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6/03
- News from Final Assembly 2003 12/02
- WFS Participants in NAIS Leadership Conferences Return to the Current Press Releases 2005-2006
- Press Release Archives 6/03
News from Final Assembly 2003 Faye Paul, who will attend the University of Southern California, has been named a National Merit Scholar. More than 1.3 million students participate in the program's testing; approximately 8,000 are selected as National Merit Scholars. Jamie Jacobs and Richard Vincent received Presidential Freedom Scholarship Awards, through a national program to recognize juniors and seniors who have performed more than 100 hours of community service during the year. Jamie, who was chosen to present the class gift at final assembly, will attend the University of Tampa, and Richard will attend Wake Forest University. Faye Paul also earned the school's John Marshall Mendinhall II, Class of 1939, Memorial Award, as the senior judged to "have done the most for the school." Richard Vincent also received a second major honor, the Howard W. Starkweather, Jr., Class of 1944, Community Service Award. Four juniors shared the Charles W. Bush Award for "character, scholarship, and service": Andy Chen, Andrew McEnroe, Sarah Lester, and Cara LoFaro. Andrew McEnroe will be the clerk of the school's Business Meeting, and Sarah Lester will serve as Head of Agenda, for 2003-2004. Meg Gehret Erskine '83 was on hand to present the award named for her mother, the Amanda Spackman Gehret, Class of 1951, Memorial Mathematics Award, presented each year since 1992 to one middle school student and one upper school student. The 2003 recipients were David Walter '07 and Allison Altman '03. Jane Hukill presented the award named for her late husband, the Robert P. Hukill, Class of 1949, Science Award to Joseph Harnett '04. The school's two AFS students were also recognized at final assembly: Sirinun ("Nun") Muangnil '04, who has been hosted by the Marks family, and Vincent Nussbaumer '04, who has been hosted by the McKenty family. Faye Paul and Zachary Darvish-Rouhani were the senior speakers at final assembly, selected by their classmates; Faye's remarks incorporated a musical presentation by fellow seniors Arwen Sheridan and Kyle Kessler. The Concert Choir and Chamber Singers also performed at the assembly. The concluding remarks, usually delivered by the Head of School, were given by Evelyn Spence-Reeve, who is retiring after 30 years as an art teacher at Friends. Mrs. Reeve recounted how she began working as a six-month volunteer, saying "by the end of the first month, I was hooked." She added to the graduates, "Six months became a career I have loved; I wish you the same blessing. I've had a blast." 6/03
Vincent Named DIAA Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year At Friends, with weighted credit for advanced course work, Richard carried better than a 4.0 grade point average, while earning 13 varsity letters – five in wrestling, four in soccer, two in tennis, one in football, and one in lacrosse. He was named to the 2002 all-state second team in soccer, and to the all-academic first team in wrestling for four consecutive years. Richard was named an academic all-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association for 2002. He will attend Wake Forest University. 5/03
Novelist Tim O'Brien to Speak at Commencement 5/03
Sophomore Chosen for Governor's School 5/03
Upper School Honored for Service Day 5/03
Sixth Grade Helping Children in Morocco 5/03
Fourth Graders Share Stories at Local Preschools 5/03
More Wilmington Friends Chess Champions (Please note: As a safety precaution, Wilmington Friends School does not publish the full names of students in grades preK – 5.) 5/03
Eighth Grade Helps at Laurels Preserve 5/03
First Graders Team With Pen Pals to Help Parks 4/03
Freshman Wins Language Award 4/03
Friends Students in "Young at Art" 4/03
Junior Honored by AAUW 4/03
Lower School Hygiene Kit Project The hygiene kits were designated for civilian refugees of the war, and included toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, adhesive bandages, hairbrushes and combs, nail clippers, and shampoo. Those items, along with cash donations to ship the kits to Jordan, were collected from lower school families and Meeting members; through Friends parents, London Grove Meeting also joined the partnership. "Even the youngest children understand basic human needs, like brushing your teeth and washing your face," lower school teacher and Wilmington Monthly Meeting member Sue Scott said. "They can appreciate that if people have to leave their homes because of danger, they might not have time to pack even very basic things like soap and a toothbrush." In addition, Sue noted, the project also met some other important objectives. First, it was active; students brought in the donations and helped put together the kits. Second, it offered a connection with Wilmington Monthly Meeting, the school's founding organization. And third, it was a chance for students to see the service aspect of Quakerism more broadly, not just as a school or class project but as a partnership involving what Sue described as "a whole Quaker network," emphasizing the importance of active service in the Quaker philosophy. When the project ended, lower school, in partnership with the Wilmington and London Grove Meetings, had completed 68 hygiene kits, and had collected enough money-at $5 per kit-to cover shipping costs. 4/03
Upper School Service Day 4/03
WFS Celebrates Differences to Build Community On Wednesday of diversity week, students in every division had the opportunity to attend workshops and assemblies with Tony Vacca, a musician and composer who leads a program called World Rhythms, founded in 1993, to celebrate global nature and appeal of music. Very much in keeping with the school's focus for diversity week, World Rhythms programs emphasize recognizing differences among cultures while building a global community, seeking to show how bringing together musical traditions can take music in a new direction--how diversity can fuel positive change. 4/03
Friends Students Win Nine Medals in Science Olympiad 4/03
Nine Wrestlers Earn Academic All-State Honors 4/03
