Upper School

Our emphasis on project-based learning provides students with a platform for pursuing passions and testing original ideas under the mentorship of people who are skilled practitioners of their craft, whether in the pottery studio or the organic garden or the engineering laboratory. Core courses in traditional disciplines like math, science, social studies and English are supplemented with studio and performing arts, physical education and a course called Interdisciplinary Studies or the Science of Creative Intelligence. Here students find connections between their subjects and with themselves through underlying universal principles. In other units, they examine stages of human development, explore the creative process, and identify and develop life skills to help fulfill their goals in life. This is “deep learning” that equips students an uncommon understanding of themselves and their connection to a greater purpose.

A rigorous yet engaging and relevant academic program begins with excellent teachers, highly skilled in their own fields of expertise yet driven by their commitment to investing in the lives of young people. Working artists, entrepreneurs, financial managers, engineers, botanists and professional writers, for example, design courses based on best practices in their industries—and the passion they exude as they teach is palpable and contagious. Our faculty is anchored by a core of seasoned career educators who can be mentors to colleagues as we collaborate and co-create in the classroom and beyond.

For our students who require individualized attention, we offer English language support, college, and personal counseling, plus access to student services and professional development in best practices for our teachers. Because so many of our teachers have advanced degrees or specialized training in their subject areas, we are increasing the number of AP courses we can offer each year, beginning with physics and calculus with plans to add English language and literature plus courses in the social and natural sciences, such as AP American History and perhaps economics, government, environmental and computer science.

As we strive to remain abreast of valuable trends in education that increasingly give students choices, we are secure in the knowledge that we can link our students to wisdom and practices that transcend the ages.