AP COURSES + HONORS

I'm sitting in a 9th grade biology class when suddenly a senior from the AP biology class runs into the classroom and interrupts our lesson.

“We have a problem,” she says. And just like that, our entire class rushes outside to see a staged murder.

The ninth-grade students are learning about DNA forensics, and the AP biology class wants to help us with a lab. The AP students, much like the rest of Woodlawn’s students, are creative and engaged learners. They take the lesson into their hands and guide us. We complete the lab by interviewing “witnesses,” as well as collecting and testing DNA samples, just as a real forensic scientist would.

Academic adventures like this make the Woodlawn School experience unique.

This is my sixth year attending Woodlawn. I’ve experienced more hands-on learning than I could’ve expected. The academics at Woodlawn School challenge the learner beyond just mastering the materials. The teachers here work hard to connect their classes to other classes and to events in the real world.

I’m a junior now, and I’m researching colleges. I’m thinking about studying ecology or environmental biology. This being said, understanding, as well as being in nature, will help me tremendously in preparing for this path. Nature and the outdoors are large parts of Woodlawn’s philosophy, and that’s one of the many reasons why Woodlawn is such a good fit for me. The various ecosystems on Woodlawn’s campus allow teachers to take their classes down to the wetlands or up to the gardens for hands-on learning experiences.

We occasionally have class, like Spanish, outside on the patio. One time, we were learning about informal tú commands, and our Profe made us play “Simón Dice,” the Spanish version of “Simon Says.” She taught us how to form the commands, then we participated in an activity that required us to think while having fun.

I’ve had the opportunity to engage in many extracurricular activities. This is my fifth year playing for Woodlawn’s volleyball team and will be my second year running track for the upper school. I began playing volleyball in seventh grade at Woodlawn. My coaches taught me the fundamentals of the sport, all while encouraging fair play and sportsmanship. During my sophomore volleyball season, we played one entire game only speaking in Spanish, and we won! It challenged us to use some vocabulary we learned in the classroom and to actually speak the language. The athletics and extracurriculars at Woodlawn are more examples of where learning takes place outside of the classroom.

A gym or track may not be the most conventional classroom, but what I’ve learned from all the different sports teams, clubs, and groups has helped me become a contributing member of society. Woodlawn is a friendly environment, and the determination of the teachers will help you achieve your goals. Challenging yourself outside of the classroom helps you learn who you are.

One thing that concerned me initially was the size of Woodlawn’s student body. Yes, Woodlawn is a very small school, but to me, that’s one of its best features. The current junior class has 17 students. I’ve gone to school with many of them my entire time at Woodlawn. I’ve never bonded more with any group of people in my whole life. They’re like my second family.

The teachers at Woodlawn strongly encourage students from all grades to mix. Students participate in events that range from a game of Quidditch to a round of trivia. These events promote a close-knit community.

Woodlawn’s student body is one of the most friendly, diverse, and accepting groups of people that I know. I’m very lucky to go to school where this much interaction takes place, inside and outside of the classroom.

Amelia is currently a junior at UNC Chapel Hill.

My name is Ariana Hoshino, and I am a junior at Woodlawn. I came to Woodlawn in 7th grade, worried about losing all my friends and the familiarity that came with my old school, but I immediately felt at home. The teachers focused on me as an individual and the students were welcoming and inclusive.

Reflecting on my experience at Woodlawn, there are three main points that come to mind: students support fellow students, teachers support students, and students learn how to support themselves.

When I say students support their fellow students, I am referring to the way Woodlawn students work together, learning how to combine their collective strengths so that they form a better team. I am referring to the helping nature of classmates; helping their classmates understand a topic rather than simply providing answers. Students truly care about other students.

Our teachers support the students by being personally involved in their lives — from asking us about our opinions on Walking Dead every Monday to catapulting students into a passion they might not have ever known existed in themselves. For me, that passion is filmmaking. When I was a freshman, I took a “Medicine in Movies” elective, where a group of girls and I made a PSA about mental health stigmas. The film eventually found its way to the Woodstock film festival where it was recognized and awarded. None of us could have ever imagined we could make such a difference in the area of mental health. But we did.

Although film is my main passion, I can’t ignore all of my other interests I have been able to explore and pursue — photography for the yearbook, competing on the varsity swimming team, designing our 2014 homecoming t-shirt, being the president of the UK in intermezzo of fall 2014, and making elephant toothpaste out of dish soap, sodium chloride, and hydrogen peroxide in chemistry class — these are all just small parts of the sorts of things that have sparked my interests.

And that all leads me to the most important part of Woodlawn: I’ve learned how to support myself. I know what my strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes are, and where I want to go and what I want to do after I leave this beautiful campus and venture out into the daunting “real world.” There is so much to do, so much to see, so much to learn, and so many opportunities to take. And Woodlawn has showed me how to replace the fear with excitement!

If so many wonderful things have happened so far, I can’t imagine what my senior year has to offer. I guess I have no option but to take it by storm. Watch out Woodlawn, here I come!

Ariana is currently a senior at Swarthmore College.

Hello, my name is Reilly Milburn, and I am a senior here at Woodlawn. As I finish my fourth and final year at this school, I look forward to the new opportunities I will experience in college. However, none of them would be possible without the many great experiences I’ve had at Woodlawn. From the close ties with my peers and teachers, to the ability to find my passions in work and life, Woodlawn has played a crucial role in shaping my identity.

One of my favorite things about Woodlawn is the ability to try new things, and at the same time delve deeper into areas and interests that you love. For example, prior to my admittance to Woodlawn, I had never played a school sport. With Woodlawn’s inclusive community, I was quickly welcomed into the world of sports, and have been able to participate in soccer, track, and cross-country. As a member of the cross-country team, I was able to help Woodlawn secure first place in our Conference and State championship meets, moments I will never forget. Aside from sports, Woodlawn has given me the opportunity to explore other interests of mine, such as music, journalism, and physics. When I’m not hard at work, you’ll be sure to catch me rocking out at the monthly open mic nights on my beloved electric guitar. With graduation right around the corner, I am very excited for what lies ahead. While I know that college will be different from my high school years, I am not worried. I know that Woodlawn has prepared me socially and academically for my future.

Reilly is a recent graduate of Haverford College and is currently pursing a Ph.D in Astrophysics at UNC Chapel Hill.