We were delighted to see hundreds of alumni dressed in their festive best at holiday receptions in New York and Boston on December 7 and 13. We hope you enjoyed catching up with classmates and friends, networking with alumni and hearing from Head of School, Robert W. Hill III, about all that has been happening on campus. For those of you who weren’t able to join us this time, here is some of the news from campus that Bob Hill, and faculty and staff in attendance, shared with our guests:
Trustees, and Williston Northampton Fund co-chairs, Clay ’79 and Claire ’78 Hardon welcomed guests to the New York Yacht Club and celebrated the success of last year’s fundraising efforts: Thanks to you, the 2015-2016 Williston Northampton Fund raised over $1.7 million–a new milestone– from more than 2,500 donors, providing resources that have an immediate impact on Williston’s highest priorities and most important initiatives! Among the notable accomplishments was the 6 percent increase in alumni participation. We are grateful for your investment each and every year in Williston Northampton students, faculty, and our beautiful campus.
Head of School, Bob Hill spoke about the Williston Northampton community and our commitment in key areas, including: preparing our faculty and students for 21st century teaching and learning with continued innovations in classroom technology; having a responsive curriculum to meet the evolving needs of today’s students, including the Williston Scholars program.
Guests were welcomed by representatives of the Board of Trustees, including Board Chairman John Hazen White ’76, Mary Alcock ’84, Reid Sterrett ’89, Clay Hardon ’78, Claire Hardon ’79, Dan Decelles ’89, Richard Monopoli ’89, and William Fogg. Making the six-hour round trip from campus (on a school night!) were faculty members Sarah and Matt Sawyer, Peter Gunn, Jen Fulcher, and Kathryn Hill. Lee Greener ’03, Chris Dietrich, and Ann Pickrell represented the admission office.
For more photos of the New York City holiday party, visit the Williston Northampton Flickr Gallery!
One week (and one snowstorm) later, and we were back on the road…
On Tuesday, December 13, alumni from the classes of 1945 to 2016 joined us high above Boston at the Downtown Harvard Club in Boston’s Financial District . A special surprise visit by the student a capella group, The Wild Chords, and student pianist Yana Pyryalina ’18 (introduced by new performing arts faculty member and director of choirs, Steve Berlanga), showcased our talented students who welcomed guests with music and song. Their performance was a fitting tribute to how the newly funded “Grum Project” supports the arts on campus. Thanks to a generous NSFG alumna, our entire community experiences and learns from visiting artists who spend time on campus as “artists in residence.”
Trustee, parent and Williston Northampton Parents Fund co-chair Brad Foster welcomed guests and stressed the importance of participating in the Williston Northampton Fund as a way of honoring your Williston Northampton experience, while ensuring future generations of students are able to have an exceptional living and learning experience. Brad then introduced Head of School, Bob Hill who welcomed former Board of Trustees Chairman, and current Board Secretary, Fred Allardyce ’59 and recognized the faculty and staff present, including Greg Tuleja, Peter Gunn, Mark and Monique Conroy, Kathryn Hill, Ann Pickrell, Lee Greener ’03, Jen Fulcher, and faculty emereti Jay and Betsy Grant. Commenting on the strong connections between faculty and students that persist long after graduation, Bob stressed Williston Northampton’s commitment to attracting and retaining an exceptional faculty, with significant resources directed toward faculty professional development.
From William D. Williams ’45, to Abbie Foster ’16, to our current students, the Williston Northampton School spirit was joyful and strong. Lingering after the party’s end, guests seemed to agree: celebrating their connections through and across the years was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season! To see more photos, visit the Williston Northampton Flickr Gallery.
