PROGRAM OVERVIEW PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Middle School

Awareness of college selection process begins for students and parents

Freshman Year

Understanding the Whitfield transcript

• The importance of getting involved

• Introduction to Naviance

• Setting SMART goals

Sophomore Year

Revisiting SMART goals

• Standardized testing and college

Application logistics

Senior Year

• Selective college admission: how it works and demonstrated interest

• Letters of recommendation

• Financial aid & scholarships

• Line-by-line review of all application materials

• Application completion workshops

• Mindfulness and stress management workshops • Making a final decision

• Transition to College Workshops: What to pack for a dorm room, understanding college lingo, self-care, the difference between high school & college academics

Grades 9-12

"The majority of the work is taken care of within the program by the students, with guidance and direction from the college counselors," said Sheila. "From our very first meeting with Amanda, it was such a relief to see what had already been taken care of."

Corey agreed, adding that Amanda "already knew Taryn at a very deep level."

"She had three buckets of schools, places that would be a good fit for Taryn, ready for our consideration," he said. "It was amazing."

The service is superior to other schools.

-Corey Jones, parent

admission

• Practice ACT & SAT testing

• Career & Major Exploration Program begins

• Alumni conversations

• University field trip

• Establish a one-on-one connection with your college counselor

Junior Year

Standardized testing and college admission continues

• Practice ACT & SAT testing

• Career & Major Exploration Program continues

• Alumni conversations

• University field trip

College Counseling Speaker Series: Athletics and the College Choice Experience, International Students and the College Choice Experience, Navigating the Ever-Changing Standardized Testing Landscape, Financial Aid, Portfolio-Based Programs (Musical Theater, Fine Arts, Music, Dance, Theater), First Generation College Students, Summer Programming • Curated kit of resources: scholarship lists, summer program opportunities, need-based financial aid resource, free ACT prep (strategy videos and practice exams)

Sheila and Corey also appreciated the fact that the college counselors get to know their students personally. This, they say, helps the counselors make better informed decisions about which schools are a good fit.

"Just the opportunity, as a parent, to email Amanda on some thoughts or some updates (and you know) the level of response that we get is amazing," said Corey. "This is obviously a stressful time period, but the ability to have someone say 'OK, I got you,' so we don't even have to worry about it, just let it go."

Sheila and Corey are so impressed with the Whitfield School's College Counseling Program that they recommend it to other parents.

• Visiting colleges

• College Knowledge coursework begins, with a special emphasis on: Researching colleges, crafting an activity list, brainstorming and drafting a personal statement, beginning work on the Common Application

• Personalized college tour itineraries • Guidance on all elements of the college choice experience

"We see Taryn one way, and you guys see who she is at school," said Corey. "Amanda is able to give us advice on how to broach a topic with Taryn that we might not be able to do ourselves."

The family also praised the level of communication they received from the college counselors.

"When we talk to people about our experience and what it's been like for Taryn, they don't believe it because it sounds like it's a fairy tale," said Sheila. "But you don't really know until you go through it."

Corey added, "The service is superior compared to other schools."

JACK AND KRISTY FLOOD (NICK ’24)

Jack and Kristy Flood are in the midst of their college choice experience with son Nick '24. When asked about their experience to date, they were effusive with their praise, saying the program has been "a blessing" for their family.

"Beginning Nick's freshman year, the college counseling team started preparing us as a family for the college process," said Kristy. "Our other three children attended two different high schools that we thought were college prep schools—one was public and one was private. But when it was time for the college search process at those schools, there was no assistance or support for us as parents. Even in senior year, we really did a lot of the work."

At Whitfield, the Floods say, the college counseling process is very different.

"There is so little work for us as parents that sometimes I feel like we are missing something!" said Kristy. "We ask Nick, 'Should we be doing more?', 'Nick, do you need anything from us?' And he responds, 'No, Mom, everything is done!'" the relationship that Ebony has built with our family. She established trust early, and she told us that this would be an enjoyable process—that we could relax. And, she has held up her end of the bargain! Ebony has done an amazing job with everything, even with the college visits."

The Floods give the Whitfield School's College Counseling Program a glowing endorsement: "If you're looking for a college counseling program that will take the stress out of the process, then Whitfield School is a great option," said Jack.

"With a team of experienced counselors who know your child personally, you can be confident that your child will find the perfect college for them."

In addition to the college counseling program, the Floods also appreciate the school's overall focus on college readiness.

Alumni and Parents of Alumni Perspectives

CARNIE AND PAULIE ROSE (NOA ’16, ZAKAI ’18, LEVI ’20, ELLIOR ’22)

"We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Whitfield," said Carnie. "We can sit here for hours and regale you about the unbelievable experiences that we as a family, ourselves as parents and our children, had at the school."

