OUR MISSION THE WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL INSPIRES STUDENTS TO LIVE WITH PURPOSE, PASSION, AND INTEGRITY. THE WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL VALUES:
19 PAYSON AVENUE EASTHAMPTON, MA 01027 413.529.3241
+ ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE + COLLABORATION + COMMUNITY + INDIVIDUALITY + LEADERSHIP
www.williston.com
COLLABORATION
WE CONTEND THAT THERE IS NO GREATER, MORE PROFOUND CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SUCCESS OF STUDENTS AND PEOPLE THAN COLLABORATION. NO MATTER THE TRAJECTORY OF ONE’S EDUCATION OR THE PATH OF ONE’S LIFE, IT IS THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS THAT POTENTIAL IS FULFILLED, IDEAS ARE REALIZED, AND PASSIONS ARE DISCOVERED. EDUCATION IS MORE THAN LEARNING: IT’S A FOUNDATION FOR LIFE-LONG COLLABORATION.
THEY ARE MORE THAN STUDENTS THEY WILL GROW INTO THOUGHT LEADERS AND WORLD CHANGERS.
BUT FIRST WE MUST DO ONE THING:
FIND THEIR +
We are the sum of our experiences,
and challenges, and encourage them to
surrounds them and the world that is
shaped by the interactions we have with
find it within themselves to embrace the
available to them. Ideas whirl through
others. Through our teachers, mentors,
opportunities collaboration can create
the hallways, opinions are challenged
and peers we discover ourselves more
and find a path all their own.
in and outside of the classroom, and
fully. For students, the path to success
the surrounding world is brought in.
and individuality is forged by will and
At Williston, we are focused on
The educational experience here
collaboration. It is our job as educators to
collaboration as a means of engaging
is about using engagement to hone
surround our students with opportunities
students with the community that
the individual.
YEARLY OFF-CAMPUS STUDENT LEARNING EXPERIENCES
32
ATHLETIC TEAMS
700+
100%
OF JUNIORS TAKE PART IN A COLLEGE TOUR AND INFO SESSION AS PART OF OUR COLLEGE COUNSELING PROGRAM
175+
COURSES
CLUBS AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
IN A BOOK, ON A FIELD, THROUGH THE COURSE OF CONVERSATION.
THERE IS + TO BE FOUND EVERYWHERE Consider this: if a single faculty member can inspire a student, or a single friend can offer the support needed to overcome doubt, or a single opportunity can help define the path that a young adult will take, imagine what happens when an entire faculty, community, and
STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO
culture is singularly focused on working
5:1
35+
together to infuse a school with ideas that become identities.
TEACHERS OF MORE THAN SUBJECTS Regardless of circumstance, subject, or location, a teacher’s job is to help others better understand themselves, their surroundings, and how to connect the dots between seemingly disparate things. At Williston, our faculty are teachers of not only academic subjects, but also of lessons about how to solve problems, overcome frustration, and work together to extract more value and infuse more innovation into every task. They are mentors and guides, helping each student find new ways to succeed.
“Collaboration inspires innovative teaching and deep learning. Collegial faculty create more effective learning experiences by sharing ideas, experiences, and innovations. Similarly, students working together realize how much collaboration complements their individual investigation. As teachers and students we recognize that learning history, government, or economics is not the transmission and receiving of knowledge but the creation of understanding through a conversation with sources and each other.” PETER GUNN
“Subjects do not exist in isolation in the real world. If they are taught in isolation, students are left to make connections solely on their own. Collaboration fundamentally enhances the dynamics in the classroom and infuses energy, curiosity, and excitement.” N ATA N I A H U M E
PETER GUNN (History Dept.) and NATANIA HUME (English Dept.) are two of Williston’s faculty members. Both collaborate with students in the classroom, as well as through the Williston Scholars Program. The program is a unique opportunity for students to study specialized topics within our curriculum in collaboration with Williston faculty and college professors. Students also work one-on-one with their Williston Scholars mentor to develop and implement an individualized trimester-long project such as an art exhibit, article for journal publication, or service project.
SMITH COLLEGE NORTHAMPTON
LOCATION, LOCATION, COLLABORATION You can’t go far from campus without bumping into one of the many colleges surrounding Williston. These schools are more than possible destinations for our students; they are an integral part of their education throughout their years at Williston. Through the Williston+ program, students have the opportunity to engage with these schools to enrich their educational experience and help them find clarity about what the future holds.
WILLISTON The foundation is here at Williston. But from here students have access to five college campuses, each offering myriad opportunities for learning, exploration, collaboration, and discovery. Whether Williston goes to the colleges or the colleges come to Williston, the goal is the same: create collaborative learning opportunities that have an impact.
Through the Women and Financial Independence Peer Outreach Program, Smith students team-teach the importance of financial literacy through workshops on topics like budgets, loans, and credit cards. Williston Middle School students gain huge advantages by practicing these concepts with their peers, and implementing these smart financial foundations in their own lives at a young age.
