Upper School
Confidence in knowing.
What comes next begins today.
The skills you gain, the strengths you discover, and the knowledge you attain will set the stage for every act to follow.
Welcome to Upper School
“Breck has given me a learning environment with supportive classmates and teachers who help me grow both in and out of the classroom.”
Max Upper School Student
In the Upper School,
we challenge and inspire our students to strive for excellence.
Our academically rigorous curriculum is brought to life by our veteran faculty. Each Breck teacher knows and cares about their students — and inspires them to pursue challenging and rewarding academic opportunities each day.
Developing each student’s unique talents, spirit, and potential is central to our mission. We encourage students to carve their own path, led by the ongoing discovery of where their interests meet their potential. Through competitive athletic teams, vibrant visual and performing arts programs, and a robust community partnerships program, Breck graduates leave our campus with a healthy understanding of the complex world they are entering. More importantly, they graduate with the skills to compete, the confidence to lead, and the empathy to serve.
Troy Baker, Ed.D. Upper School Director
Tomorrow begins today.
Personalization and Press
Students work hard at Breck. It’s through connecting to them as individuals that we know how best to push them without overwhelming them. Our weekly tutorial periods mirror the office hours at most colleges and universities and allow our teachers, advisors, and college counselors to guide students as they chart their course to college and beyond.
Academic Opportunities
At Breck, our rigorous and wide-ranging academic program prepares students for what’s next. We offer an Upper School student experience that blends foundational courses with opportunities to dig deep into content areas through advanced, honors, AP, world language, and May Program courses.
Tomorrow today.
Firmly rooted in our mission to create confident learners, Breck’s academic program equips students with a well-rounded education that will support them as they move on to college and beyond.
Schedule
Our daily schedule has a rhythm similar to a college campus.
Designed by our tenured faculty and guided by research from Breck’s Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education, this approach allows students time for deeper exploration and more meaningful discussions. It also teaches them the demands and time management skills they’ll need for their future education.
Teacher Accessibility
We ask every student to complete one task: do Breck well. To us, this is defined by taking advantage of the many pathways created for connection, creativity, and deeper learning. Our small class sizes allow students to connect with their teachers on a one-to-one basis and partner with our faculty as learners and collaborators.
Set for every stage.
Learning doesn’t only occur in the classroom. We offer these programs so students can broaden their passions, deepen their interests, and create their most authentic experience while they’re here.
At Breck, we see athletics as an extension of the classroom. Whether on the court or on the field, student-athletes are always learning new ways to lead, collaborate, and work toward a common goal, all while strengthening their mental and physical health. Our coaching staff is dedicated to teaching commitment and preparation, personal growth and teamwork, and urge our students toward excellence independent of outcome.
The Performing Arts at Breck provide students more than just the chance to grow and explore their own self-expression and creativity — it’s a chance for them to build something together. Through dance, music, and theatre, students gain first hand exposure to the arts and develop the skills and discipline to create as a group.
Our Visual Arts Department is studiobased at its very core. Students create work in vivid, beautiful studio spaces under the guidance of real working artists who share their knowledge, talent, enthusiasm, and inspirations that rouse their imagination.
Please see the course guide at breckschool.org/academics/upper-school for more details.
Health & Physical Ed. Health and Performance Physiology
Visual Arts Photography Creative Design Photography I–IV Photo Studio I–II AP 2D Art and Design
1 semester of Physical Education OR 3 sports for 2 years, 2 sports for 3 years, OR 2 semesters of dance
Creative Design Draw/Paint I–IV Draw/Paint Studio I–II AP Drawing
2D
Dance Advanced Dance Repertory
Dance
Creative Design Ceramics I–IV Ceramics Studio I–II AP 3D Art and Design (Ceramic)
3D
Theatre Actors Workshop: Film and Monologues Actors Workshop: Musical and Classics Advanced Studio Theatre Theater Production I–II Advanced Theatrical Design: Scenery Advanced Theatrical Design: Light & Sound
Religion* (Semester-long course)
World Religions I
World Religions II
Bioethics Ethics Religious Imagery in Film Theologies of Liberation Performing Arts
Spanish VII: Advanced Spanish Literature & Culture Advanced Spanish for Immersion Students & Heritage Speakers I–II
World Languages
Spanish Spanish I–VI AP Spanish Language & Culture
French French I–VI AP French Language & Culture French VII: Advanced French Literature & Culture Advanced French for Immersion Students & Heritage Speakers I–II
Upper
School
Voices Advanced Concert Chorale Symphonic Winds/Jazz Ensemble String Orchestra Advanced Chamber Players Music and Film Music Psychology Music Theory I AP Music Theory
Music
Advanced Chinese Seminar I–II Advanced Chinese for Immersion Students & Heritage Speakers I–II
Chinese Chinese I–VI
U.S. History Advanced History Research (grade 12 only) African American Studies Research.
