The Delphian School from an Outside Perspective

We recently had a visit from Julia S., a blogger from Portland, OR – who had never been to Delphian.  She had the opportunity to tour our facilities.  We then sat down with her in an interview.  Here is what she had to say:

Interviewer: “What do you think of the facilities here at Delphian?”

JS:  “I drove for about an hour and a half to take a look at the facilities here at the school.  It’s pretty remote.  But, after driving through the town that surrounds the school, I found the campus easily.

“I’d say my first impression when I got here was that it was gorgeous.  I drove really slowly up to the top of the hill, drinking in the scenery.  The grounds are lush, I saw several outdoor areas for kids to play baseball, tennis or ride horses on my way up.  Then, when I got to the actual school, I was pretty stunned.  I didn’t really expect it to be so big and beautiful.

“When I was toured around the school, I became even more impressed.  There’s all these great places for students to get together in group activities like music and art.  I loved the art room.  The classrooms were very interesting.  I like that each student is studying their own texts, but because the atmosphere is so open and the teachers are so accessible, it almost feels collaborative.”

Interviewer: “What was your favorite part of the tour?”

JS: “I think seeing all of the spaces where kids can practice music, collaborate, and generally work together was really great.  Also, the art is incredible.  You have some very talented students.  I was blown away by several pieces displayed throughout the school and in the art classroom.”

Interviewer: “Did you have any thoughts about the curriculum as it was explained?”

JS:  “The student who toured me showed me all of the required classes, and the electives available to them.  The curriculum seems extremely diverse and thorough.  The classes look pretty fascinating.

“I also was interested to see that each student can track the progress of other students.  This seems like a good way to get a little self-motivated good-natured competition within the students.  I think it’s important for kids to push themselves, and it seems like your curriculum encourages this.

“Another thing I thought was fascinating was that, when your students complete a class, they test for that class.  The student that toured me said that no student can move on until their test score is 100%.”

Interviewer: “You talked with several of our Upper School students.  What was your impression from your conversation with them?”

JS: “They seemed very intelligent.  They also seemed very happy.  I don’t think I’ve seen happier students in high school ever.”

For more information on the Delphian School curriculum, grounds, or student boarding, go to www.Delphian.org.