Spring Break is on the horizon and this year we’d like to start planning for next year early!  To begin that work, one of the critical pieces of information we need to know is: What courses would students prefer to take?  As students move through high school they have an increasing ability to select their educational paths by identifying electives (including additional years of math, science, and Spanish) that they’d like to explore. We’ll begin this process today!

During tomorrow’s (Tuesday, March 11) activity period (2:45-3:30 p.m.), the 8th-11th graders will meet with teachers from Computer Science, Performing Arts, Yearbook, Science, English, and History to hear about the elective course offerings in those disciplines.  This will serve as a follow-up to the course descriptions in the Middle & Upper School 2025-26 Course Catalog, (see the bottom of this message for a sneak peek at new and returning courses).  As you read through the catalog, please remember that not all of the courses in the catalog can be offered in a single year.  For this reason, the next step in the process will be for students to identify the top three courses they’d like to take in each discipline. Based on that information we will determine which courses can be offered next year and student schedules will be built thereafter.

 

Advanced Placement Human Geography is a college-level course that examines how humans interact with and modify the Earth’s surface, focusing specifically on economic development, patterns of migration, resource and land usage, as well as cultural landscapes. This course will also challenge students to utilize geographical tools and analysis to understand spatial relationships and the impacts of human activity on the environments around the world. Furthermore, students will learn to interpret data from maps, graphs, and images to identify various patterns and trends. The exam in May is 2 hours and 15 minutes long, and includes 60 MCQs and 3 FRQs. 

In Pop/Rock Band, students will select the songs they want to learn, and practice performing with voice, ukulele, guitar, piano, and percussion.  The class will create music as a group by listening closely to the different parts that create the song, and collaborating to arrange the music.  Students will also learn about the music industry, and the artists who wrote and recorded these songs through musicology lessons led by the instructor.  Each class begins with a vocal warm up, then students will retrieve their instruments and we will begin rehearsal.  In Pop/Rock Band I, students must play at least one instrument. In Pop/Rock Band II, students must play at least two different instruments and take a leadership role by counting to begin each song. In Pop/Rock Band III, students must play three different instruments and demonstrate leadership by leading parts of rehearsals and giving feedback to other students. Students will be evaluated and placed in one of these three levels at the start of the semester. 

New! Upper School Drama 

This is a year-long drama class for those wishing to extend their study beyond Middle School Drama. It will balance both theory and practice. This class will include lessons in vocalizing, how to best use one’s body onstage, and how to imaginatively create an atmosphere on stage. We will spend a portion of the class on how to read Shakespeare, how Aristotle’s Poetics dictate the modern idea of a narrative, and how to analyze dialogue. This class will include a beginner’s course in stage combat, and it will also be a time to rehearse and perform scenes for each other. 

Conservation biology is a “crisis discipline” that seeks to protect biodiversity from the harmful impacts of human populations. Central to this discipline are three major goals (1) documenting biodiversity on Earth; (2) investigating human impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems; and (3) developing approaches to prevent species extinctions and to restore biological communities. In this course, students will learn about how these goals are achieved through the work of science professionals and indigenous peoples throughout the world, with a special focus on conservation initiatives within the country of Costa Rica. In fulfillment of a term project, students will develop their own plan for conserving a wild animal species currently listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Topics examined in this course will include phylogenetics and zoological classification; ethology (animal behavior); human-wildlife conflict; wild animal husbandry and management in zoos, parks, and preserves; and wildlife law enforcement. This course is required for all students participating in the EF Tours Costa Rica trip of 2026.  

New! Video Editing & Motion Graphics (Grades 9-12)
This course is designed to equip students with essential video editing skills, enabling them to manipulate footage using editing software and create dynamic visual elements such as animations and titles with motion graphics tools. The primary goal is for students to produce professional-quality videos while enhancing their creative storytelling abilities. Throughout the course, students will work on hands-on projects, including short promotional videos, social media clips, and animated films, applying their skills in real-world scenarios. The course encourages experimentation with different visual styles, animation techniques, and transitions, helping students develop their unique creative voices.

