Academics

OES’s Upper School academic program is scaffolded to emphasize intellectual challenge, student agency and choice, and learning skills. Over the course of their four years in the Upper School, students explore new ideas and areas of study, discover passions, commit to long term projects, and create meaningful and significant understandings. Upper School classes are intentionally challenging, with the intensity and expectations increasing as students gain confidence, develop skills, and grow in their capacity for learning.

The diverse offering of classes and experiences is essential in, as our school’s Identity Statement says, “educating toward a larger purpose—toward inclusion and respect, understanding and compassion, service and social justice, and toward meaning and commitment beyond ourselves.” Our experienced educators focus on individualization through inquiry so that each student has the opportunity to try new things, engage with meaningful content, surprise themselves with discoveries, and truly own the trajectory of their growth in order to fully realize their power for good.

Through a cohesive curriculum, Upper School students learn to be:

• COMMUNICATORS who see writing and speaking as essential tools in collaboration.
• RESEARCHERS who investigate the world around them with an eye towards innovation.
• PROBLEM SOLVERS who look to design and apply solutions.
• BUILDERS of relationships across perspectives and experiences.
• LEADERS who model empathy, active listening, and courage.
• CITIZENS who take responsibility for their actions and make ethical choices.
• ARTISTS who invent, create, and imagine.

See our Curriculum Guide for the full program of study.