Dexter Southfield is built upon a history of academic excellence. We offer students a broad and comprehensive educational experience that combines core fundamentals and communication skills with proven curricular innovation. Immersed in a warm, joyful community and surrounded by world-class facilities, our students gain the character, confidence, and compassion they need to become leaders, lifelong learners, and engaged citizens.
Lower School PreK-Class 5
Middle School Classes 6-8
Upper School Classes 9-12
Combining single-sex, coordinate, and coeducation experiences, Dexter Southfield is a unique learning environment where children thrive both individually and as part of a community. The School consists of three divisions—Lower, Middle, and Upper— all learning together on one beautiful campus.
“You know Dexter Southfield students when you see them.” There is something special about our students. They shake your hand. They look you in the eye. They stand tall and engage with you with genuine interest. It comes from the expectations we set, the lessons we teach, the behaviors we model, and the values we instill every day. These lessons are intentionally embedded in their experiences on the bus, in the classroom, on the playing field, behind the lectern, and in the hallways.
“They are willing to take risks. They are not afraid to fail.” At Dexter Southfield, you learn by doing, and we do a lot. Here, students are exposed to a wide range of classes and activities designed to enrich their minds and their bodies, build community, and teach collaboration. Whether through academics, arts, or athletics, our students understand that persistence leads to achievement.
COMPASSION
“It is quite simple: we are a community that values kindness.” Step onto our campus, and you will feel it: the genuine care, compassion, and camaraderie that exist in a community where kindness is valued. Whether it is through the close mentorship from faculty and staff or frequent interactions between divisions, Dexter Southfield students learn as much about respect, civility, humility, and citizenship as they do about academics.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
off-campus experiences in the Upper School during a typical school year, including visits to museums, universities, businesses, and charitable organizations.
A comprehensive and innovative curriculum. Dexter Southfield has a long history of academic excellence. We combine a comprehensive core curriculum that is grounded in proven academic traditions with a focus on innovation. From PreK through Class 12, we continuously build a “habit of personal best,” providing the individual attention and appropriate rigor students need to prepare for success in life, at college, and beyond.
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Rishi, Class 12
HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED AT: SQUASH, ARCHERY, AND CARD TRICKS ---
“There was no singular moment at Dexter Southfield that was a turning point for me. Instead, it was a collection of experiences over time. There was also no singular person who impacted me, but rather a long list of teachers who encouraged me to embrace my independence and to become my authentic self. It has been my teachers—who clearly have a passion for the subjects they teach—that have inspired me to find purpose in what I do.”
IN ONE WORD
How would I describe Dexter Southfield in one word? Adaptable
BROAD EXPOSURE
awards won by Dexter Southfield middle school and upper school students in the most recent Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards competition.
We believe in learning by doing. That is why our students do it all. Broad-based participation in academics, athletics, and the arts is a critical component of a Dexter Southfield education. Whether it is a Class 3 student suiting up for 10 different sports or a sophomore taking part in the spring play, we believe the value in trying goes beyond discovering new talents, passions, and aptitudes. By fostering an environment that encourages risk taking, we provide countless opportunities for students to succeed, fail, reflect, and grow. Most of all, they come to understand they can do more than they may have imagined.
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Adrienne, Class 12
HAPPIEST WHEN: DOING SOMETHING SHE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ---
“I have experienced a broad range of opportunities in high school that have allowed me to pursue my interests and passions. Because of this, I am a more well-rounded and confident person. While my own persistence has helped me achieve my goals, it is the value the School places on collaboration and community that has impacted me most. Dexter Southfield has taught me that by doing my best, I am inspiring those around me to do better for themselves. In turn, I have become better because of the people around me.”
PERSISTENCE = ACHIEVEMENT
What has Adrienne achieved? Co-produced a French language podcast focused on discussing the works of French philosophers.
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Established a program to collect and donate leftover food from school meals and events.
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Served as president of the Girls Advancing in Science (GAINS) Club.
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Captained two varsity sports teams.
