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
“In Upper School, you get to discover who you are and what you want to become in the future.”
Dammee 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.
Spree MacDonald, Ph.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, studentathletes 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.
World Languages Chinese Chinese I–VI Advanced Chinese for Immersion & Heritage Learners I–II Advanced Chinese Seminar I–II French French I–V AP French Language & Culture Advanced French Literature & Culture Advanced French for Immersion & Heritage Learners I–II Spanish Spanish I–V AP Spanish Language & Culture Advanced Spanish Literature & Culture Advanced Spanish for Immersion & Heritage Learners I–II
Visual Arts
Science
Grade 9 Physics Honors Physics Advanced Physics Grade 10 Chemistry AP Chemistry Electives
Grade 11 Biology AP Biology Electives Grade 12 Electives
Semester Electives Engineering Robotics Anatomy and Physiology Advanced Molecular Biology Honors Science Research Yearlong Electives AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Physics C Advanced Physics Advanced Science Research
Religion World Religions I Philosophy of Religion
Physical Ed. & Health Health and Performance Physiology
Performing Arts
Band Symphonic Winds & Jazz Ensemble Choir Upper School Voices Advanced Concert Chorale
Bioethics Moral Philosophy Religious Imagery in Film Theologies of Liberation
Earn 6 additional PE units through any combination of: Breck Athletics (1 PE unit per season) OR PE courses (3 PE units/quarter or 6 PE units/semester)
Dance Dance Advanced Dance Repertory Music: Craft & Cognition Music Theory I Music Psychology Music and Film AP Music Theory
Orchestra String Ensemble Advanced Chamber Players Theater Theatrical Production I & II Actor’s Workshop Advanced Studio Theater
History
Grade 9 Modern World History
Semester Electives History of Terrorism Labor Studies Sports in America Modern Chinese History The Ancient World WWII & the Holocaust Economics I & II Honors
Grade 10 U.S. History AP U.S. History Grades 11 and 12
English English 9: Close Reading & Analytical Writing
Grade 9
English 10: Composition & Rhetoric
Grade 10
English 11: Inquiry & Synthesis AP Language & Composition AP Literature & Composition
English 12: Self & Revision Creative Writing Honors English 12: Self & Revision Honors Creative Writing AP Language & Composition AP Literature & Composition Advanced English Scholarship and Research
Grade 11
Grade 12
Please see the course guide at breckschool.org/academics/upper-school for more details.
Curriculum Overview
Leave no unexplored.
Domestic & International Experiential Learning
Students have the opportunity to develop a lifelong appreciation for other people and cultures through our diverse domestic and international trip offerings, which have included travel to China, Mexico, Morocco, and the American South, among others.
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 grades 11 and 12, we offer four highly regarded research programs in English, History, Mathematics, and Science. Guided by professional mentors and expert faculty, students pursue collegelevel research projects, working in labs and professional settings on some of the most essential subjects facing our society.
Global Partnerships
The American School of Madrid and Breck are proud partners in an exchange program, where students in grade 10 have the transformative opportunity to engage in rigorous academic coursework, participate in extracurricular activities, and foster an understanding of global perspectives for a semester in Spain.
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.
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.