7th & 8th Grade Math League Teams Take First in Region For the seventh grade team, which was coached by teacher Anne Ray, it was a sweep of the individual awards as well; Virginia Nicholson finished first, Christopher DiAndreth finished second, and Curtis LoFaro and Elizabeth Power finished in a tie for third. In addition, Misha Barker and T.J. Todd were at-large qualifiers. The eighth grade regional championship team was coached by teacher Aaron Silver. In the individual competition, Richard Chen finished second, and three Friends students tied for third--Lauren Galinat, Nathan Hobbs, and David Walter. Joseph Guiterrez was an at-large qualifier. 3/03
Students Volunteer at Food Bank 3/03
Iraq Teach-In Raises/Answers Questions The panel included Congressman and former Governor Mike Castle; former Governor, Congressman, and presidential candidate Pete du Pont; Ralph Begleiter, Rosenberg Professor of Communication and Distinguished Journalist in Residence at the University of Delaware, and a former world affairs correspondent for CNN; Dr. Bahram M. Rajaee, Director of International Projects at the University's Center for International Studies; and Peter Lems, program associate for Iraq at the American Friends Service Committee, who has led two delegations of Quakers to Iraq to assess the impact of economic sanctions. Students prepared for the panel program with several days of assigned reading with follow-up questions, so that a range of views on a possible war with Iraq, and more general foreign policy debates, had been presented and considered. 3/03
Mock Trial Team Members Honored 3/03
Author/Alumnus Brian Curtis Mand Meets With Students 2/03
- A Quaker School Approaches the Prospect of War So wrote the early Quakers in the Declaration of 1660. It is a statement striking for its lack of equivocation. It is an absolute. And I expect when many of our non-Quaker families read those words, especially at a time when the prospect of war seems so immediate, it may strike a chord of discomfort. What will my child's Quaker school teach if and when our nation goes to war? In beginning to address that question, let me quote Senator Joe Biden, who visited with our third, fourth, and fifth grade students in early February. Senator Biden was asked about the prospect of war with Iraq, and he responded with great sensitivity to our heritage and identity as a Quaker school. "I
wish I could believe what Quakers believe," Senator Biden said,
adding that in his view, the use of force is sometimes necessary,
when other means fail, to secure justice for those being persecuted
and a lasting peace for all. The Senator emphasized to our students
that "good and honorable people can disagree" about the
best way of doing things, even when they share the same goals-such
as achieving peace and saving lives-and the same core values-such
as respect for all people and love of country. We do not ask our students to accept as unquestionable truth the specific tenets of Quakerism or to condemn those who do not; we do ask them to value and practice the peaceful resolution of conflict within the school community, and to consider-in a thoughtful, intellectually and morally engaged way-how best to achieve a peaceful and just world beyond our campus. At a time when the threat of war is especially palpable, we invest an extra effort to work with our students, in instruction and discussion appropriate to their age level, to help them understand the issues and consequences involved with military action, and for those who oppose military action. Our upper schoolers use news reports, literature, and social science, including the history of Quaker social activism, as a foundation for their discussion. They confront current events unvarnished and head-on, with the support and guidance of their classmates and teachers, and with the expectation that they will apply the habits of critical analysis that we seek always to encourage, again from both an intellectual and a moral perspective. As part of that work in upper school, a group of student leaders, with the guidance of History Department Chair Rick Grier-Reynolds, worked to develop a half-day "teach-in" about Iraq. The goal of that effort is to hear and consider a variety of views, presented by community leaders and foreign-policy scholars, in part to complement our students' participation in a late February Quaker schools conference on peace. Middle schoolers delve less explicitly into the details of the news, but they, too, apply interdisciplinary learning toward a greater understanding of the causes and consequences of war. The sixth grade humanities course, the seventh grade world studies course, and the eighth grade focus on the American identity lend themselves naturally to relating classroom study to world events. Teachers in middle school also take particular care to respond to the range of personal, emotional reactions that students experience when studying such issues and events. For our lower school students, the level of the personal is often most comfortable and easiest to understand. We take our cue from the students, responding to questions and providing information that the children are able to work with. We ask them to consider how it might feel, and what needs might arise, if as a result of war, your school had to close, or if the stores all closed down, or if your family had to leave your home and most possessions behind to get out of danger. We are also calling upon our lower school students to act, by gathering supplies for hygiene kits that will be prepared for distribution to civilian refugees fleeing Iraq. With that approach, our youngest students engage in classroom discussion and service projects that increase their understanding and stir their compassion for the victims of war. Do we teach our students about the Quaker peace testimony? We do-and do so with pride in that heritage. Do we teach the Quaker perspective as a singular truth, and work to instill our students with a reflexive condemnation of those who take another view? We do not. Tolerance of difference-in religious and cultural tradition and in point of view-is a cornerstone of both our school community and the Quaker faith. "Good and honorable people can disagree," as the Senator said, and we hope always to support our students in their development as truly honorable people-informed, engaged, and compassionate people, who come to positions on issues of consequence by active analysis and reflection, informed by a sense of respect for and responsibility toward others, in a spirit defined by neither arrogance nor apathy. - Lisa A. H. Darling, Head of School 2/03
