Westover School - Review #7

Westover has many traditions that make it unique from other boarding schools. The most defining being the West and Over spirit teams. As a new student, you are chosen to be on either the West or Over team. You remain a member of the a team until your senior year, when you considered a senior instead of a West or Over. The only difference between the Wests and Overs is that the Wests are green and the Overs are red. Being a member of these teams encourages new friendships and helps immediately establish new students as part of the Westover community.

My friends were the absolute best thing that happened to me at Westover. They are lifelong friends and helped me grow into the young woman I am today. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about them. Westover gave me the confidence to speak up for what I believe in and to challenge myself. I am not afraid to speak up in class or to ask questions. Westover taught me that there is more than one way to look at things.

I wouldn't have packed so much!

Everything. I loved Westover. I very proud to be a Westover girl and to have had the opportunity to have a truly irreplaceable high school experience with a talented group of young women and dedicated and talented faculty and staff.

Don't be afraid to try new things and ask for help if you need it!

Because Westover is a small school, classroom discussions were a large part of academics. Westover students are encouraged to interact with one another and with the teachers. I felt comfortable asking questions in class and enjoyed receiving and giving help to fellow classmates. The active classroom setting helped me get through the rigorous academic schedule. It also promotes a non-competitive environment. I enjoyed watching others succeed and was awarded for my own successes. I also loved the choices of subjects I could choose from and the various levels at which courses were offered. As a junior and senior, the opportunity arises to take electives, specific term-long courses. Some of my favorites were Boom and Bust, a History elective about the 1920s and 1930s and an Art History Elective about Women in Art.

My first year at Westover I was a member of the Dance Ensemble. I was exposed to various dance forms such as ballet, modern, tap, and hip-hop. All the dance classes accommodated dancers at various levels. The Dance Ensemble performs about six times a year. My sophomore year I decided to play sports. I was welcomed at Sports Camp to play soccer having never played. I learned how to play lacrosse at Westover as well. I really appreciated that I could be a part of a team without much prior experience. Westover is a great place to pick up sports or to continue playing.

One of my favorite things about my time at Westover was being in the Glee Club. It was my first time being a part of a large choral group. For those that love to sing, I definitely recommend trying out. The Glee Club meets three times a week and preforms about 8 times throughout the school year. The Glee Club also takes international tours. I had the opportunity to sing in Italy, Germany, and France. Singing in old Gothic Cathedrals and for international students overseas are memories that I will never forget. The Glee Club Director, Mr. Havery, taught me how to sing in harmony and gave me the opportunity to develop and grow as a singer. He is a wonderful director and has been teaching girls how to sing for many years.

There are so many clubs and groups to join at Westover. I had trouble deciding which ones I wanted to join because I didn't have enough time to be on all the ones I wanted! My favorite extra-curricular activity was SINS (Sisters In Step). As a member of SINS we learned new step dances and preformed about 3 times a year. I was also a member of Chanterelle, an a cappella group as well as WALSA (Westover's African American and Latina Student Association). I also had the opportunity to do community service at the local soup kitchen. There really is something for everyone. Some other popular clubs are the Environment Action Committee and Amnesty International. Students are encouraged to start new groups.

I was a boarder and I absolutely loved it. I had the best of both worlds, I could be on campus in the dorms with the other boarders during the week, and then on the weekends I could go home or go stay at a day student's house. I felt very at home at Westover and loved living with my friends. The rooms are nice and big with big closets. I never felt like I didn't have enough space. The dorm parents are helpful and easy to talk to. I became very close with all of them through living on corridor. They are really great about making you feel at home. Every night after study hall, the dorm parents open their apartments and you can go in and watch TV and have a late night snack. As a day student you have a room on corridor right alongside the borders. About 7 day students will share a room where there are lockers and couches. It was great having all of us on the same hallway. There is no separation between the boarders and the day students. The day students are welcome to sleep over anytime, especially in the winter time when the weather is bad.

The Westover dining services are superb. The kitchen staff is friendly and always prepared great food. When guests from other schools came to dinner they always remark on how delicious the food was. There are certain things that are always out for each meal and then there are dishes that change everyday. There is always a baked good in the morning as well as eggs, bagels, toast, fruit, sausage or bacon, and cereal. We have a morning break at 10 am and there is snack for us. And, there is always soup, rice, PB and J, salad bar, fruit and cold cuts at lunch and dinner.

Middlebury is a small town, but there are a couple of restaurants within walking distances. Many of my friends lived nearby so I would go and hang out at their houses.

There are social events every weekend. Westover and surrounding boarding schools take turns hosting an event every Saturday night, whether it be a carnival, dance, casino night, movie night, or hypnotist! Sometimes trips to malls are organized for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon or trips to an amusement park. It was nice to have the opportunity to get off campus. I met some good friends through attending social events on the weekend.