Head of School Welcome

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to The Northwest School, a community I am proud to lead and honored to be part of each day. Whether you are learning about Northwest for the first time or already know the school well, I hope you experience the warmth, energy, and sense of purpose that make this such a distinctive place.

Since our founding in 1980, Northwest has been guided by a bold vision: to prepare young people to engage thoughtfully and courageously with the world. That vision remains alive in our academic program, our commitment to the arts, and our enduring focus on social justice and environmental sustainability. It is also reflected in the relationships that define our community and in the care our faculty bring to knowing and supporting each student.

At Northwest, students do more than learn about the world. They are immersed in it.

As Seattle’s only co-educational day and boarding school, Northwest brings together students from across the city, the region, the country, and the world. Students learn with people whose identities, cultures, experiences, and perspectives may be different from their own. They share classrooms, meals, performances, traditions, conversations, and the daily life of the school. Through these experiences, the global community is not simply something students study. It is something they live.
This creates an important opportunity for our students to “try on the world” before they are expected to live independently within it. They learn to listen across differences and reconsider their assumptions. They discover their own voices while developing the capacity to understand the voices of others. They encounter complex questions in a community where they are known, supported, and challenged to grow.

Our rigorous liberal arts program gives students the foundation to make the most of that experience. Learning moves across disciplines and beyond the walls of the school. A question raised in Humanities may take on new meaning in Science, find expression through the Arts, or become more immediate through an experience in Seattle. Our location in the heart of the city allows students to engage directly with the people, institutions, cultures, and natural environment of a dynamic region. Seattle becomes an extension of the classroom, while our international and residential programs bring the wider world into the school.

As a college-preparatory school, we prepare students to thrive in college and pursue meaningful careers. We also understand that this preparation extends beyond academic achievement. Students should leave Northwest with a stronger understanding of who they are, how they relate to others, and what responsibility they have to the communities of which they are a part. They should be prepared to ask meaningful questions, engage courageously with complexity, and act with purpose.

That is the promise of a Northwest education. Students have the opportunity to explore the world while still having the support to take risks, make mistakes, and grow. By the time they leave Northwest, they are prepared not simply to enter the world, but to participate in shaping it.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our school. I invite you to explore our programs, visit our campus, and experience this remarkable community for yourself.

We are glad you are here, and I look forward to welcoming you to the House.

Warm regards,

Raymond Wilson, M.Ed.