Grades 9-12

St. Martin’s Upper School reflects the school wide mission to “prepare students to thrive in college and in life through Faith, Scholarship, and Service.” To live up to this mission, our Four-Dimensional Academic Framework provides a challenging, student-centered  curriculum anchored in relevant connections to real world experiences and challenges. 

This framework ensures that a St. Martin’s education – even in a world as volatile and uncertain as ours appears to be – provides a solid bridge founded upon academic traditions that allows students to move competently and confidently into their futures. With equal priority given to all four learning dimensions – the knowledge dimension, skills development, social-emotional learning, and meta-learning, St. Martin’s Upper School prepares students to be future learners - to transfer and apply learning to situations that we cannot always anticipate. 

Students select from an extensive catalog of electives as well as honors and Advanced Placement classes. St. Martin’s challenging Upper School curriculum is enhanced by a grade-level integrated service learning program, extracurriculars, weekly chapel services, cultural enrichment activities, and servant-leadership opportunities. Faith and service are woven into student life through religion classes and daily interactions with dedicated chaplains. 

Here, academic rigor is not just about tough courses. It's about challenging students to stretch themselves while supporting them at every step, ensuring they reach their full potential. This emphasis on academic achievement, personal enrichment, spiritual growth, and the skills and mindsets required in a global, 21st-century world gives students the foundation they need to thrive in college and beyond.    

“There’s a high standard, but here at St. Martin's, students have the option and the opportunity to play a role in so many different aspects of the student experience — sports, academics, fine arts, service work. You know that the school cares and you can see the way teachers will help their students find success in a variety of offerings.” 

- Allison DeViney ’92 (P ’23, P ’27)

Our Curriculum

The St. Martin's Upper School strives to educate and form young men and women of character, integrity, and faith dedicated to living out their potential, giving back to the community, and enduring amid life's challenges. Our students meet in classes of no more than 20 students to learn to analyze problems and develop creative solutions. Teachers place a high value on classroom discussions where all voices are heard. 

The Upper School curriculum spans a broad range of subjects that change and develop as the world does. St. Martin's Upper School utilizes a scaffolded curriculum that focuses on developing each student's learning style, encouraging academic initiative, and developing critical thinking skills. Upper School courses are designed to be difficult, with the level of difficulty and expectations rising as students build self-assurance, acquire new skills, and expand their learning capacity. Over the course of their four years, students will explore new concepts and fields of study, identify new areas of learning that excite them, engage in hands-on projects and research, and develop profound insights.

Download Upper School Program of Study

Signature Programs

Senior Internship

The Senior Internship program is the capstone of the St. Martin's academic experience. Two weeks before graduation, Seniors must complete an internship in an area of their choice, such as government, business, medicine, law, the arts, or nonprofit organizations. Interns are required to keep a daily journal and write a reflection paper about how the experience has shaped them and prepared them for college and life. 

STeaM Diploma

The St. Martin’s Interdisciplinary STeaM Diploma is for Upper School students who relish the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, combined with the creative thinking that occurs through fine arts. This concentration will require students to select classes from a body of relevant coursework that lies at the heart of the Four-Dimensional Framework’s interdisciplinary focus. In addition, students will be asked to participate in co-curricular activities that complement the coursework. A research or internship experience provides a culminating experience to equip graduates with a range of proficiencies that prepare them for opportunities in STeaM related fields. Students who successfully complete all requirements will be recognized at graduation and have the opportunity to highlight their participation in this program on their college resumes.

Global Citizenship Diploma 

The St. Martin’s Interdisciplinary Global Citizenship diploma is for high school students who are passionate about global issues in the context of the humanities. This concentration will require students to select classes from a body of relevant and in-place coursework that lies at the heart of the Four-Dimensional Framework’s interdisciplinary focus. In addition, students will be asked to participate in one of several co-curricular activities that complement the program. A culminating global experience involving either  study abroad, a regional internship, or  research project will provide graduating students with tools to prepare them for further opportunities in these interdisciplinary fields, while also meeting StM’s current graduation requirements. Students who successfully complete all requirements for this certification will be recognized at graduation and have the opportunity to highlight their participation in this program on their college resumes.

 

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