About Us
At Western Wayne Schools we believe that a high-quality education involves far more than academic proficiency. With this in mind, the mission of Western Wayne Schools is…
Nurturing powerful LEARNERS to discover their paths while equipping them to meet the demands of a successful future.
What is a Powerful Learner?
In collaboration with community partners, Western Wayne Schools staff defined what it means to be a Powerful Learner through the attributes described in our Profile of a Graduate.
- Purpose– Eagle Learners intentionally engage in experiences that are relevant to their lives and their future.
- Communication– Eagle Learners share and exchange information and ideas effectively.
- Collaboration– Eagle Learners work together to generate ideas, create products, and solve problems in an effort to enhance learning.
- Wonder– Eagle Learners ask questions about the world around them and persist to find explanations and solutions.
- Contribution– Eagle Learners leave a positive impact on the world around them.
- Ownership– Eagle Learners know their strengths and weaknesses and see themselves as the most important participant in a lifelong process of growth.
At Western Wayne, our Profile of a Graduate comes to life at each grade level through performance tasks that showcase their proficiency. At Western Wayne, these attributes as much a part of our guaranteed and viable curriculum as the academic standards taught in our classrooms. Click HERE for more information.
How do we go about Nurturing Powerful Learners?
Five principles have been established to serve as the foundation to our work to Nurture Powerful Learners. These principles are:
- Joy- Our first priority is that our schools become places that our learners want to be. In order to meet this goal, we routinely plan activities that cause our learners to be eager to return to school each day.
- Community- Once our learners want to be in our schools we work to make sure they feel like they belong.
- Western Wayne Schools offers many extracurricular activities that are always expanding.
- All elementary students belong to a team that they stay on for three years. This allows consistency, stability, and a comforting source of belonging to each of our students.
- All middle and high school students are assigned to a Champion Group. Students meet with their Champion teacher 4 days per week. This teacher helps supports learners with study skills as well as their plans after high school. At graduation, it is the champion teacher who hands learners their diploma.
- Impact- We determine what progress looks like for each learner and work to make it happen each day. Learning academic content is important, and we work to make sure that students are learning every day.
- Empowerment- We build strength and confidence in others to help them take ownership of the progress they make. In addition to learning information, we work to help our students learn how to learn. We want them to have strategies and mindsets that they will be able to rely on for the rest of their lives as they continue to learn for the rest of their lives.
- Teamwork- We work together to make things better. Within our staff, we use the structure of Professional Learning Communities as we work together. We also partner with parents and community members as we work to make things better, as we regularly host collaborative sessions.
Core Beliefs
We believe…
- We are all learners.
- Learners can be successful under the following conditions:
- Their basic needs have been met
- They are able to understand their goal(s)
- They are willing to persevere
- They are engaged
- They have the time they need
- Learning is connecting the unknown to the known.
- Teaching utilizes scientific and strategic processes.
- Instruction and learning activities should be student-centered (engaging, differentiated, flexible, and relational).
- We have the collective responsibility to help all learners succeed.