JOYFUL COMMUNITY
A joyful, caring, energetic community. At Dexter Southfield, we welcome families from more than 60 cities and towns. Our community is energized by students of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds supporting, learning from, and challenging one another to be their best. Students here know they have the support they need to succeed. The persistence, possibility, and pride that extend from our PreK classrooms all the way to the Senior Independent Learning Experiences is unmistakably Dexter Southfield.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Learning the art of communicating your ideas. At Dexter Southfield, students become exceptional communicators. During their time here, our students learn how to express their ideas in a clear, compelling way; address an audience of any size; and think on their feet. Students gain a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of grammar and participate in ongoing group work that fosters collaboration skills and an understanding of team dynamics. You see it in their casual conversations with peers and adults, in their written work, and in the way they address an auditorium at full capacity.
of K-12 students engage in public speaking opportunities.
MY FAVORITE THING
My favorite thing about Dexter Southfield? That everyone is so welcoming.
LS
Shrey, Class 2
LOVES: PUBLIC SPEAKING, SKATING, AND SUSHI ---
“What I love most about public speaking is when I am really able to express myself and express my thoughts. I also like that practicing makes me better. Speaking in front of an audience doesn’t make me nervous at all. I really like it when people are there.”
CHARACTER MATTERS
We believe that character matters. Dexter Southfield takes pride in creating young men and young women of excellent character—those who value appropriate behavior, mutual respect, good citizenship, and the importance of choosing the “hard right over the easy wrong.” Because we reinforce our community’s values and provide an abundance of opportunities for leadership and collaboration, our students grow into thoughtful, articulate, compassionate individuals who go into the world with confidence, humility, and poise.
MS
Maya, Class 8
PHILOSOPHY ABOUT COMMUNITY SERVICE: ANY EFFORT TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE IS WORTH IT ---
“I established a charitable organization that collects socks and donates them to homeless shelters as a sixth grader who was just trying to make a difference in the world. The goal I set for myself was to donate 10,000 pairs of socks to Boston-area homeless shelters before my freshman year in high school. I was able to reach that goal through persistence. After significant effort, I convinced a major sock company to make a sizable donation to my cause. Between starting a nonprofit and the experiences I have had at Dexter Southfield working on large collaborative projects, I am inspired to set bigger goals for bigger projects that can make even more of an impact.”
WHAT I LOVE MOST
What do I love about Dexter Southfield? I love the community and how close everyone is.
PROXIMITY TO BOSTON
A state-of-the-art campus. Our 36-acre campus combines state-of-the-art facilities with ready access to a world-class city. On campus, our students take advantage of the Kraft Fieldhouse & Arena, a comprehensive athletic facility where our students play, learn, and compete; the Clay Center for Science and Technology, which includes our very own NASA-grade astronomical observatory and learning center; and multiple innovation labs. Student opportunities reach beyond campus, with pre-collegiate programming and opportunities for experiential learning and research with renowned institutions such as Harvard Medical School, MIT, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Emilia Guy WHY I LOVE TO TEACH
Why am I an educator? Because I get to experience that spark when something clicks for a student. I love the opportunity to see those light bulbs come on every day.
Upper School Science and Math Department Chair // Leader of Upper School STEM Program and Entrepreneurship Program AUTHORED THE HARVARD MEDSCIENCE AND MEDLAB PROGRAM CURRICULUM PILOTED FOR DEXTER SOUTHFIELD. ---
“I challenge students to be their best through trust. From the start, I ensure that they explicitly understand my expectations for them and that I will support them in reaching (or exceeding) those expectations. One of the ways in which I do this is that I don’t sugarcoat things. When something might be challenging, I openly recognize it by saying, ‘I understand what I am asking of you, and I am going to help you get there.’”
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Ayah, Class 12
WELL-ROUNDED ACHIEVEMENT
ACADEMIC SCHOLAR Elected member of Dexter Southfield’s inaugural chapter of the national Cum Laude Honor Society in recognition of superior scholastic achievement.
ATHLETE Recruited to play NCAA Division III basketball at Tufts University.
ENTREPRENEUR Founded an apparel company that donates a portion of monthly proceeds to charitable Black organizations.
