Westminster School

Northern Virginia Private School

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    • Westminster’s academic program is based on the belief that children between the ages of five and fourteen are naturally dominated by curiosity and enthusiasm for life, and want nothing so much as to understand the world around them, discover how they fit into it, and show what they can do.


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    • Westminster School is dedicated to providing a superior elementary and middle-school education whose fundamental goals for each child are a disciplined and well-informed mind, strength of character, dedication to learning, generosity of spirit, and joy in the possibilities of life. The school community represents a diverse body of learners who are engaged in a rigorous academic program, enriched by the arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities.


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November 4, 2014

Live Theater Is Not Just For Entertainment!

Live Theater ~ Not Just For Entertainment!

Each year, the sixth graders attend The Ford Theater’s performance of A Christmas Carol.  It’s a tradition that the students love, and after they have read the classic tale, the performance brings the story to life.  Upper school students often see Shakespeare productions as well as other local live performances in the Washington, D.C. area as these field trips are an essential part of the curriculum at Westminster School.  Each grade actually performs a play each year with every student given a speaking part.  By the time a student graduates, he or she will have participated in or seen almost 100 live performances including outside field trips.

These performances are entertaining, of course!  However, with each performance, the students are learning and growing in many different ways.  A recent study published inEducation Next has determined that attending live theater can actually lead to “enhanced knowledge of the plot, increased vocabulary, greater tolerance and improved ability to read the emotions of others.”  These are skills that cannot be replicated by watching a movie.  The entire experience of seeing the performance live contributes to the overall benefits to the students.

According to the study results, students who attended live performance of the play “also scored higher on the study’s tolerance measure than the control group by a moderately large margin and were better able to recognize and appreciate what other people think and feel.”  What a great benefit to seeing live theater!

More information can be found online at http://educationnext.org/learning-live-theater/

Article by Westminster School / Arts

Library

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  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Private Schools March 18, 2022
  • How Westminster School’s COVID-19 Response Differs from Public School February 3, 2022
  • 4 Benefits of Teaching Western Civilization in Elementary Education December 13, 2021
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Westminster School
3819 Gallows Rd,
Annandale, VA 22003
703 -256 -3620

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Westminster School
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  • Academics & Specials
    • The Westminster Educational Approach
      • Lower School, Grades K-2
      • Middle School, Grades 3-5
      • Upper School, Grades 6-8
    • After-School Program
    • Arts
    • Athletics
    • STEAM Program & Makerspace
    • Westminster School Library And Resources
  • About Us
    • Meet the Head of School
    • Mission & Philosophy
      • Classical Education
      • School Traditions
      • School Community
      • History of Westminster
    • School Community
      • Our Staff
      • Board of Trustees
      • Alumni
    • Employment
    • Campus Tour
    • Blog
    • Media Room
  • Preschool
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  • Contact Us