Upper School
Outside The Classroom
Waynflete’s rigorous and thoughtful curriculum creates engaged citizens and caring participants in their community.
Within our small, supportive, and diverse classes, students learn to be deep listeners and effective leaders. They challenge themselves and each other to meet the current moment and they commit to making a difference. And then they go out into their community and do just that.
Whether on a school-sponsored trip to immerse themselves in the language and culture of another country or a school service project to help tend a community garden, Waynflete students are learning what the wider world can offer—and what they can offer the world.
Outdoor Experience
Upper School students begin each school year with our signature four-day experiential learning program, Outdoor Experience. Students spend the week in small groups on either a Maine wilderness expedition or an urban service project. Whether they summit a pristine mountain peak or pitch in at a local soup kitchen, they learn so much about each other and themselves.
Community Service
Waynflete students are well known for demonstrating a strong sense of civic responsibility and finding constructive ways to help their communities. As part of our commitment to creating “caring participants in the world,” Waynflete students participate in regular service projects with their advising group and juniors and seniors must fulfill an additional community service requirement each year.
The Perspective Project
If students could speak directly with local and world leaders, what would they want to know about the critical issues facing our world? The Waynflete Perspective Project, a student-led initiative, seeks those answers. Upper School students hold fascinating discussions with White House officials, state and national policy leaders, LGBTQ+ advocates, military officers, U. S. Senators, best-selling authors, humanitarians, environmentalists, and more.
Model U.N.
Waynflete students are keenly aware of the challenges their generation will face around the world and eager to contribute thoughtful solutions. The Waynflete Model U.N. team engages with big issues to gain a better understanding of the government and organizational mechanisms available to address them—and offers lively debate and constructive connections with other high school students in Maine.
Waynflete Dialogue Project
The way we articulate our disagreements can bridge those differences or further divide us. Are we trying to understand? Or trying to persuade? Waynflete Upper School students actively practice productive dialogue throughout the school year across a range of challenging topics, learning to be open-minded and deep listeners, to share their own perspectives in a productive way, and to facilitate discussion among others—a skill they hone during the New England Identity Summit each spring.
New England Youth Identity Summit
NEYIS connects students and educators across New England in order to challenge ideas and perspectives and create meaningful change. As Waynflete is one of the founders of this incredible gathering, Upper School students have the opportunity to lead panel discussions, suggest and attend workshops, and meet other students from the region that share their commitment to community during this can’t-miss event.
Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder
As an SStS coalition school, Waynflete can offer Upper School students a life-changing opportunity to learn the principles of ethical leadership from inspiring nonprofit leaders during field studies in the U.S. and across the globe. Waynflete students have worked on food insecurity in Kenya and Peru, explored educational initiatives in Lakota communities in South Dakota and remote villages in Nepal, and more.
Upper School Activities
Active Community Engagement (ACE)
The world needs students who are prepared to act and become involved in community work—in local organizations and on campus. This student-led group sponsors a breakfast shift at Preble Street on Saturdays once a month and helps out with Furniture Friends, bake sales, and cookouts for local service organizations. We will support specific projects students want to start and invite guest speakers to share how they are working to make Portland and the world a better place.
Assembly Leadership Council (ALC)
Assembly Leadership Council (ALC) encourages those students to apply who are interested in a leadership role and want learn how to organize, plan, and implement a weekly community gathering.
Bring Change To Mind
Bring Change to Mind is on a mission to normalize conversations about mental health. We want to build awareness and grow our culture of compassion here at school. We plan to host fun events throughout the year to keep everyone talking. Everyone has mental health, so anyone can join!
Chess Club
Do you know how to play chess, but don’t have the opportunity to play as often as you wish? Do you enjoy teaching others how to play or wish to learn more? The Chess Club is a new club this year. Try it out!
Community Engagement Program
The Community Engagement Program will select a team of committed students to collaborate with Community Engagement Coordinator Mesa Robinov. The Community Engagement Fellows will be charged with helping to lead, support, and shape the program for their peers in the Upper School and cultivating a culture of meaningful engagement. Each spring, we select a team of students from each grade level to serve as Community Engagement Fellows for the following academic year.
