Upper School
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Upper School

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Upper School students in the 9th and 10th grades at Lausanne benefit from the continued development of critical thinking, research and communication skills while exploring the interdisciplinary studies of the last two years of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. Our goal is to develop students who are global-minded, collaborative, empathetic and active learners with the intellect and skills to pursue lives of purpose and meaning. Classroom, co-curricular activities, student-organized interest clubs and community service experiences aim to help students develop their potential, explore their own learning preferences, take appropriate risks, and reflect on, and develop, a strong sense of personal identity. 

Through this self-reflection as well as the completion of most graduation requirements within their first two years of study in the Upper School, students are better able to design their schedules through the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the 11th and 12th grades to develop their individual skill sets and interests and to enhance admittance to their preferred colleges and universities. Grade level faculty advisors, small peer groups and a structured four-year college advising process provide students the support, guidance and self-reflection opportunities to find their individual college or university of choice.

Upper School At Lausanne

  • Middle Years Programme – Lausanne's 9th and 10th grades are part of the Upper School while an extension of the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate. In addition to continuing the development of students' Learner Profile attributes, students in the 10th grade will complete a long-term personal research project.
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme – The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a rigorous academic program that takes place during the junior and senior year of high school. Students choose from a selection of classes offered at both standard (SL) and higher level (HL) classes in each of six different academic areas of study. All SL and HL classes are taught over a two-year period. Students also write an extended essay, take a Theory of Knowledge class and participate in the Creativity, Activity and Service program (CAS). All students in the Upper School at Lausanne benefit from participation in the full Diploma Programme or participation in two or more IB Certificate Courses. Forty percent of the junior and senior classes participate in the full Diploma Programme, and IB Math and English are both required of all students. The math program is integrated to make connections across the content domains leading to higher test scores, better retention and advanced studies. Students who complete IB coursework with high marks should expect to have college credit applied towards their college graduation requirements.
  • Flex Block – Each academic day students in the have  a 50 minute Flex Block starting at 1:25 p.m.  This is a time when almost all of the teachers are in their classrooms. Students can get extra support on lessons or work with teachers and peers on various projects. National Honor Society students are also available for peer-tutoring. This is a great time for students to get one on one support in areas of challenge, or to get a jump start on a major project or homework assignment.
  • Advisory – Each student has a grade-level advisor and a peer advisory group of seven to eight students that they meet each morning for 15 minutes to start the school day. Teachers build meaningful relationships with all members of their advisories and their advisees’ parents and help shepherd them through the academic and social challenges that present themselves over the year. The advisor is the primary contact for the family in the school.  Following advisory, the first academic class does not start until 9:05 a.m. following best practices for the teenage brain.
  • Rotating Block Schedule – Upper School students rotate through six academic classes over two days. Each class has been set at 85 minutes, which follows best pedagogy and allows enough time for students to take a deep dive into each subject. Students can tailor their experience with over 100+ course offerings, including but not limited to Anthropology, Business, Computer Science, English, Languages (French, Spanish, Mandarin), Math, Psychology, Science, Sports and Health Sciences, and the Performing and Visual Arts, taught through three different art studios. There are never more than 20 students in a class and class sizes actually decrease in size as students enroll in various electives of interest. The average class size experience is 14 students.
  • Technology – Technology is seamlessly integrated into all academic programs at Lausanne. Supported by our campus-wide wireless network, all Middle and Upper School students use personal laptops/ tablets in all of their classes. Our classrooms and innovation labs employ tools like 3-D printers, and laser cutters/ engravers to enhance lessons across the curriculum. We also have a new Virtual Reality suite, where students can experience multi-sensory and contextualized learning, they can even take a step back in time or teleport to a new part of the globe.   To provide professional development for our teachers and other educators, Lausanne Learning Institute brings leading experts on technology in the classroom from around the world to Memphis each summer.
  • Active Learning – Utilizing our flexible furniture, our highly trained teachers will use active learning strategies for each lesson to keep engagement high and the student learning experience optimized.   
  • Class Trips and Internships – At the beginning of the school year, each class in the Upper School benefits from a unique week-long class experience designed to create a strong support system and opportunities for future planning. The freshman go on a retreat with the 9th grade faculty to learn about the Upper School culture and to build community as a class. Sophomores participate in a week-long internship in a local non-profit giving them the opportunity to realize their impact on the communities in which they live. The junior class visits eight to ten colleges within a region with their college and faculty advisors to explore the differences between the types of schools. The seniors organize a week-long internship of their choosing, although corporate internships are encouraged. The timing of this internship is important to the college application process as seniors are narrowing their choices of program interests. 
  • Clubs – There are over 50 student-organized clubs represented by the Upper School annually. Interests include community service efforts, academic clubs such as the Knowledge Bowl, Model U.N. and Health Occupation Specialists of America (HOSA), athletic and arts clubs and special interest clubs such as robotics, debate or music history. Students can participate in two clubs during the community time block that happens each Wednesday. 
  • College Advisory – Guidance from both faculty and Lausanne’s three members of the college advising team gives students the support and encouragement needed to explore their individual passions as well as to design specific areas of academic concentration based on college and university interests. College advisors give multiple presentations to freshmen, sophomores and parents as well as create discussion cues for faculty advisory groups throughout the year. The college advisors work closely with each junior and senior through the college admission process and will also host over 130 recruiters each fall from various colleges and universities to visit with students.

Upper School News

  • Senior Profile: Audrey Mefford '23 Thursday, June 8, 2023
    Audrey Mefford '23 has always had a strong interest in understanding how people think and getting to know those different from her. She pursued this passion through various avenues, such as travelin...
  • Senior Profile: Risha Manga '23 Wednesday, May 31, 2023
    Throughout her ten years as a Lynx, Risha Manga '23 demonstrated her commitment to service, culture and personal growth through academic and extra-curricular endeavors that combined her personal inte...
  • Lausanne Lynx Spring Fling Recap Wednesday, May 24, 2023
    The Lausanne Lynx hit the road to Murfreesboro this week for the TSSAA State Championships for spring sports, also known as Spring Fling. The Lynx have student-athletes competing for state tennis, tr...

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