Ethel Walker School
The Ethel Walker School has received a gift of $25 million from…
Five Walker’s students have received Scholastic Art Awards this year, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7-12 (artandwriting.org). The award-winning artworks will be…
Fueled by a love of sport and a drive for riders and horses to train and compete at their best levels, donors rallied to address a longstanding need to renovate…
Added to: Philanthropy, Riding
With the conclusion of Walker’s fall sports, the focus shifts to what is sure to be an exciting winter athletics season. Basketball, swimming, and squash have had games, meets, and…
Added to: Athletics, Basketball, Skiing, Squash, Swimming
For almost as long as she can remember, Catherine de Wolff ’23 has been involved with the Girl Scouts of America. At five years old, her parents enrolled her in…
Added to: Academics, All School, Science
Walker’s students Nadine Stetzelberg ’23 (cello), Katherine Tang ’22 (flute), and Cosima von Peterffy-Rolff ’23 (flute) have all been selected to the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) Northeast Regional Festival Band. The…
Added to: Arts
Angie Jean ’23 will represent Walker’s at the Connecticut Poetry Out Loud Regionals in February 2022. Angie received the most community votes following her performance of Renée Watson’s “This Body…
Added to: Academics, All School, English
Hooray Sunray: Walker’s field hockey alumnae receive Player of the Game, Athlete of the Week, Player of the Month, All-League, and National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) honors and selection…
Added to: Athletics, Field Hockey
Read more for the fall field hockey, soccer, cross country, and volleyball awards given to noted players during the fall sports award ceremonies this year. Congratulations to all athletes on…
Added to: Athletics, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Volleyball
Walker’s will host the fifth annual Holiday Basketball Tournament in the Centennial Center on Friday, December 17 and Saturday, December 18. Other schools attending the tournament include Hotchkiss, Cheshire Academy,…
Added to: Athletics, Basketball
This week, the Walker’s community welcomed Brooklyn Poet Laureate and author Tina Chang as our Fall 2021 Visiting Writer. During Wednesday’s assembly, the entire school community convened in the chapel…
In front of students, families, and colleagues during Family Weekend on October 22, science faculty member Dr. Emma Mitchell was awarded the Anastasia Payne Rooke ’48 Chair in Science, Math,…
Nadine Stetzelberg ’23 has been playing the cello since she was four years old and has aspirations of playing in college and beyond. “I want to play in college and…
Added to: Arts
Science faculty member Dr. Emma Mitchell, who teaches honors physics in the ninth grade, was selected to participate in a grant program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) which…
Walker’s Language Department Chair and French faculty member Dr. Chris Semk has been selected as a 2021 University of Chicago Outstanding Educator. Dr. Semk was nominated by recent graduate Vané Lois ’21,…
Katherine Tang ’22 has been recognized as a commended student in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. A Letter of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the…
Added to: Academics
We are fortunate to have a talented group of new faculty joining the Walker’s family this year! Read more for an overview of the new members of our community: Dr.…
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Walker’s Head Varsity Field Hockey coach Mimi Duran, a New Agenda: Northeast Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, recognized the gaps between opportunity and access to sports in underserved communities and…
Added to: Athletics, Field Hockey
Walker’s alumna Kelsey Ballard Rogers ’11, STEM Career and Programs Coordinator at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, visited Walker’s 10th grade Coding Seminar in the Steelcase Active Learning Center…
Walker’s 2017 field hockey co-captains Keeley Duran ’18 and Brianna Duba ’19 faced off in a two-day double-overtime duel. On a stormy September 8, Hamilton College Continentals Captain Duran ’18…
Added to: Athletics, Field Hockey
Jordana Doshna spent her years at Walker’s taking advantage of every moment — and getting others to do the same. She kept a dizzying schedule, balancing varsity athletics, student leadership…
Added to: , Student Life, Upper School
Horizons at The Ethel Walker School hosted a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Olympics Exposition (Expo) on Friday, July 30 at Walker’s Simsbury campus. The Expo was part…
Added to: All School
Nora Griffiths is a serious student-athlete. She steps onto the court and into the classroom with determined focus to always achieve her very best. But at Walker’s, she also found…
Added to: Athletics, Basketball
Jenna Rubin is joining Walker’s in her first season as the head varsity volleyball coach. Coach Rubin played at Smith College for the 2014 and 2015 seasons before transferring to…
Added to: Athletics, Volleyball
In the spring, nine new members of the Walker’s student body were selected to The Ethel Walker Athletic Council (EWAC), a student organization that strives to improve and develop leadership…
Added to: Athletics
Walker’s 13 Upper School varsity swimmers have been honored as a National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) Silver Level Scholar team with Daphne Peterson ’21 named as an Academic All-American.…
On Wednesday, Walker’s hosted members of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) Commission on Diversity in Independent Schools (CODIS), an educators network focused on diversity, as well as training…
Added to: Diversity and Social Justice
Walker’s student Le (Sarah) You ’22 has created Chat-Pal, a new community partnership at The Ethel Walker School that was created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chat-Pal is an international peer…
Added to: All School, Student Life
Elisa Dey says her time at Walker’s helped her fall in love with dance all over again. Trained in ballet, modern, and improvisation, Dey began dancing at the age of…
Added to: Arts, Upper School
Senior Kate Weiss knows how to seize every opportunity and moment. And this last year, despite a pandemic and a host of challenges around it, was no different.
