Curriculum

From the Academic Dean

T he Spence curriculum provides our students with engaging and challenging coursework that is grounded in a sequential and developmentally appropriate academic plan. Our program, which encourages students to reach their potential in and out of the classroom, is under continuous review by the faculty, ensuring the ongoing excellence of the Spence education. And, because Spence is a girls school, we possess an in-depth understanding of how girls learn and succeed, and are committed to providing an environment where each student thrives. Students embrace the freedom to take risks in the classroom and approach their coursework with confidence. Our goal is to prepare young women for the successful pursuit of higher education and for full participation in a diverse and constantly changing world.

From their earliest years in the Lower School, Spence students are immersed in active study through an engaging, challenging, inquiry-based approach that promotes self-confidence and instills a joy for learning. As examples, Kindergartners begin learning about their community by studying their own families and sharing that information with one another, thereby developing research and communications skills; and through designing and building medieval-style catapults, Grade 4 students simultaneously explore history and physics. In Middle School, the girls then become more independent learners, abstract rather than concrete thinkers. By the conclusion of Grade 8, students will have created a foreign language video project, working in teams to plan, write memorize, rehearse and act out their scenes; researched and reported on a common item such as a cotton t-shirt in a “cradle to grave” project, discovering how the item was made, the environmental impact along the way, and the final fate of the product; and learned to analyze primary-source reading material when studying the Bill of Rights.

In the Upper School, students pursue a rigorous study of the liberal arts and sciences, with an emphasis on critical thinking, problem solving, and independent thought. In ninth grade, students benefit from a core curriculum, which provides them with a solid foundation to build on for the following years. As the students progress through high school, the subjects address more specific interests and current issues, featuring electives such as Native American Literature, Sexual Identities, Bioethics, and Conflicts in the Middle East. Through our Authentic Science Research program, students may conduct sustained research projects, guided by experts in the students’ specific fields of interest.

In a classroom atmosphere that is both intellectually demanding yet supportive and exhilarating, our exceptional faculty encourages students to reach their full potential and to become active and independent learners. This dynamic fosters a collegial and collaborative spirit among students and teachers; together they construct a true "community of learners." Enriched with a range of academic resources, opportunities abound at all levels both in and out of the classroom for Spence students to stretch their imaginations and acquire the fundamental skills necessary to grow and learn throughout life.

Douglas Brophy
Academic Dean