This is a preview from the features section of the Fall 2025 issue of Independent School magazine.
The ability of independent schools to chart their own course—and their ability to preserve that independence over time—is essential to the experience they provide. It’s one of the primary reasons families are drawn to independent schools. The breadth of schools, their focus on students, their capacity to be nimble, the way their mission and values can align with parents––these qualities are appealing to families and are what make independent schools a necessary and valuable part of the education landscape.
And as that landscape continues to evolve, talking about and demonstrating the value of independent schools and the education they provide has never been more important. To help bring that narrative to life and to showcase the breadth and depth of the independent school community in the Fall 2025 issue of Independent School magazine, we solicited stories from schools that capture a moment or experience that sits at the heart of their value proposition, something that truly represents the spirit of their school community. What follows here are vignettes from two schools that shared their story; the Fall 2025 issue’s features section includes 10 more.
Westside School (WA)
It’s Wolfpack Day at Westside School, and the energy in the building shifts. Students from every grade move through the halls with a little more bounce, and smiles stretch a little wider. The halls are buzzing—not with the usual shuffle between classes or chatter over morning announcements but with the joyful energy that only a Wolfpack Day can bring.
Every student belongs to a Wolfpack—a group of kids from every grade, along with staff members who stick with them year after year. They meet once a month, but their presence is felt daily. These aren’t just special events—they’re woven into the fabric of school life.
On Wolfpack mornings, older students pick up their younger buddies from their classrooms. They walk together—laughing, checking in, sometimes holding hands—on their way to gather as a pack. The day begins with a welcome circle. It ends with reflections and goodbyes. In between, there are community-building projects, collaborative art, and conversations about character and identity. There are always moments that linger.
Students see the same faces month after month, year after year. They grow together, celebrate together, and navigate school with a sense of belonging that transcends age and grade. It’s in the quiet hallway hug between a first grader and an eighth grader, the thunderous applause when a packmate performs in the talent show, or when a kindergartner joins their group for the first time and is welcomed by name.
Ask a Westside student to describe their school in one word, and many will say “community.” That’s not by accident—it’s by design. Wolfpacks reflect Westside’s values: relationships, inclusion, and joyful learning. They are where big kids remember what it’s like to be little, and little kids start imagining who they’ll become.
In a recent Wolfpack session, students read The Wolfpack Way by Abby Wambach and reflected on what it means to live the “Westside Way.” Their reflections said everything:
“We are a WE, not an I.”
“We believe in a supportive community … because we are wolves.”
“Inside a wolf, they always know how to be joyful.”
More than a tradition, Wolfpacks embody Westside’s mission: helping students learn to think critically and act with compassion in a joyful, supportive community. They give younger students confidence and older students purpose. They teach empathy, leadership, and the power of belonging.
It’s one thing to talk about the value of independent schools. It’s another to walk through Westside and hear a second grader call out, “Hey, Wolfpack!”—and see an eighth grader turn around, grinning.
Because here, belonging isn’t a buzzword. It’s a practice.
Because your pack has your back.
Because that’s the Wolfpack Way.
––Shoshanna Hoffman
Gillen Brewer School (NY)
There was not a dry eye in the audience during the curtain call on opening day of Gillen Brewer School’s first musical, Matilda. As the student performers bowed excitedly, our community felt the truth of our tagline—“Together We See the Possibilities”—in the most profound way: We didn’t just see the possibilities, we brought them to life.
Months of planning culminated when the stage lights rose on a version of Matilda that honored the strengths and needs of our students, who have a broad range of language-based learning disabilities. The magic began long before the first note. Our incredible music therapist, who led the charge, worked tirelessly to transform Roald Dahl’s musical into something accessible, meaningful, and fun. Lyrics were modified, scenes were shortened to help the performers with focus, cue cards were used for children with working memory challenges. Every adaptation was designed to support student participation and foster success.
What made this day extraordinary was not just the show but how the community came together to make it happen. Matilda highlighted the cornerstone of our school’s integrated academic-therapeutic approach. Speech-language pathologists collaborated with students on vocal projection and articulation, using scripts as tools for language enrichment. In classrooms, teachers had students practice choreography during snack time. The counseling department supported the students’ emotional regulation during rehearsals and backstage.
Behind the scenes, the marketing and development teams also got involved, creating programs and posters. When the students came up to the third floor to get into costumes on show day, the cast and crew saw their individual headshots on the wall. The little boy who took more than a year to enter the building without his parents, the young girl who was not being served in her public school class of 30—all of the students were full of glee as they located their pictures on the wall.
As the curtain rose, students who once hesitated to speak in front of peers were now singing proudly. Others, typically challenged by change or transitions, embraced the performance with joy and energy. For parents and caregivers in the audience, it was a moment of awe as they watched their children not only being included but shining.
For all of us at Gillen Brewer—staff, families, and students alike—it was a day that embodied what makes Gillen Brewer so special: a shared commitment to develop students who are proud of their progress, prepared to engage with the world, and excited to explore.
Matilda wasn’t just a performance; it was a vivid, joyful testament to our school’s belief that together we see the possibilities.
––Amy Salomon