Olga

Class of 2023
  • Hometowns: Manchester-by-the-Sea
  • Time at Waring: Seven years
  • Favorite Class: Science and Art
  • Favorite Waring experience: One of my favorite Waring experiences is when I went on Junior trip. Through the weeks of exploring and navigating during road trips my grade connected in such a sincere and tight way. By the end of our trip, even though we all wanted to sleep in our own beds, we cried our last night at the thought of not waking up and having breakfast with each other, or sleeping on someone's shoulders, or belting Summer Girls in the vans the next day, or sketching and singing together or eating a late night snack while giggling at some strange french thing.
  • Why no grades: Personally, when I had grades while at public school I was only cramming and memorizing for a percentage. I was bored and whenever I was handed back a number, it didn't give me details about what I could improve on or what I did really well on like on my tests now. At Waring, the lack of grades makes me listen more in a lecture not because I need to do well on some assessment but because it is genuinely thought-provoking. The incentive to study is entirely based off of your passion for learning. Receiving detailed thoughts on projects, homework and tests shows just how much your teachers are invested in you and your learning.
  • Favorite book and/or film: My favorite book is The Search for WondLa by Toni DiTerlizzi. It has such an amazing mix of modern technology and robots mixed with a girl traveling the world and how she can make such a difference on her world.
  • Why French: Part of the reason I chose Waring was because of its French program. I really think the way Waring approaches teaching the language is so amazing. Within my 7-ish years I can confidently say that I can navigate a conversation in Montreal, Paris, and the south of France all because I have traveled there with my grade and had that experiential learning.
  • After-school activities: Everything under the sun from debate to FTC to being a goalie for Girls Varsity soccer.
  • What else is important to you about Waring: I really love how your teachers are your friends and how younger and older students teach each other in and outside of the classroom. It's a great feeling when you walk by any student and you say hi and know their name and they are just as friendly and welcoming.