QuakerMatters Wilmington Friends School Winter 2021
EXCERPT
WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL
Cartoons and caricatures have been an important part of American journalism for a long time. Thomas Nast of Harper’s Weekly pilloried political corruption and racism before and after the Civil War. Bill Mauldin followed American troops throughout WWII and brought their experiences home to the American public with humor and pathos. Herblock of the Washington Post attacked McCarthyism, white supremacy, Richard Nixon, and the Vietnam War during his seven decades career. Barry Blitt of The New Yorker has reached great heights of satirical fame skewering former President Trump.
SCHOOL NEWS A New School Year: Embracing “the change” and maintaining “the same” We began the school year with
much uncertainty ahead of us. Could we wear masks all day? Would we be able to distance? How would our new drop-off and pick-up procedures go? And most of all, how long would we be able to remain on our campuses for learning? Days were structured in a hybrid of in-person and virtual instruction. To minimize the number of students in the building at once, middle schoolers were on campus on Mondays and Tuesdays; upper schoolers on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays were reserved for deep cleaning. Lower schoolers could meet on campus more frequently because they were organized in cohorts, with in-person instruction Monday through Fridays, meeting for half of the day on Wednesdays to allow for deep cleaning in the afternoon. Some families opted to have their children learn virtually all of the time, while some teachers needed to teach virtually. We hired instructional facilitators and made technology enhancements to make this possible. Fall sports were put on hold, but that decision was reversed by the DIAA, and we proceeded with preseason beginning in late September. With no access to locker rooms for safety precautions, we relaxed our dress code so students wouldn’t have to change. From the first day of in-person learning, students have been serious about following safety protocols and engaging in school life. Said Rebecca Zug, Head of Upper School, “For those students who are in-person, they seem to be managing the mask protocols very well. They like the relaxed dress code and 2
Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters
many have been excited about sports after school. Some clubs are effectively up and running (Mock Trial, Yearbook, The Whittier school newspaper, Robotics, Random Acts of Kindness, Agenda) so that helps amplify the school experience. If students have to quarantine, they seem to take it in stride, thanks to the heroic efforts of teachers and IT staff to make live-streaming possible.” Mitigation protocols worked well on our campuses, and we altered the schedule for middle and upper schoolers to increase in-person learning, bringing in all students each day of the week except for our virtual Wednesday. In addition to logistics, there was––and still is––much more to consider while educating in a pandemic. Academic success, mental health, and building community were all being tackled in new ways. Said Upper School Choir Director & IB Music teacher Margaret Anne Butterfield, “to even the most experienced educators, this feels like the first year of teaching. Because there are so many things to juggle with students in front of you AND on the screen, trying to provide equal experiences for all students requires far more planning and preparation. And while the instructional piece is important, tending to the emotional needs of teenagers often needs to take precedence.” Meredith Jones Joppa ’00, one of the School’s consulting psychologists, noted the positives that have come about in regards to student well-being. “One of the silver linings this year is that people have been paying a lot more attention to kids’ and teens’ mental health. We have student support teams in every
Some faculty members teach from home due to the pandemic and work closely with instructional facilitators. Top: US art teacher Cynthia Stan Mellow is onscreen as teacher Mary Roberston serves as her instructional facilitator; Cynthia poses in front of her green screen in her home studio. division. Deans, grade deans, learning support, advisors, and division heads– these people are in constant communication. We have learning profiles and are differentiating instruction to benefit all students.” Just like teachers, school administrators have also encountered issues unlike what they were used to. For Associate Head for Finance and Operations Bill Baczkowski, one of the biggest challenges is “trying to figure out what is the right answer to questions I never thought we’d have to answer, often without much guidance from outside resources.” And some of the decisions made––such as pivoting to virtual learning on a few occasions or supporting our athletic conference’s no-spectator policy at sporting events––were met with mixed feelings. Said Chad O’Kane, Director
of Development, “It is impossible to please everyone. Every decision will be seen negatively by some group of people. At the end of the day, our focus is on keeping everyone healthy and safe, and that means physically, socially, and emotionally healthy. As school leaders, we agonize over these decisions and never take our responsibility lightly.” Trying to maintain the “old way” of doing things worked in some instances, but not in others. Upper School and IB Visual Arts teacher Cynthia Stan Mellow said, “Change is stressful and ‘the same’ is stressful. It has something to do with art. You talk about identifiable things and non-identifiable things. When it comes to the two extremes, in the middle it is abstract. From “the change” to “the same,” how are we going to find the abstraction where the two are going to meet and have a new way of seeing?”
