What Makes an Explorer West Falcon?
A Place for All Kinds of Learners This is my sixth year leading admissions at Explorer West. I love watching fifth graders grow into confident young people, ready to embrace the challenges of high school and beyond. Prospective families always ask me, “what are you looking for in an Explorer West student?” At Explorer West,…
Read MoreProgram Updates – Art and Music – November 2024
Art: The art room is buzzing with creative energy. The 6th grade have completed their Elements of Art book and made covers using a faux rice paper watercolor technique. Last week we started a unit on Egypt. We watched videos of ancient art and architecture then started planning our patterns and designs for a…
Read MoreWhat Does Success Look Like? Redefining Achievement for Middle School Students.
At Explorer West, we constantly discuss student success and how to define it. Middle school is a time of enormous growth and self-discovery, and success here isn’t just about grades or test scores—it’s a pivotal time for students to develop skills to take on high school and life with curiosity, resilience, and an open mind.…
Read MoreProgram Spotlight – Social Studies & Latin – October 2024
Social Studies 6th Grade In sixth grade, social studies, we just wrapped up our unit on history, stories, and identity. In this unit, students were introduced to the idea that history is full of stories (or historical accounts) that may be told from just one, two, or a variety of perspectives. The understanding that stories and…
Read MoreProgram Updates: Language Arts – October 2024
Language Arts 6th Grade 6th graders put the finishing touches on their Textual Lineage Posters last week. Back in September they listed books they remembered fondly, then narrowed that list down to the ten texts that were especially significant, memorable or important to them. Their reflections about the books they loved are so fun to…
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