Category Archives: Williston News

Special Assemblies with Andrew Watson

Andrew Watson, whose talks offer strategies for studying and teaching, returns to the Williston Northampton School this week for special sessions with the faculty and students.

In his presentations, Mr. Watson, of Translate the Brain, combines news about modern neurological studies with tips on how that information can translate into practical, every day applications.

Last November, Mr. Watson was warmly received when he spoke at the Upper School assembly. In his talk, “How to Study Less and Learn More,” Mr. Watson had students play a numbers game with a surprisingly easy solution. He then offered similarly straightforward ways for students to get better grades while doing less work, such as ways to learn, forget, and relearn the material; focus on the task at hand; and get enough sleep.

“Different kinds of sleep support different kinds of memory,” he said at the time. “Sleep is homework.”

He will give a similar talk to Upper School students on Friday, September 25 at the 8:30 a.m. assembly.

At the all-faculty meeting the night before, Mr. Watson will speak about motivation with an emphasis on stereotype threat. Mr. Watson’s presentation will include references to the work of Carol Dweck, professor of psychology at Columbia University, who’s work focuses on the role of motivation in education.

Next Week – Daylight Savings!

Dear Williston Community,

Just a heads up to everyone that we “fall backwards” one hour this coming Sunday morning with our clocks– gaining an additional hour of sleep!  In order to adjust to the shorter days ahead, the schedule below (“cut and pasted” from Special Schedules) will go into effect for the last week of the Fall Afternoon Program.  Our fall season is quickly slipping away!

Go Wildcats!!!

Week of November 4, 2013 – Daylight Saving Time has ended (BLUE week)
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday:
3:15 – 5:00 Afternoon Program
5:30 – 6:00 Activities Period

Mark T. Conroy
Director of Athletics

Thank You From Varsity Volleyball

THANK YOU WILLISTON!!!

Varsity Volleyball was able to raise well over $2,000 due to the support of the Williston community. To everyone that came out – you were an amazing crowd!  While I’m coaching, the focus is on the court.  But when I turned to see what a player was smiling at during a time out, I was amazed at the turnout!

Now that you know how much fun volleyball games are, we’d like to see you fill those stands more often!!!

Didn’t get a t-shirt and still want one?  Shoot me an email with your shirt size.  These will be CASH ONLY sales.  $15.

Special thanks to:
Phil Angelo for being the Wildcat
Boys Water Polo for running around in their Speedos like crazy people
Soccer and Field Hockey for teaming up and raising funds to fight something that affects us all

And again, thanks to  YOU – WILLISTON!!!!!

Enjoy the weekend, y’all!
Ms. Chambers

Dig Pink with Varsity Volleyball

Hey Everyone,

Varsity Volleyball is doing a fundraiser called DIG PINK®. DIG PINK® is part of the Side-Out Foundation which is devoted to Cancer Research.

Here is the link to our campaign. Please check out the site and donate.

We will be selling a limited number of DIG PINK® t-shirts in the upcoming weeks.

On October 18th at 5:30, we have a night game against Worcester Academy. Our goal is to have everyone in the stands wearing DIG PINK® shirts or pink t-shirts.

We will have other fundraising aspects to come on campus. We’ll tell you more about them in assembly.

Please donate! If we get enough money, our coaches, Ms. Chambers and Mr. Rutherford, and manager, Mikey Lloyd, will be sporting new hairdos. Details to follow!

Liz Calderone

Student Leaders 2013-14

Proctors, Diversity Leadership Interns, and Intern Coordinators were recently announced. Students received key chains as emblematic of their “key role” in shaping next year’s community. Congratulations to the following students:

Girl Proctors: Jordan Capelle ’14 and Gillian Peters ’14 (Clare); Alyssa Cote ’14 and Shaina D’Souza ’14 (French); Bianca Schultz ’14, Sylvia Skerry ’14, Hannah Lee ’15, and Emily Grussing ’15 (John Wright); Mary McCarthy ’15, Maddy Dirats ’14, Annika Smith ’15; Summer-Grace Flemister ’15 (Mem East); Maddy Hatch ’14, Gia Parker ’14, Abigail Rogers-Berner ’14, Esther Kim ’14 (Mem West); Persis Ticknor-Swanson ’14, Allie Lewis ’14, Brittany Collins ’14, Maddy Stern ’14, Elizabeth Calderone ’14, Taylor Senecal ’14, Maggie Fitzgerald ’14, Olivia Foster ’14 (Day), Maisy Glick ’15, Mar Harris-Kuiper ’15 (John Wright); Rachel Lloyd ’14, Lindsay Richardson ’14, Taylor Potasky ’14 (Day)

