Category Archives: Upper School

Curricular Technology Initiative: FAQs for Families

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By Dr. Andrew Shelffo, chief information officer and English teacher

Beginning in September 2013, students will be able to use a hybrid tablet device as part of Williston’s Curricular Technology Initiative, or CTI, which is designed to bring consistent technology to campus so that students can quickly and easily access the digital tools they need to succeed, and in the process not just keep up with the latest innovations but use them in their education.

Preparing students for success in college and beyond in the 21st century means teaching them how to take full advantage of information technology. The CTI will put the latest computing technology into the hands of every student and teacher and bring important systems—Schoology, SkyDrive, OneNote, video and audio conferencing—right into the classroom.  The goal is to teach students how to use technology with purpose, passion, and integrity.

What are the key elements of the Curricular Technology Initiative?
The Curricular Technology Initiative (CTI) will allow students to take full advantage of the software and systems Williston has in place on campus to both complement and expand their education. By using such programs as SkyDrive, OneNote, and Schoology—on campus, at home, or anywhere else—students will be able to collaborate effectively with teachers and each other and learn important organizational skills. Through this mission-driven program, students will learn how to use technology with purpose, passion, and integrity in an anywhere, anytime environment.

Does Williston have the infrastructure to support this program?
Williston’s connection to the Internet is 200 Mbps. Students can access the network wirelessly in all of their classrooms and by September 2013, in any dorm, as well.

What device will my child be issued as part of this program?
Every student and teacher at Williston will be issued the same device. This provides consistency in the academic experience in all classrooms and dorm or home. Currently the school is evaluating devices, and a final decision is expected in the next few weeks. Whatever the device, it will be a tablet with a detachable keyboard running Windows 8 with native stylus capability.

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Posted in: Special Programs, Williston Northampton News

Diversity Intern Maranie Harris-Kuiper ’15

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Maranie Harris-Kuiper became involved with diversity at Williston her first day on campus.

“I always look for identity tags when I’m meeting new students, and hers were very clear,” said Bridget Choo, John Wright dorm head and director of diversity.  “Kids have them either on their wrists, their sweatshirts, or posters, but hers was a frame of Dr. Martin Luther King sitting on her desk,” she said.

The picture was a gift from Harris-Kuiper’s mother who has admired Dr. King her whole life.  His image and life’s work is a point of inspiration for both mother and daughter. Continue reading →

Posted in: Events, Upper School

Williston’s We the People Heads to Nationals

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To say that the final scores in the We the People state competition on Saturday were close is putting things mildly. With final scores in the 900-point range, there was a just a 12-point difference between the top two teams.

“It’s like being one point behind in a 90-point basketball game,” said Peter Gunn, faculty advisor for the school’s We the People team. “That’s how close it was.”

On Saturday, January 26, The Williston Northampton School team placed second out of nine schools—just a dozen points behind the winning Academy of Notre Dame. The second place finish was good enough for the team to earn a wild card ticket to the national championships in Washington, DC in April.

“Our young people made wonderful presentations,” Gunn wrote in an email. “They eloquently defended and extended their ideas in the following discussions.”

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Posted in: Academics, Upper School, Williston Northampton News

Bill Diodato Comes to Williston for Photographers’ Lecture Series

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Commercial and fine art photographer Bill Diodato will be the next speaker in the Photographers’ Lecture Series and will visit The Williston Northampton School on Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 6:30 p.m.

Diodato will teach the Advanced Photography class and give a lecture, which is open to the public, at 6:30 p.m. in the Dodge Room of the Reed Campus Center.

According to his website, Bill Diodato, a native of New England, launched his career in New York in 1990 after completing the program at Hallmark School of Photography in Turners Falls. Since then, he has developed a career as an acclaimed commercial and fine-art photographer.He has photographed for magazines including Allure, Marie Claire, Glamour, Self, New York Times Magazine, Travel & Leisure, and Interview. His commercial clients include Hollister, Clinique, Clairol, John Frieda, Biore, Victoria’s Secret, Cole Haan, Niemann Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdales.

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Posted in: Arts, Events, Photographers' Lecture Series, Williston Northampton News

“Mountains Beyond Mountains” and a Meaningful Identity

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“No union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half slave, and half free.  We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together,” said President Obama in his second inaugural address on Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

On the same day, Smith College Professor of Afro-American studies, Daphne Lamothe P’15, ’16 spoke to the Williston community about a lesson she has learned over time, “a fundamental challenge in life is the construction of a meaningful identity.”

Lamothe introduced her talk entitled, “There are Mountains Beyond Mountains So Put on Your Travelling Shoes,” as a journey through identities she has studied, personal memories of her family’s immigration experience, her academic research on the Harlem Renaissance, and the lyrics of a Montreal-based indie rock band.

Rosedale, Queens, New York
The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Lamothe grew up surrounded by Haitian food, culture, and religion.  When family members and friends from her parent’s village immigrated they all bought houses in such proximity they recreated the community they had left.

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Posted in: Middle School, Upper School, Visiting Speakers, Williston Northampton News