Added to: All School, Upper School
During the weekend of May 20-23 more than 300 alumnae from around the globe gathered virtually for a “reimagined” Reunion 2021 to participate in more than forty activities.
Added to: Alumnae
Amidst the waning days of the global pandemic, guests gathered on Sunday, May 30 to celebrate the 109th commencement exercises of The Ethel Walker School. “We didn’t know what the…
Added to: All School, Alumnae
Jenessa Lu’s talent for storytelling has many roots but one important one may be her willingness to look at life from different perspectives. She started exploring her craft early on…
Added to:
Earlier this year, Walker’s juniors participated in the Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment annual essay contest which invites students to think critically about the status and rights of women. Students…
On Sunday, May 16, 14 Walker’s students were inducted into The Ethel Walker School chapter of the Cum Laude Society, an organization that recognizes academic achievement in secondary schools for…
Added to: Academics, All School
Walker's student government, the Big 7, were inducted for the 2021-2021 school year on Monday, May 3.
Added to: All School, Upper School
Walker’s Middle School Debate Team had another successful tournament on Saturday, April 24. The motion was “This House, as the United States Federal and State governments, would require standardized testing…
Added to: Middle School
Article by Claire Garceau The Visiting Writer Seminar at Walker’s is a course where students dive deep into studying a specific author for one semester. During the semester, we get…
On Thursday, March 18, seniors Claire Shemo ’21 and Daphne Peterson ’21 were recognized at the final swim meet of the season against Hotchkiss. The Walker’s swim team found great…
Isabella Bontatibus ’22, McKenzie Connors ’21, Kathryn Mason ’21, and Claire Shemo ’21 were all named to the Keith Waldman – Optimal Performance Associates / National Field Hockey Coaches Association…
Added to: Athletics, Field Hockey
Shermya Dover-John ’21 has earned the title of Poetry Out Loud Connecticut State Champion following her virtual performance at the regional competition on February 26. While Walker’s has had several…
Added to: Academics, English, Upper School
The New York Times has a weekly installment called “By the Book” which is a series of questions and answers about the reading habits of notable writers. This chapter features…
Added to: Academics, All School, English
Walker’s athletics program is pleased to announce that Abby Wollenberg is joining Walker’s in her first season as the head varsity lacrosse coach. Coach Wollenberg played at Roger Williams University…
Added to:
Walker’s Middle School Debate Team had its second tournament of the year on February 27. The motion was, “This House would ban law enforcement from genetic genealogy searches of consumer databases.”…
Added to: Middle School
The New York Times has a weekly installment called “By the Book” which is a series of questions and answers about the reading habits of notable writers. This chapter features…
Added to: Academics, All School, English
Over the summer, while Science Department Chair Dr. Suzanne Piela was mostly in lockdown, she began mapping out how to translate what was happening with the global pandemic into her…
Added to: Academics, Science, Upper School
Kyla Birk ’23 joined her teammates in keeping Walker’s skiing on the podium this winter with her second place win in the U16 age group while competing on February 7…
The New York Times has a weekly installment called “By the Book” which is a series of questions and answers about the reading habits of notable writers. This chapter features…
Added to: Academics, All School, English, Riding
Thirteen Walker’s students have received Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7-12 (artandwriting.org). Those earning Gold Keys are…
Alex Faucher ’23 continues to keep Walker’s skiing on the map this winter. Competing in the Seibert U16 Cup at the Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Massachusetts on Sunday, January…
The New York Times has a weekly installment called "By the Book" which is a series of questions and answers about the reading habits of notable writers. Walker's eighth chapter…
Added to: Academics, All School, English
In the first race of the winter season, Anneliese Sonju ’21, four-year member of the Walker’s varsity ski program and captain of the 2020-2021 team, claimed first place overall in…
Photo by Emmy Vitali ’20 This past August, Lizzy Strapp ’21 was a coach at the Connecticut Olympic Development Soccer Camp. Lizzy’s positive attributes as a leader and soccer player…
