Upper School Curriculum

The Ivywood upper school currently encompasses 7th-10th grades. Growing by a class level each year, the upper school program at Ivywood offers a content rich experience, rooted in virtue that provides students with a solid foundation for wherever life may take them.

The Ivywood Curriculum Vision emphasizes:

Development of life-long skills that equip scholars to become moral and intellectual leaders in a self-governing society.

Building on a Strong Foundation
High school at Ivywood builds upon the solid groundwork laid in the Lower School, preparing students for a lifetime of learning and growth.
Pursuing Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
Students are guided by noble aims: to speak what is true, do what is good, and love what is beautiful.
A Practical and Rigorous Education
Ivywood’s curriculum equips students with essential skills in reading, writing, thinking, and speaking, providing excellent preparation for any future path.
Ivywood Distinction Diploma
Students who complete the Hillsdale scope and sequence graduate with an Ivywood Distinction Diploma, a mark of academic excellence.
College and Beyond
Colleges recognize the strength of a classical education, and Ivywood’s curriculum aligns with the proven success of classical charter schools in college admissions.
Personalized Post-Graduation Planning
Starting in Eighth Grade, our post-graduation counselor works individually with students to explore their interests, strengths, and future opportunities.

House System

The Ivywood House System was designed to become an integral part of our culture by providing students various enrichment programs and learning opportunities to build character, team-building skills, and leadership potential. Students are equally divided into four “Houses” which represent one of four characteristics of the Ivywood mascot, the Eagle. Each House functions independently, led by a House Luminary (teacher sponsor) and elected student leaders. Throughout the year, each House can earn points by planning and executing school-wide events, engaging in various learning opportunities, and showing positive behaviors across campus. Houses also compete against each other in challenge activities like athletic contests, academic success, artistic endeavors, team spirit, and attendance. Each year, the top performing House will be crowned “House Champions.” 

What Makes Ivywood Different?

Training the Mind

Our comprehensive curriculum offers a full exploration of classic literature, covering each work in its entirety. It weaves together stories, mathematical proofs, scientific experiments, and art and music–all of which spark the imagination, encourage meaningful discussion and friendship, and deepen students' understanding of both human nature and the natural world.

Improving the Heart

The heart of our work here is an education aimed at human excellence and virtue. A classical education focuses on the liberal arts and sciences as tools for shaping free, joyful individuals who are capable of sound reasoning and drawn to noble pursuits. At its core, classical education prioritizes the development of virtuous habits and aims to guide students' minds and hearts toward what is true, beautiful, and good.

Our Curriculum

Literature: Ancient Literature
(Homer’s Iliad, Sophocles’ Oedipus Cycle, Virgil’s Aeneid, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar)

History: Ancient World to A.D. 500

Mathematics: Algebra I | Geometry

Sciences: Biology

Other Core: Composition; Rhetoric; Physical Education; Health

Languages: Latin

Electives: Fine Arts (2 credits, .5 must be in Music); Other Electives

Literature: British Literature
(Beowulf, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Milton’s Paradise Lost, Shakespeare’s Henry V and Hamlet, Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, Orwell’s 1984)

History: Europe: 500-1815

Mathematics: Geometry | Algebra II

Sciences: Chemistry

Other Core: Logic; Intro to Moral and Political Philosphy

Languages: Advanced Latin or Modern Foreign Language

Electives: Fine Arts (2 credits, .5 must be in Music); Other Electives

Literature: American Literature
(Melville’s Moby Dick, Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)

History: American History: 1607-Present

Mathematics: Algebra II | Pre-Calc/Trig

Sciences: Physics | Biology II

Other Core: Moral Philosophy | Economics; Personal Finance

Languages: Advanced Latin or Modern Foreign Language

Electives: Fine Arts (2 credits, .5 must be in Music); Other Electives

Literature: Modern Literature
(Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Kafka’s Metamorphosis)

History: Modern World

Mathematics: Pre-Calc/Trig | Calculus

Sciences: Astronomy | Chemistry II | Physics II

Other Core: American Government | Senior Thesis
(Senior Thesis: Each senior at Ivywood will complete a capstone senior tutorial project as a graduation requirement. Under the guidance of a faculty tutor, students will write a 15-page research paper in which they study a great text and an enduring human question. In addition, they will prepare an oral presentation. The confidence that students build will prepare them for college, a career, and life.)

Languages: Advanced Latin or Modern Foreign Language

Electives: Fine Arts (2 credits, .5 must be in Music); Other Electives

Post Graduation Counseling

Questions?

Please contact Amanda McLaughlin, Certified Guidance Counselor.

Student Handouts

Understanding GPA
View File
Freshman College Counseling Intro
View File
College To Do List (Sophomore)
View File
College To Do List (Junior)
View File
College To Do List (Senior)
View File
College Visit Questions
View File

Additional Resources

Common App
Visit Site
Going Merry (Scholarship hub)
Visit Site
Resource Library
Available for check-out in the ICA Counseling Office.

Authorizer and ESP Information

About Ivywood Classical Academy

Ivywood Classical Academy is a tuition-free public school academy that will educate students using the virtues-based, content-rich, classical education tradition.

Find Us

Phone Number

(269) 339-3308

Fax Number

(269) 339-3309

Hours

Monday—Thursday: 8:10AM–3:10PM
Early Release Days (Fridays): 8:10AM–1:10PM
© 2025 All Rights Reserved

Hours

Monday—Thursday: 8:10AM–3:10PM

Early Release Days (Fridays): 8:10AM–1:10PM

Fax Number

(269) 339-3309

Visit our calendar to see all of our upcoming events, including the first day of school!

Calendar

Parents may start dropping students off at 7:50 am. Doors open at 8:00 am, and there are three drop off options:

Option 1: Drop off at 7:50, a staff member will supervise students outside of the building until the door open.

Option 2: Park and walk to the entrance from 8:00 - 8:10. Parents may escort their children to the front or side doors.

Option 3: Utilize the car loop from 7:50 - 8:09

Ivywood utilizes a staggered dismissal. All parents must park and enter through the main entrance. All designated pick-up people must present their ICA identification barcode which will be scanned by an ICA employee prior to gaining entrance to the building. Students are dismissed directly from classrooms.