Westtown Lower School, and Lower School art teachers Jane Chesson and Kelly Nicholson, were pleased to welcome New York City-based artist, Todd Drake as our 2024 Candace Freeman Artist-in-Residence. Todd is a Quaker printmaker and street artist whose artwork addresses the themes of peace, resilience, and community. Todd worked alongside PK – 5th grade students during their art classes throughout the week-long residency to learn the process of lino-cut printmaking. Students learned about concept planning, carving linoleum-style printing blocks, and all had a chance to “pull a print.” Drake will take the student work back to his NYC studio to create a collaborative mixed-media collage, which will feature his own work alongside student prints and will be installed in the Lower School later this spring. Enjoy photos of Drake working with students here.
The Artist-in-Residence Program began over thirty years ago and focuses on bringing professional artists to Westtown Lower School to share their artistic process and inspiration with our students. The opportunity for young artists to work alongside a professional artist is a valuable and important piece of our arts curriculum. You can see many of the Artist-in-Residence projects from years past throughout the Lower School hallways.
Middle School students staged a wonderful production of Newsies Junior. When powerful newspaper publishers raise prices at the newsboys’ expense, the charismatic Jack Kelly rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions. Together, the Newsies learn they are stronger united and create a movement to fight for what’s right. Including the now-classic songs “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe,” Newsies JR. is a timeless story full of spirit and heart.
More than 40 students—both on and off stage—were involved in bringing this play to life in the Barton-Test Theater. Bravo to all of our talented students and to the play’s director, Alex Ates, Director of Pre-K-12 Visual and Performing Arts! You can see more photos from the production here.
At the recent Chester County Science Research Competition’s award ceremony, students Jerry Huynh ’25 and Shawn Xu ’25 received awards for their work. Huynh took first place in the Microbiology category for his research, “The effect of gelatin encapsulation on phages infectivity on E.coli C and survivability in different conditions. Xu won first place in Engineering for “Needle Roller Stuctured Climbing Robot.”
Both students advanced to compete in the Delaware Valley Science Fair. Science teacher Tyler Kochel is the coordinator of Westtown’s Science Fair Club, and as such, provided significant time and support to these students. Join us in congratulating them all!
As part of their studies of the continent of Africa, its cultures and art, third graders spent six weeks working with Jeannine Osayande and Dunya Performing Arts Company. During the six weeks, the students learn the movements, origins, and symbolism of the African dances and Capoeira, culminating in the African Dance performance. This marks 22 years that Jeannine and DunyaPAC have partnered with Westtown. Well done, third grade!! Enjoy the gallery of photos here.
In February, the History and Religion Department hosted a visit from Combatants for Peace. Combatants for Peace (CfP) describe themselves as a “joint Palestinian-Israeli community working in solidarity to end the occupation, discrimination, and oppression of all people living on this land. Guided by the values of non-violent resistance, we are showing the world that there is another way.” This organization, founded by former soldiers and resistance fighters in 2006, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 and 2018.
Students enrolled in Peace and Justice, World Religions 1, World Religions 2, World history 1800-2000, and Genocide Studies 2 courses, as well as others in the community who wished to attend, gathered in the Meeting House for CfP’s presentation and discussion.
Souli Khatib, Palestinian Activist and the co-founder of CfP, and Iris Gur, an Israeli activist, spoke powerfully about their personal experiences that led them to this work, as well as their own perspectives on the struggle for peace and collective liberation. Their presentation provided students with an example of groups and individuals working respectfully across deep and sometimes fundamental differences toward the shared goal of peace. Their presentation was followed by a Q&A period in which students asked meaningful questions, the answers to which helped further their understanding.
Our thanks to our Religion and History Department teachers for organizing this event, and to former faculty Melissa Graf-Evans and alum and former Trustee Jon Evans ’73 for hosting our visitors during their stay in the area. You can learn more about Combatants for Peace in this video.
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, Middle School students heard a presentation from Jody Russell Manning, a history professor at Rowan University and the Associate Director of Rowan’s Center for the Study of The Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights. Jody helped create Rowan’s Holocaust and Genocide Education graduate program, and he runs annual study-abroad programs in Europe and ran Westtown Upper School’s 2023 Holocaust-focused trip to Central Europe. He was the first American intern in the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum from 2005-2009, which continued through his 2010-2011 Fulbright fellowship. Jody talked with students about the Holocaust from a historical perspective, the importance of remembering and learning about The Holocaust, and how we can honor this history. Afterward, he answered questions from students, and Middle School Counselor Sean Galiczynski held a space for reflection.
In the Upper School, in preparation for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, students in the Genocide Studies class spent the day with guest lecturer Professor Jody Russell Manning speaking on the topic of memory and memorializing. Students then prepared survivor reflections to supplement an upcoming Yom Ha-Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day, May 5-6) memorial designed by senior Mark Ham ’24 as a capstone project for the Global Leadership Deep Dive program. International Holocaust Remembrance Day this year marked the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birenua, the Nazi concentration and extermination camp.
