Upper School Academics
The Upper School curriculum is designed to provide a rigorous, comprehensive, intellectually challenging academic program that prepares students to perform at the highest level in college as well as to lead and serve honorably in the greater community. Through their course work in the Upper School, Pingry students have the opportunity to develop an informed, nuanced picture of the world as viewed through the various disciplines; to practice and hone their powers of higher-order thinking and analysis; to refine their skills of lucid, persuasive written and oral communication; to exercise and expand their creative imagination; and to establish a lifelong passion for learning.
Traditional courses, with their emphasis on the amassing of knowledge in a classroom setting, are necessarily the foundation of the Upper School curriculum; but, through group discussion, one-on-one conferences with faculty, and individual work, students are always encouraged to think and perform independently and to solve problems in innovative ways.
In addition to the core academic curriculum, every student must take courses in health and fitness, to promote the wellness and mind/body integration essential to adolescent development. Courses in the arts are also required, to develop appreciation for and facility in the creative, intuitive dimension of life along with the analytic. Information literacy skills - the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information critically - are taught in the context of research assignments in the various disciplines. It is our expectation that Pingry graduates will be fully prepared not only to take on their college programs successfully and enthusiastically, but to step into the world with confidence in their abilities as thinkers and leaders.
For more information, please see our Curriculum Guide.