Winsor School

History

In 1886 Mary Pickard Winsor started a six-month school in Boston for her aunt's daughter and friends. Winsor, who had been teaching at her mother's school in Winchester, began with eight little girls in a private home on Beacon Hill. She quickly established a viable and growing school for girls, which bore her name, and began sending its graduates to college in 1895. She established the present structure of eight classes, grades 5–12, offering a ninth, graduate, year (which has since been discontinued).

"Miss Winsor's School" occupied a number of different locations on the Hill until a group of parents asked her to be the director of the school they intended to build. They hoped to secure for children in private schools "at least equivalent advantages given to those in the Public Schools, as to fire-proof construction, light, ventilation, and other sanitary arrangements." They formed a corporation in 1907, bought land on the Fenway, and hired the Boston architect R. Clipston Sturgis to build "the most perfect schoolhouse." It included a library, science laboratories, art studios, and a gymnasium and swimming tank. The students and alumnae requested that the new school be named for Miss Winsor. President Eliot of Harvard, who was very supportive of the project, suggested the motto "A sound mind in a sound body."

In 1910 the Winsor School opened with 225 students. The lamp, which had been presented by the last class to graduate from Miss Winsor's School at 95–96 Beacon Street, came with them and used to burn on opening day and at graduation. Current fire protocols have prohibited the lighting of the lamp, though the senior class president still carries it during the first assembly of the year. Winsor continued as head of the school until 1922. She wanted to prepare women to be self-sufficient and self-supporting, and hoped they would be competent, responsible, and generous-minded. She influenced the growth of her school and showed continued interest in it until her death in 1950.

The school has expanded its facilities over the years, including a turf playing field in 2008, a full gymnasium in the 1920s, a science wing in the 1980s, expanding the library more than once, adding classrooms in the 1990s, reconstructing a new dining hall, classrooms, laboratories, and faculty work space in 2004, and most recently, renovating many classrooms, offices, and corridors. The Winsor Dining Services are My School Dining. There are now 420 students. Seven directors, all women, have led the school in its 126-year history.

They have recently finished building a new addition to the school, costing upwards of $80,000,000. This addition has included a new gym, workout facilities, as well as new music and performing arts facilities. This building is called The Lubin O'Donnell Center for the Performing Arts, Athletics and Wellness.

The Winsor School is featured on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.

Traditions

Class IV Shakespeare Play: Every year the entire eighth grade helps produce the Shakespeare play. In recent years they have changed this from producing one play to producing scenes from several plays which all contain the same theme, such as Aspects of Love or Power. The theme is chosen the year before by the English and Theatre departments collaboratively. The students read and analyze a single play, usually, A Midsummer Night's Dream, in their English courses, and they audition for roles during scheduled "Shakespeare blocks". The students construct the sets in Art classes, and learn the musical score in Music class. The play is performed in the Winter by the entire grade without exception.

Class rings: Each Winsor Junior who chooses to purchase a ring is presented with her class ring by a voluntary member of the Senior class. There's a small ceremony organized by the Senior class, usually involving baked goods and singing. Students can choose to purchase either a silver, gold, or white gold class ring, all of which are engraved with the Lamp of Learning. Additionally, a student can have her initials and year of graduation engraved inside the ring.

Banner: The Sophomore class sews and designs a banner to celebrate the Senior class. The banner is revealed at a ceremony, with parents and faculty in attendance, in which a photo slideshow, class T-shirts, and a song chosen and sung by the Sophomore class is presented. The theme of the banner is a well-kept secret, and only the Sophomore class knows the theme until the banner is presented.

Spirit Week: A week in October, which gives students and teachers alike an opportunity to dress up in various themed outfits (i.e. Wild West Day, Superhero Day, Inanimate Object Day). The final day of the week is always Red Day, a day in which everything from red facepaint to red hairdye is used. Red is the school's color.

Under the Lights: An event which concludes spirit week on a Friday. The Soccer and Field Hockey teams play a rival school; this event is often revered as the school's "homecoming."

Senior Prank: The Seniors pull a prank. It is now generally in April as this is the last month of classes for the seniors. In previous years the prank has included covering the stairs with cupcakes and setting up a moonbounce in the cafeteria.

Senior Homeroom: Every spring, the junior class goes on a retreat where they choose a theme to paint their senior homeroom. The homeroom is then painted the following August and unveiled to the rest of the school on the first day of school in September.

Varsity-Faculty Basketball Game: Every winter, towards the end of the season, the varsity basketball team challenges the faculty to a game. The whole Winsor community goes to cheer on the teams. Often Varsity wins, thought not always.

Teacher Talent Show: A bi-yearly tradition where the teachers put on a humorous talent show. Much beloved by students and teachers alike, it is often one of the highlights of the year.

College Placement

Between 2012 and 2015, Winsor students most often matriculated into the following colleges and universities: Harvard (21), Tufts (10), Williams (9), University of Pennsylvania (8), Georgetown (8), University of Chicago (7), Brown (7), and MIT (7).

Notable alumnae