INNOVATOR
VALEDICTORIAN
Intends to study computer engineering in college with a focus on new technology development.
Voted by her class to deliver the valedictory speech at their graduation. An honor representing high respect and admiration.
NETWORKER Utilizes connections within the Dexter Southfield alumni community for mentoring and resources.
COMMUNITY PILLAR Received the Class 12 Citizenship Award. This prestigious award honors a student whose exceptional character, confidence, and compassion have significantly impacted the Dexter Southfield community.
ENGAGED LEADER Served as Head Admissions Ambassador and leader of the Students of Color affinity group.
LOWER SCHOOL SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION
“I believe in Dexter Southfield’s strong foundational program and in our commitment that character matters. I love that we truly believe that being a good person when no one is looking is hugely important.” DR. MARLENA ALEX, HEAD OF THE LOWER SCHOOL
Our Lower School is a warm, welcoming, and joyful environment where students develop a love for learning through exposure to a range of academic subjects. Our students forge friendships, learn the value in trying, and begin to understand what it means to be part of a team—be it through one of our 10 sports or exposure to experiential learning. Guidance from exceptional faculty helps students build fundamental skills while growing the confidence and habits of mind that will serve as the foundation for their future, both in school and in the larger world. In addition to our core curriculum, students engage in a rotation of daily specials and develop into confident communicators through our public speaking program. Lower school students benefit from an intentional single-sex structure tailored to each child’s strengths, learning styles, and cognitive development.
Spanish
STEM
The study of Spanish begins in PreK with songs and games. Students develop an ear for language acquisition and pronunciation by using phrases, idioms, and cultural rhythms. They gain an appreciation of culture by exploring the 21 Spanish-speaking countries, learning about Latin American artists, and taking part in interdisciplinary projects, such as the annual migration of the monarch butterfly from the U.S. to Mexico.
Our STEM programming offers a hands-on, project-based, multidisciplinary, iterative education that teaches data-based decision making, critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity. Students begin to solve team engineering challenges, collaborate with the upper school engineering class to design cars, and begin learning code, among other projects. Students complete many STEM projects in an Innovation Lab dedicated to lower school students.
Reading and Learning Center The Reading and Learning Center is used by students in PreK through Class 5. In addition to serving as the Lower School’s library, the Reading and Learning Center hosts special programs, has a small stage for public speaking opportunities and other performances, and is used to display student artwork and projects. A large cargo net for reading is a favorite place for lower school students to enjoy a book.
PreK-CLASS 5
MIDDLE SCHOOL COORDINATE PROGRAM
“We think about the whole child. One of the ways we do that is by allowing children to try so many different things. We don’t put them in a box. Instead, we expect them to challenge themselves.” TODD FAWCETT, HEAD OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Classes 6-8 are a time of mindful exploration. As students embrace new freedoms and responsibilities, they are encouraged to take risks, test their limits, and make mistakes. Through this deliberate, thoughtful process, they come to understand that challenges are a part of growth. Cultivating resolve and a mindset of learning in the face of both success and failure, students develop courage, independence, and self-advocacy. In our Middle School, students receive the benefits of a single-sex environment in their academic experience and advisory program while immersing themselves in co-ed creative, leadership, and extracurricular offerings.
student clubs, plus the opportunity for students to create their own!
Student Council
The Garage
Our Middle School Student Council is structured to maximize participation from any student interested in assuming a leadership role. Students choose to serve on one of three committees: Social, Education, or Service. The Student Council offers opportunities for student-driven leadership and positions students to take ownership of their own education by planning important educational days and programs in our curriculum.
The Garage is an 8,000-square foot Innovation Center located on the lower level of the Middle School where students engage with robotics, circuits, laser cutters, 3D printers, tools, and more. A cross-disciplinary curriculum for Classes 6-8—including English, history, languages, visual arts, and STEM—promotes a design thinking approach to teaching and learning and encourages creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, and a solutions-based mindset.