The goals and expectations of the program are outlined below:
- Support the mission of and initiatives within the Community Engagement Program
- Conduct community outreach to explore and identify opportunities for partnership, collaboration, and impact in Greater Portland and Southern Maine
- Celebrate and highlight the work of other student leaders for their commitment to community engagement
- Engage in self-reflection, build interpersonal skills, grow capacity for effective leadership, and deepen their commitment to service and community engagement
Finance Club
This club will help you to learn more about the world of economics and investing. We will discuss national and global economic issues, analyze how decisions made by corporations affect all stakeholders, and explore investing in stocks through the Stock Market Game. Docuseries, documentaries, articles, and films picked by members will help enrich our perspectives on particular topics. There will be opportunities to participate in a number of competitions: Life$marts, Titan Challenge, etc. No prior experience or knowledge is necessary.
FIRST Robotics
In this international competition, we design and build industrial size robots to compete with and against 4,000 teams from 26 different countries. The Outliers Robotics team has been one of the most successful teams in New England, winning 11 events in the past 5 years. Come learn how to design, build, and program these cutting-edge robots that use machine learning and vision processing. We also need students who are interested in project management, social media, and community engagement. This is the most hands-on, real world experience you can find in high school—and it earns community service hours!
Friends of Founders
Have you ever thought about being a teacher someday? In Friends of Founders, students are placed in a Lower School classroom and paired with a faculty mentor to work with individual students and in group settings. This activity meets once per month to check in on each member’s work and share current research and best teaching practices. Upper School volunteers spend one period per week in Lower School classrooms for a year-long commitment and will earn community service hours.
Girls’ Leadership Training (GLTR)
Waynflete Girls’ Leadership Training (GLTR) is an activity in which we discuss the challenges that those identifying as women face in today’s society. GLTR is a place in which we will educate ourselves on current events and legislation both on a national and local scale regarding women’s rights. In addition, we plan to hold discussions about how these events impact our everyday lives and how we can work both as individuals and as a group to combat some of these issues. This year, one of the many goals of GLTR is to become more involved in the broader community, and to emphasize how the intersectionality of women’s experiences must be at the core of all feminist work.
Jewish Education and Culture Club (JECC)
Have you ever wanted to learn about Judaism? The Jewish Education and Culture Club (JECC) shares and explains Jewish culture, traditions, food, and experiences through a variety of formats: visiting speakers, cooking, celebrations, and discussions of past and present issues. The roots of Anti-Semitism—as well as how to spot and combat it—will also be explored. This activity is open to people of ALL religious affiliations and backgrounds. Our aim is to grow understanding of the Jewish community at Waynflete and around the world. We hope to see you there!
Junior Classical League (JCL)
Interested in learning more about ancient Greece and Rome using a gaming machine from the 1960s? All are welcome as we explore the mythology, archaeology, and culture of the ancient mediterranean world! In addition to gaming with the “certamen machine,” we work on art projects and other thematic submissions to the Maine JCL convention, a statewide gathering that happens in the spring. You need not be in Latin to enjoy the camaraderie of this club!
Mahjong Club
Ever wanted to learn how to play Mahjong (you know, the game featured in the movie “Crazy Rich Asians”)? Here is your chance! Mahjong is a tile-based game that was developed in China during the Qing dynasty and has spread throughout the world since the early 20th century. It is commonly played by four players and is a game of skill, strategy, and calculation, as well as a degree of chance. No experience or Chinese language is necessary.
Mathletes
We are a team that competes in the local “Pi Cone South” Math League, as well as events state-wide. Math meets are held approximately every four weeks until April. We will “practice” during one activity period a week, flex time on Wednesdays, and we will have an afternoon/evening practice within the week before each meet to focus on the materials of that meet. There will also be laughter, pizza, and team problem-solving!
Movement Club in the Dance Studio
In Movement Club, we will explore authentic movement through improv dance, choreographing, yoga, and meditation. Dance makes the world a better place, so come do it every Thursday! No experience is required—anyone can join!
