The GCDS Upper School is a transformational high school. Built on the nearly 100-year foundational values of GCDS, students engage in deep, meaningful, and joyful learning.
Guided by an experienced and highly accomplished faculty in a new building on a 42-acre campus designed to support the educational mission, students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions critical for success in our rapidly changing world.
At GCDS Upper School, students are both consumers and creators of knowledge. Under the guidance of an extraordinary faculty, they find natural connections between traditional subject areas and apply their learning to investigate areas of interest in greater depth, solve problems, and innovate. Over four years, students explore, refine, and grow in the capacities of our Portrait of a Learner, and are guided through our highly personalized college counseling program.
Our Signature Programs
Every student at GCDS Upper School participates in a carefully designed suite of signature programs that complement, expand, and strengthen the impact of our academic curriculum. These signature programs support student learning and assessment, promote their development of identity and community, and encourage their ambition in research and project design.
Academic Culture
At the GCDS Upper School, learning springs from inquiry, the pursuit and application of deep content knowledge, and the challenge of analyzing and solving complex problems with real-world impact. Our program cultivates learning and achievement in a community that fosters joy, personal connection, inclusivity, and the genuine belief that each student has a unique and valuable perspective to offer.
Our program builds character and skills in pursuit of independence, purpose, and excellence. Our 1:6 faculty/student ratio, our commitment to teaching excellence, and our research-driven curriculum foster powerful and collaborative student-faculty relationships grounded in mutual respect and trust. This culture is the foundation for educational achievement: students at GCDS realize they have power to affect change, to take responsibility for their own learning, and to develop an enduring sense of belonging and ownership in their community.
Upper School Faculty & Staff
Our teachers love learning and care deeply about each student’s growth and needs. As is the case in all grades at GCDS, in our Upper School, students are well-known and valued. The Upper School Staff guide students to develop a strong moral compass that will steer them throughout life's journey.
Upper School Stories
From our signature programs, to our course of study with over 180 courses that can be personalized to an individual student’s interests, a comprehensive visual and performing arts program, and a competitive athletics program anchored in character and unity, our educational approach is crafted to best prepare students for their future. Find out below, what's happening at GCDS Upper School.