Paulie agreed, adding that the college counseling program was "outstanding."

"I think that the college counselors really knew our kids, and they knew us as parents," said Carnie. "They knew how to say to us ’give the kid some space and a chance to think.'"

The Rose family also appreciated the fact that the college counselors were willing to listen to their specific needs.

"We came with very specific requirements for the kind of places that we wanted our kids to be," said Paulie. "And the counselors made sure to do the work that was necessary to figure out what we needed and what places would align."

The Rose children, Levi ’20 and Noa ’16, also had positive experiences with the college counseling program.

MARLA RUFF, ERIC ’20, CHAD ’22

"I have said multiple times to people that the college counseling department alone justifies the cost of Whitfield," said Marla. "It's not why we chose Whitfield, but I would say that is a place where Whitfield really shines. And obviously, it is so important."

Eric and Chad both agree that the college counseling program was a valuable resource.

"The one-on-one meetings and the individualized attention that we received from our college counselor really helped," said Eric. "They were always very easy to talk to and were always accessible. I could stop by any time and share an update or ask a question. That was very special and important to me."

Chad added that the college counseling team helped him build a list of schools that were a good fit for him.

"Building the list was definitely a team effort," said Chad. "One of the big things for both of us was the college visits. That was something that Ms. Henry helped us plan a road trip to look at schools. She helped put together a list of schools that weren't all exactly alike so that we could start comparing schools and start narrowing down our list."

Marla was also impressed with the way the college counselors treated her sons as individuals.

If you're looking for a college counseling program that will take the stress out of the process, then Whitfield School is a great option. With a team of experienced counselors who know your child personally, you can be confident that your child will find the perfect college for them.

-Jack Flood, parent

"Whitfield does a great job of preparing students for college," said Kristy. "The curriculum is rigorous, but it's also engaging. The teachers are really invested in helping students succeed."

Jack agreed, adding that the school's focus on college readiness has helped Nick develop the skills he needs to succeed in college and beyond.

"I had a great experience with college counseling," said Levi. "Mrs. Henry was able to answer any question I had and was always willing to spend time to help me think through tough decisions that came with the college process."

"I felt supported during the entire preparation/ application process and found that the office was always accessible," said Noa. "Whenever I had a question or concern, I knew my counselor would make time to speak with me."

The Rose family's experience with Whitfield's college counseling program is a testament to the school's commitment to helping students find the right college for them.

"We really owe a deep debt of gratitude to the college counselors," said Carnie. "They were these additional family members who were really loving and caring and only wanted the best."

"My kids are incredibly different," said Marla. "Eric is a person who is really good at asking for help. He has always come to Tim and to me for help, and so Amanda was able to work with him in a way that Eric appreciated. Chad has always been an, 'I can do it by myself' kind of kid. And he certainly doesn’t want my help! Amanda was able to recognize that in Chad and work with him in a way that worked well for him. She knew each of them well and then found the best way to work with them as individuals."

Jack agrees, saying that the college counseling team has "taken the stress out of the process."

"Our expectations were high, and I think Whitfield topped our expectations," he said. "Especially with

"Nick is a much better writer and thinker now than he was when he started at Whitfield," he said. "And he's also much more confident in his abilities. I'm so glad that he had the opportunity to attend this school."

"We felt like we had additional cheerleaders–uncles and aunties who were along for the ride as well," said Paulie.

I have said multiple times to people that the college counseling department alone justifies the cost of Whitfield. It's not why we chose Whitfield, but I would say that is a place where Whitfield really shines. And obviously, it is so important.

-Marla Ruff, parent

Mass Crimes Documentary Film Project

Seniors in Dr. Michał Kwiecień’s Human Rights & Genocide course spend the last seven weeks of the academic year on the Mass Crimes Documentary Film project, an intense collaborative research, writing, and design capstone experience.

For this project students work in pairs, or groups of three or four, to create documentary films, 8-15 minutes in length, focused on a specific mass crime in modern world history, including genocides, ethnic cleansing campaigns, forced migrations, deportations, mass killings, kidnappings, and exploitations.

Once topics are chosen, students conduct in-depth research utilizing primary and secondary sources. Each person in the group is assigned a leadership role of researcher, script writer, and director. Before beginning their film, each group submits a thoroughly researched narrative script and storyboard for review.

