Category Archives: Teenagers

Roundup: The Blizzard, The Thing Date, The Job Bank …

Posted on February 23, 2026 | 1 comment

Westport and Weston seem to have weathered the Blizzard of 2026 well.

At least, judging from the low number of power outages.

As of 6 a.m., Eversource reported only 17 Westport customers without electricity. That’s 0.13% of the town. They all appeared to be in the Center Street area of Greens Farms.

Weston had 85 outages (2.17%).

Statewide, 8,104 residents had lost power (0.61.%).

Snow and wind is expected to continue through noon. Another 2 to 4 inches of snow are possible, with winds continuing at 25 to 35 miles an hour.

Stay warm and safe! If you need anything, please email 06880blog@gmail.com. We’ll do our best to help!

The view outside “06880” headquarters. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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An incorrect date was listed yesterday, in the story on The Thing’s VersoFest show this week.

The band appears this Friday (February 27, 8 p.m.), at the Westport Library. Click here for tickets and more information. Click here for yesterday’s piece on the group.

The Thing

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It may not seem like it now.

But summer begins in 121 days. And the Westport Youth Commission’s Student Job Bank has employers looking to hire teenagers.

The platform helps local businesses and organizations offer part-time, seasonal and intern positions to high school students. Jobs include retail work, business support, non-profit assistance, lifeguarding, camp counseling and more. The Job Bank can be found here. 

The Student Job Bank is free to businesses and students.

Businesses that have summer jobs need to fill out this form.

Students are encouraged to sign up for job alerts with their personal email so they will know when jobs are first posted.

Questions? Email kgodburn@westportct.gov.

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Speaking of high school students: Congratulations to Staples wrestlers Gavin Donaldson (120 pounds), Seamus Brannigan (126) and Julian Rousseau (215) — all first-place winners at Saturday’s state “LL” (extra large schools) tournament.

Congrats too to silver medalist Damian Rousseau.

Those 4 — plus Kai Schwartz (132) and Jessiah Jones (190) — move on to the state open meet this coming weekend.

 

Staples head coach Jordan Marion (far left), and Staples wrestlers at the LL tournament. First-place winners holding their bout sheets are (from left in the middle) Julian Rousseau, Gavin Donaldson and Seamus Brannigan.

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The landscape is very white today.

But yesterday morning, Laurie Sorensen’s yard was green and red.

She snapped this photo of a colorful cardinal, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.

 

(Photo/Laurie Sorensen)

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And finally … what can we do, except:

(Tired of shoveling? Not ready to start yet? Relax … it’s the perfect time to click here and support “06880.” We can’t dig out your car. But we can continue to provide 24/7/365 news and info. Thank you!)

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Posted in Entertainment, Library, Local business, Teenagers, Weather

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VersoFest Concert Kickoff: It’s Jack Bradley’s Thing

Posted on February 22, 2026 | Leave a comment

Jack Bradley did not see the Doors, Yardbirds or Cream play at Staples High School.

He was born 30 years after those legendary concerts (and many others).

But the 2016 Weston High School graduate is a huge rock ‘n’ roll fan.

And to paraphrase the Byrds — another great band that played here — he wants to be a rock ‘n’ roll star.

Bradley is well on his way.

Jack Bradley

For the past few years, the guitarist’s band The Thing has drawn attention — and sold out shows across the US and Europe — with their music.

It mixes the Kinks, Grand Funk Railroad, Pink Floyd and garage and psychedelic bands of the 1960s and ’70s, with newer artists like The Black Keys.

This Friday (February 27, 8 p.m.), they kick off the Westport Library’s 5th annual VersoFest.

The actual 4-day music and media extravaganza takes place March 26-29. But The Thing will be on a national tour then. So the Library snagged them for this show. It will be the opening date of that tour.

Before he was a rocker, Bradley was a producer. Not many teenagers were as obsessed as he was with rock. So he created a makeshift studio in his Weston basement, recording and producing rappers.

