On Saturday, February 1, fifteen Upper School students traveled to Cambridge to compete in the Harvard University Science Olympiad Invitational. The seniors lead the team to another outstanding finish in what is always a competitive invitational tournament that includes laboratory, engineering, and field events along with traditional events in biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences. The team placed 19th out of 60 teams from around New England and well ahead of the other teams from Maine! The guest speaker at the awards ceremony, 2019 Nobel winner William Kaelin, spoke about his experiences as a student, medical doctor, and research scientist. His advice to the future scientists and scholars: work with people who are smarter than you, have fun doing your work (or find something else), and be a good and ethical person.
Waynflete hosts second “Can We? Project” weekend for area high school students
The Can We? Project stands as a prime example of the good that can come from an independent school putting its core values out into the world. Watch the video below to learn more about the second edition of The Can We? Project, which took place on November 15–17, or read a related story about political dialogue in secondary schools leading up to the 2020 election in a recent edition of Waynflete Magazine.
“Harness The Wind” gallery show
Make time to stop by the Waynflete Gallery to view the Harness The Wind exhibit, which runs from January 22–March 12. The EC-12 show is inspired by our community-wide read of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. It features curriculum created by faculty and engaged in by students in all three schools and across the disciplines.
Dominic Campbell ’21 profiled on WMTW
Junior Dominic Campbell was recently profiled on WMTW. Watch the segment to learn more about his hard work over the past year.
Cardinal and blue jay pinch pots
Following a preliminary pinch pot lesson, K-1 students made sculptures of blue jays and cardinals. We discussed how these birds often remain in Maine for the winter months. Color choice reinforced warm and cool color palettes.
Spanish market in 2-3
The 2-3 space was recently converted into an authentic Spanish Market where students could practice conversation using vocabulary they had learned about food. There were five different stands that the students rotated through: a Frutería (fruit stand), Verdulería (vegetable stand), Panadería (bakery), Lechería (dairy products), and Una Tienda (a store) where they used “money” to buy real food and items.
“I Have a Dream”
Eighth graders are currently engaged in a year-long theater class. During the first semester, theater arts teacher Tiki Fuhro has collaborated with her Middle School colleagues to enrich student learning in history and English. They have performed the short story The Bear Who Wasn’t—a parable on identity—for Lower School classes. They also worked on Martin Luther King’s Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in conjunction with their current study of the Civil Rights Movement.
Panelists and students explore the complex nature of the immigration experience
Decades ago, Waynflete came to realize the power of learning in community. From longer ago than anyone currently teaching at the school can remember, discussion has been a preferred pedagogical method. A well-orchestrated discussion facilitates the powerful learning that come from listening carefully to different perspectives. About five years ago, we began to hear from alums that while they had grown accustomed to having productive conversations about even the most charged topics while in high school, they were often finding the climate in their colleges to be hostile to such endeavors. We realized that our students needed more from their high school experience than opportunities to be in dialogue. They also needed to be taught the skills.
Waynflete Athletes and Coach of the Decade
Congratulations to Martha Veroneau ’13 and Harry Baker-Connick ’15 for being recognized by The Forecaster as Waynflete’s Athletes of the Decade—and to Jeff Madore, who was recognized as Coach of the Decade.
Electricity Club
Interested fourth- and fifth-grade students participated in an electricity club during recesses this fall. Students experimented with snap circuits to learn about the basics of electricity and wiring. Inspired by the book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, students then built a small styrofoam “Power House” that generated electricity through solar panels and a windmill. They were most excited to see a LED light shining brightly when the windmill spun at high speeds!
Sophi Aronson ’20 joins WCSH’s “Varsity Club”
WCSH has appointed senior Sophi Aronson to their Varsity Club in recognition of her outstanding academic, athletic, and community service efforts. Congrats Sophi!
Eighth-graders learn about the African American experience during the Jim Crow era
Last week, eighth-graders heard from two generations of the Reese family about their experiences in the South during the Jim Crow era.
James Reese II—father of eighth-grader Ishan and sixth-grader Ayanthi—discussed his frequent experiences of being turned away from establishments due to the color of his skin. Grandfather James Reese I (born in 1924) spoke about conversing with Martin Luther King Jr., participating in the March on Washington, and hearing King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Reese’s message: be yourself, and do what you can to help ensure that others have the opportunity to be themselves.
