The College Process

The anxiety and stress of the senior class starts to dwindle at the end of December due to the generous amount of Early Decision deadlines that colleges have given out. Many of Waynflete’s seniors have taken advantage of Early Decision, a total of 85% compared to the 60% of previous and average years. Now, it’s all just a waiting game.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with parts of the college process, schools usually give three different options for applying: Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision. Early Decision is usually a deadline ranging from November 1, to December 1 and allows students to hear back from college by the end of December. Early Decision is also binding, meaning that if you apply, you are required to attend. Early Action has similar deadlines to Early Decision (November 1 to December 1), but if you get in, you have a choice as to whether or not you actually attend. Students usually apply Early Action to receive a decision early, but not have to make a commitment. Regular Decision is the most common method of application, and is usually due around January 1. These decisions are received by March or April and are not binding either. Students are required to make a final decision by May 1, if they haven’t been bound to an Early Decision school.

Through all this confusion of deadlines and non-binding vs. binding, there is also the stress of what schools to apply to and estimating the chances you have of getting in. It’s all a game to the colleges. Strategically, colleges have become SAT optional, hoping to raise their average SAT scores because only the above average scores will be sent, raising the overall average. Colleges have also started to offer fee waivers for applications. This is another strategic step to lower the acceptance rates at schools because if more people apply, they can reject more students, ultimately lowering their acceptance rates. For some reason, college acceptance is more of a game now where students have to make their moves strategically, like chess.

Students work hard to raise their SAT scores, get the best grades possible and be involved in as many activities and service opportunities as possible just because it will “look good for college.” Colleges on the other hand, are selective and choose students based on community service, diversity, sports, majors and other specific reasons in order to fill their school-specific quotas. This makes the college process less about having the baseline standards to get into the school and more of a game of chance. The college application season is stressful, but it seems that as years go by and application processes change, it develops into a game of strategy and chance, for both the students and the schools.

— Kiera Macwhinnie

Procrastination

As much as I wanted to procrastinate writing about the procrastination methods of the senior class, I avoided the stress and got it done as soon as I could. The idea of procrastination is a very humorous look at human nature and of our flaws. Procrastination is very common among the senior class currently and the excuses and reasons seem very convincing. So why do people procrastinate? It only exacerbates the stress. Its universally true that people put off the one thing that creates the stress. This may simply cause even more stress. The list of reasons why students procrastinate is endless, but the most common method is sleeping or watching netflix. For some, it may include playing Candy Crush or eating food while others prefer to stare at a wall. We all have different reasons why we procrastinate and the ways we do it.

— Chase Warner

In the Latin elective on Pliny’s letters, Latin students spent the fall semester reading a selection of letters from Pliny the Younger who, as the governor of Bithynia in the 1st century, maintained extensive correspondences with friends, fellow politicians, and even the emperor Trajan himself.

We identified some hallmarks of the Plinian style: extensive use of participial phrases instead of noun phrases; long, periodic sentences; wit that was refined and understated; and most important, philosophical observations that uncovered wisdom in unlikely places.  (All Pliny’s letters end only with a valē—the English equivalent of goodbye—which struck students as abrupt and unintentionally humorous.)

Students were asked to write a letter in the Plinian style, describing a real, personal experience, and to communicate it in a letter as Pliny would.

The class decided to address the letters to Lowell, mirroring Pliny’s letters addressed to the Emperor Trajan.  Readers may notice that some students took the opportunity also to satirize the “translationese” of turning Latin into clunky English.  These letters are not exemplars per se of English prose style, but they do a great job of mimicking Latin prose rhythm.

For comparison, below is an actual letter (in translation) from Pliny to the historian Tacitus. After giving that a look, read three Plinian letters from class by Owen Gervais, Tim Clifford, and Dorrie Pinchbeck.

1.6.–TO CORNELIUS TACITUS.

You will laugh, and I give you leave to. You know what sort of sportsman I am, but I, even I, have bagged three boars, each one of them a perfect beauty. “What!” you will say, “YOU!” Yes, I, and that too without any violent departure from my usual lazy ways. I was sitting by the nets; I had by my side not a hunting spear and a dart, but my pen and writing tablets. I was engaged in some composition and jotting down notes, so that I might have full tablets to take home with me, even though my hands were empty.

