About Us
About the School
Western Gateway Elementary School utilizes best educational practices to provide an exemplary learning environment for students. Through a rigorous curriculum and an emphasis on cultural learning experiences, Western Gateway Elementary School offers a unique education to students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Blending native Spanish-speaking and non-native Spanish-speaking students in the dual-language program, students learn to read and write in their native language while also gaining bilingual capability in the second language.
Located on the south bank of the Oklahoma River, the Western Gateway Elementary School serves a community of families seeking a cross-cultural educational experience for their children. As the School continues to grow in the coming years, more than 380 students are expected to attend Western Gateway Elementary School.
When naming the school, it seemed only natural to highlight the school’s location near south Western Avenue, an area Oklahoma City officials commonly refer to as “Western Gateway,” as it is an access point to the nearby communities. The school serves as a “gateway” to connect communities through language and culture.
Vision and Philosophy
Western Gateway Elementary School educates students to understand, contribute to, and thrive in an interdependent world. We foster a spirit of inquiry, service, and social responsibility to the environment, the local community, and the global society.
Academic Performance
Research shows that students educated in an immersion environment perform better on standardized tests and have higher scores on college entrance exams than students who learn in a non-immersion environment. Furthermore, students educated through immersion display better problem solving, critical thinking and listening skills, in addition to overall language proficiency. Western Gateway educates students to the highest academic standards. We challenge and support each student, enabling them to reach their full potential.
Cultural Awareness
Students’ ability to engage in a global society and eventual global workforce is important for future success. Given this, the students at Western Gateway are taught to respect and explore their family heritage and culture, and the backgrounds of their classroom peers, school, and community. They are introduced to other perspectives, encouraging them to approach ideas with an open mind to understand the differences and similarities between themselves and those around them.
Community Mindedness
Students at Western Gateway are encouraged to develop a sense of local community, both within the School and surrounding Oklahoma City community, leading to an increase in student well-being and greater overall satisfaction with the school experience. All our students, regardless of their language path, grow in confidence, creativity, and competency as they learn about their world – and as they develop a sense of community and belonging.