Members of Waynflete’s student-driven Perspective Project recently led a panel at the sold-out annual Educate Maine Symposium, an event attended by nearly 400 leaders in education and business from across the state. The symposium examined the importance of empathy in leadership, provided advice on how to present policy ideas to elected officials, and reviewed the key skills students have built (and related changes in mindset) through their work with Third Thought Initiatives for Civic Engagement.
The Perspective Project leads a panel of students at the Educate Maine Symposium
Students in grades 2–3 create signal flags as part of their martitime study
Our 2–3 art students recently created signal flags using color theory! Each classroom made a full alphabet without use of rulers or measuring devices. Every color includes all primary hues. Once the alphabets were completed, students brainstormed ideas to describe one of the social justice standards of Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action (IDJA). Students then voted on their favorite words.
The Flyers take first place at the Maine Junior Classical League
Congratulations, Flyers! Waynflete took fifth place at the Maine Junior Classical League (MEJCL) this year. MEJCL is a friendly academic competition between schools in Maine that teach Latin. On December 2, Waynflete students competed Hampden Academy to participate for the first time in more than 20 years. Our amazing Latin students placed fifth for the overall competition and fifth for the Latin 1 Certamen competition.
In addition to these two trophies, Waynflete also won 16 place-ribbons. Our students excelled in the areas of Latin grammar, vocabulary, translation, and Roman culture. We enjoyed getting to know other Latin students from around the state!
Ben Pochurek ’24 continues to impress with his artwork
Congratulations to Ben Pochurek ’24!
Ben was honored by the Portland Museum of Art back in April and was recently featured in the Portland Press Herald for his unique artwork. Ben uses his welding talent and materials he finds around his garage to create meaningful sculptures that he hopes will start conversations. Read more about Ben’s artwork at http://bit.ly/3YcimAi.
Photo credit: Portland Press Herald
Eighth annual 24-Hour Playwriting Festival
30 students from Waynflete and other local high schools gathered in Franklin Theater last weekend for the eighth annual 24-Hour Playwriting Festival. Students created twelve unique plays from the same initial prompt and came together as a theater community for a day of fun!
The new boathouse is almost finished
Exciting changes are in progress at our crew’s Fore River launch. The construction of Waynflete’s boathouse is almost complete! Besides the great interior storage, the boathouse will also have a fresh water supply. The Crew seniors were lucky enough to get the chance to write their names in the cement as it dried.
The Outliers demo a robot for Lower School students
The Outliers, a community robotics team that is open to Waynflete students, recently hosted a fun demo in Sills gym. Each year The Outliers design, build, and program a 150-pound robot to compete against other teams. The robots are designed using CAD and built from parts made on CNC machines. Upper School students interested in design, fabrication, or programming are encouraged to join the team. There are also opportunities for students interested in a project manager role, running social media, developing analytics, and controlling the robots!
Rachel Talbot Ross ’78 becomes Maine’s first Black House Speaker
Congratulations to Rachel Talbot Ross ’78, who yesterday was nominated by her Democratic colleagues to become Maine’s first Black House speaker. The nomination comes 50 years after Talbot Ross’s father, Gerald Talbot, became Maine’s first Black legislator.
Rachel Talbot Ross was the 2021 recipient of Waynflete’s Klingenstein Alumni Award.
The Perspective Project hosts Portland City Councilor Pious Ali
The Perspective Project, an Upper School student-led organization committed to starting discussions and bringing new perspectives to Waynflete, recently welcomed newly reelected Portland City Councilor Pious Ali as its first guest speaker of the year.
Mr. Ali was first elected to the Portland’s Board of Public Education in 2013, becoming the first African-born Muslim American to be elected to a public office in Maine. He also has a long history of creating meaningful opportunities for youth through leadership and civic engagement. During their advising period, students had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Ali, learn more about his background, and discuss community and international issues.
Waynflete Students meet artist and Holocaust survivor Samuel Bak
Students in the senior history elective “The Great 20th Century Crisis: World War II” were recently joined by members of Waynflete’s Jewish Education and Culture Club for a lively discussion with artist and Holocaust survivor Samuel Bak. Mr. Bak shared personal stories, reflected on his art, and answered thoughtful questions from our students.
Waynflete students attend Maine Youth Leadership Day
On November 3, nine Waynflete students joined nearly 1,000 of their peers from across the state for the annual Maine Youth Leadership Day hosted by Hyde School in Bath. Grounded in “the importance of what it takes to be a leader with empathy, persistence, and determination,” participants listened to Shawn Gorman of L.L.Bean speak about his leadership style at the helm of a billion-dollar family-owned business before heading to a series of youth-led workshops on various aspects of leadership and leadership styles.
