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New Head of School Announced
The Westminster School Board of Trustees announced Dec. 8 the appointment of Elaine White, who has had a distinguished career in education, as Westminster’s ninth head of school beginning July 1. Her appointment follows a national search for a successor to Head of School Bill Philip, who is stepping down from the position and departing Westminster in June after 38 years at the school.
During Elaine’s tenure at The Governor’s Academy, she has been a teacher, coach, advisor and dorm parent, as well as serving in a variety of significant leadership positions including chair of the English Department, academic dean, interim director of advancement and assistant head of school, with some of these responsibilities overlapping. Known for her dynamic, Elaine White warm leadership style and strong moral compass, she has worked with the head of school on daily and provided feedback. On the recommendation of the Search operations and has been at the heart of the school’s strategic Committee, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved Elaine planning for the past decade, both at the board and faculty level. White as Westminster School’s next head of school. In addition to managing multiple offices, she was the first female “Elaine’s depth and breadth of experience as an educator department chair in the school’s history, cultivated and stewarded and administrator make her an inspiring leader and the most donors for the school’s capital campaign, led a task force to qualified candidate to steer Westminster into the future,” said design and implement a hybrid learning platform for the current Brad Raymond ’85, P’19, ’20, ’24, ’24, chair of the Board of academic year, facilitated creation of a Learning Center, managed Trustees. “We are confident she will continue Westminster development and operation of the school’s advisory program School’s extraordinary momentum as one of the leading and helped design a summer internship independent schools in the world. She program for rising seniors. Also, she is proud to have played an instrumental “Elaine’s depth and breadth of possesses all of the qualities we sought in our next head of school and is passionate role in the creation of the school’s Seven experience as an educator and about enhancing the educational Essential Skills and Visiting Professional experience of students.” Seminar Series. administrator make her an “I am absolutely delighted to serve Elaine’s appointment followed a five-month national search led by inspiring leader and the most as Westminster’s ninth head of school,” said Elaine. “It is a remarkable institution a 10-member Head of School Search Committee that included faculty, qualified candidate to steer whose commitment to students forms the very center of its existence and whose trustees, alumni and parents. With Westminster into the future.” faculty passionately and completely share the assistance of Carney, Sandoe & their lives and their love of learning to Associates, a nationally recognized ensure that Westminster students ‘reach educational search firm, the committee developed a position well beyond the ordinary.’ Westminster’s commitment to all of statement that served as a framework to review a diverse pool its various communities — students, faculty, staff, families and of around 140 candidates. During the search process, input alumni — inspires me, and I am excited to become part of those was gathered from members of the Westminster community communities. As a school that knows itself well and takes pride through an online survey, which was completed by more than in its achievements, Westminster is also a school that pushes itself 600 people, plus innumerable individual communications. to be even better — to seek and embrace excellence — with grit The committee interviewed 13 candidates, from which they and grace. It is a school that is unafraid of the future, and it is an selected four finalists, with whom members of the committee honor and a privilege to be at the helm in that journey forward.” and the Westminster community then participated in interviews
During the first three weeks of the winter trimester, all students taking a Westminster history course participated in a shared, immersive and sustained examination of Black American history. During nine class meetings, students examined eight case studies dealing with specific issues of Black history in America. Teachers used the lesson plans as resources for their classes, combining and connecting to their own content and syllabi.
The eight case studies were organized in four pairs, addressing issues of antiBlackness and responses to anti-Blackness. Several lesson plans were accompanied by a short video featuring an eminent scholar of Black history with particular expertise in the area.
The four lesson plan pairs of the curriculum included a close examination of the compromises that led to the institutionalization of slavery in the U.S. Constitution contrasted with the history of antebellum resistance and rebellion by enslaved people; the efforts of the freedmen to build new lives and communities during Reconstruction and the emerging national leadership of Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois and others at the end of the 19th century; the remarkable story of “Black Wall Street,” which led to the Tulsa pogrom of 1921, and the power and influence of the Harlem Renaissance; and the structural and systemic racism of the post-1945 era, which fueled the civil rights movement and continues today through many forms of contemporary activism.
As part of the curriculum, students and faculty attended a webinar Dec. 14 featuring Allison Dorsey, professor of history at Swarthmore College, who is a scholar of Reconstruction and, specifically, the experience of the freedmen — formerly enslaved, newly freed Americans — after the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the 13th Amendment. Part of her research has examined the efforts of Lancaster King, a formerly enslaved person who fought for the Union in the Civil War and his family to secure a federal pension and land ownership. During her presentation about her work, she spoke about the experiences of King and Mustapha Shaw, another freedman, in Georgia in a talk titled “Race, Wills and ‘Family’: Securing Land and Opportunity in Redeemed Georgia.” She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from the University of California, Irvine. Following her presentation, she responded to a number of questions. In addition, all history students and faculty received a copy of James Baldwin’s book “The Fire Next Time,” thanks to the generosity of the Griffith Family Foundation. Students read and discussed the book in classes, and the faculty had a “book club” meeting the final week of the classes and used the book as the basis for faculty discussion and professional development.
“The goal of this curriculum was to encourage students and participating faculty to think and rethink the history of Black Americans,” said Charlie Griffith, head of the Westminster History Department. “We consciously sought to ‘disrupt the narrative,’ and build an understanding that Black history is American history — not an adjunct or an add-on. In the past, we have treated Black history more cursorily, and this program allowed our students to carefully consider these issues in an intensive, meaningful way. Moving forward, this curriculum and its materials will be curated and archived and used by teachers every year in a variety of classes and contexts.”
Leading up to the winter trimester,
Erin Corbett ’95
worked broadly with the History Department beginning last summer and into the fall helping it audit its overall curriculum. She is a graduate of Swarthmore College, where she Erin Corbett ’95 studied psychology and education. She then earned an MBA from Post University and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a longtime and passionate advocate for the poor, women and people of color. Currently, she is the founder and CEO of Second Chance Educational Alliance in Bloomfield, Conn., an education-focused community reintegration initiative for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. “Erin was an invaluable resource to the History Department as we critically examined all of our courses with the goal of addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Charlie. “That process inspired me during the fall and over Thanksgiving break to design and implement the examination of Black American history curriculum for the beginning of the winter trimester.”
Allison Dorsey
Sixth Former Named One of Top 300 Student Scientists in the Nation
Society for Science announced in January that Sixth Former Michelle Wu was among the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2021, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. She will receive $2,000, and Westminster School will receive $2,000.
The Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars were selected from 1,760 applications received from 611 high schools across 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 10 countries. Scholars were chosen based on their exceptional research skills, commitment to academics, innovative thinking and promise as scientists. They hail from 198 American and international high schools in 37 states, Puerto Rico, Taiwan and Singapore.
Regeneron Science Talent Search requires applicants to submit an individual research paper, extensive written responses about their research procedures and their future aspirations as scientists and mathematicians, a list of extracurricular activities, transcripts, test scores and two recommendation letters (one from a school teacher and one from a research mentor). The title of the project Michelle submitted was “Biases in First and Second Moments of the Fourier Coefficients in One- and Two-Parameter Families of Elliptic Curves.” “I am tremendously honored to be named a 2021 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar,” said Michelle. “It feels like a recognition of my passion for mathematics and years of hard work in mathematical research. With this honor, I feel a great responsibility to more actively reach out to my community, especially to female and underrepresented students, to promote scientific and mathematical research. I also want to thank Westminster for providing a nurturing environment for intellectual discovery.”
Michelle began her research the summer after her Fourth Form year. “I conducted mathematics research on the group of rational solutions, or rank, of a type of cubic equations called elliptic curves, which are crucial to cryptography and the proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem,” she explained. “The behavior of these curves remains a mystery to mathematicians. In my research, I confirmed my mentor’s conjecture on the property of rank in five new one-parameter families of elliptic curves and seven two-parameter families of elliptic curves, which had never been studied before. If the conjecture holds, then it helps us to understand one of the Millennium Prize Problems — the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture.”
Michelle is interested in number theory. “It is the area elliptic curves belong to,” she said. “I was drawn to elliptic curves when I first read about the mathematician Sir Andrew Wiles in Simon Singh’s ‘Fermat’s Enigma.’ Curious about Wiles’ investigation of these curves, I wanted to find out more about them and investigate some of their properties, which have defied mathematicians’ classification. I am also interested in topology and want to learn how objects in our daily life can be mathematically transformed and folded.”
At Westminster, Michelle has taken Linear Algebra with faculty member Peter Doucette and an Independent Study in Mathematics with Head of the Mathematics Department Tony Griffith. She plans to pursue mathematics in college and hopes to not only find the solutions to equations but also to apply them to solve societal challenges such as pollution and gerrymandering.
The Regeneron Science Talent Search provides students with a national stage to present original research and celebrates the hard work and discoveries of young scientists who are bringing a fresh perspective to significant global challenges. This year, research projects covered topics from bioinformatics to public health and energy efficiency.
Michelle Wu ’21
Horizons at Westminster students with Westminster students during an online Saturday Academy.
Horizons at Westminster Holds Saturday Academies
Despite the pandemic, Horizons at Westminster continued its programming throughout the academic year by holding three Saturday Academies for students in the program who reside in Hartford. The goal is to build on what the students have learned during the six-week summer program and keep them engaged throughout the year.
