Thank You
to the donors, volunteers, families, alumni, faculty, and staff who make the WNS community extraordinary. The 2025–26 school year marked a special moment in WNS history. We celebrated our 45th anniversary and our final year on the campuses that had been home to generations of students, while looking ahead to an exciting new chapter.
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow celebrates where we’ve been, who we are today, and the future we are building together. Your generosity of time, talent, and resources makes so much possible for our students and our school. This report celebrates what we accomplished together in 2025–26 and the difference your support continues to make.
A Message from the Head of School
Navigate the Report
A Year in Review
Student Highlights
2025–26 was a year to celebrate at WNS! Our Jets brought talent, creativity, teamwork, and determination to everything they pursued - making their mark on a milestone year in WNS history. Read on to see some of the highlights.
Athletics
From league championships to new personal records, WNS Jets athletes had a standout 2025–26 season! Girls softball and Track & Field held tightly onto back-to-back championships, while Baseball, Golf, and the WNS Jetés celebrated their first ever seasons! Scroll down to see more highlights from Jets Athletics.
Jet Set Chorus
With a new name and a growing love of performing together, Jet Set Chorus had plenty to celebrate this year. Students earned a Silver Tier rating at the Forum Festival in Anaheim, where they competed alongside middle and high school choirs before celebrating their achievement with a day at Disneyland! Aubrey J. ('27) and Elia F. ('28) also received individual Musicianship Awards for their solos. Performing in two-, three-, and four-part harmony, our singers filled the year with music, friendship, and plenty of WNS spirit!
Mock Trial
The WNS Mock Trial Team made its case for an outstanding season, finishing among the top 10 middle school teams in Los Angeles County at the 48th Annual LA County Mock Trial Competition. As students stepped into the roles of attorneys, witnesses, clerks, and bailiffs, they put their critical thinking, public speaking, and teamwork skills to the test alongside more than 2,500 middle and high school students from across the county. Angie L. ('27) earned MVP honors in two competition rounds, while Samirah G. ('26) received an MVP award of her own - a wonderful recognition of their preparation, confidence, and poise in the courtroom.
Debate Team
WNS debaters had plenty to celebrate this year, demonstrating confidence, critical thinking, and teamwork both at home and beyond. At the WNS Debate Tournament, 143 students from 10 schools came together on our campus to compete, with WNS teams earning impressive 4th- and 11th-place finishes. Individually, five Jets placed among the tournament’s top 30 speakers, including Angie L. ('27), who earned 4th place overall. The season continued with two WNS teams qualifying for the Orange County Debate League National Championship Tournament, where Angie L. ('27), Samirah G. ('26), and Mira T. ('26) finished 15th overall.
Robotics
Ten WNS students put their creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills to work as members of this year’s Robotics Team. Competing in the FIRST LEGO League Southern California qualifiers and regional championship, the team took on the season’s “Unearthed” theme with an ambitious innovation project: building and programming a LiDAR system designed to create 3D models of ancient buildings and cave systems for archaeologists. From imagining a solution to bringing it to life, our young engineers showed just how far curiosity, ingenuity, and teamwork can take them.
Athletics Accomplishments
Student Spotlights: The Early Childhood Center
From DK to Rock Stars
The ECC’s first official band, Point Life!, turned an original idea into a creative project as students wrote an original song and planned, produced, and starred in their own music video!
Along the way, they practiced collaboration, communication, planning, problem-solving, and creative decision-making while building confidence and taking ownership of the project from concept to completion. Check out the finished product!
Student Spotlights: The Early Childhood Center
The Sweetest Idea
When the preschoolers in the Heron class decided they wanted a real ice cream stand for recess, their teachers didn’t reach for toy blocks. They reached for wood, screws, and power tools!
What began as a child-led idea quickly became a hands-on learning experience. The preschoolers helped shape the design and worked alongside their teachers to build the stand from the ground up. They even helped plan its grand opening!
At WNS, the ice cream stand is more than a preschool project. It reflects a larger belief that children learn deeply when they have opportunities to build real things, solve real problems, and see their ideas take shape. Along the way, they naturally engage with math, science, art, design, and carpentry - not as separate subjects, but in a cross-curricular fashion, as tools for creating something meaningful.
What began as a simple question showed our children just how far their ideas can take them.
Student Spotlights: 1st Grade
WNSville: Business with Heart
A much-loved WNS tradition for many years, WNSville gives our first graders the opportunity to bring a business to life, combining math, art, teamwork, and so much more.
