Silver Belle
Our limited edition 2014 Jardin d’Hiver Cuvée makes its fleeting perennial appearance in a wintry silver gift box. The dry, brisk, and richly layered Late Disgorged Ultra Brut pays homage to the Château’s spectacular “winter garden” conservatory that overlooks the rolling hills of Carneros.
$69 | Member Price: $55.20
Note: Available Dec. 1
Château Culinary Collection
Your favorite home entertainer will adore this bounty of gourmet delights, elegant marble serving board, and gold cheese knife that accompanies a bottle of our award-winning 2015 Estate Brut Cuvée. All the perfect sparkling pairings are here: Sonoma’s own Journeyman Meat Co. artisan salumi; San Francisco’s amazing Jamnation “Cheese Lovers Mini Trio”; a jar of Black Bow Sweet’s Sea Salt and Black Pepper Cashews; Rustic Bakery Artisan Fruitcake Crisps; and a wheel of ambrosial Mt. Tam, Cowgirl Creamery’s signature triple-cream cheese. (Please note, this gift set requires overnight shipping.)
$134 | Member Price: $107.20
Note: limited amount of cheese so will sell pack without cheese once sells out
Duet Delight
Delight them with our best-selling winery exclusives, 2016 Brut Rosé and 2015 Estate Brut Cuvée, nestled in our signature blue gift box. This sparkling duo displays the elegance, versatility, and verve of our Carneros fruit.
$92 | Member Price: $73.60
Colors of Carneros
Three deliciously distinctive wines highlight the magic and majesty of Carneros! Our 2016 Brut Rosé, 2018 Estate Pinot Noir, and 2015 Estate Brut Cuveé embody the depth and breadth of our six estate vineyards translated through masterful winemaking and presented in our signature blue box.
$139 | Member Price: $111.20
Teen Brains are Wired to Learn
The teen brain is experiencing a period of explosive development, with an increase in abilities such as abstract thinking, considering many points of view, and being able to think about the process of thinking. Some research suggests that adolescents even have a greater capability than adults and children to solve problems in new and creative ways due to their ability to think about different concepts at the same time. Heightened information processing abilities and social sensitivity during adolescence also make this a time of increased ability to navigate our complex social world.
Adolescent brains are also more capable of change than adult brains, and unlike children, adolescents also have a greater capacity to shape their own brain’s development. What teenagers choose to do, the environments they find or place themselves in, and the peer group they engage with all can have a tremendous impact on the direction of their development. By engaging in certain patterns of behavior, teens are making certain types of brain activity stronger. This makes leaps in intellectual and emotional development possible during adolescence.
Teens can sometimes act a bit reckless—research tells us that their brains are primed to take risks. Without opportunities for healthy risk-taking, teens are more likely to engage in unproductive or unhealthy risk behavior. But when channeled appropriately, this drive to experiment and explore helps teens mature socially and intellectually while developing the resilience they need to succeed in and outside of the classroom.
Many Sonoma Academy courses and programs include opportunities for students to exercise agency in the classroom. Many core classes include self-driven projects with multiple modes of demonstrating learning (for example, students could choose to write a paper, produce a short film, or build a model.) And students have the option to pursue an Academic Concentration in STEM, Global Citizenship, or Environmental Stewardship. Concentrations allow students to pursue a course of study in their chosen discipline and then complete a deep-dive capstone project and presentation in the senior year.
Teens are capable of inspiring action, and school leadership opportunities and co-curriculars give them the chance to utilize the tools they need to become real-world leaders. Whether leading a club, participating in student government, conducting political activism with organizations like Schools for Climate Action, directing a one-act play, or joining a team for sports, robotics, or Speech & Debate, Sonoma Academy students have space and time to practice and develop the skills of leadership and advocacy.
Anyone who has a teenager at home knows that the teen years are a period of immense change, growth, and development. While our brains reach full size somewhere between ages 11 to 14, the brain continues to change throughout adolescence and does not reach full maturity until the mid- to late twenties.
The unique development happening in the teen brain provides substantial opportunities for education, if the school environment is poised to make the most of this crucial time of life. But many schools do not organize themselves to align with the needs and capacities of the adolescent brain.
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Teens Are "Wired to Learn"
Exploration Makes Explorers
Giving students a full, well-rounded view of themselves through experimentation and exploration beyond the classroom—through social and class-building activities, and a robust co-curricular program—is the best way to develop confidence and competency that will last a lifetime. With small class sizes and a student-to-teacher ratio of 13 to 1, Sonoma Academy students are truly seen and known by their teachers and classmates. These close relationships provide the supportive foundation teenagers need to feel comfortable exploring, discovering, and expressing their true and authentic selves.
Finding Their People
Human beings learn best within the safety and support of authentic relationships. Adolescents, in particular, are at a stage of development when concern for how they are perceived by others is at its peak and the desire to belong is at its strongest. While this aspect of social sensitivity is often talked about as a negative aspect of adolescent behavior, it can actually be a positive when the social environment is healthy.
Having a group of engaged, motivated peers who will uplift, celebrate, and encourage one another in discovering and being their authentic selves is a powerful experience for anyone, but most especially teenagers for whom the peer group is of paramount importance in developing a sense of self.
We work to create a warm, accepting school culture of connection that empowers our students to ask questions and try new things. Balancing social emotional development with academic rigor while also giving teens many opportunities to to stretch themselves supports their development of self-awareness and self-knowledge.
Social-emotional education and community connection are just as vital as academics in the teenage years, and without a solid social-emotional foundation, many students cannot thrive or reach their full potential. Every Sonoma Academy student takes two full years of Health & Wellness education with classes occuring twice per week. The Health & Wellness program is designed to prepare students for the challenges of adolescence in a developmentally appropriate and timely way, covering topics such as mental health, stress management, sleep, nutrition, drugs and alcohol, conflict resolution, friendship, questions of identity, digital citizenship, communication skills, gender roles and gender fluidity, and body image. The Health & Wellness program also encompasses physical education, which goes beyond typical high school PE to incorporate topics like nutrition, mindfulness, stress-relief, and building lifelong physical fitness habits. Students also participate in Health & Wellness workshops throughout the 11th and 12th grade years.
Activism & Self-Advocacy
Another example of social sensitivity that increases during adolescence is concern with larger social structures and world events. This, coupled with the increased desire to develop agency and autonomy in the world, creates an awesome opportunity for teenagers to develop their capacities to be activists and advocates for the things that matter most to them. Whether that is taking responsibility for getting help with a difficult assignment or advocating for social justice and climate action out in the world, teenagers need opportunities to exercise their newly developing sense of self as it relates to the complex world that self is living in.
This urge to engage with the greater world can make learning more meaningful when students are given the opportunity to learn about subjects that feel relevant to their lives. Sonoma Academy offers a slate of courses examining real-world issues. For example, students in Constitutional Law wrestle with landmark cases decided by the Supreme Court, examining how those decisions affect the lives of present-day Americans. In Engineering for Social Good, students collaborate as they design, build, and program tools to better the lives of individuals. In Art & Activism, students examine the role of art as an agent of social change, and in Civic Engagement, they develop the skills to be active citizens: organizing, lobbying, and working with legislators to address the causes they care about. When they are learning about something they feel passionate about, and students can see the application of their schoolwork in the world outside the classroom, they are excited and eager to dig deeper.
Making the Most of the
Teen Brain Builds Lifelong Skills
As sweet and cuddly kids grow into boundary-pushing, peer-focused adolescents, it’s natural for parents to feel a little disoriented about the changes and challenges they see. But teenhood can be a time of tremendous growth, intellectual discovery, and self-determination, especially when students are in an environment that works constructively with their developmental needs.
A school like Sonoma Academy provides avenues for the right kind of risk-taking, bolstered by the safety and support of a warm and tight-knit community. In this kind of school culture, students are seen as individuals and encouraged to discover and express their authentic selves at a time when they are primed for inner exploration. Surrounded by motivated peers, their natural desire to “find their people” works in a positive way. When teenagers are encouraged to try new things, to learn about themselves, and to be an active member of a caring and engaged community, they can become leaders and innovators ready to take on new adventures in college and career. This is an education that goes beyond academic rigor and achievement; this is an education that captures the power and potential of the unique teenage brain, setting students on their own pathways toward personal fulfillment and success.
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We believe that “exploration makes explorers,” so our programs are designed to include opportunities for students to take risks that will help them become more self-aware, identify their passions and interests, grow their strengths and capabilities, and become more competent and confident young adults. Giving students the chance to try new things in a supportive, safe environment feeds that drive to take risks and helps them develop confidence. When channeled constructively, this drive to try new things helps teens discover new interests and develop a strong sense of self. In order for students to maximize their potential, they need opportunities to explore and experiment in a safe and supportive environment.
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