Upper School Division News: July 15, 2024

By Mr. Chris Ames, Upper School Division Head

Dear Upper School Parents and Students,

I certainly hope this letter finds everyone well and engaged in travel, summer activities, family time or all of the above. It is certainly a lot quieter on campus at the moment, but we are working to make the 2024 -2025 school year one of our best yet!

There are several changes in the works for this fall. We are adopting a new daily schedule for the Upper School, there is one new and one former Winston faculty joining us for the school year, our new Head of School has formally started her tenure and we have at least three new excellent courses added to our curriculum!

Change can be daunting at times but it is also what keeps us moving forward. In thinking of the changes that have occurred in the last year or two, I am reminded of a story from Greek mythology, “Theseus’ Paradox”. Theseus, the mythical King of Athens, rescued the Athenian children from King Minos after defeating the minotaur.  Theseus and the children escaped aboard a ship. To commemorate this act of heroism, Athenians sailed the boat to Delos and back each year. Over the course of hundreds of years, the boat was maintained and almost every part of the ship was replaced. “Theseus’ Paradox” presents this question: If every piece of the ship has been replaced, is it still the same ship?

This famous thought experiment points to the root of identity.  The Winston School, like Theseus’ ship, has seen many changes over the course of almost 50 years. What remains as a constant, however, is the school’s mission statement: The Winston School is designed to maximize the potential of bright students who learn differently. While we are constantly updating our curriculum, faculty training programs and opportunities, what remains as the North Star is our commitment to providing students with the best educational experience possible. This fall, our ship will sail once again, and while we have a few new faces, classes and leaders, our focus on educational excellence remains the same.  

I look forward to seeing our returning students and parents and meeting new families in August. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out with any questions. We will be posting calendar items and student information for the fall via these newsletters. 

Enjoy July!

Christopher Ames

Upper School Division Head

A NOTE FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE:

This year, The Winston School will publish bi-weekly articles for each division that include news specific for their students. Our hope is that this new cadence of updates will make it easier for parents to find the news and updates that are most relevant for their child.