Although photos featured in eCollections and other school publications come from a variety of sources, we’d like to give special thanks to Nan Yiljep ’11, Sports Information Coordinator, Shannon Moriarty, Upper School Photography teacher, and students Coco Chen ’25, Wilson Kuang ’24, and Eric Li ’24, whose work you will find featured here and in many of our school galleries.
For those who want to learn more about Westtown alumnus Samuel L. Allen who attended Westtown in the 1850s and is the inventor of the Flexible Flyer sled, check out this article currently featured on the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office. It contains several references to Westtown School and includes photographs from the Archives.
One of the pillars of our Strategic Vision is Environment Illuminated. To continue our crucial work in the area, Westtown has engaged with Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants to review our sustainability goals and vision. One of their recommendations was to reassemble the Sustainability Committee. This committee — comprising administrators, faculty, staff, and students — has been reconvened and meets monthly. At their kickoff meeting in October, they discerned their charge:
The Sustainability Committee shall advise the school on matters related to campus-wide sustainability and environmental issues and work with faculty, staff, administration, and students to develop policies and practices that promote an equitable reduction of resource usage and create a culture of sustainability practices on campus. The Sustainability Committee shall additionally advise the school on creating educational events and addressing other issues on the campus that relate to sustainability.
The Committee’s first steps are to collect data/conduct an audit, develop an action plan, review the sustainability mission statement, and monitor progress and results. Their broad goals are to reduce the campus carbon footprint; increase awareness of environmental issues, and to enact institutional and behavioral change toward these goals. Stay tuned for updates in this and other Westtown publications. If you have any questions about the Sustainability Committee, please don’t hesitate to contact Mary Ann Boyer of Boyer Sudduth Consultants, or Carolyn Hapeman, Dean of Finance and Operations.
Pat Seagers, former Health Center Head Nurse, retired in 1996 after caring for Westtown students for more than 20 years. Pat was honored on October 23, when friends and family joined her on campus for a plaque dedication. The plaque was installed in the waiting room of the Health Center, which used to be Pat’s office. This plaque honors Pat’s devotion and dedication to the health and well being of generations of Westonians. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you, Pat!
A few weeks ago, Interim Head of School Chris Benbow ’90 and the Board of Trustees sent a letter to the community with the results of the Institutional Equity Audit, performed by the Glasgow Group. It includes important discoveries we have made in this process and steps we are taking in response to what we have learned. If you have not read this communication, we encourage you to do so. You may find the letter in full here which contains a link to the audit.
Join us in congratulating these student-athletes on these achievements in the spring season:
Westtown League of Legends eSports Team finished their Regular Season 13-1 earning them a second place finish. Yoonha Nam ’22 was the #1 overall ranked player in the league, and Andrew Jin ’22 was the #3 ranked player in the league.
Santi Benbow ’23 earned a gold medal in the javelin at the PAISAA championship.
Pitchers Jack Ingino ’23 and Taj Donald ’23 both passed the 100 strikeout milestone for their careers this past season!
Pitcher Lucia Sanchez ’24 surpassed the 250+ strikeouts in 20 career games. (Pictured, right)
Congratulations and GO ‘TOWN!
With school right around the corner, Westtown School’s Dean of Integrated Wellness and Learning, Dr. Maria Alonso, offers some thoughts for parents to reflect upon, and ways to communicate to their school-aged children, not just at the beginning of the school year but throughout the year. Read the latest post on our blog here!
FallFest
Saturday, September 24 ~ 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Please join us for food, fellowship, and family fun! This is a carnival-like event for the entire Westtown community. There will be food trucks, games, crafts, prizes, pony rides, tractor rides, a balloon artist, and so much more! For more information about FallFest or volunteering, please contact Megan Schlickmann at megan.schlickmann@westtown.edu or (610) 399-7858.
Third Annual Campus Dog Walk
Saturday, October 8 ~8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Enjoy a guided walk through campus with your four-legged friend. More details about this pawsitively awesome event coming soon!
Second Annual Campus Nature Walk
Saturday, November 5 ~ 10:00 a.m.
Enjoy a curated tour around our beautiful campus. More details to come!
From September through late October, an exhibit in the Center for the Living Arts gallery will explore the relationship between faith and art at Westtown. The exhibit will feature prints from Westtown’s archives by the highly-regarded German graphic artist Fritz Eichenberg who visited Westtown often in the 1950s. The exhibit will also commemorate the 70th anniversary of the publishing of Eichenberg’s monumental Pendle Hill pamphlet, Art and Faith. “Looking ahead, our tri-divisional Arts Department will consider how the arts are essential to Westtown’s Quaker mission,” said Alex Ates, Director of the Visual and Performing Arts. “Roughly 70 years ago, our school was exploring the inseparability of art and modern Quakerism, so this exhibit is not only a way of looking forward, it’s a way of claiming our history.” In addition to Eichenberg’s prints, the multidisciplinary exhibit will also feature work by current Westtown students and faculty. Teacher Lizzy Oxler is the exhibit’s curator. Oxler, a member of the Upper School English faculty, is a doctoral student in Folklore and Literature and has been a Curatorial and Education Assistant at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard Museum of Art. The exhibit is being produced in collaboration between the Arts Department, Archives, and Advancement. The Westtown community should be on the lookout for additional information about how to engage with the exhibit in the fall.
We were thrilled to invite the Class of 2020 — who had a virtual Commencement at the time — back to campus in June! This celebration included the traditional procession into the Greenwood, class photo, plaque dedication, and other special activities for them and their families. You can find more information about this celebration in the next issue of The Westonian, and enjoy the complete gallery of photos here.