Horizons at Westminster held its third year of summer programming last year, and the follow-up academies were held in December, February and April, all online.
Westminster Model U.N. participated in two conferences during the winter. In December, while students were off campus, 30 of them attended the Connecticut World Affairs Council conference, and Jan. 21-24, 15 students participated in the Yale Model U.N. conference.
The Connecticut World Affairs Council conference provided a nice introduction for students new to Model U.N. and allowed veteran members to hone their skills. Three students were chosen to chair committees: Sung Min Cho ’22, Hudson Stedman ’21 and Qifei Min ’22. Despite being scattered all across the globe, students made a valiant effort to contribute to their committees and connect with others over their oneday sessions.
Yale Model U.N. was a more intense experience for the students who participated. The conference lasted four days and proved to be an entertaining option for those students who were still in quarantine on campus. Yale did an excellent job of creating its own platform for the conference that was easy to navigate. And Yale Model U.N. worked hard to create an experience as similar as possible to what the delegates would have had in person. As in past years, delegates
Students participate online in a Model U.N. conference.
As in past years, delegates learned a great deal and enjoyed getting to know likeminded students from around the world.
learned a great deal and enjoyed getting to know like-minded students from around the world.
The Westminster delegation had eight students who participated from campus and another seven who spanned time zones from the eastern United States to Turkey to China. Aleyna Baki ’21 deserves special recognition for staying up through the night to make her committee meetings from Istanbul. One fun surprise was to see Olivia Zhang ’20, who is a first-year student at Yale and last year’s Model U.N. president at Westminster, helping to organize the Yale conference as a member of Yale’s International Relations Association.
Betsy Heckman is the group’s advisor and Westminster’s director of studies.
On the Friday before the Saturday Academies, “school in a box” packets, which had been assembled by Westminster student volunteers, were delivered to the Horizons students. During the Saturday class sessions, Horizons students in first, second and third grades participated in reading sessions with Westminster student reading buddies. Similarly, Horizons students in second, third and fourth grades immersed themselves in STEAM activities and read alouds with Westminster students, who also provided live tech support to ensure connectivity.
Horizons at Westminster is part of a national network of K-8 summer school programs that aims to build a “bridge” from one academic year to the next and is designed to boost educational achievement and broaden access to opportunity for students from under-resourced communities.
“During a year when so much was not possible, we are proud of all that we were able to accomplish and the meaningful connections we were able to maintain through Westminster’s Hartford Partnerships,” said Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22, executive director of Hartford Partnerships and Horizons at Westminster. “We continue to focus on meeting people where they are. In a time of dislocation, this work nurtures the power of connections and essential kinship that defines Hartford Partnerships.”
The Evolving Media Landscape
Alternative facts. Fake news. Opinion pieces versus a news story. Everyone is a journalist. These are a few of the issues facing people trying to stay informed in an increasingly fractured media landscape. To discuss these and other topics, as well as take questions from students, was a five-person panel of journalists made up of Westminster alumni and parents who participated in a Feb. 2 webinar titled “The Evolution of Media in an EverChanging World” that was shared with the Westminster community. The panel was moderated by Director of Studies Betsy Heckman.
Panelist Draggan Mihailovich P’22, who has worked as a producer for “60 Minutes” for over 20 years, has seen these changes unfold. He said the only thing he used to focus on was putting on a show Sunday night. Now, there is an overtime show and social media to update. But it is the loss of local papers that concerns him the most. “The internet has really destroyed local newspapers across the country,” he said. “In so many small towns, you don’t even have a newspaper,” adding that most big city papers are shells of what they once were.
Panelist Alden Bourne ’84, a reporter and producer for New England Public Media (NEPM) and who was also a producer for “60 Minutes,” said he remembers when there were three networks and a few newspapers to choose from on the national level that were trusted. “There is a wider variety of new outlets out there, and the American public has a harder time agreeing what the truth is,” said Alden, who worked on The Westminster News as a student.
Panelist Eunice Han ’84, P’21, a business news anchor and reporter with more than 10 years of experience in TV, digital, audio and print, said social media has blurred the lines between trustworthy categories. “Trump made Twitter a valid source,” she said. “Social media is so fast and so prevalent; it has become a source for traditional media.”
Panelist Soledad O’Brien P’19, ’20, ’24, ’24, CEO of Soledad O’Brien Productions, said when she first started, there were certain people who could ‘go live’ but with advances in technology anyone with a phone can broadcast. “Social media and the internet changed everything,” she said. “It’s about access — who gets it and how quickly. But sometimes incorrectly. It’s had a devastating effect in many areas and a terrific effect in some.”
