School News

Go Boats! Celebrating Tradition, Innovation, and Joy as a Catalyst for Learning

3/12/2026

Lauren Mueller, Director of the PreK-4 Program

For more than 50 years, the Fayerweather Regatta has been one of the most joyful and uniquely “Fayerweather” traditions of the school year. If you’ve stood in the recess yard on a sunny May morning — listening to nautical tunes from Rob and Kate, watching boats wobble and glide across the pool, and joining a crowd united in the chant of “GO BOATS!” — you know this is much more than a race.

Each spring, students have the option to design and build boats through our Shop program. They imagine, sketch, revise, problem-solve, collaborate, and ultimately launch their creations into the water. Some boats are engineered for speed. Others are whimsical works of art. This is project-based learning at its best.

Students are navigating real challenges, revising their work, and seeing how their ideas perform in the real world. The Regatta asks students to think creatively, explore intellectually, and engage meaningfully with their community; exactly as our mission calls us to do.

The Regatta also embodies our belief that there is potential for joy in all learning. It is rigorous, yes, but it is also playful, musical, communal, and loud in the very best way.

When the entire crowd cheers “GO BOATS!” rather than rooting for a single winner, we are modeling something powerful: collective celebration. The joy is not reserved for one champion; it belongs to everyone who dared to build, test, and launch.

Regatta 2.0: Deepening the Learning

This year, our Science and Shop teachers are excited to introduce Regatta 2.0, an evolution that keeps the heart of the tradition while adding new layers of engineering and middle school engagement.

What's new this year:

Three Divisions
- Wind-Powered Boats (K-6): our traditional race
- Expo (K-6): imaginative and artistic designs
- NEW! Non-Wind-Powered Boats (Grades 5-8)
Standardized Boat Sizes for Wind-Powered Boats: Hulls will be 12-18 inches long, creating one unified race bracket and a stronger sense of fairness.
More Structured Testing & Revision: All wind-powered boats will participate in float and wind testing sessions before race day. Students will revise their designs based on real data, strengthening the engineering process and ensuring boats are truly sea-worthy.
NEW! Non-Wind-Powered Division (Grades 5-8): Older students may now explore propulsion systems such as rubber bands, motors, solar power, and magnets. These boats will race in their own exciting competition following the Expo.

These updates deepen our commitment to student-led learning. Students will experiment, gather feedback, iterate, and make informed design decisions. They will experience firsthand that growth often comes through revision — and that complexity and challenge are fertile ground for learning.

Join Us!
We warmly invite you to celebrate this cherished Fayerweather tradition

The Regatta
May 15 at 9:00 AM
Fayerweather Recess Yard

Bring your enthusiasm and your loudest "GO BOATS!"

We can't wait to gather as a community and watch tradition -- and innovation -- set sail.

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