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Academics at Harley: The Continuum

Students Are at the Center of What We Do.

Many schools talk about being student-centered, but at Harley, we live it! Our focus is on engaging students in their learning process, so they become active learning agents and develop the autonomy they need to succeed at the next level. In an era focused on high stakes testing, we emphasize depth of learning over the broad general knowledge at the heart of most curricula. And, we keep human interaction at the heart of all we do.

Our program offers students the opportunity to develop passions, to go beyond the basic skills and knowledge that are the foundations of learning (and that we insist all students learn) to a level of complexity not found in most classrooms.

Nursery

Students in Nursery learn naturally through play, the way in which human beings have socialized and educated children for centuries. Our classrooms are language-rich environments, and students develop language and reading skills through song, group read-alouds, and the daily one-on-one interactions with teachers who guide and direct their play to be meaningful learning opportunities. Mathematics and science are infused throughout all we do (such as counting the number of caterpillars students encounter on our natural playground). A sense of discovery grounds the experiences of our Nursery students.

Lower School

Just as children learn to ride a bike at different ages, students master fundamental skills and knowledge when they are developmentally ready. The reading and writing approach in our Lower School recognizes the importance of meeting students at the level where they are, using materials that allow our teachers to both engage students in common themes and meet their individual learning needs. Our themed approach allows students to interact on equal footing and encourages the development of communication and collaboration skills that are hallmarks of the later years. 

Students are exposed to a variety of experiences that stretch them and foster their total development: regular physical education, daily recess on our natural playground, exposure to French and Spanish, music and creative movement, visual arts, and project-based learning. This extends the student experience beyond the traditional subject areas of an elementary education, ultimately fostering a joy in learning that serves as the foundation of student engagement in future years.

Middle School

In the Middle School years, our program captures student excitement and energy and helps them focus it productively on academic and social learning. Students are given more opportunities to demonstrate their learning capacities, whether through their individual work or group projects. They are invited to wrestle with difficult problems in math and science, to consider central questions of humanity in English and history classes, and to propose novel solutions in cross-disciplinary experiences when teachers work together across subjects. An overarching question asked at this level is, “What does it mean for me to be a contributing member of the group?”  

Teacher interactions with students and our advisory program focus on promoting positive social interactions and a sense of belonging. Our students receive curriculum aimed specifically at their developmental needs.

Middle School is also a time for exploration and discovery, as students in Grades 6-8 participate in Flex Time—an elective experience for students at the end of the school day—and begin to participate more fully in school activities such as drama productions and interscholastic sports.

Upper School

Our Upper School academics are challenging by nature, and within the various subject areas, students can typically find advanced courses to provide additional opportunities to nurture their academic passions. Special interests are supported in the 40+ elective courses and 18 Advanced Placement offerings available to students, and in addition, students often develop and pursue independent studies with a faculty mentor when they have a specific topic they would like to investigate.  

This culture of inquiry is perhaps best represented by the capstone projects many seniors undertake, when they choose a half or full-year research topic and then present on it at the end of the year in a series of presentations that many have observed is akin to a senior thesis or graduate defense at the collegiate levels. 

Our students don’t only excel academically: at this level, there is a shared community expectation (reinforced by our graduation requirements) that students should participate in the arts, athletics, and community service.   

During the high school years, our Upper School students are ready to exhibit a level of autonomy and personal agency that is not seen at most schools. Watch them carefully, and you will notice that they are completing school work, reading for pleasure, or engaged in conversation with their peers; in reality, they are practicing their own autonomy with a level of responsibility and adult oversight that will prepare them for the bigger freedoms of college life. Perhaps most impressively, the Upper School experience is centered around the egalitarian relationships between faculty and students.  

Students at the Center.

From the earliest ages to our senior classes, you should expect to see engaged learners, responsive faculty, and challenging academics in a learning environment based on curiosity, drive, collaboration, autonomy, and excellence.

The Harley School

1981 Clover Street
Rochester, NY 14618
(585) 442-1770

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©2023 The Harley School

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College Counseling

Harley’s Approach to College Counseling is highly individualized and student-centered. Students have direct access to college counselors throughout their Upper School experience, but really, each student is part of a team including faculty, administration, and staff. It’s our job to support each student and we want nothing more than to send students on to the next step of their journey at a right fit school for them. The student centered and driven process is wrapped in care, expertise, and professionalism.

We host college reps during times students are available (no need to miss a class) so they can make connections and learn more about potential schools. We also arrange campus visits for classes as field trips, host an alumni college day (where recent Upper School graduates return to share advice and answer questions), and help connect students with our international alumni network. In fact, representatives from schools all over the world actively seek opportunities to come to Harley and meet with our students!