That stratification, getting information from 280 characters, versus a 1,500-word story, a radio segment, television or myriad social media apps, can mean consumers have very different impressions of the same event.
Panelist Daniel D’Addario ’06, Variety’s chief TV critic who produces reviews, features and interviews for the magazine, said technology has given everyone a voice if they choose to use it, which is a great leveling, democratizing force, but it can undercut real expertise. “Where do people turn to get an objective set of facts?” he asked. “That kind of work, where we agreed upon reality, has gone away.”
Soledad said social media has been helpful in elevating certain voices that people might not be exposed to, but it has done a disservice as it pushes the speed of how fast people need to report. Cutbacks on all levels of media are another issue.
“The AP (Associated Press) used to have three or four reporters covering
Top row, Alden Bourne ’84 and Daniel D’Addario ’06; bottom row, Eunice Han ’84, P’21, Draggan Mihailovich P’22 and Soledad O’Brien P’19, ’20, ’24, ’24
state legislatures,” said Draggan. “Now it’s down to one or zero.” That means there’s no watchdog and that can lead to corruption, such as gerrymandering that nobody sees coming before it’s too late.
Soledad relayed a story about a community newspaper reporter who became the de facto source for coronavirus vaccine information. “She was receiving hundreds of calls asking her for help, and she takes every single one,” said Soledad. “That’s the job. That’s the gig, right. She wanted to serve her community.”
There are bright spots, said Draggan, such as The New York Times podcast “The Daily” that has 4 million listeners.
Alden said “60 Minutes” is doing as well as ever — it’s often at or near the top of the TV ratings — and The Washington Post’s newsroom staff is at a record number.
Problems arise when news organization on any platform care more about headlines and making a splash than the news itself, the panelists said. When those in charge are looking for “good TV” that can mean elevating a lie for ratings purposes or retweeting a falsehood to gain traction. Not everyone has the consumers’ best interest in mind. “If the point is to go viral, that’s not journalism,” said Draggan.
Dan talked about the confusion that can arise between news and opinion programming. “That to me is somewhat troubling,” he said, adding that opinions are easier to prepare and don’t require all the work to get straight “pesky facts.”
Those facts, a love of the written word, the desire to tell stories, to hold people accountable, to give people information — to help — were many of the reasons the panelists said they got into journalism.
They also offered advice to students about entering the journalism field. Soledad told them to try and get an internship, even if that means fetching coffee, like she did, saying it will teach multitasking and provide a sense of whether or not they have a passion for journalism.
“Learn to write,” said Draggan. “Anybody that can write and tell a story is going to get a job in journalism. You see fewer and fewer people with the ability to write. It sets you apart.”
Alden advised students to be open about an initial job. He was working as a limo driver and writing the afternoon news at an easy-listening radio station when he started. “Be open-minded to how you get in,” he said.
Euni worked at CNBC from midnight to 8:30 a.m. making coffee and pulling video, among other tasks, all while learning the ropes. She said there are different roles in media, and a person may not realize what is right for them until they try something.
Soledad stressed to the students that whatever they do, hard work will take them far. She suggested starting a password-protected podcast on an iPhone. “You can do that now,” she said, adding they will learn and grow through the effort.
The panelists were realistic but hopeful about job prospects. The field keeps morphing, but there are opportunities.
“Young people should not necessarily feel discouraged,” said Dan. “As things get winnowed down, we are going to need our absolute best. Who better to be inventive and scrappy than the young?”
Soledad agreed that young people with various social media accounts are well positioned to use the different apps. One piece of content can live on several platforms. “There’s no more ‘oh I do this one thing,’ and young people are positioned well for this,” she said.
Alden said the jobs can be difficult to get, but it’s a great way to make a living. “You’re basically being paid to be educated,” he told the students. “It’s hard, but it’s awesome. And we need you.”
Women of Westminster: Celebrating 50 Years of Coeducation (1971-2021)
This fall, Westminster will launch a yearlong celebration of 50 years of coeducation, showcasing the important role of women in the school’s history. Planning for the celebration has been spearheaded by a 17-member committee composed of alumni and faculty and co-chaired by Trustee Renée Lynch Carrel ’84, P’19, ’21 and Director of Advancement Operations Shannon O’Shaughnessy. Women of “In the early ’70s, Westminster was part of a sweeping cultural revolution in single-sex educational institutions that Westminster realized they wouldn’t thrive without women,” said Renée. CELEBRATING 50 YEARS “Over the last 50 years, Westminster has flourished with the OF COEDUCATION positive influence of women in the classroom, in the arts, on 1971–2021 the athletic fields and in the overall school community.”
