Food for Thought

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.

Celebrating the Quasquibicentennial of Westtown School!

Westtown School has crossed a significant milestone: 225 years of Quaker education! On May 6, 1799, Westtown opened its doors to an inaugural co-ed class of forty students with the intent of providing a “guarded religious education” for Quaker families in the Philadelphia area. The journey to this historic day started over thirty years before, when prominent Philadelphia Quakers such as George Churchman advocated for the establishment of a Friends boarding school. The idea gained support following the founding of Ackworth School by London Yearly Meeting in 1779 and the publication of Owen Biddle’s “A Plan for a School” in 1790. Finally, in 1794, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting formed a committee to consider the proposal. It was accepted, and in 1795 a tract of land was purchased in Chester County from the Gibbons family. It is on this same six hundred acres that Westtown School still operates today, with over two centuries of experience providing an education grounded in Quaker principles.

Divisionally appropriate celebrations took place in each division. In Lower School Gathering, the students presented Head of School Chris Benbow with a big signed birthday card. Middle School observed a special birthday Collection, and in the Upper School, advisory groups recognized the birthday together. Finally, faculty, staff, and Upper School students gathered in the South Room and after a reading from the Student Body Presidents and a word from Benbow, everyone enjoyed the birthday cake(s)!

 In the fall, we will celebrate the 225th together in style at the all-school assembly at the opening of school, and at other events throughout the year, so stay tuned for more!

Watch School Events Remotely

This is a reminder that you can live stream many school events on LocalLive, as well as watch recordings. Use this link (which is also posted on our website) to find sporting events, theater performances, and special speakers. In the dropdown, select from “live” or “recent” events; you can also see what upcoming events are on the horizon.

Nick Thomas ’02 Visits with History Classes

As part of their new series Identity, Value, and Politics, The History Department and the EJB team hosted their first speaker Westtown alum Nick Thomas ’02. Nick ran for the U.S. House of Representatives as an Independent Candidate in Colorado’s 2nd District in 2018. He currently serves the American Friends Service Committee as the clerk of the Committee on Friends Relations. Nick is also an actor, most recently with starring roles in An Egypt Affair (2023) and Amazon Queen (2021). 

As his bio notes, “Nick grew up within the formative walls of the Boulder Friends Meeting, which he still considers his primary Meeting. He also attends, when possible, the Estes Park Friends/Unitarian group where his parents reside, Intermountain Yearly Meeting, and whatever Meeting he can find in the cities he visits. Nick attended Westtown School and Earlham College, wanting in both to seek out a greater understanding of Quaker practices and values beyond his upbringing. Outside, he is a proven generalist with a particular passion in politics – especially around climate activism and national service; and is also a pilot, actor and producer, and often involved in event management. In 2005 he spent half a year living with, and working as personal assistant to, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and has long supported the initiatives and Beloved Community principles of the Martin Luther King Center. He holds a Masters in International Diplomacy and an MBA, was chosen as a 2015 Gabr Fellow, 2008 Congressional Youth Ambassador to South Korea, and as an OFA Fellow. He is an Eagle Scout and Rotarian, a lifetime member and supporter of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and of Hosteling International, and a Board member of AREI.” 

During his visit with groups of students, Nick spoke about his family’s personal connections with Coretta Scott King and her family, as well as how his Quakerism and experiences at Westtown and beyond have shaped his life philosophy and political beliefs. He described how a commitment to peace and nonviolence informed leaders in the civil rights movement, and he shined a light on movements for peace including the Christmas truce of World War I and the worldwide ceasefire of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, led by Andrew Young. He discussed the dangers of political polarization and how rank-choice voting and embracing independent candidates might help us move beyond a two-party political system. Nick encouraged students to take positive risks as he has in his own life, most recently leading to his roles in several recent movies. ~Louisa Egan Brad, Dean of Equity, Justice, and Belonging

Sports Roundup Winter 2024

We’re proud of all our student athletes who gave it their all in the winter sports season! There were some notable standouts as well. The coed varsity wrestling team won the 2024 FSL Wrestling Championship and secured first place in the PAISAA Commonwealth Division! The seniors on the team are pictured below. In addition, two wrestlers, Ryan Tookes ’24 and Luke Holgate ’24, qualified for the 2024 National Prep Wrestling Tournament. This was Coach Jay Farrow‘s final season with the team and not only did his team give him a memorable one, but also he was given the National Prep Wrestling’s Coach of the Year Award. Congratulations to the team and to Coach Farrow! (Stay tuned to the next issue of the next Westonian Magazine for more on his storied career at Westtown.)

