A School Where Children Are Known, Challenged, and Happy to Be Here
Dear Prospective Families,
Welcome to WHPS. I’m glad you’re learning more about us, but more than anything, I hope you’ll come spend some time here.
Families often talk about the welcoming, down-to-earth “vibe” of WHPS. When you visit, slow down for a minute and just watch what’s happening around you. Notice how children and adults talk to one another. You might see children interacting with the animals in the Barnyard, playing under the 500-year-old oak tree, creating in the Maker Studio, or simply enjoying the chance to be outside and in nature during the school day.
Spend some time in the classrooms, too. You’ll see desks, lessons, tests, quizzes, and children working hard. But you’ll also see children making choices and gradually taking more ownership of their learning. Our teachers know them well enough to recognize when they need support, when they’re ready to go further, and sometimes when they need a different path.
A school is a very human place, and so much of what really matters is found in those everyday moments. There’s a lot of thought and intention behind what can feel remarkably natural when you see it in action.
That same intention is behind our Graduate Profile. The qualities in it shape our curriculum, our teaching, and the experiences we create for children. By fifth grade, our students know themselves quite well. They understand their strengths, where they’re still growing, what interests them, and what they want to work toward. They’re finding their own voices and passions, setting goals, and beginning to understand what they have to contribute. We’re intentional about the process without deciding who a child should become, and seeing those qualities emerge in each child in their own way is one of our greatest points of pride.
There’s a personal side to this, too. Our founder created WHPS more than 40 years ago with her own children in mind, and today her grandchildren are here, experiencing a school that has grown and evolved tremendously over the decades. Many of our faculty and staff have chosen WHPS for their own children as well. This isn’t only where we work. It’s a community we’re personally invested in.
So when you visit, kick the tires. Talk with our teachers. Meet our students. Ask questions and get a feel for who we are as a community. I hope you’ll see for yourself what makes WHPS so special to those of us who are part of it. And if you leave feeling as inspired by this place as we do, we’d love to welcome your family to WHPS.
Warmly,
Seth Pozzi
Head of School
Dear WHPS Students,
As a student at WHPS, we promise to respect and appreciate you for exactly who you are. We’ll get to know what interests you, what makes you laugh, what comes easily, and what challenges you. We’ll believe in what you’re capable of and help you become an even more confident, capable, and well-rounded human being while always giving you room to be yourself.
In Preschool, your teachers will pay close attention to what interests and excites you, then design investigations and experiences that help you take those interests further. You’ll ask questions, make choices, get messy, explore, play, create, and build the skills you’ll need to thrive in the years ahead. Most of all, we hope you’ll become wonderfully curious about the world and stay that way.
In Elementary School, you’ll become an author, mathematician, scientist, artist, musician, maker, and problem-solver. You’ll play musical instruments, learn another language, create and build things, and learn about people, cultures, and customs from around the world. You’ll discover things you’re really good at and others you’ll have to work harder at. You’ll learn to set goals, speak up for yourself and others, listen to people who see things differently, and keep going when something doesn’t work the first time. These are skills that will serve you well as you grow up in a big and ever-changing world that needs your ideas, your compassion, and your leadership.
Most of all, we hope WHPS is a place where you can be yourself, make good friends, laugh a lot, discover things you love, and be proud of how much you grow.
We take your education seriously. We just don’t think taking it seriously means you have to stop being a kid.
Sincerely,
Seth Pozzi
Head of School
The Best Way to Understand WHPS Is to Spend Time Here
Visit our campuses, meet our educators, and experience the community for yourself.