The reverberating percussion sounds blast out the door as students enter the classroom. “La Gozadera” by Gente De Zona featuring Marc Anthony continues to play. Some students quietly sit down, scroll through their phones, or tap to the music’s rhythms. Every year, I play this song on the first day Read more

As adults we can all remember times when we were sick or distracted or had a personal problem which hindered our ability to be engaged, to perform our best at work, or interact well with others. The same is true for children, of course, and many variables can impact learning. Read more

For some students, simply hearing the words “finals” and “week” used in the same sentence is enough to conjure up thoughts of stress, anxiety, and caffeine fueled all-nighters sponsored by Monster Energy drinks. However, in a year that’s been as tumultuous and fraught with never-ending cascades of challenges as 2020-21 Read more

Now that we're safely past November 1, when almost all seniors have had at least one deadline, you may be wondering what happens next. Here are some tips for you.  Relax and reboot! Take a few college-free days if you're getting overwhelmed or if you don't have any deadlines for Read more

  If you are either a current 9th or 10th grader or the parent of one, it is likely that college prep has or will soon come up in conversations. Realizing this, Westtown School’s Director of College Counseling visited our ninth and tenth-grade students in early February and shared these Read more

Family holiday traditions are important to give our children a sense of connectedness and history. This holiday season, consider creating a new tradition of building a family collection of holiday stories. The books can be packed away at the end of the season and tucked away until next year, so Read more

This question comes up in our Admission office, College Counseling office, and even in our Lower School lobby. Parents and students alike worry about college preparation and bolstering transcripts. We asked our Director of College Counseling to shed some light on what colleges actually look for, what students need, and Read more

Getting ready for school takes more than a new notebook and bookbag. Help your child be ready for success by taking a few additional steps now. Sleep: Many of us change our sleep patterns over the summer. Now is the time to begin to adjust your child’s bedtime and wake Read more

In her book, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, psychologist Lisa Damour describes the familiar and emotional process  in which teens begin to separate from their parents, assert their independence, and latch on firmly to a tribe of their peers. Damour writes, “By the end of Read more

Teacher Appreciation Day made me think about my favorite teachers and why they still hold a place in my heart and mind.  There are three of them. Mrs. McCall was my first grade teacher.  This was the first time I was away from my home all day as the first Read more