You need not shrug your shoulders at study under such conditions. It is really surprising how the mind is stimulated by bodily movement and exercise. I find the most powerful incentive to thought in having the woods all about me, in the solitude and the silence which is observed in hunting.

So when next you go hunting, take my advice and carry your writing tablets with you as well as your luncheon basket and your flask. You will find that Minerva loves to wander on the mountains quite as much as Diana. Farewell.

It’s a good time of year for giving, and Waynflete Students have been especially active! Furniture Friends, Preble Street, and the Rotary Club have all received hours of time from boisterous groups of students this December. Check out some of their smiles below!

On Saturday, December 10th, five playwrights and twelve actors spent the day playfully rehearsing five brand new ten minute plays. The afternoon culminated in an informal performance for family and friends. There were lights, sound effects, props and few improvised costume choices. The results from this day of encapsulated creativity were fantastic.

Each writer was given a few prompts and the challenge of writing ten pages over night. The results were incredibly diverse.
Here are our titles:
“The Wings” by Jesse Brooks
“Yvon and Jane” by Emily Talpey
“A Struggle with Eccentricity” by Ian Irvine
“Surgery” by Bodhi Small
“Treasure Hunt” by Emma Irvine

Cast members:
Ruby Adams
Tzevi Aho
Jesse Brooks
Chris Fitze
Emma Irvine
Ian Irvine
Riley Mayes
Ben Millspaugh
Bodhi Small
Anja Schwieterman
Emily Talpey
Phebe Tice
Henry Wasserman
We hope that these plays will have the chance to develop and be performed as part of our winter play weekend on March 3rd and 4th.

A mighty thank you to all participants and audience members for making this new project so joyful and successful.

It was a chilly and festive First Friday on December 2nd when the Waynflete Upper School Chorus, together with Portland’s poet laureate, Gibson Fay-Leblanc, presented a performance of seasonal songs and poetry in the Joan B. Burns Garden at the Portland Museum of Art. This was the second year in a row the Chorus has participated in this event to celebrate the start of the holiday season with the lighting of the Museum’s beautiful, over-one-hundred-year-old copper beech tree. The Chorus sounded fantastic and the crowd was enthusiastic as they listened, sang along, and counted down to the lighting of the tree.

A huge thanks to the members of our Chorus and to Marcie Griswold, the PMA’s Public Programs Coordinator, for helping to make this event a joyous success!

During the week of exams (Thursday, December 15 – Wednesday, December 21), students are only required to be in school during their exam periods.  They may be on campus when they do not have exams if they choose. Please make plans with your child regarding your expectations for where s/he should be when not taking an exam. If your child will be absent from an exam, please follow the usual procedure for reporting an absence.

Below is the exam schedule for next week.  For make-up exams or exam conflicts, students should contact Peter Hamblin at or at extension 1230.

Please note: Weather could alter the exam schedule so that rescheduled exams could run as late as 3:00 on Wednesday, 12/21.  Please do not plan to travel before then.    

In case even the thought of mid-term exams is casting a long shadow over your household, here are links to two ideas about how to manage stress productively.  The first is a TED talk by health psychologist Kelly McGonical entitled, How to Make Stress Your Friend.  The second is an article by Gavi King ’15, whose article,  Relax, Silly: Advice for Exam Week, which first appeared in the Waynflete Flyer in the spring of 2014.  Each offers wise counsel.

Click here for easily downloadable and printable schedule

Exam Schedule for December 2016
All exams will be held in Sills, except computers exams in the library and extended time exams in Emery-20.