The group reflected on the experience after returning to campus, with everyone able to share at least one essential lesson from the conference that included an expanded definition of what it means to be a leader, the idea that leadership looks different for each person, that there are multiple ways to lead, and that often being a leader means stepping back and listening—or letting others step forward.
To a person, each student who attended the event felt it had been worth their time and that Waynflete should continue to send students on an annual basis. We plan to follow up with this group of students to talk more about leadership opportunities at Waynflete.
Boys varsity soccer team wins state championship for fourth year in a row
Four years in a row, you say?! Boys varsity soccer takes the state championship, defeating Fort Kent 6–1! Way to go, Flyers!
Congratulations to Myles Culley ’23, who scored an amazing five goals yesterday to help bring home the boys varsity soccer state championship. Myles finished the season with 52 goals, tying the state record. Read more at http://wf-link.org/culley. Photo credit: Portland Press Herald.
New asteroids!
As a result of their collaboration with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (with NASA as a partner), Waynflete students have provisionally identified five new asteroids over the years! The latest to shift from preliminary to provisional status had been identified by Ed Cox ’22, Lolie Millspaugh ’22, and Blythe Thompson ’22. A few more observations over the next 6-10 years could make it official!
Upper schoolers compete at Independent School Public Speaking Championships
Congratulations to Jasmijn Janse ’24, Miles Sims-Kastelein-Henry ’24, and Aelia Russell ’24 for representing Waynflete beautifully at the recent International Independent School Public Speaking Championships at Deerfield Academy! After participating in debates in six rounds of competition, Aelia placed 4th place for persuasive speaking, Jasmijn placed 4th place for dramatic interpretation, and Miles placed 7th in dramatic interpretation in the final round.
Seventh-graders collect data on intertidal crabs
Seventh-grade students recently visited the East End Beach to collect data on intertidal crabs. Their findings will be added to a collection of data from other citizen scientists and used to better understand crab population trends along the Maine coast.
Sixth-grade archaeology trip to Broad Cove Reserve
Sixth-grade students recently visited with archaeologist Thomas Bennett at the Prince Memorial Library and Broad Cove Reserve in Cumberland to learn about shell middens. Students contributed to the archaeological record by conducting a count of the clam shell “hinges” found in an excavation at Littlejohn Island. Mr. Bennett also provided context about the Indigenous people who made camp at the site and explained the methods of the excavation conducted at the Broad Cove Reserve in 2016. In addition to enriching their study of archeology, this trip provided an opportunity to get outside on a beautiful fall day and enjoy lunch and play on the beach!
Myles Culley’s impressive journey back to the soccer field
A force on the field, Myles Culley ’23 has racked up 35 goals to break the Waynflete record for goals scored in a season, and he’s well on his way to top the unofficial southern Maine record, too. Even more impressive? His journey back to the field after a devastating injury that tore his hamstring muscle away from the bone—and the fresh perspective on the game that he brought back with him.
“I’ve played soccer at some very serious levels and sometimes I lost sight of why I’m playing the game and that’s because I love the game,” Culley said. “This season with Waynflete, the biggest word I can put on this for me is fun.”
Read more about Myles Culley’s soccer career at https://wf-link.org/3VLoSfR. Photo credit: Portland Press Herald.
Broad Cove archaeology field trip
As part of their study of archaeology in history class, sixth-graders recently visited with archaeologist Thomas Bennett at the Prince Memorial Library and Broad Cove Reserve in Cumberland to learn about shell middens. At the library, students helped contribute to the archaeological record by conducting a count of the clam shell “hinges” found in an excavation at Littlejohn Island. At Broad Cove Reserve, Mr. Bennett provided context about the Indigenous people who made camp at the site and explained the methods of the excavation conducted there in 2016. In addition to enriching their study of archaeology, the trip provided an opportunity to get outside on a beautiful fall day and enjoy lunch and play on the beach!
Ayla Michaud Stutzman ’26 becomes the first girl from Maine to qualify for the USA Surfing Championships in shortboard surfing
Join us in celebrating Ayla Michaud Stutzman ’26 for becoming the first girl from Maine to qualify for the USA Surfing Championships in shortboard surfing. Ayla has been surfing since she was eight years old and has plans to continue for the rest of her life. Read more about Ayla’s incredible journey at https://wf-link.org/3TuZ3Px. Photo credit: Portland Press Herald.
Students in grades 2–3 are the first to visit our new Lower Playground!
A foggy Maine morning couldn’t dampen the spirits of our 2–3 students—the first group to explore our new Lower Playground! We are so grateful to the many generous members of the Waynflete community who helped to make this day possible. Watch a video of the morning at https://wf-link.org/3MBcqeK or see a photo gallery at https://wf-link.org/3TpY2Ir.
