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Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
The
WINTER 2020         IN THIS ISSUE

Westonian
                    BEHIND THE NUMBERS:
                    Annual Report for 2018–2019

     Magazine

                    COMPETITION,
                    CHARACTER,
                    AND COMMUNITY
                    Athletics at Westtown
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
The Westonian, a magazine for
alumni, parents, and friends, is
published by Westtown School.
 Its mission is “to capture the life
of the school, to celebrate the
impact that our students, faculty,
and alumni have on our world,
and to serve as a forum for
connection, exploration, and
conversation.” We publish issues
in Winter and Summer.

We welcome letters to the
editor. You may send them to
our home address or to
westonian@westtown.edu.

CON N EC T

                                       Head of School
                                       Victoria H. Jueds

facebook.com/westtownschool            Board of Trustees
twitter.com/westtownschool             Davis Henderson ’62,
vimeo.com/westtownschool                Clerk
instagram.com/westtownschool           Michelle Caughey ’71,
                                        Associate Clerk
                                       Amy Taylor Brooks ’88
                                       Martha Bryans ’68
                                       Beah Burger-Lenehan ’02
Editor                                 Luis Castillo ’80
Lynette Assarsson,                     Jake Dresden ‘62
Director of                            Diana Evans ’95
Publications                           Susan Fahey
                                       Nneka Nwosu Faison ’01
Contributors                           Gary Holloway, Jr.
Karl Vela ’03,                         Ann Hutton
Director of Alumni                     Sanjay Jain
Engagement                             Jess Lord ’90
                                       Rob McLear
Mary Brooks,
                                       Elizabeth Gilbert
Archivist
                                        Osterman ’73
                                       Brenda Perkins ’75
Anne Burns,
Dean of                                Jim Perkins ’56
Communications                         Keith Reeves ’84
                                       Anne Roche
Design                                 Kevin Roose ’05
Aldeia                                 Daryl Shore ’99
www.aldeia.design                      Mike Sicoli ’88
                                       Danielle Toaltoan ’03
Principal                              Charlotte Triefus
Photography                            Kristen Waterfield
Ed Cunicelli                           Max Yeh ’87

Additional                             Emeritus
Photography                            David Barclay ’52
Tom Gilbert ’76                        Tim Barnard
                                       Bart Harrison ’47
                                       Arthur Larrabee ’60
                                       Kate McLean ’57
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
The
         WINTER 2020

         Westonian
              Magazine

FE ATUR E S

18            Competition, Character,
              and Community
              Athletics at Westtown

31            Behind the Numbers
              Westtown’s 2018–2019 Annual Report

D E PAR TME NTS

02	
   D EAR FRIENDS                14	
                                   FACULTY PROFILE
   Letter from Head of             Ernie Schoch
   School Tori Jueds
                                16	
                                   C OMMUNITY
03	
   N EWS FROM                      WAA board news
   AROUND ’TOWN
   What’s happening             50	
                                   A LL IN THE FAMILY
   on campus?                      The tradition continues

10	
   A RTS GALLERY                52	
                                   A LUMNI PROFILE
   Center for the Living Arts      Elizabeth Patterson ’04

11	
   F IELDS & COURTS             54	
                                   C LASS NOTES
   Captain’s legacy                Alumni news

12	
   PAST IS PROLOGUE             65	
                                   F ROM THE ARCHIVES
   The more things change…         Girls golf
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
DEAR F RI EN D S: LET T ER FRO M H EAD OF SCH OOL TORI JUE D S

     Competition & Kindness
     In some places and in some schools, there may be tension—          Quaker values as they are oriented towards a rapidly-
     if not outright contradiction—between competition and              changing future, provide daily reminders to strive for
     kindness. Not so at Westtown School.                               excellence with compassion, and to exercise respect
        Anyone even casually acquainted with Westtown doesn’t           while pursuing victory. Examples abound, but none
     need to be reminded that kindness is remarkably prevalent          more striking than an interaction during a recent
     at our school. Kindness permeated the conversation at my           Westtown cross-country invitational. The day after
     house recently when I had dinner with a small group of             that race, our Co-Directors of Athletics, Mich Canuso-
     seniors, talented young leaders who                                                           Bedesem and Paul Lehmann ’99,
     brought to the table a panoply of                                                             received a letter from the parent
     diverse identities and a wide variety                                                         of a student from another school.
     of interests. This January, as we                                                             The parent recounted how his son
     engaged in exercises to build on                                                              was struggling during the race. But
     the legacy of Dr. King, discussions                                                           then, “a Westtown athlete came up
     among Middle Schoolers about how                                                              from behind and gave him the moti-
     to respond to cyber-bullying were all                                                         vation and strength to complete the
     about kindness. And kindness ruled                                                            course. It was a Westtown athlete
     the day this fall when a young friend                                                         who encouraged my son to finish,
     in Primary Circle decided to share his                                                        saying ‘we will do it together.’”
     collection of small, vividly-colored                                                             To race for Westtown School
     dinosaurs with another student.                                                               means to race with purpose and
     Maybe there was a bit of an internal                                                          determination. But it also means
     struggle at first (admittedly, they were                                                      to race with generosity of spirit,
     very cool dinosaurs)—but eventually                                                           with a sense of perspective about
     kindness prevailed.                                                                           what is really important, always
        At the same time, during their years                                                       honoring that of God in one’s oppo-
     here, Westonians develop the kind of                                                          nents. A few days ago, at our winter
     effective competitive skills that they                                                        Pep Rally, the captains of our Boys
     will need to deepen their confidence                                                          Varsity Cross-Country team un-
     and resilience, to hone their unique                                                          furled our latest PAISAA banner in
     gifts, and to thrive in their chosen pur-                                                     Coach Downey Court, commemorat-
     suits. The results are impressive, as                                                         ing their 2019 championship season,
     when our Metal Moose team brought                                                             to thunderous applause. It was a
     home the coveted Chairman’s Award                                                             proud moment. But no prouder
     from the FIRST Robotics Competition                                                           than the moment when a Westtown
     in 2019, when Girls Varsity Soccer earned their third con-         runner helped a struggling athlete from another team.
     secutive Friends Schools League championship last fall,            The parent who wrote about that interaction told us: “At
     when eight of our students were recognized by the National         the finish line, my son was truly overcome, not just by the
     Merit Scholarship Corporation this past October, and when          gesture of your athlete but my son felt there was a divine
     a Westtown student musician was recently selected to the           effort, through your Westtown student, to help him finish
     Pennsylvania All-State Orchestra. And even when there are          the race. He was moved. I am moved. I know my son will
     no awards at stake, students at Westtown challenge them-           never forget this act of compassion and sportsmanship
     selves in every venue to take risks, to deepen skills or develop   for the rest of his life.”
     new ones, in friendly competition with self and others.               That was a great day to be a Moose. But then again, it’s
        But never at the expense of kindness. Westtown’s academic,      always a great day to be a Moose. Friends, enjoy this issue
     co-curricular, and residential programs, as deeply rooted in       of The Westonian, and GO ’TOWN!

