Mark your calendars now for April 27 and 28, when the Class of 2018 will present the exciting musical, West Side Story. This award-winning Broadway musical features music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The Romeo and Juliet story set in late 1950's New York brings humor, tragedy, and fantastic choreography.

This show is likely to sell out, so get your tickets ahead of time. The Book Fair will be in full swing, so plan to dress up in your finest and come out for a great evening at the Gryphon Theatre! Curtain is at 7:00 P.M. Please join us to support this talented class and spend a wonderful evening at the theatre!

The fourth graders recently finished reading the novel, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH . Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. 

For an English and science cross-curricular project, the fourth graders were challenged with making an invention. As the students finished reading and discussing the book, they were asked to imagine that they were members of a new civilized rat society. The students were then challenged to create products that would benefit their new farming lifestyles. The students each wrote a chapter featuring their invention, and provided detailed instruction manuals for their work. This project required imagination, logic, and creativity. Thank you to Miss Foster and Mr. Abdelrazaq for giving the children such a great opportunity to express themselves! Check out the video above and stop in and see these great works of creativity and engineering on display in the kindergarten wing.

An important aspect of the arts curriculum at Westminster School is the Dance Program. All Westminster students receive dance instruction culminating in the upper-school dance classes, which include the waltz, fox trot, jitterbug, various line dances, and this year, the Charleston! Three dances are held for the 7th and 8th graders every year: a Halloween dance in the fall, a formal Spring Fling in the early spring and a Sock Hop at the end of the year.

This past Friday, the upper school students turned out in their finest to participate in this joyous event. The students had the chance to show off their own expressive dance moves, as well as practice those they've learned in dance class. At this event, it is tradition that members of the senior class are given a "debut" by Mr. Glover. The young gentlemen decked out in tuxedos escort the young ladies through an arch where they pause and Mr. Glover introduces them, describing their many talents and interests, as well as their high-school destination. The attendees also are treated to a lovely spread of snacks provided by the parents.

Thank you to Ms. Glazier for her dedication to opening up the world of dance to the students and to Mr. Glover for providing such a fun and memorable event for them.