About - Westlane Middle School

General Information

Westlane Middle School, located on the northwest side of Indianapolis, serves 750 students in grades six-eight. Westlane is Indiana’s only AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Showcase School, and we are an AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction. We work hard to improve each and every day. Our motto, “Every Wildcat – Every Day – Gets Better” guides the work of everyone at Westlane.

Academic & Extracurricular Program Offerings

Westlane Middle School offers a wide variety of curricular and extra-curricular experiences. We offer honors-level classes in math, English, social studies, and science in grades seven and eight and math and English in grade six. Our eighth-grade students earn high school credits in Algebra, Geometry, and Biology as they progress through their years at Westlane. In addition, students in grades seven and eight can take French and Spanish, giving them the ability to test out of beginning-level language courses at North Central.

Our AVID / Pre-AVID / AVID EXCEL program is one of the best in the state of Indiana. AVID, an in-school academic support program, is designed to prepare students for college eligibility and success. As sixth-grade students, everyone takes Pre-AVID to give everyone experience with the AVID program. They can then apply for our AVID program for seventh grade. Some students will take AVID EXCEL. Regardless of class or grade, our AVID program seeks to make all students “the best version of themselves.”

All of our Westlane students have access to engineering classes through our Project Lead the Way program. Each sixth-grade student takes a pre-engineering class to see what the overall program looks like. In grades seven and eight, students can take year-long strands in engineering and robotics and/or Computer Science and Application Creator. Beginning in 2023-24, we will also be offering another Project Lead the Way course called Medical Detectives.

We know that many students are artistically or musically talented as well, and we offer a wide variety of classes and performing groups where they can display their talent. All Seventh and Eighth-grade students can take art or try out for our Artistically Talented program. Musically, we offer band, orchestra, and choir and multiple levels. Our Bluettes, Jazz Band, Advanced Band, Advanced Orchestra, and Pops Orchestra are our performance groups and have won multiple top prizes at the various music competitions we attend.

We offer a wide variety of extra-curricular activities for our students. Athletics start in the fall with football, volleyball, cross country, cheerleading, soccer, and boys’ tennis. Basketball and wrestling are Winter sports. Spring finishes with softball, baseball, girls’ tennis, and track and field. Sixth-grade students may participate in tennis, cross country, wrestling, and track.

Other extra-curricular activities include Academic Pursuit Team, National Junior Honor Society, Student Alliance for Equity, Robotics, Intramural Sports (sixth grade), and Academic Tutoring. Additional club opportunities are made available upon approval and the securing of a sponsor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Westlane’s enrollment policy?

As a traditional public school, Westlane Middle School has an open enrollment policy and proudly provides high-quality education for all students. We welcome students at any time; however, we encourage families to take advantage of natural transition times to make it easier for the student. Registration information can be found on our district website.

What are your standard school day hours?

Our middle school hours are Monday-Friday, 9:30 am-4:25 pm. For families with students in different academic levels, our high school hours are 8:30 am-3:30 pm and our elementary school hours are 7:40 am-2:35 pm.

What is the average number of students in each classroom?

Our average number of students in Core Academic classes is approximately 21-22 students. Our electives and honors classes are slightly larger than that. Our biggest classes are our specialty music groups, which include the Bluettes, Jazz Band, and Advanced Band.

What are Westlane’s school safety policies?

Keeping students safe is paramount at all Washington Township Schools. Westlane’s recent renovations have added several layers of security including: secure double entrances, fire and lockdown doors in each hallway, and major upgrades to internal cameras and new external cameras that cover the entire campus.

If you are interested in learning more about Westlane Middle School, please contact:
Bill Pitcock, Principal
bpitcock@msdwt.k12.in.us
(317) 259-5412 ext 23101