Westover School
Encyclopedia
The Westover School, often referred to simply as "Westover," is an independent college-preparatory day and boarding school
for girls. Located in Middlebury
, Connecticut
, USA, the school offers grades 9-12. The school was founded in 1909 by Mary Robbins Hillard and designed by noted female architect Theodate Pope Riddle
.
The school’s operating expenses are $10.6 million; parents, friends, and a base of 3,451 alumnae raised $1,400,911 for the 2007–08 Annual Fund. The school’s endowment is $42 million.
The School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and approved by the state of Connecticut. Memberships include the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, and the College Board.
There are numerous English trimester electives for eleventh- and twelfth-grade students—for example, Contemporary Poetry; Dante’s Vision; Fantastic and Possible Futures (Film and Fiction); Inner and Outer Nature; Genesis, Job, and the Gospels; Poetics and the Iliad; Romantic Poetry; James Joyce's Ulysses; Shakespeare: Comedy, Tragedy, and Romance; Tolstoy; and Truth, Beauty, Justice. Advanced Placement courses are offered in art, art history, biology, calculus, chemistry, computer science, English, environmental science, European history, French, Spanish, statistics, Latin, Chinese, music, physics, U.S. history, and U.S. government.
The arts requirement may be fulfilled not only by numerous studio art, art history, and music courses but also by advanced trimester courses in dance and theater arts.
Three special programs enhance the curriculum at Westover. For talented musicians, there is a joint program with the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division. For qualified girls who hold a strong interest in science and engineering, Westover offers the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, which is a joint program with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. For the preprofessional dancer, there is a joint program with Brass City Ballet of Middlebury.
Westover School provides an advanced English as a second language program for international students who are otherwise highly qualified but who require assistance in improving their English skills.
The current Head of School is Ann Pollina, who holds a B.A. (Fordham University) and an M.A. (New York University).
Westover is a member of the New England Prep School League and the Western New England Prep School Athletic Association (WNEPSAA). Some of the schools from WNEPSAA that Westover plays are Gunnery, Kingswood-Oxford, Kent, Miss Hall's, Miss Porter's, Taft, and Westminster.
Westover also participates in the Connecticut Independent School Athletic Conference (CISAC) in basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and tennis. Some of the CISAC schools include Chase Collegiate, Ethel Walker’s, Hamden Hall, and Williams.
Classes often make trips to New York, Boston, New Haven, and other cultural centers to visit museums or to see theater productions, operas, or ballets.
Some of the clubs students take part in are
If a student wants to start a club that is not already established, she may do so by getting a faculty advisor to assist her in running the club.
Westover School admits girls of any race, color, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other School-administered programs.
Other traditions include the Dorcas Fair, a Junior class community service project, the Lantern Ceremony, and Germans.
Mothers of Noted Actors
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for girls. Located in Middlebury
Middlebury, Connecticut
Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, USA, the school offers grades 9-12. The school was founded in 1909 by Mary Robbins Hillard and designed by noted female architect Theodate Pope Riddle
Theodate Pope Riddle
Theodate Pope Riddle was an American architect. She was one of the first American women architects as well as a survivor of the Lusitania.-Life:...
.
The school’s operating expenses are $10.6 million; parents, friends, and a base of 3,451 alumnae raised $1,400,911 for the 2007–08 Annual Fund. The school’s endowment is $42 million.
The School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and approved by the state of Connecticut. Memberships include the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, and the College Board.
Academic program
A minimum of 18 credits is required for graduation, including 4 in English, 3 in mathematics, 3 in languages, 2? in history, 2? in science, and 2 in the arts. Computer literacy and community service are required. Twenty-one AP courses are offered. Some requirements may be modified for entering juniors.There are numerous English trimester electives for eleventh- and twelfth-grade students—for example, Contemporary Poetry; Dante’s Vision; Fantastic and Possible Futures (Film and Fiction); Inner and Outer Nature; Genesis, Job, and the Gospels; Poetics and the Iliad; Romantic Poetry; James Joyce's Ulysses; Shakespeare: Comedy, Tragedy, and Romance; Tolstoy; and Truth, Beauty, Justice. Advanced Placement courses are offered in art, art history, biology, calculus, chemistry, computer science, English, environmental science, European history, French, Spanish, statistics, Latin, Chinese, music, physics, U.S. history, and U.S. government.
