Academics

Years of educational and psychological research have proven that boys share some important characteristics. The Kiski School nurtures these vigorous qualities of curiosity, creativity, and confidence – which are too often stifled when forced to compete with the self-doubt that social pressures tend to create.

At the same time, we never assume that all boys are the same. In fact, we celebrate the uniqueness of our students. Our curriculum offers choices to satisfy a variety of interests, and our faculty members provide dynamic, engaging classrooms and personalize one-on-one tutoring in the evenings to accommodate different learning styles.

While our focus is on the liberal arts and sciences – the same curriculum found at the nation's best universities – our boy-centric approach creates an ideal environment for boys to excel. Small classes, hands-on projects, sports, dorm living, and community activities all offer opportunities for students to learn and develop skills that are essential to succeed in college, work and life. It is no wonder that every year exceptional colleges invite Kiski boys to join their ranks, and alumni report feeling better prepared due to their Kiski years.

Our academic classrooms are intentionally small in order to facilitate our belief in interactive, personalized instruction. Every room is wired for network access, and our wireless network continues to grow campus-wide. Heath S. Clark Hall houses six well-equipped laboratories for scientific research and experimentation, the Stephen C. Rogers Fine Arts Center caters to the fine and performing arts, and the John A. Pidgeon Library is renowned throughout the state for its information services.

 

Our boys carry their school-provided laptops around campus and use them in all of their academic coursework. The computers allow students to participate in directed online research activities, access and submit assignments through our network and use the latest in educational software.

Our campus is rich with maker technology and tools including 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, vinyl cutter and press, green screen, a large format poster printer, and a full complement of tools and other woodworking machinery. These spaces allow students to prototype, make models, solve problems, and create original inventions. Students utilize the space to make rubber band-powered cars, lasercut originally designed rockets and planes, create luminaries and other hands-on projects. Adobe Illustrator, Autodesk Inventor, and Corel Draw are several graphic design and CAD programs students learn to use. All classes are able to use these tools for various projects, but most notable are the STEAM and Inventionland courses.

The John A. Pidgeon Library is the “learning commons” of the Kiski School, serving the school’s mission in preparing young men to succeed in college and in life. The library program seeks to ensure that all members of the Kiski community are resourceful, effective, and ethical in using ideas and information to pursue and generate knowledge. 

Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, courses formerly titled “Advanced Placement” changed to “Advanced.”  Kiski is one of the hundreds of leading independent schools that have determined that AP is no longer the best coursework that can be offered.  In developing our own advanced courses, Kiski teachers are not constrained by preparing for multiple-choice exams focused on a limited knowledge base. School-designed advanced courses are given equal weight to AP classes by colleges during the admissions process. Kiski will continue to offer students the opportunity to take AP exams. Students choosing to take an AP exam at the end of a course will receive support from the faculty as they prepare for the test.