Thursday, December 15, 2016
8:30-10:30    U.S. History I, African American History, and 11/12 History electives
Extended time exams 8:15 – 11:15

10:45 – 12:45  English 9
Extended time exams 12:00-3:00

1:00 – 3:00   Chemistry, Environmental Science I and Marine Biology I
Extended time exams 12:00 – 3:00

Friday, December 16, 2016
8:30-10:30    Geometry (all levels) and 11/12 English electives
Extended time exams 8:15 – 11:15

10:45 – 12:45   History 9 & Literature of Genocide
Extended time exams 8:15 – 11:15

1:00 – 3:00    English 10, Music Theory and AstroPhysics
Extended time exams 12:00 – 3:00

Monday, December 19, 2016
8:30 – 10:30   Algebra 1 & 2 (all levels), Computing, and Business & Finance Math
Extended time exams 8:15 – 11:15

10:45 – 12:45   History 10
Extended time exams 8:15 – 11:15

1:00 – 3:00   Physics (all levels) and Advanced Biology
Extended time exams 12:00 – 3:00

Tuesday, December 20, 2016
8:30 – 10:30 – Spanish III (all) and Foreign Language for all 11’s and 12’s
Extended time exams 8:15 – 11:15

10:45 – 12:45   Foreign Language 9’s and 10’s
Extended time exams 12:00 – 3:00

1:00 – 3:00    Function, Stats, Trig; PreCalculus and Calculus
Extended time exams 12:00 – 3:00

Wednesday, December 21, 2016
8:30 – 10:30 – Biology (all levels)
Extended time exams 8:15 – 11:15

I have been involved in the Maine Youth Court since my freshman year of high school. The Maine Youth Court provides a platform for high school students from all over Maine to participate in practicing Restorative Justice in their own communities. When young people are sent to Youth Court for violating the law, a tribunal of high school students represents each party involved in the case. The first is the respondent, the second is the victim, and the third is the community. Each party presents the case for what the respondent did, how the respondent’s actions impacted each party, and what needs to be done in order to resolve the issue. Once the tribunal has heard the case from all parties, they come to a unanimous decision on the outcome for the respondent. This decision incorporates all the suggestions from the respondent themselves, the victim, and the community. The resolution aims to cover four main objectives: repairing the harm, building up on the respondent’s interests and talents, creating connections, and increasing knowledge, skills and resources.

I became involved with Youth Court because I believe that we exist in the most punitive nation in the world; the way America treats its citizens who have violated the law is fueled by the idea of vengeance rather than beneficial restoration. When people commit crimes, the feeling of pain and fear as a result of that crime is what drives the demand for greater punishment of offenders, as a way to “bring relief.” As a nation, we turn to harsher punishments as if there is no other way to stop the occurrence of crimes. The lack of understanding of other viable methods of punishment coupled with the “get-tough” rhetoric that is perpetuated throughout the country generates an even greater demand for discipline.

However, this problem has a pool of possible solutions, and I believe that Restorative Justice is the best approach to fix the problem. The essence of this practice gives young people who have made a mistake a second chance. Ultimately, Restorative Justice cultivates a progressive society where young people are held accountable for their actions by their community in a victim-offender-community relationship. Restorative Justice also saves young people from being swallowed by the monster of the School-to-Prison Pipeline. A restorative disciplinary process in schools where the students are met with reconciliation and/or counseling service, rather than being isolated, punished, and pushed out of school and into the juvenile and criminal justice system, will save them from plunging into a vicious cycle of falling behind in their education and ultimately elevating the risk of a life of crime and incarceration.

As I finish the first semester of my junior year, I am reminded of the unique qualities Youth Court has instilled in me. Not only has its restorative practices fueled my passion for the reformation of the Justice System, but also it has increased my knowledge on the operation of structures that were once unknown to me. Youth Court has taught me to use my position as a young person in society to contribute to a greater cause. It has created an abundance of opportunities and resources for me to succeed in everything I put my mind to.

Malcolm X once said “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today,” and I believe this to be entirely true. Every day I wake up I live with a purpose. Through the application of principles that dismantle toxic systems, such as America’s Criminal Justice System, we can and will make a difference. I believe that when you are presented with a piece of information, it then becomes partly your responsibility to do something about it.

My purpose of writing this article is to share my experience in Youth Court and the importance of Restorative Justice, as well as trying to get my message out there in order to inspire others to reach out into their communities and create change. It’s time to act on what you know. The only thing necessary for the perpetuation of evil is for people to do nothing. I want people who are exposed to me to be determined to do something. With the willingness of our community, we can positively impact the lives of everyone.

It starts with you.

This year’s Shoulder to Shoulder Courses Announced!

Waynflete is a Global Schools Coalition member which means that Waynflete students have guaranteed space on all Shoulder to Shoulder courses which take place both here in U.S. and abroad. Click here for all the details, and join us this Thursday, 12/8 during lunch and free time (no assembly that day!) for an SSTS information session in the atrium with free brownie sundaes.

Two big theater events are coming soon!

Monday, December 5 and Tuesday, December 6, audition for the Great Bank Robbery, an original play written by Jesse Brooks. Performances March 3-4 at Waynflete and March 10-11 at the Regional One Act Festival. Click here for more info!

Friday, December 9 is the start of the 24-Hour Theater Festival! Join other actors, playwrights, directors to create a short play in one day. Click here for more info!!

Eight students eating pizza, not an unusual picture! But these eight are finalists in the Upper School Poetry Out Loud competition, winners from four ninth-grade English classes. This contest is not all that different from many classroom challenges at Waynflete, but these results are marked by pizza and iced tea—small recognition for the dedication and enthusiasm of these students toward study and presentation of the written word. These particular students succeeded with their class performances the week before Thanksgiving and now they are looking toward competing against each other in an assembly in January.

Poetry Out Loud is open to all Upper School students. The school competition, scheduled for an assembly the first week we return to school in January, requires that students recite two poems from memory in two rounds. The performances are assessed by outside judges according to rigid criteria, and cumulative scores will determine who will advance to the next level. Winners of our school competition will continue on to a regional competition, and those finalists participate in the Maine state contest.

The complete Poetry Out Loud anthology from which students select their poems (think ‘poem bank’) is quite far-reaching: varied lifestyles, viewpoints, attitudes, time periods, genders, and subjects. Most important, the anthology provides an encouraging avenue toward sensing the wonder and richness of spoken word—as students discover and develop their personal connections to literature and spoken language.

Congratulations to Sarah Acheson-Field, Avis Akers, Sophi Aronson, Thys Geldenhuys, Ella Hannaford, Morgan Peppe, Maya Turndorf, and Maren Wold! See you in January!

Waynflete’s Dream Factory activity has been incredibly active in some super exciting events this semester in our community. If you don’t know anything about Dream Factory, it a non-profit organization that grants dreams to kids aged 3-17 diagnosed with a chronic illness. In the simplest terms, chronic illnesses are lifelong conditions that can often be helped with medication but cannot be cured. The club is in its third year now and has been incredibly successful. Last year, we helped send a Maine boy, who was diagnosed with cancer just after the end of his senior year, on a dream golf vacation in Florida where he got to play with professionals and spend a well-needed week away in the sunshine state.

Back in October, we sent about 10 volunteers to help run a water station at the Maine Marathon, something we have been a part of since 2014. Largely because of the efforts of the high school dream factory clubs in running the stations, the ME Marathon choose Dream Factory as race beneficiary this year, profiting the club with over $50,000, enough for at least ten extensive dreams! Two Sundays ago, 13 of us helped decorate gingerbread houses to be used as raffle items at the upcoming Make-Your-Own Candy Cane Fundraiser at Haven’s Candy, which was this past Saturday (see right). We sent four hard-working volunteers to help run the show, doing everything from greeting families to helping children form the candy cane shape (see below). Overall, the Havens event raised thousands more than last year, and was incredibly successful all around.

If you are interested at all in the Dream Factory at Waynflete, don’t hesitate to find out more! You can reach me at or find me in the hallway at school!

Fantastic gingerbread decorators, from back to front, left to right: Nick Wagg (Jr), Ian McClure-Chute (Fr), Anna Wildes (Fr), Lexi Epstein (Sr), Eliza Barbara-Wheelock (Fr), Olya Gregg (Fr), Sophia Mayone (Sr), Emily Wagg (Fr), Rachel Burns (Fr), Mollie Stone (Jr), Ella Hannaford (Fr), Charlotte Rhodes (Jr), Sydney Sullivan (Fr)

Freshman Anna Wildes, Olya Gregg, and Eliza Barba-Wheelock decorating their house

 
[Header image caption: Senior group leaders Sophia Mayone and Almu Canales holding Sophia’s brothers picture at the Dream Factory welcoming table]

I’m thrilled to be writing home to Waynflete as a first-year medical student! I moved to Durham this past summer to start a joint MD-PhD program at Duke University School of Medicine. I know I never would have made it here without the formative 15 years I had at Waynflete. I was reminded of this last year when Wanyflete surfaced as the main subject of an application essay I wrote for Duke.

