Welcoming students and parents for a tour of the school

by Kay Kim, staff reporter

To apply to the school, a student must attend an information session, which includes the options of an evening Open House or a tour. Of those who attend the Open Houses, there are some families who are willing to come back and tour the school for more information.

“I once had a mom cry after a tour because she so badly wanted her daughter to get into WJPS. I also had a cashier at the grocery store tell me angrily that because WJPS would not accept her daughter, she had to put her in a private school. That was a very awkward encounter,” parent coordinator Mrs. Reed said.

These tours are opened to fifth grade and eighth grade students and parents, who are considering attending the school as a sixth grader or a high school freshmen.

Mrs. Reed, the parent coordinator, takes the parents and their children through classrooms, so they can view the learning environments of the school.

“Must Know” information for parents and students

There is specific information that Mrs. Reed always points out during these tours. The first emphasized point is that all grades collaborate together within the school. This can be seen through the weekly school broadcast, The Highlight, as middle school students join the high school broadcast class for a weather forecast.

Secondly, it is important to know that all students create a portfolio of their work and present it during the Portfolio Conferences.

Another requirement of the school are uniforms. As a uniform school, all students must wear uniforms. There are certain clothing that must be purchased upon acceptance to the school. There also are opportunities to purchase t-shirts during the school year.

Lastly, parents and students should know that students who enroll in the school as a sixth grader are expected to stay in the school until they graduate as 12th-grade seniors. Seniors in the school have very high graduation and college acceptances.

Frequently asked questions

A common question is whether the school offers honors or SP (special placement) classes. The eighth graders take accelerated Regents level classes and the high school students are given the opportunity to take AP (advanced placement) classes.

For extra curricular activities, the school offers a variety of clubs and sports programs for both the middle school and high school.

Many people think that since the school is small, we have smaller sized classes. However, we have an average amount of students, in respect to other middle and high schools in New York City.

“They [families] ultimately help WJPS build a good reputation because they represent transparency of how the school is run for families seeking to make an important decision about their child’s future,” Mrs. Reed said.

A tour can be scheduled by calling or emailing Mrs. Reed at helen.reed@wjps.org.