Hello, everybody!

This is just a friendly reminder that tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Dodge Room Andrew Zimbalist will be speaking. I strongly encourage you all to come.

P.S. There will be hot chocolate and cookies.

Hope to see you all there!

Best,
Emmett

The 2015 Al LaValle Memorial Dodgeball Tournament will take place on Sunday, March 1 at the Athletics Center from 2-4 p.m. Beginning tomorrow you may sign up your team for the Dodgeball Tournament on the Activities Board.

Joining us this year during the Dodgeball Tournament at the Athletics Center to provide stress relief prior to T2 Assessments will be Bright Spot Therapy Dogs.

The 2015 Al LaValle Memorial Dodgeball Tournament Rules:

Teams must have at least one member of each sex. Faculty teams must have at least one student.

1. If you get hit by the ball you are out. The ball cannot hit you after bouncing or hitting the ground. The ball must be airborne during the entire duration of the throw to qualify as a strike. If you get hit you are out.
2. If a teammate catches the ball of an opponent when it is thrown at them, another player from the catcher’s team can come back into the game. Once again the ball must be airborne. If you drop the ball in attempt to catch it, then you will be eliminated.
3. There are no head shots; if you are hit in the head you are not out. However, an opposing player cannot purposely put their head into the path of a ball. If they do they will be eliminated
4. If you have a ball in your hands and an opposing player throws a ball at you. You may block that throw with your ball and you will be safe. If the ball that the player has blocked is airborne, another player may catch it, and the opposing thrower will be eliminated.
5. If balls bounce out of the dodge ball zone, you are safe to go and get it. But, a player may not be “out of bounds” with a ball for more than five seconds. Once you have retrieved the ball you must return to the court.
6. Referees are in charge. If they make a call it stands. No arguing. If necessary, a referee can eliminate players out of the game.
7. In the beginning of the game the balls will be lined up in the center of the court and players must have at both feet behind the line. At the referee’s mark, the players will sprint to the center to retrieve the balls. Players cannot throw the balls until they have back behind the second line of scrimmage.
8. If only one person remains on a team then the opposing team is allowed to cross (for a limited amount of time) to the second blue line.
9. The limit for one match other than the Finals is 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes are up, the team with the most players left on the court is the winner. If at 10 minutes, the same number of people are on the court then sudden death will occur where the first person out on a team is the losing team.
10. Once all six players on one team are all out then the game is over.

​​Hello-
The library will be open today up to the Diversity Symposium speaker event at 7:30, but not after.

Friday will have regular hours  (8:00 a.m. – 9:45 p.m.), if limited activity during the workshops.

Ms. Paige

Assembly in the Chapel tonight at 7:30 p.m. for the opening of the Diversity Symposium and the Purpose Keynote address.
Assembly in the Chapel tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. for the Passion Keynote address.

Boarders Check-In at your dorms tonight at 7:15 p.m.- you will go to the Chapel as a group.
Day Students are encouraged to attend the program this evening but are not required to do so.

The Dress Code remains in effect for this evening’s presentation and tomorrow during Diversity Symposium.

The Williston Northampton School inspires students to live with purpose, passion, and integrity.

Beginning later today, February 15, and through tomorrow, Western Massachusetts will be experiencing some of the coldest temperatures and wind chills that have been experienced in this area in at least a decade.

Roads have been cleared after last night’s storm, and road conditions are safe,  but there are strong gusts and a wind chill index as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit. Frostbite can occur is as little as 10 minutes of exposure to this weather.

Please recognize that heat loss from your body is accelerated in these conditions and frost bite is a serious concern for any exposed skin. Please dress warmly with zipped-up coats, hats, gloves, hood, scarves, and layers to stay warm. This is a serious concern, so make sure you do your part in keeping yourself safe and healthy!

The 12 p.m. Student Activities departure to the Hampshire Mall with Mr. Sawyer, and 1 p.m. departure to the Holyoke Mall with Ms. Ram proceeded as scheduled.

Due to the dangerous wind chill forecast for today and this evening, however, the Dean’s Office will not be authorizing any more off-campus travel and will not be signing any more white sheets for students unless they are traveling with a parent or guardian.