The application process for medical school has a grueling reputation for a reason. It was about 18 months from the time I first started studying for the MCAT to when I actually figured out where I would be going to school. At times, the process can be incredibly dehumanizing. It’s easy to feel reduced to a set of numbers and letters encompassed by your GPA, transcript and standardized test scores. Yet, many of the questions schools ask of you and that you’re forced to ask yourself during this journey can be eye-opening. One of the most revealing essays I was asked to write was in response to the following statement:

“Describe the community in which you were nurtured or spent the majority of your early development … what core values did you receive there and how will these translate into the contributions that you hope to make to your community as a medical student and to your career in medicine?”

I was initially dumbfounded. In my mind, it was far too broad an essay prompt with far too little guidance. Did they want me to describe the neighborhood I grew up in? Was I supposed to talk about my family? It seemed impossibly vague.

However, I quickly realized beyond a doubt that I wanted to talk about the Waynflete community and how it shaped me. It’s an awkward and unfamiliar exercise to have to put into writing a description of your values and your most meaningful experiences. (Naturally, the only other time I had to do something similar was in Michele Lettiere’s sophomore English class at Waynflete while working on a year-long autobiography project).

While reflecting for this essay on the many core values I gained at Waynflete, I decided to focus on the three most impactful. These are intellectual curiosity, global stewardship and social justice.

Although I’d never put pen to paper before to describe my time at Waynflete, it was natural and gratifying to be able to succinctly summarize the values I gained there. I was reminded while writing this essay that courses at Waynflete choose to broadcast passion rather cram standardized content, which has been formative throughout my academic career.

Intellectual curiosity is what led me to pursue two interdisciplinary degrees as an undergraduate at Tulane University – a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Political Economy. This curiosity further led me to both clinical and basic science research during my time there. I would be remiss not to mention how lucky I was to be introduced to the role of women in science early with rock star mentors in Wendy Curtis and Carol Titterton.

Most importantly, Waynflete taught me that educational endeavors should never be pursed in a vacuum. This is where global stewardship and social justice surface as core values. I remember early as Kindergarten being introduced to other cultures through global focus week. By Upper School, I was lucky to engage with the world historically through Lorry’s Literature of Genocide course, contemporarily through Model United Nations and culturally through Breda’s brilliant Spanish electives.

Academically, Waynflete prepared me better than I could have ever expected for college, but what astounds me most now is how much it also prepared me for dual MD-PhD degrees. Without the core values I gained at Waynflete, I seriously doubt this is a path I would have been successful in or chosen to pursue. By teaching me to be intellectually and morally engaged with the world, I owe Waynflete immeasurable gratitude. I never thought the crazy application cycle for medical school would have led me back to my time there, but I’m so very glad it did.

It was the start of a normal Monday morning for my Literature of Genocide class. Discussion in classes in the previous week were tinged with the uncertainty of the future.  Students appeared fragile when expressing their concerns about freedoms and moral behavior. Class was a forum to express ideas, make connections, and imagine and work toward a better world.

Although I was buoyed by their hope, I was apprehensive about their emotional capacity to take on the next task: the simultaneous reading and study of two books, culminating in a twenty minute group presentation in a month’s time.

Although initially frustrated at the demands of this assignment, the students met in small groups in the following weeks, wrote meditations about the reading, shared questions, researched, and prepared for presentations. Their conversations were thoughtful, and it soon became apparent just how engaged they were with the material.

With great anticipation, I listened to these presentations, and I knew immediately that their work captured the very essence of the best learning practices at Waynflete. Students illustrated a deep understanding of the historical and contemporary implications of the inhumanity of wo/man against wo/man. With a sophisticated and intelligent use of technology, each group showed slides that illuminated character development, elements of style, and historical significance. They embedded video of the recorded ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, displayed archival photographs of the death marches in Armenia, revealed scientific research on trauma and genetics, and discussed the visual representations of images in Spiegelman’s Maus. Students who read Dongela’s Johnny Mad Dog commented on the voices of the two narrators and the current status of the war in Congo. Their confidence in assessing the quality of the literature in depicting genocide relied on a deep understanding of the relationship between form and content. In short, these students proved their mature and independent skills in preparing important documents and teaching a class.

