Upper School Overview

Webb School History

Robert W. Webb III founded Webb School of Knoxville in 1955. In 1957, Webb admitted its first female students and a companion Webb School for Girls was added. Both schools combined and Webb became coeducational in 1968. In 1974, Webb reorganized to provide a Middle School – grades five through eight – and an Upper School – grades 9 through 12. With the opening of Webb’s Lower School in 1998, Webb now boasts three divisions: Lower School – pre-kindergarten through fifth grade; Middle School – grades six through eight; and Upper School –grades nine through 12.

Educational Focus

Pursuing the ideals of honor in our conduct, diligence in our work, and decency in our relationships lies at the heart of Webb School. Our strength as a community lies with our ability to work together and help each other develop as caring, responsible, good human beings and scholars. Webb encourages and embraces a love of learning and the pursuit of excellence in a community where respect, trust, truthfulness, and responsibility are valued. Webb expects that each individual in the community will comply with the discipline that fosters the common good, adhere to high intellectual and moral standards, act with honor, and accept responsibility for his or her actions.

Honor Code

The Honor Code and the Honor System through which it is applied in the Upper School are two of the most important aspects of Webb’s educational mission.

A Webb School student is expected to live by an Honor Code, which asserts:

I will not lie, cheat, or steal – nor tolerate those who do.

By this code, students accept responsibility for their own conduct and for reporting circumstances in which they perceive that an honor offense may have occurred. The Honor Code applies to the use of technology as well as to any other aspect of life at Webb School. Please see Honor Code and Computer Code of Ethics in this handbook.

Diversity

Webb School of Knoxville is an outstanding educational community of students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents and trustees. We believe the lessons to be learned from a diverse community with various socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds enrich the educational experience.

Accreditation

Webb School of Knoxville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Southern Association of Independent Schools. Webb is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools.

Disciplinary Philosophy

Webb School seeks to develop in each student communal respect, individual self-discipline, and personal responsibility. At the same time, Webb clearly recognizes the importance of boundaries and the consequences to students for overstepping them.

For example, respecting the rights of the community and developing self-discipline mean one respects others’ property, behaves appropriately inside and outside the classroom, exhibits good manners, waits one’s turn in the cafeteria, and eats during the assigned lunch period. Concern for cleanliness and the environment means not littering; nor defacing or damaging school property. All members of the Webb community are expected to demonstrate civility which requires listening appropriately, using respectful language, and being gracious and grateful.

When necessary, we administer disciplinary consequences to foster personal responsibility and respect for the spirit and letter of the rules. We believe justice in a school should balance community welfare, the needs of the student, and the nature and circumstances of the offense.

Upper School Research Library

The Upper School Research Library and Reading Room serve Upper School students and the faculty and staff of Webb School. The library supports the philosophy and educational goals of Webb School to fully nurture the potential of each individual and prepare students to serve as leaders in tomorrow’s world by focusing on information literacy, diverse collections, and curricular support and collaboration. Through the Upper School Research Library, students have access to over 10,000 books, eBooks, and audiobooks and over 60 online databases of journal articles, newspapers, magazines, images, and videos. More information and access to resources can be found at the Upper School Research Library website: http://webbschool.libguides.com.

Research Library

The Upper School Research Library is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and offers space for individual and group study, learning, and collaboration. Students are encouraged to come to the library anytime.

Research Library Privileges

Any student may check out up to five books and eBooks for three weeks, and these materials can be renewed. Books being used by a class will be placed on a reserve cart and may only be checked out for short periods of time. Students also have access to interlibrary loan (ILL) for research materials. Interlibrary loan is a service that provides books and research articles that are not already in the Webb collection.

Research Help

Ms. Lewallen is available to help students with research projects. Please feel free to ask her for help anytime. Students can also make research help appointments on the library’s website.

OFF-CAMPUS ACCESS TO ONLINE RESOURCES

EBooks, digital audiobooks, and online databases can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere with an internet connection. If a student is not on the Webb campus, they will need to log in using their school Gmail username and password.

LOST & OVERDUE BOOKS

Students will receive email reminders for soon-to-be-due and overdue books, and students may reply to these emails to renew books. If a student believes they have lost a book, they should notify the library. Students are responsible for replacing the book. The student may replace the book in one of two ways:

1. Pay the library for the cost of the book.

2. Bring in a copy of the book in the same format and condition as the original copy.

Learning Center

The Upper School Learning Center is available to help all students identify and meet their academic goals. The center offers a supportive learning environment that helps prepare students to become effective, independent learners. It also helps students strengthen their academic and organizational skills, which will allow them to reach their full potential. The center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and/or by appointment.

Academic Reporting

All students receive a Mid-Semester Progress Report, which provides written comments by their teachers and a grade update. Semester grades are issued at the end of the first and second semesters and are reflected on the report card and transcript. There is no yearly grade reflected on the report card or transcript. Also, teachers send special progress reports from time to time in order to report performance worthy of attention or commendation, or to point out difficulties.

Faculty will report to parents any significant change in a student’s academic performance as well as any grade below a C- on major tests and papers.

Parent Conferences

All parents are invited to meet with their child’s advisor during two scheduled conferences each year. In the fall, advisors meet with parents to focus on the student’s academic and social adjustment. In the spring conference, parents and advisors discuss student performance and scheduling options for the coming year. Parent/teacher conferences are also offered in the fall for parents to meet briefly with their child's teachers. As the need arises, parents or the school may request additional conferences with a student’s teachers, advisor and/or class dean.