Students should remain on campus and stay inside if they can. Stay warm and take care of each other!

As Mr. Spearing  mentioned at a recent assembly, the 14th Annual Muji Muhammad 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament will be held on Sunday afternoon, February 22 at the Athletic Center.  It has been a fun community event over the years, and I hope that many of you will participate this year.

The following is information about the tournament, about signing up for the tournament, and about Muji 14 t-shirts:

Continue reading →

Editor’s note: The following winter storm update was sent to parents and guardians this afternoon regarding travel plans.

We hope you are staying safe as we make our way through yet another winter storm. Please remember that the safety of your child and your family is our highest priority.

We continue to monitor the weather, and at this point, the snow is predicted to stop around 1:00 a.m. Physical Plant is working around the clock to clean up the campus. As always, we ask that you use your best judgment when deciding when and if to travel to and from Williston.

If the school already figured into your travel plans today or tonight and if those plans are going to change, please contact the Dean’s Office by email at jmotyka@williston.com so we are aware. Day families who use Van Pool should check local school district closings, as that will affect the service tomorrow morning.

Just a reminder that weather-related cancellations and schedule changes will be posted on the school’s website, Facebook, and on Channels 3 (WSHM), 22 (WWLP) and 40 (ABC40/Fox6).

As always, thank you for using your best judgment, and please stay safe and warm.

Sincerely,

The Dean’s Office

Editor’s note: The following message was sent out to parents and guardians this morning.

As we face another snow storm, the safety of your child and your family is our highest priority. With boarding students on their way back to campus today and classes scheduled to begin tomorrow, we are monitoring the weather across the region. As always, we ask that you use your best judgment when deciding when and if to travel to and from the campus.

If the school already figured into your travel plans today or tonight and if those plans are going to change, please contact the Dean’s Office by email at jmotyka@williston.com so we are aware.

We will be in touch later this evening with updates, but just a reminder that weather-related cancellations and schedule changes will be posted on the school’s website, Facebook, and on Channels 3 (WSHM), 22 (WWLP) and 40 (ABC40/Fox6).

As always, our community’s safety is our highest priority. Thank you for using your best judgment as you make your plans.

Sincerely,

The Dean’s Office

It’s not too early to begin considering summer plans. This year, languages teacher Noah Lipnick is planning a summer trip to China for students of Chinese at Williston. The trip will be held from July 17 through August 1, 2015. Hanban (the Chinese Language Council International) will be providing a chaperone as well, and there will be one adult for every 10 students. Students are responsible for international airfare, their visas, and pocket money. All domestic travel, cultural activities, language instruction, sightseeing, and room and board are covered by Hanban. Please email Mr. Lipnick with questions.​

Dates: July 17th – August 1st, 2015
Hanban Chaperone – Student Ratio requirement: 1 chaperone to every 10 students.
Costs: Students are responsible for international airfare ($1500-$2000), visa ($140), and pocket money. All domestic travel, cultural activities, language instruction, sightseeing, and room + board are covered by Hanban.

Read more.

Friday: Brunch, Chef’s Choice for dinner
Saturday: Brunch, Chef’s Choice for dinner
Sunday: Breakfast, no dinner will be served.
Monday: Brunch, regular dinner menu

2015 Winter Long Weekend Dining Hours

·      Thursday, February 5
o   Regular Breakfast and Lunch with modified classes
o   Dinner 5:15-6:30 p.m.
·      Friday, February 6
o   Continental Breakfast 8:30-9:30 a.m.
o   Brunch 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., including deli bar
o   Dinner 5:15-6:30 p.m.
·      Saturday, February 7
o   Continental Breakfast 8:30-9:30 a.m.
o   Brunch 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., including deli bar
o   Dinner 5:15-6:30 p.m.
·      Sunday, February 8
o   Breakfast 7:15 a.m.-8:15 a.m.
o   Check in at buses in front of Reed@8:30 a.m.
o   Lunch and Dinner in NYC, $30 meal money provided
·      Monday, February 9
o   Continental Breakfast 8:30-9:30 a.m.
o   Brunch 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., including deli bar
o   Dinner 5:15-7 p.m.