THE UPPER SCHOOL
VISION. THE DRIVE TOWARD NEW CHALLENGES. When academic excellence meets focus and drive, the combination is unstoppable. Where will your vision take you?
RPCS teaches me how to think critically, and to see my strengths. The teachers I have are truly amazing and really care. I could not have found a better education anywhere. - 12th Grade Student, Student Government Association President, Varsity Crew
UPPER SCHOOL MISSION We in the Upper School strive to help students recognize, develop and realize their potential as scholars, artists, athletes and citizens. The rigorous academic program extends from core requirements to a wide range of electives; through this program, the faculty nurture students’ curiosity, creativity and love of learning. Our wide range of extra-curricular and cocurricular activities encourages students to grow into their own interests and abilities while learning to build and sustain inclusive communities. The Upper School experience helps students learn to lead and to follow, to take risks and to accept responsibilities, to grow from their mistakes and to find fulfillment in sincere effort. We prepare our students to emerge from RPCS as confident, well-educated women, ready to engage in the world with empathy, integrity, and generosity of spirit.
A MESSAGE FROM THE UPPER SCHOOL HEAD An Education Above at Roland Park Country School means that our students seek knowledge and learn for a lifetime. Our young women excel in their academic endeavors—whether measured by SAT averages, number of national merit scholars, or college success, they are among the region’s highest achieving students. Much of this starts in the classroom. Ninth Grade students complete a publishable soil ecology project, while in International Relations, a senior history elective, students tackle the challenges of diplomacy in today’s world. Students at RPCS research and implement initiatives that benefit the School such as solar panels on the roof, composting, and the use of water bottle filling stations. The Upper School offers an exemplary program, designed to meet the needs of the individual. The program allows extensive opportunities for appropriate student placement in honors and advanced placement (AP) classes as well as for specialization in the STEM Institute and Foreign Language Department. The program is further complemented by academic offerings at our coordinate schools, Gilman and Bryn Mawr. Seniors may self-design an off-campus internship for academic credit as a means to explore career options and pursue their interests in a “hands-on” fashion. In addition, RPCS provides a personalized and extensive college counseling program. I am excited that you are interested in RPCS and look forward to meeting you during the admissions process. Ereni Malfa Upper School Head
OVERVIEW The Upper School curriculum is designed to provide a balanced liberal arts foundation in the first three years and a senior year that offers the student great choice and broad exploration of interests. Students must carry at least five full courses each semester in addition to physical education, graduating with a minimum of 22 credits. In the first three years students take English, laboratory science, mathematics, history, and foreign language. RPCS has an integrated math program in the Upper School. It is a three-year sequence that intends to prepare students for the study of college-level mathematics as seniors. Students work their way through the galleries of the Walters Art Museum during their Upper School career in History. Additionally, students take courses in the visual and performing arts, which include three auditioned ensembles: Semiquavers, Footlights Theatre Ensemble and Roses Repertory Dance Company. The Upper School curriculum also includes affective education, physical education, SAT preparation, and public speaking. In the senior year, an English course must be taken each semester and a fourth year of mathematics is required. In addition to the academic requirements, each student is required to devote a minimum of 60 hours to community service before she graduates, 40 of which must be served in one location.
Honors, as well as Regular sections, are available in most languages, English, history, math, and science. Advanced Placement courses are available in Biology, AB Calculus, BC Calculus, Chemistry, Chinese Language, Comparative Government, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Economics, English, Environmental Science, European History, French Language, History of Art, Human Geography, Latin, Music Theory, Photography, Physics, Psychology, Russian (AP Prototype), Spanish Language, Statistics, Studio Art, U.S. Government, U.S. History, and World History.
DISCIPLINE
NINTH GRADE
TENTH GRADE
ELEVENTH GRADE
TWELFTH GRADE
ARTS
Art*
Art*
Elective
Elective
ENGLISH
English 9
English 10
English 11
English 12 Elective
F O R E I G N L A N G UA G E
Language**
Language**
Language**
Elective
H I S TO RY
World History I
World History II
United States History
Elective
M AT H
Math 9
Math 10
Math 11
Math 12 Elective
SCIENCE
Biology
Physics
Chemistry
Elective
P H YS I C A L E D U C AT I O N
PE 9
PE 10
PE 11
PE 12
S AT/ A C T P R E P
SAT 9
SAT 10
SAT 11
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OT H E R
9th Grade Seminar
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Public Speaking
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* Each student must take ¾ credit (3 semester courses) of Visual and Performing Arts. One of the courses must be completed by the end of ninth grade. At least ¼ credit (1 semester course) must be in Studio Art and ¼ credit in Performing Arts. The final ¼ credit is the student’s choice. ** One language must be taken for three years in the Upper School regardless of the level where one begins.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE C E R T I F I C AT E Purpose
The Foreign Language Certificate recognizes students who demonstrate a commitment to becoming citizens of the world by concentrating their academic program in Foreign Language. These students go above and beyond the graduation requirements in this subject area by studying two languages simultaneously during their Upper School years. There are two required components to the Foreign Language Certificate program. Students must formally study two languages beyond the beginning level. Students may earn Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude certificates depending on the number of foreign language credits. Additionally, students must complete an experience that extends the language study to other areas of the student’s life in order to demonstrate the relevance of language acquisition in today’s global society.
Formal Language Study
Two of the following languages may be chosen: Ancient Greek, Arabic, Chinese, French, Latin, Russian or Spanish.
Extension of Language Study
To demonstrate a commitment to becoming a citizen of the world and to extend her knowledge of foreign language with a member of the foreign language department serving as a mentor, a student must accomplish at least one of the following during her Upper School years: • Participate in a tri-school exchange or other approved exchange program that includes a home-stay. • Travel to a foreign country (e.g. family trip or school trip) and produce either an essay or a visual presentation to members of the Department in one of the languages of study. • Complete a related elective course in a tri-school class. Qualifying courses include: AP Art History, literature in translation, cultural history, archaeology or other elective, upon approval. • Attend a summer camp or study abroad in a foreign language. • Design a senior project with a focus on one of the languages of study. • Pursue community service directly related to one of the languages of study. • Serve as a host-family to a foreign visitor for an extended period of time (e.g. semester exchange). • Conduct a qualifying independent study as a senior elective.
Requirements
• Language classes may be regular, honors or AP level. • A student must be enrolled in a tri-school class to earn credit for the Certificate. Other course work in a foreign language may be eligible for credit, pending approval of the Department. • Language levels prior to Upper School do not count towards the Certificate. • A student must achieve a minimum overall average of 80 in all foreign language courses; year-end grades are used in the calculation. • A student may not repeat a level of a language, and no credit will be awarded if a year-end average is below 72.
THE STEM INSTITUTE AT R O L A N D PA R K COUNTRY SCHOOL Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Institute Mission
The STEM Institute at Roland Park strives to foster in young women the confidence, passion, persistence, and curiosity to explore the empirical world and to develop innovative habits of the mind. Our goal is to produce graduates who possess the attitudes, cognitive skills, and academic foundations to investigate intellectually rigorous problems in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Engaging in a problem-based curriculum, students of the Institute will learn to plan research projects, work with others, synthesize new knowledge, generate novel solutions, and communicate effectively about their results. Participants will develop the necessary ethical, analytical, and creative reasoning skills to pursue interests in and prepare for careers in the STEM disciplines.
Program Description
The core of the Institute consists of a series of semesterlong research apprenticeships that may be taken in sequential order or as stand-alone courses and are intended for both the student with a committed interest in a possible STEM career and the student who is exploring STEM research for the first time. Each course in the ninth and tenth grades teaches a collection of unique skill sets within specific STEM fields that complement the regular scope and sequence of the RPCS math and science programs, and all of the courses employ differentiated instruction to meet the academic needs of students with prior STEM experience as well as those of the novice researcher. While graduates of the Institute will be expected to take all four semesters during ninth and tenth grades and develop a final portfolio of completed major work, the units and semesters remain autonomous, and any student may take any one or more of the semester courses on a pass/fail basis. In the Eleventh Grade Research Internship Program, each full-time student of the Institute will be expected to complete a research project of her own choosing, with a focus on a single STEM discipline and topic. In addition and/or in conjunction with the ninth and tenth grade components of the program, graduates of the Institute must complete the following academic coursework as part of their general training in order to receive certification: • • • •
A full year of Statistics A full year of Introductory Engineering 1 Computer Science course Any 2 Advanced Placement STEM courses (e.g. , AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, AP Chemistry, etc.) • 1 Summer Internship (departmental approval required) • 4 full years of Science • 4 full years of Math
COLLEGE COUNSELING Philosophy
At RPCS the goal of college counseling is to help students discover and gain admission to the colleges to which they are best suited. For that reason, the RPCS college counseling program is a highly individualized process in which students, their parents and their designated College Counselor together assess students’ interests, needs, strengths and abilities to work toward gaining admission to the college of their choice.
