The Upper School
Like most independent schools, the Upper School faculty and staff at Rabun Gap provide a strong college-preparatory curriculum designed to foster curiosity and life-long learning, but unlike most, we do so in an environment that is uniquely friendly and active. Walk the corridors of Hodgson Hall on any given day and you are likely to encounter a lively scene. Here, our students move from class to class, exchanging enthusiasm for what they have learned and the opportunities they have received as students at Rabun Gap. Move into any classroom and you will find teachers actively committed to the success of each child. In Mr. Jaffe's Algebra II class, students are likely to be working together at the board explaining their steps to strengthen their math and communication skills. Mr. Jaffe is known for his writing assignments and math journals; he believes that his students' ability to explain what they know is a clear measure of how well they know it. Down the hall, in Mr. Shepherd's classroom, you might find juniors and seniors enacting scenes from Hamlet or collaboratively composing thesis statements on the board for their next writing assignment. Across the courtyard in the Morris Brown Science Building, you will see students in our labs conducting hands-on experiments or listening to a guest speaker share the latest research about the brain in our college-style Lecture Hall.
Our students tell us repeatedly that they find at Rabun Gap a welcoming spirit, free of typical socio-economic and/or ethnic divisions common in most high schools. Here, it's cool to be smart and not-so-cool to be unprepared. Our students work hard and are proud of their efforts, and they support each other as they face the challenges of a rigorous curriculum. In short, Rabun Gap is different and we are committed to maintaining the elements that distinguish us among our peers.
Come and see for yourself. Contact our Admissions Office and schedule a tour of our campus or have your child shadow a student for a day. We are excited about what we are doing and eager to share our story.
