Archives
Traditions
Some of the Westover traditions have been kept since 1909, when they
were created. Although many years have passed, the more prominent
traditions have been kept alive and are still celebrated in much the
same way as when they were created.
Member of '09 reminisces: "Many of the traditions such as chapel and senior sitting room started that year, according to Mrs. Sheldon. While she was here, the West and Over teams had not yet been formed, but her class of nineteen members did have senior rings, colors, hymns, and flowers. Mrs. Sheldon seemed to feel that she had been most fortunate in being a member of Westover's first class."
Wick, June 1948
Member of '09 reminisces: "Many of the traditions such as chapel and senior sitting room started that year, according to Mrs. Sheldon. While she was here, the West and Over teams had not yet been formed, but her class of nineteen members did have senior rings, colors, hymns, and flowers. Mrs. Sheldon seemed to feel that she had been most fortunate in being a member of Westover's first class."
Wick, June 1948
- Chapel
- COLORES
- Easter Morning
- Founder's Day
- Graduation
- Hannukah Party
- Lantern Ceremony
- Lessons and Carols
- Martin Luther King Day Chapel
- Mountain Day
- The Nativity Play
- New Girl Weekend
- Ramadan
- Ring Traditions
- Seder Dinner
- St. Theodate's Day
- WALSA (Westover's African/Latina Students Association)
- Wests and Overs
- West and Over Germans
Chapel
Chapel is a ceremony that has persevered since Westover's opening. Originally twice a day, but since the early 1970s once a week, students line up facing each other in the front hallway, and process into the chapel. Chapel has been an important tradition, providing students from the past and the present a time to ponder and to learn about character. Chapel is Christian-based but non-denominational.
COLORES
Annual festival held in late October in the Quad to celebrate the
diversity of our identities in the Westover community. This year we had
our 5th anniversary of the festival. Parents, faculty and students all
contribute to the success by performing, hosting an informational table
or vending table, preparing ethnic foods and volunteering to organize.
This year the COLORES festival featured: Philippine Dancers with a
narrated history of the cultural significance, a Jazz band, our Gospel
Choir, our Dance club performing Irish step dancing, and a Hip Hop
dance class.
Easter Morning
Easter morning was one of the nicest and most beautiful of Westover
traditions, which continued until the mid-1960s. The Glee club would
wake up before dawn, and, as the sun rose, would walk down the
corridors singing Easter hymns. Waking up to the hymns with the sun
coming in the windows has been described as heavenly many times over.
Founder's Day
Founders Day is another annually recognized holiday, when the whole
school gathers in Red Hall and alumnae tell about Westover's past and
the old customs, such as wearing the uniforms, following strict
schedules, venturing out of the school for church, and creating their
fondest memories. The holiday is held in the Spring to commemorate the
April 1909 day when Westover officially opened for the boarding Seniors
from St. Margaret's School in Waterbury, who moved into the newly
opened school, taking classes until their June Graduation from St.
Margaret's. After the Founders Day ceremonies are completed, students
then go to their Post Office mailboxes to find "Mr. Peck's
Surprise." The tradition began in the first years of the
School, when Mr. Peck, one of the original founders of the School,
would put an orange (later, a piece of maple sugar candy) in every
student's box as a surprise.
Graduation
The graduation ceremonies at Westover are, at the very least, unique.
They make use of the circle as a symbol of infinite friendship, and
include the whole school. Graduation takes place over two days in June.
The first day is the Orchard ceremony, which is the giving out of
awards and recognition of outstanding work. These recognitions are for
the whole school, not just the senior class. The second day, the actual
graduation, is opened with a chapel ceremony for the senior class, the
glee club, and the guests of the seniors. Then there is the outside
ceremony with the speaker, the handing out of diplomas, and with the
traditional circle ceremony in the field with Auld Lang Syne followed
by the tree songs back in the Quad.
Hannukah Party
Westover's annual Hanukah party, which ten years ago was a small
gathering for dreydl playing and a little folk dancing in Red Hall, now
fills our volleyball court. With music by the Nefesh Klezmer Band and
plenty of dessert treats, the party offers students, parents, and
faculty an evening of exhuberant folk dancing.
Lantern Ceremony
Each May, the Lantern Ceremony is held at the Seven Sisters Fireplace,
an end-of-year ceremony in which new students and faculty are formally
welcomed into Westover's community
Lessons and Carols
Each December, the Glee Club and other musical groups on campus take
part in one of the most beautiful traditions at Westover, a Service of
Lessons and Carols (also known as the Candlelight Service). The
service, which is held in Chapel on three consecutive nights,
incorporates a variety of traditional carols and other music with
readings from the Old and New Testaments related to the birth of
Christ. The readings are done by members of the Senior Class. The
Service concludes with the dimming of lights in Chapel as candles held
by the Glee Club and members of the congregation are lit, restoring
light to the darkness. The Glee Club then processes out of the
candlelit Chapel, singing a hymn.
