Over the past few years, Nobles has expanded the number of buses available to our families and we are always exploring new routes that could be added. In partnership with St. Sebastian’s School, we plan to offer the following bus routes during the 2026-2027 school year:


Please note that routes are subject to change from year to year. If you’d like more details or pricing information, please feel free to reach out to Cat Kershaw at cat_kershaw@nobles.edu. An email will be going out to all families later this spring with instructions on how to sign up for bus routes for next school year.

The orientation process begins this spring for admitted students who choose to come to Nobles. After April 10, we will reach out to matriculating students to register them for classes with the help of the department heads, the college counselors and the class deans. We also create opportunities for incoming students to meet each other and their class deans in the spring. Stay tuned for more information on this in the coming weeks.

Over the summer, we offer an optional program called ONSET (Outfitting Nobles Students for Education and Transition). Taught by Nobles faculty, digital workshops and virtual classes are offered that are designed to prepare newly admitted students for the Nobles academic experience. Information about ONSET will be sent to newly enrolled families this spring.

In the fall, before classes start, we host class retreat days. Activities are carefully designed to bring students together so that by the time classes begin, students are already somewhat familiar with the campus, their classmates and some of the faculty members who will be important in their lives at Nobles.

On the first day of school, students will meet their advisors and the other students in their advisory, the first of many “mini communities” within Nobles that will contribute to a sense of belonging in their new school. An advisor is an immediate go-to adult on campus who serves as the primary liaison between each student’s school and home life. All faculty members take special care to support new students during the transition in the fall, to ensure that they are adjusting to Nobles academically and socially, that they are engaging with other students around shared interests, and in their classes and extracurriculars.

School starts each day at 8 a.m. and begins four days a week with assembly, a hallmark of the Nobles experience that includes community announcements, performances, speakers and stories. Typically, Thursday mornings are reserved for class meetings or advisory meetings. Classes begin at 8:25 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. on most days, and are generally 70 minutes long in the upper school and 60 minutes longer in the middle school. During the academic day, students will also regularly have community time blocks (clubs and organizations, affinity group meetings or time to meet with teachers) and M-blocks (reserved for performing arts offerings)... And of course a delicious lunch in the Castle! On Wednesdays, classes end early at 1:45 p.m. in order to allow for some of our athletic teams to get to away games, service groups to get to sites, etc. On most days, afternoon program activities typically end at 4:15 p.m. for the middle school and around 5:30–5:45 p.m. for the upper school.

In addition to the many opportunities available through the Nobles EXCEL program (learn more below: “EXCEL, Extracurricular and Student Life), the school also encourages students to take advantage of off-campus educational programs and believes they represent an important component in the educational development of our students. Partnerships around the country and the world give Nobles students the chance to study away and engage in learning, service and cultural immersion for either a semester or a year. Every year, 5-10 Nobles students, usually in their junior year, take this opportunity. In the past, Nobles students have studied away at The Island School, Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki, Alzar School in Idaho and Chile, and School Year Abroad, among many more.

Parent/guardian participation is an integral and welcome part of school life. All parents and guardians of current Nobles students are automatically members of the Nobles Connect (NC), our parent-guardian association, and are invited to attend monthly meetings and to become active participants. The schedule of NC meetings is noted on the school’s calendar, with further information provided in school newsletters and via email. Nobles Connect encourages and coordinates parent/guardian involvement in order to contribute to the well-being of the school community. There are many ways to be a part of that effort, allowing the caregivers in students’ lives to make a difference while getting to know each other and better understanding all that is Nobles. These efforts support students, faculty and staff, fund scholarships and faculty enrichment, and help the community bond and thrive.

We offer honors-level courses in math, science and language, as well as 15 Advanced Placement (AP) courses in a variety of disciplines. Department heads and advisors work with students and families to determine appropriate placement. Click here for the full course catalog.

All new students submit prior schoolwork in math, language and science and then meet with Nobles teachers to determine the appropriate course placement. Returning student placement is based upon student performance in class during the school year in addition to conversations with advisors and department heads. This placement process occurs each spring. Nobles strongly believes in the concept of appropriate challenge and will work with families to place new students in classes according to their abilities and past experiences, especially in math, language and science courses.

Nobles recognizes that students learn in different ways and at different paces, and has put in place support systems to help all students work toward their academic goals. The ultimate goal of academic support at Nobles is to help students develop academic and personal strategies that help them to become independent learners. When students require support outside the classroom, the student, family and appropriate faculty member(s) work together to identify challenges and formulate support plans that may include regular meetings with a teacher, academic support specialist at Nobles, or a peer tutor. If educational testing seems appropriate, the director of academic support will discuss this option with the family and suggest available resources.

The ONSET(Outfitting Nobles Students for Education and Transition) program is designed to prepare newly admitted students for the Nobles experience by bridging gaps in academic skills and executive function. To support this transition, students and families receive welcome materials electronically, followed by a series of digital workshops throughout the summer at no cost to participants. These workshops introduce key academic and organizational skills, ensuring students are equipped for success before the school year begins. Using the Canvas platform, ONSET provides ongoing access to resources covering Math, Reading, Writing, and Executive Function skills. Executive Function topics include academic technology tools such as Google Suite, Canvas, and Desmos, as well as essential strategies for time management, note-taking, self-advocacy, and study skills. The program fosters connections between students, faculty, and classmates, creating a sense of community before school starts. Workshops are accessible live and asynchronously, allowing students to engage from anywhere. Information about ONSET will be sent to newly enrolled families this spring.

