The goal of the Cascades Academy upper school program is to successfully prepare students for the years ahead of them, both in college and beyond.
We’re proud of the fact that our graduates unanimously report feeling prepared for college. But, we’re even more proud that our students report feeling inspired and engaged throughout their four years at Cascades Academy.
Preparation is important, but engaged learning is paramount.
At Cascades Academy, the concept of exploring ideas from every angle applies to both the academic curriculum as well as the overall program experience. Both the fall and spring trimesters are approached in a place-based thematic format, with each culminating with an expedition to the studied region, including parts of Oregon, other parts of the United States, and Latin America.
By approaching the curriculum through an integrated studies method, upper school students gain a better understanding of all of the different “angles” to examine a topic. Learning becomes more meaningful. Students become more engaged.
In this way, our college preparatory curriculum is also a life preparatory curriculum. Our students cultivate 21st century skills that enable them to appreciate that all learning is interdisciplinary, that any question or problem can be tackled with curiosity and creativity, and that approaching opportunities both inside and outside the classroom this way leads to a more enriching experience. Students engage in collaborative projects, meaningful writing assignments, multimedia presentations, and discussion-based classes. We are never done learning to work with others, but it is never too early to start.
Our students are advised in several ways by faculty at Cascades Academy. Each student has a faculty advisor with whom they regularly check in about their coursework and projects and school/life balance. Students also work with our college counselor who provides individualized post-secondary advice based on thorough knowledge of the students as well as the higher education landscape.
Additionally, SAT/ACT preparation, essay writing, and time to devote to college applications is all built into the academic schedule to mitigate the evening and weekend time spent on the process. We are pleased to say that our graduating seniors were offered over $600,000 in scholarships this year and will be attending colleges and universities that are the right fit for their personalities and goals.
We recognize that an academics only approach to education is not an “every angle” approach. As such, the school’s college preparatory curriculum balances engaging classroom work with meaningful experiences outside of the classroom including professional internships, service learning, fine arts classes, exciting travel and outdoor education.
Internships are an eight-month endeavor chosen by the students to pursue their particular professional passion. Past internships include writing and publishing a book, to work with legal aid, software development and engineering, metalsmithing, and architecture.
Service learning enables our students to contribute to our larger Central Oregon community through volunteerism with the food bank, organizing blood drives, trail work, and other projects students are inspired to undertake.
Upper school students are also regularly outdoors through our skiing/snowboarding program in the winter, and opportunities to hike, bike, climb, paddle, and float, while learning important technique and safety along the way. This dynamic learning environment fosters lifelong learners, critical, independent thinkers, and socially conscious individuals.
Our intimate learning environment also cultivates a unique sense of community. With class sizes of 10-20 students, teachers identify how to help each individual student reach his/her unique potential. And students develop supportive, meaningful relationships with each other. This kind of caring, collaborative community is an important part of who we are, and we invite you to come and experience it for yourself!
As one parent so eloquently put it, “Our son, and our family as a whole, has been welcomed into a community that values his academic learning but equally as important his social learning. We have seen his confidence grow and he has thoroughly enjoyed waking up in the morning and going to school each day. As parents, we feel blessed to know he is at a school that truly loves and values him for the individual he is and honors each child in their own way.”
Cascades Academy, hendrickson@cascadesacademy.org, 541-382-0699 x132, 19860 Tumalo Reservoir Rd., Bend, www.cascadesacademy.org
