The faculty is dedicated to bringing out the multi-faceted potential in every individual with care and respect. Every element of the School is designed to help students not only to accumulate knowledge but also to apply that knowledge with thoughtfulness and responsibility. The School's commitment to individual growth and advancement results in the elimination of formal grade levels, though the Upper School generally corresponds to the 9th through 12th grades of a conventional system. The curriculum provides an unusually broad array of courses designed to fulfill the School' s rigorous graduation requirements while stimulating academic, social and emotional growth. The School operates on a trimester system with three 11-week terms per year.
Students arrange their own schedules under the close supervision and guidance of advisors.
Everyone is encouraged to choose classes not merely to satisfy requirements but also to explore and experiment in new areas. Thus the range of choices offered includes such courses as Creativity and Self-Discovery, Native American Cultures, World Religions, and Field Biology, as well as Chemistry, Shakespeare, European History, and Calculus. Advanced students also are encouraged to develop their own programs of independent study under faculty supervision. Each year, some Upper School students take courses at Duke University or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Athletics and cultural arts are both required elements of the curriculum.