The best learning starts with wonder. And keeps it going.

Morning greeting sets the tone. Every day, teachers welcome and respect all the children with a handshake, a visible reminder of the Quaker belief that there is “that of God” in each person.” From there the day leaps forward, channeling our students’ natural enthusiasm for learning, guiding their curiosity towards big and meaningful questions about what our world is made of and how we live in it together.

Over time, the instinct to wonder becomes the ability to consider, plan, track down information, and organize ideas. Students learn to weigh their own wishes with the world’s needs. They make decisions and do the math. They run experiments and use technology, design, and self-expression as they create something to share.

Here at Westtown School, even the smallest children learn that their questions, ideas, and experiences have value. And that wonder and learning—and meaningful living—go happily hand-in-hand.