But during a stint at Millbrook — after Fairfield Country Day School, and before Weston High — he’d met Michael Carter and Zane Acord. They bonded over their love for music their parents loved.

They stayed in touch after Bradley left. They scattered across the country — he went to Berklee College of Music in Boston Zane headed South, and Mike to the Pacific Northwest. When the pandemic hit, they reunited in a big farmhouse in Sharon, Connecticut.

They recruited a drummer, recorded there, then moved to Brooklyn. They won a Battle of the Bands at Our Wicked Lady — the famed (and now closed) music venue there — which kick-started their career.

Jack Bradley and The Thing.

The Thing was invited to South by Southwest. They bought a van, and for the past 2 1/2 years have played over 300 shows.

Thursday’s will be their first in Westport, though.

The route to the Library began in late 2024, when the band played at Fairfield Theater Company.

Bradley met Dick Wingate there. The longtime music industry executive and Westport resident — a key figure in past VersoFests — made the connection for this year.

Bradley is familiar with the event. Gang of Four kicked off their “Long Goodbye” tour at it last year. He was there, and met the band.

The Thing and friends, at Flushing Meadows Park.

Bradley looks forward to their own tour kickoff. He expects a crowd like many of their US shows: teenagers and grandparents. (Their European audiences tend to include “the whole town.”)

He hopes there will be plenty of fans in between. His own parents will be there, for sure. (His mother is very proud that Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon features The Thing often, on his Sirius XM show.)

From last year, Bradley knows what it’s like to hear and play music in a library. He’s not sure his bandmates do.

“If you haven’t been there, you don’t realize how cool” the venue is, he says.

But, he warns: “We’re loud!”

Also cool: the opening act.

Fever Dream is a 5-person group. Staples and Weston High musicians Seamus Brannigan, Griffin Delmhorst, Ari Sklar, Harry Schultz and Ezra Schwartz play covers of their favorite classic/alternative rock and grunge songs, along with originals they’ll release soon.

Fever Dream. Three members (top row) performed in Staples Players’ “Les Misérables” last fall.

Jack Bradley didn’t have a band, when he was in high school.

This Thursday, a large VersoFest crowd will see that once again, it’s The Thing.

For tickets and more information on The Thing show, click here. For the full VersoFest lineup — including Wyclef Jean, Ani DiFranco and much more — click here.

(“06880” regularly covers the local entertainment scene — including its many fascinating back stories. If you enjoy posts like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Seniors Meet Seniors

Posted on February 13, 2026 | 5 comments

When Gunnar Eklund and Graysen Peters headed to the Senior Center last Friday to meet with members, they figured there would be a generation gap.

After all, they’re a very different type of senior: 12th graders.

But instead of trying to explain their lives to a bunch of older people, they settled into an easy conversation. Amid banter and laughter, both sides asked questions, and offered honest responses.

The Senior Center seniors surprised the Staples seniors with their knowledge of AI. The teenagers surprised the Baby Boomers and Silent Generation by not reflexively opposing the high school cellphone ban.

And when their time was up, they all stayed for another hour, chatting and listening and learning from each other.

Gunnar Eklund and Graysen Peters (standing), at the Senior Center.

The “Seniors Meet Seniors” event began with an invitation from the Center, to Steven Greenberg’s Friday morning chat group. Staples assistant principal Christine Cincotta recommended Gunnar and Graysen.

Through their activities — he’s on the debate team; she’s in Model UN; both competed nationally with Staples’ We the People class — they know how to communicate.

Still, they wondered how well they could connect with a much older group.

Yet barriers quickly fell. What they thought would be a “presentation” turned into, Gunnar says, “a Socratic seminar.”

Gunnar Eklund

The Senior Center attendees wanted to know, for example, the best way to communicate with their grandchildren. Together, they agreed that phone calls — scheduled consistently, if possible —  have much more impact than texts. Actual written letters are important too.

