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char acter development & leadership at
westover school
from the westover motto series: to think. to do. to be.
Westover develops both the minds and hearts of our students, providing a moral and ethical education in addition to an academic one. Our girls gain a sense of self as part of a community, learning responsibility to self, others, and the world beyond our school. Character education is woven into every part of the day, supported by our nondenominational Chapel Program and a variety of community service offerings and requirements. In Westover’s single-sex learning environment, girls gain self-knowledge and self-confidence, enabling them to step up and take advantage of our numerous leadership opportunities. Equipped with the skills and understanding needed to effect change, our girls leave Westover a powerful cohort of bold young leaders, able to identify the problems in this world — and solve them.
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“Since 1909, Westover has remained true to its motto: Cogitare, Agere, Esse. ‘To think, to do, to be’ is more than a catchphrase. Westover develops young women who will be prepared to think their way through problems, to take action, and to make a difference with their lives.” ann pollina, head of school & national coalition of girls’ schools president, 2009 –2012
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leadership & communit y service highlights Nearly 60 percent of women graduates of independent single-sex schools rate themselves “above average” or in the “highest 10 percent” with regard to intellectual self-confidence, according to a 2009 report conducted by UCLA and the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools.
Proceeds from the annual Junior Class Dorcas Fair resulted in $10,000 in grants being allocated by the Class of 2013 to 25 non-profit organizations.
community service opportunities Westover Service Team: In place of an athletics team, juniors and seniors may join the Westover Service Team, participating in team-based community service activities for a minimum of six hours per week. Community Service Council: The Council plans and initiates community service opportunities for each class and for the school, actively encouraging student involvement. United Council Committee: A group of student leaders, representing all Westover clubs, with a focus on diversity, equity, and social justice. Meeting monthly, the UCC strives to identify the current school climate, to resolve day-to-day and longterm concerns, and to educate faculty and students on issues of diversity.
Dorcas Society: The junior class participates in the Dorcas Society, gaining hands-on philanthropic education. Every year, juniors plan and host a themed, school-wide Dorcas Fair to raise money for charities. Last year’s juniors raised $10,000 and helped 25 charities of their choice. Academic Curriculum: Teachers incorporate a service component into their courses, e.g., students sponsored a Genocide Awareness Day in their history elective and tested the water quality of nearby rivers in their biology course. Extracurriculars: Many clubs offer a service focus, including the Environmental Action Club, Amnesty International, and the Westover Women’s World Initiative Club.
With 17 teams and more than 200 participants, Westover School and Trinity Pawling School held a “mini” Relay For Life at Westover in May that raised more than $30,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Service Trips: Recent service trips have included: New York City, to participate in the Youth Service Opportunities Project, and Biloxi, Mississippi, to prepare new houses for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
leadership opportunities Westover offers diverse leadership opportunities for girls in all grades, including: Admission Head Tour Guides & Hostesses Athletic Association Heads Dorcas Heads Glee Club Heads Heads of School Proctors Senate Representatives Sports Team Captains Student Academic Committee Representatives
A study performed by UCLA has shown that women graduates of single-sex high schools are more engaged academically, socially, and politically.
alumnae accomplishments
Charlotte Beyer Fiveson ’65, the founder and president of the Institute for Private Investors, was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal’s “Donor of the Day.” In the article, “Nurturing Young Women to be Wall Street Leaders,” she credited Westover for “helping her to shape her company and her career on Wall Street.” Citing her lifetime of giving to Westover, the article noted that Charlotte “wants many other girls to be able to experience their own growth at Westover.” Charlotte served as president of the Westover Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2003 and was the recipient of the Westover Award in 2010.
A July 4th barbecue at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda, was the setting for an unexpected reunion for three Westover women: Emily Ward Nielson ’81, Markey Culver ’04, and Emma Volovski ’12. Emily and Emma were part of a group of students and chaperones affiliated with Richard’s Rwanda, a Seattle-based group of students who raise funds in support of girls’ education in Rwanda. Markey was there as a Peace Corps volunteer in the village of Bushoga, teaching English to teenagers and writing grants for a health center. During their trip, Emma and other members of the Richard’s Rwanda group worked with girls in the Nyamata middle school and visited the Maranyundo School, Westover’s sister school in Kigali.
Eleanor “Eldie” Acheson ’65, vice president and general counsel for Amtrak, received the American Bar Association’s (ABA) prestigious Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, which annually recognizes five women who have achieved professional excellence in the legal field and influenced other women to pursue law careers; past recipients include U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Eldie served under the Clinton Administration as the assistant attorney general for the Office of Policy Development in the U.S. Department of Justice, leading the agency’s policy work, from human trafficking to Native American law enforcement, and is credited with helping to boost the number of women in the federal judiciary, from 91 women judges to 167.
For additional alumnae accomplishments, visit westoverschool.org/alumnae.
the margaret love stevens chair f o r m o r a l & e t h i c a l e d u c at i o n Westover’s moral education requires commitment and leadership from the entire adult community. To recognize this essential role for faculty, Alumna Margaret Love Stevens ’49 established an endowed Faculty Chair, The Margaret Love Stevens Chair for Moral and Ethical Education. The Chair is awarded every year based on nominations by the senior class. The faculty then votes for the teacher who best exemplifies moral and ethical education at Westover through his or her educational disciplines, personal interests, and life experiences.
Westover School
1237 Whittemore Road · P.O. Box 847 Middlebury, CT 06762-0847 203.758.2423 · westoverschool.org
cogitare, agere, esse—to think, to do, to be
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