School News Remembering 20 Years Ago
September 11 is a solemn day to think back on and reflect. Though our students do not remember the day, we feel it’s an important part of our collective history and take time as a community to remember those we lost on that day.
Upper School Diversity Orientation
Students new to the upper school participated in a diversity orientation session in September. They worked on exercises to find their similarities and differences, and were introduced to the concept of microaggressions. Students were briefed on the upstander concept (which was introduced to all upper school students last year), which encourages students to disrupt bullying/microaggressions. Faculty and staff then role-played situations, and students gathered in groups to discuss the scenarios and identify which "D" (distract, delegate, document, delay, or direct) they would use to respond to the situations, which included religious intolerance, racism, homophobia, ableism, and sexism. Our WFS students mentored and led the small groups of new students.
In honor of the 20th anniversary, upper school students, faculty, and staff attended a Lunch and Learn with WFS parent and parent of alum Dr. Amy Grubb, a first responder as a psychologist with the FBI on 9/11 in New York City. She spoke about her experience at the site where only 1,000 people were initially allowed access to collect evidence. Though there were many terrible things in that environment, she was also struck by the immense generosity of so many people who wanted to help; the human connections that were necessary to keep one another both focused on the work and focused on taking necessary breaks; and the power of sitting with someone in silence to allow them to grieve. She tied these moments to the broader theme of seeking peace. We are grateful to Dr. Grubb for sharing her experiences with us.
Middle School Bonding Day
After a year hiatus, the middle school’s annual Bonding Day was back in September! To kick off our year-long work at fostering our sense of community and belonging, middle school teams, led by their respective grade deans (Carlos Charriez, 6th; John Hanson, 7th; Logan Goodwin, 8th), dedicated the day (both on and off campus) to games and activities designed to challenge, sometimes frustrate, and always enrich our middle schooler’s understanding of their unique and invaluable role in the life of their class and their school.
First Grade Self Portraits
In September, Mrs. Willie's first graders painted self portraits and shared their hopes and dreams for the school year!
College Visits
GO BLUE!
College visits have returned to campus! Upper school students met with a representative from the University of Pittsburgh this fall to discuss the college admissions process and learn more about life at Pitt.
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