02   The Westonian Magazine
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
News from
Around ’Town

               W IN TE R 2 0 2 0   03
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
N EWS F ROM ARO UND ’ T O WN

     Making A Difference
     Claire and Rob McLear saw an opportunity to augment Westtown’s arts
     program, an area of passion for them. After years of planning, the McLear
     Artist-in-Residence Program was created in January 2019 to support a year-
     long artist’s residency in the Upper School visual arts department. Artists-
     in-residence are chosen by the Upper School arts faculty, and preference is
     given to artists working in the visual arts, particularly those exploring the
     intersections between art and science.                                                  A Big Win
        The new program is off to a great start! The first McLear Artist-in-Residence,
     Rebecca Kamen, gave an inspiring lecture in September about curiosity and               MIDDLE SCHOOL
     the creative process. Rebecca’s work focuses on awakening scientific discovery          ROBOTICS AWARD
     through art. Drawing inspiration from astronomy, neuroscience, philosophy,
                             and physics, she reflects on the scientific and artistic pro-   Congratulations to Middle School
                             cesses as unique but complementary catalysts for making         Robotics for winning the Robot
                             the invisible visible.                                          Design Award at the Southeast
                                Westtown’s Chair of Visual and Performing Arts, Will         Regional Qualifier Event at the
                             Addis, says, “The McLear Artist-in Residence Program is         Franklin Institute. Well done!
                             a cornerstone of our new approach to teaching the arts at         On Saturday, December 7, the
                             Westtown. By giving our students a year-long exposure to        Middle School robotics team,
                             a single professional artist, we are encouraging authentic      competed in the First Lego League
                             engagement in understanding that artist’s creative pro-         Robotics regional qualifier. The team
                             cess. By focusing on the overlap of art and science, we are     spent three months engineering their
     modeling for our students how art can ask questions, spark curiosity, and serve         robot, programming missions, and
     as a lens for the larger world. We are very grateful for Rob and Claire’s generosi-     completing an in-depth research
     ty in helping us reimagine arts education for the 21st century.”                        project. Teams presented their
        Claire and Rob were inspired to create this exciting new program by their            projects and robots to multiple
     experiences with University of Pennsylvania’s Network Visualization sum-                panels of judges that score the team
     mer program and the Center for Curiosity. Tori Jueds’ encouragement to the              on a variety of criteria. The team
     Westtown community to “find your passion” resonates with them. They feel a              earned a first-place award for their
     gift that supports student programming and curriculum has a lasting impact,             robot design. It is the first time that
     and they encourage others to support areas they are personally passionate               a Middle School robotics team has
     about. Westtown is fortunate to have the generous, kind, and thoughtful sup-            earned this prestigious award. The
     port of the McLear family, and we are deeply grateful for all that they do.             judges were impressed by the team’s
                                                                                             “superior use of sensors” and for
                                                                                             “being resourceful and using spare
                                                                                             parts to make necessary adjustments
                                                                                             on the fly.” The team finished in 4th
                                                 BRILLIANT! We are thrilled to               place overall.
                                                 share that The Westonian Magazine
                                                 has won two Brilliance Awards! The
                                                 Winter 2018 issue earned GOLD in the
                                                 Printed Magazine category, and the
                                                 Summer 2018 issue won SILVER in
                                                 the same category! Congratulations
                                                 to our fabulous production team and
                                                 thanks to our community for inspir-
                                                 ing their stories!

04   The Westonian Magazine
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
N E W S F ROM A R O U ND ’ T O WN

                                                                                     #AroundTown
                                                                                     SNAPS FROM INSTAGRAM

                                                                                     Three 5th grade heritage Spanish speakers
                                                                                     organized a Lower School coat drive before
                                                                                     break, and they delivered donations to La
                                                                                     Comunidad Hispana in Kennett Square!
                                                                                     Thank you for your generous participation in
                                                                                     the drive! #givingback

Identity & Activism
MULTICULTURAL CONFERENCE & COLLEGE FAIR

About 100 college representatives and 700 students and family members
from schools as far away as Brooklyn Friends and Friends Seminary in New
York City attended our eighth biennial Independent School Multicultural
College Conference and Fair on October 19, 2019. A new and exciting feature
                                                                                     Congratulations to our National Merit
this year was student-led workshops focusing on identity and activism, includ-       Scholarship Semi-Finalists and Commended
ing topics such as “Having Difficult Conversations in Divided Communities,”          students: Evelyn McLear (C), Emma Stavis
                                                                                     (SF), Julius Enarsson Enestrom (C), Will
“Student Leadership and Activism,” and “The Asian Experience of the College          Swartzentruber (C), Nick Hanchak (C), Jeshur
Application Process.” Other workshops were led by college counselors and             Thangaraj (SF), Charlie Shen (C), and
                                                                                     Leonardo Liang (SF)! #kudos
admissions representatives, including “What’s Great About HBCUs?,”
“Selective Colleges: Are They a Good Fit for You?,” and “Anatomy of an
Application: Putting the Pieces Together.” After lunch, the keynote speaker
and panel of college admissions leaders was well received. Later in the after-
noon, students and parents had the opportunity to talk with representatives
from 95 colleges at the College Fair.
   The feedback from participants, both families and college representatives,
was very positive. One parent remarked, “The day was an information-filled,
low-pressure experience for my 10th grader.” Another said, “My daughter pre-
sented at one of the student-led workshops, she received great feedback, and it
was a great opportunity for her as well. Great addition for all!” College visitors
love coming to Westtown. An admissions representative reported, “The stu-            Awesome to see alumni, former faculty, and
                                                                                     friends on campus this weekend! Thanks for
dents had wonderful questions. I had a great experience at the fair!” Another        joining us for the Alumni/Community
added, “The intimate setting of the conference was a great opportunity to share      Basketball Game! #goalumni #gotown
ideas and meet people.” One said, “Per usual, the caliber of student at this event   #community

is excellent. I left feeling extremely energized.” Finally, “Great, prepared, and
                                                                                                              instagram.com/
engaging students! One of the best college fairs I have ever been to!”
                                                                                                              westtownschool
   We would like to thank the many, many faculty, staff, parent volunteers, and
students who helped make this important event a tremendous success!

