- Westminster Public Schools
- May 24th - Westminster Academy for International Studies to Open in the Fall
Insider 2015 -16 Archives
- D50 Insider Archives Home
- May 24th Edition
- WHS Class of 2016 Graduates
- WHS Seniors Honored
- Westminster Academy for International Studies to Open in the Fall
- Free Full Day Preschool Coming to 7 Elementary Schools
- Meet Teacher of the Year Angie Edmundson
- Outstanding ESP Employees Named
- Emotional Premiere for Documentary Film ‘MEDIC!’
- ‘Daniels Scholar’ Brandon Dickerson Headed to School of Mines
- Sandi Nees Named ‘Education Partner of the Year’
- Bus Rodeo Honors Best Drivers
- WPS Says ‘Thank You’ to Retirees
- WPS TV Schedule
- Calendar
- May 10th Edition
- AdvancED Accredits Westminster Public Schools
- Community Survey Now Underway
- Meet Teacher of the Year Terri Hutchinson
- Eric Hodges Honored
- Foundation Breakfast Inspires, Raises Money
- ‘MEDIC!’ Premiere is Friday May 20th
- More ‘Westy Idol’ Highlights
- Class of 2016 Prepares to Graduate
- Retirement Celebration is Next Week
- WPS TV Schedule
- Calendar
- April 26th Edition
- Teachers of Year Named
- Phil Love Greenhouse Dedicated
- ‘Westy Idol’ Highlights District Talent
- BOE Hears from WHS Students
- Six Students Receive Youth Awards
- Former Hidden Lake Student Honored as a Hero
- 9 News Profiles Teacher Who Makes Molly Brown Come Alive
- Retirement Celebration Set for May 17th
- Foundation Breakfast Friday, Golf Tournament June 1st
- WPS TV Schedule
- Calendar
- April 12th Edition
- Two Classroom Days Restored to Spring Calendar
- Swanson Pushes for Equitable Funding
- WHS Students Partner with Congressman Perlmutter for Documentary
- FRED Award Winners for March Honored
- Skyline Vista ‘Celebrates the Beat’
- WHS Wind Ensemble Learns From the Best
- Greenhouse Dedication Combined with District Plant Sale
- Westy Idol Still Seeking Performers
- Broncos Great Karl Mecklenburg to be Joined by Tammy Vigil at Foundation Breakfast
- WPS TV Schedule
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- March 22nd Edition
- March 8th Edition
- District Changes Name to Westminster Public Schools
- State Ed Commissioner Endorses Competency Based Education
- Westminster Public Schools Searching for Great Teachers
- BOE Shares Views on ‘VISION 2020’
- Class of 2020 Visits Westminster High School
- Schools Celebrate ‘Read Across America Day’
- Joanna Ramsey Theatre Unveiled next Tuesday
- Centerstage Theatre Production Opens Next Week
- ‘Chester the Cheetah’ Profiled on TV
- Tennyson Knolls Teaches Good Health
- WPS TV Program Schedule
- Calendar
- February 23rd Edition
- District Celebrates Academic Excellence
- Joanna Ramsey Theatre to be Unveiled March 15th
- Broncos Great Karl Mecklenburg to Speak at Foundation Breakfast
- Your Chance to Comment on BOE ‘VISION 2020’
- FRED Award Winners Named
- Scholarship Deadline Approaching
- Tickets on Sale for D50 Nuggets Game
- D50 TV Schedule
- Calendar
- February 9th Edition
- January 26th Edition
- ‘State of District 50 is Strong’
- Julie Arellano Remembered as ‘One of our Best’
- BOE Supports CBS
- Board of Education Joins Call for More Ed Funding
- New Video Spotlights Steve Sandoval, ‘A Leader to Learn From’
- College Tuition Fair and Scholarship Panel on Saturday, January 30th
- High School Juniors to Take ACT Test in Spring
- STEM Academy Open House Wednesday
- ‘Celebrating Academic Excellence’ Set for February 20
- Metz Students Bring Wizard of Oz to Stage
- D50 Nuggets Game set for Sunday, March 6
- D50 TV Schedule
- Calendar
- December 15th Edition
- Football Team Honored by Westminster City Council
- Education Week Honors Steve Sandoval as a ‘Leader to Learn From’
- New Video Highlights Colorado STEM Academy
- PARCC Results Released
- Hodgkins’ Garage Sale Sends African Students to School