Boy Proctors: Marquis Francios ’14, Ethan Kimball ’14, Percy Chen ’14, Jesse Ware ’14 (Ford); Ryun Parent ’14, Cam Dogan ’14, Nick Staub ’14 (Conant); William Huang ’14,Edwin Kim ’14 (Hathaway); Scott Hendrick ’14, Matt Carney ’14 (Logan); Colin Brown ’15, Emmett O’Malley ’15, Dane Johnson ’15, Jay Brennan ’15 (194 Main); Nick Pattison ’14, Wilder Denholm ’14, Michael Walters ’14, Eli Chemelli ’14 (Sawyer); Matt Cavanaugh ’14, Oliver Demers ’14, Henry Lombino ’14, James Borden ’14, Christian Knapp ’14, and Ben Wheeler ’14 (Day), Matt Wagman ’14 (Ford); Terry O’Brien ’15, Charlie Fogg ’15 (194 Main); Zach Pyser ’14, Alex Kozikowski ’14 (Day)

Diversity Leadership Interns: Gia Parker ’14, Mackenzie Zehring ’14, Erin An ’15, Michael Thompson ’14, A’Kala Chaires ’14, Esther Kim ’14, Regina Ryjih ’14, Camila Paiva ’14, James Kim ’15, Mar Harris-Kuiper ’15, Yu Chen Wang ’15, Jessie Park ’16, Brittany Collins ’14, Livvy Milne, Alex Li ’15, and Shaina D’Souza ’14

Internship Coordinators: William Huang ’14, Tina Zhang ’15

Class elections were held in the last weeks of the year, and congratulations to all the new officers:

Class of 2014: President: Maddy Stern; Vice President: Bennett Wheeler; Treasurer: Elizabeth Calderone; Secretary: Persis Ticknor-Swanson; Student Council Representative: Michael Walters

Class of 2015: President: Loren Po; Vice President: Terry O’Brien; Treasurer: Noah Jackson; Secretary: Maisy Glick; Student Council Representative: Gabby Thomas

Class of 2016: President: Connor Murray; Vice President: Rachel Rockwell; Treasurer: David Yu; Secretary: Aidan Rai; Student Council Representative: Gaby Small

The Disciplinary Committee was also selected for next year. Congratulations to the following students:

Oliver Demers ’14, Gia Parker’14, Nick Pattison ’14*, Maddy Stern ’14*, Michael Walters’14, Colin Brown ’15, Brittany Engelman ’15, Terrance O’Brien ’15*, Emmett O’Malley ’15*, Julia Valine ’15*, Amelia DeFrancis ’16, Connor Murray ’16, and Rachel Rockwell ’16 (starred students are returning members of the DC).

Fiber Arts Club “Yarn Bombs” the Lion

On the last day of the year the Fiber Arts Club left their mark on the lion. Instead of painting the statue, club members “yarn bombed” him with a multi-colored scarf. Perling, basket weave, knitting, and cable stitch are all visible in the scarf, which is more than 50 inches long.

“Students tag the lion the same way every time,” said Rachel Chambers, a fine and performing arts teacher and the club’s advisor. “I wanted the Fiber Arts Club to do it in their own way.”

She said her thanks go out to Fiber Arts Club members Nick Pattison ’14, Yuwei Cao ’16, Alex Peng ’13, Amelia DeFrancis ’16, and Brendan Shaeffer ’16 for their great effort this year!

Children’s Center Staff Honored

Dear Williston Community,

It is my pleasure to share with you that Charlene Cross, our toddler teacher and the Assistant Children’s Center Administrator, and Keira Durrett ’88, our Children’s Center Director, were both recognized by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care for their outstanding work.

Each year the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care gives out awards to exceptional educators and leaders in the field of early childhood education in each region of the state.  I am proud to announce that Charlene has won the Exceptional Educator Award and Keira has won the Exceptional Leader Award.  These awards are for Region 1 in the state which includes Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire Counties.

Congratulations to Charlene and Keira on this fantastic achievement!  I hope you will congratulate both of them when you see them on campus—this award comes as no surprise, but it’s a testament to the work they do and the passion with which they do.

Sincerely,

Bob

We the People Update

Editor’s note: AP US History classes participated in the We the People program from April 26-30 at George Mason University in Washington, D.C. The following is an update from history teacher and trip leader Peter Gunn.

What a great start!  Despite some travel and other sequester-related challenges on Friday, we did tour the Supreme Court and the King, FDR, and Jefferson Memorials – many inspiring moments.  For me, the highlight was viewing the actual letter between Clarence Earl Gideon and the Clerk of the Supreme Court.  While many believe that “due process” is the bedrock of civil liberty, Mr. Gideon’s struggle shows me that a deep and persistent belief in your own rights is the vital element in civil society.

Continue reading

Taming the Wildcat

by Nate Gordon ’16 on The Willistonian

In 1939, The Willistonian conducted a poll to decide Williston’s nickname. Now, almost three-quarters of a century later, The Willistonian will conduct a second poll to vote on the official design of the Williston Wildcat. Since the Wildcat is a common team mascot used by many schools, “we want people from both within the community and outside, to say, ‘hey, that’s the Williston wildcat!’”, says Athletic Director Mark Conroy.

Continue reading →