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The Winchendon School

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Orientation: What it means to be a Winch Student

Today in orientation meetings both in NYC and on the Massachusetts campus, students reflected on what it means to be in a community rooted in kindness and why that–along with our words and actions-is such a critical part of student success, safety, and comfort.

In Massachusetts, Mr. Kerney introduced Ian Byrnes to the new students. Ian graduated in 2022 and lost his life just a few weeks later. In discussing Ian’s life and how his fellow students held him in high regard, Mr. Kerney challenged the students to learn three things from Ian’s two years at The Winchendon School:

  1. Make sure the adults in the community know what you want. Ian wanted to take courses outside of what others expected – at Winchendon, Ian was able to explore those academic interests.
  2. Try lots of different things. Ian managed volleyball, played soccer, and lacrosse, and was a gamer. He tried everything with enthusiasm and a smile.
  3. Be kind. At Ian’s memorial service we heard a story that we felt exemplified his personality. Faced without lunch, one of Ian’s co-workers was grateful when Ian shared his chicken tenders – when they reached the last chicken tender, Ian cut that one in half and shared that as well.
From Mr. Kerney’s presentation at Community Meeting in Massachusetts.
NYC students at Orientation.

On both campuses, the discussion of kindness set the tone for the day as we dove into community expectations, building connections, and in NYC, even had our first fire drill(s) of the year before they painted a mural, and working on collaborative projects.

Both campuses enjoyed a scavenger hunt to explore the school and get to know the neighborhood.

Oui to Paris! : A ColLAB Story

By Sydney Comire ’21

After graduating from Winch in 2021, Sydney currently attends college locally and is pursing a BFA while working part-time. This is her second year working as an intern for The Winchendon School.

Salut Paris! Tu te souviens de moi? (Hello Paris! Do you remember me?)

Here at The Winchendon School, the annual ColLAB trip to France is one of the most talked about events of the spring season. I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of this ColLAB in 2019, where my group traveled to two vastly different cities, Paris and Nantes. The following year, after hearing the tales of our 2019 trip, students were abuzz waiting for their chance to travel across the Atlantic, but less than a year later, the unthinkable happened. The Covid-19 Pandemic had shut down the world… and naturally, the trip was canceled.

Two years had gone by in a flash. I had finished my time at the Winchendon school and graduated in the class of 2021. Upon returning to The Winchendon School a year after my graduation (as an employee), you could imagine my excitement when I heard of the France ColLAB’s revival. 

More than three years after my trip, another group of students finally had the opportunity to travel abroad. During ColLAB symposium, I spoke with some of the student presenters, curious to pick their brains about their experiences. What cities had they visited? What tours had they taken? Did they try any new foods? What did they think of escargot? Had they brought home a souvenir? Did they see the old Olympic fields from the top of the Eiffel Tower?

Students at the Palace of Versailles, 2022

The trip this year was altered to fit Covid travel restrictions. No longer were the students split between two cities, but instead they stayed in Paris for the full two weeks.

In past years, including my own, students in the France ColLAB spent one week living amongst real French families in an “exchange student” like experience, and then spent the second week in Paris as a tourist. I had visited Nantes, and lived amongst a lovely French-Iranian family for a week. The parents spoke no English, and I was forced to use my French in order to communicate with them. Their daughter, who I am still friends with three and half years later, spoke perfect English, and yet she was determined to help me learn new vocabulary, like “Catcheur” (which means wrestler) and “Cuillére” (which means spoon).

Me (left) with my French exchange partner at the
Château des ducs de Bratagne in Nantes, 2019

This year, the “exchange student” portion was removed from the itinerary in favor of spending more time in Paris. However, for a day, the group ventured to Normandy and walked along the historic beaches where battle raged more than 76 years ago. 

“My favorite part of the trip was definitely visiting Normandy”, said one student, “I’m a huge history buff, so seeing the D Day beaches firsthand was a once in a lifetime experience.”

Aside from their excursion to Normandy, the students took an abundance of guided tours around the city of love. They paid a visit to the Mona Lisa at the The Louvre and Vincent Van Gogh’s Self Portrait at the Musee d’Orsay. They stood above the streets of Paris at the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, taste tested every flavor of macaron possible, took a night cruise on the River Seine, and admired the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. 

“It was unforgettable”, said another student, “There was this air about the city that was just unlike anything else. It felt like the city was alive with culture.”

Students at The Louvre, 2022

Since 2016, Monsieur Delorme and Madame Claude have been running the France ColLAB trip. Without them, the experience for us students wouldn’t have been the same. They were our tour guides, translators, chaperones, and historians all wrapped into one. Monsieur Delorme would tell us jokes about his previous trips and the funny situations his past students got into. Madame Claude would encourage us to try new things and to go into every store we saw in case there was something we might find interesting to take home. I asked the students this year about their adventures with Monsieur and Madame, and found that most of their stories lined up with my own experiences.

Many said the same thing: “This trip wouldn’t be the same without them.”