That resonated with the teens, They knew their own grandparents enjoyed connecting with them. But the conversation reinforced how important that is.

The men and women had heard about Staples’ cellphone ban. They were surprised — and pleased — to hear Gunnar and Graysen say they both feel more connected to others now, at lunch.

The older seniors were curious whether cursive writing is still taught. Graysen feels fortunate that her parents taught her how to sign her name; she and her friends struggle though to read cursive. Gunnar, meanwhile, learned it in a previous private school.

The Stapleites were surprised — and impressed — that the Senior Center members know a lot about artificial intelligence. Many use it.

Graysen Peters

When asked whether AI affects critical thinking, the teens offered personal perspectives.

Graysen said her teachers have taught her to use it in a good way. She knows how to fact-check. She does see some students use it as a shortcut.

Gunnar and his friends don’t really want to use it, he said; it takes away from critical thinking. He thinks many Staples teachers are too lenient about AI use.

Both explained about the technology to supposedly detect if students use artificial intelligence to write papers — and the harm that has come from false accusations.

Near the end, Gunnar asked what advice the seniors had for young people.

The main idea was simple: “Be kind!” (“Be kind on the road, too!” one joked.)

They’ve learned that being kind pays off in the long run, they told the teens.

“They said being kind makes you feel better,” Gunnar noted. “It gives you more positive experiences in life.”

Like, say, the experience of chatting about the world as it was, is, and will be one day, when today’s high school seniors are senior citizens.

Gunnar Eklund and Graysen Peters (middle row, 2nd and 4th from left), and the 2025 We the People team in Washington, DC.

(“06880” regularly covers Staples High School, the Senior Center — and everyone of every other age in Westport too. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)

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TEAM Westport Teen Essay Contest Topic: Declaration Of Independence

Posted on February 11, 2026 | 5 comments

This year, America celebrates 250 years of the Declaration of Independence.

It’s a lot older than TEAM Westport. But it’s a perfect topic for the town commission’s 13th Annual Teen Diversity Essay Contest.

This year’s prompt is:

This year, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document which Abraham Lincoln called “a rebuke and a stumbling-block to tyranny and oppression.”

The Declaration of Independence was a product of its time, drafted to rally the colonists to defy Great Britain, support the creation of an autonomous and independent nation and attract allies to its cause.

Nonetheless, its claims have been universalized and imbued with fresh meaning by people here and around the world who have regarded it as an enduring beacon of hope in their own work to seek equal rights, freedom and self-determination.

The famous words in the Declaration’s preamble proclaiming as a self-evident truth that all men are created equal and have inalienable rights endowed by their Creator, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have been widely employed to assert the inherent dignity and fundamental human rights of each person.

The Declaration of Independence is a foundational document in American political and social life that also inspires TEAM Westport’s mission: to build a community where diversity is welcomed, and inclusion, respect, and belonging are actively extended to all who live, work, attend school, or visit in Westport — regardless of ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

 In 1,000 words or less please comment on the following:

 1) The relevance and value of the Declaration of Independence in your everyday life and your duties or obligations, if any, to uphold its principles for all people living within our democratic society;

AND…

2) Opportunities, if any, you believe town leaders (including fellow students, school officials, community members, and TEAM Westport) could create to act differently or additionally to reinforce the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

For the past 23 years, TEAM Westport has been a town-appointed committee focused on making Westport a welcoming community with respect to race, ethnicity, religion and LGBTQ+.

“With this contest every year, we seek student input on important topics,” said TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey. “However, at this time and on this subject, nothing could be more relevant for contemplation.”  

The contest is open to all students in grades 9-12 who are Westport residents, or attend a Westport school (public or private).

Up to 3 cash prizes will be awarded. The first prize is $1,000; second prize is $750; third prize is $500.

The deadline is March 16. Winners will be honored in a Westport Library ceremony on April 28.

Click here for essay applications, the prompt, and contest entry rules.