Working in small groups, students dreamed up their own products and services, created business names, produced their products, designed menus and booths, and learned everything from pricing to customer service. When WNSville opened for business, families and fellow WNS students were invited to shop, explore, and support our young entrepreneurs.
But the impact extended far beyond WNSville. Each group selected a nonprofit organization that was meaningful to them and raised money on its behalf. At the conclusion of the project, students donated their proceeds to their chosen organizations, seeing firsthand how a great idea and a little entrepreneurial spirit can make a meaningful difference in the world around them.
Student Spotlights: 4th Grade
California Comes to Life
The Fourth Grade California Museum Project invites students to dive into the people, places, and landmarks that have shaped our state. Last school year, our fourth graders became researchers, writers, artists, scientists, and museum curators as they explored a California topic that was meaningful to them or sparked their curiosity!
Throughout this cross-curricular project, students investigated their topics from multiple perspectives. In Science, they created interactive quiz boards to put visitors’ knowledge to the test. In Art, they conducted research and created original works inspired by their subjects. In their homeroom classrooms, students dug deeper through research and writing, producing detailed reports and display boards that showcased their discoveries.
Along the way, they learned to navigate and draw from a wide range of sources, from books and magazines to podcasts, videos, and online research. The project culminated in the transformation of a WNS space into a vibrant California Museum, where families and members of the WNS community were invited to explore the exhibitions and learn from our fourth-grade experts. It was a celebration not only of California, but of the curiosity, creativity, and hard work our students brought to bringing its stories to life!
Student Spotlights: 8th Grade
Behind the Mic: Finding Their Voice
WNS eighth graders stepped behind the mic for a special voiceover workshop with actress, voice artist, and WNS parent Michaela Dietz!
Students got a firsthand look at what it takes to work in voiceover, experimenting with character voices, expression, timing, and personality. They learned just how much storytelling can happen without ever appearing on screen!
The workshop wrapped up with a Q&A, where Michaela shared insights from her career and gave students a glimpse into what working in the industry can actually look like - including the fact that many voiceover artists can record professionally right from home!
It was an exciting chance for students to try something new, get creative, and discover the possibilities that can open up when you find your voice!
8th Grade Matriculation
91%
accepted to their first choice high school
98%
accepted to their first or second choice high school
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Congratulations
to the WNS Class of 2026! We are so proud of each of them, and we can't wait to follow their journeys. Take a look at the wide variety of schools that this talented graduating class are attending.
Class of 2026 High School Matriculation
Brentwood School*
Campbell Hall*
Chadwick
Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences*
Culver City High School*
Da Vinci High School*
Harvard-Westlake School*
Idyllwild Arts Academy*
Loyola High School*
Marlborough School
Marymount School*
Mira Costa High School
New Roads School
Notre Dame Academy
Notre Dame High School*
Pacifica Christian High School*
Santa Monica High School
Sierra Canyon School
St. John Bosco School
Vistamar School*
Windward School*
Campbell Hall*
Chadwick
Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences*
Culver City High School*
Da Vinci High School*
Harvard-Westlake School*
Idyllwild Arts Academy*
Loyola High School*
Marlborough School
Marymount School*
Mira Costa High School
New Roads School
Notre Dame Academy
Notre Dame High School*
Pacifica Christian High School*
Santa Monica High School
Sierra Canyon School
St. John Bosco School
Vistamar School*
Windward School*
Please note, * denotes schools with multiple students attending.
Alumni Highlights
Once a Jet, always a Jet. This year, our alumni community returned home to celebrate old friendships, favorite memories, and the place that helped shape so many WNS journeys! We were excited to welcome back the Class of 2022 as they prepare to take flight beyond high school, as well as to bring generations of Jets together for our Alumni Bash - one last celebration in our beloved Beethoven buildings!
One Last Bash on Beethoven
DECEMBER 2026
Last December, alumni of all ages and graduating classes returned to Beethoven Street for our largest alumni gathering yet!
Together with their families, they came back to celebrate the place where so many WNS memories were made and to give our longtime campus a fitting farewell.
With lawn games, food trucks, a DJ, a beer garden, and plenty of time to wander familiar hallways and revisit old classrooms, the Alumni Bash on Beethoven was an evening filled with reunions and nostalgia.
We loved catching up with our alumni, hearing where life has taken them since their WNS days, and seeing so many friendships pick up right where they left off.
It was a special way to honor a place that meant so much to generations of Jets while celebrating the community that will always connect us. We can’t wait to welcome our alumni back again - this time to make new memories with us at our new campus home!