Students will develop fundamental video editing skills using software like Adobe Premiere, including cutting scenes, applying transitions, adjusting color and audio, and sequencing footage. They'll also be introduced to motion graphics software, such as Adobe After Effects, to create animated titles, graphics, and visual effects that elevate video content. As part of their journey, students will explore the art of storytelling through video, learning how to use narrative structure, pacing, and visual elements to effectively convey a message. They'll gain proficiency in both video editing and motion graphics software while mastering visual composition principles, such as framing, shot selection, and movement. Additionally, students will learn audio editing techniques, including adjusting audio levels, adding music, and synchronizing sound with visuals. The course will also introduce students to basic animation principles, allowing them to create simple animations with keyframes and motion paths, as well as design animated titles with text effects.

Throughout the course, students will draw inspiration from contemporary video makers and animators, whose work serves as a source of guidance and motivation. In addition to their visual projects, students will write artist statements for each assignment, learning to express their ideas clearly and effectively. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to critique sessions, where students receive constructive feedback, helping them refine their skills and use the vocabulary of video editing and animation for critical analysis. This ongoing process of feedback and revision not only motivates students but also encourages continuous improvement. By the end of the year, students will have a diverse portfolio of video and animation projects and a strong understanding of key digital audio, video, and animation tools

“A writer is someone who pays attention to the world,” said Susan Sontag. In this course, we will pay attention to the world around us and also to our personal obsessions, fears and wishes. We’ll start with our everyday experiences and somewhere along the way, we’ll turn them into art. Reading widely and writing often, this class will be a space for curiosity and experimentation. We will explore a range of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, examining the tools and techniques writers use to create an effect on readers. Then, we’ll take the strategies we like best and try them out for ourselves. The goal of this class is to improve your writing and to build a community that shares ideas, finds inspiration, and reads each other’s work with excitement and care. Each writer will submit a final portfolio consisting of three finished pieces as well as a personal reflection on their evolution as a reader and writer. Authors will include Zadie Smith, Ocean Vuong, Danez Smith, Ada Limón, Diane Seuss, Justin Torres, and many others.

Media Art students spend first semester exploring fundamentals of graphics and web design, learning digital tools including: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and InDesign. Designers complete 5-7 projects per semester that both challenge their technical skills as well as their conceptual skills. First semester projects include: Digital Poster & Banner, Interface Design for a Website and Mobile App, and Corporate Identity. 

Myth and Identity is a college-level course that challenges students to study three academic fields--Greek and Latin mythology; classics of world cinema; and psychoanalytic theory--and explore how synthesizing the impact of those topics of study can help them understand themselves, their desires, and their very notions of selfhood.  Students read, among others classical works, Homer’s Iliad, Hesiod’s Theogony, Sophocles’ Philoctetes, Euripides’ Medea, Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound and Oresteia Trilogy; they scour dense theoretical texts such as Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” and a variety of essays by the French psychoanalyst-philosopher Jacques Lacan; they watch selected films such as The Godfather, La Strada, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Do the Right Thing, and Vertigo.  Students are expected to prepare discussion questions for every class meeting and to produce written and/or recorded (i.e., video-audio) essays in which they demonstrate connections between stylistic details of a work of film or literature and the ideas expressed in one of the theoretical works they will read.  The second semester will begin with the myth of Oedipus and extend to Sophocles’ Ajax and Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis and The Bacchae, while critical readings will delve more deeply into the connections between politics and personal fantasy.  In connection with this last topic, they will not only continue to read works by Lacan, but also explore the writings of Slavoj Zizek, who probes the connections between psychoanalysis and ideology.  Final projects for the year include an essay (written or video) on the idea of a “symptom” in a work of art and a class presentation on what each student’s favorites were for the year (favorite film, favorite myth, etc.).