Meanwhile, the girls varsity basketball team continued their impressive streak of winning FSL and PAISAA State Championships! They went undefeated in the FSL season and won their fourth consecutive FSL title and third straight PAISAA State title. Jordan Palmer ’27 was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Pennsylvania, and she was also invited to the 2024 USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Minicamp. We are proud of this tenacious team!

Additionally, the boys varsity swimming team secured third place in the FSL Championships! Congratulations also go to the six swimmers who advanced to swim in Easterns: Will Bradley ’25, Mae Conzemius ’25, Rose Cook ’28, Simon Kim ’27, Jacob Liu ’25, and Will Nangle ’24.

Many of our winter sport athletes were named to the Friends School League All-League Team First Team and Honorable Mentions. In fact, over the fall and winter seasons, Westtown School has had more athletes on the All-League First Team and Honorable Mentions than any other Friends School! Go ‘TOWN! We recognize these athletes:

All-League Team
Savannah Curry ’24 (Basketball)
Olivia Jones ’25 (Basketball)
Jessie Moses ’27(Basketball)
Jordyn Palmer ’27(Basketball)
Atlee Vanesko ’26 (Basketball)
Cam Wallace ’26 (Basketball)
Will Nangle ’24 (Swimming) 
Soren Clunk ’24 (Wrestling)
Sam Downing ’25 (Wrestling)
Luke Holgate ’24 (Wrestling)
Devin Swarthout ’24 (Wrestling)
Ryan Tookes ’24 (Wrestling)

Honorable Mention 
Jayden Kelsey ’25 (Basketball)
Malik Rasul ’24 (Basketball)
Felix Cardoso (Wrestling)
Evan Holgate (Wrestling)
Rose Cook ’28 (Swimming)

Congratulations also go to Waring Award winners Soren Clunk ’24 and Vianna Kanyamiheto-Watson ’25! The Waring Award recognizes athletes who “The Waring Award is given at the culmination of each sport season to the student athlete(s) who “have dedicated themselves day in and day out, in service of their school, teammates, and coaches.  This award is intended to lift up those who constantly strive for improvement, who persevere when things are tough, and who lift up those around them with their tireless effort and positive attitude.” 

Upper School Musical 2024

The Upper School Spring Musical, Chicago: Teen Edition, opens on May 2 in the Barton-Test Theater! In this classic musical, we explore themes of crime, sensationalism, manipulation and fame. Join our merry murderers as you see their rise to stardom! The Spring of 2024 marks the 100-year anniversary of the original crimes that inspired the musical.

Featuring 25 students on and offstage, this production runs 80 minutes with a brief intermission.  Music by John Kander.  Book and Lyrics by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. 

Performances at the Barton-Test Theater on:


Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 at 4:00 p.m.

Performances are free with no reservation required. *Appropriate for 6th grade and older. 

Arts Awards and Accolades

Congratulations, Musicians!
Jugad Singh ’27 recently earned First Place at the Crescendo International Music Competition with the Penn Youth Orchestra at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City! Eva Jaumann ’25 performed on oboe at District Band performing on oboe and Katherine Graham ’25 performed at District Orchestra on viola.

Chester County Band Fest
Congratulations to the Westtown sixth graders who were selected to participate in the Chester County Band Fest at West Chester East High School! The annual festival included 20 local elementary and middle schools in the Chester County area, and Jillian Burke-Huyette, Norah Davidson, Diego Fernandez, Lucas Roberts, and Solomon Yiadom represented Westtown Middle School. These talented musicians are pictured here with teacher Jason Wu, Lower and Middle School Instrumental Music teacher.