To celebrate this important milestone, Westminster is planning special programming, events and content for the entire Westminster community throughout the 2021-2022 academic year. More details about the celebration will be shared in the coming months.
An Extraordinary Year
Westminster’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic will stand out as a remarkable chapter in school history. Members of the campus community drew on comprehensive planning, resourcefulness and resilience to create a 2020-2021 academic year that exceeded expectations in providing students a quality teaching and learning experience during a time of overwhelming uncertainty. By all accounts, it was an extraordinary year on Williams Hill.
Creating a Path Forward
Following the closing of campus in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the move to distance learning for the remainder of the spring term, work began on developing plans for a fall reopening of school. Priority was given to returning to in-person learning and creating opportunities for students to spend time with their peers and Westminster faculty. Head of School Bill Philip shared that planning would emphasize the watchwords vigilant, sensible, calm and balanced as governed by the importance of pacing.
The planning was undertaken by a 12-member Westminster School COVID-19 Task Force composed of Head of School Philip, Dean of Admissions Miles Bailey ’94, Chief Financial Officer Julie Collins, Associate Head of School Mark de Kanter ’91, Director of Student Life Tony Griffith, Director of Studies Betsy Heckman, Associate Dean of Faculty and Fifth Form Dean of Students Lee Huguley, Director of Athletics Tim Joncas ’00, Dean of Faculty Jess Keough, Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lisa McGrath, Academic Dean Bill Sistare and Director of Health Services Dr. Davis Smith.
As spring 2020 progressed, parents were invited to attend webinars about school reopening plans, and a resource board of information was established on the school’s website. Faculty met regularly via Zoom, and 12 reopening committees were mobilized to develop plans for various areas of school life. Those plans became the foundation of a report that was submitted to the State of Connecticut for reopening approval.
Head of School Philip credits the school’s ability to reopen last fall to the work of the reopening committees. “I really believe a key decision we made in spring 2020 was to spread responsibility for the different elements of the program across a dozen faculty committees,” he said. “All of these committees put together plans for various parts of our program and coordinated much of the execution of those plans. As a result, the planning cultivated buy-in and was excellent because of all of the input.”
The plans called for modification of almost all areas of school life. In residence halls, nests would be established, so returning students could be broken into smaller groups with associated safety protocols. Armstrong Dining Hall and Brockelman Student Center would employ new food serving methods, and the daily academic schedule was modified to facilitate in-person and distance learning. On July 15, the Founders League canceled all interscholastic competition for the fall season, and Westminster embraced plans for a fall afternoon program that would include numerous offerings.
Frequent communications about the process of returning to school and changes to the school calendar were sent to students and their families during the summer. In a July 22 letter, Dean of Faculty Keough wrote: “While there may be elements of our usual school life that seem unrecognizable, we must remember that the absence of those familiar qualities is what makes our being together on campus possible. Together, we can continue to nurture the values of Grit & Grace and look forward to a new academic year.”
The school adopted a color-coded alert system that would Beginning the New School Year reflect campus and local coronavirus case conditions, and it With phased reopening plans in place, Westminster began its implemented four pillars of risk reduction: maximizing masking, 133rd school year in August with a record 413 students from distancing and hygiene, and minimizing mixing. 24 states and 19 countries. More than 90% of the student body
Many unanticipated expenses arose for such things as opted to return to campus for in-person learning. personal protective equipment, a mobile annex for the Health After submitting a pre-arrival negative SARS-CoV-2 test, the Center, safety-related signage, plexiglass dividers, rigorous first wave of boarding students arrived Aug. 26-27 for a twosanitizing and COVID-19 testing. week quarantine in their nests. School life kicked into gear with
To minimize health risks upon a full range of campus activities structured everyone’s return to campus, numerous online safety videos were required viewing We are very appreciative to meet safety protocols. Students met with others in their nest, obtained grab-and-go for students, faculty and staff as well as of the flexibility and meals from Armstrong Dining Hall and completion of a washout period and daily responses to a self-checker health app. New patience of everyone in engaged in supervised and socially distanced outdoor activities. All students — including campus signs related to social distancing this community — the day students, other boarding students who and other health protocols were installed, furniture was moved in many locations faculty, the staff and the would be returning soon and distance learners — participated in virtual advisory to reduce seating capacity, new outdoor students — who all group meetings, orientation games, a club furniture was placed in strategic locations made this work. fair, and an equity and inclusion program. and outdoor games were purchased for Distance learning classes began Aug. 28 student use during free time. for all students. “It is fantastic to see
On Sept. 1, Dr. Smith began sharing regular prerecorded students back on campus,” said Head of School Philip in a health status reports with the school community covering topics message to the school community Sept. 1. “Looking ahead, we such as national and Connecticut coronavirus data, travel cannot wait to welcome students still at home. Since March, it considerations, and health and safety protocols on campus. has been much too quiet on Williams Hill.” He concluded each report by saying, “The only way through The first assembly of the academic year took place virtually this is through this together.” Sept. 9 and was viewed by students in their advisory groups.
“From the moment students arrived back on campus, there has been a great positive energy with those who are here and with those who are online from their homes and have been engaged in classes, orientation activities and other ways we have been working to bring our community together,” said Associate Head of School de Kanter. “We are very appreciative of the flexibility and patience of everyone in this community — the faculty, the staff and the students — who all made this work.”
Head Prefect Will Rizzo ’21 spoke about the challenges that shaped the world and Westminster during the pandemic. “We begin this year with a great deal of change and a departure from what we are used to or what we might have envisioned for the school year,” he said. “As we adjust to these difficult times, we must remember the significance of this moment, not just for ourselves, but for our school and for each other. This year, more than ever, will require that every member of our community accepts this reality and commits to the greater good for our school.”
Following a two-week quarantine period for the first group of boarding students, remaining boarding students arrived Sept. 11-13, and day students returned Sept. 13. They, too, had participated in a washout period and underwent pre-arrival COVID-19 testing. Some students elected to remain distance learners.
In-person learning began Sept. 14 in combination with continued distance learning. In-person classes were limited to eight students, so teachers taught their classes twice a day, both in the morning and in the evening, to a weekly rotation of groups that included both distance learners and on-campus students.
The afternoon program started Sept. 21 with options for advanced placement and developmental athletics, the arts and community service.
The daily rhythm of campus life included virtual assemblies, chapel talks, advisory meetings, club meetings, a Halloween costume contest and student life programming. Socially distanced in-person activities involved such things as open ice at Jackson Rink, a volleyball contest and activities under the lights on Hovey Field. Visits by food trucks with ice cream and pizza were very popular.
Maintaining Traditions Where Possible
While Grandparents Day, and Parents and Family Weekend had to be canceled in the fall, some Westminster traditions were able to take place, although modified to meet health protocols.
Members of the Class of 2021 were officially welcomed as Westminster Sixth Formers during a combined Lawn and Pin Ceremony Oct. 1 that was livestreamed to the school community. Due to the pandemic, the traditional Lawn Ceremony, which usually takes place the night before Commencement, had been canceled in spring 2020. As a result, members of the Class of 2020 were unable to bring members of the Class of 2021 onto the Sixth Form Lawn in the customary manner.
The Oct. 1 ceremony began with members of the Class of 2021 gathered on Commencement Lawn looking toward Keyes Porch to hear remarks from their form dean, A-men Rasheed.
“This day officially welcomes you to a fine group of Westminster Sixth Formers,” he said. “Although we can never replicate the majesty of the traditional Lawn and Pin ceremonies that many of us have grown to love, I feel today will be a wonderfully unique experience for you to cherish with fond remembrance as you look back on your Sixth Form year at Westminster School.”
Meg Rittenhouse ’20, last year’s head prefect, extended greetings to the Class of 2021 through an audio recording, and Head Prefect Rizzo encouraged students to be committed to a successful school year.
Following the remarks, Sixth Formers walked to the circle surrounding the Sixth Form Lawn where they were brought onto the lawn, one by one, by alumni faculty and honorary alumni faculty using Sixth Form banners from years past. Bryan Tawney and Peter Doucette, who had recently celebrated 20 years on the faculty, were brought onto the lawn as honorary alumni faculty as was Jenny Philip. After the lawn portion of the ceremony, members of the Class of 2021 signed the Sixth Form book and were given a Sixth Form pin or pendant, which had been designed by their class.
Students new to Westminster participated in the traditional Sign-In Ceremony Oct. 14, which took place on Keyes Porch instead of its usual location in Andrews Memorial Chapel. New students signed the book signifying their formal entrance into school and then gathered socially distanced on Commencement Lawn to get better acquainted.
Some campus restrictions were slightly eased in early October when families were permitted to sign up to visit their student in outdoor locations on campus. Students were also permitted increased movement in their nest. Since parents and family members were unable to be on campus for class visits, those visits took place virtually Oct. 8-9.
When a round of COVID-19 surveillance testing resulted in what were thought to be two positive tests among students, protocols for isolation, quarantine and contact tracing were implemented before the tests were determined to be false positives. The tests had been subject to processing errors by the testing company, so a new testing company was put in place, and regular surveillance testing among members of the campus community continued.
Many community events were also adapted, so they could take place in the fall. During the last weekend in October, advanced placement teams played scrimmages on Hovey Field in front of a limited number of spectators. Members of the Chamber Choir, Chorale, Concert Band, Jazz Band and Dance Ensemble showcased their accomplishments during concerts Nov. 9-10 on Commencement Lawn under bright blue skies and unusually warm weather. Similarly, Dramat held performances of scenes from various productions in outdoor locations and for reduced audiences in Werner Centennial Center.
“Here we are in the final week of the fall term in 2020, the year of COVID-19, and it is truly amazing what we have accomplished together,” Head of School Philip wrote to students, faculty and staff Nov. 11. “Since mid-August, with lots of Grit &
Grace, we moved forward together through the fall term in a way that reinforced our core values as well as our certainty that we can overcome these challenges together. That we accomplished this achievement is entirely to the credit of our entire school community. We committed to these trying circumstances because we valued our relationships and the lessons we learned from being together, including those who remained connected as distance learners. At the same time, we engaged in thoughtful reflections about diversity, equity and inclusion, and respectfully navigated a national election.”
Continued Success During the Winter Trimester
When students departed campus for Thanksgiving break in November, they would not be returning until mid-January. During the first three weeks of the winter trimester, Nov. 30 to Dec. 18, all students participated in a revised schedule for distance learning and were encouraged to take part in an afternoon wellness program that featured guest speakers and activities to do at home. Student clubs continued to meet online, and Model U.N. even sent a virtual delegation to two conferences. Parent and teacher conferences took place online Dec. 7-11, and the annual Candlelight service was shared in a livestream video Dec. 16, although it had been recorded in late October.
Protocols similar to those used in the fall, such as pre-arrival testing, a staggered return, an initial quarantine and on-campus surveillance testing, were utilized to repopulate the campus in mid-January. A new health screening app was also introduced for students, faculty and staff to complete each morning.
In-person classes and meals began Jan. 25, and the winter afternoon program began offering athletics, arts and community service programming. Since the Founders League had, again, canceled all interscholastic competition for the season, studentathletes selected from advanced placement and developmental sports options.
The normal pace of school life returned for the winter trimester with virtual chapel talks, assemblies, club meetings, a Friday Nights at Westminster reading, guest speakers and student life programming. Weekend activities included a movie night, a coffeehouse, games on the turf field, a karaoke event, a dance-off and gym time. Adams Dining Hall and Baxter Gallery were also repurposed to serve as socially distanced lounge spaces.
One of the most visible additions to campus outdoor activities was the opening of an ice rink on Commencement Lawn for scheduled free skating, often accompanied by snacks, music and the warmth of firepits. On the first Hill Holiday of the calendar year Feb. 10, students skated on the rink, built igloos, enjoyed menu selections from food trucks, and took part in games and activities. A snowy February contributed to widespread enjoyment of campus outdoor spaces.
Dr. Smith continued his weekly campus status reports providing members of the school community with information regarding national and local coronavirus trends, and campus
surveillance testing and results. While unsettling, but not worked very hard throughout the shortened semester to complete unanticipated, a couple of positive student cases of COVID-19 their pieces and are really looking forward to performing for a were identified on campus and safety protocols were live audience. For many of these students, their last performance implemented. For the most part, however, weekly surveillance on the stage was March 5, 2020.” testing of students, faculty and staff On those same February dates, a returned negative results. Dr. Smith Winter Cabaret took place in Werner continued to prompt everyone about the importance of mitigation protocols This year, more than ever, Centennial Center before limited audiences. Classes for the winter trimester ended as primary protection measures will require that every Feb. 26, and while most students departed and acknowledged that keeping the community safe required considerable member of our community campus for a two-week break, a small number opted to stay on campus due to effort on everyone’s part. accepts this reality and travel restrictions and the need to observe a
Finishing the trimester, winter commits to the greater washout period during the break. season advanced placement athletes played intrasquad scrimmages that were good for our school. Spring Forward livestreamed, and a first-ever “dinner The beginning of the 2021 spring trimester date” was held on two weekend evenings coincided closely with the anniversary of in Armstrong Dining Hall in place of the winter formal. the World Health Organization’s declaration of the worldwide
Accomplishments in the performing arts were shared pandemic March 11, 2020. In a sign of the progress made Feb. 22-23 when members of the Concert Band, Jazz since that date, Westminster faculty and staff participated in a Band, Dance Ensemble, Chamber Choir and Chorale gave vaccination clinic for educators March 9 that was made possible performances during a Performing Arts Concert in Werner through a collaboration with the Farmington Valley Health Centennial Center with restricted seating. “Our steady vigilance Department and other independent schools in the region. with social distancing allows for this very event to happen,” Repopulation of campus for the term included the same said Director of Theater A-men Rasheed. “This is progress.” measures used earlier in the year. Following pre-arrival testing, And Head of the Visual and Performing Arts Department David most boarding students returned March 13-14, and remote Chrzanowski added: “The students in all of these ensembles have learning for everyone began March 15 while on-campus students