Safety Measures and Protocols at School
Classrooms were reconfigured to accommodate adequate spacing and to face desks in one direction.
This “new way of seeing” could be thought of as another silver lining through this pandemic. What new ideas are best-suited for our school today and in the future, regardless of the state of the pandemic? It is important for us to keep this question at the forefront, as we balance the daily tasks of educating children, as well as the strategic thinking about educating children. Amidst the challenges of the hybrid format, being back together after full virtual learning last spring––whether on campus or learning/teaching virtually–– has brought a sense of familiarity and joy. Said Head of School Ken Aldridge, “in schools, students, teachers, and parents look for those moments that are familiar. Whether someone is new to the school or returning for the year, school traditions and the academic calendar play an important role. Even if we can’t do things ‘the way we used to do them,’ it’s important to find those moments and milestones that keep us anchored to our school community.” One of the biggest takeaways from this most recent journey was summarized by Lower School Spanish teacher Lara Munch. “Kids are resilient and will rise to challenges and adversity when provided the support and skills to do so.”
Outdoor spaces are great for classes, lunch, and break, weather-permitting.
Mask-wearing, social-distancing, and hand-washing are part of the daily routine. Each morning, families complete a health screening form for each student, and show a daily code before entering the buildings. Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters 3
Senior Ice Cream Social Before the start of school, Head of School Ken Aldridge hosted an ice cream social for the Class of 2021. It was the first time they gathered together on campus in nearly six months. While staying socially distant, it was a great chance for the students to catch up and talk about the year ahead.
Senior/First Grade Buddies Each year, first graders and seniors are paired as buddies to get to know one another and do activities together throughout the school year. Not letting the pandemic stop them, seniors and first graders created introductory Flip Grid videos to tell their buddies all about themselves. Interests included sports, Harry Potter, dancing, and more. They also used Flip Grid to share holiday greetings, and seniors made cutouts of themselves for their buddies to color, Flat Stanley-style.
College Guidance Kickoff In September, juniors met in the library (distanced and masked) for their college guidance kick off, learning all about the college process and planning for the year. Eighth Grade Service Project In coordination with Delaware State Parks, eighth grade biology students participated in a service project in Alapocas Woods. Their work included wineberry plant removal as a follow up to their recent study of invasive species and the impact on the environment, economy, and human health. Wineberry plants are prolific in Alapocas Woods, often competing for the same resources necessary for native plants to thrive. Author “Visits” Lower Schoolers Fourth and fifth grade students were treated to a visit by spooky author, Lindsay Currie. She spoke about the research process, the revision phase, and encouraged students to find a way to "reset" when they are frustrated with writing. 4
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Mock Election Though most of our upper schoolers are too young to vote, they were able to participate in a mock election in November organized by the upper school World Affairs Committee.
Third Grade Math Fun Answer math facts correctly, dress Teacher Michelle! Each correctly answered math fact by third graders equaled an article of clothing or accessory Teacher Michelle had to wear. So much math fun!
Running across the US In the lower school, each grade is keeping track of their miles run in PE for a chosen destination in the United States to run to. Some grades have already run to Ocean City, the Statue of Liberty, and Raleigh!
College Visits Virtual college visits at WFS kicked off with a visit from Lafayette College. There were over 175 college visits scheduled in the fall!
One-to-One Technology Program Fourth graders spent time in the beginning of the year learning all about their new laptops! This year, as part of the School’s one-to-one program, fourth graders joined students in fifth through twelfth grades in having a school-issued laptop. All preschool through third grade students now have school-issued iPads.