When juniors Olivia Johnson and Olivia Dargis got the idea to stage Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in the middle of an ongoing pandemic, they knew there would be hurdles. But the…
Added to: Arts
Several members of Walker’s equestrian team traveled to Wellington, Florida to compete in the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events. As a result of…
Olivia (Liv) Webster ’21 was one of just over a dozen independent school student-athletes to receive the All-State Award honor by the Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association. Each season, upwards…
Walker’s students Katherine Tang ’22 (flute) and Nadine Stetzelberg ’23 (cello) were selected for the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) Northern Regional High School Festival. Although there is no live…
Added to: Arts
By Ned Edwards, Director of Walker’s Capabilities Approach Program “The moment came when I wanted more freedom of expression and action, and the opportunity to create something of my own…I…
Written by Victoria Llanos ’21 In early autumn, I spoke with Mrs. Kimberly Thacker P’24, ’27, Walker’s archivist. Mrs. Thacker took me and a group of other girls on a…
Walker’s alumna and Nichols College senior Liza Phillips ’17 was named the field hockey program’s co-captain for the 2020-21 campaign. Liza was a tri-sport athlete at Walker’s, where she earned…
Added to: Alumnae, Field Hockey
Jynaiya (Niya) Grizzle ’21 has been a Girl Scout since pre-K and she recently earned the highest award in Girl Scouting – The Girl Scout Gold Award. Girl Scouting builds…
Added to: All School
Article by Lizzy Strapp ’21 The Visiting Writer Seminar had the pleasure of hosting author Camille Dungy for a week-long, virtual visit. The Visiting Writer Seminar is a semester-long course…
Clockwise from top left: Daphne Peterson ’21 and Athletic Director/Swim Coach Kati Eggert, Head of School Meera Viswanathan and Olivia Webster ’21, Jordana Doshna ’21 and Abby Grimaldi ’21 with…
Congratulations to Head of Middle School Isabel Ceballos, who was invited by Vice President for Equity and Justice for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Caroline Blackwell to deliver the…
Added to: Diversity and Social Justice, Middle School
Read more for the spring softball, golf, tennis and lacrosse awards given to noted players during the spring sports award ceremonies this year. Congratulations to all athletes on a great…
Added to: Athletics, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Volleyball
This year at Thanksgiving Vespers, the entire Walker’s community had the chance to celebrate Coach Mimi Duran as she accepted the M.D. Nadal Award for Sportsmanship given annually by heads…
Added to: Athletics, Field Hockey
Broadway may be shut down, but theater is still alive and well at Walker’s! On November 12, Walker’s Drama Club performed an outdoor production of 60 Minute Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, directed…
Added to: Arts
Natasha (“Tash”) Thompson was accepted at Vassar, her top-choice college, when a torn ACL sidelined her from her senior year of soccer. It was then that she knew a gap…
Added to: Academics, Student Life
Pictured: 2020 varsity volleyball team Article written by Sarah Shaw ’23 Each week throughout the fall, we will highlight one of our nine teams that normally have a very traditional…
Added to: Athletics, Volleyball
Pictured: Captains and seniors Olivia Dargis ’22, Kate Weiss ’21, and Kayla Sudol ’23 Article written by Jordana Donshna ’21, EWAC Member Each week throughout the fall, we will highlight…
Added to: Athletics, Volleyball
Madison Olvert ’21 Places Second in The 2020 Hamel Foundation National Horse Show 3’3” Equitation Championship Madison “Maddie” Olvert ’21 had an impressive finish as Reserve Champion this past weekend…
Added to: , Riding
Dear Members of The Ethel Walker School Community: I am pleased to inform you that we have selected the members who will be representing the various communities of the school…
Added to: All School, Alumnae, Diversity and Social Justice, Middle School, Upper School
Pictured: Alizeh Mohsin ’21, Ku Paw ’22, Vané Lois ’21, Allison Wall ’22, and Patricia Sackor-Blamah ’22 Article written by Allison Wall ’22 and Alexia Grech ’23 Each week throughout…
Two Walker’s seniors have earned national recognition for their academic accomplishments. Amelia Holl ’21 was named a National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholar. Commended Scholars place among the top 50,000 scorers…
Added to: Academics
Through recent work in our archives, we have discovered that October 3 was the date that The Ethel Walker School first opened, and have decided to establish a new tradition…
Added to: All School, Alumnae
Pictured: Captains Kat Mason ’21, Emily French ’22, Ava Calma ’22, and Claire Shemo ’22 Article written by Claire Shemo ‘21 (EWAC Member, Field Hockey Captain) Each week throughout the…
