Many students repeat what they learn. Willow students explain why.

Academic innovations offered only at Willow help our students understand what they are learning, and why! Explore some highlights from our curriculum to see how students are encouraged to take risks, learn from their mistakes, and expand their intellectual capacity. Skills learned in the Lower School, such as inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving, are reinforced, strengthened, and applied to more complex and challenging research projects in Middle School. 

Systems Thinking

Universities and Fortune 500 companies use Systems Thinking, yet this discipline, which helps students understand and navigate a complex world, isn’t widely taught or used in schools. Willow students are engaged with Systems Thinking in elementary and middle school through interdisciplinary studies and projects. This way of thinking prepares them to be good problem solvers and effective citizens who know how to create positive change in the world.Here’s how Willow students practice Systems Thinking in our classrooms: 

Student-led Genius Hour

Innovative companies like Google practice Genius Hour, and so do Willow’s third, fourth, and fifth graders. Genius Hour gives students dedicated time to explore a passion or interest and develop a project that demonstrates their understanding and mastery of the topic. Willow students have used their Genius Hour to investigate the story behind #KindnessRocks and develop their own fundraiser for a local food ban and investigate how a roller coaster works. They have also researched the lives of entrepreneurs, partnered with a local bakery to learn how to make their favorite baked goods, and explored the construct of the Rube Goldberg machine. Click to learn more about the lifelong benefits of Genius Hour. 

Handcrafts & Architecture

Willow students are engaged with some of the oldest art forms on earth, vital to their intellectual and physical development. Handcrafts are taught from Kindergarten to Grade 4. Weaving and knitting, for instance, mirror traditional methods of storytelling, which supports literacy and language arts. The tactile nature of the Handcrafts program also develops fine motor skills, such as manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination.  

Architecture begins in Grade 5. Students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills through the process of design. Handcrafts & Architecture, in conjunction with core academic subjects, foster creativity, self-discovery, and higher order thinking skills. 

3 World Languages

We believe that meaningful exposure to multiple world languages is vital to forming global citizens who can communicate across cultures. French and Spanish are taught in Grades K- 2. In Grade 3, students choose to continue with French or Spanish until Grade 8. The progression of study includes fluency (speaking and understanding), proficiency (reading and writing), and cultural appreciation. Latin, the root of so many world languages, is required in Grades 6-8 in addition to French or Spanish..Grade 7 and 8 students have earned numerous awards in the National Latin Exam, a competition involving more than 150,000 Latin students throughout the U.S. and 20 foreign countries.

Public Speaking

One of the most recognized attributes of Willow students is their ease and ability with public speaking. Children are encouraged to find their voice at an early age in classroom meetings, discussions, and Morning Gathering, where every student in every grade has multiple opportunities to ask questions, present insights from class studies and projects, and contribute ideas to a school-wide conversation.The benefits of the constant practice of communication is most evident at Graduation when each Grade 8 student delivers thought-provoking, powerful, and sometimes hilarious speeches reflecting upon their time at Willow.

Grade 8 Internships

Each spring, Grade 8 students intern with a business, non-profit, government institution, or other organization for one week. In recent years, internships have included law firms, animal shelters, county colleges, boutiques, corporations, doctors’ offices, and media companies.

The unique program provides a venue for students to put knowledge and skills to practical use, explore a potential career, and to demonstrate a tangible connection between their internship and Willow Virtues. Following the internship, students make a formal presentation of the experience to the Willow community at Morning Gathering.

Want to see our academic innovations in action? Visit Willow!

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Request our ebook on Systems Thinking. We will email it to you immediately.

Director of Admissions Lisa VanderVeen is here to help! Contact her at (908) 470-9500, ext. 1100 or via email

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