From April 12 -23 Head of School Chris Benbow, Dean of Enrollment Jenni Biehn, and Dean of Advancement Ellen Urbanski traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Taipei. The group shares that it was a joy to visit with more than 70 Westonians and prospective families at receptions and meetings throughout the region. Alums from the classes of 1966 – 2021, current families, parents of alums, and prospective families joined them along their journey.
The group was met with tremendous hospitality, curiosity about Westtown, and thoughtful support for our work to inspire and prepare students to discover their unique gifts and lead in our complex world. The team looks forward to their next visit, to continuing their conversations, and to making this a recurring trip for Westtown. Our deep gratitude to all of the families who hosted Westtown’s team and made their visit so special!
Stay tuned to the next issue of The Westonian for more about this important trip.
The Green Restaurant Association has named Westtown School’s Dining Room the Greenest K-12 School Cafeteria in the country! Our on-site composting program, sustainable waste management practices, locally (and hyper-locally, from our minifarm and greenhouse) sourced foods, and vegan and vegetarian meal options were all factors in this designation. Westtown’s Dining Room was awarded a Four Start Green Restaurant designation in 2024, and this latest award is a testament to ongoing improvements in our program.
We are very proud and thanks go to Dining Services Director Beth Pellegrino and the amazing Dining Services team, as well as Director of Sustainability Francine Locke and the Sustainability Committee who work diligently to foster sustainable practices across our community!
In celebration of the Greenwood’s 100th anniversary and to ensure the safety of our community, repairs have been made on the stone steps in the center aisle. The Facilities team laid new sod at the top of the Greenwood as well, just in time for graduation.
This lovely work was made possible by the generous support of the Classes of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, as well as the Upper School Parents’ Council. Originally a gift from the Class of 1926, the Greenwood is an iconic location on campus that has provided beautiful and lush surroundings for Shakespeare plays, assemblies, Meetings for Worship, and Commencements. Our immense thanks for the generosity of these community members!
Westtown School and Germantown Friends School (GFS) sent a delegation to the United Nations COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil. At the thirtieth annual COP (Conference of the Parties) summit, delegates from 194 countries across the globe gathered to address the climate crisis collaboratively. At these conferences, they set goals, share their country’s progress, negotiate action plans, and formulate legal agreements.
Representing Westtown were Sarah Lan ’27, Chris Wills, Associate Head of School for Program and Community, and Francine Locke, Director of Sustainability at Westtown School and GFS. They traveled with Justin J. Harris, Executive Director of the Climate Equity Collaborative Collaborative (CEC), a climate-action and education organization that focuses on youth and underserved communities. The CEC developed an immersive program for the delegates that included education and discussion sessions, rainforest tours, meetings with leaders in Indigenous communities, and volunteer opportunities—all in addition to attending COP30 sessions.
Students had the opportunity to concentrate on specific topics. Sarah—in addition to two GFS students—focused on blue carbon ecosystems, ocean restoration, and renewable energy. She was particularly interested in one of the presenters, from the State University of Amazonas, who developed a technological tool that focused on monitoring the water quality of the Amazon rivers.
The delegation also met with Keith Runyan, General Secretary, Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW). Over a dinner together, Keith shared his thoughts on the interconnectedness between Quakerism and climate action, and the group engaged in a robust conversation together. “We made deliberate connections with Quaker organizations this year, like the QEW and the Quaker United Nations Office [QUNO],” says Wills. “To explore these really big ideas with frameworks that are simple and that our students already know and understand because we live those out here on campus every day was very valuable.”
The conference availed the students of important proximity to the mechanisms of action and allowed them a close-up look at how change can be made and at what’s both effective and ineffective in bringing about change. “In a time of shifting climate policy, the perspective of the next generation is a critical force for change,” says Locke. “COP30 provided our students with an unparalleled laboratory for climate action. By bridging the gap between the classroom and global diplomacy, we are preparing our students to serve as the advocates and stewards our planet urgently needs.”
Wills adds that students witnessed, “the interconnectedness of all of these larger systems that come together to work against climate change. Students were able to see how the levers of capitalism are functioning on a global scale and understand the ways that change can happen at a grassroots level, a policy level, and then at a global initiative level. So being able to separate those things to see where one can have an impact in different kinds of contexts was pretty incredible for our students.”
The official grand opening of the Oak Lane Athletic Complex took place during our Friday Night Lights celebration in October. The varsity field hockey and boys varsity soccer teams took on George School, both issuing defeat to our rivals! Before these exciting games, there was an opening ceremony to honor some of our donors and recognize the Holloway family. Stay tuned to the next issue of The Westonian for more about the turf fields project and our generous donors! Enjoy the gallery here.
