By Leela Uppaluri, Banner Staff

Winsor did not have a typical day of classes on October 29. Instead, students and faculty attended Community Curriculum Day, with the theme of “Winsor Wildcats in Action: Civic Engagement and Bridging Divides.” Upper School Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator and Math Teacher, Ms. Wang, explained, “Community Curriculum Day is a tradition that provides an opportunity for the Winsor community to come together before each presidential election. The speakers, workshops, and other programming are designed so that students can learn about relevant issues, reflect upon their own values, and engage with differing beliefs in a respectful and productive manner.” 

The day opened with debates in the gym and the dining hall. The Upper School’s debate centered on whether we should have a monthly “no cell-phone day” while Lower School students debated whether we should have a monthly “mix-it-up lunch day.” The idea was to mirror discussions of more serious issues while maintaining a low-stakes energy. Small group discussions followed, where students of opposing viewpoints shared their opinions. Ella Troalic ’27 said, “I didn’t understand the perspective of the other side until we discussed. Like, why would you want to not have phones once a month? But after hearing my group members share ideas, like using it as a day to refresh and recharge, I started to understand their viewpoint better.” Though Troalic maintained her original position, she acknowledged that the discussion allowed her to “see the debate from another side.”

Upper Schoolers Vote on Ballot Initiative       Photo from Winsor Communications

Students also participated in workshops. Teachers and outside speakers facilitated some workshops while students led others, creating spaces for all community members to guide discussions on topics they found important during election season. One student-led workshop, “Food and Politics,” led participants through discussions on global food policies. Workshop co-leader Aria Wang ’26 explained, “Food is something that we seem to take for granted now,” and “given the prices of groceries that are plaguing many voters, food insecurity is actually an incredibly relevant topic at the moment.” Wang continued, “Leading a workshop was such a good opportunity to hear what others had to say on a political issue especially important to me.”

The day concluded with an assembly panel to discuss the importance of local engagement and policy.  All in all, the programming for the day had mixed reviews, as some students felt that discussions leading up to the assembly felt more like metaphorical exercises loosely related to the election, rather than direct opportunities to address voting. Hamna Chowdhry’26 pointed out that “the election was on everyone’s mind, and we never really got to discuss it.” However, she acknowledged that discussing such a polarizing topic can be challenging for Winsor students.

Nevertheless, Community Curriculum Day allowed students to engage in meaningful conversations that broadened their viewpoints. Upper School polling results showed a significant shift in perspective. At the start of the day, only 25% of students and faculty supported having a no-phone day once a month. By the end of the day, that number had increased to 41%. ☐