In our classrooms, we emphasize processes of inquiry and thoughtful analysis over rote recitation. Students learn to question what they observe, to look for evidence for and against a particular viewpoint, and to design tests to collect data to develop increasingly sophisticated models. This emphasis on scientific process and creative problem-solving encourages an open-minded and rigorous independence of thought that students then bring to bear on the world around them.

We believe that inquiry and the construction of knowledge are essential elements of each student’s educational experience. Park’s mathematics program provides opportunities for students to become more mathematically aware, capable, and confident.

The English department offers a curriculum that encompasses a wide variety of literary genres, periods, and themes. Choice is a key element of our program in all subjects. Beginning in 10th Grade, students choose their English classes from a wide assortment of electives ranging from Writing Practicum, to Literature of Immigration, to Psychology and Literature, to Poetry of Reality.

The science department feels strongly that students should have the opportunity to pursue advanced work in the major disciplines. We feel that this is best accomplished by a rich elective program with curricula designed to meet the interests and passions of students.

While the Upper School curriculum includes requirements in academic disciplines, the arts, and physical education, students are able to choose from a wide-range of electives to fulfill those requirements. Students choose their art classes in ninth grade, and electives are accessible in many subjects as early as tenth grade. Examples of electives include: Islam and Politics; Statistics; Introduction to Python Programming; Modern Chinese History; Exploring Space and Time: Astronomy, Optics, and Relativity; The New African Novel; and Design Thinking.

The Park School history department considers the ultimate goal of historical study at the secondary level to be the formation of attitudes and skills that enable students to understand the world around them so that they can constructively participate in a democratic society.

Upper Schoolers have three classes per day, plus additional scheduled and unscheduled periods during which students eat lunch, meet in co-curricular activities, spend time with friends, and meet with teachers for extra help. (Students carry a six-subject course load.)

In English 10, courses focus on the writing process — brainstorming, drafting, getting feedback, revising — and on the rhetorical modes of description, narrative, comparison/contrast, analysis, and definition.

The Performing Arts program promotes a balance between process and performance. There is an emphasis on student creativity, but all courses, whether production or process oriented, are designed to include careful attention to technique.

The Park School Athletics Department provides opportunities for all athletes to reach their potential and compete in an environment where their experiences are positive and rewarding. We value both participation and competitive drive. Teams go into every game expecting to win and into every season expecting to be champions.

The music department is committed to making music a part of students’ daily lives. By providing a variety of opportunities and individual and shared experiences, we strive to foster a lifetime appreciation and engagement in music.

Opportunities to pursue language study in China and in French and Spanish-speaking countries are available to students throughout their Upper School careers. Students participating in exchange programs in China, France, and Spain may live with host families, attend school, visit museums and other places of interest, and act as hosts when their exchange partners visit Park.

At Park, students do not often define themselves in just one way. In fact, many of our artists are also athletes, performers, activists, scientists, writers, engineers, and more. Activities complement the academic program by offering Upper Schoolers valuable experiences outside of the classroom, which helps students get to know peers in other grades, and to create lasting bonds of friendship.

Broad co-curricular offerings (more than 60!) contribute to a balanced intellectual, artistic, and athletic Upper School experience. We use the term “co-curricular” instead of “extra-curricular” because these clubs and activities do not exist outside of the school day. Rather, there is dedicated time for these clubs and activities to meet each day, within our academic program. This allows for students to participate in athletics after school while still engaging in multiple clubs and activities.

Team 1719, Park’s FIRST robotics team, was founded in 2006. The team spends six weeks in January and February creating a robot to compete against 2,300 other teams. Students design, build, program, test, and refine their robot with the help of volunteer mentors.

Mock Trial, a co-curricular activity, provides students with the opportunity to explore the legal process and participate in simulated trials. Students receive a case from the Maryland State Bar Association’s Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition, are assigned roles as attorneys or witnesses, and compete against other students from Baltimore County public, parochial, and independent schools. (Since 2004, Park has won four state championships, including two back-to-back for the first time in competition history.)

After training in Writing Practicum (an Upper School semester elective), student tutors staff and run the Michael Cardin ’85 Writing Center. Tutors work with Lower, Middle, and Upper School writers in a variety of settings, including one-on-one conferences and small workshop groups. They attend regular staff meetings to debrief and to discuss and practice their tutoring skills.

Rivalry Day is an annual event each fall acknowledging the decades-old athletic rivalry between Park and The Friends School. Almost all of our Upper School fall teams compete on Saturday, and there’s also a tailgate on Friday after practice for fall student athletes. The winners get bragging rights and a Rivalry Day Cup, which lives with the winning school until the next fall. Always a fun and exciting day, the entire K-12 community comes out to support our teams and celebrate this cross-community event.