Upper School Academics

In the upper school English curriculum, students develop the skills of literary analysis and composition. Students read a wide range of literature, including novels, plays, essays, short stories, and non-fiction pieces and learn to discuss and analyze texts to produce literary essays and critiques. The writing curriculum increasingly emphasizes the importance of argumentation, which is the heart of academic writing. Additionally, students in grades seven through ten participate in a bi-annual short story contest and write creative nonfiction related to their experiential travel. Ninth and tenth graders may take their English course at the standard or honors level. Juniors and seniors participate in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, with its two-year course, Language and Literature that is offered at both the Standard and Higher Level. Students in the Diploma Program read broadly from a selection of world literature and may elect to complete summative examinations that are moderated externally to earn advanced recognition or college credit.

The upper school math program follows a progression that allows students to excel and complete advanced mathematical studies in preparation for college. Throughout, instructors emphasize problem-solving, mathematical thinking, computation, and test preparation for standardized tests for college entry. Additionally, math and science instructors work together to provide hands-on and real world applications to bring math to life for students. Small class sizes in mathematics (typically 9 or fewer students per section) provide extensive, individualized instruction to maximize student success. Seventh and eighth graders progress through pre-algebra and algebra 1, while ninth and tenth graders typically complete geometry and algebra 2. Eleventh and twelfth graders take the two-year progression of IB mathematics at either the Standard or Higher Level and may sit the externally moderated examinations to earn advanced recognition or college credit at the end of the course.

The upper school history curriculum emphasizes the essential skills needed to think, research, and write like a historian. Students learn to consider historical events through six important conceptual lenses: change, continuity, consequence, causation, significance, and perspective. Students develop their skills in reading primary and secondary texts and in note-taking as well as identifying, discussing and writing about historical events. Seventh and eighth graders engage in a two-year study of American history. Ninth and tenth graders conduct a two-year study of ancient and modern world history at either the standard or honors levels. The eleventh and twelfth graders participate in a two-year course from the IB Diploma Program on the Americas, the rise of authoritarian states, World War II, and the Cold War. Topics for study at the Higher Level include additional units on World War II, the Cold War, and Social Movements in the US. IB students may elect to complete summative examinations that are moderated externally to earn advanced recognition or college credit.

The upper school science program emphasizes a blend of field and experimental science to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to participate in the scientific community. Specific skills include asking questions and defining problems; developing, using, and evaluating models; planning and carrying out investigations; collecting and analyzing data; using mathematical computation; and communicating information. Throughout the curriculum there is an emphasis on active learning: students don’t just study science, they do it. Seventh and eighth graders focus on local life zones and ecosystems, winter ecology, weather and meteorology, engineering, the design of machines, and the physics of moving objects, as well as introduction to matter and the periodic table. Ninth and tenth graders investigate physical science in paired courses on conceptual physics and chemistry. Eleventh and twelfth graders participate in the two-year IB biology curriculum, which is offered at both the Standard and the Higher Level. IB students may elect to complete summative examinations that are moderated externally to earn advanced recognition or college credit.

The upper school Spanish program aims to develop fluency in written and spoken Spanish and to develop a deeper understanding of different cultures through the study of language. The program emphasizes the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language’s standards for foreign language learning: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities. Using the Descubre series, seventh and eight graders complete the equivalent of high school Spanish I. Ninth graders and tenth graders progress through Spanish II and II. Assessments in all grades include evaluation of grammar, writing, listening, and speaking. Experiential travel in the ninth and tenth grades features an international trip with an intensive study of Spanish language coupled with a homestay. Juniors and seniors typically complete IB Spanish at the Standard Level; more advanced students may apply to take an independent study at the Higher Level. IB students may elect to complete summative examinations that are moderated externally to earn advanced recognition or college credit.

The upper school visual art program helps students develop the foundational skills of an academic art curriculum as well as the attitudes and behaviors of artists that allow creativity to flourish. The goal of the art department is to develop life-long enrichment through the study of visual arts. Students in grades seven to ten explore the various media and techniques of producing both two and three-dimensional pieces of art and study the elements of art. Students not only to produce art, but analyze, discuss, and critique it. Students in grades nine and ten may further explore individual interests in honors art and open studio. Students in grades eleven and twelve participate in IB Visual Art, which is offered at both the Standard and Higher Level. Students who are diploma candidates complete a portfolio of individual work with commentary, mount an exhibition of work with a curatorial rationale, and complete a comparative study of different artists and works. Students’ work can be externally moderated to earn advanced recognition or college credit.

Students continue to learn music in the social setting of the Rock and Roll Academy in grades seven through ten. Goals of the program include making lifelong musicians who engage in the creation of music in social, recreational, and performance settings. The RRA philosophy emphasizes student choice and promotes social- emotional growth through problem solving in music. While at TMS, students choose, practice, and then perform songs at twice annual school-wide celebrations. Students in grades eleven and twelve may continue to take music as an elective; opportunities for older students include song-writing as well as performance objectives, and students from TMS/RRA have competed and gained recognition at Colorado’s E-town song writing competition.

The Winter Sports Program at the Mountain School is a developmental program that accommodates all skill levels, from the recreational skier/snowboarder to the aspiring competitor. The school offers a program in which all students are challenged to put forth their best effort and achieve their personal goals. The work ethic, commitment, and time management skills learned while participating in the Winter Sports Program develop high achieving athletes, while teaching vital life skills that all students can apply to any task in any arena in which they become involved. Upper school students may participate in the program one or two afternoons per week, depending on their academic schedule and other commitments. The season extends from early December until the mountain closes in April. Additionally, TMS coordinates with Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club so students may participate in competitive programs that complement the Winter Sports Program.

In addition to IB courses in the academic disciplines, students participate in three core courses: Extended Essay; Theory of Knowledge; and Creativity, Activity, Service. To learn more about the IB curriculum, refer to the following resources: IB Diploma guide for parents and DP curriculum.