Sixth Graders Design Experiments for Lower School Students As part of their experimental design unit, sixth graders developed experiments that tested a question they were curious about (for example: how well can you memorize items from a list in 30 seconds). In order for the experiment to be reliable, they had to control all variables and develop a means of collecting data. Lastly, they had to identify a group of individuals suitable for collecting data - WFS fifth graders! The sixth graders loved having the freedom to design their own experiment for others. Fifth graders not only enjoyed being part of these experiments, but also expressed how much they couldn't wait to be in the sixth grade so that they could be the ones designing the experiments for the next group of fourth and fifth graders.
IB Chemistry Just as a fingerprint is unique to each person, the color of light emitted by metallic salts heated in a flame is unique to each metal. In this laboratory activity, WFS Advanced and IB chemistry students observed the characteristic emission spectra of various metallic ions.
Scoop or Treat! On October 31, WFS upper school lacrosse players volunteered with Sling Shot Lacrosse in partnership with the City of Wilmington and the Delaware Chapter of US Lacrosse at a "Scoop or Treat" event--a combination “trunk” or treat and lacrosse clinic for kids new to the sport. Participants also received free gear and clothing. Sling Shot Lacrosse was founded in 2018 by WFS parent Tom Morrison "to expose, engage and EMPOWER Delaware Inner City girls and boys to a sport they had no idea existed." The event took place at Eden Park and, of course, mask use and social distancing was practiced.
Thanksgiving Coin Drive In lieu of their annual food drive to benefit the Basket Brigade of Delaware, third graders sponsored a coin drive. The students spent time sorting, counting, and rolling the coins. In only four days, they managed to raise just over $380 in coins to benefit families in the Wilmington area. We heard that many of our younger students dipped into their personal piggy banks to support the cause!
Mental Health Awareness In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, ninth graders wrote inspiring messages on the sidewalk as part of their Health & Human Dynamics class. Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters
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Experimenting At Home In fifth grade science, it is difficult to do some science experiments in the classroom as usual, so students are given some alternative activities for them to do at home, safely. In this experiment, students used copper pennies to test what chemicals would remove the tarnish from them. They then used the pennies in that solution to copperplate a steel nail.
IB Bio Lab Days IB Biology students spend two devoted lab days developing their own research questions and experiments based on the concepts and skills that they have learned. This year student investigations include studying factors that affect rates of photosynthesis and germination, oxidation of apples, glucose concentrations in ripening fruit, respiration in yeast, gluten formation in bread, osmolarity in aquatic plants, vitamin C concentrations in fruit, and investigating factors that increase rates of pancreatic cancer. 6
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Traveling Libraries This school year, students don’t go to the library; the library comes to them!
Behind My Mask Students read the bilingual story, “Detrás de Mi Cubrebocas,” and created individual “Soy Yo!” drawings sharing who is behind their masks in Spanish! Coronas (Crowns) for Three Kings ZOOM style! Kindergartners decorated their “coronas” (crowns) in anticipation of the Three Kings’ visit.
NEWS The WFS Home and School Association (H&S),
clerked by Amy Blake, Tonya Baynes, and Fola Adebi, has been very adept at maintaining its goal of community connection and support whilst also navigating the limitations imposed by the pandemic. During the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, H&S held socially distant lawn chats with new parents in order to provide support to those new to our community. They were able to have two of their much-loved annual fundraisers, the Mum Sale, and the Gifts and Greens Sale, and they held their fall Scholastic Book Fair in a virtual format. On a beautiful Saturday in November, H&S also held their first-ever Yoga on the Lawn event. This was thanks to WFS parent Erin Rubano, a skilled yoga practitioner who generously donated her time and knowledge to this event. H&S also used their time and financial resources to bring two important speakers to our community via Zoom. Marissa Colston, Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at Westtown School, presented “Engaging in Courageous Conversations.” Based on the knowledge that race is a topic that is often avoided or talked about in indirect ways, we learned to have discussions that are courageous and honest. H&S saw a big turnout for this event, with many engaged parents, faculty, staff, and trustees interested in the topic.
