CDS Upper School students pursue five “core” academic courses in rotating 40 and 80-minute blocks: English, History, Mathematics, Science, and Spanish. Ours is a writing-intensive program in which analytical thinking skills and cross-curricular connections are emphasized regularly. Executive functioning and student skills are developed in all content areas, with teachers guiding students on a daily basis in critical areas such as note-taking, asking questions, and preparing for long-term assignments. Discussion-based classes, inquiry-based projects, hands-on lab experiments, and creative assessments that allow students to demonstrate content mastery while also venturing in new directions keep students actively engaged in all aspects of their academic pursuits. Experienced teachers with an appreciation for this unique period of adolescence encourage students to take risks, to make connections, and to participate meaningfully in the classroom.
Supplementing the core curriculum is our 21st Century Learning and Extracurricular series: a dynamic, co-curricular course of study that fosters curiosity, creativity, confidence, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. We have recently welcomed newly designed or revamped courses in areas such as Robotics, Media & Film Studies, Communication, Chess, Health, and Capstone Class. Our Elective courses are offered on a trimester basis in areas such as Visual Art, Digital Art, Music, Yearbook, and Drama. It is a breathtaking list in so many ways one that reflects the far-ranging talents and passions of our faculty while enriching the lives and minds of our amazing students.
To build their emerging habits of scholarship, advisors facilitate Extensions of Learning class, which provides students the opportunity to work with teachers one-on-one or in small groups to review concepts or further their understanding. This critical component of the students’ Upper School experiences paves the way for students to move gradually from dependence to independence as they learn to self-advocate and take increased responsibility for their learning.
Upper School students enjoy weekly Class Meeting, daily advisory, daily Physical Education, daily recess, and a variety of inspiring overnight and day field trips.