March was Disability Awareness Month, and before spring break, we were honored to host both Aimee Ruben and Karla Gilbride. Aimee is the owner of Game On State, a non-profit business in Media that models inclusive hiring practices. She spoke at Lower School Gathering, then with Middle School students before Meeting for Worship. Later in the week, Karla, a lawyer and activist who was the General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the first blind lawyer to argue a case before the Supreme Court (she won her case 9-0), spoke with Middle and Upper School students at assembly about how blindness has shaped her life’s work, and why the scope of her work includes not just advocating for people with disabilities, but for everyone facing discrimination. Our thanks to Aimee and Karla for speaking to our students, and to Dean of Equity, Justice, and Belonging Louisa Egan Brad for bringing these speakers to campus.
In December, seven Westtown School employees traveled to the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Color Conference (PoCC) in Denver, Colorado, to take part in seminars, master classes, and workshops on a range of topics. PoCC has been held annually since 1986 and it is specifically designed to support equity and inclusion for people of color working in independent schools. Here are some of their reflections.
“PoCC is always a great place to connect and recharge. Since I work primarily in the Middle School, I loved the opportunity to get to know my colleagues from other divisions, some of whom teach my younger son, Hugo. I especially enjoyed the Latinx affinity session which has grown substantially since I first attended PoCC almost 20 years ago. The session that stood out to me the most was Playing with Polarization: Building Empathy and Understanding Through Creative Dialogue. The session began with a very intentional seating arrangement so that everyone had a place to sit and other participants to engage with. There were several prompts at each table for us to consider that dove into polarizing topics ranging from wealth and privilege to immigration and education. Instead of diving right into these potentially triggering topics with students, the presenters used a metaphor-driven approach that provided them with an opportunity to engage in dialogue around topics that mostly involved different phenomena in nature. The structure of these conversations was meant to have students develop their listening, empathy, and creative problem-solving skills before tackling more polarizing topics such as U.S. politics during the election. As teachers, we had a chance to practice this method in small groups while learning how the Field School staff navigated the last presidential election cycle.” ~Carlos Charriez, Middle School science faculty
“As an educator new to the independent school system I did not know what to expect attending my first professional conference. What I walked away with was a sense of camaraderie and personal empowerment. I had the opportunity to visit the International School of Denver and hear directly from their EJB Director and a BIPOC student affinity group over the challenges and successes they have encountered rolling out this work in their community. I attended very personal and thought-provoking workshops such as Colorism in the Latine Community and The Erasure of Black Girls in Schools, two topics that impacted me as an educator and mother. The most powerful thing that I walked away with, however, was the opportunity to hear from other professionals and connect with some in affinity groups that allowed us to be vulnerable with one another and feel a little less alone. Our experiences are not unique no matter what part of the country we were from. I think one of the hardest parts of EJB work is feeling like you are never doing enough but attending PoCC and just looking over the thousands of amazing educators, administrators, and students I take some comfort for now. There are a lot of amazing educators out there doing the work, and giving their students and communities the voices they deserve. We are the dreams of our ancestors.” ~Jenn Andres, Lower School Spanish faculty
“While Sekou Andrews was commenting on what it is like to be a BIPOC educator at our PWIs [predominantly White institutions] and then exist in the space at PoCC, I was thinking about how this experience is intense and also in isolation. To feel extreme community and belonging for a few days at the conference can make the readjustment back to my full-time community feel more removed. However, I am not white every day of the year. At my first and at this PoCC experience, I attended the Multicultural Affinity Group. I think this group suits me most because people in the room look all different kinds of ways, and yet, we end up sharing so much. This is how it is for me here at Westtown as well. No one looks just like me, and yet I find things in common with my peers, my students, and other community members.” ~Fran de la Torre-Shu, Upper School Learning Specialist
“My own experience of the PoCC was one of professional nourishment. Given that so many Equity, Justice, and Belonging-type positions across independent schools are held by people of color, PoCC offers a unique opportunity to connect with and learn from the experiences and expertise of many people who occupy roles similar to my own. I was able to engage with speakers and participants at sessions that focused on financial aid beyond tuition (similar to Westtown’s Full Access program) and engagement of alums of color, among other sessions, as well as hear firsthand from experts in the field including Kenji Yoshino (New York University School of Law, author of Say the Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice) and Ruha Benjamin (Princeton University, author of Race after Technology) whose work has previously informed my own practices. Being able to connect with people in parallel and adjacent roles at other independent schools was invigorating and I returned with new ideas for collaborations with our Advancement and Admissions teams, as well as other strategies and tools that I’m already beginning to implement. I also left with an even greater appreciation of the excellent work that Westtown has put into building inclusive spaces and practices here at our school over the course of decades.” ~Louisa Egan Brad, Dean of Equity, Justice, and Belonging
Upper School history teacher Joseph Daniels was named the 2024 Pennsylvania Gilder-Lehrman History Teacher of the Year! Joseph was chosen by a panel of teachers, administrators, and scholars for his achievements in American history education. In addition to this state-level honor, he was in the running with 53 other teachers across the country for National History Teacher of the Year.
