Welcome to this edition of The Westminster Weekly, where you will learn about what's been happening recently at Westminster School! We welcome story suggestions from parents, students, teachers, and alumni. Please email your news to
Mrs. Nancy Schuler
.
|
|
Mark Your Calendars
Upcoming Events
January 21
School Closed for MLK Day
January 22
4th FT to Newseum
January 23
WPC General Meeting
January 23-25
7th/8th Grade Exams
January 25
7th/8th Hoop It Up
January 28
Open House for Prospective Families
(Rescheduled)
PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
|
|
Welcome to the world, Avia Afoa Cagua! Born on January 14, 2019 at 11:25 a.m., Avia weighed in at a healthy 9 lbs, 10 oz and measured 21 1/2 inches long! Mom (Mme Mansa Cagua) and baby are both doing well, and Mr. Cagua and big brother, Adriel, are thrilled. The Westminster community joins Mme Cagua in saying, "Thank God for this precious gift!" (Masa Riverson Cagua is a Westminster graduate of the Class of 1995 and currently serves as our 3rd-5th grade French teacher.) Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Cagua and the warmest of welcomes to their new baby girl!
|
|
Three Students Named to District Orchestra
|
|
Congratulations to 8th-graders, Kayla Kim and Christian Noska, and 7th-grader, Kai Wang, for being named to the District Orchestra.
For a student to be able to play in District Orchestra, they have to audition in November. Hundreds of students who belong to their school orchestras go through the audition event. The auditions are blind and rigorous. The judges and tabulators select the top performers to participate.
Once chosen, the student (not the parent) must sign a commitment form that is binding. The rehearsals, which are lengthy and intense, start just two days prior to the concert (two hours on Thursday, eight hours on Friday, and six hours and concert on Saturday).
These three Westminster students joined the other high-performing musicians for the District Honors Orchestra Event last Saturday, January 12. Congratulations to these dedicated students and to Orchestra Director, Ms. Crespo.
|
|
4th-Graders Create Coordinate Cities
|
|
Working over three class periods, the 4th-graders used their mathematical skills and creativity to create their own "coordinate cities." The projects required the students to demonstrate their understanding of graphing and finding things on a graph based on given coordinates. Each city had to have all of the following features: a theme, at least six streets running perpendicular and parallel, a park, and a tourist attraction. The axes and quadrants also had to be labeled. Finally, each student made up three clues for their classmates to locate features in their cities based on their coordinates. The students put a lot of thought and care into their projects and clearly enjoyed the assignment. Thank you to Miss Ellison for coming up with a project that required the children to apply the concepts they've been learning in math in such a creative and thoughtful way!
|
|
3rd-Graders Explore the Newseum
|
|
The 3rd-grade class ventured to the Newseum to collect information on the subject of segregation from the exhibit,
"1968: Civil Rights at 50."
As the students will soon read,
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
, this field trip helped the children understand the historical context of Jackie Robinson's role of helping to end segregation in baseball.. The third-graders brought notebooks and pencils to act as reporters themselves, recording their observations as they toured the exhibit. Finally, the students were able to try their hand at reporting live on screen! Thank you to Miss Foster for arranging this fabulous trip!
|
|
Please Share this Flier with Friends!
|
|
Word of mouth is the absolute best way for us to bring new families to Westminster School. Please share the flier below with friends and colleagues who might be looking for MORE in their child's school experience. Thank you in advance!
|
|
Westminster Fosters Leadership Skills
|
|
We recently caught up with
John Carter-Hirt, graduate of the Class of 2010. After graduating from Westminster, John attended St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School. He graduated from Clemson University in May with a degree in Political Science. Once again, thanks to Mrs. Moghaddam for catching up with John.
What have you been doing since Westminster?
"After graduating Westminster, I attended high school and upon graduating from SSSAS, I attended the University of Miami for one year and then transferred to Clemson University. At Clemson, I had several leadership opportunities including student senator, SGA, and sitting on my fraternity board, which I believe was due to Westminster’s leadership training that I was exposed to during my years at the school. I also had a few internship opportunities in South Carolina and in D.C. during my college years. After graduating college this past May, I applied for and was accepted to an internship that eventually led to my being hired to my current post, staff assistant to Senator David Perdue of Georgia."
How has your Westminster experience impacted your life?
"I do not think there are very many things in my life that Westminster has not impacted. I feel those of us who attended Westminster School were lucky to get the chance to learn from the best and be prepared for life the way we have been. Having gone through high school and college experience after Westminster, I now recognize how well the school prepared me for my responsibilities. The hard work and work ethic instilled in us made the rest of my educational experience easier. The respect, hard work and keeping your head down and completing the work assigned to you is a big lesson and much needed in life."
Message to future and current parents;
"It is totally worth it! I do not know of any better place than this school. Schools with larger numbers of students in the area, cannot help but have some kids slip under the radar. At Westminster, each child matters and is paid careful attention to, given a chance to become the best version of who they are meant to be. When I entered high school, I realized how other kids needed to have additional help outside of school, but at Westminster, I got all I needed from very good teachers and administration and others supporting them at the school, resulting in my ability to manage my work and schedule well beyond my Westminster years."
Message to the current students:
"Do not take things for granted. What you do not understand now or challenge in your mind, will be clear later. Always ask a lot of questions. The teachers are amazing, and they take personal interest in each and every one of you. Try your best, even when you do not like what you are asked to do at that moment, trust that it will pay dividends down the line. Remember to enjoy your time with your classmates and friends. You probably will not be in a small and close group setting again for the rest of your school experience outside of Westminster."
Thanks so much for your kind words, John! You make us very proud and we are grateful for the support and help you offer to your alma mater!
|
|
e·gal·i·tar·i·an
/iˌɡaləˈterēən/
adjective
relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities."a fairer, more egalitarian society"
noun
egalitarian
; plural noun:
egalitarians
a person who advocates or supports egalitarian principles.
|
|
Food for Thought
With the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday on Monday, we offer some food for thought on helping today's children understand and appreciate "
how the passion, righteousness, ideals, and actions of even one person can change our entire world for the better.
"
It is also a great opportunity to discuss with your children the importance of volunteering. To honor Dr. King's memory, consider participating in the "National Day of Service" or just using the day to kick off a commitment to volunteering.
|
|
Westminster School | 703-256-3620
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
