School Profile

The Winston School is a coeducational, college preparatory, independent day school located in Del Mar. The Winston School today enrolls 115 students in grades 6-12. The student-faculty ratio is 8 to 1 and the average class size is 9.5.

History

The Winston School was founded in 1988 by a group of visionary pediatricians, led by Dr. John Richards, and parents in the San Diego, California area who realized that the needs of many bright children who learned differently were not being met in traditional settings.

Philosophy

The Winston School allows students to lead successful and happy lives by lifting spirits, challenging minds and cultivating creativity.

Accreditation and Certification

The Winston School is accredited by the Western Association of Colleges and Schools and is certified by the State of California Department of Education.

Governance

The Winston School is an independent, non-sectarian school governed by a Board of Directors. There are 5 trustees whose current president is Laura Cunitz.

Curriculum

As a college preparatory school, the curriculum has been developed to reflect that central purpose of the mission. Honors courses are offered in English. Individual students are offered the opportunity to take Advanced Placement exams whenever they demonstrate preparation for study at the college level in a given discipline. Spanish and American Sign Language is offered to fulfill foreign language requirements. Academic and Visual/Performing Arts classes are A-G certified.

Technology and Support Services

Students have access to Chromebooks, iPads, and software to support academic requirements in the classroom. If contractually agreed, Winston offers counseling, speech and language and occupational therapy on site. Tutorial classes are offered to help students focus on completing work. Students can also receive extra help in Saturday School.

Visual and Performing Arts Program

Winston emphasizes the development of creativity by offering electives in Art, Music, Drama and Digital Media. Regular assemblies bring professional performers to inspire student efforts, and local artists display work in Winston’s public spaces.

Athletic Program

The Winston School offers varsity softball and basketball and competes with other area schools during the regular school day. PE is available as an elective, and credit is accepted for appropriately supervised outside programs.

Activity Program

All students participate in an activity program; its offerings have included photography, Life Skills, intramural sports, chess, cooking, Bulldog News, musical composition, gardening, mural painting and fashion design.

Graduation and College Matriculation

95% of Winston School graduates are accepted to two- or four-year colleges. Among the colleges they have recently attended are: Berklee College of Music, California College of the Arts, Cal Poly Pomona, California State University San Marcos, Chapman University, Linfield College, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego State University, University of Arizona, University of California, University of Redlands, Santa Cruz, University of San Diego, and Whittier College. Local community colleges include Grossmont College, Mira Costa College, San Diego Miramar College, San Diego Mesa College, Palomar College, and Pima Medical Institute/Veterinary Technician Associate Degree Program.

Graduation Requirements

Students must earn a minimum of 44 semester credits in grades nine through twelve to graduate; 30 of these credits must be in academic courses. The minimum requirements in each discipline are:

English – 4 years
Science – 3 years (2 lab sciences)
History – 4 years
Mathematics – 3 years (including Integrated Math I and Integrated Math II)
Fine Arts – 1 year
Physical Education – 2 years
Foreign Language – 1 year (or 1 year Fine Arts; 1 sem. Practical Arts)

College Entrance Requirements

College entrance requirements vary; it should be understood that meeting the high school graduation requirements described above does not guarantee entrance to specific colleges.

Grading Scale and Policy on Class Rank

Grade	Range	Quality Points
A	93-100	4.0
A-	90-92	3.7
B+	87-89	3.3
B	83-86	3.0
B-	80-82	2.7
C+	77-79	2.3
C	73-76	2.0
C-	70-72	1.7
F	69 OR BELOW	N/C

The Winston School does not report class rank. Because the senior class size is small, the school believes that class rank is not a meaningful predictor of a student’s college performance.

Average Test Scores

Students applying to four-year colleges

• SAT CR: 566
• SAT MATH: 539
• SAT WR: 521