CLASSES 6-8
UPPER SCHOOL CO-EDUCATION
“We are doing something rather unique in the world of independent schooling. We let your children take the lead. We let them teach us what they want to look like, who they think they want to be, and we help them discover their best selves.” DR. BRIAN BLOOMFIELD, HEAD OF THE UPPER SCHOOL
Through a versatile academic program that is responsive to both students’ interests and the emerging challenges of a changing world, upper school students master essential skills, gain a genuine enthusiasm for scholarship, and become co-creators of their education. Our students articulate ideas and perspective confidently, immerse themselves in project- and experiential-based learning, and embrace leadership roles with energy and humility. On campus and across the city, they become stewards and ambassadors of the Dexter Southfield community—role models and proof of what is possible when we aspire to be our best.
Entrepreneurship
J-Term
Upper school students have the opportunity to identify a business, service, or product and create operational growth plans. Students have access to speakers, seminars, written resources, and mentors from within Dexter Southfield’s extensive alumni and parent communities. They collaborate to frame ideas, conduct research, and create teams, budgets, marketing plans, and prototypes. Their efforts culminate with creating a business plan.
January Term (J-Term) offers students in Classes 9-12 the opportunity to explore a variety of topics beyond the standard curriculum. Students select sessions offered by faculty members who have carefully crafted topics around areas of their own passions. Together, students and faculty delve into a single subject—running the gamut from baseball to yoga—and work together to cultivate new levels of curiosity, broaden their understanding of the world around them, and develop their critical thinking skills.
CLASSES 9-12
Dexter Southfield is dedicated to giving young men and women a foundation for excellence. Through time well spent here, they gain the character, confidence, and compassion to become leaders, lifelong learners, and engaged citizens who are prepared to achieve their personal best and to distinguish themselves at every stage of life.
2021 COLLEGE MATRICULATION LIST Amherst College Babson College Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Carleton College Colby College Colgate University Columbia University Connecticut College Cornell University Dartmouth College Duke University Elon University Fairfield University Fordham University Hamilton College Harvard College Lehigh University Merrimack College New York University Newcastle University (UK) Northeastern University Olin College of Engineering Providence College
Quinnipiac University Rice University Rollins College Santa Clara University Skidmore College Syracuse University Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University Union College University College Dublin (IRL) University of Connecticut University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth University of Miami University of New England University of Notre Dame University of Richmond University of Rochester University of Vermont Vanderbilt University Vassar College Virginia Polytechnic Institute Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Wentworth Institute of Technology Wesleyan University Wheaton College (IL) Wheaton College (MA) Worcester Polytechnic Institute
THREE DIVISIONS
The power of Dexter Southfield’s PreK-Class 12 community is that leadership opportunities inspire students at every age. Dexter Southfield’s school-level divisions create “small school” environments where personalized attention contributes to students feeling seen, heard, and known. It is the cross-divisional experiences, however, that make the most impact on the development of character, confidence, and compassion. Older students benefit by serving as mentors, and younger students benefit by seeing, firsthand, the accomplishments of their role models. The result is a community of students inspired to achieve.
STUDENTS IN PREK-CLASS 12
48% GIRLS
96%
of upper school faculty have an advanced degree
52%
BOYS
FINANCIAL AID BUDGET
OF THE CLASS OF 2021 ENROLLED AT A U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT
TOP 50 LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
OUR BEST TODAY ACRES OF CAMPUS with distinct learning environments for each division, just five miles from downtown Boston
RESEARCH-GRADE
OBSERVATORY
PARENTS WHO VOLUNTEER
WITH THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION
SPORTS
Each lower school student plays
of graduates go on to play college sports
HOURS PER YEAR
SPENT CREATING IN THE
GUI INNOVATION LAB
BETTER TOMORROW Dexter Southfield helps boys and girls develop their individual talents and build an ethical foundation for life. Students learn to lead with confidence, serve with compassion, and live by our motto, “Our Best Today, Better Tomorrow.”
See yourself here. Find yourself here. Challenge yourself here.
Dexter Southfield is an independent, college-preparatory day school for boys and girls in PreK-Class 12, located on a world-class campus five miles from downtown Boston.