Congratulations to WFS 7th grader Ivy Jackson on winning two awards at the Jeff Walker Youth One-Act Festival at the Wilmington Drama League!
The awards were for Outstanding Original Script and Excellence in Directing for her original play, “Hidden in Plain Sight," about the sacrifices women and girls often feel pressured to make in order to be accepted in the social hierarchy, and how it’s really a better choice to turn your back to those pressures and be your true self.
In addition, she was nominated for the second time for the Wilmington Drama League (WDL) Bob Evans Award––the youngest out of five nominees this year. This award is given to the individual who has contributed in significant ways to youth theatre during the course of their involvement with the Drama League.
The Festival is held every summer and is an opportunity for young people aged 5-18 to write, direct and/or act. Directors go through the entire process of auditioning and selecting their cast (which often involves negotiating and trades with other directors if more than one want the same actor), scheduling, coordinating and leading rehearsals, blocking the show, coordinating all of the lights, sound cues, backdrop projections, sets, props and costumes. Anyone who submits an original script starts the process even earlier, with script writing and submissions due a few weeks in advance of the auditions. Ivy started directing for this festival when she was just 9 years old. This is her 4th year directing and 2nd year submitting and directing her own original script.
Fifth graders Mariah, Isaak, Mary, Giana, Nura, Alexander, and Sofia, along with their choir directors, Emily Fareed and Katie Martinenza '99, attended UD ChoralFest Junior. ChoralFest is an honor choir experience for local upper elementary, middle, and upper school students from the greater Delaware region. Students from Friends joined over 160 singers for singing workshops throughout the day and an evening performance under the direction of UD choral faculty. It was an outstanding choral experience!
Students from the WFS middle school Youth in Government club recently traveled to Dover to participate in the State Junior Youth in Government Model Legislature.
Early years students participated in a fall festival today planned by early years assistant teachers which included an obstacle course, the Quaker Bakery and Friends Farm Stand, fall-themed sounds, leaf painting, and lots of dancing!
Students in 7th and 8th grade band, as well as upper school symphonic and jazz bands recently spent time with composer Brian Cox helping to craft a special 275th Anniversary commissioned piece!
The upper school Modern Women's Club recently hosted a guest speaker, University of Delaware Professor of English and Director of the Center for Material Culture Studies Sarah Wasserman.
The Quaker Cares Committee is back in action for the 23-24 school year, continuing its mission of creating a safe space for students to talk about mental health and to spread awareness about mental health support and resources.
Upper school students recently had the unique opportunity of spending time with Jon Bell, Director of Business Relations and Outreach at Better Business Bureau Delaware.
As part of our 2023 Homecoming and 275th anniversary celebration, Emily David Hershman ’09 joined WFS Head of School Ken Aldridge on Saturday morning to deliver a proclamation from Governor John Carney's office.
With 35 years of collective experience leading Wilmington Friends School, Ken Aldridge (2015-present), Lisa Darling (1994-2005), Bryan Garman (2006-2015), and Bill Goulding (1973-1976) provided insights at the October 20 Heads Panel that reminded the audience that our Quaker school, with two campuses tucked away in Alapocas and serving children in preschool through 12th grade, does indeed seem to have a “secret sauce” that makes us unique.
Statement of Nondiscrimination as to Student Enrollment
Wilmington Friends School admits students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of these schools. Wilmington Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.