Upper School (6-9)

 

Long after our upper school students graduate and move on to secondary school, they visit, call, and email us. They’re excelling, they tell us, but there’s just one thing: they miss Bement.

That’s because our upper school program is special—it’s a cultivation period when our students are comfortable being themselves at a pivotal age. Our small classes and close-knit, global community allow every student to feel present and respected, and teachers and students develop strong, lifelong bonds. Central to our day is a morning meeting when we gather to cheer on our sports teams, discuss issues, and share announcements.

Our academic year is organized in trimesters, including a three-week mini-term. Coursework is stimulating and challenging, inviting our students to dig deep and speak up. Students are exhilarated by a range of experiential learning that brings lessons to life. They’ll innovate a new technology (Grade 6), dramatize The Odyssey (English 9), and travel the Civil War battlefields (History 8). Each day includes recess, a study hall, a family-style lunch, and advisory periods. Throughout the week, students take electives and art, as well as band, chorus, or strings.

We aspire to educate students who are thinkers, leaders, artists, athletes, scholars, readers, lifelong learners, and active global citizens. We expect our students will always work hard, have a strong sense of self, strive to improve, and find ways to help others. We encourage responsibility for one’s own work and actions in a community where it is safe to take risks, to challenge oneself, and to make and learn from mistakes. Bement graduates are well-rounded students who are engaged and able to participate in, and lead in significant ways, in their secondary school communities.