The MBS Upper School brings together talented and dedicated faculty, students who are eager to learn, and a wealth of educational opportunities, both in and beyond the classroom.

 

An Individualized Education

The Upper School successfully supports students with a diversity of interests, goals, and aptitudes. Classes are small, and teachers seize the opportunity to engage directly with each of their students. Again and again, students describe the school community as a family. This sense of intimacy combines with a universe of opportunity: a broad selection of electives, independent projects, clubs, sports, and activities. As a result, each MBS student experiences the school in unique ways. Each develops his or her own transcript of achievements, writing his or her own story of learning and growth.

 

Challenge and Variety

The Upper School curriculum offers courses to challenge every student and satisfy an enormous range of interests. Along with Advanced Placement courses, Advanced Seminars provide the chance for college-level studies, featuring a changing lineup of fascinating topics. In addition, in grades 11 and 12, students choose from single-semester electives that allow exploration into areas of personal interest. These range from Constitutional Law and Medieval Studies to Creative Writing and British Poetry, to Forensic Science and Genes and Society, to name just a few. Independent Studies provide another popular option, bringing together a faculty member and one or two students to pursue a topic of their choosing. Recent titles have included Neuropsychology, Computer Modeling, and Sound and Lighting Design.

Our innovative Humanities Program in the freshman, sophomore, and junior years merges the traditional subject areas of English and history to create an engaging experience of both literature and history, encouraging students to find connections among diverse cultures, works of literature, and time periods.

 

Academic Resources

The MBS Learning Center represents an outstanding asset to all the school’s students. A well-resourced center with a long track record of success, the Learning Center offers drop-in assistance to those seeking help with particular assignments and serves students in need of ongoing support on a scheduled basis. The center’s Learning Specialists help students perform to their full potential by improving study skills, developing strategies for success, and growing in self-understanding and independence. They also coordinate with the MBS faculty to monitor students’ progress and partner on professional development activities.

The Writing Center supports students and faculty as they pursue a goal central to an MBS education: excellence in writing. Modeled on university writing centers, the MBS center offers workshops and faculty and peer feedback. It also supports the school’s Writing Across the Curriculum program, which integrates substantive writing experiences into science, math, wellness, history, and performing arts courses.

 

Co-curricular Opportunities

Beyond class, MBS Upper Schoolers take part in many clubs and activities, and their involvement fuels a powerful school spirit. Opportunities include everything from a Student Government Association with a real voice in school life to an honored literary magazine, to the Sustainability Club, the Film Club, and Young Men of Color. Students dedicate thousands of hours to community service, whether launching blood drives on campus or spring break service trips to other states. They also turn out in enthusiastic numbers for Coffee House mini-concerts in Wilke Hall and our Contemporary Music Workshops—two annual blockbuster performance events spotlighting MBS talent. Like so many school activities, these events are organized and run by students, reflecting their energy and ideas.

 

The Arts

MBS offers students in the arts the chance to collaborate with faculty members who are themselves accomplished performers and artists, to sample from dozens of elective courses, and to pursue creative work in state-of-the-art spaces equipped with professional technology. The range of opportunities is extraordinary. Students pursue Studio Art through the AP level. They study digital graphic design, photography, or music production. They experiment with special effects and produce original films. They take to the stage in spectacular musicals, explore the world of theater tech, and study instrumental or vocal music and varied forms of dance. They perform with the jazz band, the woodwind choir, or the strings ensemble.

Whatever their choice, student artists not only experience the thrill of creative self-expression, but also develop discipline, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

 

Athletics

The MBS sports program brings together many strengths: excellent coaching, high levels of student participation, an emphasis on the development of each athlete, and a steadfast commitment to sportsmanship. The program welcomes multi-sport athletes and encourages new competitors looking to build skills. Crimson teams compete with considerable success against a challenging schedule of rivals. Facilities highlights include three turf fields, two gyms, a competition-surface track, and an indoor swimming pool.

 

---

Please take a look at just a few of the highlights found in our Upper School Program.