Philosophy

To fulfill our mission as a college preparatory day/boarding school, we teach a rigorous course of studies that gives our students the knowledge and skills needed for success in higher education. Our academic program is tailored to each individual student’s needs, emphasizing the importance of competence in critical thinking, oral and written expression, problem solving, reading, research, and technological applications. Our sequentially articulated curriculum (pre-kindergarten to postgraduate) integrates the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and health and physical fitness and balances the learning of essential content with the acquisition of critical skills. Furthermore, we expect our students to become lifelong learners capable of working individually and collaboratively to advance knowledge and to solve problems. Our curriculum and academic requirements are demanding enough to challenge the strongest students and flexible enough to address our students’ varying abilities.

To develop character and values, we draw on our Christian heritage as a school founded by, and still affiliated with, the United Methodist Church. As early as pre-kindergarten, we teach and reinforce respect and responsibility. We formally address ethical issues in our assemblies, chapels, and curriculum to engender moral awareness in our diverse ethnic and religious community. Our overall program attempts to go beyond tolerance in order to develop compassion and understanding and to celebrate the rich diversity within the school. We also hold our older students accountable to an academic honor code and expect them to conduct themselves honorably in all other phases of their school lives.

To instill a sense of individual and community responsibility, we provide myriad opportunities for participation in athletics, extracurricular activities, student government, and other leadership positions, and we require community service for graduation. Moreover, as a diverse national and international day/boarding school, we maintain a global perspective and encourage our students to become responsible citizens of the world as well as of their countries, states, and towns.