Looking Ahead for Windward

New Westchester Lower School Campus to Open in September 2021

An architectural rendering of the exterior of the new Westchester Lower School campus’s front entrance

In February, the Board of Trustees and senior leadership team announced that the new Westchester Lower School campus at 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains will open for the first day of school in September 2021. The new Windward campus will enable The Windward School to educate 150 additional students across both Westchester campuses using Windward’s proven researchbased multisensory instruction. The facility will also be home to The Windward Institute, whose work will continue to expand the School’s impact and reach in New York State and beyond.

“With the Fall 2021 date confirmed, we look forward to providing a campus to meet the needs of The Windward School’s students, families, faculty and staff members, and more for years to come,” said Jamie Williamson, Head of School.

Along with the transition to a new physical location, a shift in divisions will also occur in September 2021. Fifth grade in both Westchester and Manhattan will move into the lower schools, marking a return to Windward’s original lower and middle school model, and it is a change that is developmentally in line with the needs of the students.

Some parts of construction have proven to take more time to accomplish than originally anticipated. One was the permitting process to reroute a city water main running across the location for the new gym and starting construction in the easement. Meanwhile, other aspects of the project will continue moving ahead, which include renovating existing bathrooms and replacing a significant section of the roof and the remaining singlepane windows. As more construction milestones are reached, details will be shared with the Windward community.

Thank you to Windward’s administration and the Board of Trustees Building and Grounds Committee for smoothly managing the construction plans for the new Westchester Lower School campus.

Board of Trustees Welcomes New President and Two New Appointees

New Windward Campus Features • Home to main administrative offices for admissions, business, communications, development, human resources, The

Windward Institute, and the Windward

Teacher Training Program • Recycled and repurposed building with new façade • Fullservice dining hall with seating for 120 students • New gymnasium with full a/v capabilities • New playground • Full kitchen with composting and dishwashing stations • Faculty and staff room • Library with two enclosed classrooms • Multipurpose room • Three science labs • Two art rooms and kiln • Music room • Soccer field utilized by both Westchester campuses • Redesigned parking area and traffic plan At their May meeting, the Board of Trustees confirmed the slate for the 2020–21 year, which will comprise 25 members. Four members of the board will be departing after a combined 32 years of devoted service to The Windward School. Thank you to Ellen Bowman, President of the Board of Trustees; Nicholas Finn; Gregory D. Kennedy; and Stacy Kuhn for contributing their experience and expertise to advancing Windward’s mission.

Beginning on July 1, 2020, Patricia L. Wolff will assume the role of President of the Board of Trustees, and Anike Wariebi and Sandip Singh will join the board.

A Message from Outgoing President Ellen Bowman Serving on The Windward School Board of Trustees has been the privilege of a lifetime. It was an incredible honor to participate in creating the Strategic Plan, to launch The Windward Institute, and to work on the search committee for the new head of school.

I deeply believe in The Windward School’s vision—a world where every child with a languagebased learning disability is empowered to achieve unlimited success—and Windward’s commitment to bring that vision to life has inspired me to contribute what I can every day. Thanks to our exceptional teachers, our Windward graduates have an unprecedented 98% success rate, demonstrating that this mission is truly possible.

The School is well prepared for a bright future full of success. The incoming president, Patty Wolff, is incredibly thoughtful and professional. She was instrumental in crafting the new Strategic Plan and The Windward Institute. She also served on the search committee for the head of school. Patty and Mr. Williamson are aligned in their vision of guiding The Windward School as it leads the way in the languagebased learning disabilities space.