Documentary Titles and Student Groups

THE HOLODOMOR IN SOVIET UKRAINE

LeLe Applegate, Eleanor McKown, Zoey Martinez, Fallon Whitworth

THE EXPERIENCES OF “ASOCIALS”

IN NAZI GERMANY

Bee Storey, Charlie Staley-Brain, Kirin Lodhi, Char Baird

“THE GRAVES ARE NOT YET FULL”: GENOCIDE IN RWANDA

Abby Ressner, Nolan Simon, Juni Asikainen, Olivia Wolf

THE HISTORY OF THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE

Timothy Taylor III, Cadence Seim, Arlington Rhone, Jayden Williams

THE ONGOING RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Sarah Schott, Amalia Norris, Treazure Jackson, Evie Doles

THE NAZI PERSECUTION OF HOMOSEXUALS AND ROMA DURING

THE HOLOCAUST

Charlotte Bluestone, Juliana Dahlhoff, Ava Battram, Lucy Gallagher

To be successful, a film must meet several criteria including: a persuasive thesis, clear identification of the main historical actors, (victims, perpetrators, bystanders/witnesses), an explanation as to why the mass crime occurred, how the perpetrators justified it, and how the international community reacted or did not react to it.

“The goal with each film is to educate the audience and raise consciousness in a culturally sensitive way,” said Dr. Kwiecień. “Students don’t use these films to shock and awe or traumatize the audience, but rather to educate and, hopefully, communicate a message of healing.”

Dr. Kwiecień challenges his students to look at aspects of each crime that extend beyond the physical persecution of the victims–cultural assimilation, being separated from family members, losing a home, fleeing due to human rights violations and to examine what happened in the aftermath, to discuss how to rebuild communities and reunite people.

“It’s really exciting to see my students responsible for their own learning,” said Dr. Kwiecień. “They know that I use these films as a teaching tool each year, so they are always excited to have me use what they create. For these seniors, the project is about leaving a legacy, commemorating the victims, and educating the community.”

Each group presented their completed documentary to an audience of their peers the week of April 24, 2023.

Student Reflections

“This project ties together skills we have learned throughout our entire time at Whitfield–perseverance, teamwork and collaboration, time management, research, writing, citing skills, and applying things we have learned in class. It also brings light to mass crimes around the world, which goes with Whitfield’s value of cultural competence.”

-Emma Casado ’23

“This project challenges people to think critically about what they think and believe, prepares you

GAMA Aviation Design Challenge

Students in Chris Sellers’ Accelerated Physics I course participated in the 2023 General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Aviation Design Challenge, a real-world educational experience that promotes STEM education through aviation curriculum and features a virtual fly-off in high schools across the United States.

Schools that participated received complementary “Fly to Learn” curricula, which included flight simulation software powered by X-Plane. Two teams of Whitfield students operated the X-Plane software on new, high-end computers located in the balcony in the Intellectual Commons (IC). Team captains were Braydon Sellers ’24 and Oliver Hornstra ’24.

“When students can experience an immersive learning experience like this, it takes the study of physics to another level,” said faculty member Chris Sellers. “They walked into class and immediately asked if we were flying today. When they were working in their teams using the X-Plane software, it was really exciting to hear them engaged in this energetic dialogue of ’sciencing’— as a teacher, that was rewarding.”

Using the “Fly to Learn” curricula, students learned about the science of flight and airplane design and then applied their knowledge and understanding by modifying the design of an airplane and competing in a virtual fly-off, which was scored on aerodynamic and performance parameters while flying a specific mission profile. After an internal competition between the two Whitfield teams, the winning flight was submitted to the GAMA judges who then selected the first and second place schools from across the country based on the virtual fly-off score and other factors.

Although Whitfield did not win in its inaugural year, Mr. Sellers plans for his students to compete in 2024.

“We will 100% do the GAMA Aviation Design Challenge again this year,” said Mr. Sellers. “The tie-ins to physics, math, biology, chemistry, and art are real and it’s all about scientific inquiry—there’s so much opportunity with this project.” to have tough conversations about different topics, and educates people about topics they may not know anything about.”

-Jayden Williams ’23

“My group selected our topic because we wanted to learn more about the genocide, to remember the victims, and to educate other people about it. People should care about human rights even though they feel far removed from a particular genocide or mass crime.”

-Fallon Whitworth ’23

The Story of America

Juniors welcomed family, friends, and special guests to campus on May 15, 2023 to debut their capstone humanities project: "The Story of America: Past, Present, and Future." This interdisciplinary project featured a collaboration of U.S. History, English 11, and Graphic Design courses showcasing Whitfield's commitment to student-centered project-based learning.

Elements of the project include a timeline of United States history, visual displays of student selected narratives featuring timely U.S. topics, and digitally developed stories tracing those same narratives into the future.