                                                                                                                   W IN TE R 2 0 2 0   05
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
N EWS F ROM ARO UND ’ T O WN

     Who is Telling the Story?
     REFRAMING AMERICAN HISTORY IN 4TH GRADE

     Who is telling the story? Who is being left   curriculum. They use stories, field trips,    curriculum with her for accuracy and
     out? Who holds the power? Who is being        and resources such as Newsela, and they       authenticity, and she recently visited the
     marginalized? These are the questions         explore iconic images, artifacts, and         class. Michalski has been very support-
     that drive the fourth grade history           primary source documents. “Much of            ive of the curriculum and approves
     curriculum. Over the past four years,         history is documented through paintings       the activities and books that are used.
     Teachers Shelagh Wilson ’85 and Hilary        or images and we often accept them            The study of the Lenape incorporates
     Simons have been modifying the curric-        as they are,” says Simons. “We start by       geography, culture, and community with
     ulum, an evolution designed to deepen         showing the kids a painting and don’t tell    an intensive focus on the local Lenni
     students’ understanding of the complex-       them what it is. We do an I think/I see/I     Lenape. The teachers make use of the
     ities of history and historical figures,      wonder exercise in which they observe         campus to impart their lessons. The
     and to foster an ability to question and      an image or painting in silence and write     students build wickiups (huts made with
     discern where there are stories missing       down details they notice.” She says the       sticks and brush) and canoe on the lake.
     and why that might be so.                     observations get increasingly deeper          They make wanishi pouches and cook a
        The redesign of their curriculum was       going from “The the carpet is green” and      feast of cornbread and stew. And, they go
     also to align with national and state stan-   noting ornamental details to eventually       on a vision quest at the lake where they
     dards while broadening the types of sto-      noticing, “Oh, it’s all men,” and “There      sit, be still, and observe. They are called
     ries taught and told. Typically in fourth     are only white men,” and “They all seem       to notice their surroundings, notice what
     grade, students study the states, but the     rich.” They make the connection, finally,     animals they encounter, the qualities of
     curriculum was not directly focused on        that it’s the signing of the Declaration of   that animal, and to record their obser-
     Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia area        Independence.                                 vations and reflections. The teachers
     until four years ago. Study of Indigenous        In revising curriculum, Simons and         were thrilled with students’ reflections
     Peoples has been part of the curriculum       Wilson enlisted Lower School Librarian        noting how “deep” fourth graders can be.
     for many years, but this more recent          Lynn Clements, who has helped them            “Going on the vision quest gave me a bet-
     shift to a concentration on the local         create a classroom library and curated        ter understanding of why the Lenape do
     area—and the revelation that Westtown         online and print resources for them.          this, because afterwards I felt somehow
     School is on Lenape land—compelled            Clements teaches research skills as           stronger knowing what my totem spirit
     Wilson and Simons to expand the scope         students learn about historical figures       is,” wrote one student. Another said,
     of the unit and to focus on the Lenape.       for the “Living Museum.” She also reads       “Knowing that our school is on Lenape
     [Westtown School has made a commit-           aloud biographies, novels, and picture        land, I thought how a Lenape boy or girl
     ment to name the fact that it occupies        books to support and enrich the class-        might have sat exactly where I was sit-
     land that was once Lenape.] “Our curric-      room content. Students visit Westtown         ting and what they might have felt. That
     ulum is a combination of placed-based         archivist Mary Brooks to examine arti-        was very special to me.”
     history and considering these questions       facts and primary source documents.              Fourth graders also study slavery
     around who is telling the story,” says           Mindful of authentically teaching          and the Underground Railroad and,
     Wilson. “We are not teaching the discov-      about the Lenape, Simons and Wilson           the teachers say, they use “the lens
     ery of America from Columbus’s point          also sought and relied on the counsel of      of movement by choice and by force.”
     of view but, more importantly, from the       Barbara Bluejay Michalski, Storyteller        Through maps, trade books, field trips,
     point of view of those who were here          and Public Speaker of Lenape Culture          and local historians, the work of both
     thousands of years prior.”                    at Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania. She         black and white abolitionists is high-
        The teachers explain that they             is also the Co-Chairperson of the Native      lighted. A field trip to the Museum of the
     lead conversations about race, gender,        American Alliance of Bucks County, and        American Revolution in Philadelphia
     and privilege in compassionate, age-          Secretary and Native Time Presentator         showcased the complex stories of
     appropriate ways. They use a variety of       of the New Jersey American Indian             important American historical figures
     methods to teach the American history         Alliance, Inc. Wilson and Simons review       for the students.“When we went to the

06   The Westonian Magazine
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
4th graders placed signs around
                                                                                          Lower School to honor the Lenape
                                                                                          Land on which Westtown was built.

                                                                                          the whole story about individuals, but
                                                                                          also that they have completely omitted
                                                                                          certain voices. Wilson emphasizes, “You
                                                                                          will not meet George Washington in our
                                                                                          Living Museum because that story has
                                                                                          been told. We are looking to lift up the
                                                                                          voices of the others whose stories have
                                                                                          not been told as often.”
                                                                                             The challenge for the teachers is to
                                                                                          approach the messy and complicated re-
                                                                                          alities in an age-appropriate way, making
                                                                                          it relevant to them without disturbing
                                                                                          them, and instilling the skill of asking
                                                                                          more questions about any story they
                                                                                          hear or read. This is a delicate dance, but
                                                                                          they have found both students and par-
                                                                                          ents were not only ready but also eager
                                                                                          for truth telling. On Back-to-School
                                                                                          Night, says Wilson, “We told the parents:
                                                                                          ‘We’re going to be teaching some hard
                                                                                          history and we’re interested in feed-
                                                                                          back, but we need to tell you up front
                                                                                          that we will be talking about slavery and
                                                                                          mistreatment of Indigenous People.’
                                                                                          The parents said, ‘Thank you for telling
                                                                                          the truth,’ and they have been excited
                                                                                          to learn themselves.” The students were
                                                                                          ready, too. “Fourth graders are very
                                                                                          justice oriented, and in every way they
                                                                                          are naturally concerned with fairness,”
                                                                                          says Wilson. “So when they learned
                                                                                          that William Penn owned slaves, or how
                                                                                          Columbus treated Indigenous People or
museum, we visited a tent that was          of color. There isn’t just one story of       that he never set foot on United States
George Washington’s,” says Wilson. “The     African American people in this country       soil, they were outraged,” adds Simons.
kids learned that he was an amazing         as the oppressed slaves, like William Still   “We are always careful about that line be-
general. And then we go across the street   and others who accomplished amazing           tween telling the truth and developmen-
to his house where they tell the story of   things in the midst of slavery.” Simons       tally appropriate images and content
his enslaved people, and how he circum-     says, “We emphasize what the Africans         because some of the images are horrific
vented the laws so he didn’t have to free   brought to our culture and how they           and the truth is upsetting,” admits
them. Thomas Jefferson is another com-      maintained their own culture and high-        Wilson. “We don’t want to traumatize
plex figure. These men had ideas that are   light not just the abolitionists, but also    them, but being honest about history is
worth celebrating AND they did things       writers, painters, and scientists from the    so important.”
that were not to be celebrated. The same    time of slavery.” The point is highlighting
is true with enslaved people and people     that history books have not only not told

                                                                                                                              W IN TE R 2 0 2 0   07
Westonian Magazine - Westtown School
N EWS F ROM ARO UND ’ T O WN

       Q U I CK N OT E S

                                                                                                                                    [3]

      [1]

     TOSHIBA GRANT
     Congratulations to Teacher Mariska
     Batavia, [1] recipient of a $5,000 STEM
     grant from Toshiba! Mariska, Chair of the
     Science Department, has used the funds
     to purchase a low-range respirometer
     which can measure metabolic rates in a
     variety of small animals. Students in the
     Scientific Research class are eager to
     start collecting data on our lab species.

