessThe canoe trips have been a signature program in the Middle School for over 40 years. The seventh grade canoe trip’s placement at the beginning of the school year is intentional, as this trip is often a formative experience for students, resulting in deeper relationships with peers and faculty, an increased sense of self-confidence, and a belief in their ability to overcome obstacles both individually and as a group. This trip is also an integral component of community building as they enter their seventh grade year.
Led by Director of Outdoor Education Chris-Henwood Costa and several Middle School faculty, the group paddles a section of the Delaware River located in the beautiful Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They carried everything with them on the river and camping as we traveled downstream. Henwood-Costa shares, “All students were engaged in the meaningful work of traveling as a large group down the river, including tent setup, meal preparation and clean-up, fire building, canoe packing, and unpacking, etc. They learned navigation skills and had several opportunities to practice leadership in small and large groups. In addition, students continued their understanding of Leave No Trace (LNT) wilderness travel practices that we began working with in sixth grade Outdoor Education.”
Enjoy the gallery of photos of their adventure here!
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Food Truck Challenge
Seventh grade STEM teacher Carlos Charriez wanted his students to learn about the design thinking process and to create a collaborative project with Lower School students, so he introduced the…Read More Read LessSeventh grade STEM teacher Carlos Charriez wanted his students to learn about the design thinking process and to create a collaborative project with Lower School students, so he introduced the Food Truck Challenge. Their leading question was: How can you design a food truck for third graders that focuses on healthy eating? They were challenged to create a menu, design a logo, create a slogan, and pay careful attention to presentation and truck design. In addition to other elements of the design thinking process—brainstorming, defining, prototyping, and testing—a crucial piece of design thinking is empathy and understanding a client’s needs to design toward solutions.
For the Food Truck Challenge, seventh graders first visited with their third grader “clients” to interview them about their wants and needs in a food truck experience, their favorite foods, possible allergies, and to gather other ideas. The students then took this information and in groups worked on brainstorming ideas, designing their food trucks, and crafting healthy menus. Then, in the build stage, they built cardboard food trucks from which to serve their food. For the final stage, seventh graders set up their food truck stations in the Science Center and welcomed the third graders who got to sample all the offerings and provide feedback. The third graders were excited to visit the food trucks, taste the menus of all the groups, and the seventh graders were thrilled to share their creations! “The creativity and craftsmanship of the seventh grade class was on full display for this partnership and I could tell based on their smiles that they took a lot of pride in their work as they served their third grade clients,” Charriez shared. “If students remember anything about this STEM class, I hope that they realize how important the skill of empathy is when working with others.”
See the gallery of photos here!
Seventh graders interviewing their clients -
Environmental Science Students Explore Off Campus
This fall, teacher Ryan Black took Environmental Science students traveled to the North Brigantine Natural Area along the southern New Jersey coast. This area is a critical shorebird habitat, home…Read More Read LessThis fall, teacher Ryan Black took Environmental Science students traveled to the North Brigantine Natural Area along the southern New Jersey coast. This area is a critical shorebird habitat, home to several rare and endangered species, and part of the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island beach along the New Jersey coast. Students learned how to identify different species and estimate population sizes with the goal of reporting this data to state agencies and conservation groups. “They were able to identify seven shorebird species (including endangered red knots) and counted 1,810 birds over the course of our two surveys,” shared Black. “Combined with the data from Episcopal Academy and Haddonfield Memorial HS students, we have counted over 7,000 birds so far this migration season at the North Brigantine Natural Area.” They also documented human activity and other disturbances to investigate the impact on the shorebird species. The data collected (and data to be collected in the future) will be used for a lab report / field study assignment.
Students were on the move once again for a freshwater mussel survey of E. Chester Creek (on campus in the North Woods). Black says, “We have been unable to find any native freshwater mussels in the creek. This is unsurprising since mussels are missing from approximately 95% of regional streams surveyed. We compared the abundance of native mussel species (0) to invasive Asian clams (561). We also collected some water quality data and inspected some areas for macroinvertebrate life (picture of Dragonfly nymph on rock). It was the largest group I have ever had in waders at the same time and they did a great job!”
Students also had a night field trip to Rushton Woods Preserve to observe Northern Saw-whet owl banding. The students were able to see the researchers collect data on one older female Saw-whet owl that was caught right at the last net check. Our students were hosted by the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) who wanted to ensure that we share that, “All birds were handled for scientific purposes in the presence of Banders-In-Charge at a federally licensed banding station. Do not attempt to handle wild animals without the proper training and permits.”
