The Woodlands Preparatory School Teaches With Global Perspective

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The Woodlands Preparatory School, 27440 Kuykendahl Road, is a full International Baccalaureate World School, offering rigorous, multi-faceted IB curriculum to students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

The school, which emphasizes leadership, intercultural understanding and service, is expanding it’s after school academies programming this year.

The school’s language curriculum, which has included Spanish and French up to now, will include Mandarin this fall. Mandarin is the official spoken language for China, the world’s second-largest economy. “By offering this language, we are better preparing students to take leadership roles on the world stage,” said Bill Shell, Interim Head of School.

In addition, the school also has an ESL (English as a Second Language) specialist who works closely with non-English speaking students to help them build English fluency.

“Everything we offer at The Woodlands Preparatory School, from our rigorous academic programs to our talented, highly trained faculty, supports our mission of fostering a life-long love for learning, confidence and an appreciation for other cultures,” Shell said.

“I’m very excited that we can offer the benefits of International Baccalaureate learning to all of the students we serve. IB emphasizes, not only intellectual growth, but also the student’s social, emotional and cultural development. This emphasis on the whole student – presented through a global perspective – is an important part of the international learning community we’ve built here.”

Since The Woodlands Preparatory School was founded in 2000, 100 percent of its graduates have gone on to attend the No. 1 or No. 2 college or university of their choice. The school currently serves 393 students during the 2013-14 school year, and that number is expected to increase to just about 500 this fall. The school’s diverse student population represents more than 42 countries.

The International Baccalaureate is a nonprofit educational foundation that offers programs for students ages 3-19. To offer any of the IB programs, a school must apply for certification as an IB World School. Authorization to teach the programs comes after consideration by the organization’s director general.

At the heart of IB learning is the promotion of intercultural understanding and respect as an essential part of life in the 21st century.

In addition to its IB programs, The Woodlands Preparatory School offers a variety of Advanced Placement courses. These challenging classes prepare students to take Advanced Placement tests and potentially earn college credit.

All courses at The Woodlands Preparatory School are kept small, with a maximum capacity of 15 students in the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms and a maximum of 18 in the other grades. The inquiry-based instruction promotes problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

“One of our school’s big strengths is the small class sizes,” said Heidi Saenz, who teaches English in the Upper School. “Smaller classes mean more one on one time for the students with the teachers. Most of my classes average 10 students at most.”

Saenz said she is excited to begin preparations to launch IB classes at the school as well. The upcoming school year will be devoted to planning and preparation for the new IB program. Many of the teachers in her department have already completed IB training. “We’re planning to incorporate a lot of our IB training into what we’re doing next year,” she said.

The Woodlands Preparatory School also offers numerous student organizations, including National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Spanish and French Honors Societies, Mu Alpha Theta (mathematics honors society), Students Organizing Students and others.

Students also can participate in such after-school activities as astronomy, language studies, science, Kung Fu, ballet, yoga, PSAT/SAT/ACT prep and sports.

Athletics programs include golf, tennis, equestrian, archery, soccer, swimming, cross-country track, volleyball, tennis, basketball and track & field.

The school regularly engages students in community service and civic engagement activities.