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Tacoma, Washington, USA Co-Ed, No Religious Affiliation
Annie Wright Schools offer the best of both worlds with a coordinate program for boys and girls in Grades 9 through 12. Our separate Upper Schools offer single gender academics with some co-ed activities and social opportunities. IB academics, arts and athletics—students can do it all at AWS.
Annie Wright Upper Schools prepare students extraordinarily well for college, offering small classes, independent-minded peers and an exceptional faculty. An International Baccalaureate World School, Annie Wright has offered the rigorous Diploma Programme, considered the gold standard in international education, for Grades 11-12 since 2009.
At the heart of Annie Wright's Upper School programs is the belief that risk-taking, development of passions and shared experience are essential for growth. With these ideas at the center of every offering, students participate in a variety of meaningful activities, clubs and co-curricular experiences. Students gain independence, become meaningfully engaged and have a tremendous amount of fun.
Beyond these learning experiences, students engage in a variety of single-gender and co-ed social events and celebrate Annie Wright's numerous traditions, some more than 100 years old, throughout the year.
827 North Tacoma AvenueTacoma, Washington, USA 98403 (253) 272-2216
Director of Admissions: Laura Bales Admissions Phone:(253) 284-8601Toll-Free Admissions:(800) 847-1582Fax:253-572-3616 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aw.org
Join us for a virtual preview to learn about Annie Wright's two Upper School programs (one for boys and one for girls) and boarding offerings for Grades 9-12.
more...
Join us for a virtual preview events to learn about Annie Wright's two Upper Schools (one for boys and one for girls) and boarding programs for Grades 9-12.
Posted on January 13, 2021 Jeremy Stubbs has been appointed Director of the Upper School for Boys (USB) starting July 1, 2021. Stubbs will serve on the schools’ Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to Head of Schools Jake Guadnola. more...
Posted on December 18, 2020 Alicia Mathurin, Director of Community Engagement at Annie Wright Schools, has been selected to receive the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Lifetime Service Award by Tacoma’s City Events and Recognitions Committee. more...
Summary: Since 1884, Annie Wright Schools have offered excellent academic programs that challenge students to reach their full intellectual potential. Annie Wright is an International Baccalaureate World School. Emphasis on inquiry, communication, meaningful action, global-mindedness, development of the whole child and measurable outcomes for students and teachers are common throughout IB programs. The International Baccalaureate, founded in 1968, is an educational nonprofit organization that aims to develop intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to prepare students for a rapidly globalizing world. IB students, particularly at the Diploma Programme level, meet rigorous international standards of academic excellence.Annie Wright Upper Schools prepare students extraordinarily well for college, offering small classes, independent-minded peers and an exceptional faculty. Our challenging curriculum appeals to motivated students with a variety of learning styles, with learning support experts to address individual needs. Most importantly, Annie Wright prepares students for a lifetime of learning, instilling in our students genuine curiosity and the courage to ask questions, seek creative answers and meet the challenges of a rapidly-changing, complex and culturally-diverse world.The Upper Schools are committed to helping each student identify and define their particular passions within a context of service to someone or something beyond themself, turning learning into meaningful action.
Department Director: N/A
Average Class Size: 12
Full Time Teachers: 36
Teachers Holding Advanced Degrees: 85.00%
Student/Teacher Ratio: 6/1
Academic Schedule: Semester
Number of International Baccalaureate Courses Offered: 45
Notable Achievements: International Bacclaureate Diploma Programme, International Bacclaureate World School, #1 Boarding School in Washington 2021
Summary: Annie Wright's residence hall is home to more than 100 students and eight full-time residential faculty members and their families. The boarders come from all over the world, and this year include students from: Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, South Africa and Vietnam.Together they form a truly global community that provides unique opportunities for students to learn about, and grow into, the world.
