College Preparatory School / Boarding School in California

Dunn School:
Dunn School is located twenty eight miles northeast of Santa Barbara, in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, California and is a college preparatory school with a focus on developing each student's academic and personal potential. We believe that the depth and quality of the relationship between students and teachers is central to the process of education. Hence, Dunn offers small classes and a unique advisor program. Our students meet with their faculty advisors daily to address academic or personal issues. Our academic curriculum is complimented by our visual and performing arts programs, co-curricular athletics, and outdoor education. Dunn School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is one of only seven private independent schools accredited by the Association for Experiential Education.

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Upper School
EnglishThe English Department offers a four-year sequential program that is designed to develop a student's abilities in reading, writing, speaking and listening to the English language. At all four grade levels (9 through 12) the students read fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry of an appropriately increasing sophistication and intellectual challenge. Likewise, the integrated writing program leads the student through the stages of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising and editing) in a manner commensurate with his or her maturity and potential, exploring a wide range of genres.

History/Social Science
The goal of the History Department is to develop within each student a desire for learning about the past and a curiosity about the world, its peoples and civilizations. Students investigate their roles in society while gaining insight into their rights and responsibilities. By developing the process of understanding, thought and the expression of ideas or viewpoints in a variety of ways, each student may become a more knowledgeable and responsible citizen of the world community.
 
Science
The Science Department is divided along the traditional lines of physical science and life science, reflecting the organization of subject matter at a college-preparatory level. All science courses are laboratory qualified and the numerous experiments emulate scientific discovery and aim at firing a student's imagination and curiosity. Emphasis is placed on lab report writing, problem solving, logical deduction and the group approach to scientific analysis.
 
Mathematics
The goal of the mathematics department is to provide a curriculum that meets the needs of all students, recognizing that they will spend their adult lives in a society increasingly dominated by technology and quantitative methods. The department will provide experiences that encourage and enable students to value mathematics, gain confidence, become proficient at solving mathematical problems, communicate mathematically and reason mathematically. An integrated approach is offered at two distinct levels of study: Honors and non-Honors.

Foreign Languages
The Foreign Language Department favors a communicative approach, with an emphasis on listening comprehension and speaking. The goal is to make students independent users of the foreign language and, at the same time, heighten their understanding of cultural differences. The Honors classes place an additional emphasis on reading and writing in order to guide interested students towards the Advanced Placement Exam. While three years of the same foreign language are required, a fourth year is strongly recommended.

Arts
All Dunn students are encouraged to discover and develop their interests and talents in music, art, and drama. To ensure that each student has an opportunity to explore this aspect of their education, the Fine and Performing Arts Program at Dunn offers students a broad spectrum of artistic experiences and opportunities from saxophone to ceramics to multimedia. A selection of beginning, intermediate, and AP courses are offered in each discipline to accommodate and encourage all levels. Classroom instruction is designed to build intellectual, perceptual, and technical skills through inquiry, observation, problem solving, performance, and analysis. Courses are structured to create a deeper understanding of the visual and performing arts and to develop critical thinking skills. Students may take electives in the arts every year, and for this reason, most courses are offered on a semester basis. One year of fine arts, music or visual, is required for graduation.
 
  
 


Middle School
With over 10 years of classroom experience our teachers bring a passion for learning that burns brightly. Ultimately learning is a personal matter. The superior quality of academics and enrichment at DMS stems directly from the high personal standards and inquiring minds of its teachers. Our unique community of teachers has these essential qualities:
- Effective governance: Our staff meets around one small table to make decisions.
- Academic rigor: Small classes and teacher commitment forge a bold "skills driven" curriculum.
- Extensive Arts and Enrichment: DMS offers arts and enrichment of unrivaled breadth and depth.
Respect: Students, teachers and parents all know each other well enough expect respect and trust.
- Accountability: Students do not slip through the cracks; they are held accountable for every assignment and for their behavior on a daily basis.
- Parent involvement: Our parents are allies for the common cause of educating their children. They readily communicate their concerns and ideas and participate in the education.
- Belonging: Every DMS student is a known and cherished entity and are thus nurtured.