To get a copy of the full-sized version of any of the images above, email webmaster@waylandstudentpress.com.

The Window Dance Ensemble took the Main Stage to perform A Beautiful Mess, a show compiled of dances choreographed by members of the ensemble. The dances ranged from hip-hop, to jazz, tap and even pointe ballet.

The Orchestra Concert and Art Exhibit brought together music and art on the evening of May 1st. The Concert Orchestra, Honors Sinfonia and Full Orchestra played selections under the direction of Susan Memoli. The concert featured a cello medley of The Beatles directed by composer Steve Laven.

See spring season results and schedules»

On March 9th and 10th, the class of 2012 took the stage of the new auditorium to perform the annual Senior Show. Here are some of the highlights.

WSPN reporters Alex Erdekian and Ally Toto visited France over February vacation with a group of students to sightsee and stay in a French home. During the trip, they reflected on different aspects of their experience.

Paris
Paris was our first stop on the France trip. We immediately observed the differences between Paris and the American cities we were familiar with, such as Boston and New York. The buildings were intricately designed and shorter, typically about four stories, unlike the skyscrapers seen in American cities. Streets were smaller and were sometimes paved with cobblestone. We toured the city, focusing on famous monuments. Some of the highlights of Paris included climbing the L’Arc de Triomphe, shopping on the Champs-Elysees, taking a boat ride on the Seine, visiting the Louvre and D’Orsay museums and dining at the Eiffel Tower. Typical snacks we enjoyed in Paris? Croissants, crepes and macaroons.

Nice
A great contrast to Paris, Nice is a small city located on the French Riviera. The sunny, mild weather was a welcome change from the gloomy, grey skies of Paris. Nice is situated close to the Monaco and Italy. The vegetation includes palm trees and tropical plants. The city is lined with rocky beaches that attract tourists in the summer. Before meeting our host families at their school, we spent a few hours touring Nice as a group. We visited the Fragonard Perfumery and explored the area.

School
The school we attended, Lycee Massena, was very different from Wayland High School. It was a much larger, open campus made of stone. Student schedules varied drastically; some students attended class from eight to five, while others only had morning or afternoon classes. School was scheduled Monday through Saturday, and each class was one to three hours. The classes were taught differently from Wayland because technology, such as computers, Smartboards and projectors, weren’t used. Instead, teachers lectured and used a chalkboard, while students diligently took notes, using a variety of supplies including multicolored pens and rulers. We didn’t see any students texting during class, but some passed notes. The attitude of the students varied from class to class. In some classes, students would quietly chat through the entire lesson, while other classes were dead silent. Although students had different teachers for each subject, the same students were together in every class.

Lycee Massena is also drastically different from WHS in terms of extracurriculars. At their school, and in their town, there are no sports teams. French students don’t competitively play sports, with the exception of a small percentage of kids who play on club teams.

Social
The high school students in Nice had more freedom than we have in Wayland. It was common for students to go out during the school day for lunch and at night with friends. The driving age in France is older than in the U.S., and they can’t start learning until the age of 18. However, because Nice is a city, other means of transportation such as the train or bus are available, allowing them to easily navigate the city without relying on their parents. It was also common to see both teenagers and adults smoking cigarettes and drinking wine with meals. The drinking age in France is 18, but the law is not strictly enforced in restaurants, homes or bars. The etiquette in French homes was different as well; at meals it was considered polite to eat with both hands on the table, and people rarely took off their shoes in their homes.

On Friday, the Warriors took on the Waltham Hawks for the DCL title. The Warriors came back from a double-digit deficit to win, 51-47.

The Wayland High School ski team competed in the last nordic ski race of their regular season. Unlike most races, which typically range from three to five kilometers, the last race was about one kilometer long.

Sophomore Rachel Moser-Hardy performed an Irish step dance alongside a fellow Inishfree School of Irish Dance student. After their performance, they led a dancing workshop open to students and teachers.

Miss an event from Winter Week 2012? WSPN’s got it covered.

Destruction of the old Wayland High School began as soon as students and teachers moved into the new buildings but is not expected to be fully completed until fall 2012. On Friday, February 3, 2012, the old Commons came down.

The For The Children club led a Birthday-In-A-Box workshop where students assembled and decorated shoexboxes containing all the necessities for a birthday party. The boxes will be sent to children in local shelters.

Photos were taken by For The Children club leader and WSPN reporter Caitlyn Pineault.

Miss an event from Winter Week 2012? WSPN’s got it covered.

Actors and actresses took to the stage to perform a condensed version of the original fall play Alison Grimm.

Miss an event from Winter Week 2012? WSPN’s got it covered.

Emotions were high as the Green team faced off against the Black team in the Intramural Basketball League (IBL) Championship. The Green team, led by senior captain Oliver Levin, won, 40-38, sending Black home with its first loss of the season.

The Wayland High School Language Department has been serving the Haitian community in the Boston area during the holidays for over 40 years. Although the recipients of the assistance have changed, the goal of providing holiday cheer for those in need remains the same.

This year, the Language Club, led by advisers Laura Huizinga and Melissa Bryant, brought 16 WHS students to the Haitian Multi-Service Center (HMSC) in Dorchester to deliver presents and run activities with low-income children.

WHS students led children from the HMSC, which is a part of the Yawkey Konbit Kreyol Center, in activities such as face painting, pin the nose on Rudolph and ornament making.

The Language Club collected gifts at WHS, and junior Doug Curtin dressed up as Santa Claus to deliver gifts to the children at the HMSC, whose ages range from two months to six years.

The WHS Language Department, led by Mary Brown, brought dozens of gifts to the Haitian-American Public Health Initiative in Mattapan earlier this month. According to Brown, even if the recipients change, these holiday traditions will continue for years to come.

“It’s part of the fabric of the language building,” said Brown. “We’ve made a commitment to the community. The need is always going to be there. The joy is in the giving; you get so much back.”

The Wayland High School girls basketball team took on DCL Small rival Concord-Carlisle. After a hard fought battle, the warriors lost in the final seconds, 39-38.

The Wayland boys and girls swim teams competed with the Ashland Clockers in a dual meet at home on December 14th. Both the boys and girls teams came out on top.

The Warriors took on Blue Hills Regional High School for the first game of the season but lost, 3-2.

With the winter sports season kicking off, WSPN staff reporter Riley Starr takes us through the practices and tryouts of all the winter teams.

As is tradition, the Class of 2014 celebrated together as a grade at their Sophomore Semi last Friday night. Check out some photos of ’14 all done up for their semi-formal.

This years Pops A Cappella Concert was in honor of Lauren Astley. Admission was free but throughout the performances, donations were accepted for the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Foundation as well as the Jim Griffin Family Trust.