The arts requirement may be fulfilled not only by numerous studio art, art history, and music courses but also by advanced trimester courses in dance and theater arts.
Three special programs enhance the curriculum at Westover. For talented musicians, there is a joint program with the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division. For qualified girls who hold a strong interest in science and engineering, Westover offers the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, which is a joint program with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. For the preprofessional dancer, there is a joint program with Brass City Ballet of Middlebury.
Westover School provides an advanced English as a second language program for international students who are otherwise highly qualified but who require assistance in improving their English skills.
Faculty and advisors
There are 30 full-time and 18 part-time teaching faculty members. All have bachelor’s degrees, 21 have master’s degrees, and 1 holds a Ph.D. The majority of the teaching faculty members live in school-owned housing. Dorm parents live in apartments on the eight residential student corridors. All members of the faculty are encouraged to seek professional development, and funds are available to do so.The current Head of School is Ann Pollina, who holds a B.A. (Fordham University) and an M.A. (New York University).
Athletics
The school's athletic program offers a variety of sports ranging in levels of competition from highly competitive varsity teams to noncompetitive individual endeavors such as rock climbing. The Fuller Athletic Center houses a full-length basketball court, four volleyball courts, a multi-level indoor-climbing wall, a fitness center, four international squash courts, and a multipurpose room for yoga, aerobics, and meetings.Westover is a member of the New England Prep School League and the Western New England Prep School Athletic Association (WNEPSAA). Some of the schools from WNEPSAA that Westover plays are Gunnery, Kingswood-Oxford, Kent, Miss Hall's, Miss Porter's, Taft, and Westminster.
Westover also participates in the Connecticut Independent School Athletic Conference (CISAC) in basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and tennis. Some of the CISAC schools include Chase Collegiate, Ethel Walker’s, Hamden Hall, and Williams.
Extracurricular opportunities
There are numerous clubs and organizations that support interests in the environment, social services, arts, languages, and writing. Three School publications and the Glee Club involve large numbers of students. Many students and other members of the Westover community take part in all aspects of the production of a musical.Classes often make trips to New York, Boston, New Haven, and other cultural centers to visit museums or to see theater productions, operas, or ballets.
Some of the clubs students take part in are
- The Dorcas Society and Fund
- W.A.L.S.A. (Westover's African-American and Latina Student Association
- Westover Christian Fellowship
- Handbells
- Glee Club
- French Club
- Spanish Club
- Asian Culture Club
- Tea Club
- Environmental Action Club
If a student wants to start a club that is not already established, she may do so by getting a faculty advisor to assist her in running the club.
Admission information
Acceptance to Westover is based on school performance, academic potential, motivation, and character. The SSAT is required; the TOEFL is required for students whose native language is not English.Westover School admits girls of any race, color, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other School-administered programs.
Traditions
- West and Over Spirit Teams, Back when Westover didn't compete in interscholastic sports, their sports teams were the Wests and the Overs. Now, they are spirit teams that you are assigned to as a freshman and stay in until senior year. Seniors make up their own teams. Wests are green, Overs are red, and Seniors are blue.
- Lanterns, The official symbol of Westover and Westover's traditions.
- Senior X, A senior group that pulls pranks from time to time.
- Senior Sleep Pass, A special senior privilege that allows them to sleep through assembly twice a month.
- TT, A group of juniors that pull pranks once in a while to keep school spirit up
- Coagess, The schools year book. The name comes from the school's motto, Cogitare, Agere, Esse
Other traditions include the Dorcas Fair, a Junior class community service project, the Lantern Ceremony, and Germans.
Notable alumnae
- Princess Zein bint Al HusseinPrincess Zein bint Al HusseinPrincess Zein bint Al Hussein is the sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan and is the twin sister of Princess Aisha bint Al Hussein. She attended Westover School and graduated in 1986.-Ancestry:-External links:*...
