Williston Northampton School

Infobox School


imagesize=100px
name=The Williston Northampton School
headmaster=Dr. Brian R. Wright
schooltype=Private
religion=None
founded=1841
location=Easthampton, Massachusetts, MA, U.S.
enrollment=552
faculty=114
campus type=Suburban
mascot=Wildcat
school colors=Blue, Green, and White

The Williston Northampton School, or "Williston," is a private co-educational preparatory school in Easthampton, Massachusetts that runs through middle school day students, and upper school day students and boarders.

History

Founded in 1841 as Williston Seminary by the industrialist Samuel Williston, the institution has undergone many changes to become the Williston Northampton School it is today. The Seminary comprised two faculties: classical and scientific. It is arguable that the school offered one of the earliest high school scientific curricula in the United States. In the late 19th century the dual curricula had evolved into a more modern comprehensive course, and in 1924 the school was renamed Williston Academy. Students at the all-male institution were widely regarded as some of the most promising in the country, and quite often matriculated at our nation's most prestigious universities. During the 1960s Williston began to examine possibilities for coeducation, and in 1971, merged with its longtime sister school, the Northampton School for Girls, to become the Williston Northampton School. Starting as a preparatory academy for those seeking the clergy, the school now prides itself on "integrating a core college preparatory curriculum with exciting electives and special opportunities, while emphasizing mastery of language, clarity of thought and academic integrity," according to current headmaster Dr. Brian Wright.

tudents and Faculty

Williston Northampton encompasses the middle school (7th and 8th grade) and the upper school (9th-12th).

The school has 552 students in the 2006-2007 academic year, including 78 in the middle school (7th and 8th grade), all of whom are day students. The boarding students come from 26 states and 23 countries around the world. A sizable portion of the international students come from eastern Asia and the Middle East, especially in connection with the Saudi oil company Aramco. Every year, a dozen or so post-graduate students – students who have graduated from another high school but take an extra year before college – matriculate into the 12th grade.

Williston employs 114 teachers, making for a student-teacher ratio of approximately 4.75:1. The average class consists of 12 students. Most teachers also take on the roles of dorm parents, advisors, and athletics coaches, fostering deep relationships with students.

The Campus

The campus is spread out all over Easthampton. The Phillip Stevens Chapel, circa 1967, hosts both the weekly assembly in its traditional chapel and language classes in its basement. The "schoolhouse," a former factory building remodeled in the 1950's to resemble the old "schoolhouse" on the original Main Street campus, which had been across from the then town hall built as a Civil War memorial, holds English and math classes, and classrooms for history, the arts, and music are spread throughout the Reed Campus Center building (an interesting product of the conversion of the school's old gymnasium into a student center--in the main lounge area, the "Stu Bop," one can still see parts of the old pool). After a fire destroyed the school’s theater in 1994, it was rebuilt as a state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the science laboratories, Scott Hall. Other classes, especially electives, are held in parts of various other buildings. The Robert Clapp Memorial Library is located near the center of the campus. There is a parking lot for day students with cars behind Scott Hall, and the middle school is housed in the Whitaker-Bement Center, kept fairly separate from the action of upper school life. The school also boasts impressive athletic facilities, including a recently redesigned Athletic Center, and a state of the art football field/lacrosse field. Recently, the twelve new tennis courts, soccer fields, discus cage, and track, that have been pending construction, were finished.

Life at the School

The school year begins about a week into September and usually ends in the first week of June, with several long vacations in between. Each student typically takes five classes at a time. Students take four year-long English classes and almost always four year-long math classes, along with history courses, science courses, language courses, and electives. 17 courses may taken at Advanced Placement (AP) level, and many more at the honors level.

Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. and end in the early afternoon, when many students head off to their athletic practice.

Athletics play a large role in the school, and rather than attending gym class, students out of 7th grade are required to participate in after-school sports, including 19 interscholastic sports. Sports practice, even for the less competitive teams, takes up a sizable portion of students’ afternoons. After this, many day students go home, but some stay on campus through supper to participate in more activities, especially theatrical and music ensemble rehearsals. The theater program at Williston is very strong, and, currently under the direction of David Nields, send many of their more talented student to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Wednesday classes finish at 12:10, early enough for most teams to make it to their afternoon athletic competition. Williston often plays rival schools such as long time cross valley rival Deerfield Academy, or Northfield Mount Hermon,Choate Rosemary Hall , or Suffield Academy. Athletic competitions are also held on weekends. Much to the chagrin of most students, the half-day Wednesdays are made up for every other Saturday, by way of a half day of classes.

An informal dress code is enforced during the academic day - boys must wear non-cargo, drawstring, or athletic pants/shorts with a belt and a tucked in collared or button down shirt and girls must wear either pants of the same regulation or skirts falling to near the knee with a blouse, collared or button down shirt. Failure to comply will result in a unit, as described later.

Williston Traditions

The weekly Williston assembly is the site of many school traditions. Most of the Tuesday gatherings are for general announcements and presentations by both outside speakers and by students, often addressing their peers as part of class assignments. However, there are four special awards assemblies per year: one for each of the three sports seasons and one for academic awards.

At the last assembly of the year, the graduating seniors (seated at the front of the chapel) traditionally leave first, the juniors fill their places, and so on as each class files downward, signifying their move to a new grade.

Beginning in the 1990s, a disciplinary measure was instituted whereby an infraction of a rule would result in the student being given a “unit.” A unit or units will be imposed for misconduct ranging from a dress code violation to being caught smoking. Depending on the number of units accumulated, the student must attend a study hall, perform extra community service, or even face suspension or expulsion.

Also familiar to many graduates of a particular era is the annual “Do Good Well” speech, given each year at an assembly by a former headmaster. The quote was a particular favorite of Robert Frost, handed down from Headmaster Robert Ward by way of the story of a small child asking Frost if one should “do good” or “do well”, to which Frost replied that one should do good well.

Male Varsity and Junior Varsity athletes will go beyond the normal dress code on game days and wear a tie and jacket at the discretion of the team's captains or head coach. Female Varsity athletes will periodically wear obviously and outrageously clashing outfits on game days. Game day dress in winter has been known to involve summer dresses with sunglasses and totes. Female game day dress is typically enforced by team captains and not team coaches in contrast to male game day dress enforcement.

As spring arrives each year and 12th graders prepare to graduate and move on to college, the tradition of the senior prank is revived again and again. These are usually fairly benign affairs, often spoofing teachers and school administrators or, during his tenure, the headmaster’s “Do Good Well” speech.

By far one of the most ubiquitous and enduring traditions at the Williston Northampton School is the painting of the school lion. At least several times a year, boarding students sneak out of their dorms (breaking the strict curfew regulations) or day students sneak back to campus late at night and spray paint the statue of a lion on the center of campus. These art projects sometimes have a theme, such as the patriotic colors the lion displayed for the entire fall semester following the events of September 11, 2001, but more often, probably due to time constraints imposed by the necessity of remaining unseen, they are simply random colors. Occasionally the lion is painted in response to disciplinary action by the school's disciplinary committee, especially expulsions.

chool Song

While there are many school songs, the song most commonly known among current students is "Sammy," in reference to founder and first headmaster Samuel Williston.

The words are as follows:

Sammy, my Sammy, My heart yearns for thee,

Yearns for your campus and your old elm tree,

Long may we cherish in years yet to come,

Long may we cherish Williston.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

*Hiram Bingham II, Missionary in Hawaii
*William S. Clark, University of Massachusetts Amherst President
*Charles Robert Connell, Pennsylvania congressman
*P. D. Eastman, screenwriter
*Harland Sanders, entrepreneur
*Victor H. Fazio, California congressman
*William J. Granfield, Massachusetts congressman
*Michael Goldbloom, Toronto Star publisher
*Antonio Moreno, actor
*Charles Henry Parkhurst, minister who challenged Tammany Hall
*Edward Clark Potter, sculptor
*Luther Ely Smith, (1890), founder of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
*Amos Alonzo Stagg, (1890-1891), Hall of Fame Football Coach, Williston Seminary
*Henry Stockbridge, Jr., Maryland congressman
*George Crockett Strong (1851), U.S. Civil War General
*Patrick Rissmiller, Professional Hockey Player, NHL New York Rangers, Forward
*Brad Hall, Actor, Producer, Writer. Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Anchor.
*Ashley Gearing, American Country Singer

External links

* [http://www.williston.com Williston website]