Welcome to the 2025–2026 School Year
Dear WHPS Families,
Welcome (or welcome back!) to what promises to be one of our most exciting and enriching years yet. As we begin the 2025–2026 school year, I’m filled with gratitude—for your partnership and for the incredible momentum we’re building together.
We’re entering this year with record-setting student achievement, beautiful campus enhancements, and innovations that continue preparing our students for the world ahead.
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More than 60% of families shared feedback in our year-end Parent Survey. Here’s what you said you value most about WHPS:
Balanced, Rigorous Learning: Families described remarkable growth—especially in 2nd–5th grade—where students become passionate readers, writers, mathematicians, and creators, often advancing well beyond grade level.
SEL & Belonging: Families noted how their children feel truly seen, supported, and celebrated through social-emotional learning, inclusive programming, and affinity groups.
Middle School Prep: Parents appreciated our hands-on guidance, mock interviews, and strong acceptances into best-fit schools.
Excellence with Accessibility: Families expressed gratitude for WHPS’s ability to deliver a balanced, rigorous education while maintaining an accessible tuition model and a warm, down-to-earth community.
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This year’s ERB results highlight the impact of that balance. WHPS students didn’t just do well—they scored in the highest percentiles nationwide, often outperforming peers at top independent schools.
What makes this so meaningful is how we got there. We don’t narrow instruction to test prep. Instead, we cultivate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. The results reflect what happens when children are immersed in a program that challenges them individually while nurturing their love of learning.
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We are breaking ground very soon on one of the most exciting projects in years. Thanks to generous donor support, an all-new Performance Pavilion will transform the area near the Barnyard into a vibrant hub for assemblies, concerts, and community gatherings. We are breaking ground soon and anticipate the new center opening this winter.
Families will also have opportunities to add their names, honor a beloved teacher or staff member, and support the final phase of this project. Stay tuned for details.
You’ll also notice:
Expanded outdoor classrooms and park-like learning spaces
A thriving Science & Nature Center—now with baby goats!
Upgraded fiber internet and campus security systems
New roofing and upgrades to the ranch building and preschool classrooms
New permanent shade structures
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At WHPS, we believe the best preparation for a future shaped by artificial intelligence is not rushing more technology into children’s hands—but teaching them to think deeply, ask better questions, and build something real.
This year, students will explore how AI works, how it uses data, and how to distinguish machine-generated content from human ideas. They’ll also wrestle with deeper questions: Where does AI enhance learning, and where might it limit creativity or critical thinking?
📖 We shared more about this in our recent article: AI in the Classroom.
At the same time, emerging research is raising important cautions. A recent MIT Media Lab study, for example, suggested that over-reliance on ChatGPT led to lower brain engagement and weaker critical thinking in young adults. While the study is small and still under peer review, it highlights a growing concern: children’s developing brains need practice with original thought, memory, and problem-solving—not just shortcuts.
That’s why our approach is intentional. Schools must find the right balance. AI is clearly here to stay, with the power to improve lives and expand possibilities. But children also need careful, thoughtful, and mindful guidance in how they use it—so their creativity, resilience, and critical thinking continue to grow alongside their digital skills.
Thank you for being part of our WHPS community. Together, we’re building something extraordinary—where every child is known, challenged, and celebrated.
— Seth Pozzi, Head of School