Department Director: Jeff Barber
Number of Dorms: 2
Average Students Per Dorm: 50
No. of Girls Dorms: 1
No. of Boys Dorms: 1
Dorm Amenities:
Dress Code: Uniform
Summary: Students from around the state, country and world love to live and learn at Annie Wright Schools, where they develop deep friendships that last a lifetime. Boarding at Annie Wright is fun, safe and educational and a lot like living in a giant family. Our community makes up around half of the Upper School population, and the eight residential faculty – dorm parents – are dedicated to each student's well-being and academic success.Annie Wright Schools are nestled on a beautiful campus in the North End neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington, overlooking the Puget Sound. Shops and restaurants are a short walk away, and the city is near majestic national parks and Mt. Rainier. Tacoma is about 45 minutes south of Seattle and just 30 minutes from Sea-Tac airport.Dorm rooms are each unique, comfortable and spacious. Students enjoy shared kitchen facilities, media lounges and study spaces around the dorm. Its location right in our main building makes access to the dining hall, classrooms, library, gym and other campus facilities as easy as walking down the hall.Boarding prefects are selected in their senior year to work closely with resident staff to build a vibrant and nurturing dorm community. Each prefect is responsible for leading a specific dorm group, by way of facilitating weekly check-ins, planning community-building activities, designing “All-Dorm Fun” programming, and being an active listener, role model and advocate for all resident students.Residential life offers a wide variety of fun and engaging activities. Examples include:ice skating, skiing and snowboardingcamping, hiking and rock climbingmuseum and city tourstheater shows and sports eventssushi making, tie-dying and even a real trapeze classspontaneous and planned game nights, movie nights, cookie baking, parties, shopping trips and more"All-Dorm Fun” events, organized by the prefects, which have included a Halloween murder mystery, a spring carnival, roller-skating, and more!
Facilities
Clubs and Organizations
Summary: ARTSCreative arts in Annie Wright’s Upper School thrive because art is a vital component of the human experience. We believe ALL of our students can and must create—and we offer a range of opportunities for every student to practice, analyze, imagine, design and perform.All Upper School students choose an honors arts focus in music, visual art or film in Grade 10. Most girls continue in that focus in a two-year IB course in Grades 11 and 12, potentially earning college credits for that work. Ungraded arts activities are built into the regular school day schedule, allowing students to experiment or deepen expertise in film production, ceramics, photography, acting, print-making and more. Annie Wright also offers on-site music lessons in voice, piano, stringed instruments, drum and flute, including twice-yearly recitals. The Kemper Center Theater provides opportunities to be on or behind stage for major and minor productions—or just for fun!ATHLETICSAnnie Wright's Upper School athletics program stresses competitive team play, physical fitness and good sportsmanship. Our dedicated faculty and coaches identify and support each girl's individual aptitude and skills, whether she is an elite athlete or has never played a team sport.Upper School athletes have represented Annie Wright at the state level in volleyball, tennis, cross-country, track and golf. The varsity volleyball team was ranked #1 in our league in 2013. In addition to our own athletics program, students are given the time, space and flexibility to pursue outside athletic passions. In recent years we have also had national and world champions in a variety of sports including crew and speedskating.
Arts Department Director: John Weir
Athletics Department Director: Mike Finch
Notable Achievements: Volleyball undefeated seasons in 2012 & 2013, Girls basketball went to state in 2019 & 2020, Basketball player on track to beat WA scoring rec
Summary: Annie Wright students can go anywhere and do anything after high school. No matter their goal - large research institution, small liberal arts college, international university, visual arts conservatory, service academy - the college counseling team is here to support them every step of the way.Preparation for the college admission process is embedded in the curriculum starting in Grade 9, allowing students to participate in activities that not only prepare them to be competitive for the process, but also to empower them to be strong students and engaged community members. College Counselors know and care deeply about each student as an individual, and can help them discover colleges where they will thrive.Year after year, an overwhelming number of recent graduates tell us they are happy with the support for the college process, as well as the outcome.
Percentage of Graduates Who Attend College: 100.00%
Colleges attended in the past 5 years by our graduates:
Sally (Peterson) Atherton (Class of 1966) ED, Assoc for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology
Diane (Dapper) Freeman (Class of 1959) NASA aerospace ops dev, integration & support
Betty Garrett-Parks (Class of 1936) Actress, comedian, singer & dancer
Damani Leech (Class of 1994) COO, International, National Football League (NFL)
Amy Paulose (Class of 1995) President, AMES International, Inc
Merrill (Wagner) Ryman (Class of 1953) World-renowned artist
Lee Skinner (Class of 1986) Dean, Newcomb-Tulane College; Latin Am lit scholar
Erin (Fletcher) Slayton (Class of 1997) Vice President, HDR
Pamela Hyde Smith (Class of 1963) United States Ambassador
Mary (McCarthy) West (Class of 1929) American novelist, critic and political activist
Summary: [email protected] Wright offer art and athletics camps. Learn more and register at www.aw.org/summer.
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