PAEA Exhibition
March is Youth Art Month, a national effort to raise visibility for visual arts education. Congratulations to several of our Middle School students who were featured in the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) Youth Art Month Exhibition this year: Rose Cook ’28, Quinn Galey ’30, Trinity Ingram ’28, Piper Lowe ’28, Harrison Rupp ’28, and Scout Shipley ’28. You can see the exhibition and their amazing work here!  A very special congratulations to McKenna Lausch, the recipient of the statewide Middle Division Award. In addition to being showcased on the exhibition as an awardee, the image of McKenna’s work is displayed on a banner in the Capitol. Her original work, entitled Bookworm (pictured below), is displayed in our Westtown Library with award information and a QR code to the exhibition.

Summer Guo’s ’24 submission entitled “Bloom” for grade 12  has been accepted for display at this year’s national exhibition, held in conjunction with the annual international conference of NCECA, The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts.

There were an enormous number of entries, and we commend Summer on this achievement! Ceramics teacher Stephanie Wilhelm notes, “The work submitted at all levels was outstanding. Seen as part of the larger frame of current work from our schools, these submissions demonstrate the inspirational impact ceramic education is having upon a wide range of students.” Join us in congratulating Summer!

Students in the University of the Arts photography program curated and hosted a juried photography exhibit for high school students entitled Sense of Place. Eric Li ’24 won second place for his photo “In My World.” Junior Coco Chen’s photo “Till the End” was selected for the exhibition as were two of senior James Madonia’s photos, “Return” and “Lost.” Congratulations to all three student photographers on this prestigious recognition!

Till the End, by Coco Chen ’25

Congratulations to our many talented artists and musicians!

Multidisciplinary Arts Field Trip

The Visual and Performing Arts Department embarked on its first-ever Upper School Philadelphia Arts Trip! Fifty-four students in various music, printmaking, collage, photography, ceramics, theater design, and dance courses joined Upper School Arts Department faculty, who led students through the city to participate in tours, hands-on activities, and observe professionals and professional environments. 

Music students and teachers Robert Frazier and Dwayne Morris were treated to a private performance by a student trio followed by Q&A about the creative process, techniques, and connections to the wider music community. Then they toured the University of Arts with Professor Micah Jones, the Instrumental Performance Program Director at the School of Music. 

A cohort of students and teachers Shannon Moriarty and DeVon Jackson focused on printmaking, collage, and photography. They met with Intisar Hamilton from The Dox Thrash Project who led a walking tour of Historic Sharwood. She spoke about legacy, the preservation of neighborhoods, and the rich history of Black Philadelphia. At the Cecil B. Moore Library, they explored different materials to create collages and prints as we processed our day together. Lynn Grant from Collage Philadelphia facilitated this workshop alongside Intisar. 

Ceramics students, along with teachers Stephanie Wilhelm and Omar Otero, visited The Clay Studio of Philadelphia, which is one of the best local clay studios, galleries, residencies, and community programs in the area. They took a class with artists and teachers Maya Wasileski and Hunter Fussell making handbuilt forms of their choice and learning and incorporating surface decoration techniques such as stamping, sgraffito, inlay, monoprinting, and underglaze painting. They also visited the Resident artist studios and met artists Ruth Easterbrook and Josephine Mette Larsen as they worked in their studios. 

Teachers Justin Baker and Jack McManus headed the group of students interested in theater design and technology.  Their group got to experience the professional world of production with a backstage tour at the University of the Arts, where they discussed real-world case studies on theatrical design and technology. They met with University of the Arts program Technical Director Joe Fasciano and toured several theater spaces throughout the campus. 

Students in our Elements Dance Ensemble ( as well as students interested in learning something new!) joined dance teacher Amy Grebe as they took a House and Street Jazz Masterclass at Urban Movement, which was led by teaching artist and dancer Alexis Curiel.

It was a wonderful day and our students enjoyed their behind-the-scenes look at professional life in these creative fields!

Enjoy the more photos from this exciting day here.