Learning with Purpose, Leading with Confidence
The school incorporates problem/project based learning as an essential pedagogical practice. The process is often student-driven. Learning is engaging and rewarding no matter how challenging the material. We provide an environment that removes the fear of failure, rewards intellectual risk-taking, and encourages the pursuit of personal excellence.
The visual and theater arts programs help children engage with the world creatively and gain a deeper understanding of others and themselves. Our competitive athletics and physical education programs teach the importance of teamwork and competition within an environment of mutual respect. They are able to advocate for themselves and are more comfortable taking risks.
The healthy amount of challenge that is incorporated in FWA’s academic programs enables students to feel comfortable when faced with a difficult task. Academic risk-taking and perseverance are encouraged and ‘failures’ are re-defined as natural occurrences on the road to success. Students become self-directed learners through experiences that strengthen habits of the mind. Teachers assist students to master material through ‘scaffolding’ – a process by which support is provided just as students need it. With increasing independence, students are empowered to venture into new learning with confidence.
Our teachers provide authentic learning opportunities for students to connect with each other, the academic content and the world around them. The students are comfortable with tools for learning that are native to their generation. Graduates of FWA are outstanding collaborators. By teaching the principles of Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Innovation, our ELI Initiative, represents our commitment to empowering students to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Our Middle School offers a dynamic academic experience where students dive into core subjects, English, History, Math, Science, Spanish, and PE, taught by subject specialists. A daily Advisory Period provides time for collaboration, extra help, and leadership activities such as Student Council and National Junior Honor Society.
The core program is enriched by twice-weekly Elective Courses and ELI (Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Innovation) modules that rotate by quarter, semester, or full year. Options range from Fine and Performing Arts to engaging experiences like Creative Construction, 3-D Art, Philanthropy Lab, Google Earth, TED Talks, Computer Coding, Laptop Help Desk, Lego Robotics, Design Thinking and Ethical Dilemmas.
Weekly Middle School Seminar brings students together for class meetings, guest speakers, and project work. Each grade also takes part in field trips and overnight class trips—building community, independence, and real-world understanding tied to curriculum.
We set a high bar for academic excellence, character, and leadership, and our students consistently rise to meet it. By the end of eighth grade, 100% of Academy graduates are accepted and attend their high school of choice, ready to thrive with confidence, curiosity, and strong preparation.
5-8th Grades Focus on Cultivating:
- Intellectual curiosity that yields proficiency in subject matter, problem-solving, abstract thinking, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship
- The appreciation of differences in culture, ethnicity, spirituality and religion, gender, the structure of our families and the ways we learn
- A willingness to persevere as a means to both productivity and self-fulfillment
- The immense value of the roles respect and responsibility play in our lives as citizens of a democracy
- The ability to determine right from wrong and the courage to act accordingly
- A deep and complete understanding of empathy; concern for those less fortunate, coupled with action.
- Physical and mental fitness, including a self-image of confidence and worth
- Technological savvy, with emphases on safety and etiquette, that allows students to use tools for learning, native to their generation, for research, communication and production