PerformanC2 (Cover bands and Coffeehouse)
An activity where musicians can learn and play the music they’re excited about together. Students will form a cover band or small ensemble to explore existing songs. They will learn how to work with other musicians, analyze a piece of music, and be creative with their instruments to make a song their own. Singers/songwriters and composers could also work on new pieces for the Upper School Coffeehouse and receive peer feedback along the way. The purpose of our activity is to bring more student performances to the Franklin Theater and assemblies and to provide an exciting outlet to students who wish to pursue music performance.
Perspective Project
The Perspective Project is a student-led initiative that was launched in 2019 as a response to the current events at the time. Since then, the Perspective Project has welcomed politicians, civil rights activists, scientists, and other leaders and changemakers to discuss their ideas, experiences, and achievements with students. The goal of the Perspective Project is to use the power of conversation to learn from and celebrate the perspectives, expertise and lived experiences within our local and global community. We believe exploring new perspectives and challenging our own better equips us to tackle big-picture and everyday issues with innovative and empathetic solutions.
PRIDE
PRIDE (Promoting Respect Integrity Diversity & Equality) creates a safe space for students to come together to discuss gender, sexuality, and a host of LGBTQIA+ issues. PRIDE is also a great place for LGBTQIA+ people at Waynflete to meet and get to know one another! Throughout the year, we plan community-wide events to raise awareness and foster inclusivity.
Project Story Boost (PSB)
Project Story Boost (PSB) is a literacy initiative that has grown out of a long partnership between Reiche Community School and Waynflete. Upper Schoolers that become reading mentors head to Reiche once a week for the full academic year to read with their reading buddy. In addition to inspiring their buddy to read, PSB mentors foster real friendships with them, making the experience rich, meaningful, and satisfying.
This activity requires students to walk to Reiche during an activity/free block. Students generally read for about 30 minutes.
Racial Awareness at Waynflete (RAaW)
RAaW is a secure space for deep conversations about race at Waynflete and in the world. RAaW is not an affinity group; our focus is on awareness, allyship, and action. We will explore lived experience, current events, activism, history, and power structures. We may talk about systemic racism, anti-Blackness, BIPOC identity, joy, allyship, intersectionality, or anything else that comes up. RAaW is student-driven in its mission and its structure—your voice matters! There is no cap on enrollment.
Speech, Debate, and Model UN Team
Welcome to Speech, Debate, and Model UN! This club is ideal for anyone who wants to improve their public speaking skills, learn more about current events and issues, win more arguments, or travel to (optional!) in-person competitions! Competitions will allow you to meet students from around the world and will be varied. You can choose to participate in prepared or unprepared speech events, debates, and/or Maine’s Model UN tournament. We will also compete in international competitions, including the upcoming International Independent School Public Speaking Championship. Join us to be more eloquent in class discussion, become a more compelling writer and public speaker, meet students from around the world, develop nuanced arguments about current events, and have fun with your peers and coach! No experience is necessary; this club is open to all.
Stage Crew
The stage crew activity (Thursdays only) is for students who are eager to spend some time or more time getting to know the ins and outs of using all the gear in the Franklin Theater. Ever dreamed of being a roadie, sound tech, light tech, projections designer, or stagehand? Want to help run the tech for assemblies? Curious about what it takes to produce an event in the Franklin Theater? Then this just might be the activity for you! Students will practice the safe use of technology in the Franklin Theater while working together to create the set-up for various production scenarios.
Student Government
Student Government representatives are elected by the student body in each grade level during class elections held at the start of the school year. The group meets to discuss the emerging issues in Upper School life, helps organize and run assemblies and special speakers, and plans Upper School events that contribute to the life of the community here at Waynflete such as spirit week, dances, and prom. They are responsible for taking up issues of concern/discussion between students, faculty, and other school divisions and are often involved in interviewing new faculty candidates.
