ExplorerWest AR 23-24-3 - Flipbook - Page 3
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
The visionary educators and families who
founded Explorer West almost 30 years ago
imagined a place where students would feel
known and supported, and be empowered to
take on remarkable challenges. Our founders
pictured Explorer West as a diverse community
made up of families from a broad range of
backgrounds, and teachers with a passion for
helping middle schoolers unlock their own
potential, while championing others to do
the same. As they planned for the future of
Explorer West, they intended for the school to
provide an excellent and enriching educational
experience that would be financially accessible
to as many families as possible. They opened a
school in 1996 that, despite its tiny size and
modest trappings, was bold in its vision of what
middle schoolers are capable of doing, and of
what a middle school can be.
Here we are now, edging closer to our 30th
anniversary, proudly holding that banner and
continuing to develop that vision. Each year,
we gain a deeper understanding of the evolving
needs and capabilities of middle school
students, pushing us to improve our program,
even as we stay true to its original goals.
Here are some proud examples of our strong traditions, and our
ongoing growth, from our 2023-2024 school year:
Once again, our faculty boasted an average of 20 years teaching
experience, including a ten-year average tenure here at Explorer
West. Our teachers not only bring their deep experience and
understanding of the age group, but a true willingness to continue
learning alongside them.
Our students spent ten days outdoors, camping, backpacking,
snow-shoeing, and cross country skiing, all across the state of
Washington. As they do every year, these trips take our students
out of their comfort zones and remind them that they can do hard
things! This year, due to generous philanthropic support, we added
a minivan to our fleet of vehicles to enable their adventures.
Our Restorative Justice and Advisory programs are deepening!
This year we worked on creating consistent structures that
helped students and teachers grow their cultural competency and
communication skills, including student-led Community Building
Circles. Our focus on strengthening school culture also led us, for
the first time, to openly share data with families about incidents
of bias happening at school.
For the second year in a row, Explorer West hosted the Cascadia
Convention of the Junior Classical League. Nearly twenty of
our students attended this gathering with other middle school
Latin students from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia.
Five Explorer West students became officers of the Convention,
and three students even traveled over the summer to Knoxville,
Tennessee to attend the National Convention!
Our 8th grade class returned to Rome for their culminating trip
in February. It was fulfilling for them to see, up close, the
ancient sites they’d been studying for years in Latin class. Just
as importantly, they brought their years of experience from
Outdoor Education trips building leadership, independence,
resilience, and personal and community responsibility, and had
an amazing time together.
We’re especially proud of the many ways our families rallied behind
the school, contributing to our success. We felt their support through
their strong volunteerism, their engagement with all kinds of school
events, and their generous philanthropic giving. We are all so
grateful to be part of this extraordinary community.
—Barbara Frailey, Head of School
Explorer West Middle School
Annual Report 2023–2024
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