were in quarantine. As a result of early surveillance testing of scrimmages per week from April 3 through May 2. The students, faculty and staff, some positive student cases were arrangement was made through the coordination of the medical identified, and protocols for contact tracing, isolation and directors and athletic directors of the schools and involved quarantine were activated. In-person classes and the afternoon increased surveillance testing and stringent safety requirements. program started March 22, and a small number of additional When any positive cases were identified at Westminster, students returned March 27 and April 4 protocols for contact tracing, isolation and and completed quarantine before quarantine were again activated. beginning in-person activities. Campus safety mitigation strategies We committed to these During the afternoon program, Westminster students were also able to and regular health status reports from trying circumstances take part in a full slate of developmental Dr. Smith for the school community continued throughout the term, as because we valued our sports, arts and community service options. In addition, meetings of student vaccination expansion for individuals 16 relationships and the lessons clubs and organizations, chapel talks, and older began in Connecticut April 1. we learned from being assemblies, advisory meetings and student Through a partnership with Community life programs contributed to the vibrancy Health Center Inc., Westminster was able together, including those of daily life. The warmer weather also to host an on-campus first dose vaccine who remained connected as sparked the resumption of many outdoor clinic for qualifying students April 22 activities, including noncompetitive ball with a second dose administration distance learners. tossing under the lights on Hovey Field, May 13. Additional students were firepits, glow-in-the dark badminton and vaccinated off campus April 24 with a stickball, to name a few. second dose administration May 15. As the spring term progressed, families were able to schedule
And while the Founders League had, once more, canceled a campus visit on selected dates to see their student in designated interscholastic competition for the season, Westminster worked areas on campus in accordance with safety protocols. The term with four other schools — Taft, Loomis Chaffee, Hotchkiss and also featured some long-established events taking place in new Choate Rosemary Hall — to create opportunities for each of the formats. Reunion, which had been canceled in 2020, was held spring advanced placement teams to play in two interscholastic online in March for classes ending in 0s, 1s, 5s and 6s. This year’s
Westminster Poet, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, who had previously served as the Westminster Poet for 2011-2012, gave an online reading and visited classes virtually March 30-31. And after a very robust admissions cycle, admitted students were invited to participate in a series of informative virtual activities leading up to a livestreamed admitted students day April 3.
Other highlights included a Graham Gund ’59 Visiting Artist Series video performance April 15 of Syncopated Ladies, a female tap dance band from Los Angeles, and a Friday Nights at Westminster reading by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Blake via a webinar April 23. And showcasing Westminster’s own visual and performing arts accomplishments, visual arts students presented an April Earth Day exhibit in Fearn Hall, and performing arts students took to the stage in Werner Centennial Center for Spring Cabaret April 26-27, for the Spring Performing Arts Festival May 4-5 and for One Acts May 6-7.
Year-End Events
At the end of the school year, traditional celebratory programs took place with some health and safety modifications. Members of the Class of 2021, who had more than a third of their fouryear Westminster experience affected by the pandemic, were a particular focus of the events.
The Lawn Ceremony was held May 8 and was limited in attendance to members of the Fifth and Sixth forms and livestreamed to others. All students, except those in the Class of 2021, departed campus May 14-15 with underformers taking exams remotely May 18-21.
Commencement took place May 16 on Commencement Lawn but not under a tent this year in order to accommodate limited socially distanced seating for guests. The keynote speaker was Jeff Artis ’72, the president and CEO of Genesys Works.
By the end of the school year, Westminster had offered on-campus living to all of its boarding students for 87% of the school year and in-person learning for 77% of the school year, while simultaneously providing synchronous learning opportunities to students who were not on campus.
A Test of Grit & Grace
In many ways, the extraordinary 2020-2021 academic year at Westminster was a test of Grit & Grace. Students were able to have a meaningful and engaging year because of the thoughtful preparations of faculty and staff, along with the support and cooperation of students, parents and the entire school community. And while many familiar aspects of school life were necessarily modified, students attended classes in person and through distance learning, participated in a robust afternoon program, enjoyed meals together in Armstrong Dining Hall and were involved in a full spectrum of student life activities. All were incredible achievements given the pandemic. In the end, Dr. Smith’s reminder throughout the year proved to be true: “The only way through this is through this together.”
