Head of School: Joel Weiss
Head of Upper School: Peggy Smith

School Hours: Upper School classes begin daily at 8:15 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.  Students may remain on campus after school hours for sports or drama activities.

Upper School Tuition: $21,695

School Calendar: We follow a traditional school calendar with the exception to taking off the week of Thanksgiving, and two two-week vacations during the winter holiday and in the spring.

Upper School Philosophy: Our Upper School program follows an approach to teaching and learning, which takes into account the unique developmental characteristics and needs of young adolescent students.  Our primary goals are: 1) to prepare students for high school through a varied and rigorous academic program; 2) to expose students to a wide array of educational experiences and to encourage them to take risks and try new things; and 3) to instill in each student a high degree of self-knowledge and self-confidence.  While we focus deliberately on the academic growth of students, we pay close attention to their social and emotional development as well. Class size ranges from 11-18 students, which is conducive to forming close, comfortable, dynamic working relationships between students and teachers.

Upper School Structure: The Upper School academic program is departmentalized; students work with a different teacher in each of the academic areas.  A deliberate effort is made to integrate the curriculum as much as possible, allowing students to make connections among areas of study.  The daily schedule is flexible to allow for varied learning experiences.  Classes in mathematics and Spanish meet in one 90-minute “block” class period and three 45-minute class periods per week.  English, social studies, and science classes meet in two 90-minutes blocks and one 45-minute class period per week.

Curriculum:

Sixth Graders pursue a course of study composed of classes in English, world geography (with a focus on physical and cultural geography), world cultures and religions, Spanish, mathematics, science, music, art, computer skills, drama, physical education, and seminar (a weekly class which focuses on the physical/social/emotional aspects of young adolescent development).

Seventh Graders are offered classes in English, word history, Spanish, mathematics, science, music, studio art, video production and digital imaging, drama, physical education, and seminar (see above).  Seventh graders also participate in the QED program pursuing an individualized project that matches students with community mentors in an area of interest beyond the Crane curriculum.

Eighth Grade classes include English, American history, current events, Spanish, mathematics, science, music, studio art, video production and digital imaging, drama, physical education, and seminar (see above).  Eighth Grade students also make a current event oral presentation to the Crane community in Assembly as part of the requirements for graduation.