2022 students with Monsieur Delorme

In 2019, I ventured out of my comfort zone for the first time to France. As a young 15yr old sophomore, this was my first trip outside of the country. Many memories were made. I had traveled to France at the height of the “Mouvement des gilets jaunes” (“Yellow Jacket Movement”). A recent addition to French history where citizens protested the government’s increase in oil/fuel taxes. I witnessed first hand a protest while in Nantes. A large crowd of people clad in yellow vests were waving around flags and chanting something I didn’t quite understand. The police were alert, but there was no violence that day. In total, I saw three yellow vest protests during my trip. 

In 2022, students were exposed to a different kind of protest. They saw bits and pieces of the rapidly rising disdain for French President, Emmanuel Macron. The France trip is not just a tourist attraction. It’s a time to learn, understand, and witness history firsthand. By visiting the extravagant places of the past, students learn to understand the problems of the present. 

I couldn’t encourage this trip enough to all those who are considering signing up next year. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the history of one of Europe’s most influential powerhouses, while also receiving an immersive experience in the modern era.

J’adore la France et ça me manque! J’espère te revoir bientôt. (I adore you France and I miss you! I hope to see you again soon.)

Students at the Musée d’Orsay, 2022
On top of the Eiffel Tower with Madame Claude, 2022
At a Parisian Restaurant, 2022

The Winchendon School Readies for Students

The Winchendon School is preparing for the upcoming fall semester and welcoming new and returning students.

In addition to campus improvements including new playing fields, the School is launching iLAB, an initiative designed to support student success.

The majority of new boarding students will move in on Tuesday, September 6th, starting at noon. Student registration will be held outdoors in front of Ford Hall. Families are asked to watch traffic patterns as traffic flows one-way.

Orientation activities for all students will take place during opening week.

Among the early highlights of the 2022-23 academic year:

  • The implementation of iLAB. families can learn more about iTHEMEs, iBLOCKs, and iDAYs at the iLAB table on Move-in Day (September 6th for most students).
  • Convocation and formal opening dinner for all students. Day students should be picked up at 7:30 p.m. in front of Ford Hall.
  • The Winchendon School will celebrate Family Weekend on October 14 and 15th. Details are available here: https://winchendon.org/family-weekend-2022/

Summer Zoom Series for Newly Enrolled Families

Our by invitation (check your email SPAM folder if you haven’t seen an invitation yet) concludes on August 23rd at 6:30 PM with our webinar, “What’s a Wapiti?” In this session, you’ll learn “Winch” vocabulary (where is the “fishbowl”) and more!

By email invitation only. We send invitations out every Monday with a reminder on Tuesday.

The Spirit of America?: A ColLAB Story

By Bradley Bigelow ’21

After graduating from The Winchendon School, Bradley matriculated to American University in Washington, DC. This is his second summer working as an intern for The Winchendon School.

“We moved back to Mass after living out in the midwest,” said Tiffany Pellegrini, teacher, and leader of the spirit of America ColLAB. “It’s so odd to go out there and see that the oldest building is only from, like, the 1840s. Massachusetts has so much more history behind it.” I sat in the passenger seat of the 12-person Nissan van, commiserating with Tiffany about in-bound Boston traffic on the infamous Route 2. We were going into the city of Boston that Memorial Day to visit two important historic sites.

Tiffany Pellegrini is a Humanities teacher at The Winchendon School, and a history buff. As a new teacher at the Winchendon School, The Spirit of America is her first ColLAB. On the van ride to Boston alone, you could feel the passion she has for teaching history to her students.

My whole life, I had been a history junkie. I loved exploring old forts, enjoying museums, and soaking in as much of the past as possible. I even won a regional history day competition for having the best project in middle school and advanced to the next round (where I got knocked out by projects that blew my 8th-grade mind). When asked to cover this ColLAB I was absolutely elated- and for good reason. This ColLAB has been living my dream for the past week. They had been to monuments, museums, and everything in between, taking a deep dive into the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

When we offloaded the van at our first site: the USS Constitution, the kids were excited, and so was I. It was the first time I had seen the ship since I was about 7 years old. As we boarded, we saw the robust construction of the vessel that had allowed it to gain the nickname “Old Ironsides”- in a naval battle during the war of 1812, the Constitution took multiple volleys of British cannon fire to its sides, which simply bounced off the ship, leaving it largely unharmed. I saw the students light up as they made their way down the ladders and into the lower decks of the ship. we had satisfied ourselves with viewing the ship’s interior, and we returned topside and gathered on the docks below to talk about the significance of the Constitution’s history. After a quick group photo, we were on to the next location.

We got off and readied for a tour of our second location that day, which was Fenway Park. I didn’t know much about the park beyond it being the oldest one in America. Our tour guides elaborated on quite possibly every historical detail of the park, down to the details in the manually operated scoreboard. We toured the whole park- from sitting on the green monster to exploring the garden (which I had never thought I would have seen in a professional ballpark). Exploring Fenway was one of the most interesting activities I had ever done in the city of Boston. 
After a pit stop at Wahlburgers, and a short excursion to Newbury street, we piled back into the van and headed home. I was almost history’ed out from the day. Seeing all of the historic sites reminded me of the deep history of Massachusetts and the spirit of its early settlers and minutemen. At the end of our journey, I realized why Massachusetts is called the Spirit of America. The revolutionary spirit can still be felt in the street of Boston and the wilderness westward today.

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

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.

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