The Column

Knowing the history of one's craft is essential in becoming a more adept professional. Recognizing the accomplishments, struggles, and insights of the trailblazers in a field helps to teach, inspire, and keep ourselves modest. Such education is what some of WHSAD's students this past month in paying homage to black architects. These students, who aspire to make their own inroads in the fields of architecture and design, gained a greater sense of the efforts required to be a successful professional who leaves a legacy for those who come after to look toward for motivation and role models.  Trevon West, one of those students who participated in the research project, provides his view as to what he learned, the importance of such a … [Read more...]

Students from the AP Spanish class went to see El Quijote an adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes’ picaresque novel, Don Quixote,  at El Repertorio Español on Wednesday, February 14th. The New York Times calls it a “cheerful but uneven Spanish-language dramatization of the Cervantes classic.” Don Quixote was a Spanish man who went crazy by reading stories about knights and magic. He then believed to be a knight himself and went out into the world on adventures (or misadventures as Sancho calls them), fighting windmills he thought to be giants, a herd of sheep he believe to be an army, etc. Sancho was his loyal servant who helped the knight in his imaginative battles. Don Quixote was in love with Dulcinea and was determined to free her … [Read more...]

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design (WHSAD) in partnership with Patrol Borough Brooklyn North (PBBN) and NYC Together (NYCT) launched a unique, impactful literacy project: #FreetoReadandLead will focus on education, service-learning, community safety, and community building.  Students and officers, with instructions from WHSAD teachers, Mr. Codio and Mr. O'Brien, built thirteen Little Free Libraries that will be housed inside each of the ten commands in Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, at Chief Maddrey's headquarters, and at the two police service areas located in Brooklyn North. Commands will work with community members and partners to promote use of the Little … [Read more...]

Congratulations to all of the students that made the honor roll for the third and final marking period! Keep up the good work! To see if you’ve made the honor roll, look for your grade in the report below. Remember, while your average may have been high enough, you can only make the honor roll if you’ve passed all of your classes. [gview file="https://www.whsad.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2017_1_3_HONOR_ROLL-4.pdf"] … [Read more...]

New York City offers a plethora of cultural experiences, and such experiences are an excellent way to extend learning beyond the classroom. Through learning journeys, WHSAD students often witness the artistic application of elements from their class study. Past trips to Edgar Allan Poe's cottage and the Metropolitan Museum have provided first-hand artifacts that help reinforce the information that can sometimes feel a bit too theoretical in the classroom. Another such trip took place this past Wednesday, January 10 as students from Ms. Soto and Ms. Viscarra's Spanish classes visited Repertorio Español to enjoy Carmen Rivera's play, La Gringa. Below, Sophomore Jessica Juarez offers a synopsis of the play. The play “La … [Read more...]

Part of growing into an adult is understanding how one's individual actions can influence the big picture. As high school students begin to recognize the world around them and the future that awaits after graduation, they need to develop habits and behaviors that speak to a mature sense of personal responsibility as well as an understanding that their well-beings are often bound-up in the health of their communities. WHSAD students have a number of ways to develop themselves into young adults who are ready to participate constructively in society, and those students in the Y-PLAN program have taken it upon themselves to work for a healthier planet by launching the school's first recycling program. Supported by Ms. Tom, Y-PLAN students are … [Read more...]

At WHSAD, we pride ourselves on giving our students a multitude of outside activities from which to choose. Some gravitate to the ACE Mentorship and Architectural Grille while others pursue club activities such as dance and photography. Another possibility is SKILLSUSA, an organization headed by Ms. Rivera, that hones students' professional skills so that those students are prepared with solid networking abilities and career orientation. One proud activity in which some of our SKILLSUSA students participated was on Saturday, December 16th at Cypress Hills Cemetery. Members of the group joined over 100 individuals to lay well over 1000 wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers. This is annual event takes place all over the nation at … [Read more...]

Building bridges from high school to future ventures has been a cornerstone of a WHSAD education. Students take advantage of internships, college tours, and extracurricular activities that permit them to develop professional habits of mind and pragmatic skill sets. Looking forward has always been vital to the success of any individual and so WHSAD students are now helping students in elementary school do just that. Each week students from P.S. 257 join mentors from WHSAD to learn more about the design process and what our school has to offer regarding interesting paths in architecture. These elementary school students get early exposure to some of the sophisticated programs a school such as WHSAD has to offer and interact with some of … [Read more...]

This holiday season WHSAD students are using their time to collect canned goods for the hungry in our community. As part of the initiative, students created boxes for each classroom, publicize on a daily basis, and collect during each day's fourth period. Yesterday, December 18th, had a few of WHSAD's seniors, along with teachers and H.E.A.L.T.H. for Youths partners, dropping off some of the collected cans at local firehouse Engine 229/Ladder 146. There, the students had a chance to meet a WHSAD alumni of the graduating class of 2008, Antoine Lamaison, who serves as one of New York City's bravest.  A special thanks to Heather Butts and Anthony Antonucci of H.E.A.L.T.H. for Youths for working with Ms. Spaziani in organizing the … [Read more...]

Sometimes it is difficult to see what lies beyond WHSAD’s walls. As much as our students get out and get involved, whether community service, internships, clubs, athletics, or many of the other chances they have to work beyond the classroom, WHSAD still is home. But last Thursday, November 30th, a group of juniors, accompanied by their guidance counselor, Ms. Erneste, had the chance to see where they might end up after their 2019 graduation. Exploring both Temple and Philadelphia Universities, students experienced a brief taste of college campus life and toured both universities’ architectural departments. The trip was one of a few students will take this year to further investigate the opportunities that lie ahead after they conclude their … [Read more...]