Preston Scholars Program - Preston High School

Values, Vision, Voice

Preston Scholars Program

Preston Scholars are passionate about the world of ideas and about solving the real world challenges of poverty, social injustice and environmental degradation through compassionate action. Our Scholars Program offers a rigorous academic and enrichment curriculum throughout the student’s high school career. Such a curriculum includes accelerated content, in-depth study, opportunities for learning beyond the classroom, and the development of communication, collaboration, and leadership skills. The aim of the Preston Scholars Program is to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning, to apply this learning to real world problems, and to work for positive change in the world.

The Preston Scholars Program is designed to enable and encourage highly motivated students to take advantage of the several Advanced Placement courses offered and to complete challenging, self-designed Christian Service projects. Participation in the Scholars Program is one more way in which a student can distinguish herself in the increasingly competitive college application process.

A student is invited to apply to the Scholars Program at the end of 9th or 10th grade, based on her overall intellectual ability as demonstrated by her high school entrance exam score, her elementary school grade point average, her freshman or sophomore grade point average, and recommendations provided by her 9th or 10th grade teachers and guidance counselor.

Preston High School offers Honors and Advanced Placement courses in English, Fine & Technical Arts, History, Languages Other Than English (LOTE), Mathematics, and Science.

Why Be A Scholar?

A nation’s treasure is its scholars.

--A Yiddish Proverb

The Mind of the scholar, if [s]he would leave it large and liberal,

should come in contact with other minds.

--American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Learner always begins by finding fault, but the Scholar sees the

positive merit in everything.

--Philosopher George Hegel

All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.

--Martin H. Fischer

We learn more by looking for the answer to a question

and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.

--Novelist Lloyd Alexander

It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot

Irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship

what is known, but to question it.

--Mathematician/Scientist Jacob Bronowski

Program Goals

To ensure that each student has the opportunity to develop her intellectual gifts to the fullest
To enhance the opportunities for service, leadership, and fellowship in a Christian community
To provide guidance and mentoring to students in the appreciation of their own talents and those of others
To graduate students with a liberal education, dedicated to life-long learning who are
- Proficient in a language other than English
- Well-grounded in the humanities and sciences
- Able to communicate successfully both orally and in writing
- Capable of assuming shared responsibility for collaborative work
- Convinced of their responsibility for their own development and that of their community

Profile of a Preston Scholar

Is eager to learn/Has a high capacity for learning
Comes prepared for class and ready to discuss ideas
Is open to teaching methods that encourage active learning
Is willing to get involved in every class
Is comfortable with ambiguity; doesn’t require a definitive answer to every question
Is open to new ideas and different perspectives on old ideas
Has a solid work ethic
Welcomes a challenge
Seeks the company of other highly motivated, highly competent students
Is interested in developing her leadership skills in some way
Is willing to work collaboratively with her classmates in order to succeed
Is willing to take responsibility for her own learning