Mum Sale Volunteers: Pictured left to right: Melissa Bilek, Brian Legum, Sarah Singleton Turick ‘95 (Mum Sale clerk), and Paul Gaskell. Lani Nelson-Zlupko, Ph.D. also returned via Zoom to speak to the community. As a follow-up to a Summer 2020 parenting presentation, in December Dr. Nelson-Zlupko presented “Parenting in a Pandemic.” Dr. Nelson-Zlupko provided coping tools for parents/ guardians as they faced a winter of pandemic fatigue. Strategies for managing family dynamics and peer relationships, including identifying stress vs. anxiety, preparing for the holidays, handling differences in COVID management socially, the challenges of screen time, and achievement stress were presented. H&S is also continuing its ongoing support of the Emmanuel Dining Room (EDR) with monthly food deliveries from our dedicated volunteers. The clerks of the EDR service project are Kristine and David Tuttleman.
Yoga on the Lawn (Erin Rubano is pictured front right)
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IN THE
“A R T R O O M ”
Landscape Drawing Ninth grade Visual Arts Foundations students work on mark-making with charcoal to draw the landscape.
Top Teacher! Congratulations to WFS lower school art teacher Teal Rickerman on being named one of Delaware's Top Teachers! Teal, thank you for your creative mind, loving spirit, and gift of inspiring each and every one of your students.
A Lower School Tradition Fourth graders worked hard on their coil pots, a tradition that’s been a part of the lower school for more than 50 years! Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters
Global Museum Visits In 2020, if you can’t actually visit the museum, you bring the museum to you! International Baccalaureate HL Year 1 and Year 2 and Visual Arts Majors Year 1 took part in a virtual study research field trip. The itinerary of the study included virtual visits via website access to global museums, analysis of the museum collections, and highlights of exhibits, as well as the creation of visual notes and studio artwork. Uplifting Messages Seventh grade art students particpate in the Uplifting Message project each year. In addition to being inspiring, the goal is for the messages to be clear and succinct.
Honoring MLK
I at E D FS W
There have been several initiatives implemented this
The upper school honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by welcoming Brendon Jobs, DEI Director at The Haverford School, for a presentation entitled “How to Be An Upstander: A Workshop for Helping Kids Speak Up When It Counts.” In his talk, Brendon described what “upstanding” means and how to practice it, and walked the students through some scenarios asking them what they would do in those situations.
school year as we focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Trina Gary of Brown-Gary Associates led the WFS all-staff workshop on diversity, equity, and inclusion just prior to the first day of school. Faculty and staff learned about distinguishing between simply observing, assigning meaning, and understanding our influencers. They also learned about how implicit bias sustains systemic racism, how white fragility is an obstacle, and how they need
to be mindful of their own vulnerabilities. Trina is also conducting interviews within the school community as part of a cultural climate assessment. Once complete, she will compile her findings into a report that will include recommendations. We look forward to seeing her report and putting her recommendations into action. During our October 9 Professional Development day, WFS kicked off faculty/staff READ (Read and Educate ourselves on Anti-Racism and Diversity) journal discussion groups, focusing on the New York Times article “This Is the Casual Racism That I Face at My Elite High School” and the concept of restorative justice. Faculty and staff connected through Zoom breakout rooms for honest and open discussions. Two more sessions were subsequently held, and are now a regular part of the school year.