Perhaps what is most important is that the foundation of their teaching depended on the personal reflections on the themes of the books. These students interpreted with their intellect and hearts. As one student wrote, “[the literature] proves that faith transcends pain.” They provided for me and their classmates a clear path to move forward supported by the confidence of their skills and hearts. I feel grateful to be a witness to a new way of seeing the world through their eyes.

I feel encouraged and hopeful about a future with these students as the new generational leaders of the United States.

Good luck to our seven Upper School students who auditioned for the Maine All-State Music Festival the weekend before Thanksgiving at Biddeford High School. All students put forth a great effort, and we look forward to receiving their scores and finding out who is accepted to the festival!

Students accepted to All-State will join fellow high school musicians from throughout the state this coming May at the University of Maine at Orono to work in intensive rehearsals with renowned guest conductors to prepare a concert program for performance at the end of the event.

Congratulations to the following auditioning students:

Eva Abbott, soprano
Matthew Beard, bass-baritone
Justin Gross, bass-baritone
Morgan Peppe, violin
Phebe Tice, alto
Sara Wasdahl, violin
Genevieve Welch, soprano (auditioned on Friday, pictured separately)

In today’s world, it is easier than ever to find oneself in an echo chamber. Social media allows for selective exposure to news events, public schools are becoming more segregated, and even SNL skits poke fun at the neighborhood “bubbles” we have created in finding like-minded people to live around us. This separation from “others” can lead to creation of stereotypes and polarization. Waynflete’s Dialogue Project has been a push back to this environment: bridging differences among individuals to find common ground. To learn and understand, not to persuade.

To build on an area with which many in our community have little direct contact, the Upper School recently hosted Michael Sauschuck, Portland’s Chief of Police, at an assembly. Policing in America has been in the spotlight nationally and this was an opportunity to bring the conversation closer home. The Chief’s motivation to come to Waynflete was to build bridges between law enforcement and communities they serve. The students’ interest in hosting the Chief was to learn more about the tensions nationally and locally between law enforcement and communities of color.

This highly anticipated panel-style interview led by Najma Abdullah ’18 and Josh Lodish ’17 based on questions submitted by the wider student body, did not disappoint. Chief Sauschuck was transparent and forthright, acknowledging problems, addressing concerns, and sharing successes he felt have taken place in his department. Josh and Najma showed how to carry out a meaningful dialogue: with courageous follow up questions on events surrounding summer incidents in Portland, with care to listen to Chief Sauschuck’s vision and perspective, and with curiosity to understand the inner workings of the Portland police department and its oversight. A video of the entire assembly is linked below.

Follow up conversations in advising lunch brought up questions and discussions on issues such as the biases we all carry, the role of the police versus the role of other parts of the justice system, Portland’s progressive nature in relation to the rest of the country, Portland’s police oversight committee, media portrayal of the police, and feelings of a much needed diversification of the police department. The assembly sparked deep and unfinished lunchtime conversations stopped, as one advisor said “by the clock, not by lack of interest.”

One sentiment carried over from many advising conversations was to have the Chief come back and continue the conversations started during the assembly. In fact, we are already in conversation with the Chief about attending the New England Youth Identity Summit, a gathering of youth and educators from throughout Portland, Maine, and New England. Held for the first time last March and co-sponsored by Maine Seeds of Peace, the Summit is central to Waynflete’s effort to become a catalyst for important conversations in the broader community intended to bridge differences and promote mutual understanding.

The Hundred Dresses Project Meets Social Commentary

After reading the book The Hundred Dresses, seven juniors and seniors in Advanced Studio made a piece in response to a related assignment called “Fitting In.” These pieces are part of the gallery exhibit, The Hundred Dresses Project. The book, which inspired the exhibit, originally written for children, is a parable speaking for kindness, inclusion and the courage to stand up for justice. As a group, students brainstormed the following ideas as ways to interpret the title, “Fitting In” as it relates to the book and contemporary society. Their ideas included:

• Immigration/Assimilation
• Body Image/ Media’s role in promoting “ideal” body types
• Cultural ideas of traditional “dress”
• Finding Affinity Groups
• Living up to the expectations of others
• Popularity/Social isolation
• “Dress Code”
• Us vs. Them/ “Othering”

Their dress pieces are done with cut-paper and rely on the manipulation of positive and negative shape. Each dress form is four feet high.

