Grandparents Visit Campus

It was smiles and hugs all around as 200 grandparents visited their grandchildren at Westminster on Sept. 28 to participate in Grandparents’ Day.

Grandparents met their grandchildren early in the day to attend classes and tour the campus. Afterwards, they were able to eat lunch together in the dining hall, and many grandparents stayed the afternoon for various athletic events.

Barbara and Terry Shine, who are from New Jersey, were visiting Westminster for the first time to spend the day with their grandson, Keegan Giordano ’15. They said they loved sitting in on Keegan’s Modern World History, Physics and Geometry classes. “The teachers were fabulous,” said Barbara.

Gard and Mary Rand, of Damariscotta, Maine, were able to attend their grandson, Erik Rost’s ’14, English and Spanish classes, and said they “could hardly wait to have lunch with their grandson.”

And George and Marcia Gowen enjoyed the chance to visit their grandson, George Crawford ’15, who gave them “a wonderful tour,” including his dormitory room and the playing fields. They said they were struck by the school’s setting on Williams Hill and liked George’s “very lively” history class.

During his welcoming remarks, Headmaster Bill Philip thanked everyone for visiting and emphasized the importance of community at Westminster. He talked about the “depth of relationships that define the school” and about community activities such as assemblies, chapel and family-style dinners, adding, “Always at the core of this school is the feeling of community.” He also explained how the school’s community “extends beyond Williams Hill and around the globe.” He introduced Director of College Counseling Greg Williams, Director of Theater A-men Rasheed and Form Dean Kathleen Devaney, who each gave an overview of their area of responsibility. Following the presentations, grandparents had an opportunity to ask questions about all aspects of school life.