High School
Rigor with room to explore
The most satisfying answers come when students test their strengths, explore new skills, pursue passions — inside and outside the classroom — and take risks. With a variety of stimulating paths related to academics, arts, athletics and service, our High School students exercise choice, guided by faculty and energized by fellow students who make the journey to graduation unforgettable. Nurturing the gifts of each student is the centerpiece of a Paideia education, and the high school years cultivate accomplished, confident young people ready to make their mark in the world.
Course Work
Long-term
Our High School classes are designed to fit the needs of each student and their individual courses of study at Paideia.
Students in 9th and 10th grades take foundational courses in English, math, science, social studies and modern language, and choose from elective courses in a variety of areas, including art, music, drama, robotics and urban agriculture.
As students move into 11th and 12th grade, they enjoy far more choice, offering them an exciting opportunity to tailor their own high school experience. As they choose between seminar, AP, themes and honors courses, students balance their schedule with guidance from their advisor and their college counselor.
Themes courses offer a thoughtfully paced experience with deliberate support to strengthen core skills. Seminar courses mirror the rigor, depth and expectations of an introductory college-level course.
While Paideia offers a small number of AP classes, these exist only where the department believes the AP curriculum aligns with the level of rigor found in our seminar courses. In fact, many of our science and math electives extend well beyond the AP framework, offering broader and more complex academic experiences.
In the English, social studies and modern language departments, the faculty have reviewed the AP curriculum and determined that Paideia’s individualized course offerings offer more academic diversity, depth and intellectual inquiry than traditional AP courses. Although these courses are not labeled as AP, students who wish to sit for the corresponding AP exams are well-prepared to do so. All AP courses at Paideia are designated as seminar-level courses.
Short-term
In addition to our regular Long Term semesters, Paideia offers two Short Terms each year: one in January and the other in May. During the three-and-a-half weeks of each Short Term, students take courses that dive deeper into literature, science, the arts, technology or education. These courses emerge directly from teachers’ and students’ passions, and even provide opportunities for older students to co-teach classes with our faculty. Some recent examples of Short Term classes include Math Movie Mania; The Art of the Short Story; Emmett Till, the Civil Rights Movement and the Mississippi Delta; and Intro to Guitar.
Supporting Students
Counseling
Two full-time High School counselors help students with the inevitable challenges of adolescence. As a highly visible presence around campus, our counseling team offers students support for social and emotional concerns, and partners closely with advisors and families to provide ample support.
Learning Support
Our High School learning center is open for all students to strengthen their organizational and time management skills. Students with diagnosed learning differences have a formalized accommodation plan and coordinate closely with our learning support team to ensure the right supports are in place.
Advisory Program
Advising is an integral part of student life at Paideia. Faculty meet weekly with the same small group of eight to twelve High School students, forming a trusted bond within a small group. Advisors help students navigate academic, community and social issues and serve as a first point of contact between home and school.
College Counseling
The individualized care and attention Paideia gives to students are evident in the college counseling process, where students are at the center of a thoughtful, personal college counseling program.
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Student Experience
What moves you? The options are boundless.
Nationally recognized music and art programs, competitive athletic teams, leadership organizations and clubs competing at state and national levels offer abundant options for High School students to find their place and voice.
Travel
The High School travel program uses excursions to support our curriculum and develop students’ interests. As examples, Model UN teams have competed in national competitions in New York City and Chicago, while our sports teams have traveled the country for basketball and Ultimate Frisbee. Students who study Black History during the Long Term semester have had the opportunity to visit Washington D.C., while other travel programs offer language immersion trips in Quebec and Mexico City.
Clubs
Illuminating every aspect of life at Paideia, more than 60 student-run clubs provide ample choice from academic and interest-based groups to affinity and service clubs. If you want to join the staff of a publication, contribute to a community project, be part of a leadership group or explore a shared experience with your classmates, there’s an organization for you.
Athletics
Athletics serve a vital role in our students’ growth and development, allowing them to try new things, find a passion or affinity and push themselves beyond their imagined limitations.
Arts
The arts play an important role at Paideia, giving students meaningful opportunities to explore creativity through visual, performing and literary arts that empower students to explore and express their creativity. With a wide range of courses and performances, students are encouraged to develop their skills, take risks and discover new ways to express themselves as part of a vibrant, supportive community.
High school at a Glance
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Courses designed to fit the needs of each student
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Two three-week short terms for additional learning and creative exploration
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Diverse student-run clubs
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Strong arts and athletics
- Hours: 8:20 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.