The Westwood School

After attending Westwood for over 11 years we are leaving the school with very few positive things to say about our experience. Through the years the grumblings and undercurrent of negativity has turned out, sadly, to be true. My children are behind their grade level (by more than a few months, one may not be able to catch up even with expensive tutoring programs this summer), have learned to skate by doing just the bare minimum of work, have been overlooked and left behind even with active parents expressing our concerns and asking what we could do.

The administration is beyond unprofessional in how they communicate, and it is the children who suffer. When the promises we are made are not fulfilled the situation is glossed over and we are told to just trust in the school. We trusted for far too long. My children do not struggle with learning challenges, and we are not dealing with attention issues. Families complain that we feel we are just a paycheck, and when concerns are brought to the school we are systematically excluded until leaving becomes the best option.

This school has robbed us of tuition money and left us with confused, uneducated children who will likely flounder just as other classmates who wised up before we did and escaped. There is a reason a record number of families has wised up this year and are not returning.

This school truly is a hidden gem! The school's warm, welcoming atmosphere has easily allowed for us to feel like we are part of "The Westwood Family". The teachers are so passionate and do a wonderful job tending to the individual needs of each child. My daughter loves coming to school each day and I feel so content knowing she is being offered the best education available. We are so glad to have found this amazing place!

I LOVE Westwood. Not only are the students excelling academically (the 6 Seniors have been offered over $955,000 in academic scholarships), students are also taught responsibility. My 9-year-old reminded me that we had to get to the library because his books were due in TWO DAYS! Students set personal boundaries and know what to do when someone crosses that boundary. They practice problem-solving and other social graces.

I am an employee as well. After working here for one year and seeing what a wonderful place this is, I had to enroll my four children. My oldest graduated last year with Westwood's first graduating class and is now attending college overseas. Westwood has the best students, the best staff, and the best parents. It's the people that make the community.

If you are looking for a school where your child is known by his first name by all of the staff, a school where people firmly believe in independent thinking, self-respect, community spirit, multicultural understanding, and above all, academic excellence, the The Westwood School is for you! I have been a Montessori parent, and a Westwood parent for many years now. This school is set apart from the rest in so many ways. Here children are familiar personalities to their teachers and staff, not just another face in a crowd. The teachers are kind and focused on each individual, finding the best way of maximizing each potential for success. It all begins early, around the toddler age, and it beautifully grows into a place where teenagers feel proud and connected with whom they want to become. This school truly focusses on the child's world, and the understanding of his needs and potential.

The Westwood crest promises Character, Community & Academic Excellence; Westwood truly delivers on all three. Our curriculum and school procedures are intentionally designed with these ideals at the center. You can see that our school is special by simply observing a group of Westwood children heading outdoors. The first child holds the door open for the others, every child thanking the one holding the door as s/he passes. This is but one simple example of an intentional procedure that teaches grace & courtesy as well as order and respect. As teachers, we understand that our mission is to develop the whole child. Over the course of the 3-year Montessori cycle, we get to know our students on a deeper level than traditional schools allow. This permits us to customize not only an academic track for each child, but also to work toward social & emotional growth on an individual basis. We achieve academic excellence through a rigorous curriculum that incorporates problem-solving, exploration and discovery, and of course, strong fundamentals. I am proud of the way we challenge and nurture children, hold them to high ideals, and provide a community where they know they are cherished.