The Upper School consists of our Logic (7th and 8th grade) and Rhetoric (9th through 12th grade) levels. At the “Logic” (sometimes called the “Dialectic”) stage of the Trivium, where children enjoy debate and understanding “Why?” for most things, and continues in the Rhetoric stage of learning, where young adults are increasingly able to work independently and desire to express their own ideas. With the tools of learning a Cedar Tree graduate is equipped to succeed, not just in college, but in daily Christ-centered living.
In their Humanities courses, Upper School students read a variety of texts from primary sources to great works of literature, following a historical timeline, and evaluating their learning in the light of Scripture.
At this level Math and Science courses cover from Pre-Algebra to Calculus, and from life and earth sciences to Chemistry and Physics.
Arts and languages are required through all of the years of Upper School, with Latin continued through eighth grade. Spanish is taught for three years in high school. New Testament Greek is taught in the twelfth grade year. All students have Music, Art, and PE. In addition, juniors and seniors can choose from courses in Newspaper, Yearbook, or Teaching Assistant.
Core courses are taught at Honors level. Thus, with little additional preparation, many students have passed the AP or CLEP exams for English Literature, English Composition, U.S. History, Spanish, Latin, and Calculus. (Cedar Tree is both an AP and a PSAT testing site.)
All of our juniors and seniors complete a major thesis. This is a culminating project on a topic they have chosen, with the expectation that they will courageously and graciously communicate a biblical perspective to the cultural issues of the day.
See our Upper School Curriculum Overview Chart.