Students wrote their own statement, displayed under their piece, explaining how they interpreted the challenge. A few of the pieces speak with a decidedly Feminist voice, a few others focus on the gap between outer appearance (including the assumptions of others) and inner reality, and one student’s piece honors a particular culture’s decorative design traditions.

The student artists are: Brandon Ameglio, Claire Dubois, Calla King-Clements, Riley Mayes, Isadora Osgood, Abby Pipkin and Elizabeth Ralston.

Their pieces can be seen in the Outer Gallery through December 14, 2016. View the slideshow below.

Congrats to the Flyers on an all-around excellent season!

Please join us on Friday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m. in Franklin Theater for the Portland premiere of The Guys Next Door, an intimate portrait of family, friendship, and gay rights. This is a special benefit screening to help raise money to produce a broadcast version of the film. Refreshments and Q&A with the filmmakers will follow at 8:30 p.m. Get your tickets soon!

Read more about the film, purchase tickets, and watch the trailer.

You MUST have a ticket to attend!

Take a moment to visualize a dancer leaping into the air as a starling taking flight, or a crane conveying an urgent message that unfolds through choreography and creative dance. Inspired by natural movement, our dancers will liven up the stage with a demonstration of their progress in technique and by expressing their stories through dance.

Join the Middle and Upper Schools for a performance featuring the Danceflete Ensemble and the Middle School Enrichment Dance Program.

Thursday, November 17, 7:00pm
Franklin Theater, Waynflete Arts Center

After completing my freshman year at Carleton College, I was ready to take a break from the classroom and start doing. I wanted to test the tools and skills that I had learned and refined over the years, primarily at Waynflete and then at Carleton. Participating in Parkside Fun, from sophomore year until graduation, sparked and materialized my interest in mentoring and advocating for children.

Following that passion has led me to all of the most transformative experiences of my life. First, it led me to be a lifeguard at a camp in Maine for low-income and foster girls from both urban and rural areas, many of whom had never been in a boat, did not know how to swim, and had never been in such an isolated, rural area. Most recently, it has led me to be a child policy intern at the Support Center for Child Advocates (Child Advocates) in Phildelphia, PA.

At Child Advocates, our mission is “To advocate for victims of child abuse and neglect with the goal of securing safety, justice, well-being and a permanent, nurturing environment for every child.” In all of our casework and community outreach, we promote a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach. Each child committed to our care is given a team, compromising of a volunteer lawyer and a social worker; this helps us ensure the well-being, permanency and access to justice of every child client.

Every day, we work to change the story of our clients. I have had the privilege to work with lawyers and social workers directly on cases, witness court proceedings and see the very ways in which each member of these teams is able to improve the outcome of our clients’ lives. My role at Child Advocates varies tremendously day-to-day. Focusing on policy, I do data analysis on the fatalities and near fatalities of children in foster care and in homes with DHS involvement. In Philadelphia, every time abuse is a suspected cause of a child fatality or near-fatality, a team is required to review the case, write a report and make recommendations, both locally and state wide. In order to ensure that these reports are effective, we track them and do analysis. In the future, this will lead us to try and change the policy around foster care and homes with DHS involvement, in the hopes of entirely eliminating such tragedies.

Whether I am in court, editing a brief, researching for a statement of facts, working with our development team or conducting data analysis, I draw on all of the writing skills that I acquired at Waynflete. I vividly remember receiving my first paper back from Lowell the spring of my senior year and quite literally having more comments from him than words I had written. This is the greatest testament to the teachers at Waynflete and their dedication to never cease pushing students to learn. In many ways, it epitomizes the best of my experience at Waynflete. I will always be grateful for every teacher there who took the time to mark up a paper because, no matter what I am doing, I return to those writing skills that I learned at Waynflete.