WSG Newsletter, March 2017

On February 9th, the Theater Club performed their first full-length play in celebration of Black History Month titled Shine, A Story about Believing in Yourself. The girls tirelessly rehearsed and perfected their performance from September through showtime. There was dancing, singing, and dialogue, and we could not be more proud of the hard work that the girls put into bringing the story to life.

I am also singing the praises of the Leah Nelson (Special Assistant to Head of School) and Risa Garza (Grant Writer) who volunteered to run the whole show. Leah was the choreographer and co-director, and Risa co-directed and actually wrote the play as well. We are so blessed to have such talented staff members!

I was blown away by the confidence and talent demonstrated by the Theater Club. It is so important for WSG students to understand the importance of friendship, community, Black history, women’s history, creativity, individualism, and hard work. The girls really did “Shine”! See below for links to videos of the show.

On February 9th, the Theater Club performed an original play written by Risa Garza (WSG grant writer) called, “Shine: a Story about Believing in Yourself.” The girls started rehearsing the play with directors Risa Garza and Leah Nelson on September 27, 2016. The story follows a 16-year-old aspiring writer named Ariel. While “Shine” is set in the present, black history as well as women’s history play a huge role in the story. Most of the songs featured in “Shine” are by black female artists, and many famous black women of the arts and sciences are mentioned to further demonstrate how historical achievements shape the present and future. We are so very proud of all of the hard work the girls put into this awesome show! 

Links to videos- 

Short Video

Full-length Video

WSG is open for visitors! Join us for an Open House and school tour with Sr. Mary Bourdon, RJM. Bring a friend, learn about recent happenings at the school, and meet students in their classrooms. The Open Houses are designed for any current or potential supporters, volunteers, and anyone who is interested in learning more about WSG. The short program will begin at 10:00am. 

In celebration of her 20 years of service to young women in the Washington, DC region, Sister Mary will be recognized at the Women of Character, Women of Commitment luncheon on April 25th, along with Elizabeth Seton High School Co-Board Chairs Susan Castellan and Jill Long DePaola.

For more details about the celebration and to register, click here.

Save the Date

Our students at THEARC campus had an exciting visit from Dr. Padma Venkatraman on Friday. Thanks to An Open Book Foundation, each student received their own copy of Padma’s newest book titled, “A Time to Dance”. 
 

Padma shared her life story with the girls by touching upon growing up in India, moving to the United States, and obtaining American citizenship. Her wit combined with her interesting story kept the girls alert and excited to learn more. 

The girls very much enjoyed their visit from Padma, and we are so grateful for our friends at An Open Book Foundation for making the visit happen. 

The outstanding news anchorwoman, Eun Yang, gave a tour of the NBC4 studio to a group of WSG students in late February. The girls got to check out all of the action both in front of the camera, as well as behind the scenes.

As seen pictured, the students posed around the Meet the Press table. 

It was a wonderful experience for the students, and some have been inspired to become journalists some day.