2025 essay winners (from left): then-1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Westport Library director Bill Harmer, Annam Olasewere, Aanya Gandhi, Sienna Tzou, Souleye Kebe, Staples High principal Stafford Thomas, TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Staples Players Rewind: “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Posted on February 10, 2026 | Leave a comment

Last week, “06880” introduced a new feature: a video look back at Staples Players’ productions.

Staples High School media teacher Jim Honeycutt started taping shows when David Roth became director, in 2000. His first — and Honeycutt’s first “nutshell” highlight video — was “Guys & Dolls.”

Today we rewind back to Roth’s second musical: Rupert Holmes’ “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” the show-within-a-show based on Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel.

Click here or below, to see 9 minutes from the spring 2001 show.

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Westport By Drone: Alex O’Brien’s Young Business

Posted on February 9, 2026 | 8 comments

Every day, I get at least a dozen photos.

Beach sunsets. Dogs. Entitled parkers — they keep coming.

Many are good. Some are similar. All are appreciated.

I’m a sucker for drone shots. They offer a perspective on Westport we seldom see. They enable us to look at our town in fresh, unique ways.

The other day, I got this one. It shows a frozen Saugatuck River, near the Levitt Pavilion:

It came from Alex O’Brien. He said he loves taking aerial photos around town, and recently started his own company: Westportdronephotography.com.

I didn’t recognize the name. I asked for more images, and offered to chat by Zoom.

That’s when I learned that Alex is 13 years old — and not even a full-time Westporter.

Alex O’Brien, with his drone.

His parents moved here from New York during COVID. He went to Saugatuck Elementary School. They moved back, but return to their Westport home on weekends.

Alex is an 8th grader at St. Ignatius Loyola School. In addition to drone photography, he loves engineering and using his 3D printer. He’s part of the National Children’s Chorus. They’ll perform this spring at Carnegie Hall.

Last year, they toured Australia. Alex sang at the Sydney Opera House. He told me that off-handedly, as if every middle schooler does that at some point.

Alex began drone photography after getting a DJI Mini 4 Pro for his birthday. He realized people might want to buy his shots, so he got a domain and set up his business.

Alex O’Brien flies his drone over the Saugatuck River.

It’s Westport-only right now. Manhattan has restrictive bans on recreational uses.

So Alex has gone to town, in our town.

He loves shooting Compo Beach, the river, and many other interesting places.

Compo Beach

Drone photography has helped Alex learn about Westport. It’s also helped him see the beauty all around.

Sunsets and beach scenes “could be like vacation spots,” he says. “But they’re here.”

Summertime ritual: a Levitt Pavilion concert.

Marketing is mostly word of mouth, through family and friends. Requests come in on his website.

On it, he says: “My passion lies in capturing breathtaking aerial images of the local landscape. I take pride in being a 13-year-old Westport local, bringing a fresh perspective to the art of drone photography. My goal is to share the beauty of our area through the unique and beautiful photos captured by drone, both with locals and those further afield.”

Downtown Westport.

But — just as Alex buried the Sydney Opera House story — there’s one other aspect of his business to report.

He’s donating 10% of all profits to Homes with Hope‘s food pantry.

Alex — who has celiac disease — cannot eat gluten.

In 5th grade, during a Saugatuck Elementary walkathon, he learned about the HwH pantry. Every month since, he and his mother bring a gluten-free donation.

They also gave a gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner to a local family.

The great note he received — and the smiles he sees at the food pantry — help him realize the importance of giving back.

Cribari Bridge.

Alex looks forward to hearing from “06880” readers about new places to photograph.

It would be great too to get a few jobs, to keep his drone busy.

And the Homes with Hope pantry well stocked.

Ned Dimes Marina

Looking toward Old Mill Beach.

Saugatuck River (Saugatuck Elementary School at lower right)

Frozen river (All drone photos/Alex O’Brien)

(Every day, “06880” offers fresh perspectives on Westport. If you enjoy learning about our town — from new and ever-changing angles — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Staples Players Rewind: “Guys & Dolls”

Posted on February 3, 2026 | 5 comments

During his 3 decades teaching at Staples High School, Jim Honeycutt helped develop the Media Lab.