- Annual Blood Drive a Success 2/03
- WFS Hosts Quaker Youth Leadership Conference Eighteen Quaker schools, from as far away as Iowa and New Hampshire, participated, with an average delegation of seven, including faculty, from each school, and 20 students from Wilmington Friends who were involved in organizing events and leading workshops. Seniors Sarah Schmidt and Colleen Schell were the student clerks of the organizing committee, and Richard Bernard was the faculty leader. Although the snow storm of that weekend disrupted some conference plans-such as off-campus service projects and college visits-the participants were able to keep a full schedule of activities, and did manage one off-site trip to Longwood Gardens. The conference began on Thursday evening with an opening Meeting for Worship and keynote address by Medard Gabel, known for his leadership with Buckminster Fuller in developing and promoting The World Game. Gabel presented his program "BigPictureSmallWorld." On Friday, conference participants divided into small-group, leadership workshops, on topics of particular concern to Quaker schools, such as using consensus for decision-making in the school setting, the role of student awards and recognitions, and student response to the prospect of war with Iraq. On Friday night, conference participants attended the annual arts, poetry, and crafts event organized by the staff of the Wilmington Friends literary magazine, Prism. 1/03
- WFS Well Represented at National 3-on-3 Soccer Tournament Senior Richard Vincent also participated in the tournament, on a team with members from various schools which advanced to the semi-finals in its division. A lower school student also participated. (Please note, as a matter of policy, Wilmington Friends School does not publish the names of lower school students.) 1/03
- Sophomore Selected HOBY Ambassador 12/02
- WFS Participants in NAIS Leadership Conferences Clarence and Stanita joined more than 700 students from all over the country at the Student Diversity and Leadership Conference, and were busy, as Melissa Brown said, from "7:00 in the morning until 10:00 at night." The conference participants represented a diversity of backgrounds in terms of race, religion, economic circumstances, nationality and culture, and sexual orientation. They worked mostly in small groups, on projects designed to help support their efforts to communicate within their home schools about prejudice and ways to overcome it. 12/02
- WFS Faculty Member Chess Champ Again 12/02
- WFS Sophomore Elected to National Position in MOAS Twenty WFS students attended the 2002 event, joining students from around the country in debating proposals concerning the Americas. The MOAS students had spent the previous two months drafting and debating proposals to present to the national meeting. 12/02
- Homelessness Immersion Project 11/02
- Senior Honored by Delaware French Teachers 11/02
- Simon Shaheen Visits WFS 11/02
- Six Seniors Honored in National Merit Scholarship Program 11/02
- WFS Honored as MS Society Employer of the Year 11/02
- WFS a Founding Partner in Delaware Area Community of Concern The kickoff featured keynote speaker Dr. Wilkie Wilson, a professor of pharmacology at Duke University, who has made national television appearances as an expert on young people and the use of dangerous substances. Dr. Wilson is the co-author of two books on the subject: Just Say No: Talking with Kids about Drugs and Alcohol, and Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy. The Delaware Area COC kickoff also featured Mimi M. Fleury, Director of the Community of Concern, an organization established in 1999 to help parents and students develop a better understanding of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. The Delaware Area COC includes 24 schools/school districts in northern Delaware and Pennsylvania. Each school published and distributed to parents a booklet called "A Parent's Guide for the Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use." In addition to Wilmington Friends, other local members are: Archmere Academy, Brandywine High School, Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Centreville School, Charter School of Wilmington, Christiana High School, Christina School District, Concord High School, The Independence School, Newark High School, Padua Academy, The Pilot School, Red Clay Consolidated School District, St. Mark's High School, St. Edmond's Academy, St. Elizabeth High School, Salesianum School, Sanford School, The Tatnall School, Tower Hill School, and Ursuline Academy. 11/02
- Three from WFS Named to All-State Field Hockey Teams 11/02
- WFS Students Honored in All-State Music Programs 11/02
- WFS Football All-Conference Players 10/02
- Barbara Steger Stolterfolt '57 Returns to WFS for Homecoming Stolterfolt recalled that her experience at Wilmington Friends and with the Friends Work Camp program inspired her interest in political science and social work. She credited her becoming a political leader to her experience here, working with inner-city residents on home-improvement projects. Stolterfolt has been active in the Social Democratic Party in Germany for 35 years. She became a commissioner in her home town when there were only four women serving in such positions in the country. "Now there are a thousand women commissioners," she said with pride. Stolterfolt also became one of the first women in city government, and eventually became director of the agency responsible for social welfare in her home state, managing 10,000 employees. She was one of the first women directly elected to the Hessian state parliament. Stolterfolt met with current WFS international students, spoke to the Peace, Justice, and Social Change classes, and participated in Homecoming events. |
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