Joseph Daniels is the Chair of the History and Religion Department. Over the last 20 years, he has taught World History, U.S. History, U.S. Government, and several electives including Modern Asia, Modern Africa, Genocide Studies, and US-China Relations, among others. Additionally, he has led student experiential learning tours to Israel and Palestine as well as Central Europe. He is an active member of several organizations, including the Gilder Lehrman Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia. Please join us in congratulating Joseph!
As part of our Identity, Values, and Politics series Katina Bays ’01 spoke at an Upper School Assembly this fall. This series, organized and hosted by Dean of Equity, Justice, and Belonging Louisa Egan Brad, brings speakers to Westtown to talk about their work and life experiences especially as they relate to these topics. Bays is Deputy Director of Outreach and Engagement at the Ohio Department of Children and Youth,serving under a Republican governor, Mike DeWine. Originally from New Jersey, Bays enrolled at Westtown in ninth grade. She was a two-season athlete and was involved in Service Network. After Westtown, she earned a B.A. from Spelman College, then went on to earn a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University. She is also a licensed independent social worker.
Bays presented an engaging assembly and Q&A session where she described her roles, what inspired her to pursue work in social service, and both her positive and negative experiences at Westtown. She noted that regardless of the political party in office, the issues remain and their department’s mission is to serve the children and families of Ohio. “I think that red, blue, independent aside, many of us in helping professions, get into it because we want to make a difference and help families thrive…And when we put the politics aside and look at the fact that African American babies in the state of Ohio are dying at two times greater rates than their white counterparts, that has absolutely nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the social determinants of health. And so I think that it is very important that as we are having these discussions and that we are starting to frame them in a different way.”
Bays also visited the Peace and Justice class and hosted a drop-in session in the South Room where a steady stream of students talked with her individually. She says that she was impressed by the students. “In both Jonathan’s [Ogle] classroom and as well as my time in the South Room with students, I just felt like [students] were wise beyond their years,” she shared. Some of the questions they were asking were very forward-thinking, and oftentimes I think that we sometimes have misconceptions of who and what teens are. But these students were ones that you knew were going to go out and do great things. For me, it was energizing, it was invigorating, and it was a reminder of how much Westtown pours into students… I left thinking that there are so many budding leaders that I was able to engage with that I know will make a difference in many of the professions that they choose. I felt excited to be a part of the Westtown family and the legacy that Westtown is continuing to make.”
After her visit, Bays and Egan Brad spoke more extensively. Bays says being back at Westtown made her feel nostalgic and like “coming home in many ways. While it was great to see some of those same things, it was also so encouraging to see the increased diversity in the student body and staff population, much of which I had not experienced, at least to that level, during my time.”
Egan Brad asked Bays what major points she wanted to students to take away from her talk. “That everyone’s journey is unique,” she replied. “The time you have at Westtown is a special time to find yourself, and you have the ability to explore who you are and who you aspire to become. It was my hope that individuals would take away that not only was my experience unique as is everyone else’s, but it was also important for me to use that time at Westtown to explore who I was as a young African-American woman. I also wanted people to take away that it wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies, and that there were some challenges that I experienced. I don’t think that my challenges were abnormal, but I also wanted to make sure that I was telling a very accurate story. Despite the highs and lows, Westtown helped me be very intentional in my decision for my next phase in life, which was college. I made the decision to attend a historically Black college because I knew that for some of those pieces that I had not yet fine-tuned at Westtown, I needed to be in an environment in which I would be able to cultivate those and grow. I really do hope that students took away that you can still have a great experience that may have some valleys that are a part of it, but that it is important to take away all that Westtown has to offer and use that as you are making your next steps into adulthood.”
