Georgetown Day School is dedicated to providing a supportive educational atmosphere in which teachers challenge the intellectual, creative, and physical abilities of our students and foster strength of character and concern for others, encouraging students to wonder, inquire, and be self-reliant.
The GDS High School is a community of 1075 students and 70 teachers known for the depth and breadth of its college preparatory program and for its supportive and challenging atmosphere. The relationships among students, faculty, and administration are predicated on respect and honesty. Recognized as individuals, students are granted a great deal of freedom yet are expected to live up to the standards and values that permeate and define the School.
The High School cultivates in its students a deep appreciation of the humanities, mathematics and science, and the arts. Block scheduling, Advanced Placement (AP) and honors courses in nearly all disciplines, and the ability to shape their program provide students with opportunities for academic exploration and challenge. Graduating students complete a minimum of four years of assigned English and one year of a literature elective; two successive years of the same foreign language; two years of mathematics at the high school level, including geometry and algebra II; two years of laboratory science, including one year of a life science and the other a physical science; three years of history and social science; one year of studio and one year of performing art; and two years of physical education. Nearly all students commit themselves to a schedule that goes well beyond the minimum graduation requirements.
The foremost goal of a GDS High School education is preparation for college and life beyond. Young people achieve most when they are enthusiastic about their studies, work closely with their teachers, and involve themselves in a range of activities. GDS strives to instill moral and ethical values that result in an appreciation of others and a willingness to serve the larger community. We seek to graduate young men and women eager for a lifetime of learning, who can work independently but value cooperation, and who have experienced the satisfaction that comes from completing a task to the best of ones abilities.