(Class of 1986), Jordanian Princess, daughter of the late King Hussein and sister to King Abdullah II of Jordan. - Minnie Cushing Astor Fosburgh (Class of 1925, deceased), Betsey Cushing Roosevelt WhitneyBetsey Cushing Roosevelt WhitneyBetsey Roosevelt Whitney , was an American philanthropist, the ex-wife of James Roosevelt , and later wife of American millionaire and U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St...
(Class of 1928, deceased), and Babe Cushing Mortimer PaleyBabe PaleyBarbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley was an American socialite and style icon. She was known by the popular nickname "Babe" for most of her life. She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958....
(Class of 1934, deceased). The Cushing Sisters were socialites whose marriages connected them to some of the most noted and wealthy families in America of mid-20th century American (the Astors, Roosevelts, Whitneys, Mortimers,and Paleys). - Winifred Rockefeller EmenyWinifred Rockefeller EmenyWinifred Rockefeller was a daughter of Percy Avery Rockefeller, one of the richest financiers and industrialists of his time. Percy was the son of William Rockefeller, who made a fortune from the Standard Oil Co...
(Class of 1923, deceased). - Sylvia Shaw JudsonSylvia Shaw JudsonSylvia Shaw Judson , also known as Sylvia Shaw Haskins, was an American sculptor and teacher.-Early life and education:Shaw was born in 1897 in Lake Forest, Illinois, near Chicago, the daughter of prominent Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw. She attended the Westover School in Connecticut. In...
(Sylvia Shaw Haskins) (Class of 1915, deceased), sculptor, creator of "Bird Girl" (used on the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilMidnight in the Garden of Good and EvilMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a non-fiction work by John Berendt. Published in 1994, the book was Berendt's first, and became a The New York Times bestseller for 216 weeks following its debut....
) and many other works. - Isabel Rockefeller LincolnIsabel Rockefeller LincolnIsabel Rockefeller Lincoln was born in Ardsley-on-the-Hudson, New York on 23 June 1902. Her father, Percy Avery Rockefeller, was one of the richest financiers and industrialists of his time. Percy was the son of William Rockefeller, who made a fortune from the Standard Oil Co...
(Class of 1920, deceased). - Edith Cummings Munson (Class of 1917, deceased), professional golfer and first American woman on the cover of Time magazine (Aug. 25, 1924).
- Ginevra King PirieGinevra KingGinevra King was an American socialite, a Chicago, Illinois, debutante and the inspirational muse for several characters in the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald.-Early life:...
(Class of 1917, deceased), Chicago socialite who was F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott FitzgeraldFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
's inspiration for the character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great GatsbyThe Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922....
. - E. C. SpykmanE. C. SpykmanElizabeth Choate Spykman was an American author known primarily for her children's books....
(Elizabeth Choate Spykman) (Class of 1914), journalist and children's book author. - Alice TullyAlice TullyAlice Bigelow Tully was a U.S. singer, music promoter and philanthropist.Alice Tully was born in Corning, New York. She spent her high school years at the famous Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut. Tully began her career as a mezzo-soprano, then became a soprano. She studied in Paris and...
(Class of 1920, deceased), philanthropist, patron of New York City's music institutions. Lincoln Center's chamber music hall is named after her.
Mothers of Noted Actors
- Grace Ewing Huffman, Class of 1940, (mother of actress Felicity HuffmanFelicity HuffmanFelicity Kendall Huffman is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is known for her role as executive producer Dana Whitaker on the ABC television show Sports Night , which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination, and as hectic supermom Lynette Scavo on the ABC show Desperate...
, star of television's Sports Night, Desperate HousewivesDesperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
and Oscar-nominated star of Transamerica) - Barbara Lamb Johnson, Class of 1949, (mother of actor Christopher ReeveChristopher ReeveChristopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
) - Penny Levy Peet, Class of 1959, (mother of actress Amanda PeetAmanda PeetAmanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
of Something's Gotta GiveSomething's Gotta Give (film)Something's Gotta Give is a 2003 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers for both Columbia Pictures and Warner Bros. It stars Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton as a successful 60-something and 50-something, who find love for each other at a different time of life,...
and other films)