High School Overview
Tremont students know themselves well and grow to achieve at high levels. They will be inventors, writers, activists, and entrepreneurs, creative and systems thinking people who push the boundaries of whatever field to which they devote themselves. With independence in mind, we steward young people to know how to create a network of supporters, an ambitious learning agenda, and the personal vision to see each stage of life and learning as an opportunity to grow, to improve a community, and to make their contribution. The Tremont School Competencies and Essential Understandings are the guiding constellations of whole school and subject specific standards by which we help students navigate toward graduation. Advisors work with each student toward fulfilling graduation requirements, developing their personal vision as a learner, a community member, and as an individual.
For a sense of the weekly experience, here is a sample high school student schedule:
Students enroll in one major interdisciplinary course in the Humanities, as well as Science, Math, a world language/culture course, Art/Music, and Physical Education/Applied Sociology. Students are also supported to engage in independent coursework, such as reading, projects, and writing assignments. Teachers/Advisors are available as coaches at times to work with students individually or in small groups. In addition to their class meetings and independent work, students are at times also scheduled for math and writing tutorials to further develop these skills; tutorials are an opportunity to focus on very specific skill development in essential areas. The flexibility of our High School schedule allows for students to both receive individual attention and stretch toward increased autonomy.
One notable venue for student ownership at Tremont is Independent Study. Students pick their own topics to research and contact experts inside and outside the school in order to conduct that research. Students show strong commitment to their Independent Studies and advocate actively for what they need in order to accomplish these. For many students, Independent Study is the unit they look forward to the most; many work harder in this unit than in any other. It is a strong validation of our belief in student self-direction.
Colleges often look for how students distinguish themselves in their educational careers. Students attending Tremont from grades 9-12 have four formal opportunities to initiate and follow through on in-depth projects of their own design, in addition to many more opportunities embedded within each course over time. It is not hard for students to point to highly distinctive accomplishments, and teacher recommendations happily spotlight these strong scholarly achievements.
