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Winchester Thurston School

555 Morewood Avenue and 4225 Middle Road, Allison Park, PA, 15213-0151 -

School Notes Overview:

Winchester Thurston School is a nationally recognized independent, coeducational, college preparatory school with two campuses: a Pre-Kindergarten through grade five North Hills Campus in Allison Park and a Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 City Campus in Shadyside. Winchester Thurston School actively engages each student in a challenging and inspiring learning process that develops the mind, motivates the passion to achieve and cultivates the character to serve. We activate our mission by creating a learning environment that promotes and instills appreciation for these five core values: critical thinking, integrity, empathy, community, and diversity....

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School Overview:

	Winchester Thurston School
School Membership(s)	Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) National Association of Independent Schools
Religious Affiliation	Nonsectarian
Grades Offered	Grades Prekindergarten - 12
Year Founded	1887
County	Allegheny County, PA
Student Body
Total Students	n/a
Student Body Type	Co-ed
	This School	(PA) School Avg.
% Students of Color	23%	16%
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers	n/a
Average Class Size	16
Number of AP Courses	14
Matriculation Data	Link to Matriculation Data
Classroom dress code	Casual (khaki or blue pants/skirt or jumper, white or blue shirt (PK-8); in grades 9-12, we have a dress code, not a uniform.)
	This School	(PA) School Avg.
Teacher : Student Ratio	1:5	* Ntl. Public School Avg. » 1:16
School Days in Calendar Year	165 days	180 days
Hours in School Day for Students	7 hours	6 hours
Finances and Admission
Admission Deadline	Dec. 15
Tuition Notes	Tuition ranges from $9880 - $22900
Head of School	Gary Niels
Admissions Director	Karyn B. Vella
Admissions Associate	Scot Lorenzi

School Notes:

Winchester Thurston is celebrating national recognition as one of only 4 schools to receive a 2009 Edward E. Ford Foundation Leadership Grant in recognition and for expansion of City as Our Campus.
In 2007, Winchester Thurston School was one of only 3 schools nationally to receive a $2 million grant and be named a Malone Scholars School in recognition of our work with gifted and talented students.
WT is the only school in the nation to have been named a Malone Scholars School and to have received the E.E. Ford Leadership Grant.
Winchester Thurston School was named "Parents Choice" among Pennsylvania private schools for 2009 by Great Schools.com and Business Week magazine.
Students are accepted to the most well regarded colleges across the nation year after year...
73% of the Class of 2009 are attending their first-choice school.
84% are attending "Very," "Highly," or "Most Competitive" schools.
Students in the Class of 2009 were offered more than $1,000,000 in scholarships and grants.
Some of the colleges attended by WT alums from the classes of 2004-2009:
Brandeis University
Brown University
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Chicago
Colgate University
The George Washington University
Harvard University
Haverford College
Johns Hopkins University
MIT
University of Michigan
New York University
Oberlin College
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
Princeton University
Smith College
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
Tufts University
Vassar College
Yale University
Lower School Highlights ...
Lower School continues to focus on the Responsive Classroom® approach, which has been shown through University of Virginia research to improve reading and math test scores, social skills and assertiveness, and enjoyment of school.
Lower School's Academic and Enrichment Challenge Program (AEC) challenges students to their highest ability in math and language arts.
In 2008-2009, overall performance of North Hills Campus students on the ERB test was above the national independent school average in both the verbal and math sections.
Lower and Middle Schools are introducing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in 2009-2010. This comprehensive program has been found to reduce bullying and improve the social climate.
Karen Gaul, City Campus third grade teacher, was invited by the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia to travel to Asia for three weeks in the summer of 2009.
Lab science begins in first grade and carries through to graduation, culminating with opportunities to pursue independent research in the Upper School's state-of-the-art science facilities and Student Research Lab, and through internships.
The WT Girls in Science program invites girls to participate in a lunchtime lecture series by women scientists from Carnegie Mellon, PPG, Duquesne University, Children's Hospital, UPMC, and others.
The Lower School technology curriculum incorporates robotics, which is also available as an After School program. Fourth- and fifth-graders are among the youngest to participate in the FIRST LEGO League competition annually at the National Robotics and Engineering Consortium (NREC). WT has had a Lower School and Middle School team at this event for four consecutive years.
Third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders walked or ran over 1,000 miles in the WT Running/Walking club in 2008-2009.
Middle School Highlights ...
Winchester Thurston's Middle School MathCounts team placed first in Allegheny County and third in Pennsylvania in 2008-2009.
In 2008-2009, the Middle School has added a section of Geometry to the curriculum to meet the needs of accelerated math students.
70 Middle School and Upper School students earned national rankings on the 2009 National Spanish Examination, National Latin Examination, and Le Grand Concours - The National French Contest.
Middle School academic electives allow students to customize their schedules to their interests and talents, with courses like Leadership & Ethics , Robotics, Girls in Science, Mock Trial, Asian Studies, Great Classics, Orchestra, and more.
Through its partnership with the University of Pittsburgh, WT has introduced Chinese in the Middle and Upper Schools. One-third of this year's sixth grade class is studying Mandarin.
Holly Hatcher-Frazier, Middle School Director, was invited by the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia to travel to China in the summer of 2009.
The Middle School Leadership Academy teaches every student that leadership begins with character. Leadership Academy includes outdoor education experiences focusing on team building, self-reliance, and self-awareness, and student-driven community service and philanthropy projects.
In 2008-2009, overall performance of Middle School students on the ERB test was above the national independent school average in both the verbal and math sections.
Approximately 70% of all Middle School students participated in WT sports in 2008-2009.
In 2008-2009, the Middle School Boys Soccer team finished the season with a 14-2-2 record.
In 2008-2009, the Middle School Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams finished the season with records of 5-2.
Upper School Highlights...
Students in the Upper School achieved these impressive AP results in 2008-2009:
80% of WT students who took the AP Physics and AP Chemistry exams scored a 4 or a 5. Nationally, 35% scored a 4 or 5.
100% of WT students who took the AP U.S.
History exam scored a 4 or 5. Nationally, 27% scored a 4 or 5.
71% of WT students who took the AP European History exam earned a 4 or 5. Nationally, 26% earned a 4 or 5
69% of WT students who took the AP English Language and Literature exams earned a 4 or a 5 Nationally, 26% earned a 4 or a 5.
Three WT students have been named AP Scholars with Distinction by the College Board, for scoring a minimum average of 4 on a minimum of 8 AP exams.
Nine Upper School students have been named AP Scholars with Honor (for scoring a minimum average of 3.25 on a minimum of 4 exams), and 16 Upper School students have been named AP Scholars (for completing at least 3 exams with a score of 3 or higher.
In 2009-2010, WT is offering 14 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are college level courses culminating in a nationally standardized test on a 5-point grading scale.
Winchester Thurston is home to Pittsburgh's American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) team, which placed 11th nationally in its division in 2008-2009.
2008-2009 Athletics Achievements:
Approximately 70% of all Upper School students participated in WT sports.
Upper School Girls Basketball team made it to the WPIAL playoffs, a first in WT history.
Upper School Girls Tennis team made it to the WPIAL playoffs, a first in WT history.
Junior Miranda Santucci earned a spot in the State Golf Championships.
Nationally ranked sophomore D.J. Goldblum represented WT in the State Tennis finals after taking first place in the WPIAL Class A Boys Singles competition
Sophomore Adam Eller competed in 2008 WPIAL Class AA 800m Track finals.
2007- 2008: Upper School Boys Lacrosse team made the WPIAL playoffs, for the third year in a row.
2006-2007: Upper School Boys Lacrosse team won the WPIAL Division II Championship.
The school's strong performing and visual arts programs are enriched by partnerships with important cultural and artistic centers, including Manchester Craftsmen's Guild MCG-Jazz, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and The Carnegie Museum of Art.
For the sixth year in a row, Upper School students won top awards in the 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. essay competition at Carnegie Mellon University.
In 2008, WT's literary magazine, Plaid, received a Silver Medal from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and a "Superior" rating from the National Council of Teachers of English.
WT sophomore and first-time "Kelly Critic" Nico Satryan was honored with a 2009 Gene Kelly Award for his writing and reviewing skills.
Profile last updated: 10/02/2009

In the News:

Obituaries for October 1, 2009 (Sewickley Herald)
posted on October 1, 2009 at 07:27:04 am
read more »
Art in Bloom (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
posted on April 20, 2009 at 04:01:03 am
The roses were red, the violets were blue, but nothing could hold a candle to seeing our favorite Art in Bloom.

View all past news stories

School Zip Statistics:

About This Zipcode (15213)	School Zip (15213)	(PA) State Average
Population (Approximate)	28,320 people	12,280,267 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree	53%	22%
Population Average Age	22 years old	37 years old
Average Household size	1.9 persons	2.4 persons
Median Household Income	$18,473	$43,232
Avg. # of Rooms in Household	3.9 rooms	5.9 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure	62 years old	51 years old
	View housing listings in 15213
Median Value of Housing Unit Zipcode (15213) What's a Zindex? Subject to Zillow Terms of Use
% Owning / % Renting	27% / 73%	68% / 32%