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Spiritual Journey Project
Religion teachers Lara Freeman and Jonathan Ogle combine art and spirituality in their Quakerism course in the Spiritual Journey Project. For this project, students create an artistic representation of their…Read More Read LessReligion teachers Lara Freeman and Jonathan Ogle combine art and spirituality in their Quakerism course in the Spiritual Journey Project. For this project, students create an artistic representation of their spiritual identity. In this Quakerism course—an Upper School requirement—students are asked to reflect on their own relationship with spirituality and religion and consider the influences on their lives that have shaped the identity and beliefs they claim or are exploring at this point in time. “We invite them to see themselves as more than just embracing or rejecting a particular label, but as a unique person engaged in figuring out what spirituality and religion mean to them and how they see the world,” shares Ogle. “There are so many pressures in our society that either dictate specific ways to talk about these things, or work against talking about our spiritual and religious lives at all. The collage project moves students out of the usual verbal modes of communication and forces them to engage with these questions in an unaccustomed way that is often unexpectedly revealing to them in their understanding of themselves, as well as creating interesting, varied visual expressions of parts of their inner lives that are often hidden.”
For the Spiritual Journey Project (an idea first shared with Ogle by fellow religion teacher Tom Hoopes of George School), students create a 2D collage or 3D sculpture that depicts their spiritual identity at this moment of their journey thus far. Ogle and Freeman ask students to consider: Have your beliefs changed or what is your perspective on them? What do you focus on? What are your questions? What people and experiences have influenced your your journey? At the conclusion of the project, students presented their art and shared their journeys with the class. “Another purpose of the project is to open a space of curiosity about the diversity of ways their peers have experienced and are thinking about these topics,” continues Ogle. “It’s much more comfortable to ask someone, ‘Can you explain what that green yarn in the corner represents?’ than to say, ‘Tell me what you believe.’ It’s more comfortable to answer, too. Through this, and other activities, we want students to develop more skill and comfort living in a world and in communities where people may openly have many different relationships with spirituality and religion. This project can set the stage for more open, authentic conversations in class as the year goes on. That skill and comfort can be transformative in the communities they will live and work in throughout their lives, including Westtown.”
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Westtown Students Shine in Math Competitions
On Friday, December 6, Westtown’s Math Department hosted the Philly Math League Olympiad. This was the first time Westtown School has hosted the Math Olympiad. There were teams from George…Read More Read LessOn Friday, December 6, Westtown’s Math Department hosted the Philly Math League Olympiad. This was the first time Westtown School has hosted the Math Olympiad. There were teams from George School, Hill, Penn Charter, Episcopal, Baldwin, Agnes Irwin, Haverford, Masterman (for the first time), Springside-Chestnut Hill, Shipley, and Friends Central.
The olympiad is the culminating event of the Philly Math League season. Every team competes during every round of six questions, which could either be individual based (where the top five scores of a team are added together) or cooperative (where students work as a team to submit one solution set). It was a great opportunity for Westtown’s team to see the participants they’ve been competing against all fall.
The energy in the Uptown Lounge was palpable as students spent the morning solving and discussing diverse math questions alone and working in teams of eight. The Westtown team finished in the top four schools in the competition, with a very close semifinal loss to Episcopal Academy, who eventually lost by one point to George School, the three-time defending champion. Math teacher Jake Norton and Math Department Chair Susan Waterhouse share, “Our young team has a lot of depth and we are looking forward to continuing to build strength in the coming year!”
Congratulations to Westtown’s team: Tiantong Hu ’26, Isabella Jin ’27, Jamie Lee ’27, Jayden Qin ’28, Jerry Rao ’27, Bailey Tuckman ’25, Angela Wang ’26, and Max Zhang ’27!
Enjoy other photos from the Olympiad here!
In Other Math News: American Mathematics Competition
The American Mathematics Competition (AMC) is a series of math examinations designed to challenge middle and high school students with engaging problems, aiming to identify mathematical talent, foster a love of math, and develop critical problem-solving skills through friendly competition; essentially, it’s a national program focused on strengthening future generations of mathematicians by providing engaging math challenges across different levels of difficulty.
The top three AMC 10 (for 9th and 10th graders) scores were:
1. Isabella Jin ’27
2. Jayden Qin ’28
3. Max Zhang ’27The top three AMC 12 (for 10th and 12th graders) scores were:
1. Jamie Lee ’27
2. Angela Wang ’26
3. Tiantong Hu ’26Additionally, Jamie Lee ’27 received a Certificate of Achievement for his score on the AMC 12 as a 10th grader; received a Certificate of Distinction as a top 5% score in the country; and, qualified for the AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination). Junior Angela Wang qualified for the AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination) and sophomore Isabella Jin received a Certificate of Distinction as a top 5% score in the country; received an Honor Roll of Distinction as a top 1% score in the country; and qualified for the AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination). Congratulations to all!
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Outdoor Ed Backpacking Trip
Chris Henwood-Costa, Director of Outdoor Education, and teachers Tom Berrian and Courtney McKinley led the Upper School fall Outdoor Ed backpacking trip. This group hiked a section of the Appalachian…Read More Read LessChris Henwood-Costa, Director of Outdoor Education, and teachers Tom Berrian and Courtney McKinley led the Upper School fall Outdoor Ed backpacking trip. This group hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail with steep and very rocky terrain while wearing heavy backpacks which carried everything they needed for three days. Henwood-Costa shares, “The [students] were completely unplugged. They learned how to live and travel in the backcountry including how to work with a group to set up camp, build a fire, protect their food from bears, navigate with a map and compass, and cook delicious food for one another. They spent time getting to know each other, enjoying the views, and reflecting together. They showed great leadership in their support for one another and their ability to meet and push their edges.” Henwood-Costa says they left experience feeling empowered and resilient, and knowing that they are capable of more than they thought possible before the trip. All of the students expressed so much gratitude for the opportunity to challenge themselves in this way. Enjoy the whole gallery of photos from their trip here!
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International Festival
Just before Thanksgiving break, our community enjoyed the annual International Festival. This event, organized by the International Student Organization (ISO), was a wonderful success! Our students, families, and faculty set…Read More Read LessJust before Thanksgiving break, our community enjoyed the annual International Festival. This event, organized by the International Student Organization (ISO), was a wonderful success! Our students, families, and faculty set up stations in the Main Hall representing and celebrating their many cultures and countries offering snacks, games, presentations, and opportunities for connection and conversation. Our thanks to ISO and all who participated! Enjoy the photos here!
Arts
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Parade of Masks!
There’s nothing scary about Halloween in Lower School! Guided by our amazing art teachers, each student imagines and crafts their own mask. Their creativity and artistic expression shine in this…Read More Read LessThere’s nothing scary about Halloween in Lower School! Guided by our amazing art teachers, each student imagines and crafts their own mask. Their creativity and artistic expression shine in this project and they are proud to share their work with our community at the annual Lower School Parade of Masks, a beloved tradition. See the students’ wonderful creativity here!
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In the Theater
This fall, the Upper School staged The Tempest Reimagined. This is a brilliant adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, filled with magic, romance, and revenge. Commissioned for Westtown…Read More Read LessThis fall, the Upper School staged The Tempest Reimagined. This is a brilliant adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, filled with magic, romance, and revenge. Commissioned for Westtown by our former Theater Director, Alex Ates, this play by James Bartell dazzled audiences. From acting to set design and costuming, to light and sound, our students on and off stage put on an amazing production! Our thanks to new Theater Director Shawn Rowley who helped bring this show to life. Enjoy this gallery of photos from their dress rehearsal.
And, save the date for the Middle School play, The Edgar Allen Poe Afterlife Radio Show! A tap at a chamber door, and the beat of a hideous heart evoke the very best and creepiest of Edgar Allan Poe. So when Poe sets out to keep his stories alive from beyond the grave, an otherworldly radio studio proves just the thing. Wandering spirits gather to play the roles in Poe’s most classic works, from The Cask of the Amontillado to The Fall of the House of Usher. But the grim master of the macabre is a little new to radio. What’s all this about commercials? And why is a skeptical cemetery cat sticking around for all these stories? Please join us on January 31 at 7:30 p.m. and February 1 at 2:00 p.m. to find out!
Finally, don’t miss the Upper School spring musical, The Addams Family! A comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family—a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before—keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. Coming to the Barton-Test Theater on May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. and May 3 at 4:00 p.m.!
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Fall Dance Concert
The Elements Dance Company and the Upper School Fall Dance Ensemble recently performed their showcase Danse Macabre, a showcase of supernatural folklore and cultural traditions with dances created collaboratively by…Read More Read LessThe Elements Dance Company and the Upper School Fall Dance Ensemble recently performed their showcase Danse Macabre, a showcase of supernatural folklore and cultural traditions with dances created collaboratively by dance teacher Amy Grebe and student dancers. Congratulations on a wonderful concert, dancers!
Enjoy scenes from the dance concert here!
Athletics
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Girls Soccer Team: Double Champs
Congratulations to our girls varsity soccer team for winning not one but TWO championships this season! They took home the Friends Schools League title as well as the PAISAA State…Read More Read LessCongratulations to our girls varsity soccer team for winning not one but TWO championships this season! They took home the Friends Schools League title as well as the PAISAA State Championship! This is the first time in school history that the girls soccer team has won both the FSL and PAISAA State titles in the same season. This is also coach Scott Bissett’s first PAISAA State title. Congratulations to Coach Bissett and to this tenacious team! You can see more of each of these matches here and here.
The 2024 Friends Schools League Champions! 2024 PAISAA Champs! -
Boys Soccer Earn FSL Title
Congratulations to the boys varsity soccer team who had an amazing season, and capped if off by winning the Friends Schools League Championship! Enjoy photos from through their season here!Read More Read LessCongratulations to the boys varsity soccer team who had an amazing season, and capped if off by winning the Friends Schools League Championship! Enjoy photos from through their season here!
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Field Hockey Team Places 2nd in FSL
Congratulations to the field hockey team and coaches! For the first time since 2019, they made it to the Friends Schools League final, where they lost an intense game to…Read More Read LessCongratulations to the field hockey team and coaches! For the first time since 2019, they made it to the Friends Schools League final, where they lost an intense game to ANC placing second in the league. Hats off to this team for a remarkable season!
Community
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Shoemaker Lecturer: Michael Twitty
We were honored to welcome Michael Twitty, culinary historian and world-renowned author of The Cooking Gene, KosherSoul, and Rice, as our first Shoemaker Visiting Lecturer of the year! Tim Mountz,…Read More Read LessWe were honored to welcome Michael Twitty, culinary historian and world-renowned author of The Cooking Gene, KosherSoul, and Rice, as our first Shoemaker Visiting Lecturer of the year! Tim Mountz, Sustainable Agriculture Educator and Farm Manager, and Twitty had engaging moderated talk followed by a lively question and answer period. The next day, Twitty spent time talking with students in the senior English classes in the Belfry, as well as with students in the Perspectives in Literature and African American Experience classes where he talked about African American culinary history at our Lower School Three Sisters Garden. Our thanks to Michael Twitty for a wonderful visit, and the Shoemaker Visiting Lecturer Committee for bringing him to campus!
You can see more photos from his visit here.
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Next Shoemaker: Save the Date!
Tyriek White February 24, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.Barton-Test Theater In February, award-winning novelist, musician, and educator Tyriek White will come to Westtown. He will be visiting classes and and spending time with students.…Read More Read LessTyriek White
February 24, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Barton-Test TheaterIn February, award-winning novelist, musician, and educator Tyriek White will come to Westtown. He will be visiting classes and and spending time with students. He will present a Shoemaker Lecture on Monday, February 24, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in the Barton-Test Theater. Please join us!
Tyriek Rashawn White is a writer, musician, and educator from Brooklyn, NY. He is the author of the novel, We Are a Haunting (Astra House, 2023) which won the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, was a finalist for the Gotham Book Prize, and was longlisted for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize. He was named a 2024 National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” Honoree and has received fellowships from Callaloo Writing Workshop, New York State Writer’s Institute, and Key West Literary Seminar, among other honors. He is currently the media director of Lampblack Literary Foundation, which seeks to provide mutual aid and various resources to Black writers across the diaspora. He holds a degree in Creative Writing and Africana Studies from Pitzer College and most recently earned an MFA from the University of Mississippi.
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Fall Events Bring Our Community Together
We build community in a variety of ways, but one way is through events that bring us all together. Check out these photos from just a few of the events…Read More Read LessWe build community in a variety of ways, but one way is through events that bring us all together. Check out these photos from just a few of the events that brought parents, alums, and community members together so far this year!
Middle School Parents’/Guardians’ Day
Upper School Parents’/Guardians’ Day
Middle School Parents’/Guardians’ Day
