Click here for the 2009-2010 Upper School Curriculum Guide.
Click here for the 2010-2011 Upper School Curriculum Guide.
Click here for the Eighth Grade Parent Letter.

CSS aspires to develop a strong, positive sense of self in all students who learn to be self-directed and willing to take risks. In all of the programs and activities at CSS, students learn to take pride in their accomplishments and respect those who are in their community including a respect for their environment. Not only are students excited and enthusiastic about new ideas, but they also learn to be empathetic and sensitive with one another in the caring community at CSS. They gain analytical thinking skills, which allow them to be creative problem solvers, giving them the "cutting edge" in facing the challenges of the future.

Academic courses in the Upper School are challenging and offer our students the opportunity to delve deeply into a wide variety of subjects. We place an emphasis on helping students develop the inquiry, analytical, documentation, and presentation skills they will need in competitive college environments. An experiential approach combined with small group, large group, and individualized student-teacher interactions provide CSS students with numerous opportunities to further develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in all subjects. Our goal is to prepare our students so they can form and defend their own opinions and are well prepared for college-level work, which includes term papers, special projects, and test taking.

In order to maximize our course offerings while maintaining a smaller personal community, we offer some of our classes on a block system, which enables students taking 90-minute courses to earn full-year credits in just half a year. These longer blocks also provide adequate time for in-depth discussion, field experiences, and lab work.