Upper School students are forward thinkers; their eyes are on the world and their futures.
The primary goal of the Upper School is to prepare students to excel at the college or university of their choice and in their adult lives. Students are presented with a palette of academic, athletic, and artistic challenges; taught the analytical and organizational skills required to face them; and given the encouragement and assistance needed to overcome them. A belief in individual and collective responsibility, with a corresponding call for honor and service, makes the Upper School a community of scholars and citizens who are prepared not only for the demands of higher education, but who strive to contribute to society.
Grades 9-12
A culture of community where each day begins with a student-led meeting in the theater at which students and teachers share daily announcements and student leadership groups share a bit of fun.
An advisory system where each student is paired with an advisor who serves as a source of information and support for students as parents and helps plan academic and co-curricular activities and set goals.
A deeply connected student and faculty body that feels like a family because of, well, FAmilies. Two or three Upper School Advisory groups come together to form a FAmily. FAmilies meet at regular intervals to provide a forum for students to discuss the issues they encounter and to celebrate and support achievement across grade levels.
A comprehensive experience complemented by opportunities in visual and performing arts, athletics, travel, leadership, and long-standing traditions that perpetuate childhood for our oldest students.
On every trip our expert faculty members feed FA students’ thirst for knowledge and challenge their perceptions. Experiencing China, Greece, Britain, Australia, Peru, and the Galapagos first-hand shapes our students’ perspectives on life.
Exhibit - Some lessons simply cannot be taught in the classroom - that’s where Exhibit comes in. Exhibit provides an avenue for students to independently explore an interest, gain invaluable experience, and sharpen skill sets. Alumni frequently credit Exhibit as a driving force in focusing their studies in college and readying them for the workforce. Through Exhibit, a capstone project in tenth and eleventh grades, students learn to discern a mere curiosity from a genuine pursuit and equip themselves with an array of tools to help them make the most of their lives – greater self-awareness; efficient time management; clear, confident communication; and effective organization.
Upper School Orientation - At the start of the year, new students and ninth-graders are welcomed to Upper School by the Student Leadership Groups and returning students. Fun, friendship, and information define these two days and help to ease the community into the first day of classes and the year.
Halloween Parade - All students parade to some classic Halloween music - costumes encouraged!
Homecoming - Homecoming at Fredericksburg Academy is an all-school tradition with the Upper School at the center of it all. It includes a week of themed dress-up days and activities directed by the Student Life Committee, a cook-out and bonfire for the eighth through twelfth grades, a parade and pep-rally with the entire school, and culminates on the athletic fields with not one but three varsity athletic contests.
Bonfire - An eighth- through twelfth-grade Homecoming tradition filled with food, fire, cheers, and lots of body paint!
Lock-In - No dresses and no tuxedos, the Lock-In is an all-night activity extravaganza for Upper School students with floor hockey, video games, movies, dodgeball, music, lots of snacks, and little to no sleep!
Poetry Out Loud - An annual national recitation contest in which every Upper School student participates.
National History Day - Tenth-grade students deploy research skills for a self-selected topic that pertains to a specific historical theme. FA student projects go on to compete at the regional, state, and even national level.
World Languages Week - World Languages Week is a celebration of world cultures in the Upper School. Activities range from making world language t-shirts to cooking to scavenger hunts and culminate with a smorgasbord luncheon. It’s a week of culinary and cultural delight for all students!
Fine Arts Festival - An all-school celebration with artwork displayed and students taking the stage to perform.
Prom and After Prom - All Upper School students at Fredericksburg Academy are invited to Prom and After Prom. The Student Life Committee plans the event, which includes an evening of dinner and dancing. After Prom is FA's post-prom party with food, prizes, and exciting activities.
The Perch - An iconic FA Day that is being reinvented! Held for nearly 20 years at a private farm in Fauquier County for students and faculty to escape for a day each spring from thoughts of final exams, the location is now changing, but the spirit remains the same! Grades 8-12 engage in fun, food, and freedom through The Perch 2.0!
Seniors - The members of the Senior Class at Fredericksburg Academy are celebrated throughout the year for how far they've come and how far they'll be going. There are many traditions that define this special year:
- Senior Privileges
- The Senior Section
- First Grade Buddies
- Senior Class Flag
- Senior Class Trip
- Senior Family Legacy Gift
- End-of-year Closing Assembly
Shakespearience - A cross-grade, modern-day multimedia re-enactment of a Shakespearean play by FA’s eighth and tenth grades.
FAmily Feast - A pre-Thanksgiving tradition where FAmilies share in feasting before facing off in a friendly yet competitive athletic tournament.