For most of us, customizing a car might mean upgraded wheels or a new stereo. Not for Ben Levite. For his Senior Project at Waynflete, the 17-year-old imported the front end of a Honda Civic from Japan, then used the components to reengineer his own car as a right-hand drive. “I can remember his classmates saying, ‘Wait—you did what?,’” says faculty member Sue Stein, who advised Ben in his final two years at Waynflete. “The student center was packed and people’s jaws were dropping. He was in the winner’s circle that day.”
Hands-on NASA research in Astrophysics
Waynflete Science Department Chair Wendy Curtis is always on the hunt for ways to connect her students to research opportunities. Last year, she discovered ExMASS (The Exploration of the Moon and Asteroids by Secondary Students), a yearlong research program that immerses students in authentic, open-inquiry research projects. The program is offered by the Houston-based Lunar and Planetary Institute, with support from NASA.
Sixth-grade seminar and the middle school brain
Different brain systems come online at different times. During the early teen years, the social-emotional circuitry of the limbic system becomes amplified, and teens suddenly feel their own feelings more intensely, are more sensitive to others, and have “higher highs and lower lows.” But the seat of their self-control, the frontal cortex, doesn’t fully consolidate until the mid-twenties. As a result, teens’ self-management skills—decision-making, self-awareness, abstract thought—aren’t quite up to regulating all of the changes.
Dr. Dan Siegel
Professor of clinical psychiatry, UCLA
If you’re the parent of a adolescent child, this may sound like the answer to a familiar and vexing question: “Just what is going on in the middle school brain?” This question was the impetus behind the launch of sixth-grade seminar this year.
PB&J, carrot sticks, and math
Thursday morning recess is over, and students in Waynflete’s multiage grades 2-3 program return to their home stations. Teachers begin to move tables together to accommodate the 20 or more children who—lunch bags in hand—are beginning to assemble. Students begin to quiet down, turning their attention to Lower School Director Anne Hopkins as she begins writing today’s problem on the whiteboard. It’s time for math lunch.
Will Armstrong ’18 lights things up
Each “What Matters Most?” interview tries to capture an aspect of a student’s pursuits or interests that might not be visible in their everyday Waynflete experience. This week, I caught up with Will Armstrong who has dedicated countless hours backstage running the technical production aspects, designing lights over five shows during his four years at Waynflete.
Will, how did you first discover this passion?
I first got hooked in Middle School – It was definitely during the 8th grade show when I first felt part of a production. Chris Fitze also had something to do with it- he draws people to technical theater because of who he is. I showed up one day and he said “here’s how the board works and you’re designing lights for the show.” I landed the job because there was no one else to do it for Cry of Players but I’d say lighting design strikes me as the best job there is. (more…)
Welcome to our new college counselor
Waynflete is pleased to announce the hiring of Emily Birchby as our new Associate Director of College Counseling.
Emily brings with her nine years of experience in selective college admissions having served as an Associate Dean of Admissions at her alma mater, Bowdoin College. Among her many responsibilities in the Bowdoin Office of Admission, Emily served as the regional representative for Southern Maine and had the pleasure of reading a number of applications from former Waynflete students. In 2012, Emily earned her M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education while simultaneously assisting the college counseling office of The Academy of the Pacific Rim.
Emily currently manages Bowdoin’s THRIVE program which supports student achievement during the transition from high school to college while providing mentorship and fostering a sense of belonging. In addition to her work at Bowdoin, Emily serves as a board member of Portland Community Squash and is an avid runner, skier, and cyclist. Emily lives in Yarmouth with her husband, Matt, and their two daughters, Parker and Winslow.
See her photo above, and say “hi!” if you see her visiting campus.
Jazz combo wins state championship
Congratulations to the Upper School Jazz Combo for traveling to Newport, Maine, and playing its way to the top of Combo Division 3 at the Maine Music Educators Association State Instrumental Jazz Festival!
Bridges & Ladders
Eighth-graders have just finished a three-part unit in Studio Art called Bridges & Ladders.
Judy Novey and Jona Rice started the unit by showing a slideshow of artists through time and across cultures who used ladder-like images in a myriad of decorative and symbolic ways. One of the most striking is a sculpture called “A Ladder for Booker T. Washington” by the contemporary African-American sculptor Martin Puryear. Other ladder images went back to ancient petroglyphs.
Students did quick sketches of the forms they observed in the slideshow before beginning work on three different but related assignments. The first was an additive print that used color and mixed media to create abstract ladder/bridge-like imagery. The second was a fanciful sculpture made out of wire and paper-maché. The final assignment was an artist’s book which combined cut-paper imagery with metaphoric language to speak poetically about making connections and life’s journeys.
This artwork can currently be seen on the rounded wall gallery outside of the theater.
Artwork featured above: Ian Good
Julia Werner:
Henry Wagg:
“A Ladder for Booker T. Washington” by Martin Puryear:
Ancient petroglyphs:
WEAG to host screening of “Before the Flood” on March 21
The Waynflete Environmental Action Group (WEAG) is a student-led activity that raises awareness about environmental issues in our community. On Wednesday, March 21, WEAG will present a screening of Before the Flood. The film follows Leonardo DiCaprio as he examines current-day impacts of climate change. The picture also features President Obama, Pope Francis, and a host of climate experts.
While the topic is somewhat dark, there is also a hopeful side of the movie demonstrated by forward-thinking individuals like Elon Musk. It is a great documentary that generates lots of discussion around the issue of climate change and how it affects us.
