April 2013
Dear Wardlaw-Hartridge Parents,
I hope all of you enjoyed the Spring Break. The newly-arrived warmer weather has brought increased energy and activity to our campus and I am happy to report that our spring sports teams are off and running, our halls are filled with numerous examples of the artwork created by our students and recently, Wardlaw-Hartridge hosted an afternoon recital featuring vocal and instrumental performances by many of our multi-talented students.
In my last letter to you, I spoke about the health of our school in terms of our enrollment, our ability to deliver on our mission to “prepare our students to lead and succeed in a world of global interconnection” as well as some of our technological highlights. In this letter and the accompanying video link I would like to review the role that the arts play in a Wardlaw-Hartridge education.
Wardlaw-Hartridge seeks to empower students to be independent, innovative and creative in all aspects of their learning. We expose our students not only to the latest academic and technological advancements but also to the arts. The fine and performing arts offer a creative outlet for students and, combined with academic rigor and athletic activity, provide the well-rounded education that is the foundation of the Wardlaw-Hartridge School.
Over the last six months several of our students have received accolades for their performances or artwork and I would like to share a few highlights with you:
- Samantha Lamparello ’14 and Julia Linger ’15 delivered powerful performances as the leads in the fall production of The Miracle Worker on November 16-17, 2012. They were both nominated by Montclair State University for the 2013 Theatre Night Awards for their roles in the Miracle Worker. Samantha, who played Annie Sullivan, was nominated for Outstanding Actress. Julia, who portrayed Helen Keller, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The W-H nominees were invited to attend the Theatre Night Awards Banquet honoring the best in high school drama on April 26 at 7 p.m. when the winners will be announced.
- Wardlaw-Hartridge students showcased their talents and fine art work at the annual duCret School of Art - High School Students Show. Two students from W-H won first place in their category: Stephanie Smyczek ’13 (Mom in Paper Collage) and Emily Wexler ’14 (Blink in Collage). Other W-H students recognized include Ayan Ahmed ’14 (Carnival in Acrylics), John Houston ’14 (Untitled in Collage), Haley Needle ’13 (Self-Portrait in Cardboard), Abdur Sajid ’16 (Instructor in Markers) and Max Hernandez-Webster ’13 (The Last Drop in Photography).
- During World Languages week, Spanish students presented a Living Art exhibit of various Spanish/Latin American artists. This exhibit featured the students and Sra. Yolanda Reyes and Sra. Linda Kouril physically depicting or serving as live models for the works of art, which included works by Salvador Dali, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Pablo Picasso.
- Seventy-three students from the Upper and Middle Schools participated in an outstanding production of the musical, Tarzan and eleven different students actually flew across the stage! More than 1,200 patrons attended the four-performance run of the show. Billy Nolan ’13 and Mairead Forrest ’14 starred in the lead roles of Tarzan and Jane, respectively.
- Many of The Wardlaw-Hartridge School's most talented singers and musicians displayed their talents at our annual Music Recital on April 7. The one-hour recital included vocals and instrumentals from students in all three divisions of the school:
The W-H Percussion Ensemble with Astitva Soni ’16, Akash Dalal ’16 and William Garner ’15 opened the recital with Barnstormer.
The W-H vocal ensemble, MadJazz, sang Weep O Mine Eyes featuring:
Sopranos: Briana Crawley ’15, Julia Linger ’15, Neelam Patel ’14 and Brianna Gutierrez ’13
Altos: Mairead Forrest ’14, Sarah Chalabi ’13, Makena Mugambi ’16 and Nikki Mugambi ’15
Tenors: Zach ’13, Alam Merchant ’13, Yousaf Razvi ’14 and Jack Schildge ’15
Basses: Pierre Bouley ’15, Nick Davis ’13 and Zubin Mulji ’14
Other student performers included:
Instrumental: Katie Buchbinder ’13, flute; Suraj Chandran ’18, violin
Piano: Rohan Arvindh ’18, Alex Barbet ’14, Anuva Goel ’17, Wilson Guo ’17, Annie Gu ’24, Deblina Mukherjee ’17, Sonali Shah ’16, Kim Son ’13
Vocals: Pierre Bouley ’15 baritone; Samantha Lamparello ’14 and Julia Linger ’15, sopranos
For the second year in a row, Phil Kim ’13, who has only played the contrabass clarinet for a few years, was selected as a member of the All-State Symphonic Band, performing at NJPAC in February. Additionally, Alex Barbet ’14 showcased his vocal talents with the finest singers on the East Coast as a member of the All-Eastern Regional Chorus. This group of 360 singers rehearsed from April 4-6 and performed on April 7 at the Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford, CT. The next step for Alex is a national audition, which he must record by April 21.
Artistically, academically and athletically, The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is thriving. We have a desire to educate the whole student, and we strive to balance our traditions with innovation to provide the finest educational experience possible.
Please click here to view highlights of these performances. I am sure you will be impressed.
As parents, your support of our school is essential and ensures that the school has all the necessary tools to allow your children to stretch their minds and grow into their potential. If you already have made a contribution to this year’s Annual Fund, thank you for your generous support. If not, I encourage you to support our efforts by making a gift to this year’s Annual Fund campaign. To make an online gift, or to access the Matching Gift Company list, visit www.whschool.org and click on the GIVING tab.
In the meantime, below is a complete schedule of our upcoming concerts and art shows. I hope you will join me for these marvelous events.
Best regards,
Andrew Webster
Head of School
Please mark your calendars for our upcoming Art Shows and Musical Concerts:
Upper School: Art Show Thursday, May 2 at 6:30 PM
Concert at 7:30 PM
Lower School: Concert Thursday, May 9 at 7 PM
Art Show Friday, May 17 from 7:30 AM – 4 PM
Middle School: Art Show Thursday, May 16, at 6:30 PM
Concert at 7:30 PM
Cookin’ Cabaret Dinner & Thursday, May 23 from 6-8 PM
(Upper School) Concert
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