     NLI SIGNERS
     Congratulations to the senior student
     athletes who signed their National
     Letters of Intent [2] in November: Jojo
     Lacey, Boston College, basketball;
     Noah Collier, University of Pittsburgh,     INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
     basketball; TJ Berger, University of        Many thanks to all who participated, to all who helped—especially the wonderful kitchen
     Pennsylvania, basketball; Amaya             staff—and to all who were able to attend Westtown’s annual International Festival [3] on
     Douglas, Lafayette College, basketball;     Sunday, November 10th. We had tables hosted by students and families from all three
     Emily Coe, Lafayette College, soccer;       divisions, honoring Japan, Italy, South Korea, China, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Palestine,
     Bridget Fitzpatrick, William and Mary,      India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Jewish Student Union, Sweden, Denmark, West and East
     soccer; and Collin Cunane, University       Africa, Bermuda, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Canada. It was a delicious
     of California, gymnastics.                  afternoon of celebration! Visit www.westtownschool.smugmug.com

      [2]

08   The Westonian Magazine
DEI NEWS
                                                                                           As part of Westtown’s ongoing and
                                                                                           deepening work in diversity, equi-
                                                                                           ty, and inclusion (DEI), the former
                                                                                           Multicultural Board will now be
                                                                                           renamed and refocused as the DEI
                                                                                           Advisory Board. This group will meet
                                                                                           two to four times per year and will
                                                                                           align with Board of Trustee Meetings.
                                                                                           The members are:

                                                                                           Marissa Colston, co-clerk
                                                                                           Jay Farrow ’75, co-clerk
                                                                                           Tori Jueds, Head of School
                                                                                           Chris Benbow ’90, Associate
                                                                                           Head of School

PoCC Conference                                                                            Bekka Schultz, Lower School
                                                                                           Diversity Coordinator
                                                                                           Ale Navarro-Benbow, Middle School
This year, twenty-one Westtown faculty and staff—20 faculty and staff of color plus        Diversity Coordinator
our Head of School—traveled to Seattle for the 2019 People of Color Conference             Celeste Payne, Upper School
(PoCC), accompanied by four students who attended the Student Diversity                    Diversity Coordinator
Leadership Conference (SDLC). This was Westtown’s largest cohort ever at this              Anne Roche P ’06/’08/’10, Trustee
annual National Association of Independent Schools gathering.                              Keith Reeves ’84, Trustee
   PoCC began over 30 years ago as a space to nourish, sustain, and affirm the people      Emily Temple ’07, Adjunct Member
of color who work in historically white schools. As a person of color, I value being in    Yiheng Xie ’18, Adjunct Member
an affinity space at PoCC, where I do not have to code-switch and I do not encounter       Karabi Acharya ’82, Adjunct Member
the microaggressions that even the most well-meaning white colleagues can bring            Kat Yeh ’84, Adjunct Member
into conversation. Historically white schools are inevitably part of systemic racism       Marie Ochefu ’14, Adjunct Member
in our society. But PoCC is a time where I can fill up from the well, learn and practice
tools that advance equity and justice, and be inspired by the speakers and workshops.      Additionally, Marissa Colston and
I’m glad that Westtown recognizes that this experience provides educators of color         Jay Farrow will be publishing DEI
with needed professional and personal rejuvenation, and supports our attendance.           Newsletters which are posted on the
   Among the key components of PoCC are racial affinity group sessions. It is here         website under “Our Purpose.”
that I can explore my own identity, connect and renew relationships, and share
the challenges and successes of my racial identity with others. This all happens in
a space of trust, safety, overwhelming love, and understanding. The experience is
powerfully affirming.
   The keynote speakers were truly inspiring. Joy DeGruy and Valarie Kaur deliv-           Giving Tuesday
ered memorable messages; I highly recommend their work. Dr. DeGruy drew on
her book, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury               Because of the outpouring of
and Healing, and spoke of the ways in which culture and family relationships are           generous gifts from our community,
influenced by the institution of slavery to this day. Valarie Kaur, who started the        we far surpassed our Giving Tuesday
Revolutionary Love Project, used her remarks to bring much-needed optimism to              goal of 250 donors with a total of
our social justice work.                                                                   295 donors, who raised $55,618
   Faculty and staff of color at Westtown and other historically white schools work        for the Westtown Fund! This import-
incredibly hard, shouldering burdens that white colleagues do not. It was wonderful        ant achievement represents our
to see such a large group of Westtown faculty, staff, and students at PoCC and SDLC.       most successful day of giving, and
Our school is engaged in deep, good work to build a more diverse, equitable, and           we are so very grateful for your
inclusive community. After this amazing conference, I felt affirmed and recharged          philanthropy in support of this
to continue that work.—Marissa Colston, Dean of Diversity and Inclusion                    generation of Westonians.

                                                                                                                    W IN TE R 2 0 2 0   09
AR TS G ALLERY

 Learn more
 about the Arts at
 www.westtown.edu/arts

       The Arts Gallery
        This summer, the Center for the Living Arts underwent
        welcome renovations. Air conditioning was installed through-
        out the building (except the theater). Finishes to flooring, walls,
        and ceilings were upgraded, and lighting, AV, and white boards
        were added to all classroom spaces. Structural and space
        changes were made as well, including creating a new dressing
        room and makeup area; moving the ceramics studio upstairs
        with easy access to glazing chemical storage; state-of-the-art
        Wenger practice rooms with sound isolation; adding a gender
        neutral bathroom; and, adding an instrument storage area to
        create more space in the band room. Stop by to see the CLA on
        your next visit to campus!

10      The Westonian Magazine
FI E L D S & C O U R T S

                                                                          See more sports
                                                                         updates online at
                                                                www.westtown.edu/athletics

                  [3]

            [6]    [4]

[1]

             Fields & Courts
             Captain’s Legacy. There are multitudes of legacy families in the
             Westtown community. It is rare, though, for one family not only to
             have a long legacy in athletics, but also to have six captains in one
             family, five of them in one sport. Bert Bacon ’60 [1], who will
             celebrate his 60th class reunion in May, was captain of the ’59/’60
             boys soccer team and this year his grandson, Timmy Novak ’20 [2],
             was captain of the boys soccer ’19/20 team, a lovely bookending of
             Westtown soccer careers. There are three generations spanning
             sixty years of the Bacon/Novak family who have been Westtown
             athletes. Bert Bacon, who was also Most Valuable Athlete in 1959
             and 1960, and his wife Dotsy Jacob Bacon ’60, cheered on their
             daughter, Debbie Bacon Novak ’85 [3], who captained her field
             hockey team, and they have walked the sidelines cheering on their
[2]          grandchildren for 15 consecutive soccer seasons. Timmy, who was
             All League, also follows in the footsteps of his older siblings, all of
             whom captained their soccer teams: Sean ’11 [4] (All State and All
             League soccer, All League lacrosse), Jeff ’14 [5] (All League soccer
             and lacrosse, lacrosse captain), and Kate ’16 [6] (three-sport athlete,
             11 varsity letters).

