Academics - New Programs, New Choices, Unlimited Possibilities
We are looking forward to the start of this school year and the opportunity to work with you and your children. We are also very excited about the many new programs we will be offering that will greatly benefit the West Ottawa community. Throughout the school year, we will be meeting with parent groups to provide additional information about our timelines and added benefits for students. Here are some of the highlights.
Montessori Program
Due to increased interest from parents and children, we are pleased to announce the expansion of our Montessori Program housed at Waukazoo Elementary School. In a Montessori classroom, students are introduced to a host of hands-on learning materials specifically designed to give students a kinesthetic and visual learning experience in a flexible grade environment adapting to students' developmental levels.
All of our Montessori teachers are highly qualified and Montessori certified. >Learn More
Spanish Immersion Preschool and K-2
Immersion programs are the fastest growing and most effective type of foreign language programs available in the United States.
Research shows that truly learning a language at an early age, and not just reciting memorized colors and words, will positively effect intellectual growth in other subject areas and enhance a child's mental development for years to follow. Our pre-school Spanish Immersion program is tuition based and offered at our Early Childhood Center located at Pine Creek Elementary School. Our K-2 Spanish Immersion program is at Lakeshore Elementary School and will expand through the fifth grade as students progress in grades. >Learn More
Middle School Advanced Course Offerings
Our middle school students can earn up to six high school credits by participating in accelerated courses in English, math, social studies, science, and Spanish. Through participation in our accelerated program, students can get a jumpstart in high school and be able to take additional Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. >Learn More
International Baccalaureate (IB)
West Ottawa is joining an elite group of schools across the country in offering an International Baccalaureate Curriculum. In fact, West Ottawa will be only one of a few districts in the state to offer a comprehensive K-12 program to be phased in over the next three years. We have begun training of our high school staff so we can offer an IB Diploma Program within the next two years.
Training of our middle school staffs began this school year, along with training for the staff at Great Lakes, Lakewood, and Sheldon Woods Elementary schools. As additional funds are raised, each of our elementary schools will be able to become IB schools. An IB curriculum offers a level of rigor and community mindedness beyond what the state requires. Students who graduate through an IB program are some of the best prepared students in the world.
Blended Courses
With the start of the 2008-2009 school year our junior and senior high school students enjoyed the added benefit and option of participating in blended courses. Rather than the traditional course structure, blended courses incorporate both online instruction as well as face-to-face instructional time with the teacher. These courses are offered first and last periods to accommodate students' schedules. Blended learning combines the best elements of online and classroom education and is an excellent way to prepare students for university coursework. >Learn More
Advanced Placement (AP) Courses Expanding
Our high school has expanded our Advanced Placement offerings to seventeen courses for this upcoming year. All of our AP courses are taught by highly qualified, AP Board Certified Instructors face-to-face in our classrooms; a true advantage for students seeking to pass the AP exam to earn college credit. Our total sections have increased from twenty-four last year to thirty-one for this fall. >Learn More
