Academics

2023 Fall Family Weekend in Massachusetts

October 31, 2023

On October 20 to October 21, 2023, Winchendon Families came to our Massachusetts campus to see the day-to-day experiences that their students have. Families were welcomed to campus on Friday afternoon to shadow their students in their afternoon classes. This allowed for parents and families to see the type of work being completed in their different classes.

After the student’s academic day ended, the time to explore the co-curriculars began. Parents were able to attend the co-curricular showcase, in which they could watch their student participate in their co-curricular activity. This spanned from families watching their students practicing for their sport to watching their student rehearse for the fall play, or tag along for the photography co-curricular.

Students in the photography co-curricular activity spend the afternoon capturing photos of other students playing their respective sports.

Photo taken by student Roy Geng (senior)

Following the co-curricular period on Friday, families were able to enjoy a wonderful dinner put together by Sage Dining in the dining hall. Head of School, Sean Duncan, then opened his home to the parents of the students in the evening. This allowed for parents to connect with their student’s teachers and other staff members that support their children at The Winchendon School.

Saturday morning, families were invited then invited to shadow their students’ academic schedule. This provided an opportunity for families to connect with the different students’ teachers and learn more about the day-to-day classes their students are attending.

The Winchendon School (MA) faculty and staff were thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with the parents and families of the wonderful students that we have on campus. We look forward to continuing to connect and work with these families to support their students!

Engineering On The Bronx River??

October 18, 2023

It is amazing how being in a boat and trying to make that boat go somewhere – can help you think about how it was designed and built. “Will this thing sink?” “Are we going to tip it over?” “I bet we could get further with less effort if this thing wasn’t so heavy.”

And so Dr. Lipat had his engineering class on the Bronx River a couple weeks ago as part of the “Rocking the Boat” initiative . As their motto states, “Kids don’t just build boats. Boats build kids.” And that day boats had Winch students thinking in interesting ways.

These Wapiti learned a bit about boat construction – and how to work the materials to make boats and boat parts. They learned how to use different tools. For some of them this included using large power tools for the first time. The students learned more about the ecosystem like the Bronx River and what is impacting our waterways.

And the students had a memorable learning experience that will probably outlive their memories of most math or engineering classes!

Innovative and Popular Teacher Returns To Winchendon

August 24, 2023

He’s been spotted leading Winch students through Central America and helping students build homes for those less fortunate. He has been known to jump on stage – or entertain anywhere even if no stage is available. He was an incredibly popular coach and beloved teacher and colleague.

Would you want this guy as your teacher?

…or this guy?

Perhaps not, but any student who has ever had him would say that “this guy”, Mr. D’Arcey, was one of their favorite teachers.

And Mr. D’Arcey has rejoined the ranks of the Winchendon Wapiti this fall.

Head of School Sean Duncan commented, “I am thrilled that a teacher and leader of Jared D’Arcey’s caliber has agreed to return to Winchendon. Jared has always set a high standard for making learning engaging and fun while knowing each of his students well. His return is another big win for Winchendon this fall.”

Mr. D’Arcey commented “I am very excited to return to The Winchendon School after teaching at Narragansett Regional High School and Leominster Center for Excellence (both exceptional schools). It has been great seeing familiar faces and catching up with friends around campus. I am thrilled to be teaching again in the great community of Winchendon.”

Jared, his wife Miranda, and their kids live in Winchendon. Miranda Jennings also taught at TWS and founded our Service Learning initiative. Miranda is now the Executive Director of the Winchendon CAC, the Program Director of Heal Winchendon, an active community leader – and a key partner of the School’s in our commitment to create service opportunities for our students in the community and the greater region.

Between Mr. Bolander, Mr. Carmona-Tangarife, and Mr. D’Arcey, there should be some fascinating and exiting adventures in the study of World Languages on Winch’s MA campus this year!

Make Your Mark: Wireless Routers and Summer Interns

August 14, 2023

By Sydney Brown ‘23

Hands-on electrical projects using power tools, digital media, analytics, and writing are just some of the elements Winch interns have immersed themselves in lately.

Gabe Dion drills into the surface board — Gabe Dion drills into surface board

Ava Newton works on the electrical — Gabe Dion drills into surface board

Winchendon has established an exceptional program called Winch Works that provides valuable internship opportunities for students, allowing them to showcase their abilities while gaining exposure to various departments. The program offers paid internships for individuals to take on roles in athletic, maintenance, marketing, and business departments.