      [5]

                                                                     W IN TE R 2 0 2 0   11
Cross country was a new varsity sport for boys in
         PA S T I S PROLO GUE
 the fall of 1963 when the team competed in six meets
 under the able leadership of teacher Jan Long who
 also coached varsity track. The school’s course was
 2.36 miles long with “every type of terrain from hills
 to loose dirt fields.” Long coached the team until his
 retirement from Westtown in 1985. Front row: John
 Stratton ’65, Mark Johns ’64, Captain Hale Irwin ’64,
 Timothy Jacob ’66, Top: Frederick Klemperer ’64,
 Master Jan Long, Christopher Valentine ’64, Riley
 Doty ’65 (note: original photo includes George
 Wolfenden ’67 and David Hastings ’64).

12
        Past is Prologue
        The Westonian Magazine
                                                          1963
2019                                                         The Boys Cross Country team edged out Germantown Friends
                                                                                                          PA S T I S P R O LO G U E
                                                                     School (GFS) in the PAISAA State Championship. This victory
                                                                     was a particularly satisfying culmination of several years of
                                                                     steady improvement. The PAISAA victory follows the team’s
                                                                     second place finish—to GFS—in the Friends Schools League
                                                                     Championship. These runners secured the team’s successes:
                                                                     Front row: Constantin Carls ’22, Aiden Morrison ’20, Kavi
                                                                     Gandhi ’21, Santi Benbow ’23 Top: Nelson Zhang ’21, Coach
                                                                     Elson Blunt, Nick Hanchak ’20, Will Nagy ’22.

ARCHIVAL PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY BROOKS, WESTTOWN SCHOOL ARCHIVES, 2019 PHOTO BYED CUNICELLI                     S PRIN G 2 0 1 4
FACU LT Y PRO FILE

     Ernie Schoch
     The Other Giant
     STO RY BY LYN E T T E A S S A R S S ON • PH OT O BY E D C UNI C ELLI

     There are some figures who occupy such a large part of                 do those who taught them how to parse a sentence or do
     Westtown history and lore that they are giants. Often clad             algebra—because he is a teacher. Nathan Bohn ’83, Dean
     in his red “varsity wash” T-shirt, always jovial, avuncular,           of Enrollment Management recalls, “When I was a Work
     and ready with a lesson, a groaner joke, or a winding story,           Program Head, Ernie affirmed high standards and strong
     Ernie Schoch is one such figure. And like NC Wyeth’s painting          accountability and helped us build those in our work teams.
     The Giant, Ernie is a defining fixture of the Dining Room.             He taught me that you honor others by setting high standards.
        Since arriving in 1975 as Food Services Manager, Ernie              He personifies the nobility of work that we strive to instill
     has been part of the lives of nearly 4,000 students—that’s             in our students.” Ernie rightly counts himself a teacher as
     44 classes! —and he will “graduate” with the Class of 2020             well. “The dish room is my classroom. A child needs to believe
     in June. He has witnessed five heads of school, the addition           that what they’re doing is necessary, they need acknowledg-
     of buildings, changes in policies, and has observed it all             ment that they’re doing it well, and they need to be thanked.”
     with his signature bonhomie. His institutional memory is               Legions of alumni attest to Ernie’s influence. Perhaps Bob
     as legendary as is his nearly total recall of those thousands          Batley ’81 sums it up best: “Ernie never taught a class, but
     of alumni, multitudes of whom come to the Dining Room                  he was one of my best teachers. Ernie was never a dean,
     to see him during Alumni Weekend each year.                            but he was the one that kept me grounded. Ernie was never
        Ernie admits that he had much to learn about this unique            my coach, yet he constantly coached me to be better than
     place when he arrived. He relied on Anne Wood, Al Hay, Sally           I thought I could be.”
     Wheeler, and Pete Lane (legends in their own rights) for their            Ernie says “the people!” have been the most rewarding
     mentorship, and credits them with helping him understand               aspect of his career. Being in the kitchen allows him to know
     Westtown culture. “Westtown was like no other place I’d                every Middle and Upper School student. “Not everybody
     worked. I was oblivious that a place like this could exist!” He        takes French 3, but everybody takes lunch!” he often declares.
     has a particular soft spot for Anne Wood, who took him under           “What I appreciate most about Ernie now is how he takes an
     her wing and “rescued me from myself, since I often needed             interest in individual students, especially students who are
     rescuing,” he says. “I’m so grateful for what she taught me.”          struggling, those who are homesick or having a hard time
        Though a member of the “old guard” in some ways, Ernie has          adjusting to Westtown,” says Dean of Students Whitney
     also been ahead of his time. “My job is food services,” he likes       Suttell ’98. “He makes an effort to connect with these students
     to say, “but my passions are sustainability and gender equal-          and let them know that Westtown values them.”
     ity.” Ernie founded the Earth Service club and introduced recy-           “What I try to do is help people go from being children to
     cling at Westtown. In the early ’80s, he recognized the need for       young adults,” he says. “When they’re teenagers they are going
     a salad bar that contained more than wedges of lettuce, and            through changes, making mistakes, figuring out who they
     he was the first to use produce from Westtown’s farm in the            are. Being part of that with them gives me great satisfaction.”
     kitchen. He served on the Sustainability Committee. He says            His eyes twinkle and a smile broadens across his face as he
     it’s been satisfying to watch more women take leadership roles,        says that he has loved all the kids who have come through his
     and he hired Beth Pellegrino, the current Director of Food             kitchen. They clearly love him back. He gets phone calls from
     Services. He brought Work Program under the purview of the             alumni routinely, calling to ask advice or just catch up.
     Dining Room, and is deeply proud of working with students to              After a long and happy career, Ernie is ready to spend time
     change the culture of Work Program, and of introducing job             with his own children and grandchildren. “I’m so proud of
     descriptions, the crew list, and the infamous clipboard.               what I’ve done here. But it’s time to go.” Ernie Schoch is one of
        Few staff have had the kind of impact on students that Ernie        a kind and his legacy unmatched. It is with profound gratitude
     has. Students and alumni count him as much a teacher as they           and love that we wish Godspeed to our beloved giant.

