
Williston Builds
Academic Excellence
At the heart of a great Williston education are great teachers.
At the heart of a great Williston education are great teachers. These stewards of our mission not only bring patience, energy, and a unique ability to connect with teenagers (no small feat!), but they also have to have the ability to adapt as teaching methods and technology change. Thanks to the Williston Builds campaign, we’ve been able to increase our investment in supporting teachers by an amazing 500% since 2016. These donations allow Williston to offer dynamic professional development opportunities, best-in-class facilities, and competitive compensation to support teachers’ work with students in and out of the classroom.
For science teacher Tyla Taylor—here teaching AP Psychology—professional development opportunities help her evolve her teaching and stay energized. “Whether I’m taking a day-long workshop or pursuing my master’s degree in psychology, these opportunities allow me to be a student again. I get inspired by the contemporary research that I’m learning about, then I get to bring it right back to the classroom and share it with my students.”

INVESTING IN
OUR TEACHERS
A sizeable increase in faculty development funds is fueling new opportunities for teachers
When Dean of Faculty Corie Fogg ’99 interviews prospective teaching candidates, one topic invariably comes up: What is Williston’s commitment to professional development? It’s hardly a surprising question, given the pace of developments in academic fields and the appeal of being part of a school community that celebrates learning. Fortunately, Fogg has a reassuring answer. Thanks to gifts during the Williston Builds campaign, the school has been able to increase its support of faculty professional development by a whopping five-fold. In doing so, Williston has vastly expanded opportunities for teaching faculty to pursue graduate-level education, attend workshops and conferences, and more. At right, we asked Fogg to talk about the school’s philosophy, and how professional development has benefited the Williston community.
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What are Williston’s—and your—priorities in supporting professional development for faculty?
I think professional development should do three things: It should increase student learning and outcomes. It should foster continuous growth for faculty. And it should perpetuate a learning environment grounded in our shared commitment to purpose, passion, and integrity. Many schools have tried a one-size-fits-all approach to professional development, but I want faculty to engage in development that is individually meaningful to them. Does a teacher want to go deeper into a specific content area? Do they want to learn more about a different pedagogical approach? Do they want to go study with someone who’s an expert?
When we bring the faculty together for shared professional learning, their voice should be part of that, too. Last year, for example, we asked teachers what they wanted to learn more about. Based on the answers, we brought in the Tang Institute, out of Phillips Academy, to talk about grading, which has helped us think about the feedback we’re giving to students in writing, in conversation, and sometimes nonverbally. How does grading impact students’ mental health and social-emotional learning? We’ve already seen some changes, with kids feeling a little less anxious—though they’re still regularly checking their grades online, no question! This year, faculty have asked for increased learning around differentiated instruction and learning styles, and again, we want to meet this moment by sharing expertise. -
How does this investment in professional development benefit faculty?
When we give faculty the chance to do something meaningful, they become learners, and they bring it back to Williston. There’s a huge return on investment, not only from a financial standpoint, but also from a philosophical standpoint. When faculty go to a conference, for example, they come back and they put that pedagogical change into their classroom. The kids benefit from it.
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Can you give some examples of recent professional development?
The range of professional development is quite huge. We’ve had teachers take workshops and attend conferences. We’ve had teachers do self-directed trips to study ceramics or research spoken word poetry. And we’ve had other faculty pursue graduate-level degrees in pyschology, educational leadership, and more. Last year, I was fortunate to be able to earn a certificate in school management and leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School online. It was a comprehensive program with a series of courses, and I absolutely loved it.
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Why is it important for teachers to continue learning?
I feel strongly that if I we want kids to keep learning, we have to have faculty conspicuously learning as well. My hope for Williston is that we can build a thinking community around these new ideas, and that you’ll see it reverberating across campus: folks getting together at the lunch table and saying, “Oh, I hear you have a great way of starting your classes. Can I come for the first 10 minutes and watch? Or, I heard you’re having a really challenging discussion about issues within Baldwin’s writing. Can I come in and just see how you navigate dialoguing across difference?”
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What do you hope happens when teachers come back from doing professional development?
I hope that it’s really meaningful, personal, and resonant, such that they come back and say, “Oh, I want to talk with the whole faculty about this,” or “I want to get my department doing this together.” A faculty who talk with one another about their teaching is a faculty that gets excited and inspired. And, again, the kids see that energy and they’re like, “That’s cool. I see you’re excited. I can get excited about this too.”
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How does having a robust professional development program help us attract and retain good teaching candidates?
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is. It is always a question in the interview process. Some candidates go as far as to ask, “What percent of your operating budget is devoted to professional development?” They want examples of what we’ve been doing, so being able to offer faculty a really robust range of opportunities is essential for both recruitment and retention.
A PIPELINE FOR NEW TEACHERS
One challenge facing independent schools today is recruiting, hiring, and retaining teachers who have a passion for the traditional prep school model of teaching, coaching, and dorm parenting. In an era of remote and hybrid jobs, not everyone is drawn to a 24/7 experience with teenagers! And yet, as alums know, this web of relationships with supportive adults is at the heart of the boarding school experience. One innovative solution is Williston’s new Faculty Fellowship Program. Launching this fall, thanks to seed funding from a small group of donors, the immersive two-year program is designed to attract and train recent college graduates from different backgrounds. An inaugural cohort of three fellows work closely with individual faculty mentors in a program that encompasses teaching, coaching, and residential responsibilities at Williston.


TOOLS FOR TEACHING
As education evolves, so too must the resources available to faculty and students. Here are just a few of the ways the Williston Builds campaign has recently helped to adapt our spaces and programs for new and innovative ways of teaching and learning.
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The Center For Academic Success
In 2018, Williston’s academic support programs took a giant step forward with the opening of the Center for Academic Success. Located in the lower level of Clapp Memorial Library, the 3,500-square-foot space features two classrooms, two private meeting spaces for one-on-one tutoring, and three learning specialists. Within this space, students can now access an array of extra study tools, including one-on-one and group tutoring, learning strategy sessions, guided study halls, and courses in executive function and study skills. “The new space has opened up so many opportunities for supporting students and helping them them achieve their academic goals,” says Laura Vachet, Williston’s Director of Academic Support. Another way students can now get help? There are newly renovated spaces on the first and second floor of the library for math, science, and writing. Staffed by teachers and student tutors, these resource centers allow students to drop in and ask questions about challenging topics.
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New Labs In Scott Hall
Since 1958, generations of students have studied physics, chemistry, and biology in the classrooms of Scott Hall. In 2022, these six hard-working labs got a major overhaul, with a focus on safety, energy efficiency, and creating more collaborative learning environments. In addition to essential updates like improved lighting, ventilation, and new windows, each lab classroom now features movable tables, desks, chairs, and equipment, allowing for flexible configurations and group work tailored to each subject. “The new labs have transformed how we teach,” says Chris Pelliccia, Science Department Chair. “Now we can easily adapt the space for different types of experiments and group activities, which encourages more collaboration and hands-on learning. The flexibility has made a huge difference.” The renovated classrooms also include three sliding whiteboards for group problem-solving, a large monitor for projections, and separate prep spaces where teachers can prepare lab experiments efficiently.
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A Space For Making...Anything
Thanks to a gift from the late Robert Sammis ’51, students now have a space—and state-of-the-art tools—to make almost any object they can dream up. Set on Reed’s second floor, the Maker Space is home to a laser-cutter, 3D printers, and other digital tools, which students in art, design, and other classes have used to make jewelry, small-scale cities, solar systems, architectural designs, and even prototypes of augmented reality glasses. “With these tools,” says theater production and art teacher Charles Raffetto, “students aren’t limited to what they can physically model. If they can design it on a computer, it can be brought to life, which allows them to test out more theories and ideas.”
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Theater In the Spotlight
During the campaign, donors have funded new theater lighting, tech equipment, and marquees, all of which are helping Williston’s shows to go on—in style. Upgrades to the theater’s main-stage lighting provide energy cost-savings, cut down on work for theater techs, and allow for more vivid colors, natural skin tones, and higher-quality white light. The stage crew is also using two new large 3D printers and laser cutters to make everything from stage scenery to a plastic skull for a parody of Hamlet. And finally, what’s a show without some good promotion? Two new outdoor marquees feature dramatic, backlit boxes that illuminate each show’s poster. Bravo!
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Bringing Artists To Campus
Since 2016, Williston students have been able to meet and collaborate with artists from around the globe as part of the Grum Project. Funded by an alumna from the Northampton School for Girls (the name derives from her NSFG nickname: “Grum”), the Grum Project brings three to five artists per year to campus for mini residencies. “We’ve been able to invite poets, dancers, musicians, actors, painters, even LEGO artists,” says Art Department Chair Natania Hume. “It’s an incredible opportunity for the whole community to get inspired by real working artists.”

PRESERVING THE POWER OF THE PRESS
While some campaign donations have funded new technology, one notable gift has ensured that a Williston institution since 1881 will always endure: The Willistonian newspaper (aka the longest continuously published student newspaper in the country!). With a gift of $250,000, a Northampton School for Girls alumna endowed a fund that will underwrite the paper’s annual operating expenses, including photography, printing, supplies, and technology, for years to come. “The truth has to get out there,” said the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous. “And it has to get out there from people who understand how to write and ask questions.”