Upper School
Grades 9-12
At Sage Ridge we understand that our Upper School launches a student’s future.
High school is a time for students to discover their passions while engaging in rigorous critical thinking and gaining mastery of academic disciplines.
Leadership skills are cultivated through vast opportunities to create a lasting impact.
Captain a sport. Start a club. Become the Editor-in-Chief. Propose an Independent Study. Gather support for your Student Government campaign. Sit on the state board for the Junior Classical League. Star in the play. Present at a research conference. Intern at Tesla.
High School Profile [PDF]
Everything about the high school experience prepares students to excel in their college of choice.
- Freshman Seminar equips students with critical thinking tools and sharpens public speaking skills.
- Advanced science classes prepare students for pre-medical college tracks or research positions early on in their college careers.
- Computer science and engineering classes enable students to take full advantage of our Innovation Lab.
- International students add a global dimension.
- Full-time college counselor takes a four-year approach to college counseling and knows every student well.
- Senior Seminar exposes students to a college-level seminar in preparation for their next step.
- Senior Thesis challenges seniors to write and defend a 15-20 page research essay.
- Senior Internship allows students to gain real-world experience in the field of their choice.
Diploma Pathways
| Departments | College Preparatory | Honors | High Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| History (including Senior Seminar) | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Math | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Science | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Foreign Language | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Fine Arts | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Electives | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Freshman Seminar | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
|
Senior Thesis and Internship |
1.25 | 1.25 | 1.25 |
| Sage Session (Grades 9-11) | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| Completion of/ un-weighted | 25 Credits and 2.0 GPA | 26 Credits and 3.2 GPA | 27 Credits and 3.5 GPA |
Our average AP pass rate is 87%, but we don't run the same AP program as everyone else.
You may hear other high school students say they are taking 5-7 AP classes a year. But are they really taking a college level class? Our AP classes result in students who can pass their AP exams, thus validating our curriculum as equivalent to a real college course. In addition, all our students who receive AP credit on their transcripts are required to sit for the exam. This means that our pass rates are the highest in the region even with all our AP students taking the exams!
AP Exam Pass Rates 2016-2020
Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
- 62% of our high school students take Honors courses
- 50% of our high school students take AP courses
- 100% of students enrolled in an AP course sit for the AP exam
- Students must earn a 90 percent or higher grade in all their classes before being allowed to enroll in these courses
Honors Courses
AP Courses
I took a biology class at UNR over the summer, and the professor originally didn’t want to let me join because I hadn’t taken college chemistry yet. From her experience, high school chemistry classes usually didn't prep kids enough for her class. Once I was in the class, I didn’t have any issues with the chemistry sections. The professor mentioned that she was impressed, specifically mentioning that my chemistry background (from SRS) was extremely strong, especially considering that it was only a high school class. This proves how college preparatory it was.
Aryan Shukla ('20)
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Mary Oliver
College Ready
Each year our graduating seniors matriculate at a wide range of best-fit colleges and universities across the country.
Upper School Faculty
Mr. Robbie Adler
Titles:
Upper School History Department Faculty, Senior Seminar, World History, World History & Religion to 1400, Speech & Debate
Email:
Ms. Nicole Ashton
Titles:
Art Department Head, Upper School Arts Faculty, AP Studio Art, Art Foundations, Ceramics II, Media Arts, Studio Art I-II
Email:
Mr. Jaime Garzon
Titles:
Upper School Languages Faculty - Spanish, AP Spanish Language, Spanish II, Spanish Literature
Email:
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Mr. Donald Johnston
Titles:
Upper School Mathematics Faculty, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Honors Calculus
Email:
Mr. Bradford Ka'ai'ai
Titles:
Director of Theatre, Arts Department Faculty, Theatre 3-8, Advanced Acting Methods
Email:
Dr. Tara McGann
Titles:
English Department Head, English Faculty, AP English Literature, AP Human Geography, Brit Lit, World Lit
Email:
Ms. Heather Monticello
Titles:
Middle and Upper School Math Faculty, Algebra I-II, Precalculus
Email:
Mr. John Sloyan
Titles:
English Faculty, American Literature, Ancient & Medieval Literature, AP English Language, Speech & Debate
Email: