Curriculum and Courses

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A Curriculum That Ignites Curiosity

Our curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, independent thought, and intellectual risk taking.

The Morristown Beard School curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, independent thought, and intellectual risk taking. It supports cross-disciplinary connections and a holistic view of knowledge. It encourages integration of habits of intentional speaking and writing so that students may develop and articulate their ideas.

The curriculum is process-oriented, and teachers’ assessment of student work reflects the means by which a student creates and learns in addition to final product. The curriculum at Morristown Beard School esteems the qualitative as well as quantitative dimensions of learning and supports students' making connections to other areas of intellectual thought and the larger world.

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Curricular Offerings at MBS

 

Curricular Philosophy

Ensuring the growth and well-being of our students lies at the center of all our decisions at MBS. We maintain a balanced approach to rigorous academics, enriching co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, and an engaging family and community life.  As students pursue their individual paths to academic success in our community of learners, they are guided by highly-dedicated teachers who are fully versed in the latest educational research, with particular emphasis on the following key practices in all subject areas:

CRITICAL THINKING facilitates greater understanding of complex topics and situations. Students learn to ask questions, identify problems, synthesize key concepts, and design creative solutions in pursuit of knowledge.
RISK-TAKING is encouraged. Our educational program recognizes this as a valid learning modality, even when an investigation does not proceed as expected. Play and a sense of fun are key components in nurturing appropriate intellectual risk-taking.
WRITING is a means of thinking and developing thoughts, not just a way to record pre-existing ideas. Analytic and reflective writing should not be the exclusive domain of the traditional text-based disciplines, but should be actively encouraged across the curriculum.
QUANTITATIVE REASONING is valued as a means of logical processing both in and beyond the math classroom. Developing a sound quantitative mindset is crucial to understanding, critiquing, and drawing conclusions in our increasingly data-intensive culture.
INNOVATIVE CONNECTIONS across disciplines inspires original approaches to solving problems and prepares students for life beyond the classroom.