Finally, Egan Brad asked Bays how she felt her Westtown education set the stage for her subsequent education and career. Bays says that there were so many ways that Westtown prepared her for her future, noting discipline first. “If I think back to study halls from the age of 14, I got used to having the discipline to study at my own pace and make sure that I was prepared,” she says. “The other piece is just the level of independence. I was active on campus at Westtown, so it was a lot of me having to put myself out there, and also go into places and spaces where it may have been a little bit uncomfortable. I think that played a huge role in my life because now, oftentimes, I am the only one that looks like me in a room. I also know from Westtown that although I may be the only one in the room that looks like me, I’m in that room for a reason, and so my value is the same as everyone else that’s in the room. I think that Westtown also allowed me to speak up for marginalized groups. Westtown made me confident and made me feel like the sky was the limit. The other piece is how important community is, and how important having a firm foundation is. As I just noted, after my visit I went back to my closest Westtown friends, and we’ve been together since our time at Westtown. In many ways, those ladies have grounded me and have kept me sane through highs and lows in life. But all of that began on what was then Girls Third [dorm]. We were all just young girls from New York and New Jersey and we needed each other throughout our time there. Westtown gave me so very much and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. At 14, when my mom told me I was going to apply to the Wight Foundation, it was met with apprehension. I wanted to stay home, I wanted to stay in a world that I knew well. But going to Westtown completely set me on the trajectory of where I am in life, and I am forever grateful for everything that I received from Westtown. Even the lows, because I think it helped to shape me into who I am today.”
Teacher Ryan Black engaged Environmental Science and Biology 2 students in a biodiversity study, employing a variety of technologies to collect and analyze data. Black explains, “iNaturalist is a community science app that allows users to share and record biodiversity information with a database which can be used for scientific research. The goal of iNaturalist is to connect people to nature and create a living record of life on Earth. Environmental Science and Biology 2 students used the app to contribute to our Westtown Biodiversity Studies. The overall project, the Westtown School Biodiversity Study, pulls all of the observations recorded on campus. Anyone with the iNaturalist app can contribute to these projects.
“There are sub-projects that pull data from different parts of campus that Environmental Science students use to compare the biodiversity of different areas. All of those projects can be viewed via the “umbrella project” that shows all of our projects on one page: Westtown School Biodiversity Studies. Some of the Environmental Science students set up trail cams and recorded those observations on our Westtown Trail Cams project. And since there are a lot of avid birders on campus, we also set up the Avian Diversity Study. We may add more projects next year to show the diversity of other taxonomic groups.”
We encourage you to visit these links to learn about our campus biodiversity yourself. Remember that anyone in the community with the iNaturalist app is welcome to contribute to these ongoing projects as well!
Black also took his Environmental Science 2 class to the Jersey shore for a day of service and learning. Students worked with reTURN the Favor, an organization that “…works to rescue horseshoe crabs on beaches open to the public, it primarily concentrates on rescuing crabs stranded on beach areas seasonally closed during shorebird migration and horseshoe crab spawning season occurring in May and June. Many horseshoe crabs spawn on these closed beaches and oftentimes become stranded, overturned, or even impinged behind natural or manmade structures. The reTURN the Favor program works with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection so that horseshoe crabs stranded on closed beaches can be rescued by sanctioned volunteer groups.”
Black shares, “Students witnessed the awe-inspiring spectacle as hundreds of thousands of Atlantic horseshoe crabs gathered along the Delaware Bay shore to engage in their annual spawning ritual—a tradition that has endured for hundreds of millions of years! The ecological significance of this event cannot be overstated. The eggs laid during this mass spawning serve as a vital food source for numerous species, including endangered migratory birds such as the red knot. However, the future of horseshoe crab populations hangs in the balance. Threatened by habitat degradation, overharvesting for pharmaceutical purposes and fishing bait, and historically utilized as fertilizer, these ancient creatures face significant challenges.
In an effort to safeguard this invaluable species, students took partk in a meaningful initiative known as the “Return the Favor NJ” walk. Our mission? To rescue trapped horseshoe crabs along the beaches of Cumberland County (NJ), flipping over stranded individuals to ensure their survival. Through this hands-on community science activity, students will also gather crucial data on the gender distribution of the rescued crabs, which will be reported to reTURN the Favor NJ for further analysis.