Middle School Leaning into Equity Awareness and Diversity Conference In the fall, seventh and eighth graders participated in an interscholastic, virtual conference, “Leaning into Equity Awareness and Diversity (LEAD),” focused on diversity, social justice, and activism. The purpose of the LEAD conference is to shine light on various forms of diversity (race, gender, disability, etc.) and to lead students in brainstorming solutions for making their school communities more inclusive and aware. The conference began with a keynote address by Dr. Michael Fowlin, who draws on his experiences as a psychologist and actor to bring hidden or silent perspectives to light. Following the keynote, students interacted with their peers in small workshops on current events, multiculturalism, and dilemmas. The experience kickstarted the year-long and school-wide theme of “equality” as well as the tri-annual middle school “deep dive” into issues of race, privilege, and cultural competency. Third graders listened to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and then thought of their own wishes to make the world a better place. The WFS lower school's annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration was just as moving this year, even though we could not gather all together in person. This Zoom event included a slide show of the kindergarteners' messages of peace inspired by Dr. King instead of the usual peace march, as well as a period of shared silent worship. Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters
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Baby Study Comes Full Circle! The WFS preschool program draws from complemen-
tary components of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, providing students with unlimited possibilities for cooperation, imagination, and discovery. Three years ago, WFS preschool teachers Adrienne Meade and Lisa Morgan noticed while observing their young students’ play that the children seemed especially interested in... babies. In particular, pretend play involving babies - some wanted to be the baby, while others wanted to be the caretaker. Several of the children, who were three and four years old at the time, had just welcomed new baby siblings into their families, and their teachers wondered if this play was part of them processing the change in their lives and helping them to better understand their new family member. To encourage the children’s questions and inquisitivity around the subject, Teachers Adrienne and Lisa decided to invite the four new baby siblings and their caregivers to class to help answer some of the student’s questions about babies. Before the baby guests arrived, the class generated a list of questions about babies and created a table. For each baby, they wanted to know: How old are you? How many teeth do you have? What do you eat and drink? What makes you feel
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happy? What makes you feel fussy? When the day of the visit came, the students carefully interviewed the caretakers and observed the babies. To their amazement, the students realized that all four babies had connections (similarities) and differences. They also discovered that the caretakers all shared similar responsibilities, such as feeding, holding, and bathing the babies. At the conclusion of the study, Teachers Adrienne and Lisa asked their students to complete the sentence, “Babies are…” Some of their responses included: fussy, thirsty, tired, cute, hungry, crying, and beautiful. “I am always amazed by the depth and sophistication of my young students’ thinking,” Teacher Adrienne said. “They show me over and over again that they want to dig deep and make meaningful connections - I just have to provide them with the opportunities and tools to do it.” Three years later, the study has come full circle with three of the baby subjects now enrolled as students in Teacher Adrienne and Lisa’s class. Their older siblings (now in first and second grades) couldn’t be happier to have them at school with them.
MAKING MUSIC!
Holiday Music Celebration One of the most anticipated traditions for students, faculty, and staff each year is what we affectionately call “The Thing in the Gym.” This is when the entire school comes together in the West Gym to share holiday songs and skits on the last day of school before Winter Break. The celebration ends with the collective singing of the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” For each verse, students in preschool through first grade sing about the partridge in the pear tree, second graders sing about the turtle doves, third graders sing about the french hens and so on, with the fifth graders relishing their chance to belt out “five golden rings!” It’s the last time seniors participate with only one verse as they sing about the twelfth day. While not all together, the students sang their parts in smaller groups this year and the music department created a video. Students watched this, along with other video performances from around the school, in small groups just before they headed into break.
Music Education Continues Pictured below: The middle and upper school choirs spread out well (and stay masked!) in the Theater for their classes; the IB Music class had an in-school studio day to work on some of their IB assessments, with some students able to perform for their classmates and record perfromances for submission to the IB as part of their Internal Assessment portfolios; the gyms are perfect spaces for the middle and upper school bands. Musicians wear special face masks and use instrument covers to keep everyone protected.
Lower schoolers, organized in cohorts, were able to continue their music education. And there are many ways to learn about music! For instance, fourth grade students read the book “The Straight Line Wonder” by Mem Fox, which reminded them to celebrate each other’s differences. When applied to music, they discovered that not all music is written in standard notation, the melodic line can take on many forms, and we may interpret unconventional music notation differently. They then created visuals to portray different sounds.
