Letter from Rishi Raghunathan, Head of Upper School

Thank you for investigating the Wellington Upper School. It’s easy to think of the upper school years as prep for college. At Wellington, kids don’t have to wait until college to be challenged and love it. This isn’t just a launching pad for the future—our students are already doing amazing things.

Education at Wellington is rigorous. The Upper School schedule enhances educational opportunities and increases student engagement. Based on best practices research, the schedule is designed to have longer class blocks, fewer transitions, a later start to the academic day, and increased flex time. A broad range of classes provides flexibility and a variety of options for scheduling. The foundational skills are covered and clear the way for our students to go deep on subjects for which they have the skills and passions. Advanced courses combined with opportunities for independent research empower Wellington students to dive deeply into their passions.

The 9th and 10th grade years include classes in every department and students are exposed to a variety of teaching styles while learning the foundations in a variety of academic disciplines. This groundwork launches students into subject courses of their choosing in 11th and 12th grade. Students choose from over 140 courses to design a schedule that balances, supports and challenges them.

Opportunities to help each student be responsive to the demands of an increasingly diverse and global society with unimaginable challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities abound at Wellington. I believe that diversity is not a buzzword. Diverse experiences, interactions, and opportunities make us smarter. With increasing globalization, the development of empathy and respect for other cultures is critical for success in college and beyond. Meaningful international travel provides extensive educational benefits such as growth in resiliency and problem-solving. Embracing the concept of experiential equity, international travel experiences are built into our core upper school program, with no additional cost to tuition. Each student will have the opportunity to undertake a long-term interdisciplinary project with ongoing faculty mentorship and interaction with community partners in Columbus and abroad.

I invite you to learn more about the Wellington Upper School experience. You may also read about grade level offerings, expectations, and curriculum overviews in the Upper School Program Book.

I’m confident in our ability to provide an outstanding education. As you explore Wellington, I hope you will come to the same conclusion. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at 614.324.8891 or Raghunathan@wellington.org.

Sincerely,

Rishi Raghunathan Head of Upper School