“The students had a very successful day, working hard to rescue a total 348 horseshoe crabs. While the abundance of crabs was fairly low, it is still early in their spawning season. The students also witnessed a great abundance of shorebirds at a few beaches which limited our ability to conduct rescues at these locations (the shorebirds take priority and we are careful not to move them). So while the horseshoe crab numbers were low, it was great to see robust shorebird activity. We collected data on the numbers of flipped/trapped male and female horseshoe crabs as well as deceased Diamondback terrapins (turtles). All of the data we collected was reported to reTURN the Favor.” If you’re interested in their findings, here is some of the data.
The third annual World Languages Week took place in April. As Bei Zhang, Chair of the World Languages Department, shares, “Some of our goals include promoting language acquisition, building cultural competency, providing students a platform to celebrate their success in their language education, and helping students envision their future career paths where they can apply their language skills and cultural knowledge.” Highlights of the week of special activities included captivating musical performances by Upper School language students in Community Collection, and a wonderful presentation by Kevin Wang ’18 on the power of language learning and his journey in app development (which includes Polaris, an app still used by Upper School students today). Wang’s career has combined technology with language—he now works for Duolingo. The Language Olympics were thrilling, with Team Chinese emerging victorious and Team Latin winning the Team Spirit award! Check out photos from the week here!
Students of Spanish sing at World Languages Week Assembly
Lower School’s annual One Story Week is a celebration of an author and their work. This year, we welcomed award-winning author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, who gave an engaging presentation to students and shared her journey from being a teacher to becoming a children’s book author. Her book, Your Name is a Song, was the featured story, and students also read several of her books with Lower School librarian Heather Tannenbaum, including Abdul’s Story and Mommy’s Khimar. Throughout the week, students spent afternoons in mixed-aged groups collaborating on writing, music, and art activities, and ended with group reflection and sharing. Students love One-Story Week, and the opportunity for working with students in other grades and in enjoying special activities. You can see theentire gallery of photos from this special week here.
Congratulations to this year’s Deep Dive Certificate recipients! The Deep Dive Program offers a multi-year, multi-disciplinary approach to a particular subject area. The program empowers students to design an intentional, organized, and well-documented arc of immersive learning and focused scholarship. The goal is for them to explore topics across disciplines, to be active participants in their own learning, and to become empathetic, confident leaders. This year, students completed Deep Dive Certificates in Data-Driven Change; Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice; Global Leadership; Multidisciplinary Arts; and Sustainability Leadership. In May, these students presented to the community about their studies and their impressive Capstone Projects. The recipients, all members of the Class of 2024, are:
Thank you to senior Noa Sobel and the Green Coalition sustainability club for bringing the new “Food for Thought” board to life in the Dining Room! The board is a place to leave ideas, kudos, and to check out the menu.
Anne Burns and the team in Communications designed the board, alum Carrie Dudas completed the project, and Mark Del Negro and the Facilities team placed it. Thank you—it really does take a village!
Our student-led teaching kitchen has evolved over the years, and here are just a few things that were created from student ideas:
Crepe Day
Waffle Day
Buffet in Upper School (Yes, there used to be seated meals every day!)
Pasta bar
Panini stations at lunch
Clear station and composting in the back Dining Room. (Does anyone else remember the belt?)
It was the Work Program Heads of 2012 that designed the clear station.
Over spring break, school-sponsored trips set off to Italy/Greece, Ghana, Taiwan, and Washington, DC. where students experienced new things, learned by doing, and immersed themselves in their surroundings.
Teachers Ted Freeman, LJ Scurfield, and Ellen Abbott led 18 Latin students on the trip to Greece and Italy, where they explored the relics of the ancient world. Freeman shares, “We first spent several days exploring the city of Athens, Greece. We took in the grandeur of the Parthenon resting atop the acropolis of Athens. We roamed the Athenian agora, as did so many of the great philosophers and statesmen of antiquity. Our group went into the Greek countryside to visit the fascinating sites of Delphi, Mycenae, and the theater of Epidaurus.
“We then flew to Rome, Italy, and continued our exploration of the ancient world there. We climbed several of Rome’s hills, including the Capitoline and Janiculum. We spent a day in Vatican City exploring St. Peter’s Basilica and the endless halls of the Vatican museum. We travelled to Ostia Antica, the ancient port city of Rome that is now an expansive set of ruins. Throughout our trip, students read a variety of Latin passages relevant to each site. Students also enjoyed delving into the cultures, languages, and food of modern Greece and Italy.”
