For more than 125 years, Waynflete has been a beacon of educational excellence in Maine. Founded in 1898 by Agnes Lowell and Caroline Crisfield, two visionary educators, our school has consistently delivered innovative, personalized learning experiences that inspire students to become their best selves. From our humble beginnings in a rented property on Danforth Street to our current campus— where we serve students from over 50 communities in southern Maine—Waynflete has always looked forward, embracing new ideas and welcoming newcomers into our community.
As we celebrate this significant milestone in our history, we are excited to announce the Waynflete Forward campaign, an ambitious initiative to reimagine our campus for the future. Our goal is to create spaces that match the strength and integrity of our programs, elevating opportunities for students and teachers alike. Construction is already underway on the campaign’s first phase: a state-of-the-art Wellness and Athletics Center, which will serve as the heart of our holistic athletics, health, and wellness programs, as well as expansive classrooms and labs, spacious art studios, and a light-filled cafeteria where every child can find a place to sit with friends.
We believe that this pivotal moment in Maine’s history presents transformative opportunities for growth. Waynflete is poised to lead the way. By investing in exceptional educational institutions like ours, we can continue to attract and nurture the next generation of leaders and innovators. We invite you to join us in this exciting endeavor. Your support will help ensure that Waynflete remains at the forefront of education in Maine for the next 125 years and beyond.
With gratitude,
FOR MORE THAN
125 YEARS, WAYNFLETE HAS LOOKED FORWARD.
We know every school day is an opportunity to shape a better tomorrow. Our close-knit community embraces newcomers and new ideas. Our teachers, staff, and coaches create extraordinary, innovative experiences to instruct and inspire a rising generation of learners, creators, achievers, and leaders. And our courageous and optimistic graduates go on to change the world.
CAMPAIGN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
KATHERINE ARMSTRONG ’04
ELIZABETH WOODMAN BEGIN ’70, P’99, ’01, GP’36
ALLIE BROMLEY P’37
MARIA GARCIA CANNING P’14, ’17
CATHERINE CLOUDMAN P’18, ’22, ’24
JEN EDWARDS P’31, ’32, ’36
KATIE GLASER GETCHELL ’88
JAMES HIGGINS P’34, ’37
MATT LACASSE ’05, P’38
KARA LEOPOLD P’27
RACHAEL MACFARLANE-LAUDIERO P’28, ’33
ELONIDE SEMMES P’01, ’12, ’12
MELISSA SMITH P’32, ’35, ’35
LEA STEIRMAN P’33, ’35, ’37
Children are natural FORWARD THINKERS.
To secure their future, we must follow THEIR
LEAD.
OUR WAY FORWARD
Our Campus, Reimagined for Community
Waynflete’s charming urban setting of brick sidewalks, flowering trees, and 19th-century homes creates a warm, collegiate atmosphere despite practical challenges, quirks, inefficiencies, and space constraints.
The new Lower School has shown how a space engineered for deeper learning and wider connections can elevate opportunities for students and their teachers. This has built excitement across our community for a bold new vision for our beloved campus— a way to open up new possibilities for our children without compromising the personality of a place we all cherish.
When Waynflete’s physical spaces have the strength and integrity of our programs, EVERYONE’S PROGRESS ACCELERATES.
GATHERING SPACES
A state-of-the-art Wellness and Athletics Center where all students build the strength, stamina, flexibility, and spirit they need to learn.
Expansive science labs with cutting-edge machining equipment, encouraging computer science and engineering students to explore concepts and robotics teams to test designs.
Spacious rehearsal rooms allowing young musicians to form ensembles and a dance studio dedicated to dramatic leaps and mindful movement.
A light-filled cafeteria where every child finds a place to sit with friends.
And, at long last, a gathering space with enough room for our entire community to celebrate the milestones that matter most, from convocation to commencement.
LOOKING FORWARD
PHASE I
NEW WELLNESS AND ATHLETICS CENTER
Rising from the footprint of our 50-year-old gymnasium, this state-of-the-art facility will have bleacher seating for all fans, an airy mezzanine level, and dedicated training, coaching, and conditioning rooms.
PROJECTS WILL BE PRIORITIZED based on a combination of variables, including lead donor commitments.
A thoughtful, resourceful framework for BUILDING OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER.
NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL CONNECTOR
By joining Hurd and Cook-Hyde/ Morrill, we will open up more cohesive space for science labs, socializing, and gatherings—and allow the Middle School’s distinctive identity to evolve more fully.
REMODELED EMERY BUILDING
EXPANDED PERFORMING ARTS SPACE
We will extend the 2009 Arts Center renovation by adding dedicated rehearsal space for music classes and ensembles, theater workshop space, and open studio space for dance, yoga, and movement.
NEW CAMPUS CENTER
This three-story building will include an all-school dining hall, classroom and meeting spaces, academic support areas, and expanded visual arts studios— and will create a true commons for our school.
We will increase classroom and library space and expand the makerspace for the school’s engineering, robotics, computer science, and STEAM programs.