The annual International Festival was a big success! The festival is an event organized by the International Student Organization to celebrate and learn about the diverse cultures that make up our community. Our students, families, and faculty representing 28 countries set up stations in the Main Hall offering snacks, games, presentations, and opportunities for connection and conversation. You can see more photos taken by our student photographers Eric Li ’24 and WillWang ’26.
At the FIRST Robotics competition at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, the Metal Moose robotics team was awarded the Engineering Inspiration Award from FIRST Robotics. This award is given to the team that has the highest impact on its school and outside community. The Metal Moose does outreach on campus with Lower School, and at Admission and alums events. Coach Steve Compton notes, “The school impact of our team is clear—we attract students to Westtown based on the reputation of the team, and we do outreach work with second grade Space day, admissions tours, and events on Alums Day. We have created a welcoming ecosystem that allows girls and students of color to find their place and thrive. Each year the team comprises between 10%-15% of the total Upper School students body.”
Off campus, the team works with Camp Dreamcatcher and Kendal Crosslands Communities to teach Lego robotics and to create lasting bonds between students and those they work with. They are also working with the government of Bermuda to get FIRST Robotics Lego supplies to teachers in their primary schools. Compton adds that the team is developing Women in STEM program will partners with leading women in science.
Congratulations to the Metal Moose—Team 1391—for earning this prestigious award, and for all its work within our school and community!
And further congratulations are in order: The Metal Moose qualified once again for the FIRST World Championship tournament in Houston, Texas, with a ranking of 77 among 3800 teams worldwide. GO, METAL MOOSE!!
In celebration of Black History Month, the workshop series Black Excellence at Westtown highlighted the achievements of Black faculty and staff who serve as mirrors and windows for our students. Each presenter visited a Lower School classroom to share what their roles are at Westtown, how their life experiences impacted their professions, and then did an activity with the students to help them understand their work in our school. Thank you to presenters: Marissa Colston,Jay Farrow ’75, DeVon Jackson, Dwayne Morris, Janiel Samuels, Courtnay Tyus, Tejan Walcott, and Domi Waldron for sharing their professional journeys with our students, and to Kelly Yiadom, Director of Equity, Justice, and Belonging for Lower and Middle School, for creating this workshop series!
In the Middle School, students learned from four panelists who spoke to Middle School students for the Black Women in Excellence workshop. Their presentations highlighted the achievements of professional Black women during Black History Month. The speakers – Alice Palmer, Attorney Team Lead at Lincoln Financial; Dr. Nicole Aqui, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Penn Medicine; Dr. Nelly Silva, CEO at Advanced Dentistry of Collegeville; and Teleicia Dambreville, In-House Counsel of Burlington Store, held workshop-style presentations that highlighted their expertise in their professions, their journeys, and the path students can take if they are interested in the profession being presented.
In the Upper School, Black History Month events began with an assembly featuring a panel of Black Quakers who shared their experiences, the influence of Quakerism in their lives, and the connection between their identities and Quakerism. It was an engaging and fruitful presentation and we are grateful to the panelists for talking with our students. Our thanks to (from left): Lee Payton, Upper School Principal Friends Central School; Veda Robinson, Upper School Principal, Westtown School, Karyn Payton, Lower School Principal, Westtown School; Emma Lapsansky-Werner PhD, Professor Emeritus of History and Visiting Professor in the Writing Program and Quaker Studiesat Haverford College; Domi Waldron, Director of Alum Engagement, Westtown School; Francisco Burgos, Executive Director of Pendle Hill, member of the Board of Trustees, Westtown School; and, DeVon Jackson, Upper School Director of Equity, Justice, and Belonging, Westtown School, who organized this event.
Throughout the month, our student affinity groups —Black Women Affinity Group, In the Know (Black Male Affinity Group), Black Student Union, and the Multiracial Student Union—hosted programming during Meetings for Worship and Community Collection. Black history month celebrations concluded with a Community Dinner with a delicious special menu as well as an amazing performance by the Westtown Community Choir!
In February, as is now tradition, trees on campus were tapped, part of the long-standing tradition to make maple syrup from our trees. Because of the long stretches of warm winter, the sap flowed well and maple sugaring was well underway. Director of Outdoor Education Chris Henwood-Costa worked with her Lower School Farm + Forest classes to tap, monitor, taste, and collect the sap.
Then, in late February, Lower School students again took part in a historic tradition here at Westtown: the boiling of the sap collected from the trees. This tradition has been a part of Westtown for over 100 years! Henwood-Costa and Bruce Harrison ’81 led the boiling process, and gave Lower Schoolers sap to taste. Next, the sap was placed in kettles and taken to the kitchen for the final steps to become maple syrup! Did you know it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup?