Class of 2022 College Matriculation
This year, we were thrilled to welcome the WNS Class of 2022 back to campus as they prepared for their next chapter beyond high school. We loved hearing about their journeys since WNS, celebrating all they have accomplished, and learning where they are headed next. The visit was made even more special as our alumni reconnected with their former Kindergarten Buddies, now WNS fourth graders - a wonderful full-circle moment and reminder of the relationships that make our community so special! We can’t wait to see where the road takes the Class of 2022 next!
- Amherst College
- Cerritos College
- Chapman University
- DePaul University
- Emerson College
- George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs
- Grand Canyon University
- Lehigh University
- Loyola Marymount University
- Morehouse College
- Northeastern University
- Santa Clara University
- Spelman College
- Syracuse University
- UC Irvine
- UC Merced
- UC Santa Barbara
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
- University of La Verne
- University of Michigan
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Richmond
- University of San Francisco
- University of Southern California
- University of Toronto
- University of Utah
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Willamette University
- Yale University
We love to hear from our alumni! Visit our dedicated alumni page and send us an update about what you're doing!
From beloved traditions to milestone celebrations, 2025-26 was an especially meaningful year for the WNS community. As we celebrated 45 years and honored our last year in our Beethoven buildings, the community events that took place over the last school year reminded us that wherever WNS calls home, it’s our community that makes it special!
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
This was our second year partaking in Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on November 14. The rain couldn't dampen our spirits as we gathered to walk in solidarity with Ruby's legacy, and for a more just world. We are so grateful that we have a community who shows up no matter the weather!
Litchella - WNS Festival of Literacy and Arts
For the second time, our WNS community came together for a family fun day celebrating all things books! From faculty read-alouds - many of whom read their own published works - to a book swap, craft tables, and more. WNS loves to read!
ECC Fall Into Autumn Festival
We loved welcoming WNS families and the wider community to this annual seasonal celebration for our littlest learners! The festivities included music, autumnal crafts, and of course, the ever-popular petting zoo!
Mini Maker Faire
Our annual faire of creativity, discovery, and innovation was back last year! Open to current elementary students and friends from other schools, our mini-makers navigate through different stations including coding, sewing, virtual reality, robotics, screen printing, and more! We can't wait to see you at this year's event, where we'll be expanding the faire to welcome students from 1st-6th grade!
Monaco Magic on the Marina
A Record-Breaking Night for WNS
The WNS community came together for a truly extraordinary evening at the Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, where we brought Monaco Magic to the Marina for our annual Jet Gala!
Set against the backdrop of the waterfront, this signature WNS event was one of our most well-attended and successful Galas ever, bringing parents, faculty, staff, and friends together for an unforgettable night of celebration and philanthropy. This year, we were thrilled to welcome our teachers back to the Gala, making the evening a celebration of the people at the heart of the WNS experience.
Guests enjoyed dinner, dancing, and spirited bidding throughout the night, with our Silent Auction, Live Auction, and Raise the Paddle for Professional Development raising more than ever before.
The record-breaking generosity of the evening was about much more than fundraising. It was a powerful reflection of a community that believes deeply in the mission of WNS, values the extraordinary work happening in our classrooms every day, and is eager to invest in the people and programs that make our school exceptional.
None of it would have been possible without our incredible Parent Group Board Gala Committee, whose creativity, energy, and countless hours of work alongside the Development team transformed an ambitious vision into an extraordinary evening on the Marina.
To every committee member, sponsor, donor, auction participant, faculty and staff member, and guest who joined us: thank you for making Monaco Magic on the Marina a record-breaking celebration of WNS and the strength of our community.
Party Book: Building Community, One Gathering at a Time
Party Book continued to be one of WNS’s most joyful traditions this year, bringing families together through shared experiences while raising important funds in support of our school community.
This year, WNS families hosted an incredible 26 parties, with something for nearly every age, interest, and corner of our community. Gatherings ranged from movie theater takeovers and poker nights to beach days, grade-level celebrations, and opportunities to give back, including making lunches for people in need.
Each party offered a different experience, but all shared the same purpose: creating meaningful opportunities for WNS families to connect. The impact of Party Book extends well beyond the parties themselves. Every ticket purchased supports our school, helping fund programs, experiences, and initiatives that enrich life at WNS throughout the year.
We are deeply grateful to the families who opened their homes, dreamed up creative experiences, volunteered their time, and brought our community together as Party Book hosts, as well as to every family who participated.
Twenty-six parties meant twenty-six opportunities to connect, celebrate, serve, and strengthen the relationships that make WNS such a special community!