- November ‘Fred’ Award Winners Recognized
- GRAMMY Foundation Recognizes WHS
- Mesa, WHS Singers Help Light Christmas Tree at City Hall
- Consider District 50 Education Foundation for End of Year Giving
- D50 TV Schedule
- Calendar
- December 1st Edition
- Valente Elected BOE President
- Colorado STEM Academy Expanding
- WHS Greenhouse, Theater, to be named after Love, Ramsey
- Flynn Elementary Honors Our Veterans
- Readers are Leaders
- Students Throw Pies at Teachers
- Board President Says an Emotional ‘Goodbye’
- Christmas Celebrations begin this Week
- Hyland Hills Holiday Lights is Bigger, Better
- D50 TV Schedule
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- November 10th Edition
- Voters Choose Valente, Ciancio and Math for BOE
- Future Center Steering Kids to Tomorrow
- Showcase Highlights D50 Opportunities
- Possible Name Change Survey: Round Three
- Academy Helps Connect Parents to Education
- Major Improvements on the Way for Flynn Elementary
- CenterStage Theater Company Presents ‘Just Like Us’
- Wolves Finish Memorable Season at 9-1
- October ‘Fred’ Award Winners Recognized
- D50 TV Schedule
- Calendar
- October 27th Edition
- Homecoming Victory for Wolves—Now 8-0
- Homecoming Parade Unites Community
- A Warmer Winter for Harris Park Students
- Skyline Vista Shaves Heads to Save Lives
- District 50 Adds Voice to State Budget Debate
- Future Center Ribbon Cutting, District Showcase Next Monday
- Voting Continue in Board of Education Race
- D50 Television Schedule
- Calendar
- October 13th Edition
- District 50 Considers a Name Change, Wants Your Input
- Board Candidates Answer Your Questions
- Ruben Pacheco Withdraws from Race
- Community Celebrates Drug Free Message
- ‘Red Ribbon Month’ Has Students Looking to the Sky
- Skyline Vista Playground Celebrates Partnerships
- Renowned Cartoonist Visits D50
- Defense Shines, Wolves remain Undefeated
- College Fair Provides Options
- District Showcase, Future Center Ribbon Cutting Set for November 2
- Homecoming Parade is October 24
- D50 TV Schedule
- Calendar
- September 29th Edition
- WHS Football Rolls, Running Back Dickerson Nominated for State Award
- Superintendent Cabinet Focuses on Community Solutions
- Five WHS Grads Receive Peierls Scholarships
- Website Answers Questions about District 50 Properties
- Apply Now to Become DAAC Member
- Submit Your Questions for Board of Education Forum
- Scott Carpenter Students Head to Great Outdoors
- Closure of 72nd Avenue to Begin Wednesday
- Highlights of Ranum/Westy Alumni Golf Tournament
- ‘Fred’ Award Winners Recognized
- D50 TV Schedule
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- September 15th Edition
- Hodgkins’ Families Celebrate ‘Putts for a Purpose’
- Rods for a Good Cause Returns
- Irving Street Library Open on Sunday
- New Leaders at D50 Schools
- Meet Ed Foundation Leader, Sign up for Newsletter
- Board of Education Forum Set for Oct 6
- Parents Honored for their Work in Preventing Suicide
- TV News Focuses on D50 Food Program
- High Powered Wolves Football Team Remains Undefeated
- D50 TV Schedule
- Calendar
- September 1st Edition
- New Teachers Experience Joy and Jitters as Careers Get Underway
- 5 Candidates to Compete for Three BOE Seats
- September is Attendance Awareness Month
- ‘Stuff for Students’ Sets Students on the Right Path
- Ranum/Westy Golf Tournament to Tee Off September 25
- Mark Your Calendar
- Closure of 72nd Avenue Delayed
- Co-workers Share Their Summer Stories
- D50 TV Schedule
- Calendar
- August 28th Edition
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Westminster Academy for International Studies to Open in the Fall
Parents and students looking for a small school experience that embraces a world view education may want to take a close look at the Westminster Academy for International Studies (WAIS).
