STRONG FOUNDATIONS, INNOVATIVE EXCELLENCE
Essential questions
NINTH GRADE AT FOOTE IS NOT A RESTART — IT’S A CULMINATION.
At Foote, we believe the most meaningful learning happens when students feel seen, valued, and challenged. What makes our ninth-grade year so special is that it draws directly from the strength of our K–8 foundation to offer a truly student-centered, whole-child experience.
WHAT ARE THEY READY FOR?
Our ninth graders develop independence, seek purpose, and begin to imagine themselves in the wider world. They’re also ready for real challenge — the kind that engages both their intellect and their sense of self.
Students don’t just study material, they are known deeply by their teachers. They don’t just prepare for the next step, they reflect on who they are, what kind of thinker they’re becoming, and what kind of person they want to be.
Beyond nurturing academic growth, we are committed to advancing skills that are just as vital: emotional resilience, intellectual curiosity, and ethical awareness.
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
Small class sizes are a huge part of what makes this possible. They allow for flexibility, dialogue, and highly personalized attention. When a student’s voice isn’t just heard, but invited and expected, they begin to engage more confidently and think more critically.
By the time a student reaches ninth grade at Foote, we’ve had years to get to know them — not just their learning styles, but their passions, their questions, and their quirks.
That means we’re able to design a program that isn’t one-size-fits-all — but rather one that grows from a deep understanding of who they are and what they’re ready for next.
WE BUILD STRONG FOUNDATIONS FOR COMPLEX THINKING.
Courage: Leadership & travel
The high school course load is rigorous and enriching, while multiple travel opportunities promote teambuilding and push students’ personal limits. Our ninth graders are confident leaders who set the tone for the school: leading weekly division meetings, acting as ambassadors for Admissions tours, and presenting at special events, assemblies, and other public-speaking opportunities. At the heart of the ninth-grade year is the opportunity to travel overseas and engage in service work, immerse themselves in a foreign language, and make deep curricular connections.
Compassion: Kindergarten buddies
Throughout the year, the ninth graders form a special bond with their kindergarten buddies. Together, they explore the outdoors, read, and even present at all-school assemblies. It’s a chance to enjoy each other’s company, and for the ninth graders to model leadership and citizenship. At the end of the year this partnership is especially poignant, with the kindergartners preparing special gifts and moments for the ninth-grade graduation.
Purpose: Curriculum
The high school Humanities course focuses on cultures and conflict; the English course delves into contemporary literature and writing; Biology is a deep dive into genetics, DNA, and the basic building blocks of life, while taking time to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and find solutions to the problems facing our planet. Based on their eighth-grade experience, students are placed in one of three math course options: Advanced Geometry, Algebra, or Algebra II. They also have options for advanced studies in modern language and Latin. The full-year curriculum includes: Comparative Cultures, Biology, English, Math, Computer Science or Latin, Modern Language Choices: Chinese or Spanish, Art, Music, Drama, Physical Education.
LEARNING THROUGH DISCOVERY
Our student-centered approach prioritizes hands-on activities, guided exploration, and investigation.
The result? Meaningful engagement, keen problem-solving skills, the ability to parse big concepts, motivation to build on these skills, and the confidence to test their limits.
DISCOVERY:
CONNECTING WITH EXPERTS
Throughout the year students immerse themselves in lab work, and engage with area organizations to tie their studies to real-world applications, as well as to environmental initiatives.
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
Coursework encourages exploration and critical thinking by presenting students with problems that have multiple solutions or approaches.
DATA ANALYSIS
Throughout the year, students develop higher-level thinking through analytical reasoning and logical deduction, applying these skills to mathematical proofs and real-world problem-solving. gathering data from real-world scenarios and using graphs and charts to identify trends and patterns.
LEARNING THROUGH AUTHENTICITY
Students create inquiries inspired by real-world situations and connections with their community.
Meaningful connections with the classroom material — and each other — broaden their vision and deepen their thinking as they find inspiration in the people and places that surround them.
AUTHENTICITY:
VISUAL ARTS
Students develop painting skills through a variety of engaging projects, drawing on their own identities and personal experiences while exploring different art movements and artists — from cave paintings, to public mural installations, to Impressionist interpretations.
MUSIC
Throughout the year, ninth graders study and play steel pans. The repertoire is chosen predominately by the students, and may include a soca or calypso song as well. They learn more about the history and culture of the instruments and share that with others in assemblies.
DRAMA
In the winter, the class prepares and performs a play in which every student has a role on stage or behind the scenes, and in the spring they host the annual Poetry Cabaret, featuring student-curated (and often student-crafted) musical performances, dramatic readings, and comedy skits.
