Friday, November 21, 2008

“Plimoth Plantation”

On Tuesday, I had the absolute pleasure of participating in the seventh grade field trip to Plimoth Plantation on the Massachusetts seashore. Joining me on the trip were Middle School Coordinator Tyler Leach and parent chaperones Nancy Kozlik, Kacey Elfstrom, and Sean Garrity. Our fearless leader, John Knudsen, has been teaching the American History class to the seventh grade and leading this field trip for the past twenty-one years. From the onset, it was clear, that Mr. Knudsen had the same enthusiasm and vigor as if he was going to the Plantation for the very first time.

The timing of this trip for seventh graders couldn’t have been better. This new group of students has had a chance to settle in socially and academically and was ready for a much needed class experience (and a break from a regularly scheduled school day). Since Mr. Knudsen teaches all the sections of seventh grade history (as well as Advanced Placement US History to juniors and Modern German History to seniors), the students were prepared for the day with questions and thoughts to bring back to the classroom on Wednesday. Mr. Knudsen’s precise timing of the trip allows students to see how the English colonists and Wampanoag Indians lived and coordinates this to the actual unit on early settlements that they are studying in his classes.

After a two-hour bus trip, we went aboard the Mayflower II, a model of the original Mayflower, which allowed students to see the challenging and life-threatening conditions for the more than 100 passengers. The docents on the Mayflower II were animated, enthusiastic, and readily answered all of the questions from the class.  We went on the lunch at the Plantation (the whole seventh grade ate at one long table) and saw a short video describing the background of this early settlement. The group then proceeded to spend the remainder of the afternoon visiting both the English settlement and the Wampanoag Village. Throughout the visit our students toured the different types of living quarters and observed the various crafts and trades being performed by the men and women of the Plantation. They were full of questions for the English men and women as well as the Wampanoag men and women. Our students got a true sense of the harsh conditions as we all braved the strong winds and chilly temperatures. 

I cannot emphasize how proud I am of the seventh grade students. They were extremely polite, enthusiastic, and energetic throughout the entire day. They certainly represented The Williams School extremely well. It is going to be a joy watching this class matriculate through our School over the next six years.

Stay tuned.  Enjoy your weekend.

Scenes from the trip are available in a slideshow courtesy of Mr. Leach.

Friday, November 14, 2008

“The Ambassadors”

Since this is our prime admission season, I would like to acknowledge the wonderful group of juniors and seniors who represent The Williams School so very well to our prospective families. Forty-eight student volunteers give their precious time to help Gayle Holt, director of admission, present our school in the best of ways. Our ambassadors are energetic volunteers who give up their morning study hall time to provide a school tour and student insight into life inside our doors.

In August, prior to the start of classes, ambassadors meet with the Admission Office to have a daylong workshop to understand the critical role they play in our school admissions. This group is an impressive cross-section of students from our various hometowns and their academic and extracurricular interests are quite diverse. While backgrounds may be different, all our ambassadors are passionate about our school. During orientation, junior ambassadors practice giving tours to their peers in the senior class. In addition, new ambassadors are required to spend time at the Connecticut College Admissions Office and go on a college walking tour to sample what sorts of questions they will face from visiting families. I always know when our ambassadors have completed their “college tour” because they are now ready to effortlessly and effectively walk backwards while talking to a group! 

While on tour, our ambassadors make a loop throughout all school departments while quickly showing classrooms in action and visiting the various administrative offices and gathering areas around the school. I often overhear the ambassadors pass by my office describing a plethora of facts about our school ranging broadly from the curriculum of our modern language department to our athletic teams, to (often most importantly) the snack period and lunch offerings that our students most prefer. Impressively, our ambassadors are graceful, polite, articulate, and enthusiastic. It is no surprise that Gayle Holt and I receive high praise for our wonderful representatives who delight in their duty for the sake of their school. I hope you will have an opportunity to see our ambassadors in action someday when you are on campus. 

Stay tuned. Enjoy your weekend

Friday, November 7, 2008

“Happy Grandparents Day”

Today, we welcomed over 165 grandparents to The Williams School, a record crowd! Included among the grandparents and special friends were three alumnae from WMI, Kathleen Jacey ’52 (grandmother of Adam ’14), Jane Fawcett (grandmother of David Sayet ’09), and Frosine Spicer ’55 (grandmother of Ali Gardiner ’14). In addition we had numerous parents of alumni in attendance. 

Grandparents and special friends joined their loved ones for a special breakfast in the Weissman Student Center, and then sat in on classes for two periods. On my morning stroll through the halls, I observed our Music Theory class, directed by Laura Smith, listen to recordings of Benny Goodman (much to the audience’s delight), and a Latin I class taught by Tyler Leach, Middle School Coordinator, working on a Latin translation. During the “double-block,” our guests were treated to performances by our Fine Arts Department which included a songs by the Jazz Band and Select Chorus, a belly dance by the Intermediate Dancers, and a sign language performance to the tune of “Yellow Submarine” by Beginning Acting class. We were able to pack quite a lot into a very short time. Our grandparents and special friends enjoyed a panoramic view of the “window” on Williams.

A special thanks to all of our wonderful parents who helped serve coffee in the morning and assist with our annual Book Fair and apparel sale. I have to admit that I have a hard time walking past any of the books on display without wanting to buy the whole lot (the history section in particular). 

As I explained to our guests, my own grandparents' interest in my education was extremely important to me and I am grateful to see this same spirit shared between our students and their loved ones.

Enjoy your weekend. Stay tuned!

Relive Grandparents Day fun with slideshows from the breakfast and classes, and dance, music and theater performances.