Private School in Boston MA for Girls

The Winsor School, Boston:
Centrally located in Boston, MA, The Winsor School is a leading independent day school for academically promising and motivated girls in grades 5-12. Its mission and dynamic urban setting make it a distinctive choice for Boston-area families. Year after year Winsor graduates go on to excel at the nation's top colleges and universities. Winsor’s reputation for academic excellence has drawn families for generations. The school encourages and expects the best from every girl. Girls expect no less from Winsor.

Day Programs for Academically Promising Girls (Grades 5-12) 
Winsor teachers share a passion for their individual disciplines as well as a vision of the school’s overarching educational mission. The eight departmental offices are typically abuzz with activity. Each teacher contributes her or his own specialized background—and unique personality—to the mix. The departments create a fertile environment for colleagues to pool their individual knowledge and experience and develop engaging courses at every level.

Classical Languages:
The classics program teaches students to understand and appreciate a language and literature whose influence continues to be felt centuries later. In the Lower School, the learning of Latin reading skills and grammar is interwoven with an ongoing exploration of Roman life and culture. In the Upper School, students read and interpret classical works in the original. All courses emphasize vocabulary, history and literary analysis.

English:
English For both the Upper School and Lower School the objective of the English department is to encourage each student to develop her ability to read with insight, think logically, and express herself clearly. Class discussions, frequent essays, and regular meetings with teachers help achieve these goals. Students in Classes V-VII meet individually with their English teachers every other week to work on reading and writing skills.

Fine Art:
The fine arts curriculum presents challenges that are intellectual, physical, and creative. The department seeks to offer a balanced curriculum in visual art, drama, and music. Students are encouraged but not required to fulfill their Upper School fine arts requirement with courses from more than one division.

History:
The aim of the history department is that each student comes to an understanding of her own humanity through an understanding of the humanity of others. At all levels students learn to substantiate ideas with evidence, to use primary sources, and to read historical works with discrimination. The department encourages each student to acquire information about the local, national, and world communities and to perceive the relevance to herself of other cultures and other times.

Mathematics:
The mathematics department teaches skills necessary for success in an increasingly technical world and prepares students to think carefully and productively about patterns, figures, numbers, functions, and applications. The department believes each student learns best and feels most successful and confident when she covers the material at an appropriately challenging pace.

Consequently, beginning in Class III, sequential courses of differing pace but same content are offered to meet the needs of students; the faster-paced sections study the same topics in greater depth. In the Upper School, three years of mathematics and one semester of quantitative reasoning are required; it is strongly recommended that students take mathematics through Class VIII and almost all students do.

Modern Languages:
Beginning in the Lower School, and throughout the program, the modern language teachers work on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students are called upon to approach second language acquisition through a deeper understanding of their own language and of language in general. Through careful study of linguistic constructs, students develop a respect for language in and of itself, and for its ability to empower. As students come to express themselves effectively in the target language, they are better prepared to face challenges as leaders in an increasingly international world.

Physical Education and Health:
The goal of the physical education department is to provide a setting in which young women can pursue excellence in the physical realm of their lives whether they are on a team or not. We help young women become empowered and enhance their self-esteem as they learn to accomplish a physically challenging activity. All students must participate in physical education each year at Winsor. A sampling of offerings follows.

Science:
The science department believes that girls naturally wonder about themselves, the physical world and their place within it. We also recognize that women are still quite underrepresented in many fields of science. Therefore, the primary goal of our eight-year program is to encourage girls’ enthusiasm for science while providing them with the skills and content necessary for scientific literacy, an understanding of the scientific process and a solid preparation for those who wish to continue with post-secondary work in the sciences.

Beginning in Lower School, students develop the skills of observation, critical thinking, and experimentation. As they move into the Upper School, students acquire a foundation in biology, chemistry and physics while continuing to develop advanced problem-solving skills. We offer an elective program that encourages girls to explore specific fields of science according to their interests, as well as an Advanced Placement program for qualified girls who would like to perform advanced study in a particular area.