About Avenues

Educational Objectives

A great school spends many years defining its expectations, knowing they are the DNA of the institution, the “design specs” of the school. Avenues’ primary educational objectives for its students include:

1. Core Academic Skills.

Avenues students will graduate with exceptional academic skills. Reading, the portal to virtually all learning, will be the most important subject on which Avenues focuses. Writing well will be emphasized, as students who possess this skill will have a growing competitive advantage. Finally, one cannot navigate modern life without strong numeracy.

2. Global Preparedness.

The name Avenues: The World School was carefully chosen. Avenues will prepare students for life in a world with continuously fading borders. Components include fluency in at least one other language; completion of The World Course, a non-western-centric combination of history, geography and world issues that spirals throughout all years of Avenues; and the opportunity to participate in five overseas learning opportunities with particular focus on China, India, Latin America, Africa and Europe.

3. An Area of Depth and Excellence.

Increasingly higher educational institutions are looking for students who have a demonstrated area of excellence, whether that is playing the cello, running the 1,500 meters, or writing one’s first novel. An Avenues student will be exposed to a wide range of knowledge and, starting in Upper School, delve deeply into a self-chosen field of learning, whether art, music, sports or history. The Avenues mastery program is a concept not often encountered below the college level.

4. Values.

Avenues will actively teach the core moral and ethical values one would expect. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal. Another character trait will be particularly emphasized, though: don’t be afraid.

5. Life Skills.

Avenues will embrace practical matters so often ignored by academic institutions. Students will become comfortable with a variety of life skills, including practical matters such as time management and technological competency.

6. Fitness.

Sporting opportunities will be plentiful, but fitness will be ubiquitous. All students will be expected to develop a personal regimen of exercise by the time they graduate. Diet will be a topic, best modeled by what occurs in Avenues’ dining halls.

7. Entry into Great Higher Education.

Avenues will help place every Avenues student in an important college, university or other higher-education institution. Throughout the world there are many superb higher education programs. Avenues will know them, make sure they know and respect graduates of an Avenues education, and help each student find the best school for his or her goals—whether that be Princeton or Pratt, Harvard or Howard, Amherst or Annapolis.

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