Academic Journey

From grades 6 through 12 in each and every course, students at KO are expected to write, orally defend, hypothesize, analyze and work cooperatively as they make their way through our curriculum. In so doing, they are taught and then practice again and again the skills that turn them into inquisitive learners for a lifetime. 

This is a relation-rich community, and we work hard at developing strong relationships with our students, our athletes and our advisees. The nature of this tight-knit school, with its small classes and advisee groups, is that students are granted enormous respect and given great responsibility by both their teachers and peers. As a result, students feel supported in a way that inspires them to take risks, overcome challenges and step outside of their comfort zones. Both in and outside of the classroom, our students stretch to achieve more, oftentimes surprising themselves with their abilities and interests in areas they hadn’t considered before. 

When students enter KO, they begin a journey of self-discovery, learning from the experiences and challenges they encounter. We intentionally place them in positions that stretch them both academically and personally, with the knowledge that they will have a soft place to land if they happen to fall short of their goals. Part of that process of self-discovery is learning to pick themselves up and move on in their journey, developing the important skill of resiliency. Our curriculum, from starting point to finish, gives students these opportunities regardless of the grade or subject level. Each year builds on the one before both in terms of skill and subject matter. Each year provides students the set of teachers and advisors adept at shepherding those in that particular age group along in their journey. At graduation, our students emerge with a clear understanding of who they are as lifelong learners and as citizens of the world, ready to take advantage of all that college has to offer. Their measurable changes have become a part of them, the sum total of an accumulation of experiences that came about by taking full advantage of the curricular and extracurricular experiences available to all of our students.