LEARNING THROUGH COMMUNITY
Students discover real-world applications through projects that focus on social justice and collaboration.
Inspired by a pedagogy of cultural relevance, our students build strong bonds with their community through projects that focus on community engagement and collaborative learning.
COMMUNITY:
U.N. STUDIES
An in-depth study of the United Nations includes a trip to U.N. headquarters in New York to give students a framework for thinking about international issues such as human rights and conflict resolution.
CONNECTING AS A CLASS
The year begins with a three-day class trip to Cape Cod. Through biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities, they begin to form the tight bonds that will unite them through a year of collaborative projects.
COMMUNITY PROJECT
Part of the ninth-grade travel program is service-based. Previous projects have included environmental service activities like working alongside members of APRODEC, a Puerto Rican NGO, to help transform a former U.S. military base into a locally operated ecotourism hub.
More than a tradition: EXPERIENCE THE WORLD
TRAVEL IS AN ESSENTIAL AND INTENTIONAL PART OF THE FOOTE EXPERIENCE.
NINTH GRADERS TRAVEL
INTERNATIONALLY EACH SPRING TO ENGAGE IN SERVICE WORK, IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, AND MAKE DEEP CONNECTIONS WITH THEIR CURRICULUM.
“It is human nature to see life through our own lens — to be bound by the mindset shaped by our surroundings. Breaking free from that singular perspective is difficult, but traveling offers a way to do so.
Traveling allows us to step outside our own perspectives and witness the diversity of human thought, governance, and culture. It challenges us, educates us, and ultimately, shapes the way we see our place in the world.”
— Alden ’25
“IN EVERY FACET OF A PERSON’S DEVELOPMENT — ACADEMICALLY, SOCIALLY,
LEADERSHIP SKILLS — FOOTE REALLY PREPARED ME FOR THAT NEXT STEP IN A WAY OTHER SCHOOLS CAN’T.”
— KIRAN ’21
Ready for what comes next
As you reflect about and evaluate what ninth grade at Foote offers, take a moment to understand what it builds. A sense of self. A love of learning. A readiness for what comes next. This kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident — it happens because the culture at Foote is one where students feel safe enough to take risks and reflect on their choices.
After Foote:
ALWAYS REACHING FOR SOMETHING MORE
“To me, ninth grade at Foote means growth. We mature and learn together in a safe space while being encouraged to branch out and explore the world.”
— Esther ’25
Secondary schools with the most graduates attending (five years):
Choate Rosemary Hall
Hopkins School
Wilbur Cross High School
Guilford High School
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Cheshire Academy
Amity Regional High School
Matriculation (five years)
Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall
American Heritage School
Amity Regional High School
Amity Regional High School/ECA
Avon Old Farms School
Branford High School
Canterbury School
Cheshire Academy
Cheshire High School
Choate Rosemary Hall
Colegio Sagrado Corazón Chamartín
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School
Dana Hall School
Daniel Hand High School
Deerfield Academy
Dublin School
Gilman School
Greens Farms Academy
Guilford High School
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Hamden High School
The Hill School
Holderness School
Hopkins School
The Hotchkiss School
Kingswood-Oxford School
The Lawrenceville School
Lincoln School
The Loomis Chaffee School
Marvelwood School
Milton Academy
Mountain High School
New Haven Academy
New Haven Academy/ECA
North Haven High School
Notre Dame Academy
Old Saybrook High School
Overseas Family School, Singapore
Phillips Academy Andover
Phillips Exeter Academy
Pomfret School
Proctor Academy
The Putney School
Rye Country Day School
Sacred Heart Academy
The Sound School
St. Joseph High School
St. Paul’s School
The Taft School
The Williston Northampton School
United Nations International School
The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Wilbur Cross High School
Wilbur Cross High School/ECA
Wooster School
Curriculum:
COMPARATIVE CULTURES BIOLOGY
ENGLISH ADVANCED GEOMETRY, ALGEBRA II
COMPUTER SCIENCE
LATIN
LANGUAGE CHOICE: CHINESE
LANGUAGE CHOICE: SPANISH
ART
MUSIC
DRAMA
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
We believe the most meaningful learning happens when students feel seen, valued, and challenged. What makes our ninth grade year so special is that it draws directly from the strength of our K–8 foundation to offer a truly student-centered, whole-child experience. We’ve had years to get to know them — not just their learning styles, but their passions, their questions, and their quirks. That means we’re able to design a program that isn’t one-size-fits-all — but rather one that grows from a deep understanding of who they are and what they’re ready for next.
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