Wildwood Terms

Advisory consists of small groups of students paired with an advisor, normally for two-to-three consecutive years. At Wildwood, the program begins in 5th grade and continues throughout middle and upper school. The curriculum includes topics such as global citizenship skills and DEIB issues.

All School Meetings are a time for community building as students, faculty, staff, gather for news, announcements, and programming. At elementary, they also include “Meet the Leader” shares, led by 5th grade students.

See Mastery Assessment/Narrative Assessment below.

Block building is an important component of the K-2 curriculum. Students are encouraged to work together to build structures connected to what they are learning about collectively as a class or of something that is centered around current interests and wonderings. Children learn to solve structural dilemmas and employ mathematics to understand patterns, geometric shapes, fractions, addition, and division.

Both/And Thinking is a guideline of Wildwood’s multicultural practice; the notion that two seemingly paradoxical or conflicting truths can coexist within the same space.

A chalk talk is a silent group activity that allows participants to share what they know or think, and also respond to others' thoughts and observations. A teacher writes a question or statement on the board and students respond as they feel moved; they also respond to other students’ input.

Wildwood’s Collaboration Laboratory (CO:LAB) houses the middle and upper school’s library collection, the Wildwood Institute for Social Leadership, and serves as the primary place for members of the community to come together to collaborate.

Wildwood’s Community Involvement (CI) program engages K-12 students in class and schoolwide projects and partnerships that aim to be mutually beneficial, related to classroom learning, and respond to a real need. Through CI experiences interwoven with the academic program, students gain perspective and come to understand the impact one individual can have on the world.

Contemporary Multicultural Issues (CMIs) are monthly facilitated lessons for students around contemporary topics happening around the world, touching on at least one of the primary dimensions of self. You could think of CMIs as current events discussions on a more sophisticated level; they involve higher order thinking about what’s happening in our world and why, and they always connect to our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) work.

Short for “demonstration of knowledge,” demos are a way of assessing student knowledge or skills by checking for understanding in our project-based learning environment.

In multicultural practice, the understanding that a person's identity comprises many dimensions, namely Age, Ability, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Socio-Economic Class, Ethnicity, and Race.

A central facet of student-centered or project based learning, essential questions are "questions that are not answerable with finality in a brief sentence… Their aim is to stimulate thought, to provoke inquiry, and to spark more questions — including thoughtful student questions — not just pat answers" (McTighe and Wiggins). Examples include: ”Where is the intersection of politics, economics, religion, and culture?” or “What does it mean to be an American?”

A discussion strategy in which a small group of participants sits in a small circle and shares insights and asks questions around a specific topic while a larger group of participants sits in a ring outside that smaller group to listen and observe. Participants can take turns in the two roles.

A Gateway is a presentation of academic and personal growth students demonstrate at the end of 8th and 10th grades. At the end of 12th grade and as a requirement for graduation, seniors present their Senior Exhibition, a culminating exhibition of required portfolio work that demonstrates their academic and personal evolution. Gateways and Senior Exhibitions are presented to an audience of teachers, administrators, family, friends, and peers.

Wildwood defines Global Citizenship as an awareness of and respect for international issues and intercultural perspectives that can both unify and differentiate the experience of people of different backgrounds. Global citizens are actively engaged and reflective members of the world community, committed to being in relationship and learning with others across differences. Wildwood uses the United Nations Sustainability Goals as the foundation of its Global Citizenship work.

Inspired by the work of Ted Sizer and the Coalition of Essential Schools, the Habits of Mind (Connection, Perspective, Evidence, Convention) and Heart (Collaboration, Service to the Common Good, Ethical Behavior) guide curriculum, assessments, and assignments at the middle and upper school.

Personal qualities known as Life Skills are woven into the daily fabric of the curriculum and inform every aspect of the elementary school program. They are: Integrity, Common Sense, Patience, Curiosity, Sense of Humor, Responsibility, Flexibility, Effort, Problem-Solving, Perseverance, Organizing, Tolerance, Initiative, and Interpersonal skills, including respect, caring for others, cooperating, and making friends

Wildwood’s approach to student assessment is designed to actively engage students at all levels. It’s a process that emphasises critical thinking, collaboration, and reflection, and evaluates whether a student independently, consistently, and fluently applies and/or transfers their learning in authentic ways. Twice a year, narrative assessments provide detailed feedback on students’ work and learning in connection to the grade-level standards in each of their core subject areas, as well as about their social and emotional development.

Project-based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. While the learning may culminate in a final product, the main focus is on the process itself.  This approach is frequently seen throughout all Wildwood classrooms.

Progressive Education is based on the principle, espoused by John Dewey and others, that education must prepare students for active participation in a democratic, global society. Thus, the focus is on raising critical thinkers and inquirers who are active rather than passive learners. The teacher’s job is to nurture and support children’s innate curiosity and desire to learn, fostering internal motivation rather than reliance on external rewards.

The Reggio Emilia philosophy is an approach to teaching, learning and advocacy for children. In its most basic form, it is a way of observing what children know, are curious about, and what challenges them. Teachers record these observations to reflect on developmentally appropriate ways to help children expand their academic and social potentials. Long term projects connect core academic areas in and out of the classroom. Wildwood uses certain aspects of Reggio in its elementary school curriculum.

Social-emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

The K-5 specialist departments outside of the classroom include visual and performing arts, science, technology and library, music, physical education, and health. Specialists and classroom teachers work collaboratively on a regular basis to integrate learning across subject areas.

A set of criteria to which students are held accountable that demonstrate their mastery of subject-area content. In the elementary program, there are 5-12 standards per grade level. At the middle and upper school, each course includes a single paragraph narrative followed by a set of six class-specific standards that provide students with clarity on course and grade level expectations as they work towards mastery.

A way to name a skill or capacity that has been mastered (strength) or requires more practice (stretch).

Systems Thinking is an approach to teaching and learning that engages students in noticing all that is going on around them and how everything is interconnected. Systems Thinking is often used as an entry point for Design Thinking and Project-Based Learning.

Our organization for current parents, WWPO coordinates Parent Education events and community social events throughout the year. Class and grade level WWPO representatives are primary liaisons with the grades' families about upcoming events or deadlines. Every parent is a member of WWPO, and all members are encouraged to participate in WWPO committees and activities.