upper
school
Classes for students age 12 through graduation, characterized by a student-centered approach that enables students to manage time, exercise choice, organize themselves, and practice self-regulation within a group context.
the experience
Counterpane School is one of very few schools in the United States that extends the Montessori philosophy from preschool through Upper School, and one of only two schools in the Atlanta metro area that offers a Montessori-based high school program. At the Upper School level, the curriculum is exclusively college preparatory. The community closely resembles a workplace with individual contracts, group projects, team meetings, class discussions, and student/teacher appointments. With a project-based curriculum and a fully integrated arts program, the academic work is rife with visual and performance components. Creativity and diversity go hand-in-hand throughout the fabric of the Upper School experience. Our task is finding the gift within each individual - grasping at the threads of potential passion each student has within them - while challenging the mettle of that person.
Community projects, independent study, Dual Enrollment with local colleges, and professional internships are incorporated as achievement, commitment, and maturity permit. During their time in Upper School students will participate in a Yearlong Research Project on a subject of their choice, culminating in an oral defense as well as a Senior Exhibition in their final year.
Upper School is a tech-friendly classroom where students are encouraged to bring in their personal laptops. With that said, we require technology contracts with each student stating what they are and are not allowed to do on their computers, phones, or watches etc. If these contracts are broken there are consequences. We do not often have issues with this policy as our students understand what is expected of them and value the trust we place in them.
All Upper School courses at Counterpane are college preparatory, often designed for the individual student's interests. Teachers will use methods such as:
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Socratic Seminars: Students engage in Socratic seminars where they discuss complex topics through open-ended questions designed to stimulate deeper understanding.
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Hands-on Learning: Through participatory learning such as STEAM activities, science experiments, or media projects, Montessori students are encouraged to explore concepts in a tangible way, promoting critical thinking and creativity.
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Real-world Applications: By connecting classroom learning to real-life situations, the Montessori Method helps students see the relevance of their education and develop practical problem-solving and team-building skills.
Counterpane evaluates students through written assessments, and students do not receive grades until they begin high school transcript work. Courses taken at other high schools that were completed with passing grades and earned credit are included on Counterpane’s transcript. Students are not ranked, and grades are not weighted. GPA's are based on a 100-point scale and are exclusive of Fine Arts and P.E.
Counterpane graduated its first seniors in 1991 and to date,
100% of our graduates have enjoyed acceptance to four-year colleges or universities!
Upper School is from 8:00am-3:00pm five days a week
and we follow a quarterly calendar which can be seen here.
