Welcome
From the Middle School Principal
On behalf of the entire Middle School faculty and staff, it is my honor to welcome all new and returning Middle School students and families to the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB).
WAB recognizes that early adolescence is a critical stage filled with individual and collective potential. All WAB Middle School staff are committed to caring for our Middle School students, listening to their voices, respecting their concerns, and engaging them in meaningful and innovative educational experiences that will prepare them for promising futures by connecting, inspiring and challenging each other to make a difference today.
Middle School is designed to meet the developmental needs of young adolescents and to bridge the transition from Elementary School to High School. This is done in a variety of ways, including our International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, Social Emotional Learning, WABX activities and workshops for parents.
We hope that this handbook is helpful to parents and students alike. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. I can be reached at mfrias@wab.edu.
Sincerely,
Marina Frias-Gavidia
Middle School Principal
Middle School Principal
“On behalf of the entire Middle School faculty and staff, it is my honor to welcome all new and returning Middle School students and families to the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). ”
Mission
Connect, Inspire, Challenge:
Make a Difference
Philosophy
The Western Academy of Beijing offers a challenging and caring, community-based educational environment in which students are active participants in the learning process. WAB fosters critical thinking and inquiry-based skills to ensure its students achieve to their full potential as individuals and as members of the global community. In this setting, students, staff and parents cooperate in the educational process guided by the principles below.
The Western Academy Educates the Whole Child
The Western Academy of Beijing seeks to develop the intellectual, social and emotional, physical and aesthetic potential of each child along with moral sensitivity. WAB children will learn how to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate new situations, knowledge, and rapidly changing technology with ease, confidence and creativity. WAB’s educational program provides its students with a fundamental respect for the beliefs and values of other peoples and will take full advantage of the culture of its host country, China.
The Western Academy Champions its Staff
The staff teaches with an international perspective. They are selected for their professionalism, high qualifications, skills, and creativity. Individual professional development is both supported and expected, while WAB creates an atmosphere in which the staff’s expertise and talents enrich the school community as a whole.
The Western Academy Involves the Parents
Parents are encouraged to participate as partners in the education of their children and in the continuing development of the school. WAB supports, respects and desires such an active role for parents. The Western Academy of Beijing, a community of students, staff, and parents, is committed to the creation and support of a dynamic model school with high academic, social, and ethical standards.