Sonoma Academy is the only independent, college preparatory high school in Sonoma County. On its beautiful 34-acre campus nestled at the base of picturesque Taylor Mountain in South Santa Rosa, Sonoma Academy students can explore their interests and passions in a challenging environment that prepares them for college and life beyond.
First-year high school students are just eight years away from being in decision-making positions in all realms worldwide. Critical issues, like limited energy resources, participation gaps in education, sustainability practices, the economy, and global competition, will be on their shoulders. Their future success relies on their high school preparation today.
At Sonoma Academy, we prepare students for a rapidly changing world while grounding them in academic traditions, ethics, and community. SA students master both pieces of knowledge of subject materials and tools to succeed in academic and work environments. They practice problem-solving, collaboration, and creative thinking to gain technological, ecological, and global fluency. They also practice leadership and learn what it means to make decisions, initiate change, and act as teacher mentors.
Sonoma Academy calls its students to be creative, ethical and committed to learning. The school nurtures inspiring teachers and engages with the surrounding community, and its students communicate across cultures as they prepare to become leaders in a dynamic world.
Our team of faculty and staff are trained professionals, deeply knowledgeable both in our subject areas and adolescent development. We have created a rich, multi-faceted, dynamic program designed to ensure all of our students' success in all aspects of their lives. The teenage brain is wired to take risks and is ruled by impulse rather than logic because the prefrontal cortex is not yet developed. In an environment that encourages healthy risk-taking and where the adolescent is exposed to opportunity, this natural development phase can lead to an expanded sense of self and greater access to personal capacities.
Our students must complete a rigorous liberal arts curriculum that includes core and elective courses in humanities (history and literature), math and science, world languages, and the arts. Exploratory classes, the Intersession Program, Physical Education, Health & Wellness, Connections, and College Counseling broaden and deepen their educational experience.
We are grounded in a rigorous college preparatory framework, but we go much further. We are multidisciplinary and cutting-edge, giving students the ability to ask the hard questions and the tools to answer them. We are technologically sophisticated, but we recognize the limitations of technology, so we teach critical thinking above all else—because this is the foundation of real learning. We are deeply humanistic, treating every student with profound respect and care. And we are a joyful, inclusive, vibrant community—where students love to come to school every day.
Sonoma Academy: Redefining education for a new era. Times are changing, and our students are ready to meet, embrace, and create this change. We encourage you to explore our curriculum and signature programs and how the Guild & Commons buildings have expanded our capacities across all of our programmings.
We recognize that all students learn differently and that those with diagnosed learning differences may need extra support and accommodation to have a fair opportunity for academic success. We work with every student to determine strategies for the student's success and wellbeing. Our goal is for students to advocate for themselves, understand their learning strengths and challenges, and be prepared for their college experience.
Imagine yourself thriving in a small classroom environment, trying out for a sport you have never played before, delivering a speech for our nationally recognized Speech and Debate program, starting a club which aligns with your interests, becoming a teaching assistant in the Freshman Health and Wellness Course, or taking part in the Evening of the Arts. These are but a few examples of the many opportunities available for SA students to engage in our community. Our students are interested and interesting, but you be the judge. Come check it out for yourself!
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