A Launchpad for Independent Thinkers
Grades 6–9 are a transformative window. Students begin to define who they are and how they want to engage with the world.
Acera’s Upper School empowers them to step confidently into early adulthood through deeper dialogue, ambitious projects, and authentic leadership experiences that build agency, resilience, and a strong sense of self.
"The level of flexibility of the school is really unparalleled, as well as the level of instruction. Where else can your 6th grader do Algebra II and Precalculus material? And not because the school is about pushing kids ahead, but because this is truly the right level for them, and they are enjoying it and are coming home energized and excited about their math classes (and even homework)?"
The SCHEDULE FOR ROOMS 2, 4 and 6 include 5 major blocks.
The SCHEDULE FOR ROOM 8 (transition to upper) includes 6 major blocks.
Increased emphasis on accountability and follow-through for assignments as fits the middle-years' and high school age readiness.
Access to hands-on science lab experiences in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry, with an approach inspired by how science is done in actual labs including dissecting a cow heart for insights into human biology.
Increased focus on development of individual voice in writing via one-on-one coaching, in arts and projects, and more opportunities for community-wide leadership.
Each year, Acera Upper School students have the opportunity to dive deeply into their interests and stretch into new areas of learning by selecting six elective classes from our catalog of over 40 offerings. Our electives span the Humanities, Sciences, Engineering, Technology, and the Arts, ensuring that every student experiences a balanced and expansive education. Offerings change each trimester and evolve every year, allowing students to continually discover new areas of passion and challenge.
- Humanities
- Sciences
- Engineering
- Technology
- Arts
- Trimester Rotation
Our elective courses spark curiosity and inspire critical thinking. Some examples are:
Hands-on and rigorous, these classes cultivate both depth and breadth of understanding—whether students are using mathematical calculations to chart the movement of constellations in Astronomy, analyzing classic literature through a modern lens in Gender & The Odyssey, or conducting lab-based investigations of plant structures and ecosystems in Phytology. We invite families to explore the wide range of possibilities in our Electives Catalog to see how these rich learning experiences come to life.
We invite families to explore the wide range of possibilities in our Electives Catalog to see how these rich learning experiences come to life.
A multi-year, ongoing Curriculum Mapping Project includes all of our full time teachers and is led by our Instructional Leadership Team. Curriculum Mapping helps us assure that we reference benchmarks and standards without being limited by them. Standards are a floor we stand on, and the horizon of what is possible for every student is where we focus. Curriculum Mapping discussions and documentation helps us codify replicable, high-caliber year-long themes. Year long themes include depth across all disciplines, high quality primary sources, projects, inclusion of the world beyond Acera, and build students core capacities (perspective taking, ethical decision making, critical thinking, etc.) and essential skills (reading, writing, organizational, computational thinking, digital literacy, etc.). Every year, teachers revisit first principles of effective pedagogy and our mission, and collaborate to challenge one another for constant improvement. As the Curriculum Mapping project grows, we continue to upgrade successful components and support teacher development and program quality all along the way with our talented teacher mentor team. This occurs while still giving substantial autonomy for teacher judgement and invention.
What Curriculum Mapping Ensures
- Depth across disciplines
- High‑quality primary sources
- Projects & real‑world inclusion
- Core capacities & essential skills
- Annual teacher collaboration
Inquiry, Maker & Passion Projects
For 2-4 hours each week, Upper School students work with their Core teacher and the broader IMP Mentor Team to turn an interest into an IMP Project. Once paired with a mentor, students move through the IMP Project Process.
Typically, each student does a literature review, pitches their project concept to an audience for approval, and then works on their project (either on their own, with a partner, or with a small team they recruit) during IMP Project times. IMP Project topics are initiated by students, and are envisioned around a topic, question, need or interest they’ve chosen.