Martin Luther King Day Chapel
This annual Chapel, which dates back to the early 1980's, is developed
and presented each year by the Westover African Latino Student
Association (WALSA). Most of the services are the work of the students
in WASLA, who read from the writings of Dr. King, Zora Neal Hurston,
Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and others.
Students also sing, dance, and give dramatic performances. At some
point during these services(as well as during the year) the entire
school sings the African American National Anthem. The services, which
in a variety of ways celebrate the Civil Rights Movement, have also
included movies on segregation and racism and presentations by outside
speakers (clergy as well as activists, artists, parents and faculty).
Mountain Day
Mountain Day is not held each year, but every second or third year in the autumn. It is a day for the entire school to hike and enjoy the forested mountains in Massachusetts, which are part of the Seven Sisters range near Smith and Mt. Holyoke Colleges. At the end of a morning hike, lunches are served on the rocks surrounding the summit house of Skinner State Park. Students and faculty have time to rest and talk as they enjoy the spectacular view of the Connecticut River winding its way through the bright fall foliage covered hills below the lookout.
The Nativity Play
The Nativity play was an annual production put on by the Seniors for the underclassmen of Westover School. It was considered a major production, and the scenery, costumes, and props were very decorative and festive. The production of the play ended in 1988.
New Girl Weekend
The first full weekend after opening days is considered New Girls Weekend. During these two days the new girls are taken through a series of activities which lead up to fall traditions. The weekend begins with a team building time of activities at a ropes course. The new girls stay overnight off-campus with the heads of Wests and Overs. Each new girl chooses to be a West or an Over and spends the next day working on skits, learning team songs and cheers, making banners and learning Westover school songs. When the new girls return to campus they are met by the old girls who have spent their time preparing for the year and begin by entertaining the new girls with skits. They also explain their class goals for the year. The activities that follow include wonderful surprises for the new girls. The next evening the Athletic Association German is held in the gym where all the new girls are officially inducted into their West and Over Teams and the seniors officially become seniors.
Ramadan
Westover has been celebrating the Islamic festival known as Eid al-Fitr, or the breaking of the fast of Ramadan, for more than fifteen years. We have generally been able to have our Eid al Fitr meal on or near the night it is celebrated throughout the world. For this celebration the Westover kitchen staff cooks appropriate foods, and students and the Chaplain officiate over a simple dinner service in which the Ramadan fast is explained. Periodically this meal is preceded by a Chapel in which Islam and its traditions are discussed.
Ring Traditions
Each spring it is the responsibility of the Seniors to devise a plan for giving the Juniors their rings. The plan is presented to the Senior Class Dean and the Dean of Students for approval and support and is always a surprise for the Juniors.
Seder Dinner
Westover's Community Passover Seder for students and faculty is a
tradition of the last 15 years. So that every student is exposed to
this festive ceremony once or twice during her Westover career, this is
a biennial event held either before or during Passover. With readings
led by a variety of students, the Seder, which includes traditional
songs and all of the customary symbolic foods, culminates in a
boisterous rap version of "Who Knows One?"
St. Theodate's Day
This Westover holiday has not always been called St. Theodate's day,
but it has always been celebrated because of the female architect,
Theodate Pope Riddle, who designed Westover School and was a great
friend of the first headmistress, Miss Hillard. Once a year, Theodate
Riddle would drive up to the school, and take all of the girls on a
picnic. She is honored today by classes being canceled once a year, on
a day selected by the Dean of Students and the Head of School. Usually
there are movie trips to the nearby theaters, mall trips, and movies
shown in Red Hall.
WALSA (Westover's African/Latina Students Association)
This student run group welcomes students of all races to participate in
activities and discussions that address the interests of students of
African and Spanish decent. Examples of these activities include
organizing the COLORES festival, the Block party, movie trips followed
by discussion, Kwanza dinner, and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Chapel. Students use this forum to discuss opportunities for
conferences that are of interest to the students, frustration from
experiences with peers, and broader issues like interracial dating, and
lack of people of color in political office.
Wests and Overs
West and Over teams have been a part of Westover almost since its
opening. The two teams were created for sports, since there were no
other schools in the area to play games against. Until Westover entered
an interscholastic league, the West and Over teams would play each
other and the Senior team during the season. The West and Over teams,
eventually assuming the colors green and red, consisted only of
underclassmen, and the Senior team was only the seniors. Even though
there are now other schools to play against, the West, Over, and Senior
teams are still rivals, competing in other ways than games. The
Seniors, though they were Wests and Overs before becoming Seniors, show
no partiality and assume the neutral ground in the competitions.
West and Over Germans
When students return from Spring Break, they spend their first three
days rehearsing dances, painting scenery, and learning songs for the
Germans or little plays. This tradition, although it has evolved and
changed over the years, comes from the earliest of Westover traditions,
from a time when entertainment at the school was the responsibility of
the girls. The presentations are made to honor the seniors' approaching
graduation and the seniors then sing back to the Wests and Overs. The
evenings end with the favoring of seniors and cake and punch for all.
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