WES Faculty Engage in Summer Professional Development

Every summer, our faculty engage in professional development (PD) to ensure our teaching methods reflect best practices in educational research. This year, our team participated in PD around the topics of Responsive Classroom® techniques, diversity, our new Bridges in Mathematics curriculum, reading, writing, STEM, and the Zones of Regulation. 

Responsive Classroom®
Elementary School teachers participated in a four-day Responsive Classroom® workshop that focused on building a strong classroom community and supporting students’ social and emotional development.

National Presbyterian’s Diversity Institute 
This three-day institute focused on the work and curriculum of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle School educators, with the theme of “Committed to the Work: Combating Bias & Developing Culturally Responsive Teaching in the Classroom.” Sessions focused on how educators and administrators can accurately identify and dismantle biases in their work and school community, as well as cultivate culturally responsive teaching in the classroom.

Bridges in Mathematics
Several Elementary School teachers participated in professional learning focused on delivering high-quality mathematics instruction using our Bridges in Mathematics program.

Reading Horizons
Multiple teachers attended a two-day training for Reading Horizons, an explicit phonics curriculum that helps every K-3 student build a solid foundation in reading and spelling. The program provides a framework for teaching the basic building blocks of the English language from the simplest concept to the more complex with explicit, systematic instruction.

Writing
Teachers grew their professional skills around teaching writing to upper Elementary students.

Zones of Regulation
Early Childhood teachers joined a webinar on Zones of Regulation, a framework designed to foster self-regulation and make social emotional learning stick.

Campus Improvements During the Summer

Our Facilities team has been incredibly busy this summer, and the WES campus is getting a few new additions! We are expanding our Ceramics Studio on the second floor of the building, and the formerly unfinished space next to our new Dragon Innovation Lab will be a new Science Lab. Thanks to the generosity of all who gave at this year’s Auction Gala, we will have a new patio at the rear of the school building by the beginning of the year. The Middle School has also received new carpeting, and there is lots of fresh paint around the building.

Check out these photos showing the progress of these projects.

Ceramics Studio in Progress

Science Lab in Progress

Patio in Progress

New Middle School Carpet

Claire ’11 Makes History in Tokyo Olympics

For the first time in Olympic rowing history, there will be an equal number of men’s and women’s events. The women’s coxless four, which made its first and last appearance at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, replaces the lightweight men’s four in this year’s program. Claire Collins ’11 is part of the team to help make Olympic history when she competes in Tokyo.

You can read the full story in USA Today here.