May 20, 2021 | Vol. 20-21, No. 32 VACCINE CLINIC AT W+H - THURSDAY, MAY 27
Ryan Oliveira, Pandemic Response Coordinator, is happy to announce that W+H will offer a vaccine clinic next Thursday, May 27 from 3-6 p.m. For more information, read the letter below.
SCHOOL CALENDAR Thursday - May 27, 2021
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Amphitheater and Courtyard SCHOOL NEWS MAY-JUNE EVENTS FILL CALENDAR With less than one month remaining before this year's Commencement Ceremony on June 18, the school calendar is packed with end-of-year events. Concerts, art shows, speeches, awards nights and graduations are among the many events that will fill the next four weeks. Here's a look at some upcoming events: May 20 – Middle/Upper School Combined Spring Concert (Virtual) – 7 p.m. - WATCH HERE VIEW SPRING CONCERT PROGRAM HERE May 27 – Lower School Field Day – Afternoon May 27 – Upper School Cookin' Cabaret in Front Courtyard / Amphitheatre – 6 p.m. VIEW COOKIN' CABARET PROGRAM HERE June 3 – All School Art Show (Virtual) – 7 p.m. June 4 – Cum Laude Society Induction – 11:30 a.m. June 4 – Second Annual Ram Run – various times GIRLS WIN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP The W+H girls' golf team made school history by winning the first Tournament of Champions title in school history on Tuesday at North Jersey Country Club in Wayne. New Jersey's No. 1 team used its typical balanced attack to defeat Bridgewater-Raritan by 20 strokes. Sarah Shao '24 led the Rams placing fifth overall in the individual medal race with a round of 78. Claire Lu '24 and Jenelle Valera '22 each fired 80 and Grace Lu '22 carded an 84 to round out the team's four-player score. Annie Gu '23 also competed for the state champs. The Rams felt a sense of retribution after being denied the title two years ago. They posted the lowest girls' team score at the T of C in 2019 but since they were considered a co-ed team, they were not eligible for the girls' state title. They dedicated this championship to former team members and W+H alumni Mia Sutton '19 and Sydney Kuo '20. Last week, the Rams continued their local dominance by winning the GMC Tournament title. Grace Lu tied for top individual honors with a 2-under-par round of 33 in the 9-hole tournament. Teammates Claire Lu (34), Jenelle Valera (36) and Sarah Shao (36) also finished in the top four. Congratulations to our Rams and veteran head coach Jim Howard!
Read full story here with player and coach quotes
SENIORS ENJOY FINAL DAY OF CLASSES The seniors in the Class of 2021 celebrated their final day of classes with a special afternoon of activities on May 14. Rudy Brandl '83, Director of Communications and Publications, welcomed the seniors into the W+H Alumni Association on behalf of the Alumni and Development Office. Mr. Brandl congratulated the soon-to-be graduates for thriving in a difficult year and encouraged them to stay connected to W+H. After enjoying pizza and cake outdoors on the picnic tables near the AP Room, the seniors joined fellow Upper School students for some friendly competition in Field Day games on the back fields. Activities included kickball against other grades and the faculty, a tire roll and tire pull, hula hoop, Frisbee throw, and fun with bubbles and beach balls against other grades. They wrapped up the day with ice cream treats provided by Sage Dining Services.
