Academics
Declaration Day 2023: Graduating seniors announce their fall plans
West Sound Academy seniors have finished all of their exams, submitted the last few assignments to Google Classroom, and have returned their library books. They have picked up…
Read MoreTheatre Students Learn Life Skills Through Active Learning.
One of the most common acting exercises in the theatre classroom is the Mirror Exercise. Students imagine they are looking into a mirror, and taking turns leading their partner while…
Read MoreAnnouncing! College destinations & post-graduation plans for the Class of 2022
West Sound Academy seniors came back to campus on May 27 to pick up their caps, gowns, and stoles for the commencement ceremony to be held the next day in…
Read More6th and 7th Graders learn that history is created from many perspectives.
By Georgia Chehade. In Humanities, 6th-grade students have been researching a Washington State History topic since October, a project culminating in a website that students shared with the WSA community…
Read MoreWNDB grant will bring diverse books and author visit to WSA.
West Sound Academy’s students will be reading more books by diverse authors next school year, thanks to an Educators Making a Difference grant from We Need Diverse Books. The grant…
Read MoreMiddle School students turn discarded materials into art.
Students in the 6/7th Exploratory Art class are finishing up their artwork sculptures created with repurposed materials. The requirement was a sculpture that is made solely from repurposed materials that…
Read MoreInspired by Maya Angelou, 6th and 7th Grade poets use their voices.
Students in Georgia Chehade’s 6th/7th Grade Humanities class read and analyzed the poem, “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou as part of their class celebration of Black History Month in February. …
Read MorePhysics students learn about light and create their own holograms.
Students in physics class have been working through a unit on light over the last few weeks. Our more recent labs have had us working on the refraction (bending) of…
Read MoreDeclaration Day 2021: Graduating seniors announce their fall plans
West Sound Academy seniors were on campus on May 17 for their last day of classes as WSA students. They also took time to make a special announcement to the…
Read More¡Hola! ¡Bienvenidos a la fiesta!
Students in Jessica Outlaw’s 10th Grade Spanish class have been studying vocabulary related to food, clothing and celebrations during Mod B. Señora Outlaw decided that the best way to assess…
Read MoreUsing Literature to Recognize Authenticity
As an English teacher, there are few things better than watching students read a piece of literature and become inspired about real world issues. In the 8th grade, we started…
Read MoreAnnouncing! College destinations for the Class of 2020
West Sound Academy seniors came back to campus on May 12 – not all at once, of course, but on a staggered schedule so they could maintain social distancing requirements. …
Read MoreSeniors reflect on their experiences at WSA – en español.
Last week WSA seniors in IB Spanish showcased their language skills and reflected on their time as students at this school. Their presentations were heartwarming, funny, and very memorable. They…
Read MoreKeeping Traditions Alive For the Class of 2020
There is no doubt that 2020 has opened the new decade with all the grace and decorum of a wrecking ball. The disruption caused by the coronavirus quarantine will have…
Read MoreWest Sound Academy students rise to the challenge of the online classroom.
It’s 12:30 on a Tuesday afternoon, 6th period, and time for West Sound Academy 9th Grade English class to meet. The teacher, Gretchen Nordleaf-Nelson, sits at her laptop and admits…
Read MoreWhy IB at WSA?
At WSA, we strive to prepare learners for the world beyond our classrooms. At all grade levels, we encourage students to improve their thinking, research, social, and communication skills. We…
Read MoreUsing Project-Based Learning to Build a Culture of Trust in the Classroom
Middle school is an interesting time. Not only are students expected to adapt to a new school, expectations, and social scene, they are experiencing profound changes within themselves. Many adults…
Read More6th and 7th Grade students plan and create projects for their final exam.
This year in 6th and 7th Humanities students have dedicated time to exploring their own creative spark. Their final, instead of focusing on specific content from the course, was focused…
Read MoreIB Students Read Spanish Children’s Books, Then Create Their Own
This week IB Spanish students enjoyed reading some children’s books. They analyzed what verb tenses were used and found three new vocabulary words per book. They were transported back in…
Read MoreAnnouncing! College Destinations for the Class of 2019
Congratulations are in order for students in the Class of 2019 as they celebrate college success. They were accepted at 40 four-year colleges and universities in the United States and Canada and were offered $2,191,802 in grants, awards…
Read More