Instead of winter concerts, music teachers at all grade levels captured performances on video during the school day and shared the links so that families could enjoy them in the comfort of their own homes. While not the same as joining together in the Theater, it was still a beautiful way to kick off the holiday season. Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters
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Q
In upper school, all sophomores and older students new to Friends
uaker uest
are required to take the semester-long Quakerism course with teacher Mary Woodward. Early in the course, they are given the Quaker Quest assignment, and present in the last two weeks of the semester. “They usually present in class, but this year when we went virtual after the winter break, I had them adapt their slideshows so they could be viewed individually,” said Mary. “Then they spent a class looking through and commenting on each other’s slideshows.” For the assignment, students are asked to do something that will have a positive effect on the community (family, school, neighborhood, city, etc.) involving at least one of the Quaker “SPICES” (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, & Stewardship). One student sold household items to raise money, then met with a local representative to determine needs in the community, spent the money on school supplies and food, and then passed them out. Another created a TikTok account for people to post about their accomplishments (big or small). She then left them positive messages, and had 908 followers! Some other projects included handmade greeting cards for seniors at Luther Tower; tutoring other students; a Thanksgiving turkey fundraiser; sewing stuffed animals for charity; sewing pillowcases for Nemours children’s hospital; making virtual books for kids at Nemours; cleaning out a grandparent’s house; holding a coat drive; making care packages for a women’s shelter; and delivering supplies to homeless people on the streets. In their presentations, students talked about why they chose the project, what they did, who it benefited and how, challenges they faced, and which of the SPICES the project was related to.
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125 Years of Miscellany: A History of Whittier Reprinted from the December 2020 issue of The Whittier Miscellany by Livingston Zug ’22 Community Editor
2020 was the quasquicentennial, or the 125th anniver-
sary of the first printing of the Whittier Miscellany. The paper, from its origins as a literary magazine in the late nineteenth century to its present state, has a rich history. Originally a literary magazine, the Whittier Miscellany was first printed in April 1895. In the first publications, the magazine consisted of short stories and poetry with the occasional editorial and interpolation, such as the one requesting that readers pay attention to the advertisements at the beginning and end of the magazine. The Whittier also informed its readers about the start and end dates of the current school year, scores and rosters from the sports teams (narrated in a thrilling style), and other details. Alumni notes were included as well. Nearly a hundred editors, thousands of articles, and scores of issues have passed through since the publication was first conceived. Its history made for a fascinating discovery. Advertisements were a common feature of the first editions of the Whittier; all types of businesses, from candy stores to Swarthmore College, were mentioned. Swarthmore was founded as a Quaker school thirty years prior to the first publication of the Whittier, and perhaps as a favor to a similar school, the society ran ads for it (at least twice). The society also advertised Friends itself with full page, a drawing of the school building and a description of its services. Perhaps inventing a prototype of a school bus, the school announced that “in order to provide transportation for the children of the lower primary and secondary grades, a carriage has been built and placed in charge of a trustworthy man who will convey the children to and from their homes.” If only students were transported by carriages these days. For the first members of the society, the name of the paper was a matter of grave significance to many of the members of the society, reported Christopher Ward ’(18)86. “The record again shows the circumspection and deliberation with which the young society approached its problems—a committee of three...was appointed to select a suitable name.” Multiple names were weighed and discarded, until, exhausted from the melee, the question was put to rest by the adoption of the name “The Whittier Miscellany.” Names such as “The School Index'' and “The Monthly Visitor” were hotly debated. Ultimately, it was named for John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), a Quaker poet and abolitionist, whose work the students evidently admired. Whittier was inducted into the society at the second meeting as an honorary member in recognition of his work. The society met, it seems, for informal purposes, debating issues of importance to the school and generally having a good time. The earliest meetings of the society also reflected many of the matters paramount to the essential functioning of the school.
