Every K-8 student, faculty and staff are members of family groups. There are over 20 family groups comprised of faculty/staff advisors, middle school leaders, and younger students. Family groups meet approximately once a month with changing activities and a different focus each time. What is constant is the time for bonding and connection between students as they remain in their family group from kindergarten through 8th grade.

Every grade has a buddy pairing with an older and younger student. Even our youngest students in the ECC are paired with a 7th grade buddy. Buddies have positive effects on both younger and older students, as they provide a positive role model for younger children while encouraging empathy in the older students. All of our students look forward to the time they get to spend with their buddies!

Community gatherings take place on Friday mornings, and they are a special time for the K-8 and parent community to gather together. Gatherings incorporate songs, celebrations, presentations, school-wide updates, and more.

Every Friday morning the ECC community gathers for their morning sing! It’s a wonderful celebration of songs students have been learning, and a time for the community to bond together. At times, we welcome special guests, and we always invite families to bring any special cultural celebrations or traditions to share with the ECC!

Middle school affinity groups were established in 2019 by a committee of students to foster more inclusivity amongst their peers. So far, the students have met using racial and cultural identity as the criteria, discussing allyship. Since then, we have also launched elementary school affinity groups (based around students’ interests, to introduce the concept of affinity), and parent-run parent affinity groups. WNS seeks to establish affinity groups as a vital part of the student and parent experience, ensuring members of the WNS community have a space where they can gather, converse, and be in community.