Applying To Westside

Step 1 for Early Learning (PS & PK) and Lower School (K-4th grade)

Virtual Tour: Early Learning and Lower school tours for families interested in the 2022-2023 academic year begin in October. When you sign up for your tour on Ravenna, you will select a time for a 60-minute live Zoom session with our Director of Admission, Ted Holmes. Your small group session will offer a personalized experience, tailored to your specific grade of interest, including a more detailed description of our program and an opportunity for you to ask questions.  By registering, you will also receive a link to a video tour of our campus. Register for a tour and 45-minute live Zoom information session via our online application system, Ravenna.

Early Learning and Lower School Information Nights (November 9, December 9, and January 11): Learn about our Early Learning and Lower School programs from teachers, students, parents, and school leaders in this Zoom session. The evening will feature breakout sessions for you to meet with representatives of your grade or grades of interest. Register via our online system Ravenna.

Step 1 for Middle School (5th through 8th Grade)

Virtual Tour: Parents and guardians and your prospective students are invited to a virtual tour of our middle school. Your virtual tour experience includes a link to our middle school video walkthrough, available for viewing at your leisure. At the time of our signup, you will select a time for a 45-minute live Zoom session with our Director of Admission, Ted Holmes. During this personalized time, you will hear about our broad range of our offerings, including core classes such as math, language arts, and science, as well as our elective offerings such as theater and visual arts, physical education, and tech. By registering, you will also receive a link to a video tour of our campus. Register for a virtual tour via on Ravenna.

In-person Tour: Parents and guardians along with their prospective students (with proof of vaccination or negative COVID test within 48 hours) are invited to join one of our on site middle school tours. Families will have the opportunity to meet school leadership, teachers, and current students. We’ll explore the entire school, and delve into core classes such as math, language arts, and science. Families will also learn about our additional offerings such as theater, visual arts, physical education, after school sports, and our renowned outdoor program. Sign up for an in-person tour on Ravenna.

Middle School Information Nights (November 4, December 7, and January 12): Prospective students and their families will experience Westside first-hand through participation in a series of live Zoom demonstration classes. Students will choose from hands-on offerings in language arts, social studies, science, math, and world languages.  Elective offerings such as art and music, as well as a student panel, will also be featured. Parents and guardians can also choose to attend a session with teachers and school leaders. Register for Experience Middle School Night via our online system Ravenna.

Saturday Campus Visits for Families Who Have Applied

No exploration of our school would be complete without an in person look at the school. We will be offering several Saturdays for families who have applied to visit our campus. Families and their applicants will be guided through our building (in small, COVID safe groups) to see classrooms, outdoor spaces, our theater, the new preschool (for those interested), and more. This event is not an open house, but rather a chance for a look inside.

• Saturday, December 11, 9:00am-12:00pm
• Saturday, January 8, 9:00am-12:00pm

Westside School uses the Ravenna online application system for all grades including preschool and shares a common PSIS (Puget Sound Independent Schools) application. The Ravenna System will guide you through all of the steps outlined below, as well as keep you updated on the status of your child’s application.

APPLICATION STEPS
1. Submit a student and family photo
2. Submit Parent/Guardian Statement
3. Submit Student Activities and Interests form (middle school only)
4. Submit one teacher recommendation per student for preschool, pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten applicants. Submit two teacher recommendations per student for grades 1-8.
5. Submit transcripts. For grades 1-8, please submit first semester of 2020-2021 and all of 2019-2020. For preschool, pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten please submit if available.
6. Submit a video of your child for this year's virtual student visit (See Step 4: Student Observation Video below). We hope to include an in person observation visit in February 2022. We will know more as the COVID situation unfolds. Please stay tuned.

It is important to us that we meet all prospective parents and guardians. We’ll use this 20-minute Zoom conversation to get to know you better, learn more about your child, and answer any remaining questions you have about Westside School. You will use the Ravenna system to sign up for a parent and guardian conference after you formally apply.

PRESCHOOL THROUGH FOURTH GRADE APPLICANTS

The student visit is a valuable step of the Admission process for prospective families. This year, our student visits throughout the grades will be virtual and includes you providing a video of your child in relation to several prompts and tasks. This video “snapshot” is intended to help us get to know your child better as a learner and person. We hope it will be fun, too!
 

FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE APPLICANTS

We hope by February we will be able to welcome vaccinated middle school applicants to campus for an observation visit. In the meantime, we request that Middle school applicants submit a video in lieu of a visit. This video is an opportunity for your student to give us insight into who they are as a student and individual. Students will respond to a series of prompts and tasks intended to highlight their manner of thinking and creativity. We encourage applicants to make the most of this fun opportunity. 

If recording a video presents a challenge for your family, we have an alternative! Contact Ted Holmes for more information at tedh@westsideschool.org.