Thanks to more than $500 in donations, students at The Williston Northampton School were able to buy Christmas presents for three families in western Massachusetts. The funds were raised during a week of fundraising efforts on campus including bake sales and the sale of bracelets for “Dress-down Day.” Students in three advisor groups worked together in the effort, baking, organizing the events, shopping, and gathering with friends for a wrapping party.
The library is holding a Faculty Photo Display and ID Contest, which is bound to challenge Williston Northampton’s students after the Winter Break. Teachers are being asked to chose a photo of themselves from their high school years and to write a brief piece about their teens.
The display will be on a large board in the library. The photos, unidentified, will be numbered and arranged randomly. The written pieces will be signed and posted unconnected to the pictures. Some photographs will be obvious and some will be a bit tougher to identify. The library staff will announce the winner, and then the teachers’ names will be posted, identifying each photo.
The Williston Northampton School hosted a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Monday, December 12. Seniors Alex Nunnelly (Florence, MA) and Adrian Mendoza (Santa Ana, CA) worked together to organize and recruit donors for the December blood drive.
The holiday season is a crucial time for blood donations, since demand for blood increases due to holiday travel, and supply falls because people are busy. “It’s difficult … to get donations right before the holidays, so our participation is crucial and appreciated,” says history teacher Peter Gunn, who works with students each year on the blood drive. Accroding to Gunn, Williston’s participation rate has been among the top five for highschools in Massachusetts twice in the past five years (second and fifth). Six students have received college scholarship funds as a result of the program’s success.
Sarah Wilkie ’12 (Ashby, MA) signed a letter of intent to play ice hockey at Penn State University in the fall of 2012. Penn State has recently established a women’s ice hockey program, and Sarah is excited to be among 13 new players signed this year.
Sarah is currently the captain of the Varsity Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, and Lacrosse teams at The Williston Northampton School and has excelled in the classroom, as well as the school’s athletic fields and rink. She is excited to be joining the Nittany Lions next fall.
Senior Bridget Instrum (Granby, MA) signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at The Ohio State University in the fall of 2012.
Bridget has been a student at The Williston Northampton School since the ninth grade, and she has left her mark on the school both in the classroom and outside of it.
“Bridget is a fierce competitor and an inspiring team leader,” said Varsity Girls Lacrosse coach Jennifer Fulcher. “She is one of the hardest workers I’ve seen on the field and off of it, and she is a joy to coach.”
