our values

Learning That Matters

At Willowstone Academy learning doesn’t start at 8:40 am and end at 3:00 pm. We know that we are all lifelong learners who endeavor to take risks, to embrace mistakes, and to trust in being capable. We are dedicated to deep learning that is rooted in a place where individual journeys are celebrated and where everyone belongs. Our school spans toddlers to teenagers and because we create seamless transitions between our Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten into our Elementary School, and finally into our Middle School, we are deeply invested in learning that matters–both inside and outside the classroom.

In a world that is saturated with information, we know that if our students can Google something, then we are redundant, outdated and, ultimately, ineffective. And that’s not good enough.  

Knowledge and access to information is essential, but only counts when it’s connected to skills and competencies that matter not only between subjects, but between the classroom and the “real world.” We know that our students need to be prepared to see opportunities and tackle the problems that we know about…and also the ones that haven’t been discovered yet in the world we are inheriting from our children. 

    So, our learning is rooted in the Core Competencies: Communication, Thinking, and Responsibility. These are the cupboards in the kitchen of learning that our students fill with information and skills. They are the curricular content and competencies that they can use in school, at home or at the auto-shop. The bedrocks of numeracy and literacy are crucial so that we can develop personalized learning plans and create authentic learning experiences across grades that support our students’ learning through all of the “non-academic” times: recesses and lunch hours, after-school sports and clubs, and all of the interactions in between. 

    Life never stops, and neither does learning. And we are dedicated to learning that matters.