The White Mountain School

Students and families choose a White Mountain education because we are a school of curious and engaged students and teachers. We are a school of inquiry and engagement. We know, both intuitively and from research, that to build engagement requires connections between teacher and student and student and material. Connections are best built when teachers and students determine questions and direction together, forging the student a sense of ownership and responsibility for one's learning. No matter what subject, no matter what level, we are profoundly and purposefully committed to those principles. The result? More in-depth understanding, more excellent retention of knowledge, and increased curiosity -- the foundation for lifelong learning and success.
The White Mountain School motto is Levavi oculos in montes -- I have lifted my eyes to the hills. Our motto captures our place and the contagious spirit of the School. We seek to be uplifting and open to what lies ahead and all its possibilities and challenges. We are a school of inquiry and engagement. Grounded in our Episcopal heritage, we prepare and inspire students to lead lives of curiosity, courage, and compassion.
As a college preparatory school, we follow a traditional liberal arts curriculum. We believe that a broad approach to human understanding of our world and its interconnections is essential to college and life success. Our classes focus more on discussion than a lecture because we know that students must explore their ideas to learn genuinely. Our curriculum offers a breadth and depth that is unique in a small school setting, and we work to engage each student by linking the curriculum to current issues and personal interests. WMS students graduate prepared to succeed because they know how to think analytically and critically, communicate their ideas with clarity and precision, and apply their skills and knowledge as engaged citizens.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that a school's diversity directly contributes to the quality of its students' education. Exposed to various perspectives, students learn to think critically, challenge their assumptions, and explore alternative approaches and solutions to real-world problems. We know as well that children grow best when they feel wholly safe and wholly welcome. Students bring their backgrounds and histories to the classroom, and their classmates and their teachers are more affluent for that gift.
The White Mountain School is a school built on relationships. Research shows that students who have strong relationships with their teachers are more likely to succeed. With 130 students, we value the teacher and student relationships through absolute numbers rather than ratios. Our students are known and known well. Teachers and students intersect throughout the day in multiple dimensions, from dorm life to work jobs and from the extra-curricular programs to the classroom. In so many ways, The White Mountain School has created a student culture that is healthy and joyful, curious, and kind. This cultural piece matters when students feel safe and known, and when they are grounded and feel joyful, they are better poised to think and learn with creativity, clarity, and confidence.
We are also a school that asks questions. We embrace student-driven inquiry as to the driving philosophy behind our approach to teaching and learning. We know, both from our experience and research, that students learn best when they are invested and find purpose in what they are studying and when their work has an authentic audience. We encourage students to boldly pursue new and exciting lines of thinking, pushing, and inspiring them to live and grow into their creative and intellectual potential.
At The White Mountain School, we believe that proper education should do more than inform. It should inspire. While aligned with a college preparatory curriculum, courses here extend beyond the classroom and into the world around us. Here students master their Spanish on our annual international service trip, practice forest stewardship as they help manage our 240-acre campus property, and learn to measure slopes in advanced algebra while designing their trail projects.
Our teachers know that in every interaction with a student, there is a chance to motivate, mentor, and challenge they teach here because they genuinely want to share their lives and passions with young people. These components of our academic program balance rigor and relevance as we prepare our students for college and, ultimately, for lives beyond formal academics.