Great book ideas for the holiday season
Waynflete librarians Emily Graham and Laurel Daly have put together a selection of books that will inspire a love of reading!
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1-2
- Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor
- A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel
- I Am Love: A Book of Compassion by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds
- Jerome by Heart by Thomas Scotto
- Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick and David Serlin
24-hour playwriting festival
For the fourth year in a row, Upper School theater students hosted a celebration of instant and spontaneous creativity in the Franklin Theater.
At 4:00 p.m. last Friday, playwriting prompts created by Waynflete students went out by email to students from Deering, Morse, Kennebunk, and Scarborough High Schools. The task: write a short play overnight to stand on its feet with actors and audience the very next day! Thirteen plays emerged. All had the same prop (a single sock), the same location (an airport), and the same line of dialogue (“That’s how they do it in Maine”).
The Can We? Project featured in Portland Press Herald op-ed
Upper School Director Lowell Libby and Maine Heritage Policy Center CEO Matthew Gagnon recently co-authored an op-ed on The Can We? Project. The piece was published by the Portland Press Herald on November 28.
Eighth grade and K-1 students discuss identity
The eighth grade visited K-1 today to talk about identity. K-1 shared that they read Be Who You Are, then painted portraits, mixing colors to make their unique skin color. Eighth-grade students shared their similar art piece based on Angélica Dass’s Humanae project.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
The sixth grade spent the afternoon sorting and packing the food collected by the school community in this year’s Thanksgiving Food Drive. After loading everything into a truck, we headed to Wayside Food Programs to unload and weigh everything. Our hope was that the school had collected more than last years 1,907 pounds—or even the previous year’s 2,289 pounds. Thanks to the whole community’s effort, we knocked it out of the park and collected an impressive 2,815 pounds of food. Wayside will begin distributing that food this week to help families in need.
Way to go, Waynflete! Thank you for your generosity!
Holiday gift ideas
Looking for great gifts that inspire learning and creativity? Lower School teacher Tim Hebda has completed his annual list of books, games, gadgets, and apps that will keep your grandchild excited and engaged during the holidays.
Skyping a scientist
Students in Waynflete’s sixth-grade science classes are participating in “Skype a Scientist,” a program that pairs scientists with classrooms around the world.
Students recently Skyped with Lauren Rowsey, a marine biologist and PhD candidate at the University of New Brunswick. To prepare for the session, students learned about Lauren’s research, which focuses on how and why some fish (like cunner) enter a sleep-like state called winter dormancy in cold temperatures. Students had plenty of questions, ranging from “Where did you go to college?” to “When did you know you wanted to be a marine biologist” to “What is the weirdest escape response you have seen in a marine organism?” There were no lulls in the conversation!
A great weekend
On Friday night, I stood at the top of the theater with Tiki Fuhro and Susan Nelson “managing” the throngs of people filling the space beyond capacity. These were not just the parents of theater kids—these were parents, alums, faculty, staff, and students. Every night was packed and Friday we actually had to turn people away. As hard as it was, it is a good problem to have! This was an outpouring of support from all corners of our school and those who came were rewarded with an incredible production. The Guys and Dolls show was done at such a high quality level and with such heart.
On Saturday afternoon, Waynflete folks poured into the stands at Falmouth High School to cheer on the boys varsity soccer team. Again, students, faculty, staff, alums, and friends of the school filled the stands. Many members of the Guys and Dolls cast, crew, and production team were there, just as the soccer players had been in the theater Friday night. All of the spectators were treated to a remarkable display of skill, agility, and sportsmanship by our team. It is the best soccer I have seen played at Waynflete and a real pleasure to watch.
At the end of the day it is our students that are performing on the stage and pitch, but it is the educators and coaches that bring all the elements into alignment so that this level of success is within reach. Katy Cavanaugh as director and the entire production team did an amazing job bringing all of the elements of a classic Broadway musical to life. I heard several audience members talking about how professional this show was.
The coaching staff led by Brandon Salway did a wonderful job leading our boys to a state championship. In the Press Herald, the Mount View coach talked about how intelligent our players were and how they were really playing at the collegiate level. From my vantage point in the stands, I would agree.
I want to extend my deep appreciation, congratulations, and gratitude to the amazing adults who helped nurture both the musical and the boys soccer team. Both were wonderful accomplishments in their own right and together made for an extraordinary weekend.
