Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture, a documentary described by the Washington Post as “an education film that gets it,” will be screened for the public on Thursday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the Williston Theatre at 18 Payson Ave. Tickets are $10 general admission ($5 for teachers/students; $15 at the door) and may be purchased online.

In Race to Nowhere, Vicky Abeles, a concerned mother turned filmmaker, aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that creates unhealthy, disengaged, unprepared, and stressed-out youth.  The film describes “a silent epidemic” among high school students in the United States by which many young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired. Race to Nowhere seeks to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

“Race to Nowhere shines a light on the crisis of learning and meaning facing American education,” says New York Times bestselling author Rachel Simmons (Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls). “The film is both a call to arms and a beacon of hope, a source of relief and outrage and a way forward for all of us.”

The screening is sponsored by The Williston Northampton School’s Parents’ Association and a portion of the proceeds from the screening will fund programs at The Williston Northampton School. The film will be followed by a panel discussion led by faculty members.

Six Williston students recently participated in the American Mathematics Competition, a worldwide competition that involves more than 250,000 high school students. Dongyang “Don” Cheng ’11 (far right) and Jiayuan “George” Xu ’13 scored high enough on the AMC 12 and AMC 10 tests, respectively, to be invited to the next level of competition, the American Invitational Mathematics Exam.  
 
The purpose of the AMC exams is to increase interest in mathematics among high school students through friendly competition in a timed format. Students taking AMC exams must answer 25 multiple-choice questions within 75 minutes without the use of a calculator. Students moving on to the next level of competition will face a 4.5-hour exam. That exam will be given at the end of March.

This weekend, Easthampton area residents are invited to Williston’s Lossone Rink to peruse and purchase quality, gently used children’s clothing, equipment, furniture, and more from over 120 consigners. The All-4-Kids sale is open to the public on Saturday, March 26, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 27, from noon to 3:00 p.m. There is no admission fee. On Sunday, many items will be sold at an additional 50% discount.

Williston alumna, tutor, and softball coach Molly Couch Ward ’82 has organized the semiannual All-4-Kids event since 2003. The two-day consignment sale traditionally donates a portion of the profits to local and regional charities. Unsold items are given to Cradles to Crayons, a children’s charity in Boston.

The sale had previously used the parish hall at St. Philip’s Church, but Molly says they were “busting at the seams there so we have been looking for a new and bigger location for a couple of years now.” What started as a small church fundraiser has grown into a “huge ministry.” She says, “It’s a win-win situation for everybody. People enjoy buying quality items and recycling at the same time.”

For more information about the sale, email all4kids128@yahoo.com.

Williston’s admission decisions went live today, via email and official letters to applicants congratulating them on their acceptance to The Williston Northampton School. The Admission Office reviewed a record number of applications this year, and Director of Admission Ann Pickrell predicts that the applications will translate into a strong student community for the 2011-12 school year. “Our applicant pool this year was filled with terrific students interested in a variety of opportunities available at Williston. The admission committee has offered enrollment to 39% of those applying. We look forward to welcoming new students to our Second Visit Days in April.”

Applicants were drawn to Williston’s strong academic program, its location in the Pioneer Valley, and its Williston⁺ Program, which brings the outstanding educational, cultural, and artistic resources of the area onto campus and into the curriculum, and our fantastic offerings in athletics and the arts.

In addition to an email and a letter, accepted students were congratulated by the entire student body and new Head of School Robert W. Hill III in a special video produced by Williston’s Film Club.