Middle School Archives - Page 5 of 5

Westridge Welcomes Anna Oseran

Sophene A. • October 11, 2020

Ms. Oseran starts her day by making herself a cup of coffee. The first sip of her coffee is the second best part of her day, the first being in class with her students. As she prepares to start her day, she always reads something, usually The New York Times. Next, she heads on to Advisory and then teaches 8th grade English for the rest of the workday.

When STEM is Forced on Girls

Ilena M. • April 30, 2020

Growing up in Los Angeles, I’ve been told that girls can do anything they set their minds to, especially STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math, the decided holy grail of intellect and success...

Lower & Middle School Remember Ms. V.

Ilena M. • April 23, 2020

On April 14, we lost an integral member of the Westridge community, Lower and Middle School Dean of Student Support Carol Van Zalingen, to complications due to COVID-19. As Westridge reflects upon and...

Quarantine Inspired Haikus

April 17, 2020

In Eighth Grade English, students wrote haikus reflecting on their experience during the Coronavirus quarantine. Spyglass would like to feature three of these haikus to add some cheer in these times of fear and uncertainty.

Behind The Scenes: ALL SCHOOLS DAY

Ella B. and Sophene A. • April 16, 2020

“When I walked onto the field, a smile came to my face. I immediately knew this was going to be an exciting and great day!” exclaimed Reed D. ’25 as she recounted this year's All Schools Day. Amidst...

8 Fun Activities To Keep the Crazy Out of Quarantine

Ilena M. • April 16, 2020

1. Spaghetti Sword Fights A starchy and competitive workout for the whole family, or whoever’s willing to get off their laptop for five minutes. C’mon, dad, I’m looking at you. * If participating...

Eighth Graders Support and Cheer Each Other On During the 60 Second Sermons

Verena W. • April 16, 2020

Nothing inspires more fear than speaking in public. When it comes to presenting the 60 second sermon, an infamous Eighth Grade English assignment, students found that banding together in support is the...

Rigorous Remote Learning in Middle School

Ella B. and Sophene A. • April 16, 2020

On March 11, Head of School, Elizabeth McGregor announced that Westridge would switch to remote learning in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of students, faculty, and staff. At first, some students...

Dance-less Middle School Dances

Sophene A. • February 18, 2020

The middle school dances have been a part of Westridge since its founding in 1913. Pasadena Independent School Directors, the organizers of the middle school dances, believed that dances would allow students to socialize with their peers. However, middle schoolers’ opinions reveal that middle school dances don’t always fulfill the purpose for which they were created.

“Generation Z” Tackles Service Learning

Ella B. • February 18, 2020

In late November, Westridge middle school advisories started discussing service projects designed to help the local community. The service projects have ranged from donating hygiene products and other helpful items for the homeless, and sending packages of useful things for soldiers. A lot of projects are still taking place, and some haven’t started yet.

What #Westridge Thinks About #OscarsSoWhite

Elizabeth W. and Mia N. • February 18, 2020

The 2020 Oscars are again facing scrutiny for their lack of diversity. Even four years after #OscarsSoWhite went trending on Twitter, the 2020 Oscars remained remarkably resistant to the criticism. This...

Presidential Elections & Peanut Butter Cups: What Westridge Has to Say About the Year Ahead (Kinda)

Ilena M. • February 18, 2020

When I agreed to cover the 2020 election for Spyglass, did I really care? Nope. Not at all. Politics are so, so boring and totally irrelevant, and I had, like, a ton of homework to do. Then, one Saturday...