In 1976, dedicated families and educators established Windrush School in the East Bay city of El Cerrito to instill a love of learning in children while enabling them to achieve academic excellence. Originally an independent Elementary School, the Board of Directors added a Middle School (Grades 6-8) in 1989 in response to growing interest. The Middle School founders believed that a diverse student community and small class size coupled with clear expectations were important to successfully prepare students for high school.

Those values hold true today and to sustain those values, Windrush has expanded by constructing a new green building, which houses the Middle School and K-8 library. The first of its kind in El Cerrito, the building reflects a fundamental Windrush principle–respect and responsibility for self, others and the world. In 2009, the building earned "platinum" certification, the highest rating for sustainable building standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Now, Windrush is one of the greenest schools in the Bay Area and Northern California!

Although enrollment has increased steadily since its early years, Windrush's philosophy hasn't changed. When the school community developed a mission statement in 1992, ideas of maximizing academic potential, building self-confidence, encouraging a love of learning, instilling a sense of responsibility for others and developing respect for individuals and the world's diversity were part of it. Providing a supportive yet academically challenging program that meets the needs of all students is paramount and individual attention is as much a school priority as it was during its inception.

Windrush's outstanding faculty is vital to upholding our independent school's mission and philosophy. Striving for students to excel academically and personally, teachers consistently assess teaching methods and student abilities to evaluate the academic program's success.

The following beliefs are the foundation for the overall program and teachers' individual classroom methods:

• Students have different learning rates and styles, while academic excellence is attainable for every child.
• Children learn best in child-centered classrooms.
• Self-awareness, personal expression, self-confidence and appreciation for others are critical to growth and development.
• Positive and caring relationships between students, and between teachers and students are essential.
• A partnership between home and school strengthens education.