Westminster School has transitioned to distance learning. Please continue to share photos and news with us by emailing Mrs. Nancy Schuler. Current parents--please share the Weekly with your children, as they will enjoy seeing what's been going on in our virtual school!

On Friday, May 8, the Westminster School admin team hand-delivered bags of goodies to our amazing teachers. This was a small token of our appreciation for the hard work, creativity, adaptability, and full-on LOVE that our fantastic teachers are delivering to our students on a daily basis. The admin team had so much fun knocking and running on all of the doors from Maryland to Manassas. We were so touched by their messages of appreciation (see samples below) and so grateful that they love being Westminster teachers as we are so honored to have them! Thanks to Mr. Glover, Ms. Glazier, Mrs. Schuler, Miss Hinton, Ms. McGann, and Mr. Shipman, who made the deliveries.

The 6th graders have been studying the Norse myths of  The Children of Odin,  and while they have been seeing that these myths were meant to teach morals, or lessons, to the reader, they began as oral traditions that were meant to entertain as well. As part of a quiz last week, the students were asked to complete a comic strip depicting one of the most hilarious sections of the book, Thor and Loki's antics in the Giants' City, specifically when they trick one giant, Thrym, into thinking that Thor, dressed in a demure veil, is the bashful, blushing bride of Thrym's dreams, Freya. This ruse is carried out in order to regain Thor's magic hammer from the giant thieves. Here are some examples of the 6th graders' artistic interpretations of this Norse comedy duo. They definitely seem to "get" the humor as these are very charming and clever! Represented are Arleigh, Emina, William, and Maddie.

The 1st graders participated in a hands-on lab in Miss Deddo's science class this week. The students saved eggshells that their family used throughout the week to serve as natural planters. They planted their own bean, flower, pepper, or corn seeds, or whatever their heart desired! The class wanted to continue supporting our Earth even if it’s not Earth Day or Week, as Miss Deddo says, "because it’s always our home." What a joy it will be for the children to nurture their plants and watch them grow. We look forward to seeing them again in a few weeks!

In Miss Deddo's science class, the students are exploring the solar system. They recently learned about how the craters on the moon are created by meteor showers. The students created their own "moon surface" with flour and cocoa powder, and then crashed "meteors" into the surface to make craters. The students obviously loved this lab and they are turning into quite the little superstar media hosts! We think some of them could start their own TV show! Thank you to Miss Deddo for inspiring the children and for coming up with creative ways to deliver the curriculum remotely.

Sophia Guralnik came to Westminster School in the 3rd grade, with her little brother, David, who entered in kindergarten. This multi-talented, bright young lady is headed to Washington Liberty High School next year.

Sophia is a mature, sophisticated 8th grader with a plethora of interests and talents. Sophia is a top student, earning honor roll status every quarter She has a beautiful singing voice, and has often had lead roles in the plays to showcase her talent. She is also an accomplished pianist, now performing at the college level. Her mom is also a pianist and Sophia says that her mom inspired her to play music. She loves all kinds of music because "it can connect a lot of people to their interests or their heritage, whether it is classical, techno, rock, or pop." She has also taken ballet lessons for 11 years, which has helped to give her that certain grace with which she carries herself as she walks the halls of Westminster School.

Sophia is also quite an athlete. She enjoys cross-country running and is an avid cross-country skier and swims laps for fun. Her favorite place in the world is Israel, because she says, "it is a beautiful country that is part of my heritage, and I have lots of family there." Some of her favorite memories at Westminster include the Williamsburg overnight trip, Sports Days and track/cross country meets. Once the restrictions are lifted, she is looking forward most to "being outside freely and seeing [her] friends and family."

