Academics

Our K-5 program provides the foundation of academic, social and emotional success that your child will continue to build upon throughout his or her Westerly experience. Our nurturing environment encourages curiosity, creativity and self-confidence. It’s a place where students get to know and understand themselves and the world around them.

Comprehensive Curriculum

Both challenging and supportive, Westerly’s Lower School curriculum encourages students to discover and develop their own individual strengths from an early age. From visual arts and music to Spanish, technology and competitive athletics, we offer a comprehensive curriculum bursting with opportunities for students to grow and thrive.

What’s more, because of our small class sizes, faculty are able to utilize a variety of approaches to explore and synthesize content with meaning and depth.  This provides opportunities for differentiating learning in the classroom and customization of instruction for individual and small groups of students.

Student Leadership

At Westerly, we believe that every student on our campus – regardless of age – plays an important role in our school community. As such, we seek to strengthen students’ moral and social development from their very first year on campus. Westerly provides a thoughtful program of service opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom that allow students to develop into their roles as purposeful collaborators.

Beginning in Kindergarten, students participate in school events and initiatives such as the school’s Recycling Program. Our Mentor-Mentee program pairs our younger students with an older student to help pass on our school values of respect, responsibility, kindness, adaptability and honesty. (Lower School students actually take on the role of mentor beginning in Grade 5.) And of course, our committed faculty are here to help guide your children as coaches, teachers and trusted mentors throughout their six years at our Lower School.

The Westerly Middle School offers a caring and nurturing environment where students feel safe taking risks and exploring new challenges. With equal parts academic rigor, social and emotional guidance, and independence, the program is designed to instill a strong sense of self-confidence and personal responsibility that students will carry with them their entire lives.

A Real-World Curriculum

Math, science and the humanities remain core to the Middle School curriculum, but our program does not end there. To help students better understand their role in today’s global community, the curriculum also focuses on programs like     digital citizenship, as well as   Spanish, Visual   Art, Athletics,   and  Performing  Arts. All are incorporated meaningfully into the school’s six-period school day.

A Personal Approach

At Westerly, we believe that understanding and appreciating each individual child is paramount to building a unique path toward their own personal success.  Our staff members are committed to serving as teachers, mentors, and coaches for our students during their three years of Middle School. The team meets weekly to discuss the successes and needs of each student. They create a consistent and nurturing culture where students’ voices are heard, creativity is celebrated, and growth is inevitable.

Beginning in Middle School, students participate in   small group advisory periods    to ensure that they receive the nurturing guidance they need at what can often be a delicate time in adolescent growth and development. The advisory program is just one more way in which our faculty are committed to preparing students for success in the classroom, as well as their personal lives.

A Bright Future

With a healthy balance of traditional and progressive teaching methods, our Middle School program prepares your children people to be dynamic, independent thinkers who value character and integrity in themselves and others. Our students have gone on to attend a wide range of outstanding high schools.

Vision

Westerly School uses technology to support inquiry-based learning through academic engagement, creative expression, critical thinking, and social-emotional reflection.   We believe technology enhances collaborative inquiry, real-world connection making, and student’s unique expression of identity.  Faculty and students utilize technology in various ways to engage in local and global critical examination, express multiple perspectives, and learn and present through dynamic platforms.  Ultimately, technology strengthens Westerly’s mission and educational philosophy by facilitating deep learning and teaching to build a lifelong foundation for students to be the leaders, helpers, creators and change-makers of the future.

Overview

Students in all grade levels attend trimester workshops in Westerly’s Innovative Learning and Design Lab (W.I.L.D), a creative makerspace that fosters growth and development in STEM education. In accordance with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Computer Science Teacher Association (CSTA), and the AASL Standards Framework for Learners, WILD Lab projects are designed to challenge students with computational and critical thinking tasks. K-8 students will attend weekly workshops in which they develop their skills in coding, robotics, 3D design, virtual and augmented reality, and electronics. Through Inquiry-Based Learning, students will complete a trimester project which showcases skills learned in the WILD Lab. 

The Kindergarten through Eighth Grade Digital Citizenship Program at Westerly is designed to equip students with the skills they need to use technology and navigate the internet safely, responsibly, and respectfully. Using the #WinAtSocial curriculum from The Social Institute, students build strong digital literacy habits through engaging lessons on privacy and security, media balance, digital footprints, and cyberbullying. They also gain foundational knowledge about different operating systems and their functions. By the end of Eighth Grade, students will be confident and capable digital citizens, prepared with the life skills needed to thrive in high school and beyond.