Academic calendar
2025-2026 Academic Year runs Aug 21, 2025 – Aug 7, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- School Year 2025-2026
- 2025-2026 Academic YearRelevant now
- Academic Year 2026-2027
- 2026-2027 School YearSchool Year 2026-2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 47 of 47 terms
A
- ASB
- Associated Student Body, the student government organization.
- AWS
- Common shorthand for Annie Wright Schools.
B
- Blue and Gold
- The school colors, frequently used to refer to school spirit or intramural competitions.
- Blue Ties
- The rival spirit team to the Yellow Ties; students remain in their assigned color for their entire time at the school.
- Boarding
- Common shorthand for the residential program and its associated living spaces.
C
- CAS
- Creativity, Activity, Service; a core requirement for the IB Diploma involving extracurricular projects.
D
- DP
- Diploma Programme; refers specifically to the rigorous IB curriculum for students in Grades 11 and 12.
E
- EE
- Extended Essay; a mandatory 4,000-word independent research project for IB students.
F
- Formal
- Short for Formal Dinner, a mandatory sit-down evening meal tradition for boarding students and faculty.
G
- Gator
- The school mascot, Annie the Gator.
- Gators
- The official mascot and collective name for Annie Wright athletic teams.
- Great Hall
- The historic main dining room where students eat lunch and formal dinners.
- GSA
- Gender and Sexuality Alliance, a student-led club promoting inclusivity.
I
- IB
- International Baccalaureate; the rigorous academic curriculum followed by the Upper Schools.
- Inkwell
- The student-run news publication and journalism program.
- Inkwell
- The student-run news publication and journalism organization.
K
- Kemper
- The residential wing and historic main building housing Upper School girls.
- Klarsch
- Klarsch Hall, the residential wing and academic building for Upper School boys.
M
- May Day
- A major annual spring tradition involving dances and the crowning of the May Queen.
- MUN
- Model United Nations; a popular competitive academic club at the school.
N
- NHS
- National Honor Society, recognizing students with high academic and service achievements.
- North/South Wing
- The two primary residential corridors that divide the boarding house by age or gender groups.
R
- Red Tie
- Refers to the formal uniform tradition and identity of the Upper School for Girls.
- Res Life
- Short for Residential Life, referring to the community and staff governing the boarding program.
- ResLife
- Shorthand for the Residential Life program and the community of boarding students.
S
- SAGE
- The food service provider (SAGE Dining Services), often used by students to refer to the cafeteria food.
T
- The Boarding Hall
- The residential area located on the upper floors of the main historic building.
- The Boys' Dorm
- The residential wing dedicated to the Upper School for Boys.
- The Dorm
- The residential floor located on the upper levels of the historic main building where boarding students live.
- The Dorms
- The residential life area located on the upper floors of the main historic building.
- The Gator
- The official school mascot, used in cheers and spirit events.
- The Great Hall
- The primary dining room and historic central gathering space for all school meals.
- The Hall
- Shorthand for the Great Hall, the primary dining and assembly space for the school.
- The Inkwell
- The student-run news publication and media outlet.
- The Inkwell
- The student-run news publication and journalism organization.
- The Landing
- A central common area within the boarding facilities used for socializing and check-ins.
- The Log
- The official name of the Annie Wright Schools yearbook.
- The Red Tie
- The school's annual literary and arts magazine.
- The Shield
- The formal tradition and identity symbol for the Upper School for Boys.
- The Wing
- General reference to specific residential corridors within the boarding department.
- Tie Ceremony
- A formal event where students are officially welcomed into the Upper School and receive their school ties.
- TOK
- Theory of Knowledge; a required interdisciplinary course for the IB Diploma Programme.
U
- USB
- The Upper School for Boys, serving grades 9-12.
- USG
- The Upper School for Girls, serving grades 9-12.
Y
- Yellow Tie
- A reference to the yellow ties or ribbons worn by seniors during May Day and graduation traditions.
- Yellow Ties
- One of the two primary spirit teams that students are sorted into for life; they compete in school traditions.
- Yellow/Blue
- The two intramural teams (Yellow and Blue) that all students are sorted into for lifelong school competitions.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- All-School
- Assemblies or events that bring together students from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools.
- annie_wright_dining_hall
- Annie Wright Dining Hall
- Blue and Gold
- The school colors, used to designate spirit days and intramural competitions.
- Blue and Gold Days
- Designated spirit days where students wear school colors instead of standard uniforms.
- Blue/Gold
- The two spirit teams that all students are sorted into for intramural competitions and school spirit events.
- Blue/Gold Days
- The rotating block schedule system used to designate which classes meet on a given day.
- Blue/Yellow Days
- The rotating block schedule system used in the Upper Schools to alternate class periods.
- chomp_s_bistro
- Chomp's Bistro
- Kemper
- The Kemper Center for Business and Entrepreneurship, a modern academic facility.
- Kemper Hall
- The main building housing the Upper School for Girls and administrative offices.
- Klarsch
- Klarsch Hall, the building primarily housing Upper School classrooms and labs.
- Kluge
- The Kluge Center, the campus hub for science, technology, and visual arts.
- Late Start
- The delayed start schedule occurring on Wednesday mornings for faculty professional development.
- May Day
- The school's most significant annual tradition, featuring a pageant, dances, and the crowning of the May Queen.
- Raynor
- Raynor Chapel, used for school assemblies, services, and performances.
- Raynor Chapel
- The on-campus chapel used for services, music performances, and quiet reflection.
- The ARC
- The Athletic & Recreation Center, which houses the gym, pool, and fitness facilities.
- The Athletic Center
- The facility containing the gymnasiums, pool, and fitness center.
- The Bowl
- The outdoor grassy amphitheater used for May Day and other major ceremonies.
- The Bus
- The school-operated shuttle service providing transportation for day students across the Tacoma area.
- The Chapel
- The on-campus chapel used for assemblies, performances, and school traditions.
- The Great Hall
- The historic main hall used for dining and formal school events.
- The Gym
- The athletic facility used for physical education and indoor sports.
- The Hub
- The Veracross student portal used for checking grades, schedules, and assignments.
- The Kluge
- The Kluge Library, the primary research and study hub on campus.
- The Leg
- The nickname for the long hallway connecting different wings of the historic building.
- The Loop
- The main circular driveway used for student drop-off and pick-up.
- The Lower School
- The dedicated building and wing for preschool through Grade 5 students.
- The Old Building
- The historic main campus structure housing the Great Hall, administrative offices, and USG classrooms.
- The Pam
- The Pamela C. Davis Center for the Performing Arts, used for theater and assemblies.
- The Pamay
- The Pamay Center for the Performing Arts, used for theater and music performances.
- The Pool
- The on-campus swimming facility used by the Gators swim teams.
- The Portal
- The student and parent login area on the website for accessing school resources and forms.
- The Red Tie
- A specific component of the formal uniform required for 'Tie Days' and special ceremonies.
- The Shield
- The name of the school's annual yearbook.
- The Spirit Rock
- A large rock on campus that student groups paint to celebrate events, birthdays, or school spirit.
- The Spirit Store
- The on-campus shop where students purchase uniforms, Gator gear, and snacks.
- The Yellow Bus
- The school-operated shuttle service providing transportation for day students.
- Veracross
- The primary online portal used for checking grades, schedules, and school announcements.
- Yellow Tie
- The formal uniform designation for Middle School students.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- 2025-2026 Academic Year runs Aug 21, 2025 – Aug 7, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 47 approved campus terms and 40 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.