We staff mentors with deep expertise in
- Engineering
- Art
- Philosophy
- Electronic Arts
- Maker Space
- Lab Science
- Computer Science
- Game Design
- Wood Shop
- Mathematics
- Technology
- Music
- Journalism
- Creative Writing
- Marketing
For some students, smaller and shorter timeframes will make sense for their first IMP Project as they learn this approach. As students’ interests, maturity, and organizational skills deepen, longer-term projects become more appropriate. IMP Project Mentors support authentic student engagement through their interests, their acquisition of project management and communication skills, work to develop their advocacy and communication skills to engage others in their project, and prepare for the twice-yearly “IMPosium'' Open House Events to share their projects with parents and others.
Engineering
All students have science elective options including physics, biology, chemistry, astronomy, maker space, engineering over their years in the Upper School. These labs link conceptual learning to real innovations and world needs.Topics have included: biochemistry, molecular biology, biotech, biology, chemistry and more, which enables students to learn science through doing and has a role for students to understand concepts by uncovering them through their experiences; iterative redesign of protocol and uncovering scientific principles enable deeper understanding as students see things come alive and make sense so they can construct their own understanding. The Life Sciences Lab is modeled as a space and place built around the way biotech scientists work, rather than a recipe book approach following a textbook. They make connections back to the real world and current day innovations. One sample partnership and pilot test program from a few years ago was the Amino BioLab. Acera was chosen as the site to pilot test this in the United States, enabling our Upper School Science Lab to include Microbiology, Synthetic Biology and Gene Editing. We have had a myriad of life sciences partners over the years, whose leading research helps infuse creation of new hands-on labs.
To Foster | To Enhance | To Cultivate | To Promote | To Develop | To Encourage
Fostering Identity and Voice
The Upper School program fosters identity and voice by helping students understand who they are and how they express themselves with confidence.
Enhancing perspective‑taking and systems thinking
It enhances perspective‑taking and systems thinking by teaching students to consider multiple viewpoints and recognize how ideas, people, and structures connect.
Cultivating engaged citizens
The program cultivates engaged citizens who contribute meaningfully to their communities and understand their role within larger systems.
Promoting accountability and organization
It promotes accountability and organization by strengthening executive functioning skills and encouraging responsible, independent work habits.
Developing creativity and collaboration
The program develops creativity and collaboration through hands‑on learning, idea generation, and purposeful teamwork.
Encouraging emotional intelligence and resilience
It encourages emotional intelligence and resilience by helping students build self‑awareness, adaptability, and confidence in navigating challenges.
Acera’s 9th Grade Bonus Year Program is an excellent option for students who wish to stay at Acera and extend their high school level coursework, ability-based math classes, close teacher-to-student relationships, and a sense of belonging in our community.
When transitioning out of Acera into high school, Acera students consistently succeed; students report that their critical thinking and problem solving, writing and organizational skills, and ability to self-advocate set them up for success in high school. This is true across myriad programs, public and private.
Most families prefer a day program proximate to their homes, so they look at schools within, north of, or west of Boston. Approximately 50% of our students choose to go to their public high school.
Acera Alumni have been admitted to many day and boarding school programs across the nation
Bard’s Academy at Simon’s Rock
Belmont Hill
British International School of Boston
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
Buxton Academy
Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall
Dana Hall
Dublin School (NH)
German International School
Governor’s Academy
Groton School
Meridian Academy
Milton Academy
Minuteman Vocational Technical
Northfield Mount Hermon
Phillips Andover Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)
Pingree School
Putney School (VT)
St. John’s Prep
Waring Academy
Winsor School
Of those seeking independent schools, most frequently, students are accepted into and enroll in a wide array of Boston area schools, driven by fit with the program, including:
Saturday, November 7, 2026 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
Join us for a 1.5-hour Information Session & Tour designed for parents, guardians, and other adults interested in learning more about Acera.
Tuesday
September 22, 2026
6:00 – 7:30 pm
Thursday
October 22, 2026
9:30 – 11:00 am
The Acera School
5 Lowell Avenue
Winchester MA 01890
781.729.3489
Acera School welcomes all and does not discriminate against students, families and teachers on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, marital status, religion, political beliefs, disability, gender or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and other school administered programs.