Curriculum & Departments

Define Yourself at Emma!

Emma Willard School's curriculum is designed to set students on a path to becoming confident, prepared, appreciated, and reflective citizens.

The ability to think abstractly and critically occurs at the very time that peer relationships become more meaningful and one’s own sense of identity is nourished. High school has a critical impact on a student’s path toward achievement and wellbeing. We designed our curriculum with these key factors in mind.

Our curriculum helps you focus your future aspirations, and equips you with the interdisciplinary knowledge and critical reflection skills that competitive colleges are looking for. We offer over 130 courses any given semester, as well as opportunities for you to pursue an interest through our personalized, experiential learning through Practicum and Signature. Our Advanced Studies curriculum focuses on what matters most in learning—relevance, enduring understanding, and multidisciplinary connection.

Choose a department below to read more about what to expect from an Emma education.

Whether you’re interested in studying multivariable calculus, Shakespearean tragedy, theatre, or global climate change, Emma has a course to fit your interest. Download our course catalog for more details and graduation requirements.

Course Catalog

Emma Willard School students dancing at the fall dance assembly

Arts Department

The arts department offers a variety of courses in music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Students have the opportunity to learn vocabulary and problem-solving and performing techniques that are unique to each discipline. Our course offerings are designed for students of all levels of interest and proficiency so that students are able to explore new areas as well as study a particular art form in depth.

Program Pillars

Intellectual Flexibility Purpose & Community Equity & Justice

Elements of the Emma Experience

Creating Community

students sitting on lawn — *Students enjoy the Triangle Party.*

From day one, the Emma Experience centers around creating community, both inside and outside the classroom.

Bonding and Belonging

Students begin their Emma journey spending time together in retreat at Camp Chingachgook on Lake George. They bond together over team-building activities and have ongoing opportunities to participate in activities that allow them to get to know one another and explore their own identity. They gather for hot cocoa and cookies with Head of School Jenny Rao and write a letter to themselves. These class bonding activities continue throughout students' time at Emma, with special traditions for each class. At the end of their time at Emma, students return to Camp Chingachgook for their senior retreat and revisit the letter they wrote to themselves four years earlier—one last celebration of their years together!

Advisory

All students benefit from an advisor, including a dedicated team of advisors who work exclusively with ninth graders, addressing the unique challenges students face when coming to a new school. Advisors guide students through the selection of classes, registration, key activities and responsibilities during the school year, and communicate with families. A students' advisory group can become like their family, sharing meals together on special occasions and gathering regularly for support.

Expanded View of Learning

Emma READY

“What does it mean to be an Emma student?” “Who am I at Emma?” Emma READY supports students' transition to Emma Willard School and helps students answer these questions by reflecting, conversing, applying skills, getting curious, listening, and sharing. In Emma READY, we explore the many skills that are critical and relevant in a students’ life, merging the academic student and the well/healthy individual. Visit the READY S eminar page for details.

Experiential Learning

Emma Willard School offers students a rich learning experience that goes beyond what is traditionally seen in a high school classroom. Experiential learning, which includes Project-Based Learning (PBL), Problem-Based Learning (PrBL), and Service Learning (SL) are foundational pedagogies present throughout our core courses that allow our students to expand their understanding of what it means to learn. Students experiment, apply knowledge and skills to novel situations, and engage in authentic creative expression.

Ask "So What?"

The question may seem simple, but this Essential Question (EQ) is designed to focus students' attention on learning with purpose and connection. We challenge students to reflect not only on what they are learning but why they are learning it. To supplement this shared EQ, each department adopts discipline-specific EQs focused on the skills, content, and methods of their subject.

Time for Reflection

Reflection practices are embedded in the day-to-day workings of each course at Emma Willard School. Throughout the year, students are asked to reflect on their work and progress in each of their classes. The musings, insights, focused reflection, and resulting actionable goals set by students and their teachers are recorded to support students in developing agency in their learning and create a culture of self-reflection for growth.

Rather than the traditional practice of teachers sending comments to students each semester, the Emma Willard School promotes student-led comments. That means that students have the opportunity to assess their own performance and feelings about their progress. Teachers then respond to the students' comments with their own observations.

Interested in joining the faculty at Emma Willard School? We practice "continuous recruitment" and collect resumes year-round to quickly have on file when positions become available.

More details

2023-24 Academic Calendar (pdf)