Upper School Curriculum

ENGLISH

Our English Department focuses on developing students as critical and independent thinkers, readers and writers. Students build and hone skills to make arguments through robust student-led discussion and leave our Upper School well-equipped to write at the college level. Upper School English courses focus on writing across multiple genres. Students develop analytical and reading skills through the study of a wide variety of texts that embrace a diversity of perspectives and experiences across the globe. At Walker, we create lifelong readers with a deep sense of curiosity and empathy.

MATH

Upper School students practice and develop logical thinking and problem-solving skills. We strive to meet each student where they are in their level of understanding, helping them to build skill and confidence in the subject matter by reading about, writing about and talking about mathematics. We encourage our students to take full advantage of the wide range of courses available to them — which reach as far as AP Calculus, AP Statistics, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra and beyond — crafting a path of study that will challenge them as well as help them reach their individual goals.

HUMANITIES CONCENTRATION

Upper School students can dive deeper into the humanities with our Humanities Concentration. These innovative courses blend project-based learning with local service. Students with a proclivity for any combination of literature, history, social studies, languages, performance or visual arts can find a common language of compassionate integrity and explore the impact of humanities on individuals and the community. Students who complete both courses with a capstone project will be awarded a special distinction in the humanities on their transcript.

SCIENCE

All Upper School students are required to have Biology, Chemistry and Physics to graduate, but these courses are just the beginning! In addition to our many Honors and AP science courses, students have the opportunity to explore their interests through a large pool of year-long and semester-long electives, including Evolutionary Medicine, Forensics, Genetics, Engineering, Marine Biology, Environmental Science, Epidemiology and more. Students in all Upper School science courses perform hands-on advanced experiments with the same biotech tools and equipment used in college labs in our state-of-the-art Science and Technology building.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENGINEERING CONCENTRATIONS

Students may apply to participate in the Public Health or Engineering concentrations, which include a Guided Scientific Research course during senior year. These advanced courses provide students with an authentic hands-on research experience in an intimate setting with intense mentorship and regular instructor feedback. Students have the unique opportunity to intern with the Centers for Disease Control, local universities and engineering firms and are invited to submit their research for peer review and publication in a variety of scientific competitions and journals.

HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES

Understanding the past is fundamental to understanding the present. Our students learn how to think critically and share their voice while also listening to others. Our teachers understand the significance of bringing history to everyone. In this department, we offer nine different Advanced Placement courses and a number of electives based on student interests ranging from Civil Rights and Abnormal Psychology to U.S. Military Interventions from 1980 to the Present.

WORLD LANGUAGES

In Upper School world language classes, students not only learn how to speak and write in another language, they also have the opportunity to explore cultures outside of their own to enrich understanding of themselves and others. Our small class sizes help students develop and master their communication skills, allowing teachers to engage in meaningful language exchange with each student. Students have the opportunity to study French, Latin and Spanish with Honors and Advanced Placement courses offered in all three. Students also have opportunities to travel abroad through student exchange programs in both French and Spanish.

FINE ARTS

The Upper School fine arts curriculum includes a variety of courses in theatre, music and visual arts designed to give students the opportunity to practice their creativity and explore the techniques and skills of each discipline. Students have performance opportunities in each division and showcase their artwork in galleries throughout the campus. Upper School students can dig deeper into the arts with special electives, such as Advanced Dance in Choreography, Stagecraft, Directing, Music Theory and Public Speaking. Our robust Music Department includes an award-winning Concert Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Pit Orchestra, Orchestra and Show Choir that perform several concerts throughout the year both on and off campus. Our theatre students perform in both large-scale musicals in our auditorium and intimately staged plays in our studio theater multiple times each year.

TECHNOLOGY

Our Upper School technology curriculum allows students to explore areas of robotics, computer science, applied programming, engineering, cyber security, artificial intelligence and more. Students also have multimedia courses including Digital Media, Graphic Design, Film & Video and AutoCAD. Upper School robotics students compete in various competitions throughout the year. They also have the opportunity to work with students abroad by participating in and leading virtual classes about programming, building and the engineering design process.