The school will open as a K-6 school in the fall of 2016 and add grades 7 and 8 in the following years. Opening at the site of the current Westminster Elementary School at 75th and Irving, WAIS will offer a well-rounded education with the addition of Spanish language instruction for students. Additional languages may be added in future years.
The Board of Education approved plans for the school this spring and registration is now underway. Renovation work on the building will be completed this summer ensuring the school will be ready for arriving students in the fall.
In addition to language instruction and a curriculum exposing students to different world cultures and customs, the school will offer diverse before and after school programming. Full day preschool will also be available.
You can learn more about the school and begin the registration process here.
Below is a conversation with WAIS Principal Russ Warwick:
Why should parents take a look at WAIS?
Because we’re awesome! (laughs) Well—all the schools in the District are awesome, but we are very unique in our awesomeness. We’re developing some very engaging before and after school programming in a variety of different academic subject areas and we have an outstanding staff. Programming aside, we have this very cozy feeling to our school— the adults know all the kids by name and all the kids know the adults by name. If you like that kind of personal connection, we’re definitely the place to send your students. Most importantly, I think it’s an opportunity to really build a school together. We’re rolling out 6th grade next year—but over the next three years we are going to be adding 7th and 8th and we’re absolutely going to need our kids’ and our parents’ help. There’s a great opportunity here to help create the kind of school that parents, kids, teachers and staff really want to be at. It’s exciting!How will Spanish language be taught in the school?
Spanish will be taught in 45-60 minute rotations just like the typical elementary school PE, Art and Gym classes. In these classes, kids will be taught not only conversational Spanish but reading and writing in Spanish as well. The end goal will be to have some pretty proficient Spanish speakers by the time they leave us in the 8th grade. We’re definitely not an immersion or dual language school, but we are going to have a robust Spanish program here. Spanish is really important for our community! We have a number of our Spanish speaking kids that really want and need instruction in Spanish literacy so that they are truly literate in two languages. Research shows that instruction in a student’s native language has a big impact on their reading, writing and speaking in English. Additionally our monolingual English speaking kids are only going to benefit by learning a second language. I know if I could turn back the clock I would have worked a lot harder in my Spanish classes as high schooler—now I’m desperately trying to get caught up through Rosetta Stone.So it’s going to make kids more prepared for not only high school but for the world outside of high school.
Absolutely. A second language is something colleges and employers look for in their applicants. We want to make sure that our kids are ready to compete in those settings—even if it’s a ways down the road. In the future, we would really like to explore programming for more world languages, but we’re starting with Spanish first.
I’m interested in the idea, but don’t want to sacrifice the “education basics.” Should I be concerned?
Not at all. Even though we have an International Studies focus, the same standards and competencies for elementary and middle school statewide are taught; we are just using an International Studies lens. As the school year progresses next year we will be exploring the possibility of being a PYP/MYB candidate school: this is the program that leads to the IB program at the high school. We won’t be sacrificing the basics but going well beyond the basics!
Will CBS still be taught?
Of course. We have seen great gains over the past three years due to our CBS system. Our local measures have shown three years of improvement on Scantron testing in reading and math and DIBELS testing in reading fluency. We had a special celebration this year for a good portion of our second grade that are preforming at a fourth grade level equivalent in math this year! They’re better at math than I am! We’re not going to abandon those practices, in fact, we want to strengthen them. CBS will definitely be our bedrock and we’re going to continue refine that system until we get our all our kids preforming at grade level or higher.
How do I apply?
We have applications here at the building and are working on an online model. We do prefer the in-person visit, however, because it gives us an opportunity to make a personal connection with perspective applicants. We’re really looking for students and parents that want to be hands on and help us build this program—that kind of engagement always happens face to face. That being said, we know folks are busy so we are building out our online model.I live outside of the Westminster Public School boundaries. Can my student attend WAIS?
Yes! We love kids whether or not they are in our boundaries, and we know that many parents prefer to drive their kids to a school they love if they can. We also know that the new Light Rail station going in just down the block from us is going to change how folks in the suburbs get to work in Denver. We think WAIS will be a convenient stop for parents who take Light Rail to and from work, and our before and after school programming will make that commute even easier in terms of timing. I’m a new dad myself, so I know how important flexibility is in the people taking care of your kids while you are at work!
Posted May 23, 2016