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Peter and the Starcatcher

Anne Burns on December 19, 2025

The Upper School fall play was Peter and the Starcatcher, a thrilling prequel to Peter Pan! The story begins as a young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates—led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own—the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.

Our thanks to Theater Director Shawn Rowley, and our amazing cast and crew for this excellent production!

See the talented cast in action here!

Museo Viviente

Lynette Assarsson on December 19, 2025

In their Museo Viviente (Living Museum), Spanish 4 students portrayed well-known figures of Hispanic heritage using costumes and artifacts. Teachers and fellow students were able to come to the “museum” and listen to the presentations on notable persons including Bad Bunny, Queen Isabella I of Castile, Luis von Ahn, and Lionel Messi. ¡Buen trabajo, estudiantes! See more here!


International Festival

Anne Burns on December 19, 2025

Our community recently enjoyed the annual International Festival, a wonderful event organized by the International Student Organization! Our students, families, and faculty set up stations in the Main Hall representing and celebrating their many cultures and countries, offering bites of food, games, presentations, music, dancing and opportunities for connection and conversation. Enjoy the gallery of photos here!

Outdoor Ed Backpacking Trip

Anne Burns on December 19, 2025

This year’s Upper School Outdoor Education Fall Backpacking trip was not only full but also had a waiting list! Students met the challenge of adventure as they hiked a section of the historic Appalachian Trail with steep, rocky terrain while wearing heavy backpacks. Students were completely unplugged as they worked as a group to set up camp, build a fire, protect their food from bears, navigate with a map and compass, and cook together.

The trip was led by Director of Outdoor Education Chris Costa and Middle School Outdoor Education teacher Tom Berrian. Costa shared that students were particularly resilient when, due to a lack of trail markers, they hiked an additional three miles with their full packs! “We are so proud of how they showed leadership and supported one another on their journey!” Check out more of their adventure here!

Down the Shore

Anne Burns on December 19, 2025

After a 4:oo a.m. departure from school on a cool October morning, the Environmental Science class arrived at the North Brigantine Natural Area at the Jersey Shore with the task of documenting shorebird species and doing clean-up. There were copious amounts of gnats, but still, a beautiful sunrise greeted the team and the students were quickly introduced to the reality of ecological fieldwork. Teacher Ryan Black shares, “They persevered and despite very low numbers along most of our three-mile survey, we were treated to a large abundance of shorebirds at the northern point. Approximately 20 endangered red knots, 198 American Oystercatchers (a New Jersey species of concern), and 220 Black-bellied Plovers were the highlight of the survey. The students helped count 1,657 shorebirds in total and identified nine different shorebird species after only seeing 50 sanderlings for the first three miles of our journey. It was a sight to behold! They removed 229 pieces of waste (mostly plastic debris) on the three-mile walk back.”

Lettuce…Learn!

Anne Burns on December 19, 2025

Sixth graders in Carlos Charriez’s science class worked with the kitchen to provide Westtown-grown lettuce, using a hydroponics growing system. Food and agricultural science are hallmarks of Westtown’s Middle School science program and are an excellent illustration of how our students learn. They have a hands-on educational experience steeped in problem-solving and critical thinking. Most importantly, the lived experience of the classroom opens the way for the development of essential understandings and skills. 

Charriez shares, “When our students learn to cultivate food, they are not just learning about plants. They are also learning about chemistry and geology. These lessons prepare future science students for astronomy and physics classes and culminate in their Middle School capstone work on climate change and sustainability. They can apply this learning across the curriculum, like how it sharpens their understanding when they study agriculture in ancient cultures. They sharpen their skills in observation and collaboration, which support success in all of their academic and social learning. Learning stops being about a task to memorize and becomes part of their understanding of the world. This is a tangible example of what the Westtown approach to learning looks like—and, in this case, tastes like.” 

Students delivered their crop of lettuce to Assistant Director of Dining Services Geoffrey Hillman where it was promptly used to help feed our community.

Seventh Grade Canoe Trip

Anne Burns on December 19, 2025

The Middle School canoe trips have been a signature program in the Middle School for over 40 years. The seventh grade’s canoe trip placement at the beginning of the school year is intentional, as this trip is often a formative experience for students, resulting in deeper relationships with peers and faculty, an increased sense of self-confidence, and a belief in their ability to overcome obstacles both individually and as a group. This canoe trip is also an integral component of community building as they enter their seventh grade year. 

In September, seventh graders, along with Director of Outdoor Education Chris Costa, several Middle School faculty members, and a trained safety boater, paddled a section of the Delaware River located in the beautiful Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They carried all supplies with them on the river and camped as they traveled downstream.

All students participated in the meaningful work of traveling as a large group down the river, which included tasks such as tent setup, meal preparation and cleanup, fire building, and canoe packing and unpacking. Students learned navigation skills and had several opportunities to practice leadership in small and large groups. In addition, students continued their understanding of Leave No Trace (LNT) wilderness travel practices that they began working on in their sixth-grade Outdoor Education program.

Enjoy more photos of their adventure here!

Food Truck Challenge

Anne Burns on December 19, 2025

In the culmination of their Food Truck Challenge project, seventh-grade science students hosted their “customers”—the third graders. For this design thinking project created by science teacher Carlos Charriez, the seventh graders were challenged to design a food truck for their Lower School friends that focused on healthy eating. Centering the creative process on empathy, they were tasked with interviewing the third graders, considering special dietary needs, and then reworking their concepts based on feedback from their customers. At the reveal day of the Food Truck Challenge, third graders got to sample the offerings that ranged from plant-based milkshakes to grilled fruit!

Enjoy more photos here!