The Can We? Project
Founded at Waynflete in 2018, the Can We? Project was developed as a response to political and partisan divides across the country. The Can We? Project works with students in partner schools across the state to provide opportunities for students to learn and practice the skills of dialogue across political and other differences.
The goals of this activity are to:
- provide opportunities for students to learn and practice the skills of dialogue across differences,
- promote a culture of civil dialogue and collaboration at Waynflete, and
- train student leaders to facilitate dialogue at Waynflete and at Can We? Connect, a gathering of 300 Can We? students from across Maine.
Waynflete Environmental Action Group (WEAG)
Are you ready to start the new Green Revolution? Come join the Waynflete Environmental Action Group (WEAG) in our efforts to make Waynflete a greener place. We already have several activities planned for this year and are ready to hit the ground running. We are ready to share our ideas as well as take the input from group members into how we can make our community a more environmentally conscious one. We hope to focus on working hand in hand with the administration as well as planning several activities for the school. Among other things, we are planning on creating exciting assemblies with games and prizes to encourage our community to take part in stewardship. Come join us and be prepared to discuss environmental conservation in and its effects in and out of school. Let’s leave this world better than we found it!
Waynflete Library Volunteers (WLV)
Have you ever wanted to drive a book cart? Have you ever wanted to wield a barcode scanner? Do you love the satisfying task of organizing stuff? Do you love picking out books? If so, WLV might just be the activity for you! We meet on Thursdays during activities block and spend our group time learning the behind-the-scenes work of running a library. This might entail working with librarians Emily and Sam to create a new display of books, identifying new books to buy to round out our graphic novel collection, returning books to the shelves after check-in, unboxing new books and preparing them for check-out, or figuring out new and fun ways of engaging students with books and reading. Students looking for community service hours will be trained and ready to start logging volunteer hours during their free blocks—an fun and convenient way to fulfill your community service requirement! Opportunities to volunteer in the Lower School library are also available.
Waynflete Nature Club
The Waynflete Nature Club is a student-run organization aimed at bringing together a community of people to share their passion for wildlife and develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world surrounding us. Our goal is to generate excitement both by educating the Waynflete community as well as helping the wider Portland community through community service projects such as nature walks and park clean-ups. Each month will have a central focus including native plant month, citizen science month, environmental policy month, and more.
West End Mentoring Program
The mentoring programs are a long-standing tradition at Waynflete. Each participant is paired with a Reiche School buddy in the 3rd-5th grade. Mentors go to Reiche once a week, generally after school on Wednesday afternoons, and spend lunch/recess time with their buddy. In addition, participants spend one afternoon after school each week from November to April participating in activities such as making tie-dye t-shirts, rock-climbing, bowling, ice skating, community service, group games, and a final banquet. While this program requires a substantive commitment of time, it can be a life-changing experience for both mentors and mentees.
NOTE:
- The program is open to athletes as coaches and mentor program staff work closely together to accommodate both schedules
- The after school sessions will be on Mondays from 3–5:30 p.m.
Yarn Club
Do you like to knit, crochet, embroider, sew, or needle felt? Have you ever wanted to learn? Do you wish you had a block where you could ask more experienced fabric arts enthusiasts for help? Yarn Club is the place for you! Absolutely no experience is necessary. This is a place for learning or building on skills you already have. We’ll have tea, listen to music, and lean into our best grandmother skills. Come join us!
Yearbook
Design and create the Waynflete School yearbook! This group takes photos, designs layouts, and creates the pages of the yearbook. No experience is necessary—all skills will be taught (and it’s easy!). You will be responsible for the content and design of the yearbook and will learn some graphic design skills in the process. Commitment and strong organizational skills are required as meeting deadlines is very important in yearbook production. Continuation of the yearbook activity can lead to becoming the editor, which is a great leadership role! You will need to have access to a computer.
CONTACT
“Every component of Waynflete’s Upper School program is carefully thought-out to prepare students for success after graduation. We offer a challenging, college-preparatory curriculum that is rooted in a holistic, supportive, student-centered educational experience.”
Asra Ahmed
Waynflete Upper School Director