It grew from radio and television production into a full-fledged, versatile studio.

Jim and his students recorded TV shows, Candlelight Concerts, and many Staples Players productions.

For several months, Jim — now retired — has been creating “nutshells” from the archives. They’re brief (10 minutes or so) highlights of every show, beginning with director David Roth’s first one in 2000.

It was “Guys and Dolls.”

Jim is sending these nutshells to “06880.” He hopes readers enjoy the shows — whether they were there then or not. Click here or below, for “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” and many more classics.

 

(“06880”  covers Staples High School, Westport’s entertainment scene, and so much more — and we do it 24/7/365. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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From Beach To Best: 60 Years Of Teen Radio

Posted on January 29, 2026 | 14 comments

WWPT-FM is the best high school radio station in the country.

That’s not just my opinion. Staples’ “PT” earned that John Drury Award honor last year — to go with similar “Best High School Radio Station in the Nation” trophies in 2011, ’17 and ’18.

WWPT 90.3 picks up plenty of other Drury trophies each year too, for everything from news features and public affairs, to sports and radio dramas.

The station draws a wide audience. Live sports are particularly popular. They’ve launched the professional careers of sportscasters like D.J. Sixsmith, Eric Gallanty and Cam Manna.

Celebrating at the 2010 John Drury Awards ceremony (from left): advisor Mike Zito, and students Eric Gallanty, DJ Sixsmith, Brendan Rand and Jake Chernok.

But listeners may not realize that WWPT is more than 50 years old.

Or that a radio station featuring Westport teenagers stretches back to the Eisenhower administration.

Pam Docters knows.

And now anyone who pays $9.03 0n Amazon (yes, the price is deliberate — get it?!) can read all about that storied history.

Docters — a 1978 Staples graduate, and proud ‘PT alum — has just published “Radio Whoopie at Compo.” The slim, 49-page paperback tells the story of the station, in the words of those who were there. And with an impressive number of archival photos.

It focuses on the late 1950’s through ’80s. The pioneers who Docters spoke with were the most fervent WWPT alums, she says.

The story begins with  Stuart Soroka. He hung a speaker outside his bedroom window on Wake Robin Road, and hosted a “radio show.”

That evolved into a 100-megawatt AM station — called WWPT, for “Westport” — at 1160: “The Sound on the Sound.”

Soroka, Gordon Joseloff and others broadcast from the YMCA and Compo Beach, with a transmitter the size of a cereal box.

Teenagers at Compo Beach, listening to “The Sound on the Sound.”

They attracted the attention of the New York Times, World Book Encyclopedia, Scholastic Magazine — and the Federal Communications Commission, which reluctantly shut them down.

Soroka — a 1961 Staples graduate — went on to became a noted Boston weatherman. Joseloff had a career as a CBS News correspondent, then served 2 terms as Westport’s first selectman.

This July 1961 New York Times story alerted the FCC to the existence of the unlicensed radio station. 

In 1968, Keith Satter and others built an AM transmitter that broadcast throughout Staples, from what had once been a storage room. WSRB — for “Staples Radio Broadcasting” — is believed to be the first high school radio station in Connecticut.

In the early 1970s it evolved into WWPT-FM. At 110 to 330 watts, it was the 12th high school radio station in the country.

The designer of the original 1970s logo is unknown. It’s still used today.

Docters uses interviews with former staff members like Dennis Jackson, Mark Potts and Larry Perlstein to describe the growth of the station: its antenna at the old Nike missile site on Bayberry Lane; live broadcasts from the Yankee Doodle Fair, and of Candlelight Concerts; coverage of Board of Finance, Board of Education meetings; an interview with former Stapleite Charlie Karp, who had played with Jimi Hendrix but was excited that his new band’s music was being played on “this little station.”

