“Can I use the restroom?” I raised my hand and called out on my first day at Westridge three years ago. I had enrolled in 6th grade after switching from a public school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The teacher nodded calmly. Confused, I scarcely followed up, “Can I have the hall pass?” She replied, “We don’t have those here. Go ahead and go.” I scurried out of the classroom, shocked. For me, it wasn’t just the hall pass. It was everything—like the way teachers taught one subject to the class sizes themselves. Going to a new school is difficult no matter what, but switching from a public to a private school was a whole other experience.  

According to reports from the Westridge Admissions Office and an interview with Director of Admissions Dr. Margaret Shoemaker, a significant number of students are coming from a more diverse selection of schools. Historically, Westridge students were previously enrolled in other local independent or private schools. This fall, 42% of all admitted students came from public or charter schools.

Freshman Nylee B. attended Middle School at La Cañada High School before coming to Westridge. The transition surprised her. She knew the class sizes would be small, but when she started the school year, it shocked her more than she thought it would. “I honestly think it was a big switch, mainly because it was a lot less people,” she said. “I think it was a good switch because I have more time to connect with the teachers, and they can help me a lot more.” 

Lillian P. ’29, a former student at Sierra Madre Middle School, said, “My grade was like the size of this school. Each class had 30 to 40 people, whereas here, the classes are much smaller. They’re all around 10 to 15-ish people, which is actually really nice because the teachers can be more focused on you as a student.”

New students generally appreciate the closer relationships with teachers. They are able to freely approach faculty, staff, and designated advisors for one-on-one support. Junior Presley P. entered Westridge in 6th grade from San Rafael Elementary. “There’s a lot of people you can go to for help if you ever struggled,” she said. “My school didn’t have that before…I see that Westridge has a lot more resources, and I think that does affect our experiences.” 

Students may need extra resources due to the academic transition, and one of the biggest adjustments facing students from public schools is the amount of homework and academic demands. Previous South Pasadena Middle School student, Maddie K. ’29, really felt the shift in the workload when she arrived at Westridge in 7th grade. “I feel like it took more time to do the private school homework because you had to think more.”

Some students expressed their struggle with not being at the top of their class anymore. “Everyone here was the smartest in their class until you came here. And I’m lowkey average,” said Ruby G. ’29.

Adapting to the academic rigor also requires a certain kind of independence from students. “I think for some public school kids who come into private school, there’s a lot of freedom that they’re not used to, because in a public school, there’s a lot of oversight and regiment about what you do and how you operate in your school day,” said Director of Lower and Middle School Dr. Zanita Kelly. 

Nylee B. ’29 said that as a result of the care and independence Westridge provides for its students, she has gained confidence and social skills since joining Westridge. “I would have a lot more confidence. I would have better social skills. I think being able to learn in an environment like this is beneficial,” she said.

The culture shift that comes from switching from a public to a private school does not just impact the students attending Westridge but also their entire families. “I think that one of the things that’s really challenging for parents is the level of communication that the school has with them,” said Dr. Kelly.

Westridge regularly contacts parents about their student’s performance, including missing assignments. It’s expected that teachers will reach out to a parent to discuss a student’s progress. Parents are also notified about school events through the Westridge Weekly. For some parents, the communication might feel worrisome and raise alarms about their student’s enrollment. The school reassures the families that this level of communication is normal, but adjusting to the flood of information can be overwhelming.

No matter what school students are coming from, a transition is always difficult, and there is no singular experience. Everyone at Westridge comes from different backgrounds. “We have and we bring a lot of diversity to our class, and that’s what makes it awesome,” said 9th Grade Class Dean and Biology teacher Ms. Laura Hatchman.

“I want every kid to flourish here, and it is my goal to ensure that every kid is thriving here as best we can,” said Dr. Kelly.