Enjoy this short video snippet about Annie Wright Schools from our 2025 Fall Tokyo Expo.
Transcript
We spoke with Abby Drivdahl (Upper Schools Admissions Director).
ISTimes Global (00:00): Hello, we are here with Abby from the Annie Wright School in Tacoma, Washington. Hi Abby.
Annie Wright Schools (Abby) (00:08): Hi, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Abby and I’m from Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma, Washington.
History & Academics
ISTimes Global (00:13): Well, I see that you have a very nice uh spread of uh crocodiles and uh things about uh the state of Washington. Uh very, very far from Japan. Um tell us a bit about your school and maybe something about academics there.
Annie Wright Schools (Abby) (00:31): Yes. So, we are near Seattle, Washington, so as far as the United States goes, that’s close to Japan. Um and yes, we are very close to the home of Ichiro, which we are very proud of. Um our school was founded 140 years ago. We are a preschool all the way through grade 12, but in the upper schools, we offer a boarding department and we offer a single-gender classes. So we are all girls or all boys. Um our classes are separate in order to allow different teaching methods because we know that boys and girls need different things, they learn different. Um but our campus is together because we know that the real world is together. Uh we offer an IB program. We have very strong academics, and we offer a lot of passion projects for clubs. So whatever a student wants to do, we make sure to find a way to let them do that and to get better at it um and to really enjoy it. Um we have a pretty strong sports and arts and education um in theater as well. So again, back to whatever students want to do, we make sure to find a way to help them do that.
School Culture
ISTimes Global (01:37): Uh thank you, lovely. When I think of the state of Washington, I think of trees, beautiful mountains. Uh could you tell us a bit about uh the culture of the school and maybe how you take advantage of all that?
Annie Wright Schools (Abby) (01:50): Great question. Um we are in a beautiful state. So Washington is known for its nature, its mountains, its rain forest, its um access to water, um and access to nature. So we have a really strong outdoor program, um which is optional, but we take students out um at their level. So if a student wants to try hiking, we take them hiking. If a student wants to try snowshoeing, skiing, um camping, kayaking, just last weekend we took the students on a trip out on a sailboat and they learned how to do sailing. So um that is one way that we like to make sure we experience our outdoors. We also have a very strong outdoor um travel program. So we take all of our students on a travel program in grade nine um to our mountain in a safe way. It’s indoors to make sure that they feel safe in order to accommodate however they feel comfortable. In grade 10, we take all of our students internationally. Um and then in grade 11 and grade 12, if they want to travel with their club, they can do that. And all of these trips are included with tuition, there is no additional cost to families. Um but we make sure that we provide students with that easy access to a huge, amazing world, but that safe, warm community to come home to.
Future Memories
ISTimes Global (03:02):Exciting. Thank you so much. If uh once a student graduates or leave your school, what is something that you hope a um experience or a memory that you hope that they uh have or cling on to after um they leave?
Annie Wright Schools (Abby) (03:19): Great question. I think um there are two things there. So I think one thing Annie Wright is really good at is making sure that students really know where they want to go with what they do next. So maybe it’s only what they do next for the 10 years, um next 10 years, but we really know where they want to go, where they want to be. So if that’s hospitality, if that’s medicine, they know really what they want to do and they feel that they have the skills to get ready for that next step. So I think that’s one thing that I really hope they look back and realize. Um and the other thing is that I hear over and over again from our alumni, um how much they miss their teachers, how much they miss their boarding department parents. We call them the dorm parents. Um but they really feel that they have that connection to our school. So even if they’re ready to leave after they graduate, which is totally normal, um they have that warm space that they come back to and think this this was home for four years. Um and that’s really special.
ISTimes Global (04:15): Thank you so much. Have a wonderful expo.
Annie Wright Schools (Abby) (04:18): Thanks so much, you too. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
About Annie Wright Schools
- Founded in 1884, with over a century of academic excellence.
- Educates students from Preschool to Grade 12.
- Co-ed Lower and Middle Schools; single-gender Upper Schools with shared campus life.
- Offers day and boarding options for Grades 9–12.
- An IB World School across all divisions.
- Small classes (≈17 students) for personalized learning.
- 100% college acceptance rate for graduates.
- Rich campus life in academics, arts, and athletics.
- Strong student-centered, inquiry-based approach.
- Global outlook with diverse international community.
- Warm, inclusive culture fostering growth and belonging.
