At Newman, education is about more than moving students through a prescribed curriculum towards an acceptable performance on a test or assessment. We are in the business of growing people so that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to be productive and positive contributors to their communities, from their immediate surroundings to society at large. The manner in which we approach this responsibility affects the outcome.
In the Upper School, we believe that students learn best when they are actively engaged in purposeful and appropriately challenging lessons structured by educators who are experts in their content area and who truly care about them as learners. To that end, Newman’s Upper School teachers form meaningful relationships with their students that are the foundation for high expectations for student learning and growth. Knowing their students well allows our teachers to make content more relevant and more accessible and to choose the most effective instructional strategies for a particular student or group. Furthermore, strong student-teacher relationships help foster a safe learning environment where students are comfortable taking the kinds of intellectual risks that are necessary for deep understanding of concepts. When these conditions are present, when students arrive motivated with minimal barriers to learning, and when they possess the necessary tools, skills, and structures to overcome challenges, exceptional education occurs.
Successful Newman students do two things consistently. Most importantly, they strive to live the School’s Core Values of honesty, kindness, respect, and responsibility every day and wherever they find themselves. Second, they bring their best to each of their endeavors in the classroom, in the studio, on the stage, or on our courts and fields. We are proud of what our students achieve, but we are even more proud of the people they become as they journey through Newman’s Upper School.
I encourage you to learn more about what Newman has to offer you and your child.
Sincerely,
Erik Cooper
Head of Upper School