Wildwood School At-A-Glance Wildwood School Is a Progressive Kindergarten Through 12Th Grade Co-Ed College Preparatory School in West Los Angeles
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wildwood school at-a-glance Wildwood School is a progressive kindergarten through 12th grade co-ed college preparatory school in West Los Angeles. The school’s program thrives at the intersection of research and practice. Wildwood develops discerning thinkers able to examine and assimilate a wide body of information, evaluate evidence, consider diverging perspectives, and seek connections before formulating their conclusions. These higher-order thinking skills are crucial for college success and beyond where knowledge and perspective must constantly adapt to our rapidly changing world. Wildwood’s elementary school was founded in 1971, and the middle and upper school was established in 2000. A model for progressive education, Wildwood’s Outreach Center shares our school’s best practices through on-site workshops for teachers and specialized consulting services for schools. elementary school Wildwood’s elementary program supports the • Multi-age groups in K-1st grade and a low student-teacher intellectual, social, and emotional development of ratio facilitate a supportive environment where students each child. Life Skills are woven into the daily fabric develop skills while learning to mentor and model for their peers. of the curriculum and the development of these skills is as important as students’ academic development. • Best practices include Cognitively Guided Instruction Our project-based, hands-on approach encourages (CGI) math, Total Physical Response (TPR) Spanish, children to learn by doing and to think critically information and computer literacy, multicultural programming, and advisory. and creatively. • The outdoor classroom, garden, and Big Yard Woods are stimulating venues for learning and a backdrop for imaginative play. • Community involvement is an integral part of the Wildwood experience, exposing students to social-service organizations and other school communities. • The physical education program reinforces sportsmanship, physical fitness, skill acquisition, and developing a positive self-image. middle and upper school At the core of Wildwood’s middle and upper school • Wildwood offers honors, advanced, and independent studies program are the Habits of Mind and Heart, a set of courses to upper school students. values and skills that serve students throughout their • Best practices include citizen science, physics-first approach, lives. The Habits guide students’ growth as learners as information and computer literacy, multicultural scope and well as responsible citizens; all assessments are based sequence, interdisciplinary courses, student-led conferences, on the Habits. Project-based learning is essential to and senior graduation projects (three independent projects the core curriculum in which students are immersed in organized around essential questions). academic and relevant learning that relies on problem • Internationally recognized, the multi-age advisory program solving and critical thinking. combines daily academic coaching, multicultural activities, self-reflection, and community-building activities, and it is the Middle school academics are increasingly rigorous, parents’ link to their student’s life at school. challenging students and building on higher-order thinking skills, examining complex concepts, cultivating inquiry, investigating evidence, and presenting findings. The upper school curriculum provides an intellectually challenging experience for students as they refine the skills necessary for a successful transition to college and preparation for a future defined by change. • Community involvement is integrated with the curriculum, • Gateways and graduation exhibitions are a hallmark of a and students are assessed on this work. Upper school Wildwood education in which students demonstrate fluency students may participate in International Community and mastery of their learning. Students present their Involvement (ICI), traveling abroad for service projects analysis of academic work from the previous 2 years to and cultural exchanges. Our required internship program faculty, administrators, family, and peers. allows juniors and seniors to gain professional experience for academic credit in fields of personal interest during the • Music, Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), upper school school day. electives, and clubs provide opportunities to foster creative pursuits, academic passions, and leadership experience. • Middle school athletes compete in the Pacific Basin League or play in foundational groups that focus on skill development. Upper school varsity and junior varsity teams compete in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) sanctioned Coastal League. Wildwood Athletics may field boys, girls, and/or coed teams in the following sports: Fall Winter Spring Year-Round cross country basketball baseball equestrian flag football soccer golf sailing swimming tennis volleyball track and field fast facts* gpa and grading system STUDENTS FACULTY Wildwood School is on the semester system. The cumulative grade-point average is based on all coursework completed 711 152 between the 9th through 12th grades. One additional point Total Enrollment Total Faculty, Administrators, is awarded to classes designated as honors and to college and Staff courses. Students are not ranked. Narrative assessments 25% provide a clear and rich understanding of a student’s progress Students of Color 39% in each subject area while the ERB, PLAN, SAT, ACT, and Faculty, Administrators, CWRA tests demonstrate a student’s acquisition of knowledge. Elementary School and Staff of Color Narrative assessments function in the place of letter grades 314 46% and are converted to GPAs beginning in 9th grade. Total Students Faculty, Administrators, and 15:1 Staff With Advanced Degrees *This data represents the most Student-to-Teacher Ratio recent year prior to printing. Middle and Upper School 397 Total Students 15:1 Student-to-Teacher Ratio college bound During the upper school years, Wildwood’s college counselors are available to students and their families to guide and assist them through the maze of college selection and admissions. Wildwood has one of the best student-to-counselor ratios among peer Los Angeles-area independent schools. College counseling begins in 9th grade, when counselors first start to work with students and their families. In 11th and 12th grade, students meet with counselors regularly to review coursework and to plan for future academic and leadership opportunities. In addition, seniors attend Wildwood’s College Boot Camp, a four-day seminar in which they begin the college application process in earnest, with particular focus on the “ Placing students at the center of their own learning, a hallmark college essay and preparing for a college interview. of progressive education, is no longer a negotiable add-on in schools. Students must be required to do something with the We proactively introduce Wildwood’s philosophy to colleges knowledge they acquire, not simply demonstrate mastery and universities in all parts of the country. During the school of content.” — Landis Green, head of school year, more than 100 colleges visit our campus and meet with students. In addition, students have the opportunity to go on a school-organized college trip to the East Coast during the spring of their junior year. Wildwood students matriculate to an impressive range of colleges across the country. View the college acceptance list at www.wildwood.org/collegelist. ELEMENTARY CAMPUS Extraordinary communities share common characteristics. They 12201 Washington Place share similar values, passions, commitment, trust, generosity, Los Angeles, CA 90066 Telephone: 310.397.3134 participation, and pride, to name a few. Wildwood’s community Fax: 310.397.5134 exemplifi es these words and more. Community is the center from which we operate and the key to ensuring Wildwood is here for MIDDLE/UPPER CAMPUS our children’s children and their children. To learn more about 11811 Olympic Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90064 Wildwood School, please visit www.wildwood.org. Telephone: 310.478.7189 Fax: 310.478.6875 www.wildwood.org.