Process
An introduction to college counseling begins in the 9th and 10th Grades with college nights focused on familiarizing families with the college process, counseling office and standardized test preparation. There is a formal SAT preparation course for students in Grades 9-11 which provides students with continuous practice on the verbal and math sections of the SAT, as well as feedback on their performance. Additionally, each student takes a mock SAT and ACT each year. The tests are graded by our course instructors and students are informed of their progress on these tests. In the fall of the 11th Grade students are encouraged to meet with college admissions representatives visiting RPCS. This allows students to learn about different types of colleges and to gather specific information about schools they may already be interested in attending. In December, juniors schedule individual meetings with their assigned college counselor. During these meetings, students’ goals and interests are discussed to help personalize the college process. The college counselor also advises families on college visits, standardized testing, financial assistance options, and more. In the spring of their junior year, students attend a day-long essay-writing workshop designed to help them begin writing their application essays and hone their interviewing skills. The process progresses as counselors work with students to narrow their list of college choices and complete their applications in the fall of their senior year. RPCS teaches a two-year course for all juniors and seniors called Junior Seminar and Transitions. The classes, co-taught by the college counselors and Upper School counselor, covers the college application process and includes topics such as test taking, essay writing, interviewing, and campus visits. During the senior year, the class focuses on completing college applications and then moves to the students’ actual transition to life at college with visiting speakers, including current college students and administrators.
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D QUESTIONS Is there an Honor Code? At RPCS, developing and
maintaining a spirit of honesty and trust is the charge given to all students and faculty. Honor and integrity discussions are woven throughout our curriculum and our advisory program. At the beginning of every year, students commit to upholding honor standards and are asked to sign the honor pledge, “I have acted honorably,” on every major assessment. Honor and integrity are the cornerstone of community life at RPCS.
What is the laptop program at RPCS? RPCS believes that
every student needs access to technology. For technology to be an effective tool, a computer must be available when and where a student needs it; in the classroom, in the science lab, in the library, and at home. Laptops provide students with the flexible resources they need, empowering them to become active and responsible participants in their learning. In the Upper School, students may bring their own device or purchase the schoolselected/supported personal laptop.
Are many sports offered? RPCS offers 16 Varsity
What is the average class size? The Upper School has average
sports in addition to a fitness-based curriculum. There are opportunities for students of every age and ability to take part in RPCS’s extensive athletic program. RPCS has a history of championship play and we believe in sportsmanship and lifetime fitness. All levels seek to promote confidence, cooperation, and competition, while improving team and individual skills, with an emphasis placed on the importance of healthy competition. RPCS Athletics prepares all of its athletes for competition at the next level.
What are the uniform requirements? In the Upper School,
Are there opportunities for visual and performing arts? RPCS celebrates the creative energies of its students
What is the 10 day cycle? At RPCS, we structure our schedule based on ten-school-day cycles. In the Upper School classes generally meet every other day for 70 minutes, which allows for a deeper exploration of the course material. class sizes of 14-16 students.
students enjoy a variety of uniform options which include: blue uniform skirt, plaid kilt or blue uniform pants; white short or long-sleeved polo shirt, button down oxford shirt or turtleneck with RPCS logo; and a variety of sweatshirt, sweater and fleece items.
Is there a Community Service requirement? The purpose
of the community service requirement is to encourage students to develop a lifelong commitment to participation in the community and service to others. Each student is required to volunteer a minimum of 60 hours, with 40 hours at one project.
Are there opportunities for leadership? At RPCS, we
believe leadership can and should be developed in every one of our students. We help students cultivate leadership skills throughout every area of school life, including annual leadership retreats and trainings, service-learning curricula, a student-led Honor Board, the Public Speaking course and senior speech program, independent study opportunities, student-run productions, the senior project program, and participation in the Baltimore Girls School Leadership Coalition.
and encourages them to pursue their artistic visions with enthusiasm. In the Upper School, students may choose from a series of highly specialized classes in both visual and performing arts, with numerous opportunities for students to display their creative energy before audiences—by taking part in recitals, performances, dramas, musicals, exhibitions, and more.
What is Advisory? The Upper School Advisory Program
supports the growth and development of each student. Using a collaborative approach that includes the advisory team, grade level teachers, the student and the school’s academic support services, individual Advisors nurture each advisee’s personal development, monitor her academic progress, encourage community involvement and foster open communication between the school and family in order to address the needs of every student. By personalizing the learning process, the Advisor helps each student navigate her academic program, discover her strengths and area for growth, and become a more self-aware learner. Through advisory discussions, activities and relationships, students learn to seek balance, advocate for themselves, make informed decisions and take responsibility for their actions. Small advisory groups promote connectedness and strive to be safe places in which to reflect upon ones values, as well as community standards.
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