MS Leadership

From our Director

Home

Nestled behind Rich Hall and overlooking Crystal Pond, you will find a low brick building inspired by one of the greatest and most transformative minds in American history – Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a renaissance man, a learner who hungered for information and experience and put that learning to practical and innovative use.

His home, Monticello, is found in the clean lines and classical dome and pillars of the Middle School as it is on the back of a nickel. Jefferson designed Monticello himself, marrying art and engineering, form and function in a stately mansion. We have scaled down his building and his educational experience to match the needs of our school and our students. We have not, however, scaled down his passion for learning.

Contact Information

Stuart Whitcomb, Director of the Middle School
swhitcomb@wma.us; 413.596.9168

Elyse Dunbar, Assistant Director of Admission
edunbar@wma.us; 413.596.9154

Staci Kelley, Administrative Assistant
skelley@wma.us; 413.596.9167

Education

For Jefferson, a renaissance learner, there was little use for separation of the subjects. Math is found in music, and science is found in art. So we learn these subjects, and many more, side by side. Students in the Middle School engage works of literature for their mechanics, but also for their ability to understand human emotion, historical context and ethics. Math becomes a tool with which we unlock the mysteries of form and function, and the addition of science leads to an unlocking of the physical world. A learner must not explore one academic subject without considering its interplay with other subjects.

Community

It is essential these subjects work together and communicate with clarity and purpose, just as they did in the mind of Jefferson. As educators and learners we must believe that each element, each new idea and each challenging thought has a role in the growth of a young mind. In the Middle School each member of our community – parents, students and educators – is encouraged to engage our educational proposition. With this shared sense of educational purpose, we may embrace a variety of experiences, cultural perspectives and personal narratives as enriching ingredients, not challenging hurdles.

The Wilbraham & Monson Middle School provides this educational and developmental opportunity in a comfortable and safe setting, surrounded by a lush campus and state-of-the-art facilities. Many of our educated and experienced staff live on campus and call WMA home, some raising children on our grounds while all strive to provide a similarly nurturing but rigorous environment for the students who matriculate here.

Our program and staff support and guide adolescents through the physical, social and intellectual challenges of Grades 6 through 8, working to establish a solid foundation while giving each opportunities to push the academic envelope.

Stuart Whitcomb
Director of the Middle School