Thanks a Million! - Winchester Thurston School

letter from the head of schoolG a r y J . N i e l sFrank Lloyd Wright once said,“Noble life demands a noblearchitecture for noble usesof noble men.” Certainly ourintentions at WT are noble;our daily work with students is noble;and our students and faculty are noble.And “noble architecture” describesperfectly the new buildings that nowgrace WT’s campuses.At the North Hills Campus, theCampus Center not only complementsthe existing building in design, but,nestled near the cluster of trees androcks that once bordered the old barn,it provides a visible presence fromMiddle Road and creates a new senseof campus.The Upper School is majestic inscope and appearance; its presenceenhances our neighborhood. Thebuilding features exquisite brickwork with a classic flair, double hungwindows, and an open patio andsolarium. Similar to the Campus Centerat North, the Upper School intentionallycomplements the City Campus MainBuilding. Despite the traditional look ofthe exterior, the interior is colorful anddiverse in its configurations.Our new facilities are truly noblein their use and in the way they havealready enhanced the day-to-day lifeof our school. Physical education atthe North Hills Campus was oncehampered by its cramped classroomlocation. Today students take PE in aspacious multipurpose room. ScienceFor a most noble outpouringof support, Thank Youand art once shared a classroom,creating awkward exchanges andschedule conflicts; today our youngartists at North sculpt and paint in asun-drenched studio with light pouringthrough 12-foot windows overlookingthe pond. Music classes were once heldat the end of a crowded corridor; todaythey are offered in a warm, invitingspace with easy access to instruments.The Campus Center has enabled us totransform old spaces into new. A newlibrary and technology center bustlewith activity throughout each day inthe Main Building at North, and the oldfarm house has been transformed intoa magical learning space for our newNorth Pre-Kindergarten.On the City Campus, Upper Schoolscience classes, once conducted in tinybasement classrooms in a former bombshelter, now enjoy spacious, brightlaboratories supplied with the verybest equipment and safety features. Adedicated student research lab enablesstudents to conduct independent andsmall group science research projects.In each Upper School classroomteachers have dedicated laptops, builtinprojection systems, and wirelessconnectivity that make it seamlessto integrate technology tools into theclassroom experience. The new collegeguidance suite features an impressiveconference room where studentsmeet with college representatives andconduct college research.The heart of the new Upper Schoolis the magnificent library, an opentwo-story space with enclosed smallgroup study rooms, custom designedtables, desks, chairs, and a relaxingfireside reading area. The Upper Schoolalso features the Hilda Willis Room, anassembly space that promotes a senseof community and enables the schoolto provide a forum for speakers andsmall theatrical productions. Finally, thebuilding offers an array of meeting andsocial spaces for students and faculty.A s i d e f r o m p r o v i d i n g o u routstanding Upper School programwith its own showcase facility, the newUpper School building has allowed WTto enhance the learning environment inthe Lower and Middle Schools throughdifferentiated divisional spaces andinnovative new programs. The LowerSchool, now located entirely on the firstfloor of the Main Building, has introduceda new Academic Enrichmentand Challenge program and has a newmultipurpose area; the Middle School,located entirely on the second floor ofthe Main Building, now has its ownlibrary—the Finkel Library—and a newRobotics Laboratory that has inspiredan expanded robotics program.Seeing these projects through,from the early planning to design,construction, and execution has beentremendously fulfilling. The most gratifyingaspect has been the outpouring ofsupport from the Winchester Thurstoncommunity. Trustees, former trustees,parents, alums, faculty, staff, friends andfoundations have responded in a mostremarkable way, with donations thatrepresent the greatest generosity in WThistory. This demonstration of affection,belief, and investment in WT’s future isthe most noble element of what we haveachieved. WT exceeded the campaigngoal, a goal that was millions beyondwhat professional consultants advisedus we could raise. I want to take thisopportunity to thank each and everyone of you who contributed for enablingWT to take a giant leap forward, and forbelieving in our future. T h i s t l e t a l k W i n t e r 2 0 0 7