A CELEBR ATION OF E XCELLENCE
2021 SUBJECT AWARDS
A wards Day Upper School
9:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 27, 2021 Lee Athletic Center
Some Reflections on Awards . . . To those whom we recognize today for scholarship or for habits of mind and heart that inspire us, we offer warm congratulations! We are grateful that you chose to share your diverse strengths, many talents, and unique gifts with our community. You have enriched us all! Yet, even as we herald the accomplishments of some students, we also recall how many deserving candidates are not recognized. Reflecting on their accomplishments helps us to see our purpose in a broader context. It helps us to connect a few who are recognized with the many whose actions merit special mention. In recognizing a few, we do not diminish the worth of others, but rather we hold up for recognition those who have given evidence of the best that is in all of us. In recognizing the achievements of some students with special awards, Webb does not lessen the importance and impact of those who have matured in so many positive ways during the year, who have made quiet but lasting contributions to the school, or who have enriched the lives of their classmates and the community. Many students here are wiser, understand more about themselves, and appreciate more profoundly the richness of the gifts they have been given – friendship, family, love, their education. For each student who has become a better person, who has given more than the minimum, or served others unselfishly, Webb is grateful. Webb School is pleased not only by the few who earn recognition, but also by the many who work so hard, and so well, and bring goodness to our school community. We are drawn together as we acknowledge and express these common values.
Subject Awards Program April 27, 2021
Welcome........................................................... Matt Macdonald Head of Upper School
Opening Remarks................................................. Sarah Harvey Secretary/Treasurer, Student Government Association
Awarding of Honors............................... Upper School Faculty
Closing................................................................... Sarah Harvey
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Webb School of Knoxville 2021 SUBJECT AWARDS
English The RUTH P. GRAF AWARD for excellence in English is given to the top student in senior English in honor of this former Webb School faculty member. The GINNA MATHEWS MASHBURN AWARD FOR WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE is given to the author of the most outstanding essay in junior English. This award was established in honor of an esteemed colleague who devoted her 25-year career to teaching Webb students the skills and art to make literature meaningful to both themselves and to others. The WEBB SCHOOL AWARD FOR CREATIVE WRITING is given to the student whose writing has most enriched the life of the school. The EXTRA! AWARD FOR JOURNALISM recognizes those students whose contributions to The Spartan Spirit and Princeps far exceed what their job descriptions require.
Mathematics For more than 90 years, the RENSSELAER MEDAL has been awarded to promising juniors who have shown excellence in mathematics and science. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute guarantees a four-year merit scholarship for each medalist who is accepted and enrolls at the school. The GEORGE TURLEY AWARD, established in 1989 by members of the classes of 1961 and 1962 to honor George Turley, a mathematics teacher in the early years of Webb School, recognizes excellence in mathematics.
Science The BAUSCH AND LOMB HONORARY SCIENCE AWARD is presented to the junior who is considered the best student in science judged by the excellence of his or her work and the number and rigor of science courses taken. 2
Webb School of Knoxville 2021 SUBJECT AWARDS
The GEORGE GRAFTON WILSON II AWARD, established in honor of longtime head of the science department, George Wilson, is given to a senior boy or girl who has shown high academic achievement in science and interest in science outside the classroom.
Social Studies The JAMES C. LINVILLE AWARD, established in 1985 to recognize the outstanding attributes of Capt. James C. Linville, USN Retired, who served as chairman of the school’s history department, is given to a student who has excelled in history/social studies. The ROBERT SAUNDERS AWARD, established by members of the Class of 1963 in honor of their classmate, Lt. Robert Saunders, who died in the Vietnam conflict, is given in recognition of commitment to service and excellence in social studies.
Visual and Performing Arts Choral Music The CARLSON CHORAL MUSIC AWARD, established in memory of Scott Carlson Polk, Class of 1995, and to honor the continued commitment and legacy of the Carlson family to Webb School, is given to a senior who excels in the choral music program and who shows achievement, enthusiasm, and dedication.
Drama
The DRAMA AWARD is given in recognition of a student’s theatrical work and dedication to the overall drama program. This award acknowledges diversity of dramatic interests, advocacy of the theatrical arts, and overall interest shown by the student for the arts both within the school community and beyond.
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Webb School of Knoxville 2021 SUBJECT AWARDS
Wind Ensemble The DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR BAND is an honorary award given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding musicianship, creativity, leadership, and service to the Webb School band program. Sponsored by the National Band Association, this award is presented to students who have distinguished themselves by showing superb dedication and sacrifice to the art of music, and most expressively, instrumental music. The JOHN PHILIP SOUSA AWARD, created in 1954 with the cooperation of Helen Sousa Albert and Priscilla Sousa, daughters of the famous composer and bandmaster, recognizes a student who has shown outstanding dedication and superior musicianship. This award has been a nationwide symbol of excellence in musical achievement and is considered the pinnacle of achievement in a high school band program.
String Orchestra Ensemble The DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR STRING ORCHESTRA is an honorary award given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding musicianship, service, leadership, and creativity to the Webb School string orchestra program. This award is presented to students who have distinguished themselves by showing exceptional dedication and sacrifice to the art of music, and most expressively, instrumental music. The NATIONAL SCHOOL ORCHESTRA AWARD, inaugurated in 1960 as the counterpart to the Sousa Band Award, recognizes excellence in playing and contributions to the ensemble. This award is the highest honor one can bestow upon a member of a high school string orchestra.
Visual Art The CLOVER WATERMAN AWARD, established in honor of a former Webb School faculty member, is given to a student whose work in visual art is outstanding, and who demonstrates achievement, ability, and initiative.
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Webb School of Knoxville 2021 SUBJECT AWARDS
World Languages The SHIRLEY SEIDEL BRIGGS AWARD is given to a junior or senior who has shown diligence, precision, high achievement, and interest in the study of world languages at Webb. Consideration is also given to contributions made to the language program through participation beyond the classroom.
French The BRIGITTE NIEDERDRENK AWARD was established by a former Webb School language teacher and her sister in honor of their mother, Brigitte Niederdrenk, who was fluent in several languages and whose language abilities and interest in other cultures influenced those with whom she came into contact. This award recognizes a student who has shown high academic achievement in French.
Latin The EMILY ANNE FISHER AWARD, established by the Class of 1976 in honor of this outstanding Latin instructor, recognizes scholastic achievement in Latin.
Spanish The HISPANIC HONOR SOCIETY MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE is given to a student who has shown high academic achievement in Spanish.
Mandarin Chinese The MANDARIN CHINESE AWARD is given to a student who has exhibited high academic achievement in the study of Mandarin Chinese.
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OUR MISSION The mission of Webb School is to inspire and nurture the full potential of each individual and to prepare our students to serve as leaders of character in tomorrow’s world.