OUR FIRST STEP FORWARD
“Making spaces more accessible and usable will transform our athletic program. This facility will produce more excitement, stronger memories, and a sense of belonging. It will bring people out in droves to be a part of something great.”
—Athletic
Director Ross Burdick
Our most pressing priority is one of the most impactful: constructing a facility capable of BUILDING HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND COMMUNITY.
The Waynflete Wellness and Athletics Center
Knowing that healthy minds go hand in hand with healthy bodies, Waynflete considers athletic skills core to our curriculum. Our athletic program sparks learning and growth at every age.
Our youngest students build coordination and channel their energy into new strengths. Middle schoolers join teams and discover the importance of working together. Older students build leadership skills and resilience through the highs and lows of competition. And above all, they get out there and play.
Launching every Flyer into the world with more STRENGTH AND CONFIDENCE
Yet athletics are only part of how Waynflete supports student well-being. The school’s approach to wellness helps students develop the awareness and balance needed to care for themselves and others. Through health and wellness classes, yoga, and meditation, they learn to manage stress, stay present, and navigate challenges with confidence.
The new Wellness and Athletics Center brings these complementary priorities together, uniting movement, mindfulness, and community in one purpose-built space. More than a gym, it is the heart of Waynflete’s holistic health program.
FORWARD MOVEMENT
THE WAYNFLETE FUND Giving opportunity
As we create room on campus to stretch, grow, learn, and connect, we must also safeguard the resources needed to provide transformative opportunities for our students.
For a mission-driven institution like Waynflete, annual gifts make possible growth and learning experiences that tuition alone cannot cover.
The Waynflete Fund is an integral part of the Waynflete Forward campaign. Donors are encouraged to include this critical operational support in their gift to the campaign. By making The Waynflete Fund a core component of the Waynflete Forward campaign, we do much more than build a better campus— we build community.
FORWARD IS NOT A DESTINATION.
Once the Wellness and Athletics Center is fully funded, we will choose the next step forward:
CAMPUS COMMONS
The new heart of campus, a place where students of all ages and teachers gather to share resources, meals, and experiences.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CONNECTOR
A significant expansion of Middle School classroom and gathering spaces that also creates an outdoor courtyard.
PERFORMING ARTS SPACE
More rehearsal space for larger ensembles and room backstage for more ambitious productions as our arts program continues to grow.
STEAM SPACES
From FIRST Robotics to engineering to computer programming, the dedicated spaces our students need to explore the tech, tools, and innovations of tomorrow.
A DIRECTION, DESTINATION.
All gifts advance our campus transformation. Unrestricted gifts accelerate our progress. Leadership gifts direct our focus.
Since 2020, Maine has ranked # 9 among U.S. states for in-migration, with
2 X the rate of national population growth.
FORWARD THINKING
Educational excellence elevates everything.
This is a pivotal moment for Maine. The pandemic and climate change increased the flow of new people, resources, and ideas into our state, creating transformative opportunities to grow our population and economy. To keep this momentum—and to keep attracting young people—Maine must invest in exceptional educational institutions like Waynflete.
We have long been considered Maine’s premier independent school. If we want to continue to lead, we must grow.
FORWARD THINKING
Tomorrow’s leaders need us today.
The pace of change is accelerating. The future arrives faster now. We continually ask our students to work at their growth edges, and we can do the same.
This plan is ambitious—and attainable. Unlike many other schools, Waynflete came through the pandemic more robust than ever. Our innovative and empathetic approach to maintaining connections and the highest caliber of personalized education raised enrollment, renewed appreciation for faculty and staff, and rewarded trust in the school’s leadership. Our strategic planning process revealed deep reserves of unity and enthusiasm as well as community resources we can draw on to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.
For the health and well-being of tomorrow’s leaders, we must move forward today.
“Waynflete emphasizes experiential learning. It’s really important to have a space where you’re thinking outside the classroom—where you’re able to move your body, be active, and create a healthy lifestyle.”
—Martha Veroneau Reardon ’13
“The idea of a space that’s big enough for all of us to be under the same roof is really exciting. It will help build a sense of community and school pride.”
—Sumeya Hussein ’26
“It would be wonderful if every student who goes to Waynflete had the ability to pursue athletics to their fullest potential—to not be held back or limited due to a lack of access to facilities.”
—Trish Higgins, P’34, ’37
FORWARD THINKING
“When we’re thinking about what education means, it’s not just a desk or a book. It’s the opportunity to try on different things. It’s the opportunity to be part of a team, to be part of a community.”
—Nicole DuFauchard, Trustee
Our investment tells our children what we value.
The excitement across campus during the construction of the new Lower School extended across all ages. The anticipation for the new Campus Plan does too. Students see ambitious plans and ongoing construction for what they really are—our collective care for their mental and physical well-being. No matter how many of these transformative changes students personally experience, they will all see how much we love and believe in them.
Gifts to Waynflete Forward have generational impact.
