UPPER SCHOOL

Upper Schoolers gain responsibility and agency at this stage and serve as role models. Upper School students are often influential to the children in our younger programs and demonstrate the school and life skills they need to thrive.

High school preparedness is key for our Upper Schools students as they navigate the equivalent of grades 6 through 8 at Riley. Many children test out of entry-level Math in both public and private high schools, allowing them to remain on a strong academic trajectory. Their exposure to classics such as Shakespeare, as well as more contemporary texts, ready them to a strong performance in high school English. Our Social Studies program evolves into a multi-cultural perspective that incites curiosity and ignites the interest in and ability to engage in meaningful discussions about our world. Science and Farm & Garden offer a balance of high-level scientific reasoning with real-world application.

Enriching experiences in Art, Music, Theater, Pottery/Ceramics, and more ensure that creativity thrives. Mini Courses allow our students to more deeply explore particular topics in which they are interested - a true element of progressive education.

Our leadership team is here to work with the families of our Upper Schools on what feels like the best fit for high school, supported by the profiles parents/caregivers receive that act as a thoughtful record of their growth at Riley.

In the Upper School, each child's program is individualized based on recognizing their strengths and vulnerabilities. The focus of each child's work is determined by ongoing reviews, evaluations and discussions of their understanding with the facilitator. Children are supported in learning to manage their time in order to finish assigned work and are given opportunities to practice more formal essay writing and research.

An increased emphasis on inductive methods and learning through exploration is encouraged to integrate math, science and art. Children bring their insights to the arenas of problem solving and real world applications during time set aside to discover the concepts within such areas as: probability, logic problems, graphing, scale models, deductive puzzles, logical puzzles and spatial reasoning activities. All children have a maintenance schedule which prompts regular review of the supportive skills that allow them to tackle more complex tasks.

Upper School children are given the opportunity to have a significant leadership role on campus and to demonstrate their capacity for independent study and responsibility.