Abbott reflected on their journey: “Aside from group sharing and time for journal writing, we had two amazing Meetings for Worship, one on a promontory overlooking the Aegean and in sight of Poseidon’s temple at Sounion, and one in a Mithraic bath in the abandoned Roman city of Ostia Antica. Both were highlights of the trip. I think the thing that struck me most, particularly in the Ostia Antica Meeting, was the number of tributes shared regarding LJ and Ted, their teaching, their commitment to the students and their love of Latin. These students have found a home in the Classics that is central to their education at Westtown.”
Lynette Assarsson and Marissa Colston led a small but mighty group of students to Ghana to work with our sister school, Heritage Academy, in the village of Essiam. Students gained experience in the classroom teaching Heritage middle schoolers various arts, crafts, and games, which were very popular among Heritage students! Westtown students also led small reading groups daily, where students read aloud together to improve English reading, pronunciation, and comprehension skills. A special time was set aside for our all-girl group to talk with sixth grade girls to discuss education, leadership, and to share about their lives; impactful moments for all. The group engaged in a service project at Heritage: making cement blocks to be used in the completion of a middle school building. Westtown students have been making blocks for this project over the past several trips to Ghana and to honor that work, Heritage will call the new building Westtown Hall!
Living in a guest house in the village of Ajumako, just down the road from Heritage, afforded students the opportunity to know our neighbors, enjoy authentic Ghanaian cuisine (and pound fufu!), and to join in the hustle and bustle of “market days” in local villages and towns. At the markets, they learned to barter and even got to use a few words of Fante!
The group traveled to Cape Coast to learn more deeply about the transatlantic trade of the enslaved and had powerful tours of Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castles, both former trading posts. They also spent time on the beautiful coast and braved the canopy bridges of Kakum National Rainforest. Finally, in the capital city of Accra, they toured the home of author, historian, and civil rights activist W.E.B. du Bois, learning about his life, work, and legacy. All of the elements of this journey are unique and a truly immersive cultural experience for our students. We are ever grateful for the longtime partnership with Heritage Academy, who has been welcoming Westtown students since 2008!
Bei Zhang, Fran De la Torre-Shu, Kyle Layne-Allen, and Megan Williams and a large group of students journeyed to Taiwan. Their adventure began with a tour of Taipei where they explored history, art, and culture through iconic landmarks like the Grand Hotel, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Palace Museum, National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine, Longshan Temple, Presidential Square, and Cheng’en Gate. They experienced Shilin Night Market, a sensory delight that showcases Taiwan’s culinary diversity. The group had several hands-on learning experiences such as Taiwanese cooking, where they made dumplings and boba for tea, a sky-lantern making workshop, and more! The group ventured into Taroko National Park to take in the natural wonders, and to Yehliu Geopark, known for its unusual rock formations. They also visited the Li Chuan clam aquafarm (and dug for clams!) and Toucheng Farm to observe sustainable agriculture practices.
A very special highlight of the trip was meeting with Westtown alums Steven Wu ’86 and Richard Wu ’87. The Wu brothers gave the students personalized tours of their department stores and learned about their business philosophies and models, and had insightful conversations about their Westtown experiences. Students were also treated to specialty foods such as soup dumplings, bubble tea (from the store that created the first bubble tea in the world!), dried guava and starfruit, and almond cookies. We are grateful to Steven and Richard Wu for sharing their time and insights with our students, and to Amanda Young in the Advancement Office who helped facilitate this wonderful visit!
Religion teachers Lara Freeman and Jonathan Ogle ’88 led a group of students to Washington, DC, to partcipate in the annual Friends Committee on National Legislation’s (FCNL) Spring Lobby Weekend training. FCNL is a Quaker lobby group that “connects historic Quaker testimonies on peace, equlity, simplicity, and integrity with issues and legislation in Washington. Our community brings together Friends and tens of thousands of like-minded individuals, sharing a belief in relationship-based change making to advance the world we seek, one lobby visit at a time.”
The Westtown contingent joined hundreds of other students from across the country as they learned and lobbied together. The training sessions this year focused on lobbying for The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. After they finished their training, students visited the offices of both Pennsylvania senators as well as Representative Chrissy Houlahan. One student, a resident of NJ, visited her representatives, including Senator Cory Booker’s office. Freeman reports that the students were committed, engaged, and phenomenal participants.
