Permission of instructor required to sign up.

This class will explore everyday science by looking at situations that might arise in your home. We will look at the chemistry of cleaning products, scientific reactions in cooking, and how to approach different types of stains in the laundry. We will look at how to grow herbs in our kitchen and ways we can use food scraps to minimize waste. We will also try to explore student interests as they arise in conversation!

We will also try to explore student interests as they arise in conversation! Throughout our scientific explorations, students will also work on ELA indicators through reading informational texts, participating in discussions, and responding to writing prompts connected to our topics of study.

This is a required course that will provide an introduction and overview to the physical sciences. Students will study large topics within the disciplines of  Earth and Space Sciences. Part of the class will be taught as a standalone science course, and part will be taught as an integrated study with 9th grade English.

This integrated full-year course combines Science and English Language Arts to explore the relationship between humans, health, and the environment. Students will begin the year by examining the ways humans impact the natural world, including biodiversity loss and pollution. The unit culminates with a study of the book Gather and an exploration of diverse perspectives on human relationships with the environment.

Students will then investigate cells, disease, and the ways human activity has influenced the development, spread, and treatment of infectious and noninfectious diseases.

The course concludes with an in-depth study of climate change, including its causes, impacts, and potential solutions, with a final emphasis on climate resilience and adaptation.

This class is a challenging, fast-paced introduction to the study of chemistry and the central techniques and topics that chemists address. The course is structured in a spiraling manner, which means that topics will be interspersed with each other to favor understanding and long-term memory formation over memorization. We will connect the branches of chemistry into a multi-faceted yet cohesive whole. Instruction will include lecture, demonstrations, simulations, labs, and problem-solving. Students should expect to complete regular homework assignments, study for written assessments, and complete lab reports on their own. 

This elective will help you build a deeper understandings of rivers and the systems that shape them. We will learn about the physical, geologic, and ecosystems context of rivers through classroom instruction, hands-on activities, and field studies of local rivers. Students who sign up for this class should be prepared to go outside, to read and write, to work with maps, and to speak and listen. This course is open to students in grades 10-12 and is co-taught by Trevor Tait and Caleb Corliss.

This interdisciplinary course combines science and English language arts to help students build essential skills while exploring real-world topics in meaningful and engaging ways. Designed for students focused on graduation indicator recovery, this course blends reading, writing, scientific inquiry, and critical thinking. Students will explore themes and problems that connect across disciplines—such as environmental justice, human impact on ecosystems, or the science of storytelling—while also reinforcing key academic competencies. Math, social studies, and other subjects will be integrated where relevant to support a holistic understanding. This is a dynamic, project-based course—not a study hall—where students will actively participate in discussions, labs, research, and writing to meet learning goals and move confidently toward graduation.

Bioethics will allow students to delve into a variety of controversial issues in society. Students will focus on issues through the lens of current scientific research, while also focusing on societal influences in the making of ethical decisions. In examining the morality of situations, students will formulate arguments based on scientific research, paying particular attention to supporting evidence. In addition, students will include in their arguments influences that are more difficult to quantify, such as background, personal experience, and religion. Students will also study literature, investigating how authors make connections to science and civilization and how science influences culture. Possible titles for study include The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Flowers for Algernon.