Added to: Athletics, Field Hockey
As we conclude our fifth week of classes since the start of this unprecedented school year, please enjoy this video message from Head of School Dr. Meera Viswanathan about opening days and the…
Added to: Academics, All School, Student Life
Pictured: Seniors Madi Knapp ’21 (captain), Erin Corbett ’21 (captain), Sophia Botero ’21, and Jordana Doshna ’21 Article written by Erin Corbett ’21 Each week throughout the fall, we will highlight…
Added to: Athletics, Cross Country
On Saturday, September 26, international students from Walker’s organized a charity sale in the center of Shenzhen, China to raise money for ARTREE, an organization founded by Walker’s students Alice…
Added to: Arts, Upper School
Pictured: Varsity soccer captains Maddie Olvert ’21, Olivia Webster ’21, Ava Strohmeyer ’21, and Lizzy Strapp ’21. Article written by Sarah Shaw ’23 and Liv Webster ’21 Each week throughout…
On Saturday, September 26, Walker’s hosted the first of two Junior Project Poster Symposiums for the 2020-2021 school year. This year, the event took place outside under tents, where 33…
Added to: Academics
Pictured: Chloe Fares ’24 placed 12th in the USHJA Hunt Seat Medal Final out of 154 competitors at the New England Equitation Championships Each week throughout the fall, we will…
Emily French ’22 recently attended College Connection, a field hockey showcase event, and was one of only four goalkeepers out of 14 selected to play for the Under Armour Select…
Added to: Athletics, Field Hockey
Following a busy summer preparing for a safe return to campus, Walker’s opened its doors last week to new and returning families for its 110th academic year. Over the course…
Added to: Academics, All School, Middle School, Upper School
Jonathan Bui joins the Walker’s coaching staff as the head varsity coach for the 2020 season. Coach Bui comes to Walker’s with 10 years of coaching experience, including currently at…
Added to: Athletics, Volleyball
Alumna Caroline Smith reflects on her participation in Walker’s athletics and how it has shaped her college experience at Haverford College, PA. Caroline has recently completed her freshman year playing…
Eighth grade student Valarie Lawson ’25 shares her experience of flying a plane for the first time, inspired by her aunt, pilot Patricia White: “I have several cousins who are…
Added to: Middle School
On July 15, the heads of school and athletic directors of the Founders League met to make a decision and craft a statement regarding fall interscholastic competition.
Added to: Athletics, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Riding, Soccer, Volleyball
Alumna Mariah Dunn ’19 reflects on her participation in Walker’s athletics and how it has shaped her college experience at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, CT. While at Walker’s,…
Added to: Alumnae, Athletics, Basketball
Walker’s twelve varsity Upper School swimmers have been honored as a National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) Bronze Level Scholar team. The NISCA/SwimOutlet.com Scholar Team Award recognizes teams achieving high…
Letian (“Jane”) Li ‘20 and Emily (“Emmy”) Vitali ‘20 have been named Academic All-Americans by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA). In order to be a recipient of this…
Jenessa Lu ’21 and Madi Knapp ’21 have won the 2020 Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment Writing Contest. Their winning essays will will be published in a hard-cover volume of…
Added to: Academics, English, Upper School
Happy Juneteenth! Though the Emancipation Proclamation was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1st, 1863, for various reasons that declaration did not reach all parts of the country at…
Added to: All School, Diversity and Social Justice
For Noël Grisanti, the sudden pivot to online teaching was one marked by lots of flexibility. She was in the middle of teaching Latin grammar and Roman love poetry when…
On a regular school day in a normal year, Dr. Chris Semk has his French and Latin classes set up in a circle. The format enhances conversation, and, as a…
On Tuesday, June 9, the Walker’s community gathered virtually to honor members of the community who have reached milestones of service at Walker’s. Remarks were given by Head of School…
Added to: All School
Each spring, members of the faculty and staff select two individuals to receive The Frenchie Award named in honor of a former member of Walker’s staff, Frenchie Kahawaiolaa. This award…
Added to: All School
The Darrell Carrington Award is presented annually to a member of the Walker's community in recognition of that individual's contributions to the athletic program.
