Overview - High School

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During their high school years, young people develop cognitive skills that allow them to reason and think abstractly. Although, as learners, they still need to understand the purpose and relevance of instructional activities, they require fewer concrete examples to understand complex thoughts.

At Toobaa Academy, we have prepared our students to succeed in high school. None of our girls have developed cognitive barriers because of academic failure or lack or self-confidence since our educational philosophy in both elementary and middle school has never allowed for imposing censure during the learning process, nor have we discouraged any enthusiasm for pursuing specific subjects of interest.
 

Instead, we have preserved their self-esteem and nurtured learning for learning’s sake in the spirit of John C. Holt. At the same time, we do encourage academic excellence by offering rigorous Honors courses. Our girls are well-prepared to take REGENTS, SAT, ACT examinations and prepare applications to send to top universities, and they each receive counseling about career opportunities.  

We also give our girls opportunities to learn foreign languages other than English (such as Arabic, Russian, Japanese and Spanish) to broaden their understanding of the world, and we encourage them to participate in competitive sports (such as swimming and fencing) so that they will have a well-balanced educational experience.

In High School, our students are given the opportunity to spend time away from home and the distractions from city life at our Spiritual Retreats in Virginia. It is here that they can spend time alone in nature and contemplate the spiritual world. They enjoy the experience of bonding with horses; looking up at the sky and seeing the moon, and stars; smelling the fresh air; and listening to the beautiful sounds of the creatures that share our world. When our girls graduate, they will not only take the knowledge they have gained and the memories they have gathered in Toobaa Academy, but they also will be well prepared to make a profound difference in society and bring about positive changes to our expanding world.  

We are committed to emboldening our girls with the confidence, tenacity, and resilience to find their own path and success in life, through a modern and forward-thinking bespoke education built around a foundation of championing social enterprise, forging global perspectives, and celebrating language and culture, lived out in our everyday life.

We prepare girls to play an active part in our increasingly global society. Our international community, made up of students and staff from many different countries across the world, enables girls to grow in understanding of other cultures and customs and to take their place as world citizens who will have positive influence and impact on the lives of others. Our aspirational environment motivates, challenges, encourages and supports each girl.

Each girl’s Toobaa experience should be happy and fulfilling, making friendships that last a lifetime and instilling confidence and independence to face future challenges. Our girls should feel able to seize every opportunity to develop as confident leaders, team players, ready to ‘have a go’ and learn from all we offer. We celebrate a culture of achievement that sets no limits and which enables each and every one to become the best she can be.