UNIVERSITY
of
MASSACHUSETTS
AMHERST Faculty and students benefit from all the + available. Ben Demerath, a Williston faculty member, went to Ghana as part of the UMass/This World Music program. As Williston’s director of music, he infused his experiences in Ghana into our music program when he returned.
AMHERST COLLEGE AMHERST When it comes to expanding students’ knowledge, we seek out the best men and women for the job. Professor Ilan Stavans, the Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and the author and editor of many volumes including The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature and The Poetry of Pablo Neruda, came to Williston for discussions and Q&A with students studying Latin American Literature.
MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE SOUTH HADLEY Each year, Mount Holyoke hosts Classics Day, a full-day exploration of the study of Latin and classical culture. Williston students apply their Latin skills through vigorous competition with other high school students at this all-day event.
HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE AMHERST Cross-registration is about collaboration that facilitates access. For students wanting to take their studies to the next level, access to college-level courses is critical. Through the WIlliston+ program, students like Becca MacDonald ‘11, who studied Arabic at Hampshire College her senior year, are able to register for classes at the Five Colleges.
WE’LL FIND YOUR + IN THE CLASSROOM
HANDS-ON LEARNING
FRESH IDEAS DAILY
A WORLDLY VIEW
Students in faculty member Jeff Ketcham’s
What started as a small middle school
An education is only as powerful as the
AP Biology class get out of the classroom
garden project has become one of the
perspective it offers. After the tsunami in Japan, Williston students joined together to show their
and into a Smith College lab to gain hands-on
most collaborative and innovative spots on
experience with three very powerful types of
campus. Whether it’s math, science, art, or
support by crafting more than 1,000 paper
microscopes. Using kidney cells, students can
simply gardening, students are engaged with
cranes—each representing an article of clothing
see first-hand how the microscopes differ and
everything from the planning and the planting,
to be donated by the OshKosh B’gosh company
how they’re used.
to the harvesting of veggies for salsa and soup!
to children in Japan.
AND IN THE WORLD.
THE ARTS MATTER
GIVING TO GET
READY FOR REALITY
Students who love theater find plenty of it at
Williston students curated Joint Venture, a
The boarding experience is preparation for life.
Williston. The theater program fosters their
gallery showing of works by artists in the
Amanda Rappold, physics teacher and French
creativity, and exposes them to classic literature
Riverside Industries arts program. Riverside
House dorm head, even started a book club.
and theater from around the world and through
Industries is a non-profit serving people with
Reading The Curse of the Good Girl gave the
the ages, like Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of
disabilities. For months, students worked
girls a positive and motivating perspective on
Being Earnest” and Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer
together with artists to create collaborative
being a woman in the working world, and a
Night’s Dream.”
works of art for the exhibit.
chance to talk about what’s to come.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MOMENTS OF INSPIRATION AND CLARITY That is the fundamental task of education, but what we do at Williston is different. We’re working hard—with students, faculty, and the community—to capture those moments and use them to guide students towards a learning experience they are passionate about. There is a life awaiting every student who walks our halls, as well as a path that will take them there. For some it leads to the arts, for others it will be mathematics or science. The rigor of our academic program ensures a solid educational foundation, but the transformative power of Williston is realized through our methodology. The combination of the two ensures that students can succeed in becoming whomever— or whatever—they want to be.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR
COLLABORATORS, EXPLORERS, AND THINKERS.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR ATHLETES, SPEAKERS, AND POETS. WE’RE LOOKING FOR FRIENDS, TEAMMATES, AND LAB PARTNERS. WE’RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN PUSH US.
AND IN RETURN, WE WILL HELP YOU FIND YOUR +
THE ONLY QUESTION LEFT TO ANSWER IS THIS:
WHO ARE YOU+? There’s no better way to see for yourself the experiences available at Williston than to visit us. We invite you to come to campus, meet the people, and see the way collaboration is shaping the community. To set up an appointment, please contact the Admission Office at 413.529.3241 or email us at admission@williston.com. For more information, you can also visit us online at williston.com.
side
OUR MISSION THE WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL INSPIRES STUDENTS TO LIVE WITH PURPOSE, PASSION, AND INTEGRITY. THE WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL VALUES: +
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
+
COLLABORATION
+
COMMUNITY
+
INDIVIDUALITY
+
LEADERSHIP
19 PAYSON AVENUE EASTHAMPTON, MA 01027 413.529.3241 www.williston.com
OUR MISSION THE WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL INSPIRES STUDENTS TO LIVE WITH PURPOSE, PASSION, AND INTEGRITY. THE WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL VALUES:
19 PAYSON AVENUE EASTHAMPTON, MA 01027 413.529.3241
+ ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE + COLLABORATION + COMMUNITY + INDIVIDUALITY + LEADERSHIP
www.williston.com