In addition to being an artist and an athlete, Sophia is a serious scholar, who also shines as an expressive writer. Her history teacher, Mrs. Jacobson, had this to say about Sophia, " Though she might seem like a reserved person at first glance, Sophia is a font of profound expression and thoughtful critique, both of which shine forth in her writing. With her pen, she is able to convey clearly and precisely the advanced conclusions that her mind has reached, demonstrating an ability far beyond her years. Sophia is an impressive author, and I hope that she will go on to use that gift for the benefit of the world."

Mme Bowen, Sophia's French teacher, says, "Sophia is a very bright and insightful student. She is a quiet delight, who can be counted  on to give the correct answer to even the most complicated questions in French class." 

Interestingly, Sophia plans to pursue a career in computer science or cyber-security in the future, revealing that this young lady is full of surprises! Sophia is a true asset to the Class of 2020 and we will miss her when she graduates, but we look forward to watching her blossom in many capacities as she moves on to high school and beyond.

Owen Nemirow came to Westminster School in kindergarten. Owen's dad, Lane, is a Westminster graduate and has just recently become a member of the Board of Trustees. Owen has an older sister, Devin, who graduated in 2018. The entire Nemirow family are very involved in every aspect of Westminster School, with his mom serving as a regular volunteer and room parent, and Devin returning to school often to help with plays and talent shows, and we are so grateful to the entire family for their support.

Owen is a well-rounded young man who shines in the classroom, on the stage, and on the basketball court. Owen began playing basketball when he was in the first grade and has since become such a good player that he is on a travel team, as well as the Westminster team. For the last four years, Owen has been taking guitar lessons. He reports that he loves all genres of music and playing the guitar allows him to experience and explore this passion.

While he doesn't talk about it much, Owen is also quite an artist. He enjoys drawing and has earned highest achievement in art while at Westminster. He is an active participant in many aspects of school, having been a member of the math club, French club, and serving as the treasurer of the Builders Club. In addition to playing basketball at Westminster, he has been a member of the soccer teams over the years as well. He also served as captain of his intramural basketball team.

Mrs. Jacobson says, " Owen is a bright, athletic young man with a good heart. He has the ability to become quite a scholar, and I am excited to find out how he will decide to merge his love of sport and his academic strengths in his future endeavors."

Owen enjoys building computers and says, "It is fun to order all the parts and assemble them to create a new computer. I am currently using a computer that I built to attend classes during distance learning. I am very intrigued by technology, so I love to keep my computer up to the best standards by researching and purchasing the best parts." He hopes to find a job that will allow him to travel the world while also providing him opportunities to pursue his many passions. Owen is a great example of a griffin and we will miss him very much next year when he leaves us to attend Washington Liberty High School.

au·da·cious

/ôˈdāSHəs/

adjective

-showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.

"a series of audacious takeovers"

Synonyms : bold, daring, fearless, intrepid, brave

Antonyms : timid, shy

-showing an impudent lack of respect

"an audacious remark"

Did You Know?

Shakespeare used "audacious" seven times in his plays. That in itself wasn't exactly an act of bold originality. The word, which comes from the Latin root audac- ("bold"), had been around for decades. But the Bard was the first to use "audacious" in its "insolent" sense ("Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace," Henry VI Part 2), and he may have been the first to use the adverb "audaciously." "Audacious" itself was something of an innovation in the 16th century: it was one of the earliest "-acious" words in English. Subsequently, we've added lots of "-acious" adjectives to our lexicon, including "pugnacious," "loquacious," "voracious," and even, in the 19th century, "bodacious" (which is most likely a combination of "bold" and "audacious").

March 13, 2020 is a day that will live in infamy in the history of Westminster School and most other Virginia schools. It's the day that we all walked out of our beloved school building not knowing that we were not to return for the rest of the school year. As time goes on, parents may be struggling to answer the questions of our children, especially, "When will this be over?" Unfortunately, when we don't know the answer to a question, we sometimes avoid it altogether. This 17-minute podcast from Sesame Workshop may be helpful to parents, especially those of young children. Hang in there, everyone. We are going to get through this together.

Sesame Workshop's Tips for Parents