Writing Their Next Chapters

For the past 10 years, 100% of Waterside students were accepted to an independent school to continue their academic journey. We are happy to report that the Class of 2024 has continued this amazing feat. We don’t take these achievements lightly - they are the result of months and years of preparation, hard work, and diligence from our students, their families, and our team of faculty and staff. Read on for some of the steps taken to help our students achieve this incredible goal.

In the spring, fourth graders take their first mock Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). This provides a baseline for Director of Placement, Megan Evans, and Head of School, Jamel Keels, to continue test prep with the students throughout the spring and into the fall.

At the same time, parents of fourth graders attend a workshop to learn about the application process they will be navigating in the fall. Mrs. Evans walks them through the timeline and sets up individual meetings with each family. During these meetings, she discusses the types of schools students are interested in, develops a targeted school list, and addresses any questions the students and their parents have.

Over the summer, rising fifth graders attend an academic program at Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS). This is an opportunity for our students to experience a larger independent school campus as they continue ISEE prep and enter the early stages of drafting their application essays.

“There starts to be a real shift in the rising graduating class over the summer,” Mrs. Evans shared. “The students realize how much is at stake, and they take their schoolwork and Waterside’s expectations even more seriously.”

In the fall, the process intensifies as our fifth-grade students attend ISEE prep classes during the school week and 11 Saturday morning sessions as well. Simultaneously, they attend Open Houses at prospective schools with their families in October, and carry out mock interviews with Waterside faculty members in November. Interviews with potential schools occur throughout November, December, and January. Final applications are submitted by mid-January.

February brings acceptances and financial aid packages to our graduating class. In the weeks leading up to this point, Mrs. Evans and Mr. Keels have the pleasure of working on behalf of our students to ensure that each child is placed in the right school, and receives the necessary financial aid to continue their education. They describe this as a truly special experience.

"It's a fun time, actually, because we have the chance to brag about how awesome our kids are," Mrs. Evans said. "We want our kids to have as many options for their next school as affluent students because they deserve it."

The Waterside community celebrates the achievements and hard work of our students, families, faculty, and staff on Reveal Day.

“To me, Reveal Day is what our kids and their families have been working towards since junior kindergarten,” said Mrs. Evans. “It’s the realization of the dreams that our families had from the moment they stepped into this building. They know that these opportunities are the start of something huge for them. Yes, there will be bumps in the road and challenges, but we will be there for them every step of the way.”

This year, the Class of 2024 will share where they will be attending school during our Reveal Day on Friday, April 12.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly

On February 1, Waterside students kicked off Black History Month with the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly. This year’s gathering was especially impactful as students shared their accomplishments during the School’s first Day of Service on January 12. Each grade level presented experiences and lessons they took away from their service projects. The fourth grade created a podcast in which teachers and students shared how those projects intersected with their Core Knowledge units on Black History.

Throughout the assembly, our fifth-grade leaders recited powerful pieces from Black activists, poets, and writers. For their service project, they connected with the residents of The Nathaniel Witherell, a nursing center in Greenwich, by singing songs. JK created a lending library dedicated to MLK and first graders gave back to Stamford’s greater community by cleaning Kosciuszko Park with SoundWaters. The kindergarten class delivered cards and treats to the South End Fire Rescue, while third graders made cards in partnership with Cardz for Kidz. In the dining hall, fourth-grade students worked with Chef Victor to make meals to deliver to the Greenwich non-profit Kids in Crisis. Finally, our second graders created snack bags for Filling in the Blanks in Norwalk. They were inspired by the Children’s Crusade of 1963 and focused their service project on food insecurity.

This annual event is a reminder to our students that they are a part of something bigger as they become the leaders of tomorrow, and to our entire community that we can all carry on the work Dr. King started.

2024 MLK, Jr. Assembly Highlights

Coding at Waterside

If you visited our halls in the first part of 2024, you may have noticed that we have had a new visitor at the School…Dash the Coding Bot! Waterside’s third through fifth graders were in the midst of their coding unit, which was started by Technology teacher Isaac Hancock in 2020. Dash is an interactive robot that can respond to increasingly complex instructions, which our students create through code. With Dash, Waterside students are able to apply coding to real-life situations and understand its potential.

In third grade, students focus on coding basics: algorithmic thinking, sequencing, and learning to loop behaviors with Dash. Fourth and fifth graders advance these foundational skills by creating loops inside of loops and implementing conditionals in their codes.

The coding unit was designed to facilitate student experiences and prepare for future skills such as communication, collaboration, and using technology to create solutions. Our students are now using these skills in their game design unit. This unit integrates text coding on Roblox Studio, where every student will create a unique game. Ultimately, they will share these games with Waterside’s faculty, staff, and their friends.

Family Night

Knowing Waterside families are integral to their children’s academic success, the School hosts  Family Night, an evening of workshops and open discussions on navigating today’s challenges and rewards of parenting. The goal is to empower parents as they raise their children.

This year’s Family Night was held on November 8, 2023. Three topics were discussed: Children’s Digital Footprint, Parental Communication Tips, and the Holiday Season. Faculty members Lorenzo Colon Munroe, LCSW and Kayla Cheatam ‘09, LMSW facilitated the workshops and aided families.

“Parenting is filled with many wonderful opportunities to watch your children grow and develop,” Head of School Jamel Keels shared. “It also includes its fair share of challenges. Being able to connect with other parents who may be experiencing similar challenges, to share strategies, and lean on each other for support is invaluable. We hope that through Family Night, our parents leave knowing that they are not in it alone.”

Thank You

The miracle of Waterside School simply does not happen without you. Thank you for keeping the dreams of our students, alumni, parents, and faculty alive.

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