News

West Sound Academy’s Knowledge Bowl team prevailed at the state tournament on March 11 and took first place in Division 1B. Congratulations go to the members of WSA’s team: Mia…

“The I in IB truly does stand for International. IB schools are known for their focus on producing global citizens who are educated about the world.”1  This semester the 10th-grade…

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…

The West Sound Academy Theatre Company is producing Lizzie Nunnery’s The Snow Dragons, as their fall production. The play’s plot is based on the true story of the Nazi occupation…

The Indianola Clubhouse has been the venue for numerous West Sound Academy dances and music concerts in the past.  On May 28, the clubhouse doors were opened for a day…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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. …

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…

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…

My mother always taught me to write thank you notes whenever anyone has done something kind or generous for me.  Well, this is less a blog and more a thank…

A few years ago, walking the long way back to my classroom from Baker Hall, I noticed a strange growth hugging the curb in the parking lot behind Ryan Hall. …

On March 16th of 2020 the COVID-19 Lockdown hit West Sound Academy, classes were moved into the virtual classroom indefinitely.  The after-school theatre program was producing their first musical, Once…

In 2020 most humans are seeking comfort or seeking to comfort others especially as we a face a grim winter of COVID-19 statistics.  Recently, a friend posted an oldie but…

One of WSA’s greatest assets is its campus with 20 beautiful acres of fields, huge trees, and four charming buildings. Before March 2020, no one would have ever imagined we…

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…

I have started and stopped writing a new blog post for almost six weeks now. There is so much going on in the world and in my own life that…

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…

I have been trying to write my school year kick-off blog post for two weeks, and, much like the last six months, writing a compelling, relevant, and upbeat blog has…

During my time at West Sound Academy, I have experienced one of the most exciting and challenging moments in my teaching career. Learning to teach and breathe the IB curriculum…

As a leader and Head of School, I try to say “yes” as much as possible. Even if it is really a no, I work hard to find a mutually…

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. …

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…

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…

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…

At the end of February, WSA staff and teachers engaged in a three-day in-service discussing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).  One of the standards of excellence in education that the…

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…

NPR reported on February 8th that 2020 has started off as the third wettest year on record!  As good Pacific Northwesterners, we should be used to the winter liquid sunshine.  …

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…

WSA’s Robotics team competed in the Tesla Interleague championship event of the FIRST Tech Challenge on January 11 at Baker Middle School in Tacoma. Thirty-four schools from the Puget Sound…

On Thursday, December 19th, West Sound Academy Alumni from the Classes of 2018 and 2019 joined our current juniors and seniors for an informal talk on what to expect with…

Last week, I had the great privilege of attending the annual TEDWomen conference in Palm Springs. My first intention in going was to help support WSA’s work to host our…

The WSA group arrived at King’s Schools Campus in Shoreline at 9:30 a.m. for the First Tech Challenge regional competition on December 8 – the second regional qualifier of the…

WSA’s Robotics team packed up their robots and took them for a visit to Silverwood School in Poulsbo on December 4.  Co-captains Aidan Phelan and Emma Longworth and team members…

West Sound Academy has a Knowledge Bowl team that holds practices twice a week.  The goal of these practices is to help the team get ready for the three regional…

In every professional development opportunity I have participated in over the last two years, the prevailing message has been about innovation and implementing progressive ideas in the education world.  Change…

It was an early rise for our West Sound Robotics Club last Saturday!  Our group arrived at King’s Schools Campus in Shoreline at 9:30 a.m. for the First Tech Challenge…

This past weekend I had 16 kids in my 1000 square foot house. Full size kids that take up a lot of space. The massive pile of shoes by the…

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…

Join West Sound Academy students as they present She Kills Monsters: Young Adventures Edition, November 15-17 at the William D. Harvey Theatre, Olympic College – Bremerton, Washington. She Kills Monsters…

West Sound Academy’s First Tech Challenge Robotics team is busy as they race to build and program a robot that can execute the challenging maneuvers and build requirements prior to…

October is a busy time for First Tech Robotics teams all around the country as they race to build and program a robot that can execute challenging maneuver and build…

By Grace Schmitt ’20 and Phillip Cox ’20 The West Sound Academy Drama Club and Thespian Troupe #8175, in cooperation with WSA Student Council, will be collecting non-perishable food donations…

On September 10, 2019, WSA staff and faculty welcomed parents to campus for Curriculum Night which provided an opportunity for parents to experience the Learner’s Journey. Connecting in-person to the…

By Barrie Hillman   It’s a new school year and WSA is kicking it off with lots of new things! The most exciting change is our new logo, designed by…

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…

West Sound Academy’s team of top academic competitors, aka Manifest Westiny, won 2nd Place in Division 1B at the Washington State Tournament XXXVII at West Valley High School in Yakima on March 23, 2019.…

The classic 1940’s farce See How They Run, by Philip King, will be performed by the West Sound Academy Theatre Company as their spring drama production at Restore Church, 20081 Viking…

West Sound Academy’s Knowledge Bowl team competed in the third and final regional competition of the season at Fort Worden on February 7, 2019.  WSA’s top squad, WS1 (aka “Manifest Westiny”) had…