February 2026 Newsletter
Dear Westwood High School families,
At the end of January, 25 student-athletes and E.P.I.C. (“Equity Project for Inclusion and Community)” student leaders participated in our first-ever WHS Athletic Leadership Summit. This full-day leadership experience was designed to elevate student voice and strengthen school culture. Through community-building activities and facilitated dialogue, we reinforced the idea that belonging is something we actively build together.
A central feature of the summit was a student panel featuring WHS alumni and current seniors, who offered candid reflections on their experiences as student-athletes: what fostered connection, what caused harm, and what they hope adults and peers consider when talking about teams, athletics, and school culture.
Students then engaged in guided reflection and small-group discussion to imagine the “perfect team,” identify strengths and gaps in their own experiences, and explore how inclusive practices can be intentionally cultivated. The summit concluded with students working through real-world case studies and articulating concrete commitments they can bring back to their teams. We have invited attendees to continue their learning and attend additional leadership conferences in partnership with NEASC, MPY, the Lappen Foundation, and the MIAA.
Our goal is to create intentional structures and experiences that help students actively shape and engage in strong school culture. Future high school leadership summits will expand to club and activity leaders, student class officers, and teacher-nominated students. We are also collaborating with Thurston educators to design a collaborative discussion among current 8th-graders and current WHS athletes.
We are excited to continue working with these leaders and to extend these efforts across the entire student community.
Sincerely,
Amy L. Davenport
Principal, Westwood High School
Update from Latin
Ever since the Snowmageddon of 2015, the Latin program at WHS has maintained the tradition of having a Winter Adventure Day. With sufficient snow on the ground, students take part in races and physical challenges connected to various units in the curriculum as a means of building community. First, students in Latin I and II participate in a series of events including snow chariots – where teams pull an aurīga (i.e. charioteer) several times around a snow track.
They also engage in the “Prometheus race” where they sprint to steal the torches of fire from Jupiter / Zeus. After each individual race, one torch is eliminated until only one Prometheus remains.
This year, we experimented with a new event based on an ancient Roman one called the “Lusus Troiae,” a game which mimicked scaling the walls of Troy. Literary sources describe the event as a combination of a relay and a king of the hill match between groups of older and younger children. There may even have been an equestrian component which we don’t understand – all we know is that the game was banned under the emperor Augustus because too many people were getting injured! In our (considerably safer) version, students participated in relay teams in which they had to scale giant snow mounds before descending and tagging a partner. Let’s just say that this event became very competitive, and descending the hill was quite the adventure!
In Latin III, in order to add some experiential learning to our mini-unit on the Punic Wars and the Roman army, students practiced both Greek and Roman military formations to see which they would prefer in a battle scenario. In Greek teams, they attempted to keep their phalanx organized. The Roman groups successfully defended against a snowball assault while advancing as a “testudo” or “tortoise.” Eugepae (i.e. Hooray)!
Update from the All Night Grad Party
Save The Date: March Restaurant Fundraiser: Bamboo Thursday, March 26
Bamboo Restaurant at 55 Ariadne Road in Dedham will donate 20% of proceeds for dine-in and take-out orders all day. Be sure to mention “WHS Fundraiser” on all food and bar orders and check your receipt to confirm.
● Senior Class Caregiver Social: March 26 7 p.m. at Bamboo
Senior caregivers are invited to kick off graduation season! Grab a friend and meet up with other Class of ‘26 families. Let’s have some fun while supporting a great cause!
All Night Grad Party/Lawn Sings/Promenade: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Help us celebrate WHS Class of 2026. This is a great way for parents of middle and high school students to see this 30+ year WHS event while paying it forward for all future graduates. It is a lot of fun!
ANGP not only runs the amazing All Night Graduation Party, but also puts up Lawn Signs for all the graduates, hangs the gorgeous Grad Wall Banner around the track, and coordinates the Promenade for the junior/senior prom! Click here to sign up for a volunteer shift!
Sponsorship Opportunities for Local Businesses: Our sponsorship opportunities offer premier visibility for your business at year-end activities organized by Westwood Community in Action, including the Promenade, Grad Walk Banners and All Night Graduation Party. For more information, click here.
Parents/Guardians of 2026 Graduates:
An email was sent on Feb. 9th with important details about the All Night Grad Party and other upcoming senior events. Please be sure to check your inbox. If you did not receive it make sure you are opted into communications from the school:
Make sure your senior is aware of upcoming events for the 2026 Graduating Class!
● Log onto Aspen through a desktop computer. On the Right, you will see “ANNUAL VERIFICATION FORM." Click “HERE” to access the Verification Page.
● On the window that opens, select the blue “Verify & Update” button next to your senior’s name.
● In the numbered menu on the left, choose “4. Technology and Media Permissions” and make sure “YES” is selected under the “Release of Information to Affiliated School Groups.”
Contact Us:
email westwoodangp@gmail.com
Follow Us: For updates, pictures, more details and some fun teasers about the event!
Instagram: westwoodangp
Facebook: Westwood ANGP
Last day of senior classes: May 22nd
Senior Grades due: Wednesday, May 27th at 12:00 PM
Available to students: Wednesday, May 27th, at 3:30 PM
Class Day: May 29th
Graduation: May 31st