14   The Westonian Magazine
FAC U LT Y P R O FI L E

    S UM M E R 2 0 1 9   15
COMMU N I T Y

     Leading the Charge
     Officers of Westtown Alumni
     Association Board Share Their
     Vision for the Future
     BY K A RL V E L A ’0 3

     It was not long ago when the                wasn’t when I started,” agrees Dina.
     Westtown Alumni Association (WAA)           “I think that is due to the work of Ted
     Board meetings were filled with light       and Kevin. Each one of them raised the
     conversations and potlucks. These           quality level and the function.” Shayne
     gatherings were defined by friendly         adds, “Each new leadership brings
     musings of recent vacations and stories     new life. There has been a continued
     of the old days. However, the last few      desire from Advisory Committee to
     years have brought on a tremendous          really engage. Over time, the board has
     cultural shift for this group of volun-     changed in terms of having people who
     teers, now led by a veritable dream team    really want to engage and creating those
     of officers: Dina Schmidt ’84, Clerk;       places where they can do that effective-
     Karabi Acharya ’82, Associate Clerk; and    ly. We are really wanting to see things
     Shayne Mackey ’91, Recording Clerk.         continue to drive forward and seeing
        Under the leadership of these women,     this new depth is awesome.”
     the WAA Board has become a closely             Both Karabi and Dina took on their
     allied group of Westonians, whose           roles after reconnecting with the
     members now work from detailed job          school when their daughters were
     descriptions and track success of board     first enrolled. The wonderful, surprising
     initiatives. Recent projects include:       thing about Westtown looking through
     the Advancement Committee’s special         this new lens was, Karabi was quick to
     matching gift for Giving Tuesday which      point out, “how Quaker tenets were
     helped achieve the most successful          infused in the curriculum in classes like
     single day of giving in Westtown’s          Peace and Justice and Holocaust to 9/11.
     history; the Quaker Life Committee’s        I wish those courses had been here when
     planning of the next Quakerism Day to       I was a student because they bring the
     take place before Alumni Weekend 2020;      practice of Quakerism into bold relief.”
     and the Admissions Committee’s new          Dina concurs and also notes, “I was
     project showcasing the stories of           surprised by how much of the essence
     Westtown’s legacy families. Many other      didn’t change. The details changed, the
     exciting projects are underway as well.     enrollment changed, but the thing that
        This paradigm shift has taken place      struck me was that the essence and
     over several years and much of the credit   core values of Westtown didn’t change.
     goes to the leadership of former clerks     I wanted that for my child.”                From top: Dina
     Ted Moon ’73 and Kevin Moore ’79. “The         All three officers noted that not        (Patukas) Schmidt ’84,
                                                                                             Karabi Acharya ’82, and
     WAA Board has become a functioning          only was it a joy to support Westtown,
                                                                                             Shayne Mackey ’91.
     body and part of the school in a way it     but also that today’s Westtown seems

16   The Westonian Magazine
C O M M U NI T Y

“The alumni have                             Get to Know:
  the opportunity                             WAA Board
  to be ambassadors                           Committee Clerks
  of this way of                              Admissions
                                              K AR ABI ACHARYA , SCD ’82
  talking and thinking.                       Occupation: Director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

  The world needs                             Fun Fact: My favorite place at Westtown was always the
                                              theater. Even today when I sit in the theater, I can still

  more Westonians...                          conjure up the songs, the drama (on and off stage!), and
                                               the incredible sense of belonging from those days.

  I think I read that                         Advancement

  somewhere.”                                 ALIA RIDLEY ’04
                                              Occupation: Owner, Simply Scrubs & Butters and
                                              stay-at-home mom
                                              Fun Fact: I challenged myself to find my love of reading
welcoming of active and thoughtful            again, so for my 33rd year I challenged myself to read
support and engagement. So, who               33 books this year. I’m currently on book 15!
should consider themselves for member-
ship on the WAA Board? Shayne says,           Advisory
“I think it’s people who are ready to bring   DINA (PATUK A S) SCHMIDT ’84
their career, knowledge, and education        Occupation: Arts Chair and Faculty, Church Farm School
along with their heart, soul, and passion     Fun Fact: I have an unfulfilled dream of driving an 18-wheel
for Westtown. Being on the WAA Board          truck across the country.
really does reconnect you.”
   Our alumni have an important role          Communications
to play in the life of school, now and        RICK SPACKMAN ’ 7 7
always. “It struck me how much the            Occupation: Retired Department Head of Institutional
world has to learn from Westtown,” says       Division, Vanguard
Karabi. “Westtown can be a center for         Fun Fact: Previous to Vanguard, I worked with a recording
that moral compass and those difficult        studio that is best known for its work with the O’Jays, Patti
decisions we are all stuck in. The alumni     LaBelle, David Bowie, and the Talking Heads, to name a few.
have the opportunity to be ambassadors        I moved through different roles as Studio Manager and
of this way of talking and thinking. The      eventually became the National Sales Director for an inde-
world needs more Westonians...I think         pendent record label, Alpha International Records.
I read that somewhere.”
                                              Quaker Life
Interested in nominating yourself             TIM JAMES ’63
or someone else for membership on             (Co-Clerk)
the WAA Board? Go to our website:             Occupation: Retired teacher (Westtown 1976-2013)
www.westtown.edu/waa.                         Fun Fact: Terri and I enjoy canoe camping and have
                                              camped with other alumni on rivers in Montana,
                                              Pennsylvania, Maine, Utah, Florida, and New Jersey.

                                                                                                              W IN TE R 2 0 2 0   17
18   The Westonian Magazine
COMPETITION
CHARACTER
COMMUNITY
STORY BY
LYNETTE ASSARSSON
                    A.3thletics
                          @ WESTTOWN
                                           PHOTOS BY
                                       ED CUNICELLI

                                            W IN TE R 2 0 2 0   19
he lights beaming onto Raiford Field on a cool
                   and clear Friday night illuminate hundreds of
                   fans gathered along the sidelines, many clad in
                   Westtown gear. The buzzing crowd comprises
                   Westonians small and tall, alumni, students, staff,
                   and neighbors, all there to take in an exciting
                   game, to enjoy the burgers sizzling on grills,
     and to support Westtown athletes. The crowd’s full-throated
     cheers of Let’s go,’Town! echo across campus. When the soccer
     team scores the winning goal, the gathered erupt in applause,
     spring to their feet, and rush onto the field. Spectators and
     players high-five, slap each other’s backs, and exchange hugs.
     Moments like these showcase students’ gifts and they are
     the embodiment of school spirit, an essential expression of
     community, and a vital aspect of a Westtown education.