NICOLE SANDRIK-ARZADI '22 WINS AWARD Nicole Sandrik-Arzadi '22 was selected as a recipient of this year's University of Vermont Citizen Scholar Book Award. This award is designed to recognize outstanding citizens in their pursuit of higher education. Putting knowledge into action for the betterment of humanity is at the foundation of a University of Vermont education. The Citizen Scholar Book Award celebrates high school students around the US who demonstrate that spirit of citizenship and scholarship. They may have campaigned for a cause, founded a community action group, or conducted research aiding social progress. These students are the movers, shakers, and change makers of the world. "I am honored to have received the Citizen Scholar Award," Nicole said. "I believe my dedication to my communities and my academics earned me this recognition." Nicole is an active volunteer with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey through its Teen Leadership Council, which allows her to advocate against food insecurity in our state. The council has collectively raised $15,000 for CFBNJ. Additionally, each summer, she teaches dance to adults and children with disabilities through the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities Access Arts Program. "This allows me to combine both of my passions: dance and helping others," said Nicole, who also volunteers as a refugee tutor through W+H. "I am honored to have received this award and am incredibly grateful to my college counselor, Ms. Honan, for nominating me. I hope to use this opportunity to network with other student leaders and improve my leadership skills." 7TH GRADERS EXPERIENCE COLONIAL TIMES Since the seventh grade couldn't travel to Williamsburg for the annual class trip this year, the students and some of their teachers enjoyed a taste of Williamsburg here at W+H last Thursday, May 13. They started the day with several rounds of Game of Graces, a traditional colonial-era children's game, which claimed to promote grace and agility in young gentlewomen. After lunch, General George Washington (as portrayed by David Emerson, a living history interpreter and alum of Colonial Williamsburg) spoke with students about his experiences and battles in the NJ area, lessons learned about leadership, and his relationship with young Alexander Hamilton. Following the meeting with General Washington, students tried their hands at two colonial-era crafts: buttermaking and creating whirlygigs, a popular children's toy. The program was run by Kirstin Rogers, Seventh Grade Coordinator, with assistance from faculty members Andrea Barnett, Noreen Jafri, Ian McElroy and Alice Zhao. Eighth-grade students Caleb '25 and Emma Rothrock-Steinfeld '25 also volunteered their time to teach Game of Graces.
FIFTH GRADERS PRESENT GREEK PLAYS This year, the fifth graders put a unique twist on our usual Greek Play project. In a typical year, students choose from among four classic Greek stories to collaborate on to write, direct and perform a play. However, last year, our students went virtual right after the grueling work of writing scripts, and never got to perform. This year's fifth graders honored last year's playwrights by performing their scripts - full of witty jokes, dramatic moments, and even a bit of romance! This year's featured stories were Jason and the Golden Fleece, Theseus and the Minotaur, Perseus and the Gorgon, and The Trojan War.
ANCEL DEJESUS '25 SET FOR SCHOLARS PROGRAM Ancel DeJesus '25 was recently accepted to the W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Institute Online Summer Program. Housed at Princeton University, the W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Institute is an intensive academic and leadership program for high-achieving middle and high school students. Through academic rigor, collaborative learning, collective problem solving and individual attention and support, the Du Bois Scholars Institute prepares students for college and career readiness. Over the summer, Ancel will take Introduction to Biology and Effective Writing. MANDARIN STUDENTS PRESENT PROJECTS Last week, the seniors in Chinese 5 Honors class culminated their Upper School Chinese language journey with a final project. Each student was tasked with presenting in Chinese their senior speech and a video report about themselves to their classmates. Personal presentation topics included My Worst Audition, It's All About Now, Fixing Up My House in the Catskills, My Family's Work Ethic, Redefining My Labels and more. GET SET FOR RAM RUN - JUNE 4 The Wardlaw+Hartridge Board of Trustees is proud to announce the 2nd W+H Ram Run on Friday, June 4. All students are invited and encouraged to participate in this Fun Run/Walk. It is a chance to come together by division and have fun and raise money. The funds raised by this event will help to provide scholarships and grants, purchase new equipment and technology for academics, support athletics, and service learning opportunities and community outreach for our students. This event is open to all students and participation is free. More information to follow soon. IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE A RAM! UPPER SCHOOL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK Karl Miran, Athletic Director, announced the Upper