Chauncery Holcomb, portrayed by Ward ’86 as “dauntless” and a “Patrick Henry,'' helped move the society to demand that the school “abolish calisthenics during recess and substitute rollerskating.” The idea was further amended to request that the school supply the skates itself. The school authorities, perhaps not surprisingly, did not acquiesce to the demands; in response, Ward ’86 labeled the administration’s actions as the “tyranny of our oppressors.” Similar calls were made, such as the plea to make February 22 a school holiday—although, as Ward ’86 pointed out, it was already February 27th, and so the idea was not long for the world. The first issue itself contained a section describing the fates of the recently-graduated. A Friends alum at Harvard was to take part in the Elizabethan play, and the women of Smith College were soon to festively celebrate George Washington’s birthday. A special advertisement appeared beneath the alumni notes; Mr. Cookman, a teacher in the upper school, was “endeavoring to form a bicycle club for the purpose of taking Saturday spins to visit points of interest in the surrounding country.” The author of the written advertisement claimed that the project was very worthy of approval from everyone in the school and that students would surely benefit from a trip to Valley Forge, where they might understand the rigors of the American Revolution. The first issue announced that correspondence was being both regularly sent and received by students from other students in France and Germany as part of “The International Correspondence Bureau.” The Whittier also did not hesitate from reporting on the athletics, listing with enthusiasm the line up for every football game and analyzing the tactics displayed. The Whittier has been in print for one hundred and twenty-five years, making it one of the oldest high school newspapers in the country. One hopes that there will be much more to come in the future, and that it will continue to print, so that its spirit will continue to be a part of the school community. The Whittier Miscellany would like to thank the Archivist, Mr. Maguire, for his help in researching this article.
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6th grade
how-tos
One of the traditional sixth grade right-of-passage lessons at WFS is writing community profiles. Looking for a more pandemic-friendly lesson in writing longer essays, sixth grade English teacher Sean Kerrane thought of the idea of having each sixth grader write a “how-to” essay. This was a manageable way for the students to tackle longer-form writing while focusing on something they already knew well or loved doing. The how-to essays included life lessons in taking photos and making friends; practical skills like organization and stretching; artistic skills like how to draw a person’s eye; and athletic skills like how to beat a defender in soccer. Also, just in time for Thanksgiving, there were plenty of delicious how-to essays, like how to make a double berry custard pie. “Ahh, the sweet smells of custard and berries. Baking pie isn’t the most fun thing in the world, but the taste is what makes people want to make it,” sixth grader Jared wrote. Looking to clean and organize your space? According to Pam, there are three steps you need to take to improve your room: cleaning, organizing, and decorating. The students offered practical advice and also encouragement to their fellow students. “Remember there is no such thing as success or failure when you illustrate. But as long as you like it, it is a success!” Joss wrote about drawing the human eye. “You have completed a plié combination. Hate to break it to you, but it only gets harder. Keep it in mind that ballet is extremely difficult to master, and you’ve made an outstanding first effort!” Liza wrote in her essay about how to position your feet in ballet. Once their how-to essays were completed, each sixth grade student signed up to complete another student’s essay. They were asked to then leave a video response on Flip Grid (a website that facilitates video discussions) answering the following questions: What was fun? What was challenging? What was surprising? “A byproduct of this project is the community we are building and the learning we get to do from each other,” Kerrane said. This is just one case of the teachers at WFS constantly looking for new ways to engage students while developing their academic skills.
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The Importance of Being Earnest, Online! Upper school students staged an online dramatic live read of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Rehearsing entirely online presented numerous challenges, particularly as students had to share a scene but not a stage. Student performers rose to the challenge admirably, and were excited to bring their vision of Wilde’s classic satire to the community. The play was streamed on Zoom and a recording was made available after the performance. Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters 15
101 School Road Wilmington, DE 19803 www.wilmingtonfriends.org
Join us online at wilmingtonfriends. alumnifire.com
Upcoming Events March 6 Quaker Quiz Night -- Virtual! April 26 Friends Golf Outing & Post Golf Gathering June 5 Commencement June 10 Reception for Class of 2016 Alumni & Parents (Format TBD)
Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters