Debbie Landry, PhD, founder of iXplore STEM, recently dropped in to Katrina St. John’s virtual biology class. Debbie discussed the structure of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). She reviewed how viruses infect cells and what vaccines are currently in development. Debbie collaborated with Waynflete’s science department earlier this year on the dog gene project.
iXplore is a nonprofit organization formed to build science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) literacy and proficiency; to encourage students to pursue STEM degrees; to promote STEM awareness in Maine; and to expand the skilled workforce supporting STEM-dependent business sectors.
Twenty-four baseball, crew and lacrosse senior athletes will not have a chance to wear the Waynflete uniform and represent the Flyers this spring. But their impact on Waynflete athletics has been significant.
The crew team had the best season in program history in 2019 winning three regattas. The boys and girls lacrosse teams qualified for the post-season every year with this group of seniors. Boys lacrosse won a state championship in 2018. And the baseball team was loaded with talent and poised to make a play-off run this spring. Boys lacrosse coach Parker Repko says about the seniors: “…They represent the very best of Waynflete. While we won’t have the chance to make new memories, we should be grateful that they helped us make wonderful memories that will last forever.”
Last fall, K-5 students used their hands as inspiration for self-portrait relief prints. Students focused on mirror image design, pattern, and color theory.
We had originally planned to exhibit these prints in the Spring Gallery Show. With the temporary closure of the campus, we hope you enjoy the online version!
Elliot Nye ’15 led the company of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through a puppetry handling and building workshop. Come see giant butterflies, big birds, fairy alter egos, and the faces of Titania and Oberon for this production on April 30- May 2!
Dax Penney ’21 envisions low-cost computers for the resettled refugee community
Junior Dax Penney’s interest in computers, programming, and robotics was sparked by his experiences as a sixth-grader attending Waynflete summer camp. It was here where he first encountered open-source components and microcontrollers like the Raspberry Pi.
In the world of computing, the Pi is a blank slate. The compact, low-cost device can load any number of operating systems from a standard SD card, which also serves as the computer’s internal memory. It was developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a United Kingdom-based charity. According to its website, the foundation seeks to help more people harness the power of computing and digital technologies for project work, to solve problems that matter to them, and to express themselves creatively. “The Pi is a malleable platform,” says Dax. “I realized that it had a lot of potential.”
At the time, Dax was also involved with a Catholic Charities initiative called The Backpack Project, which raised funds to purchase school supplies for recently resettled refugees in Portland. He recalls attending an event where a father from Anbar Province, Iraq, described the impact of the Catholic Charities initiative on his family. “His comments really spoke to me,” Dax recalls. In his freshman year at Waynflete, Dax’s mother suggested that he consider how he might use his computer skills to help others.
In 2019, Portland artist Anna Dibble began planning a collaborative public art installation to help promote stewardship and awareness by reconnecting people with the natural world. The multi-year art/science/education initiative would focus specifically on biodiversity changes in the Gulf of Maine caused by climate change and other human impacts. Anna founded the organization Gulf of Maine ECOARTS to coordinate the effort.
The exhibit’s central piece will be a fictional ecosystem—“a cross section of atmosphere, sky, and ocean featuring a 24-foot North Atlantic Right Whale and a selection of key endangered marine life, from phytoplankton to fishermen and Native Americans.” The installation will be designed and built by a collaborative team of professional sculptors and filmmakers, educators, and more than 100 students from across Maine, ranging from middle schoolers to college students. Disciplines will include science education, sculpture, painting, sound design, lighting, film, virtual reality, and—when the installation is in place—arts- and science-related programming. The sculptures will be fabricated from recycled material and repurposed beach debris.
On March 7, two teams of Upper School students competed against 20 schools from around Maine—including neighbors Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, and Yarmouth—in the Maine Regional Science Bowl Competition. The tournament is a round robin-style STEM trivia competition and is sponsored by the Department of Energy. Question categories include Earth and Space Science, Biology, Chemistry, Math, Physics, and Energy.
It was another successful winter for Flyer teams on the hardwood, on the ice, on the trails, and in the pool. The boys alpine ski co-op captured the Class A state championship, and boys basketball, boys hockey, and girls hockey had their best seasons in program history.
On March 4, 125 students from nine area high schools assembled at Waynflete for the Pi-Cone South “Portland Large” divisional math meet—the fifth meet of the year and the third time that the school has hosted in the past four years.
Waynflete “mathletes” have participated in Maine Association of Math League meets for the past decade. This year, teacher David Neilan served as emcee; Lisa Kramer, Drew Dubuque, and Steve Withers fulfilled the roles of steely-eyed proctors; and Jim Deterding stepped in as team coach and scorer. Tom Campbell was the meet director. As in previous years, Waynflete student volunteers served as hosts and runners.
Junior Patrick Shaw was featured in a recent ABC News segment on freestyle soccer.
“At the Red Bull Street Style World Final, 16-year-old Patrick Shaw of Maine competes against athletes from around the globe in freestyle soccer, which blends break dancing with juggling a soccer ball.”
Waynflete is thrilled to once again be hosting the Hardy Girls Healthy Women annual “Girls* Rock!” conference on March 27.
Hardy Girls Healthy Women takes girls seriously through year-round, state-wide programs that put the power in their hands to challenge a society that ignores their brilliance. They dare adult allies to join them in standing with girls.
Members of the community are invited to the second annual Waynflete Invitational Chamber Music Festival on Sunday, March 1 in Franklin Theater. We are bringing young musicians together (grades 7-12) to share, learn, network, and perform!
1:00 p.m.—workshops, masterclass, and social (participants only)
3:30 p.m.—Festival Concert featuring participating ensembles and special guests (open to the public)
To register, or for more information, please contact Andy Happel at or 207.774.7863, ext. 1277. Festival participation is free. The concert is open to the public and free of charge.
During the month of January, students in Waynflete’s 4-5 program created fact cards in connection with their class unit on Iceland’s glaciers, sea level rise, and Iceland’s proactive efforts to slow the pace of climate change. (Iceland is this year’s Global Focus country.)
The fact cards are similar to public service announcements, with messages ranging from “CO2 is the gas that’s causing Earth to warm up over time” to “The world’s largest glacier is in Antarctica” to “Glaciers melting may trigger more volcanic eruptions in Iceland.”
These signs are posted around the Lower School. Have a look the next time you visit!
Middle School Seminar teacher Kate Ziminsky uses restorative yoga poses and yin postures to help students reduce stress, calm nervous systems, and promote a peaceful sleep cycle.
Kate uses a stress relief and calming yoga video at times during Seminar, sometimes accompanied by gentle musical sounds from nature (ocean waves or babbling brooks) and a stretching sequence where students are supported with comfortable pillows and warmth. Parents can try using this sequence with their children at home before sleep.
Kate chooses movements during Seminar that are based on the energetic need for the curriculum of the week. Certain poses increase focus and get kids energized while other poses and movements promote calm and restoration of previously charged/agitated nervous systems. The class also uses the one-word workout library from Nalini Kids.
Students in Katrina St. John’s biology class are collecting DNA from their own dogs (or a friend’s or teacher’s dog) to see which variants of the RSP02 gene the dog carries.
The RSPo2 gene controls the hair length cycle in most mammals. Dogs that have the wild type gene have short fur, while those that have the “mt” variant produce more RSPo2 protein and have longer fur above their eyes and on their snout (facial furnishings).
The entire Lower School has recently become immersed in a study of Iceland, this year’s Global Focus country. In preparation for their original play called The Great Volcano Rescue, Early Childhood students have been learning about puffins.
Part of the research included watching a video about a tradition in Iceland called Puffin Patrol (click here to see the video). After the students became very excited about the idea of rescuing lost pufflings, teachers transformed an area of the classroom into a Puffin Patrol Research Center. Here, students could search for missing pufflings, record data, band the birds, and release them back into the ocean. Students have even gone on Puffin Patrols throughout the Lower School to locate these adorable birds.
The tradition continues! After completing in-depth studies about the Chinese Spring Festival, traditional customs, food, greetings, and the zodiac calendar, middle schoolers presented their findings in Assembly—including a dragon dance in celebration of Chinese New Year.