                  At Westtown, athletics are as much a part of the student experience as
                  writing an essay, performing a lab experiment, or giving a presentation.           Boys varsity soccer.
                  Westtown’s longtime designation of athletics as a required co-curricular           Inset: Fans gathered for Friday
                                                                                                     Night Lights soccer game.
                  underscores the school’s central beliefs about athletics: that they are an         Right: Girls softball
                  equal educational endeavor; that they provide opportunities for students
                  to develop their talents and pursue their passions; and, that they nourish
                  the bodies and minds of students. Moreover, the athletic program is a
                  critical component of delivering on our mission and living our values.          than oneself—all of these intangible skills
                     “It goes without saying that participation in athletic competition and       are built by playing on a team, and all of
                  physical education are integral parts of any well-rounded educational           them are necessary life skills.
                  program,” says Head of School Tori Jueds. “Anybody who has ever trained
                  in a sport or engaged in athletic competition knows that practicing             OF F A N D RUN N I NG
                  skills, developing endurance, and understanding strategy are relevant           Even in the early days, it was understood
                  experiences throughout one’s life, foundational for any successful career       that physical activity was necessary for
                  and important to any relationship. Westtown Athletics instills in young         children and growing bodies. Over its
                  people an appreciation of the real meaning of ‘that of God’ in self and         first century, Westtown School grad-
                  others. Rigorous athletic training and dedicated skill-building are a           ually but steadily introduced a variety
                  matter of self-authentication. Our coaches understand that their task           of sports and athletic activities for all
                  is to draw out and illuminate any student’s unique gifts. It’s a great joy to   students. Although there was attention
                  see a Westonian athlete set goals and pursue excellence, because you’re         to exercise and sport in the nineteenth
                  witnessing the growth of something true and essential in that young             century, interscholastic competition was
                  person. You’re witnessing the realization of purpose.”                          officially off and running in the early twen-
                     Myriad studies confirm the multitude of benefits from both physical          tieth century. Teams were competing in
                  activity and team sports, and others indicate that they result in better        tennis, cricket, golf, field hockey, rugby,
                  academic performance, increased cognitive ability, and enhanced                 basketball, baseball, and soccer in the
                  emotional development. Valuable skills are developed through team               first decade of the 1900s. As more sports
                  competition. Leadership, collaboration, integrity, negotiation, listening,      were introduced and as intramural games
                  taking instruction, strategy building, committing to something larger           became extramural ones, the school

20   The Westonian Magazine
fitness. This state-of-the-art Athletic Cen-
                                                                                            ter reflected the significance of athletics
                                                                                            and physical education, energized stu-
                                                                                            dents and community alike, and set the
                                                                                            tone for what was to come.

                                                                                            A N EW ERA
                                                                                            After the retirement of Athletic Director
                                                                                            Jeannette Cooper, Michele Canuso-Be-
                                                                                            desem and Paul Lehmann ’99 took the
                                                                                            helm as Co-Athletic Directors (ADs) in
                                                                                            July 2014. Canuso-Bedesem manages the
                                                                                            Middle School competitive program and
                                                                                            the Lower School Physical Education pro-
                                                                                            gram. She is also the Upper School Health
                                                                                            Department Chair and manages overall
                                                                                            scheduling and hiring. Lehmann focuses
                                                                                            on communications, Advancement, facil-
responded by adding facilities or making       Cooper was named the Director of Ath-        ities, Admission, and external partner-
space to support them, such as the conver-     letics of a unified department. Under her    ships. They share responsibility of the
sion of the Lecture Room (located above        leadership, athletics took on broader sig-   Upper School athletic program compris-
the Dining Room) to a gymnasium 1899,          nificance in school and student life.        ing 21 varsity sports.
and construction of the Physical Educa-           This deepening role of athletics led to      The ADs had bold ideas, high aspira-
tion building—around which the future          the school’s desire to study and enhance     tions, and specific plans to bolster their
Field House and Athletic Center would be       the experience of student athletes. Then     department. Together they envisioned a
built—in 1953. The Field House was com-        Head of School Tom Farquhar appointed        program that: operated as a three-divi-
pleted in 1981, and in 1987, a 25-meter pool   a team to conduct an Athletics Self Study.   sional one; provided a space for all stu-
was installed. Other upgrades and addi-        Completed in May 2000, the study eval-       dents to better themselves; elevated all
tions to the athletic facilities continued     uated programs, coaching, and facilities.    athletic teams; enabled elite athletes to
over the years.                                It resulted in facility upgrades, revision   thrive; and one that built community.
   As athletics grew, so did the need for      of program elements, and, most signifi-      They created a plan of action that aimed
leadership. The school appointed science       cantly, a long-term plan to build a center   to accomplish their vision while remain-
and physical education teacher Eugene          that would support and attract athletes      ing grounded in Quaker values and West-
Raiford, for whom Raiford Field is named,      and support the expansion of athletic        town’s mission. They were and are clear
as its first Director of Boys Athletics in     programming.                                 about their priorities and easily articulate
1921. E. Mae January was named Direc-             A renovation and significant expansion    what they believe are the most important
tor of Girls Athletics in 1922. For the next   of the Field House was undertaken and        features of successful programming—
75 years there was gender separation in        in 2007, the new Athletic Center opened,     and they are informed by experience and
leadership until 1997, when Jeannette          boasting premium spaces for sports and       research.

                                                                                                                           W IN TE R 2 0 2 0   21
Before executing any changes, the ADs
     undertook a thorough pre-K through 12th
                                                    “OUR COACHES UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR TASK IS
     grade assessment of every aspect of the ath-
     letic program. They assessed gender balance
                                                      TO DRAW OUT AND ILLUMINATE ANY STUDENT’S
     in offerings and team enrollment numbers.
     They studied peers schools’ interscholastic
                                                      UNIQUE GIFTS. IT’S A GREAT JOY TO SEE A
     athletics and physical education programs.
     They considered league affiliations. They
                                                      WESTONIAN ATHLETE SET GOALS AND PURSUE
     identified where Westtown’s program was
     meeting the needs of students and where
                                                      EXCELLENCE, BECAUSE YOU’RE WITNESSING THE
     there was room for improvement. This             GROWTH OF SOMETHING TRUE AND ESSENTIAL IN
     research, coupled with their aspirations for
     the department, informed the creation of a       THAT YOUNG PERSON. YOU’RE WITNESSING THE
     vigorous, multi-phase Athletics Strategic
     Plan. This plan consisted of, among other        REALIZATION OF PURPOSE.”
     things: building community and school
                                                     T ORI JUEDS
     spirit through a three-divisions/one school
     approach; collaborating with Admission
     and Advancement; coaching excellence;
     enacting program changes and initiatives;      a sport they love or just help them stay fit       ADs. In response, they created developmen-
     and, attention to facilities, equipment, and   and healthy. As we move into Middle and            tal teams. These co-ed teams are designed
     uniforms.                                      Upper School, it is more specific. We want         for novice students to learn the basic rules
        “After all the research and our assess-     students to understand the intangibles of          and skills of a sport. They have a shortened
     ments, we began making adjustments,” says      sport and how to develop as an athlete. We do      competition schedule that still gives them
     Canuso-Bedesem. “We had to make some           it with integrity, emphasize sportsmanship,        experience playing in games. “They still get
     tough choices, but they were in service to     and in a way I don’t think you’ll find at every    to put on a uniform and learn to play for
     the program.” Among the tough choices          school. You find it here because it’s especially   teammates, all while they are learning skills,”
     were dropping the volleyball program and       important to us how we operate as a depart-        says Lehmann. “It’s crucial that we under-
     discontinuing membership in the Delaware       ment and as a community.”                          stand where the kids are in relation to the
     Independent Schools Conference (DISC) of          During the research and assessment              sport and evaluate what they need compared
     which Westtown was a founding mem-                   phase, the ADs paid special attention to     to more experienced student athletes.” Nota-
     ber. “We were also a founding mem-                       the Middle School program where          ble as well is that eighth graders can apply to
     ber of the Friends Schools League                          the competitive sports require-        “play up” on Upper School teams. This is a
     (FSL) and we found that it better                           ment began in seventh grade.          solution for players who have specialized in
     reflected our mission and values                            There were often not enough           a sport from an early age and who demon-
     as a Quaker institution.”                                   players to field teams and play       strate exceptional talent and drive. In the
                                                                games, so that beginners weren’t       past three years, several eighth graders have
     A P ROGRAM F O R A L L                                    getting experience and kids who         played for varsity teams and have had signif-
     Westtown’s athletic program encom-                    were passionate about their sport           icant impacts on the program. Olivia Bley, an
     passes every student, offering a progressive   weren’t having success. “We were cancelling        eighth grader who played for the girls var-
     curriculum built upon the values of the        games and trying to stretch,” says Lehmann.        sity soccer team this past season, not only
     school. “This is a three-divison department    The decision was made three years ago to           helped the team win the FSL championship
     and our vision for the program includes        extend the interscholastic sports program to       and advance to PAISAA State Finals, but also
     Lower School physical education, Middle        the sixth grade. The ADs are pleased by what       set a new school record for goals scored in a
     School interscholastic sports and devel-       they’ve seen since the change. “By increas-        single season—a whopping 30 goals.
     opment, and Upper School interscholastic       ing the numbers of students who are able to           It is clear that coaches are crucial to the
     sports,” says Canuso-Bedesem. “There is        participate in the Middle School program,          student experience and team performance.
     an intentional sequence and scope in the       we established healthier teams. Now kids           The ADs evaluated coaching staff, provided
     curriculum. In Lower School, physical          who are dedicated to a sport have an avenue        support to internal coaches, and hired pro-
     education is about sport-specific skills and   to participate in our program, and those           fessional coaches to build successful teams.
     how they are introduced and developed. We      teams are having success. But most impor-          Part of their initial and ongoing assessments
     want to foster lifelong fitness by teaching    tantly, students are having a more positive        are to ensure that the right people are work-
     kids the necessity of moving their bodies,     experience.” Initially, some were worried          ing with the right kids, understanding that
     understanding muscle groups, and how           about sixth graders’ readiness for compet-         different skill levels require different kinds
     that all works to either help them pursue      itive sports, and that was understood by the       of coaching. “We want to have excellent

22   The Westonian Magazine
Co-Athletic Directors Paul Lehmann ’99
  and Michele Canuso-Bedesem observe
  basketball practice. Right: Wrestling
  coaches Jay Farrow ’75 and Mauricio
  Torres ’08.

                                                                                                to teach my players that it’s more than
                                                                                                just learning the sport. It’s about team-
                                                                                                work, discipline, perseverance, respon-
                                                                                                sibility, going through challenges, and
                                                                                                problem-solving—skills that carry over
MEET THE ATHLETICS STAFF                                                                        to other parts of their lives. Kids often
                                                from academics. If we’re searching for an       underestimate what they can accomplish
  Michele Canuso-         Jason Brennan
                                                English teacher, we want a highly qual-         and required sports puts them in a posi-
  Bedesem                 Aquatics Director
  Co-Athletics Director                         ified English teacher. When we look for         tion where they have to do it. Once they
                          Nan Yiljep ’11
                                                tennis coaches, we want highly qualified        do, they’re glad.” Oyler says she’s seen the
  Paul Lehmann ’99        Sports Information
  Co-Athletics Director   Coordinator           tennis coaches.”                                universal lessons of sports are at play in
                                                    The coaching staff are dedicated to         her own life. “There are things I learned
  Joe Tyler               Jennifer Dorfman
  Assistant Athletics     Trainer               their athletes and sport and understand         as a high school and college athlete that
  Director / Head Coach                         the values of the school, the strengths         have benefited me in my professional life.
                          Andrew Landes
  Track & Field
                          Trainer               and challenges of required athletics, and       So we teach the sport and the lessons we
  Amanda Oyler                                  the goals of the program. The time and          can learn from them.” The lessons are
                          Charlie Dresden
  Athletics Coordinator                         energy commitment speak to a collection         working. In her first year as Head Coach,
                          Equipment Manager
  Head Coach Field                              of adults who are profoundly invested in        the team had a stellar season and reached
  Hockey                                        students’ experiences. “I don’t know if         the FSL finals for the first time since 2015.
                                                people understand how much work goes            The team was 12-2 overall and 7-2 in the
coaches who care about kids and have            into coaching, how many hours,” says            FSL; they were undefeated at home and
the knowledge base to be able to develop        Kevin Eppler, Co-Head Coach for boys            ranked second in regular season play.
skills so kids can achieve at the highest       varsity soccer and religion teacher. “Every        Joe Tyler, Head Coach of Track and Field
levels. We also want to make sure that          day there’s prep, there’s a lesson plan, a      and Indoor Track and Assistant Athletic
all coaches are appropriately matched           progression of drills, and work towards         Director, is in his twentieth year at West-
with their teams,” stresses Canuso-Be-          an objective that you have to design. And       town. He’s seen the program grow and
desem. The ADs wanted to shift from             it’s such an emotional job! You feel like the   change, and while there have been some
the days when a teacher was assigned to         success of your team and these kids is in       growing pains, he has always believed in
be a soccer coach simply because they           your hands.”                                    the benefits of required athletics and he
once played soccer in high school. Still,           “When I first came to Westtown, I           supports the vision of the ADs as they
having a blend of internal and external         wondered if it were a great idea to have        refine the program. As a coach, he enjoys
coaches is critical to their program. “We       required sports,” admits Field Hockey           seeing athletes improve, achieve some-
want to have strong connections to our          Head Coach and Athletics Coordina-              thing they didn’t think they could, and,
community through outstanding internal          tor Amanda Oyler. “But once I saw it in         especially, watching novices and experi-
coaches, because it’s important that there      motion, I completely understood it.” Now        enced athletes work together. “For me,
is a tie to the school. It’s an institutional   she firmly believes that it’s important for     the biggest joy—and the reason I con-
priority that our internal coaches have         all students to experience team sports. “It     tinue to coach—is seeing the kids who
multiple points of contact with kids, like      can be hard to coach, but it’s also a great     are experienced and naturally talented
seeing them during the day or in class or       experience for me and the students,” she        and the kids who are learning and getting
on dorm,” states Lehmann. “And we also          enthuses. “Some kids sign up for a sport        better working together. To see the nov-
are able to provide the highest level of        never having played it or maybe they            ice and the experienced athlete develop
coaching at the same time. It’s no different    aren’t athletic. But they learn, and I try      and contribute together to a team or at

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