Overview of Academics at Pine Cobble
Pine Cobble students learn to meet the highest intellectual standards — and they do so with competence and confidence. We help students thrive intellectually through:
Small class size; our student-faculty ratio, at 6:1, beats the most elite college seminars.
Emphasis on excellent communications. We have a strong focus on writing and public speaking. Our graduates report that by the time they entered high school they were unusually confident public speakers, researchers, and writers.
Language and culture curriculum. Spanish begins in the early childhood program, continuing through the upper school. Classical mythology begins in intermediate school, with Latin beginning in sixth grade.
A rigorous science program, with a dedicated science classroom and specialists. From age three, students learn how to apply scientific reasoning to the world around them — how to form a hypothesis, create a control group, test a theory, measure and observe results, and draw conclusions. Environmental education is a strong part of our science curricula, and our beautiful, 20-acre campus, originally designed as an estate by Olmsted Associates, is a living laboratory for learning.
Emphasis on excellence in mathematics. Our students don’t merely memorize mathematical facts, they are also asked to understand mathematical logic at a deep and meaningful level. By the upper school, students do independent study on mathematical concepts — from fractals to hyperbolic space to Pascal’s triangle.
Social-emotional learning. Our specific SEL program, RULER, was developed at the Yale University Center for Emotional Intelligence. Peer-reviewed research shows that the program improves school climate, boosts students’ social skills, reduces incidences of anxiety and depression, enhances leadership skills, improves focus and promotes significant leaps in academic performance. Contributing to a collective good is an inherent part of Pine Cobble curricula at all levels.
Health and wellness. All our students students learn about health and wellness as it relates to their lives: from mindfulness to movement, from oral hygiene to eating healthy, and from self-care to conflict resolution. As students get older we ask them to confront more complex issues: ethical digital use, self-care, reproductive health, self-expression, and healthy relationships. These lessons are taught in a way that is medically accurate, judgement-free, and grounded in respect for self/others.
Extraordinary faculty, several of whom are Pine Cobble alumni or parents themselves. Collectively, these create an intellectually rich environment that’s joyful, caring in tone, and outstanding preparation for the future.