In 1975, WWPT sponsored a fundraising concert in the Staples auditorium with the James Gang, and an up-and-coming English musician named Peter Frampton.

On Election Day 1977, ‘PT scooped all the other local media with the local results. Station members headed to polling places across town, and called in the results via pay phone.

Marta Flanigan waits for election results, in the WWPT studio.

Chuck Davis and Neil Hartman built a robust sports department. WWPT aired football, soccer, basketball and baseball games. They scored press passes from the Yankees, Giants, Knicks, Whalers (and Bridgeport Jai-Alai), and interviewed top athletes.

Davis went on to work at Sports Illustrated; Hartman headed to Comcast SportsNet. Another member, Jon Stashower, became a noted ESPN radio anchor.

Photos in Pam Docters’ book show (top to bottom) Chuck Davis and Neil Hartman interviewing Cosmos soccer stars Giorgio Chinaglia and Pele, respectively.

Thanksgiving fundraising marathons became legendary. With pitches from famous New York DJs like Don Imus, Cousin Brucie and Murray the K, plus celebrities like Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Jim McKay, Dave Winfield, Jack Lemmon and Ben Vereen, students raised thousands of dollars each year.

1977 fundraising marathon poster.

WWPT was a formative experience for Docters, and her love for it is clear in her book.

She tells “06880” about her long days at the station. “We were in the lower 9 building, away from everything. We never, ever saw an adult. We were independent, and responsible. We MacGyvered everything. Fixing the tower at 11 p.m., whatever — we made it work.”

Docters remains “in awe” of her predecessors. “They were there before anyone, in radio. It’s phenomenal what they did. You couldn’t recreate that today. There are so many rules and regulations now.”

40 years after graduating, 1978 WWPT members (from left) Malcolm Doak, David Schaffer, Laurel Rech, Chuck Davis, Doug Meny and author Pam Docters enjoyed a tour of the 2018 studios.

She knows “Radio Whoopie at Compo” will not be a big seller. That’s fine.

Docters just wanted to preserve WWPT’s remarkable history. She donated copies to the Staples and Westport libraries, and current station advisor and radio production teacher Geno Heiter.

That’s right: Radio is now a legit Staples class.

It’s come a long way from the outlaw transmitters at the beach and the Y; closed-circuit broadcasts that could only be heard in the cafeteria; then gangs of teenagers hanging out all day and night, playing records and planning shows and fixing transmitters.

Pam Docters is proud of the role she played. Dennis Jackson, Larry Perlstein and all the others she interview for her book are too.

And in that great radio station in the sky, Stuart Soroka and Gordon Joseloff are listening and smiling too.

(“o6880”  regularly covers Staples High School, Westport teenagers, our town’s history — and much more. If you enjoy stories like these, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

2025 John Drury Awards.

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Posted in Looking back, Media, Staples HS, Teenagers

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Unsung Heroes #418

Posted on January 21, 2026 | 4 comments

Staples High School’s many talented actors, musicians and athletes get plenty of press — and well-deserved praise

Plenty of others do equally admirable work, far beyond the spotlight.

Today we salute Natalia Garment, Neha Singh and Jessie Zhang.

The highly motivated, self-starting seniors created SpeakEasy. The student-run organization supports language learners, and increases access to multilingual education.

They promote biliteracy through free tutoring. They’ve hosted a fundraiser at Toquet Hall.

Now they’ve partnered with the Westport Library.

Next month, SpeakEasy offers free beginner Spanish, Mandarin and French classes for students ages 6-9 at the Library.

Group members have earned the Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy, and have experience teaching peers and younger students. Families may sign their child up for individual sessions using this link.

SpeakEasy has also designed a special “Biliteracy Bookshelf,” at the entrnace of the Library’s children’s section. Prior to lessons, families are encouraged to visit the display.

Natalia, Neha and Jessie: You are our Unsung Heroes of the week. Congratulations!

