By Southwester Staff 

The Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 17 to mark the completion of a new state-of-the-art facility at 475 School Street SW. 

As the first public high school to open in Southwest in over 50 years, the new Richard Wright School includes over 62,000 square feet of space, including news studios, learning labs and community lounges to support students studying music, dance, film and art. The facility is owned and operated by founders of color, and seeks to develop, educate, and cultivate young creatives, innovators, multimedia storytellers, and leaders in the District.

The ceremony was attended by a wide range of community members, including students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, partners and donors, as well as educational, business, and political leaders.

Student Perspective: Life at Richard Wright Public Charter School 

By Arbre Winslow, Grade 8

Life at Richard Wright has been wonderful since school started! As an incoming 8th grader, I love it so much. I have been caught off guard because I keep forgetting that I’m in high school now. Richard Wright, unlike other schools, begins in 8th grade, and is a huge upgrade from my elementary and middle schools. We transition by ourselves, we have lockers, and we have clubs, which I’ve never had before. For example, there’s instrumental band club, which I signed up for, and will be learning how to play the piano and the guitar.

Richard Wright also teaches us about responsibility. They teach us to act respectfully and be prepared for anything that may come our way. As they say at Richard Wright, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”

The teachers here are pretty incredible, too. They’re so kind, helpful, and understanding! Everyone’s personalities are immaculate. They actually care about us and want to see us succeed. Teachers make that very clear.

At Richard Wright, we also do this “Triple L” thing. We set Limits, we teach Lessons, and we do it all in the name of Love. I love it here, maybe you will too!

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