Added to: Academics, All School, Athletics
“Today we have not a commencement, but a tribute to all of you. A tribute traditionally was an act of homage from one tribe to another, a showing of respect,…
Added to: All School
On Saturday, June 6, the Walker’s community gathered virtually to celebrate the awarding of prizes to students in the Upper School. In her opening remarks, Head of School Dr. Meera…
Added to: Academics, All School, Arts, Athletics, English, History, Language, Math, Science, Upper School
On Friday, June 5, the community gathered virtually to celebrate the promotion of the eighth grade class of The Ethel Walker Middle School. In her opening remarks, Head of School…
Added to: Middle School
Dear Walker’s Community, We have been dealing with a crisis for the last few months in the form of a pandemic beyond our control that has threatened the stability of…
Added to: All School
Alumna Maisie Smith '19 reflects on her participation in Walker's athletics and how it has shaped her college experience at Haverford College, PA. Maisie recently completed her freshman year there…
Added to: All School, Athletics, Lacrosse, Soccer, Squash
Walker's Swim Team completed over 41 miles in one hour during one of their afternoon practices in February and raised more than $4,000 for The Edward J. Madden Open Hearts…
Added to: All School, Athletics, Swimming
The New York Times has a weekly installment called "By the Book" which is a series of questions and answers about the reading habits of notable writers. Walker's tenth chapter…
Nine new members of the Walker's student-body have been selected to The Ethel Walker Athletic Council (EWAC).
Added to: All School, Athletics
Alumna Mary McNally ’17 reflects on her participation in Walker’s athletics and how it has shaped her college experience at Siena College (NY). Mary is a captain and three-sport athlete,…
Added to: Alumnae, Athletics, Cross Country
Kate Weiss '21, a member of Walker's CyberStrong club, has qualified Walker's for nationals in the Girls Go Cyberstart competition.
Added to: Academics, Math, Science, Student Life, Upper School
Read more for the winter squash, basketball, skiing and swimming awards given to noted players during the winter sports award ceremonies this year.
Added to: Athletics, Basketball, Skiing, Squash, Swimming
Alumna Liza Philips '17 reflects on her participation in Walker's athletics and how it has shaped her college experience at Nichols College in Dudley, MA.
Added to: Alumnae, Athletics, Field Hockey
Science teacher Dr. Julia Sheldon had the opportunity to take a memorable trip to the famed Galápagos Islands as part of an expedition with the National Geographic Society and Lindblad…
Added to: Academics, All School, Science
The New York Times has a weekly installment called "By the Book" which is a series of questions and answers about the reading habits of notable writers. Walker's ninth chapter…
Added to: Academics, All School, English
Lauren Cleaver '20 had the privilege of interviewing Frances Beinecke '67, former president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Added to: Alumnae
Fiona Mucaj '21 has just won second place in the Connecticut Poetry Society annual LynnDeCaro High School poetry competition.
Added to: Academics, All School, English
The New York Times has a weekly installment called "By the Book" which is a series of questions and answers about the reading habits of notable writers. Walker's eighth chapter…
Added to: Academics, All School, English
It was a successful winter for our athletes as several players were recognized as All-League competitors within the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) and Founders League.
Added to: Athletics, Basketball, Skiing, Swimming
When asked about why she chose the project, Kate Weiss ’21 said "to the nurses, doctors and other staff that took care of me during my two and a half…
Added to: All School
Jenny Belknap ’90 recalls her time as a Walker's Equestrian and how the lessons she learned impact her life today.
April 3, 2020 Mackenzie Zeytoonjian’s ’21 Gold Award project, “Give And Receive,” is a way to empower children with different abilities by showing them that anyone can make a greater…
Added to: All School
Several Walker's equestrians traveled to Florida earlier this year to compete in the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), Gulf Coast Winter Classic Series and HITS Ocala, some of the most prestigious…
Added to: , Riding
The New York Times has a weekly installment called "By the Book" which is a series of questions and answers about the reading habits of notable writers. Walker's seventh chapter…
Walker's swim team was named finalists at the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Division III Championship in early March.
For the second year in a row and the fifth time in ten years, Walker's varsity basketball team will compete for the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class…
Added to: Athletics, Basketball