School Athletes of the Week. Congratulations to golfer Grace Lu '22 and tennis players Kunal Patel '22 and Jay DaSilva '22. Grace tied for first in the GMC Girls' tournament with a 2-under par 33, helping the Rams win their first-ever GMC championship in any sport. The team's score was a record low of 139. She also helped the team win the NJ Central Regional Tournament by shooting 79. With their win at first doubles last week, Kunal and Jay secured the division title for our boys' varsity tennis team. Kunal came into this season with previous varsity experience, while Jay has moved up from JV. Kunal and Jay's athleticism from cross country and soccer, respectively, have contributed to their impressive 10-1 record in division matches. MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK Karl Miran, Athletic Director, announced the Middle School Athletes of the Week during the full divisional meeting. Congratulations to baseball player Jason Cheng '25, tennis players Ryan Bokina '26 and Richard Zhang '26, and track athlete Tanvir Virdi '27. Jason has been a breath of fresh air for this year's baseball team. New to the sport, Jason always asks good questions and is eager to learn the many rules of baseball as quickly as possible. At the plate, Jason has developed the ability to be a contact hitter, putting the ball in play at a high percentage in his at-bats. Ryan and Richard have been standout players all season. In the match against Delbarton, they won both of their matches leading the team to a 3-2 victory. In Tuesday's match against Montclair Kimberly, Richard played in spite of an injury. When Richard had to retire, Ryan played two singles matches and won both at love to clinch the team's victory. Tanvir dropped 12 seconds in his 400-meter dash time in last Friday's meet. He had run a 1:23 but finished in 1:11 on Friday. He has been working hard in practices and it shows! CHECK OUT W+H SUMMER PROGRAMS Wardlaw+Hartridge is offering a robust array of summer programs in 2021! The year's programs include Camp Funshine, Adventure Camp, Brain Boosters Junior Academics, Summer Scholars, Teen Leadership Camp and Summer Sparks Enrichment. Other special camps including Drama, Egypt, Technology and Entrepreneurship, Dungeons & Dragons, and Marine Biology will also be held. To learn more, visit WHschool.org/summer
From the W+H Parents' Association WHPA Helps Mark Milestones
We are honoring the Class of '21 in many ways, the first of which you can see lining the driveway this week. The traditional Senior Lawn Signs will be on display for a short time; seniors get to take them home and show them off in their own front yards during graduation season. Watch for news about an upcoming display of Senior Portraits which will allow for viewing by our entire community. We are also busy planning fun ways to celebrate Stepping Up (8th grade) and Moving Up (5th grade) ceremonies in the days ahead.
WHPA Executive Board 2021-2022
We have exciting news about the leadership team for next year. Given that the volunteer base will need to be rebuilt from scratch, parent engagement will be more important than ever, and all events/traditions can be re-imagined. It will take a village! It is simply too much for one person to head up with any degree of success. Instead, responsibilities will be spread amongst a cadre of Vice Presidents and other Board positions, with nominees assigned to areas where their strengths will be maximized.
Roshanna Bracy, LS VP Ashley Brazoban, LS VP Carly Hamlette, MS VP Youlin Tsai, US VP Vandana Puri, VP of Events Kevin Kornecki, VP of Communications Kerry O'Neill, Secretary Mona Sampathkumar, Treasurer Tracy Donahue, Anita Nair, Shakti Jha and Tiffany Bratts-Maiga, Volunteer Coordinators
This slate was presented to membership last week. We will vote during our final meeting in June, the date of which is pending. IMPORTANT REMINDERS Giving Thanks for Our Wardlaw+Hartridge Fund Parent Donors
The Development Office would like to thank the W+H community for supporting The Wardlaw+Hartridge Fund. Click here to view a list of W+H parents who have contributed to The 2020-2021 W+H Fund between July 1, 2020 and May 19, 2021.
Seeking Items to Commemorate Mrs. Susan Howard's Career
Longtime W+H Lower School art teacher Susan Howard retired last summer. Due to the pandemic, the school was not able to celebrate her long, dedicated career at W+H. We are assembling a memory book in Mrs. Howard's honor.
Join Doorstop Donations to Help Serve Those in Need
Doorstep Donations is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of New York high school students committed to serving underprivileged and food-insecure families. We are starting our own chapter here at Wardlaw+Hartridge!
Donors will receive a Doorstep Donations reusable grocery bag, filling it every other month with non-perishable food items and either leaving items at their doorstep or bringing it to W+H. Every two months, a volunteer driver will pick up the bags of non-perishable food from outside the donor's door and take them to a local food pantry.
Our school's next pick-up and drop-off is Monday, May 24. If you have any questions, please reach out to Nicole Nolan, Director of Global Scholars and Community Outreach, at nnolan@whschool.org.
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