Look closely.
Fly far.
We are thinkers, explorers, and builders with a strong spirit of independence.
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Look closely.
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We are
curious.
We ask challenging questions and consider them from all points of view. Curiosity ignites our learning in search of meaning, beauty, and purpose.
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We are
brave.
We are not afraid to make mistakes. Bravery calls us into the unknown where we learn from experience.
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We are constructive.
We see the best in others and ourselves. Faith in humanity inspires our efforts to create and contribute to our community, locally and globally.
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We are
independent.
We set our own mission and chart our own course. A spirit of independence defines our work in giving students the skills to look closely and the confidence to fly far.
Why Thaden?
We provide a balanced and challenging education that ignites in our students a passion for discovery and learning, prepares them to succeed in college, and inspires them to lead lives of integrity, purpose, and responsible global citizenship.
What makes us different?
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Academic Versatility
The curriculum at Thaden gives equal emphasis to the sciences and the humanities, enabling students to address complex questions with a variety of disciplinary lenses and tools. Our teachers also use a wide range of teaching methods – from seminar-style discussions to community-engaged projects – that enhance students’ versatility as problem solvers who can work independently and collaboratively.
What makes us different?
02
Preparation for College and Life
We prepare students for the many opportunities and challenges they will find in college and wherever else their interests and goals may carry them in the course of life. Our educational programs develop not only students’ cognitive abilities and skills but also the social and emotional capacities essential to self-reliance, academic and professional success, and personal fulfillment.
What makes us different?
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Student-to-Faculty Ratio
Our student-to-faculty ratio will not exceed 9:1. Averaging no more than 15 students, our small classes allow faculty to be nimble in tailoring their lessons to the needs of the moment and in cultivating students’ potential with personalized feedback and encouragement. Each student is also a member of an advisory (6-7 students) that meets regularly and informally with a faculty mentor. Finally, students’ opportunities for participation in athletics, performing arts, clubs, and other programs are abundant by virtue of our small size.
What makes us different?
04
Affordability
The diversity of our school community is essential to the quality of the education we provide. For that reason, we offer a robust indexed tuition program that makes a Thaden education much more affordable than one might expect: each family’s tuition is individually determined on the basis of its resources.
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Our Independence
As an independent school governed by its own board of directors, Thaden is free to teach to its own mission and educational goals. This freedom allows our faculty to be more innovative and responsive in tailoring educational programs to needs of our students, the opportunities of the moment, and the demands of the future in a rapidly changing world. The spirit of independence also burns brightly in our students as they develop the skills and confidence to think and act for themselves.
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Our Campus
Designed by a nationally renowned team of architects, our campus is itself a teacher that sparks curiosity, inspires creativity, and invites reflection. As students move through the course of the day, they encounter a variety of architectural spaces and landscape features that enhance their learning while creating an enduring and enriching sense of place.
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Our Faculty
Recruited from all parts of the United States and many parts of the world, our educators bring to our campus a passion for and mastery of the subjects they teach and the ability to educate, inspire, and mentor young people, inside and outside of the classroom. The diverse talents, interests, regional identities, and backgrounds of our faculty create a learning environment that empowers students to think expansively and imaginatively about their potential and the course of their journey in life.
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Our Students
By virtue of our indexed tuition program and small class sizes, we offer a learning culture in which students of many interests, aspirations, and backgrounds can share and explore different points of view under the guidance of nurturing, even-handed educators. As our students discover their common ground and learn from their differences, they grow better prepared for life and citizenship in a nation founded upon a shared commitment to the value of civil debate and diversity of thought.
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Our Curriculum
Our core curriculum not only provides students with a broad foundation in the sciences and the humanities but also teaches them how to integrate disciplines and understand their dynamic connections. Our commitment to interdisciplinary problem solving also finds rich expression in our three signature programs — Wheels, Reels, and Meals — where students combine multiple fields of study and engage with community partners in ways that foster a strong sense of civic responsibility. Intensives and other forms of independent study as well as Community-Based Learning (CBL) courses provide further opportunities for students to form and investigate their own questions from many angles.
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Louise Thaden
We have named our school in honor of Iris Louise McPhetridge Thaden (1905-1979). Born and raised in Bentonville, she was a proud Arkansan and one of the greatest aviators of her time. Her pioneering and innovative spirit inspires our efforts to create a school that gives students roots and wings as they build strong foundations and soar to new heights in pursuit of their dreams.
Are you ready to fly?
We’ve been looking for you! You are curious, you are brave. To visit campus or learn more about our application process, please contact our Office of Admissions.
At Thaden School, the diversity of our learning community is essential to the quality of the education that we provide. In keeping with this principle, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or other protected classes in the administration of our policies, practices, programs, and other matters.