Overview

Upper School at West Sound Academy focuses on helping students achieve their goals for life after high school by graduating intellectually curious young adults prepared to contribute responsibly to the world. Students in this college preparatory program participate in engaging discussions and lessons that inspire creativity and critical thinking. Upper School students are encouraged to expand upon their social, emotional, and intellectual growth so that the whole individual is allowed to flourish and thrive. West Sound Academy offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme coursework in the junior and senior years. All 11th and 12th-grade students take IB courses.

College Preparatory Courses

Students in Grades 9-10 have a selection of challenging courses. The curriculum stresses critical and disciplined thinking, effective communication, scientific analysis, and creative problem-solving. Skills introduced and reinforced in the classroom, including critical reading, critical writing, and document analysis and evaluation, will prepare students for the rigors of coursework in the junior and senior years and success in college after their years at West Sound.

English – English Language and Literature
Language Acquisition – Emerging Spanish in 9th Grade, Intermediate in 10th Grade
History – US History 1840 – 1940; US History post-1940
Experimental Sciences – Physics and Chemistry
Mathematics – Integrated Math 9, Integrated Math 10
Arts/Electives – Theatre, Visual Art, Music, PE

The Extended Research Project (ERP) requires students to apply academic research and writing skills. The project culminates in a school-wide presentation or performance that integrates skills across many subject areas.