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Since 1986, The Westwood School has provided an outstanding Montessori environment beginning at the pre-school level, building on the Chinese proverb, "What I hear I forget, what I see I remember, what I do I know." Westwood blends this highly regarded method with the International Baccalaureate, an ideal overlay to the foundation laid by the Montessori method. IB World Schools (more than 2200 in over 120 countries) share a common philosophy--a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that The Westwood School believes is important for our students. Westwood is an authorized IB Middle Years Programme school (grades 7-10). We are a candidate school for the IB Diploma Programme (grades 11-12). Westwood develops character, fosters community, and promotes academic excellence in a welcoming supportive environment. Our vision, as teachers and parents, is to encourage students in responsible citizenship so each can make a positive, personal contribution and actively participate in the national and global community. The Westwood School inspires in students a voluntary joy in learning, a habit of excellence, and a sense of independence and self-confidence. Parents become partners with Westwood in an educational process in which students acquire the skills, self-confidence, and values necessary to think critically and act responsibly. The three pillars of a Westwood education are: Westwood offers students a challenging and innovative course of study that will culminate in the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, the most highly regarded high school degree in the world. In keeping with the Montessori ideals of the school, Westwood presents students with real-life experiences and hands-on learning.
Westwood trains students to master their bodies as well as their minds. Rather than practicing exclusively for a specific sport, students learn to develop their Core Athleticism--the speed, agility, and endurance to excel in everything they do both on and off the field of play. Westwood intends that graduates go out into the world not just to do great things, but to do the right things. Students also practice the art of giving back in dedicated service to others. 
At Westwood, we remain wholeheartedly committed to providing an exceptional education that emphasizes personal ethics and individual responsibility--all within a caring, supportive community. One manifestation of this philosophy is our tradition of student-to-student mentoring--affording each student the opportunity to solidify personal skills while guiding peers. Likewise, our partnership with parents invokes many traditional as well as unique opportunities for parent involvement. Westwood commits to leaving this world a little better than we found it, and becoming a little better ourselves through that process. Perhaps Westwood parents state it best: "Westwood has a remarkable balance that permeates the environment--a balance of enjoyment of learning, respect for others, and responsibility to everyone." "Thank you for caring about my child, for taking the time to get to know my child, and for helping me learn how to follow my child." "Love and respect for the individuality and dignity of each child permeates the atmosphere of Westwood." "Westwood taught our children to love learning; to be passionate about learning--the gift of a lifetime." "You change people's lives; there is nothing more important than that." Make a difference in your classroom, in your world, and in your future.Do more than give answers . . . ask questions.Do more than solve problems . . . explore reasons.Do more than make friends . . . discover yourself.
Maintaining the highest standards in the world, the International Baccalaureate challenges students to reach beyond themselves and their communities to the world at large. The IB Middle Years Programme (grades 7-10) is designed to help students develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, and skills necessary to participate actively and responsibly in a changing world. The IB Diploma Programme (grades 11-12) is a challenging curriculum that leads to a qualification that is widely recognized by the world's leading universities (www.ibo.org). The Westwood School implements the IB Middle Years Programme in 7th and 8th grade, is adding 9th and 10th grade in fall 2008, and graduating the first secondary school class in spring 2011.
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