Upper Division (9-12)

A fundamental tenet of our school’s educational philosophy is the belief that successful schools provide a broad educational experience in which students explore their passions, and, concomitantly, develop the skills and habits that will allow them to become successful, productive, and inquisitive adults.

We expect our graduates to think critically, to reason scientifically, to understand the relationship between the global economy and sustainable environments, to attain proficiency in a foreign language (or languages), to recognize how art impacts business, culture, and commerce (and vice versa), to articulate ideas in different forums and through various media, and to become conversant in the cultural and religious beliefs of a number of countries.

Of paramount importance in our students’ lives is helping them to find balance. We encourage students to continue pursue their athletic interests and artistic passions and to engage in the life of the school. As a small community, we cannot absorb many “specialists”; our athletes are artists, our singers are poets, our thespians are skilled debaters, and our dancers are student leaders. Not only are our students’ tastes diverse, but their accomplishments are lauded and supported by their peers and faculty.

Bob Cooke 
Upper Division Director
310.889.2749

Lainey Sevillano 
Administrative Assistant to the Upper Division Director
310.889.2640

Sarah Bishop 
Registrar
310.873.1051

News

  • 2012 Senior Photography Books

    Congratulations on the newly published 2012 Senior Photography Books! These beautifully designed publications, created by five of our own graduating Eagles, will be part of the permanent collection of the BWS Library and can be seen at the admissions lounge in Temple Hall, Bob Cooke's office and the Photo Lab. Read more for links to purchase the books...

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  • The East Coast College Tour

    For most students, Spring Break is a time to relax and enjoy a much-needed vacation. But, for 58 Brentwood juniors and five fearless chaperones, this year’s Spring Break was spent touring and exploring 24 different college campuses and their respective surrounding communities...

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  • iPads: A Lighter Backpack is Just the Beginning

    Many of us, in all three divisions of Brentwood School, have been intrigued by the improvements in educational technology over the past few years, particularly the possibilities offered by iPads and other tablet devices. They have been deployed in various ways throughout Lower, Middle, and Upper Divisions in pilot programs designed to test whether these new technologies can provide significant improvements in student learning. Additionally, the Upper Division has been quietly studying whether it would be appropriate to move to a 1:1 technology device implementation, and it is now time to expand the conversation to the wider Brentwood School community...

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  • The Surgical Internship Program

    Brentwood School has long offered various science-related internships to our students, in addition to the rigorous instruction they receive in the classroom. Since 2008, the Surgical Internship Program has placed qualified and interested students in prestigious 10-week internships, where they work side-by-side with Brentwood parent Dr. Abbas Ardehali and his team at UCLA. This year, through the Surgical Internship Program, we are, once again, offering this once-in-a-lifetime experience—a chance to step into an operating room and experience the life of a cardiothoracic surgeon...

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  • The New Kids on the Block: A Conversation with New Upper Division Faculty

    Being the new kid at school is never easy. Walking the halls and hoping to find something familiar, trying to be comfortable when all around you is new and different, realizing that everyone around you seems to have known each other for their entire lives—it can be daunting and uncomfortable for children and teenagers...and for new faculty...

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  • CSI Brentwood!

    In the laboratory this past week, the students in Honors Biology had the opportunity to be virtual crime lab technicians. The lab exercise is a simulation where crime scene DNA has been collected along with two suspects' DNA. The students get to apply real-life DNA technologies and get a true, hands-on experience with tools and other apparatus not unlike they see regularly on every crime lab related television series. "It is pretty fun and special to see them get excited as they realize that they are doing 'the real thing,'" said Jeff Porter, Honors Biology teacher. "They got to collect the DNA, perform the actual loading of the various samples into the electrophoresis apparatus, and then produce actual DNA fingerprints." This lab exercise is part of the annual, Applied Genetics unit.

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  • Aerie Yearbook Wins National Award

    At a ceremony last weekend in Seattle, the 2010/11 Aerie Yearbook was honored with a Pacemaker Award by the National Scholastic Press Association. Brentwood was one of only 20 schools to win the award, which makes last year's yearbook one of the top 20 yearbooks in the country. This is the second time in four years that the Brentwood yearbook has been honored with this award and only the third time in Brentwood's 40-year history...

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  • Service Learning Opportunities

    Read more to see how you can get involved in the Upper Division Service Learning Program...

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  • Student Travel to Foreign Lands: More Than Just a Photo Op

    Why do Brentwood students willingly give up their vacation time to travel with a teacher to Spain, Costa Rica, Argentina, France, or China, while their friends stay home sleeping in, watching movies, or chatting online? These adventurous students know that living outside of their comfort zone for a couple of weeks not only increases their knowledge and fluency in their chosen language, but also strengthens their self-confidence, and literally opens up new worlds for them to explore, to appreciate, and to cherish. New relationships are formed and the bonds can last a lifetime...

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Calendar

Tuesday295

UD Pancake Day

North & South Quads9:45 PM - 10:25 PM
Wednesday305

Commencement Rehearsal

4:30 PM

Senior Celebration

EC Pavilion6:00 PM
Thursday315

UD Exam Review Day

Friday16

38th Commencement Ceremony

EC Athletics Complex2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Saturday26

SAT & Subject Tests

Monday46

UD Exam: Science

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

UD Exam: Language

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday56

UD Exam Study/Tutorial Day

Wednesday66

UD Exam: Math

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM