HS Philosophy - Columbia Heights Educational Campus

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HIGH SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY


CHEC’s upper school division, Bell Multicultural High School (BMHS), ensures that students will not only be admitted to colleges that best suit them, but also that they have the skills and confidence to thrive once they get there. The path to this destination varies for everyone; therefore we offer myriad opportunities to delve deeply into subjects supported by a broad-based foundation. Surrounded by a caring community of faculty and peers, students feel safe--socially, emotionally and physically--and consequently, take the measured risks necessary to support high academic achievement, develop passion, and build character.

The BMHS curriculum is designed to be a rigorous and engaging experience that integrates many of the same demands and opportunities that students will find in college. Along with core academic and athletic requirements, BMHS students are expected to take a mandatory AP for All English class, earn 25 hours of community service each year and complete 75 hours of a work-based internship. BMHS students also have several opportunities to direct their own education through courses of their choosing including taking additional AP courses, earning college credits through CHEC’s Early College Program, studying abroad or learning a foreign language (Arabic, French, Italian and Mandarin). After freshman year in college, many of our alumni report that the workload at CHEC prepared them well, allowing them to excel academically, but also to take advantage of the co-curricular opportunities that abound in college.

The heart of our upper division is an inspired faculty representing an extraordinary breadth of experience and interests that they share willingly with students. Teachers create an environment in which students are excited to show up early, happy to stay late, and eager to participate in class. Rapport drives classroom discussions in which teachers and students push each other to take learning further. The common thread among all our faculty is a profound commitment to each child and relentless optimism in their potential.

The result: a quiet confidence that serves our graduates well in college--confidence to assert themselves in their first college level essays; to raise their hand in a class of hundreds; to live on their own for the first time, to meet with and question their professors; and to lead among their peers--traits that will also serve them well in life.
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