Our college counselors are accredited and are part of national/global conversations on admission trends. They also attend and present at conferences across the country.

Beginning with our Grade 11 parent night, we offer informational sessions for parents, including one devoted just to financial aid. Our partnership with families is critical, as the college admissions world changes very quickly and having an expert to guide students and families through the process is essential.

View the downloadable College Counseling Guide

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Athletics

​Each and every year, students at The Harley School participate in HAC Athletics, and their success continues to be impressive, both as students and athletes. Our athletic program is an integral part of Harley, teaching student-athletes invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management, persistence, and competition.  Our program allows them to develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally as they represent their school on and off the field. They grow, mature, and work hard to be the best teammate they can, while creating lifelong memories with teammates who often remain friends for life. 

Helping our athletes to reach their potential are some of HAC’s best assets: our coaches. More often than not, they are drawn from the ranks of our faculty and  have a deep understanding of the personalities and abilities of the student-athletes on their teams.  

We strive to find the right balance of academics, exercise, and personal growth for everyone.  By offering a variety of sports at many different levels, all student-athletes find a sport they can be successful in. It is with great pride and pleasure that my team and I work to enrich the athletic lives of all our HAC student-athletes. Go Wolves! 

To learn more check out our athletics page.

Student Leadership

Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes.

– Independent study: one trimester, full year, and multi-year projects have included automating our solar chimneys, coding handmade musical instruments, or developing a class on financial literacy for underserved high school students.

– Serving on student council

– STEM: Climate curriculum program, biomimicry program, NASA Hunch program

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Hospice

Unlike this class, death is not an elective. Although it is one of two universal human experiences, our culture often ignores, denies, or misconstrues the true nature of death and dying. What happens when we bear witness to this natural process in the cycle of life and develop our ability to be fully present with others when they need us more than ever? It has the potential to change us deeply and fundamentally while shining a brilliant light on the path of our own lives.

With the support of their classmates, teacher, and comfort care home communities, senior students are offered the chance to care for others who truly need their purposeful, non-judgmental attention. In the home-like setting of a comfort care home, opportunities for learning extend beyond a traditional classroom rubric and conventional methods of evaluation. In this course, students will certainly find tangible “learning outcomes” by studying the medical/physical processes associated with dying and the basic nursing assistant skills of comfort care. The ultimate goal, however, will always be rooted in true relationships and connection, which occurs only through empathy and compassion.

Learn more about the Hospice Program at Harley HERE.

Capstone/Independent Studies

This program utilizes environmentally-focused approaches to education and hands-on learning in order to foster the next generation of leaders through a lens of sustainability and problem-solving.

Food & Farm: These year-long and trimester-long classes are held outside as much as possible, allowing students to become leaders in our various growing spaces. They cover environmental justice issues as well as hands-on work such as planning and overseeing planting, harvesting, and preparation of the gardens.

Past year-long focus projects have included: Creating a native plant shade garden in the Wild Wood area, redesigning our hydroponic system, overhauling Harley’s high tunnel, and improving the irrigation system for the MicroFarm.

Culinary Arts: These classes have a two-fold purpose: to give students practical skills in cooking and the science behind different techniques in the kitchen, learning about food justice, food sourcing, labor topics, and sustainability.

Past topics have included: Examining a plant-based diet, looking at the carbon footprint of different meals and food preparation methods, proposing a low carbon footprint menu to the dining hall, links between food labeling and environmental issues of food production.

Beekeeping: This one trimester class provides hands-on training in beekeeping, how to be a beekeeper, and safety and other techniques for working with bees. Once trained students help with all aspects of Harley beekeeping such as hive inspections, honey collection and extraction, and teaching students in Lower School about our hives.

Students pick a research topic addressing honeybee health and the larger environmental picture.

Social Justice

At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.

Our faculty integrate social justice into our broader curriculum to assist students in gaining a foundational knowledge about what makes a democracy function. By gaining skills in ideating supportive pathways they become more exposed and experienced to how communities can undergo healing and restorative actions.

 

Capstone/Independent Studies

Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. They are empowered to create their own curriculum, set goals, and work on time management skills in order to accomplish their objectives.

Independent Studies run the gamut from The Psychology of Sports to Furniture Design to The Neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s Disease. Capstones, meanwhile, are as diverse as the students who pursue them: Fictional Rochester, Autobiographical Art, Biomimicry Education, Organic Fuel, and Rochester Refugees. 

Indicative of Upper School curiosity and creativity, pursuits such as these distinguish our graduates in college. Through deep dives of this sort, Harley students master more than speaking, writing, and computing: they learn to communicate, advocate, collaborate, organize, listen, and empathize. 

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