6008 Georgia Avenue, NW
Phone: 202-723-3322
Grades: PreK3-8th Grade
Principal: Micah Westerman
Assistant Principal: Samantha Novak
Campus Tours: By Appointment Only
Campus Tour Contact: Gloria Iglesias
The Brightwood Campus offers a close-knit, nurturing, and academically rigorous school environment.
We develop the whole child by offering a wide array of arts and enrichment classes both during and after school. Our motto is “one band, one sound,” meaning that teamwork is essential and that staff, students, and families must work cooperatively to achieve our goal of marching students toward the doors of college. To ensure this partnership between stakeholders, our staff conducts home visits for all families, engages parents in cultural and enrichment events, and provides parents with the tools to support learning at home.
At Brightwood, we have built a safe, inclusive atmosphere by adopting the philosophy of restorative practices as our approach to culture and discipline. Restorative practices rely on relationships, empathy, responsibility and the empowerment of students to resolve problems and to treat conflicts as teachable moments. This culture allows us to hold our students to the highest of academic expectations, creating a space where excellence is the norm and making mistakes is part of the educational journey.
Inclusion specialists work hand-in-hand with general education teachers to differentiate instruction and provide individualized supports to students. We also offer ESL After the Bell, a program that provides targeted academic support to English Language Learners after school.
Our rich enrichment offerings engage students in learning and foster their social, emotional, and physical development. We offer band, vocal music, a dance company, an annual school musical, and a variety of sports teams. In addition, 4th through 8th – grade students have the opportunity to choose elective classes based on their interests. These opportunities support our belief that students learn best when we are focused on educating the whole child.
Statistics
Grades: PreK3 to 8
Students: 253
Ward: 4
Resources
- School Performance Report Cards
Micah Westerman Rejoins Brightwood as Principal
Mr. Westerman is ecstatic to rejoin the Center City Brightwood community! He first came to Brightwood in 2015 as the Assistant Principal before transitioning to the Principal role at our Petworth campus in 2021. Mr. Westerman has been in education for over 20 years, and his previous roles include Director of Curriculum and Special Education for the Fort Frye Local School District in Ohio and Assistant Principal and co-founding teacher at KIPP Summit Academy in California. He began his career teaching 6th and 7th grade math at Calvin Simmons Middle School in Oakland, CA as a Teach for America corps member. Mr. Westerman earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania and his MA in Educational Leadership from the Principal Leadership Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.
In his spare time, Mr. Westerman is an avid runner, hiker, and camper. He enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with his family, including his two best doggos Molly and Teddy.
A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.
Student Programs and Activities
- 4th-8th Grade Electives
- Concert Band
- Bike Riding for Focus
- Dance Company
- Drama Lab
- Music Technology and Composition
- Music
- Dance
- Spring Musical
- ESL After the Bell
- 826DC Writing Mentors
- Student Government
- Newspaper Club
- Activism Club
- Leadership Club
- Cheerleading
- Teens Run DC
- Soccer
- Tennis Club
- Flag Football
- School Garden
- No Place for Hate
- Cooking club
- After-school tutoring
- Book Club
- Computer Club (coming soon)