| Winchester Thurston School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Motto | Candide Modo Fortiter Re: Gentle in manner, strong in deed |
| Established | 1887 |
| Head of school | Gary J. Niels |
| Years Offered | K-12 |
| Number of students | 640 (2010-2011) |
| Average class size | 15 |
| Color(s) | Purple/Black/Yellow |
| Mascot | The WT Bear |
| Team name | Winchester Thurston Bears |
| Newspaper | Voices |
| Yearbook | Thistledown |
| Website | http://www.winchesterthurston.org |
Winchester Thurston School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school with two campuses: a Pre-Kindergarten through grade five North Hills Campus in Hampton Township (north of the city of Pittsburgh) and a Pre-Kindergarten through grade twelve City Campus in Shadyside, Pittsburgh.
Contents |
"Winchester Thurston School actively engages each student in a challenging and inspiring learning process that develops the mind, motivates the passion to achieve and cultivates the character to serve."
The school was created by a merger in 1935 of the Winchester School (established in 1902) and the Thurston School (established in 1887)[1]. Originally an all-girls school, it became co-educational in 1991. The rapper Mac Miller attended this high school.
The Winchester Thurston School has had several new additions in the past including the Main Building in 1963, a science wing in 1987, and The North Hills Campus in 1988. A new turf field used during all seasons was also recently constructed called Garland Field. The school has plenty of notable features including three libraries, an art gallery, Mellon Gymnasium, a solarium, a learning garden, a dance studio, the Hillman Dining Hall, Lower, Middle, and Upper school science labs, three computer labs, netbooks for students, and Smart boards in classrooms.[2]
Creating a culture of thinking is at the very core of Winchester Thurston's college preparatory program. The school motto: Think Also of the Comfort and the Rights of Others is at the core of every aspect of the social curriculum and is part of the fabric of school life.
WT has been nationally recognized for its academic rigor and innovative teaching with leading grants from the E.E. Ford Foundation and the Malone Family Foundation. Academic rigor is balanced with a strong social curriculum which focuses on moral development, in small classes of 8-23 students, Pre-K through Grade 12.
Winchester Thurston is credited for many elite achievements like the state championship title for the Math Counts team in March 2010 as well as the Middle School being honored as one of two Pennsylvania schools as Distinguished Schools Honor Roll for a superior performance in the American Mathematics Competition.
City as Our Campus This unique initiative builds on the school's focus on innovative teaching and critical thinking. Faculty link their curricula and teaching with the City of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region.
Academic Enrichment and Challenge Program The AEC Program addresses the needs of high ability learners within the context of WT's curriculum in the Lower School.
Responsive Classroom This groundbreaking educational approach balances social learning with academic learning in the Lower School; the faculty are well trained in this approach which is rooted in the importance of all children being known. WT is a small school where teachers believe it is as important to know the students they are teaching as well as they know the content of their curriculum.
Advanced Placement Between 14-17 Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered in the Upper School.
College Begins Early The College Process is designed through a four-year plan that begins the summer before students enter Ninth Grade where they are told not to worry about college until Junior year. Every student and his or her family meets with the college counselor over the course of the four years. College placement has resulted in students attending leading colleges and universities across the country.[3]
Middle School Electives WT offers 20-25 Middle School electives offering students academic choice within their trimester schedule.
Lab-Based Science Laboratory based science is offered beginning in grade 1.
Foreign Language Foreign language study begins in Pre-K with Spanish. Spanish, French, and Chinese are offered in Middle School. Latin, French, Spanish, and Chinese are offered in Upper School.
Winchester Thurston has numerous performing and visual arts programs. Winchester Thurston has received Gene Kelly awards and nominations for their theater performances.[4]
The interscholastic sports program provides opportunities for Middle and Upper School students to represent WT on the courts, tracks, and fields of the Pittsburgh area.