Second Graders Publish "What Is WDS?" Books

Kol hakavod to our second graders on the publication of their “What is WDS?” chapter books! The books, some over 20 pages long, represent the culmination of a semester-long social studies project on time, continuity, and change. These polished, hard cover books take readers on a journey spanning decades, from the early years of WDS, to life at WDS in the 1980s, to the experience of WDS students today.

Parents joined the celebration, along with special guests Artie Seelenfreund (WDS ‘58) and Evan Schapiro (who attended WDS in the 1980s and whose family donated the money for Wolfson Hall). The class interviewed both Artie and Evan during their research process. As celebrities to the WDS second graders, Artie and Evan autographed many of the books written by these young authors.

In the grade’s opening presentation and through their writing, students shared many interesting facts with their celebration’s guests, including that there used to be a floating spiral staircase in the Castle building, that a fire destroyed the Castle, that the Coach House used to be the gymnasium, and even that the first head of school lived on the second floor of the Coach House.

Hugs from proud parents followed by cupcakes for the authors rounded out this special morning for the latest WDS historians!