Or — as you already know how to say: Félicitations! ¡Felicidades! Gōngxǐ!

From left: Neha Singh, Jessie Zhang and Natalia Garment, at their Westport Library display.

(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)

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“Students Speak”: Sharing Grades Adds Extra Stress

Posted on January 6, 2026 | 9 comments

“Students Speak” offers a platform for Westport students to speak out about issues of importance to them.

Ella Turner is a sophomore at Staples High School. She serves Inklings as paper editor and editorial board member, and is part of the Graphic Design Club. Last summer, Ella explored media writing at Vogue Summer School and investigative journalism with the New York Times program.

Ella has studied at Alvin Ailey’s dance intensive in New York. She is a member of the senior company at Westport’s Academy of Dance, performing shows like “The Nutcracker.” Ella writes:

I quit tennis when I was 10 years old.

As someone who couldn’t stand the stress of constant competition, I told my mom that competitive sports just weren’t for me and started a career in dance.

After a while though, my little self realized that in any activity, there would be a level of healthy competition. I slowly adjusted, realizing that it could actually push me rather than hinder my progress.

Ella Turner

At school however, I loved to be in competition with myself. That meant harder classes and more stress. As most Staples students do, I would stress about tests, then worry about the grade I got.

You’d think that would be the end of it. However, once I receive my grade, I am forced to add another level of stress to the already mountain-high stack: the stress of telling others how I did.

Grade sharing is a common occurrence at Staples, to the point where I share and compare my grades with classmates in every class. For most students, it is the norm. It is customary that the second you receive a grade, you feel obligated to share it.

Even when I try to avoid disseminating my grade, I’m often asked outright by others. Sharing grades is now a part of the academic process at Staples, and I, like countless other students, don’t bat an eye at it. But recently, I have  wondered why this is the case.

Some of the blame for the increasingly public nature of grades at Staples is also one of my unfortunately cherished pastimes: checking PowerSchool. Despite the ease that technology has created, students having full access to their grades at any time of day is a risky power. Rather than avoiding the question, or avoiding discussing grades altogether, there’s always the ability to “just pull it up!” — a phrase I am sadly guilty of.

A significant portion of the pressure to share grades stems from the desire for comparison. The culture at Staples is undeniably a feeling of constant preparation for college and the workforce. This leads to yet another feeling that each grade is the defining factor in a student’s future success.

This culture not only enables unnecessary anxiety, but also creates an underlying sense of competition, the kind that can drag a student’s self esteem far down without them even realizing. If they get a bad grade, they need the reassurance that it was still an average or above average grade, and that they are not falling behind others in the constant race to an unknown finish line.

Once a grade is out in the open, whether positive or negative, there are serious underlying consequences that students put on themselves. If my classmate aces an English essay, there becomes this expectation that they are good at English and should be living up to the bar they set for themselves. Effort becomes judged by a letter rather than time and energy. And once stereotypes and expectations are made, breaking those assumptions can feel impossible.

It’s understandable that comparing grades with peers can be exciting, and many people don’t feel uncomfortable with that level of openness. But it’s also important to take into account that many people need a level of privacy when it comes to grades, whether they say it out loud or not.

Rather than asking “What did you get?,” forcing students to reply with a letter grade, try instead “How was the test?” or “How did you do?” This will enable students who are uncomfortable to respond indirectly, which provides a sense of comfort that as of now, not many students have.

As a sophomore who has 2 more years at high school, that means I will be comparing and sharing my grades, whether I am comfortable or not with the idea.

As a community and a school, I believe it is important that we take a step back and reassess the motives for constant grade sharing by asking ourselves: Is sharing your grades for the benefit of others, or the benefit of your self-validation?

(To submit a “Student Speaks” — or for questions about this feature — email 06880blog@gmail.com. We will work with students — at Staples, private schools or home-schooled — to help craft their story. Anonymity, if requested, is assured.) 

(If you enjoy this feature — or anything else on “06880” — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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