I am a graduate of Waring School and when my son was unhappy in his middle school, he transferred to Waring as well. Therefore we are a two-generation Waring family. (In fact I think that one of the main testaments to the school is the high number of graduates that send their own children.)
Neither my son nor myself are particularly academic. However the interactive nature of the teaching method, the engagement and kindness of the teachers, and the quality of the material, serve to encourage curiosity and learning. In my own experience, the school provided me with my happiest and most supported learning experiences bar none. My son, who is now graduated, says the same.
The curriculum is time consuming and immersive. The fact that material is taught in an interactive engaging way, was key to our growth and pleasure in learning. One of my own experiences I remember particularly well, was our study of the Nuremburg Trials. In my other school, the trial of the Nazi leaders was a couple of paragraphs in a textbook and a question on a test. At Waring, we read some of the original trial documentation, we discussed the legal process and the historic context, we then each took parts and acted out the trial (I was Herman Hesse) using the real historical arguments as well as our own. This required time, both of the students and our humanities teacher, but it was an invaluable way to better understand the thinking process of fascist, racist government leaders (important today) and the system for bringing war criminal's to justice. It also brought history to life. As a parent I am delighted that my own child has had the opportunity to engage in similar exercises. To me critical thinking, engagement and curiosity, are central elements of a robust education. To me this is time well spent.
The holistic approach to learning is also reflected in the students' academic results. Again, neither my son nor myself are particularly good at languages. However he was noting that after his first year of taking French at Waring, he was able to hold simple conversations comfortably in the language, something that most students in his old school still struggled with at graduation. This is the difference again between learning from a text book and taking a test, as apposed to hearing French from day one, reading, acting out roles, singing French songs, etc.
Therefore, at Waring, we wrote, we red, we acted out plays, we sang, we sketched, we played sports, we conducted experiments and we spoke in French - and we did all of this in a thoughtful, hands-on and engaged way. And yes, we were also very busy- not a bad thing for teenagers.
Emersion learning in Warring's supportive, engaging environment is a rich experience, and it makes learning and curiosity part of life. It also brings about impressive academic results. read more