Annual Report 2017-2018

dear friends, The two of us arrived at Wildwood School at the same time, Joel as a parent of a new Pod student and Landis as head of school. A dozen years later, we’ve completed our first year working together as head and board chair at a time when Wildwood School’s future is more promising than ever. That promise is due in large part to those who came before us, walked along side us, and will walk with us in the coming years to ensure that the best of Wildwood continues for future generations of students and families. Joining us in our Board work this year are three new trustees. They are current parents Kira Arné Powell-Verica and Glenda Martinez, and parent of alumnae Clare Bronowski. Thank you to all those whose philanthropy and volunteerism are represented in the pages that follow. You make it all possible, and we are happy to report that 2017-2018 Annual Giving once again crested the $2 million mark, providing resources to support everything from investing in instructional technology to flexible tuition. The bright future of Wildwood, a theme in this year’s Annual Report, wouldn’t be nearly as brilliant without the support the school has received, both past and present. In the dozen years we’ve known Wildwood, our school has gained tremendous clarity about what it means to be a college preparatory progressive school. We live at the intersection of research and best practice, calling on brain science, scholarship, and the experience and talent of our dedicated, curious, and caring teaching and administrative colleagues to continually evaluate, adjust, and improve our work with students, supporting both their social-emotional and academic growth. Wildwood School graduates choose colleges and universities that afford them the chance to pursue passions and goals, attending a diverse

range of schools from public to private, small to large, highly specialized, and highly selective. For good reason, Wildwood has gained a national reputation for its progressive pedagogy, social-emotional work, and multicultural programming. That reputation began with the work of past heads, like the iconic Hope E. Boyd (see page 9), and it continues with the work of current school employees who have led the introduction and implementation of programs that are unique to Wildwood, programs like Systems Thinking in elementary, Into the Wild in middle, and the Institute Model in upper. Thanks to growing philanthropic support, we’ve been able to introduce the Social Good and Community Leadership Institute, which joins the Wildwood Institute for STEM Research and Development (WISRD) this year. All are made possible because of the annual, capital, and endowment gifts represented in the pages of this report. Those of us who know and love this school, its programs, and its culture and community recognize how unique it is in the landscape of education, specifically the landscape of independent education. And we recognize that as members of the Wildwood School community, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to care for the institution that makes the work and the community possible.

With appreciation and happy anticipation of our school’s bright future,

Landis Green, Head of School

Joel Brand, Chair, Board of Trustees

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