Advising is a central component of student support at Nobles and the educational program. Each student is assigned an advisor who acts as a significant and reliable adult for the student at the school. Advisory group meetings occur weekly in the middle school and every other week in the upper school, in addition to frequent individual meetings throughout the year. :

Upper school students may petition to take a half-credit independent course with a Nobles faculty member in any discipline. Prior approval must be obtained from the teacher of the independent course and the advisor. Additionally, students in their senior year may opt into the Class I Projects Program, intended to give them a chance to dive into an interest in depth and explore a direction that they may not already have had an opportunity to pursue while at Nobles. Past projects have centered on volunteering, internships, research (humanities, statistics or science), engineering, the arts and entrepreneurship. Finally, we offer an advanced science elective entitled Biochemical Research, in which students design and conduct original research on self-selected biochemical problems.

Middle schoolers are required to participate in Nobles’ afternoon program each of the three seasons, and at least two of the three seasons must involve some sort of physical activity. Nobles ninth and tenth graders need to do three seasons of afternoon program, and two of those seasons must be physical. Students in eleventh and twelvth grades are required to do two seasons, one of which must be physical. Click here to learn more about Nobles' afternoon program.

Nobles considers the afternoon program an integral part of the school curriculum. All requests for exceptions and exemptions must be submitted to the certification committee at least one week prior to the start of the season. The committee will then review and decide on these requests. We do have many students who successfully participate in our afternoon program while simultaneously continuing with their commitments outside of school. Advisors, class deans and others emphasize balance and wellness for all students, and are on hand to help with any concerns around daily or weekly schedules.

Outside of its diverse curriculum, the music department offers several vocal music groups including the Greensleeves, treble voices a cappella group; Nobleonians, lower voices a cappella group; Noteorious, mixed a cappella group; Imani, multicultural/world music vocal ensemble; and Half Notes, middle school a cappella. In addition, five music concerts are offered each year including the choral concert; wind, string, orchestra concert; chamber music concert; jazz, blues, drums, guitar concert; and the Imani concert. Nobles also has a Jazz Band, a Blues Band, and a middle school Jam Band in addition to a full orchestra and wind and string ensembles.

Through the Applied Music Program (AMP), private music lessons are provided on campus during the academic school day as a convenience and a courtesy to Nobles families. Parents/guardians are responsible for payment, and families who receive financial aid automatically qualify for proportional support for the AMP fees.

Nobles students are happily busy. When you visit campus, you will see students having fun as well as working hard in their classes and activities. Nobles is dedicated to creating chances for students to connect and enjoy one another’s company outside of their academic and extracurricular commitments. Students enjoy many traditions throughout the year, from Fall Fest and Winter Fest dances, to coffehouse nights, to the best Halloween you can imagine! The balance between academic challenge, community and fun lies at the heart of the Nobles experience. Over the coming weeks, we will provide many opportunities for you to hear directly from our students, and we encourage you to ask them about their social experiences at our school.

Nobles engages in a required service learning program that empowers students to experience the world in order to learn from it and to commit to meaningful service to others. Working together, Nobles students and teachers learn how to partner with local and national organizations in settings that are often unfamiliar and challenging. In order to graduate, each student must submit 80 documented hours of service to others, pre-approved by the community service department and create a reflection portfolio that includes reflective journal entries, videos or artwork, personal interviews, etc.

Experiential and Community Engaged Learning (EXCEL) is critical to the Nobles mission to motivate students to achieve their highest potential and to inspire leadership for the public good. Through EXCEL, Nobles develops citizenship, collaboration, empathy, resilience, appropriate risk taking and character. On campus, EXCEL principles are integrated into Nobles’ academic and afternoon programs. Off campus, EXCEL principles foster the development and sustenance of partnerships for study, service, exploration and community engagement in Greater Boston, across the country and around the globe. Working with nonprofit partners across the U.S. and in other parts of the world, Nobles offers trips each year for which service is an integral part of the experience. Students and their families learn about offerings early each fall, apply for specific programs in late October and are notified in early November. Financial aid is available for all programs and aid applications are due with trip applications.

The college counseling office is made up of five full-time counselors who utilize a holistic and relationally-based program. Students are matched with a college counselor during the winter of their sophomore year, which can help mitigate anxiety around this process by providing information earlier on, while also allowing for college counselors and students to begin building strong relationships. The college counseling office shares its vast knowledge of the college landscape with students and their families, while carefully individualizing the process and keeping it developmentally appropriate. All faculty members at Nobles advocate for students and communicate with each other to help students become the strongest college applicants they can be. Click here to view the Nobles College Profile, including the matriculation list.

Nobles isn’t just a school that you attend; it’s an experience and a community that stays with you. We are proud of our graduates and their loyalty and ongoing connection to the school. All Nobles graduates are members of the Graduates Association, and graduates may volunteer for active roles in the Association’s governing body, the Graduates Council, as well as other committees that serve the school and its mission. Among other efforts, the Office of Graduate Affairs hosts annual reunions, visits graduates in college along with Nobles faculty members, hosts professional networking events, and oversees many social media and other virtual connections for graduates. Our graduate events are consistently well attended, and Nobles has been the beneficiary of steady, generous support of our graduates in sustaining the school and allowing it to evolve and grow.