AP
History U.S. History AP U.S. History Year-Long Electives AP Art History AP European History AP U.S. History Semester Electives Varying course themes such as Economics, American Elections, and Honors
Func./Stat./Trig. Precalculus Calculus AP Calculus AB Advanced Mathematics Research AP Computer Science A Calculus AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP Stats Advanced Topics in Mathematics Science Physics Honors Physics Advanced Physics Chemistry AP Chemistry Biology AP Biology Year-Long Electives AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Physics C Advanced Physics Advanced Science Research Semester Electives Engineering Advanced Molecular Biology Robotics Anatomy and Physiology
Electives available throughout Upper School
11 AP Language & Composition AP Literature AP Literature AP Language & Composition Creative Writing* Self in the World* Advanced English Scholarship & Research *advanced version available Mathematics Algebra 1B Algebra II Honors Adv. Algebra Geometry Computer Science I–II Algebra II Precalculus Honors Precalculus Calculus Computer Science I–II
Curriculum Overview
Leave no idea unexplored.
World Languages
With Chinese, French, or Spanish to choose from, our World Language program exposes Upper School students to new people, cultures, and ideas. It enhances a student’s capacity to speak languages and develop a lifelong appreciation for other people and cultures.
Religious Studies
At Breck, our Religious Studies program emphasizes understanding religion as lived, diverse, and dynamic, knowing the ways religion functions as a part of peoples’ lives and society as a whole.
Advanced Research Opportunities
For students in grade 11 and grade 12 with the ambition for advanced study, we offer four highly regarded research programs in English, History, Mathematics, and Science. Guided by professional mentors and expert faculty, students pursue college-level research projects, working in labs and professional settings on some of the most essential subjects facing our society.
idea unexplored.
At Breck, we urge every student to pursue knowledge in and out of the classroom.
May Program
Students thrive when given the opportunity to pursue their interests. Which is why, every year, Upper School students take part in May Program. During this two week program, grade 9 and 10 students have more than 50 short courses to choose from; at the same time, grade 11 and 12 students pursue internships or immersive trips domestically or internationally.
Community Engagement
Social responsibility is central to a Breck education. Therefore, Upper School students engage with one of over 38 Twin Cities community partners each week. Whether working with preschoolers at our local Head Start chapter or packing nourishing meals, every student is urged to serve our neighbors.
Clubs
We want to encourage students to pursue their passions, and maybe even discover a few new ones. From experimenting with robotics or writing for the student newspaper, debating in Model UN, or advocating for the environment, there’s always a new and exciting way to make friends, learn more, and grow together.
Student Leadership
Breck students are integral to the leadership of our school and have the opportunity to serve on one of six of our student councils, as well as councils in advocacy, arts, athletics, community action, and DEI.
Forward to the future.
At Breck, preparation for college goes well beyond grades.
College Counseling
Preparing for college can be overwhelming. Which is why, at Breck, nobody does it alone. Starting in grade 10, students meet their college counselor to discuss interests, prepare for standardized testing, and develop a plan to achieve their academic goals. We work together with families to ensure every student is confident and pointed in the right direction for whatever’s next.
Senior Speeches
Every week, Upper School students gather to hear speeches presented by their classmates. During this cherished Breck tradition, students have the opportunity to share a personally meaningful topic with the community, often reflecting on the impact of their Breck experience. Senior speeches are a culminating and formational experience for our graduates.
