Upper School
Welcome to Heathwood Hall's Upper School
The email from a former student and Heathwood Hall graduate is posted on the bulletin board in the teacher’s workroom, its words a blessing to all who linger to read it one more time. In addition to the moments that he remembers and relives in the writing (chapel homilies, Homecoming parades, the grey heron on the pond, the Freshman Focus canoe race, and the friendly guard waving at the front gate), he speaks to the essence of this place: “The attention that the faculty gave me produced amazing results. You were careful to guide but firm enough to demand accountability from me. Your tireless tutoring must have seemed infinite, but you taught me to believe in myself because you did. You were truly patient and understanding, and you watched over me as well as my parents did. At Heathwood Hall, I knew that I mattered, that I was prayed for, that I was expected to do my best and enrich my community, and that above all else, I was to be decent and honorable. That foundation has served me well in the years since my Commencement.”
The Upper School (grades 9-12) offers a rigorous college preparatory academic program and fosters a student- centered environment where habits of the mind and heart matter above all. Proud to be part of an educational institution that has always pursued best practices and is grounded in faith, the Upper School is characterized by passionate teachers and students who enjoy close relationships and is pervaded by a tone of unanxious expectation and decency. Relying on an honor code that provides the foundation for the division’s daily life, members of the community know they are cared for as individuals and as children of God to whom much has been given and of whom much is expected.. The goal of our program is to support the intellectual, moral, physical, and spiritual growth of our young people so that when they leave us, they are well-prepared to respond positively to the challenges they will meet in college and in life.
The journey through our Upper School is one of self-discovery, where our students are encouraged to discern their strengths, their weakness, and their affinities while tackling the demands of our academic curriculum, our extracurricular activities, and our community service program. We offer our young people the chance to participate in uniquely designed programs of global learning, experiential education, service, and science research which has gained for them national and international recognition. Most significantly, we require all of our graduates to complete an independent thesis-like project through which they demonstrate they have the skills to be successful in any college environment.
In the Upper School at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, we walk with our young people in the pursuit of rigorously disciplined minds, compassionate hearts, and the strength of character that our God expects of us as His servants in the world.
If you would like to be part of a school community where every student is known, where each individual’s contribution is honored, where faith matters, please visit Heathwood Hall
Warmly,
Anne T. Weston, Ph.D.
Provost and Upper School Head
Academic Overview
Heathwood Hall's Upper School is for serious students with high standards and lofty goals. Over the past two decades, Heathwood students have received more college academic scholarships, National Merit Scholarships, and U.S. Presidential Scholarships than any other independent school in the area. A minimum of 26 credits is required for graduation from Heathwood Hall. Students also must complete at least 80 hours of community service in their four years in the Upper School. Finally, seniors must successfully complete the toughest requirement of all: the Senior Exhibition. This yearlong, dissertation-style research project requires creation of a research paper or useable product and ends with a public presentation of the student's work. Imagine the benefits of this rigorous requirement to a college freshman!
Academic preparation for college is paramount, as Heathwood Hall graduates matriculate at some of the finest institutions of higher education. Heathwood seniors are valued highly by outstanding colleges and universities, including Duke, Emory, Harvard, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Princeton, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and the fine in-state honors programs at Clemson, Furman, Wofford, South Carolina and the College of Charleston. Typically, more than half of each graduating class will attend out-of-state colleges. The school honor code and student Honor Council help reinforce the importance of appropriate behavior and individual responsibility. While exposing them to an extensive body of knowledge, Heathwood Hall helps young people understand the value of hard work and critical thinking, guided by the belief that learning is a life-long adventure restricted only by the limits of one's own initiative.
A favorite part of the Upper School experience is Winterim, a weeklong educational experience that allows students to explore faraway places or to participate locally in professional internships. Recent Winterim choices have included Amazon River excursions, adventures in Honduras and France, weeklong visits with the Hopi Indians of Arizona, Outward Bound trips, NCAA internships and photography exhibitions.
Columbia, SC 29201