Knowledge, Illuminated: Pre-K–12 Curriculum Standards Following a multi-year review inspired by our 2022 reaccreditation, Westtown has developed research-based curriculum standards across every grade and subject. These standards ensure that skills and concepts build intentionally from year to year, that learning connects across disciplines, and that teaching is responsive to each student’s growth. Most importantly, they embed Quaker values of integrity, equality, community, and social responsibility throughout a child’s journey at Westtown. These standards embody our mission to inspire and prepare graduates to be thoughtful leaders and stewards of a better world.
Westtown has launched a comprehensive Five-Year Sustainability Plan that charts an ambitious course toward whole-school sustainability. The plan focuses on three interconnected areas: Operations and Infrastructure (carbon neutrality, zero waste, and renewable energy), Education and Health (curriculum integration, student advocacy, and the link between well-being and the environment), and Environment and Climate (stewardship of our 600-acre campus and climate resilience). From our 2.1 MW solar array to our Four-Star Green Restaurant certification, sustainability is woven into daily life at Westtown.
We invite you to read this plan as it reflects our commitment to living our Quaker values through measurable action.
As is our tradition, we kicked off the new school year with our Opening-of-School assembly. On a beautiful September afternoon, we gathered in the Greenwood. There was a special entrance by the seniors, a message from Head of School Chris Benbow, a recognition of the years of service of faculty and staff, the roll call of the classes, a cheer led by the Student Body Presidents, and the Community Choir sang Lean on Me. It was a fantastic start to the new year! Check out the gallery of photos here!
On a joyful (but soggy!) June 7, the Class of 2025 processed into the Greenwood to receive their diplomas. This class joins a vibrant alum community that spans the years and the globe. We wish them well as they set off upon their next endeavors!
We have created a web page for the Class of 2025 where you can watch individual videos of our Commencement speakers, get links to the Commencement photo galleries, and see where some of our graduates are off to in the College Shirt Day gallery. We invite you to watch the Commencement in its entirety below!
The fully renovated and expanded Center for the Living Arts (CLA) opened to rave reviews!
At a formal celebration in April, nearly 150 guests—including faculty, staff, trustees, alums, donors, and friends of the school—gathered to experience the reimagined space that now serves as a hub of energy and creativity in the heart of Westtown’s campus.
Dedicated to expression and spiritual reflection through the arts, the center’s restoration was completed in three phases, with work beginning in the summer of 2019. The CLA now features bright and airy visual arts studios, a digital media lab for music and photography production, revitalized performance and rehearsal spaces, an acoustically remediated theater with student-safe catwalks, accessibility upgrades throughout the building including renovated bathrooms and an elevator, as well as beautifully restored outdoor spaces that connect the building to the student experience on the top of campus.
The reception was held in the visual arts space anchored by the Hildreth-Dietrich Visual Arts Wing—honoring a gift from Westtown alum and trustee, William Hildreth ’81 and his family—that includes a critique and exhibit gallery for students as well as numerous visual arts classrooms, and the Chu Gallery, a two-story, permanent exhibition space named in honor of generous support from Westtown Alum and Trustee, Jehan Chu ‘94 and his wife, Jeannie. Both galleries are flooded with natural light and have beautiful views of the South Woods and Main Hall.
“When I was a student at Westtown, this building felt like home in so many ways. I spent countless hours in the Barton-Test Theatre, the rehearsal rooms, and the art studios,” said Hildreth. “When I learned that Westtown planned to renovate the Center for the Living Arts, I knew I wanted our family’s foundation to support the creation of an inspiring space for reflection, imagination, and expression. It has been a great joy to see the renewed space and be confident that it will feel like home to future generations of Westonians.”
During the reception, guests delighted in the inaugural installation of works which includes some of Westtown’s permanent art collection, student pieces, alum creations, and art procured from visiting artists through the McLear Artist in Residence program. Tours were offered so that new features beyond the gallery could also be explored, such as new private dressing rooms off the theater, an outdoor patio for community gatherings and classes, music pods for private instrument practice, and new faculty offices and student meeting spaces.
The building’s modifications are in keeping with the schools sustainability goals and included new heating and cooling, replacement of all windows and doors, installation of an automated building management system to maximize energy efficiencies, and sections of new roof which make the building LEED silver equivalent.
“Westtown was a turning point in both my sister, Shamsi’s, and my life. It had a profound impact on my spiritual, artistic, and leadership development under guides like Jay Farrow, Caroline Loose, Ellen Jensen (Abbott), and many others. It is a privilege to be able to contribute a small gift back to the Westtown community on behalf of the Chu family and the incredible class of ’94,” Jehan Chu ’94 shared.
The Center for the Living Arts officially opened its doors to students this past fall. This exciting space serves as a vibrant invitation to reflect, create, and to seek out and honor the light of God in one’s self and others, and will further support the journey of self discovery and growth that is at the core of a Westtown education.