Sixth-grade marine life oil pastels
Sixth-grade students recently created an observational oil pastel that focused on marine life. Using their iPads for reference, they made preliminary sketches of both salt and freshwater fish and their habitats. They composed a contour line drawing, combining their chosen fish with a habitat. Following a color theory lesson, students chose their palettes and layered hues to complete their drawing.
Riley Mayes ’18 Receives 2018 Girls Rock! Award
Congratulations to Riley Mayes ’18 who was chosen to receive a 2018 Girls Rock! award. Hardy Girls Healthy Women, Moxie Maine Magazine, The Maine Girls’ Academy, and National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman joined together for a night of celebrating Maine girls for their personal, academic, athletic, and humanitarian achievements at the recent awards ceremony.
Riley has a particular skill and interest in unifying all genders toward a school and community climate of safety and healthy sexuality by preventing gender based violence among young people. At Waynflete, Riley became a member of the RAPS (Raising Awareness & Providing Support) program: a group that focuses on the physical and mental well-being of the students. She has developed and delivered the Safer Sexuality Program to Freshman students as part of her leadership role within the program. Riley spent a summer abroad studying sexuality in Amsterdam. Shortly after her summer experience, Riley began volunteering for Maine Boys to Men. She spent the last two summers meeting with Boys to Men staff to review and write their 12 Hour High School curriculum specifically in the areas of healthy sexuality, healthy relationships, online harassment, sexting and technology respect. Additionally, Riley assisted Maine Boys to Men create the RSVP Rally program, is a member of the Youth Advisory Council, served on panels and facilitated events at other schools. She participated in a Train the Trainer Model and then was responsible as the Lead facilitator of a three hour training to 40 students. She seeks authentically to partner men and women, boys and girls in dialogue that opens hearts and changes actions.
Construction update #7 with Millard Nadeau
Snow, shmow!
UMF professor visits Astrophysics class
Astrophysics students welcomed Chris Magri, Astronomy and Physics professor at University of Maine Farmington, to class today. Dr. Magri discussed his research involving RADAR imaging of asteroids.
Dr. Magri reviewed asteroid study missions that are currently underway, including OSIRIS-REx (launched last year to take samples of the asteroid Bennu and return to Earth), and Psyche (launching in 2022 to orbit a metallic asteroid). Researchers hope that Psyche will provide insights into how planets form. The class was also interested in discussing Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs)—specifically, what are the chances we’ll be hit by one we haven’t seen yet! Dr. Magri also brought a 3D model of the asteroid Betulia that he helped characterize through imaging.
Astrophysics is one of three Upper School electives for which students can obtain college credit at the University of Maine (the others are Advanced Biology and Calculus II).
Spirit Week in the US!
UPDATE: The results are in, and as usual the Seniors had a huge showing and took home the win. Total points for the week are below (go freshmen!) and don’t miss the full video of the Senior’s dance-off routine. It’s long and amazing!
FINAL SCORES
1. Seniors — 542 points
2. Juniors — 426 points
3. Freshmen — 340 points
4. Sophomores — 249 points
It’s Spirt Week at Waynflete, and things are getting wild in the Upper School. Musical chairs, dodgeball, limbo, and grade v. grade dance-off competition on Friday. Stay tuned for all the updates and lots of great photos!
B-T clan rocks Middle School assembly
At today’s Middle School assembly, Bukowski-Thall siblings Rosey (Grade 6), Nathan (Grade 8), and Henry (Grade 10)—accompanied by music instructor, Mike Dank— rocked out in Franklin Theater. The set list included “Hallelujah,” “Let It Be,” and “Day Tripper.”
From the archive: Novel ideas
It starts in Middle School. “Students who had been highly imaginative writers just stop writing,” says English teacher Sarah Macdonald. “They think they have a sense of what’s good and what’s not. They decide that ‘they’re not writers’ and their output starts to suffer.”
Waynflete’s Middle School English teachers are always looking for new opportunities to motivate young writers. After learning about NaNoWriMo from an enthusiastic new Waynflete student, Sarah investigated further.
Astrophysics students—and artists!
Contributing a ceiling tile to Wendy Curtis’s lab…
100th Day!
In celebration of the 100th day of school on Monday, K-1 students began creating a bulletin board showing “100 Ways To Be Kind.” Students from all four Lower School programs are contributing ideas.
Eighth-grade hoopsters take on faculty and staff in annual basketball match
The crowd shuffled into the gym. A heightened sense of anticipation was in the air. K-1 students took their usual spot on the faculty bench while sixth-and-seventh-grade fans began waving signs in support of their favorite players.
At stake: bragging rights.
Nattily attired in Hawaiian shirts and bunny ears, the faculty came onto the floor to the sounds of the (very) old classic “The Bunny Hop.” As always, there were a few family matchups that all were eager to watch unfold. Jacob Curtis outscored his mom, Wendy, while Heather and Henry Hart played to a hard-fought tie. Henry Wagg was shut down by a combined double-team/run-and-jump defense by Alice and Geoff Wagg. Cathie Connors came down with a phantom injury rather than face her daughter Jess. Once again, both boys and girls games were close right to the end. One of the prettiest plays was Bella Pickus’s putback dunk.
The faculty has already started stretching and icing in anticipation of next year’s game.
Writing as a process
As Ed Sheeran’s “Touch and Go” plays from my desktop, my feet tapping to its rhythms, I click on the last essay to review from one of my seventh-grade English students. It’s a weekend morning, and Hurd House is quiet, save for the group of seagulls that has gathered by the building’s entrance, signaled by the call of leftover sandwich crusts and the quiet eddy of our campus.
When asked for my guiding principles about Middle School, I often turn to the writing process—and the way it illustrates how writing and living is a process leading towards greater self-awareness, agency, and voice.
