Academics

Upper School

The New School's Upper School spans 7th - 12th grade, with the first graduating class in 2020. Small, seminar-style classes take place in modular classrooms, where the curriculum is college-preparatory, but also life-preparatory. Students attend a minimum 5 course academic load, with stimulating courses taught by discipline specific teachers with co-curricular opportunities.

The academic program is hands-on and experiential, exemplified by our field experiences around the country and our STEAM-focused Innovation Center, which houses 3-D printers, a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, and a full woodworking/metal-working lab. Our innovative Flex periods are designed to allow students to pursue their passions, from the science behind making tea, to the process required to design a board game, to data analysis utilizing neural networks. Students work from laptops, occasionally shifting to iPads, and with a fully wireless campus, our classes can go wherever the learning takes them.

Alena Guillory, Class of 2022

Alena has been a part of The New School family for a total of three years.

"I believe that what makes The New School so unique is the feeling of family that teachers and fellow classmates provide," Alena said. " I take comfort in the fact that I know my teachers will always have my back and be people I can come to for support. I have no doubt in my mind that the friends I have made here over the years will be lifelong and I believe that is all due to The New School's loving and supportive environment in which I call my second home."

"The New School has prepared me for life after graduation in countless amounts of ways, but I believe what it has prepared me for most is how to sustain healthy and professional relationships with those we work with. The New School's encouragement of group work has provided me with an idea of what a healthy work and educational environment should look like."

Upper School Office

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of J.R. Neiswender

    J.R. Neiswender 

    Head of Upper School 7 - 12
  • Photo of Jamie Ebersole

    Jamie Ebersole 

    College Counselor and Upper School English Teacher
  • Photo of Natalie Luer

    Natalie Luer 

    Upper School Teacher and Student Life Coordinator
Northwest Arkansas' Premier Independent Day School
Empowering students age one through grade 12