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Friday, May 22, 2009 “Last Day for Seniors” (Video below: The senior class officers ring the final bell to end school as the entire Class of 2009 cheers!) For seniors, it’s all about keeping tradition. The month of May is chock full of important events in the life of a Williams’ senior. To highlight a few, seniors begin the month selecting the college of their choice and sitting for Advanced Placement Exams. Prom arrives at the culmination of AP exams; it was a fun-filled and festive event. Wednesday brought the traditional “Senior Day” where the senior class, led by Presidents Bill Bokoff and Jared Gorin, organized an exciting nonacademic day for the entire school and faculty. I hope all of you will take a moment to glance through the scenes from Senior Day at Strawberry Park. Today is an emotional day for the seniors (and me). It will be the last time seniors have to check in with Mrs. Kelly, go to class, hang out in the senior lounge during free periods, and go to lunch in the Student Center. It also marks the day where the Head of School and Assistant Head traditionally share their prophesies of where our seniors will be in twenty-five years. Ms. Ryan, Mr. Benbow, and I had a lot of fun looking into a crystal ball to predict where our seniors will be in 2034. At the end of assembly, the entire school sings the “Moving Up” song; while singing, students in grades seven through eleven move to places in the Daren Performing Arts Center where they sit by grade beginning September 2009. As the seniors sing the song’s final verse, they exit, en masse, to the parking lot where there will be lots of cheers and tears! I am sure to say this many times over the next few weeks, but I am so grateful for the positive energy and wonderful year this senior class gave to Williams, and I am glad today ended on yet another high note! Stay tuned…Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend! Friday, May 15, 2009 “Tree Dedication”
True to their words, the Class of 2008 will reassemble on Saturday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m. to formally dedicate the new tree planted outside the Head of School’s office in honor of Ms. Rea. This tree will serve as a beautiful reminder of all the wonderful things she accomplished and pay homage to two of her personal passions—gardening and nature. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts prevent Ms. Rea's return from California to attend this special ceremony; however, she has given me the special opportunity to read a letter on her behalf to the Class of 2008. Alumni and parents will gather for the dedication and then spend time on campus to see the new Weissman Student Center and patio. In addition, alumni are excited to see the newly remodeled art wing which was a senior parent gift from the Class of 2008. I look forward to catching up with all of our former students on Saturday, many of whom I have taught and coached. It is hard to believe they are already through their freshman year of college. Many thanks to Amanda Blair, Rosemary Collins, Cindy Patterson, and Barbara Pieniadz for all their work putting this event together and sprucing up the school front landscape. Please stop by whenever you can to see the new tree and honor Charlotte Rea! Stay tuned…enjoy your weekend! Friday, May 8, 2009 “The Proconsul”
At the end of Monday’s Assembly, the members of this year’s Proconsul, (above) Dan Fisher ’09, Sam Pieniadz ’10, and Catherine Schrage ’09 along with Treasurer Pablo Tutillo ’09, thanked the entire Williams community for a wonderful school year. Elections for the new officers took place the previous Friday, ending the current Proconsul’s term. The Proconsul is The William School’s elected governing board of the student body and serves to promote the community life of our school and oversees such traditional events such as Spirit Week, the Holiday Ball, and various student-run fundraising events throughout the year. The four members also coordinate and lead the entire Student Government, made up of class representatives, in bi-weekly meetings to discuss topics of importance presented by the student-body. To me, they represent and direct the pulse of the school. I have been incredibly impressed by all the excellent work of the Proconsul. They have held town meetings to discuss proper behavior at dances and emphasize the role of our community standards. In addition, they have helped to create an effective iPod policy for study halls. The Proconsul also interviewed and hired an outside firm to assist our Buildings & Grounds Committee of the Board of Trustees in funding the addition of sound panels for the Weissman Student Center. The insight, dedication, and serious focus of this group of student leaders were second to none! I use this blog to publicly thank all the work Cat, Dan, Sam, and Pablo have done this year. They have truly been living examples of our mission and core values. They have created a model for future leaders to follow, and I am so appreciative of ALL that they have done for Williams and me this year. I look forward to working with next year’s newly elected Proconsul (below): Annie Marcinek ’10, Sam Pieniadz ’10, Will Simon ’11, and Treasurer Ryan Cairns ’11!
Stay tuned…Enjoy your weekend! Friday, May 1, 2009 “Food For Thought” Traditionally, the Head of School has a small group of veteran faculty members as a dedicated sounding board for a variety of school issues. This year, I decided to add a new group of voices to assist me in overseeing the mission and daily life of the school. Aptly named the "Student Advisory Group,” it consists of two members (a boy and a girl) from each of the six grades at Williams. My Student Advisory Group meets twice monthly to share ideas and provide me the pulse of the school. Selected at random, the following students comprise my inaugural Student Advisory Group:
Last fall, the students decided to design and implement a food survey in which all members of the Williams community complete. The information gathered from the survey will provide solid recommendations to our kitchen staff, business manager, and me. Questions on the survey ranged from item pricing to food and drink options served during both snack and lunch. In addition, the students and faculty took the time to provide us with rich information about their favorite food, drinks, and other items they wished to add to the menu. We concluded our survey with a free response section about the lunch lines and service. Look for our survey results in the next edition of The Blueprint! I am proud of the work this group has done and the ease with which my group shares valuable information with me. Stay Tuned… Enjoy your weekend! Reach me by email at
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