Under the guidance of Pete Blais, Director of IT, a team of three student interns, Ava Newton, Gabe Dion, and Willie Torres, were hard at work supporting the community, “replac[ing] old and underpowered wireless access points (WAPs/radios) in the dining hall, virtually quadrupling our wireless capacity in that space. All three are learning new skills…and honing the application of hand and power tools in various situations,” says Blais.

Interns inspect the ceiling — Willie Torres inspects the ceiling

In addition to gaining valuable work experience, interns can also earn extra cash, allowing them to continue their studies with considerable attention. Sydney Brown, a Winch alumna, contacted the CEO, John Kerney, and secured herself a Data Analytics and Marketing position with the Director of Marketing, Deb Schultz. “I believe my nine-month experience has opened up other opportunities and networking connections with experience using HubSpot, AI, PicMonkey, Excel, Canva, and Google Forms that are beneficial to the work I’ve performed,” says Syd. She recently had a conversation with the CMO of Orlando City SC, Pedro Franklin de Araujo, to ask questions in the hopeful pursuit of an internship.

Interns: Seek Purpose. Pursue Passion. Chase Opportunity.

As technology continues to grow, college and job placements become more competitive, and students are immersed in these experiences much earlier on. As a result, students are getting a head start that will set them apart from other students. This program provides an opportunity to explore interests, gain exposure to specific avenues, and establish valuable connections with faculty who can align with the student’s interests.

Winchendon encourages students to seek internship opportunities in high school, as it is not only purposeful for their passions but also a valuable element of their career path moving forward. It’s a space to showcase their capabilities, the effort they’re willing to put in to achieve so young, and a reflection of their leadership to attain a deeper meaning of their mark. With the help of this program, students can gain the necessary experience to succeed in college and beyond.

Inventors. Influencers. Changemakers. Just Another Graduating Class at The Winchendon School.

June 16, 2023

Everyone knows that getting into an elite private high school is a competitive process. But the competition also exists between schools as they vie to attract students from diverse backgrounds with big dreams. Differentiators between one private school and another are often what makes the difference in an individual student’s life, thereby preparing them for a rewarding college experience and a fulfilling post-graduate career.

These differentiators matter. It’s no longer enough to have good grades to get into elite colleges. In the same way you’re searching for that unique characteristic in a private high school for your child, the best college programs are searching for standout candidates. The ColLAB program at The Winchendon School is the type of differentiator that not only sets the institution apart from other elite private high schools but helps set your child apart by preparing them for college and careers in a way you won’t find anywhere else.

The dual-campus The Winchendon School of New York City and Winchendon, MA, is a coeducational, multicultural, private boarding and day community providing students a dynamic and forward-thinking environment in which to develop strong character, essential study skills, and learning strategies that propel each student to achieve academic and personal success. Integral to that success is the ColLAB program, a new kind of immersive, highly academic “internship” offering students the opportunity to realize real-world success while still in high school. This innovative program is part of The Winchendon School’s philosophy of doing high school better and recently earned the school recognition by US News & World Report as a school to consider.

The ColLAB concept works by pairing your child’s passions with rigorous academic study. Each student’s ColLAB (short for collaborative laboratory) is an elective-style workshop unique to them. In concert with academic advisors, students choose a topic of focus. During the ColLAB immersive, Winchendon students get out of the classroom to apply the skills and habits they’ve learned at Winchendon to the fields and disciplines that most interest them, gaining real-world experience in the process. Concentrating on one course of study, students receive one of three types of learning experiences: internships and working experience, independent projects, or immersive workshops and extensive fieldwork on wide-ranging topics.

A ColLAB can be almost anything, as long as it is immersive and engrossing. Recent ColLABs have included a student building their own clothing brand from scratch or working, creating a graphic novel, and producing a documentary exploring what motivates people. The process of each ColLAB is nearly as important as the final product as students gain invaluable experience. Psychology of athletes, revolution of music, travel immersives – the sky’s the limit when it comes to each student’s ColLAB. Students emerge from the experience with tangible skills, resume enhancement, and newfound confidence.

ColLABs are a perfect avenue for students who may have felt unengaged by school before life at Winchendon. ColLABs have proven results, with participating students not only admitted to elite universities but also springboarding from their chosen ColLab to wider recognition.

