Dear Williston Northampton School Community,

In early March, the world changed. One day school was open, classes were in session, and then, a few anxious weeks later, they weren’t. And just as quickly, teachers around the world suddenly were engaged in what felt very surreal. We were all small squares on a computer screen. It was difficult and frustratinguntil it wasn’t. We adapted. We didn’t know what we were capable of, or what to expect, but the moment changed, drastically, and we met it.

The resilience our teachers have shown in the last six months is something I’ve recognized in so many of my students over the past five years. There was Duncan, who, at 6’8″, was “here to play basketball.” Or that’s how he was perceived. But after a year teaching him in Writers’ Workshop and Williston Scholars, the joke became that he was my poetry recruit. Or Thomas, now a Division 1 football player who quickly became the Managing Editor of The Willistonian and lent a deft and empathetic touch to all his articles. These students, and so many others, took my writing classes, some never having written a story or poem or newspaper article—but they saw what the moment called for, and exceeded it every time. Our students do this all over campus every day—hey push themselves in theater class, they try their hardest in art class, they step out of their comfort zone, and they adapt.

This is why Williston Northampton School is so special. Our faculty encourage students to explore other sides of themselves, to stretch out intellectually, to be resilient, and most importantly, to be so much more than what’s expected of them. Every year, I’ve seen the remarkable impact the school has had on my students, and it is with this transformation in mind that I ask you to please join me in making a gift to the Williston Northampton Fund this December.

Thank you so much for your support of our school, a place that, time and again, has given students the opportunity to be exactly who they never knew they were meant to be.

Sincerely,

Matt Liebowitz
English teacher and advisor to The Willistonian

P.S. Help us meet the moment with a gift to the Williston Northampton Fund before December 31st. Make your gift here.