About Our Upper School
ACADEMICS
The curriculum at CA is structured to provide students with challenging opportunities that prepare them for college, as well as day-to-day life after Upper School . While still providing the executive functioning support and differentiated instruction that students need, we maintain our focus on the college preparatory experience and outcomes. Upper School students have a variety of courses from which to choose to fulfill credit and diploma requirements. Students are also afforded many ways to challenge themselves through Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) work. Students who are interested in exploring a particular discipline in greater depth may also challenge themselves by earning a Diploma Certificate along with their Standard or Advanced Diploma.
CONNECTION
At CA, we recognize the significance and value of forming connections and building relationships with peers and faculty. Our close-knit community values the contributions of each individual and understands the importance of having a safe and caring place to learn. Through a variety of purposely designed programs, students connect with and learn from their peers. In the classroom, students participate in activities that foster growth in their abilities to collaborate with their peers. Outside of the classroom, students engage in advisory groups (that remain the same throughout their C/A career), service projects, and Friday social clubs. Beyond that, students are encouraged to — and often do — participate in our athletics, drama, and student leadership programs.
SUPPORT
Students who attend our Upper School leave our school with the confidence and overall readiness required to thrive in college. Our program is designed with our student’s success in mind. From small class sizes to embedded organizational supports and a consistent schedule, we provide an environment that allows students to focus on their academics. Further, understanding the importance of comprehensive writing skills in Upper School and beyond, we have developed a stand-alone writing class that allows students to spend focused time on writing in a variety of formats — technical, research-based, etc. With the help of the support team, teachers implement strategies and accommodations based on the needs of our students. During their Upper School years, our students develop lifelong strategies to help them self-advocate, manage a complex workload, and organize their physical and digital worlds.
Dear Current and Prospective Community Members,
Welcome to the Upper School! In my long tenure at Commonwealth Academy, I have had the privilege to see the life-changing power of a CA education. We are a community built on relationships, resilience, and the knowledge that our students can thrive and succeed with the right tools and resources. On more occasions than I can count, I have had the opportunity to listen to families and students, alike, share the change and growth they have experienced and the open doors they can now see; doors they may not have even known existed prior to joining the CA community. Tapping into that student potential, seeing the whole child, and helping students along their educational journey drives us as a community of learners.
Our college preparatory program includes all the tools and frameworks necessary to help students thrive. It is a joy watching students make new social connections, find safe and brave spaces to be themselves, feel comfortable taking academic risks in the classroom, and take that exciting step of crossing the stage at graduation ready to enter into the doors open to them!
Our students have so much to share with the world, such a creative voice, and it is exciting to see them discover themselves both academically and personally at our school. I invite you to explore more about our program and the ways that we are redefining success for students daily at Commonwealth Academy.
Best,
Katie Theobald
Head of Upper School