Sophie Jamison took the road-less-traveled to success. Before she hadn’t even graduated from college, she had been named as an executive with a major retail brand by Adweek, and has built a business that allows her to pay her own living and education expenses –largely due to her ColLAB. Her ColLAB consisted of starting a YouTube channel to explore her love of all things Nerf when she was no longer able to pursue soccer. Nerf became the surrogate and through ColLABs, she was able to produce something that would change her life. Her TikTok channel @Nerfers101, inspired by her ColLAB project, now has 1.8 million followers, leading Hasbro to hire her as chief TikTok officer at Nerf. Now at the University of Southern Maine, Ms. Jamison still works as an influencer, continuing her career in content creation, production, and social media, with aspirations of one day becoming a head of a major consumer brand.

Bryan Perla ’17 on ABC’s Shark Tank. (ABC/Eric McCandless)

Bryan Perla was like many students when he arrived at Winchendon as a sophomore: bright but uninspired by traditional schooling. Learning difficulties had dogged Mr. Perla’s academic progress, but Winchendon provided him the opportunity to learn hands-on while affording him the flexibility to pursue his love of gymnastics. LittleELF was so innovative, Mr. Perla was able to raise over $130,000 on Kickstarter and bring his product to market, and then was picked for an appearance on Shark Tank – all while Mr. Perla was still an underclassman at Stanford!

“I started getting interested in inventions at a young age,” says Mr. Perla. “Winchendon was able to facilitate my passion, and I was able to really go crazy and all-in on my inventions during ColLABs. During my senior year, I designed, prototyped, and worked on a patent for a project I developed during my spring and fall ColLABs. The Winchendon School allowed me to learn a lot about the innovation process because I was able to apply for a patent and develop multiple prototypes.”

The parallels between Stanford and The Winchendon School have become very evident to me since I’ve been on campus. Success here does not strictly mean getting As, but it’s a broader, more powerful thing than that. It’s diving into what you are interested in and putting 110% of your effort into that passion. ColLABs at Winchendon epitomize this characteristic.”
Bryan Perla ’17

Mr. Perla just graduated from Stanford University and credits his success to The Winchendon School and its innovative educational programs like ColLAB.

ColLABs represent a fundamental difference in how Winchendon thinks about education, prioritizing experiential learning. With two campuses ― one in Herald Square in Manhattan and one in bucolic Winchendon just outside Boston ― students can matriculate between them, offering opportunities no other private high school in the area can offer. With 332 boarding and day students from all over the globe interacting in small classes with a 6:1 student to faculty ratio, it’s no wonder that 95% of Winchendon graduates attend their first- or second-choice college.

If you’re searching for the best private high school for the unique student, The Winchendon School may be the right choice for your child. Since 1926, The Winchendon School has been guiding, coaching and supporting its students to achieve the best outcomes. By providing students with a highly engaging and individualized high school experience ― epitomized by ColLABs ― Winchendon sets its students up for success later in life, no matter the path they choose.

Learn more about The Winch Difference to discover why it’s the school of choice for those looking for something better than high school.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan Meets The Winchendon School

April 5, 2023

By Sydney Brown ’23

On Tuesday morning, I saw firsthand the commitment it takes to serve as a politician within the Massachusetts 3rd District. As Mrs. Lambert introduced Congresswoman Trahan, I listened from the viewpoint of a senior in high school about to embark on my college journey and soon-to-be career in business. From being the first Portuguese-American in Congress, a grandchild of immigrants, receiving a scholarship to play volleyball at Georgetown, to growing through the ranks of what it takes to be at the top serving a community were all elements I held immense respect for and could relate to. After receiving various questions, Trahan delved head-first into the policies she has focused on, one being mental health, which I work closely with through initiatives along with another student Julia ’23.

The Congresswoman’s conversation wasn’t only an inspiration because she showed that it’s easy to judge a person based on what you see on the outside or their political affiliation, but it’s even harder to be in the position of working in a highly divisive, fast-pace moving, and intense job environment. This was evident in having to balance her family life, being in DC three times a week, and continuing to work for the citizens of her district every single day.

At the same time, I was in complete awe of her character and knowledge; her immersion in sports with a reference to the NCAA record-breaking numbers that occurred especially for the women’s side, pushing for women to have a seat at the table in business, her presence in high-tech, and the correlation between TikTok’s effect on individuals even without the ownership of the app itself, were clear elements to an individual who has done her research.

No matter our opinions, our values, or what our belief reaches towards in politics, it’s situations like these that can really exert oneself to the different realms of being a powerful leader in the world.

Academics

Interns: Seek Purpose. Pursue Passion. Chase Opportunity.

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