Course Description:  Classical Literature students will study the great works of the Western canon. Beginning with the oldest of the epics, The Epic of Gilgamesh, students will work through the epic poems, especially including the works of Homer and Virgil. These great books are beautiful descriptions of the human experience, and the attempt to understand virtue and fate in the sometimes chaotic natural world. The year will end with William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Though not a classical work in itself, the play imitates the Roman tragedy of Seneca, draws upon the biographies of Plutarch, and reveals not only a magnificent story of politics and honor, but also illustrates some of the most beautiful rhetoric (and sophistry) to grace the English language. Students will develop close reading skills, employ Socratic discussion and seminar and have the opportunity to strengthen their skills as writers and critical thinkers, always pursuing the literary question: Is this good?

Books for Students: 

• The Odyssey

• The Iliad

• The Oedipus Cycle

• The Aeneid

• Julius Caesar

• Various works of poetry and short stories

Course Description: This course introduces students to Euclidean Geometry as a demonstrative discipline through proofs of geometrical propositions from certain and self-evident principles. In addition to exploring the foundations of geometrical knowledge, students are taught how to apply that knowledge to concrete problems and how to integrate pure geometry with algebraic reasoning and expression. This course places a special emphasis on the nature of demonstrative knowledge, the development of logical thinking skills, and the arts of analytic and synthetic reasoning.   Major topics include lines and angles, triangles, polygons, quadrilaterals, circles, ratio and proportion, coordinates, and spheres.

Course Description: In Biology students will take an in depth journey through the study of life and the discoveries that led to our understanding of it.  Students will begin on a microscopic level looking at the nature of cells and cellular processes before moving into a study of genetics and DNA.  Students will then discuss the theory of evolution as well as other theories for diversity of life and finish with a tour of the different forms of life.  The class will contain a mixture of lecture and discussion, as well as many hands on labs and dissections to give students an intimate understanding of the beautiful and complex life forms that surround us.

Course Description:  Western Civilization I will give students an overview of the history of the western world from 4000 B.C.E. to the fall of Rome.  The class will discuss creation of the world, religions, human nature, philosophy, culture, the rise and fall of nations, war, and politics.  Students will explore the world of ancient philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle and Plato, as well as study the empirical tactics of Alexander the Great and heroic deeds of Odysseus.  All the while we will be asking ourselves the questions that man has been asking since the beginning of time. Who am I?  What is my purpose?  Is there a God and if there is what is my relationship with a supreme being? How am I to live in community with others?  What should that community look like? Etc.

Course Description:  Latin I is the Latin class provided to ninth graders. It moves the students from the more reading-based approach in middle school to a more grammar-based approach in high school. Over the course of this year, students will achieve a mastery of Latin’s basic morphology and syntax. Students will also begin to read actual Latin texts, through the purview of the textbook, Learn to Read Latin. This will be supplemented by other texts, including Lingua Latina and Ritchies’ Fabulae Faciles. The class will also supplement language instruction with the occasional class on Roman history and culture, to provide context for the language and the stories students will read.

Course Description:  Students will continue to practice and master composition skills while incorporating new elements of logic and rhetoric.  Ideas of term, proposition, and syllogism will be explored and practiced in multiple settings and applications.  Ideas of rhetoric will be explored, building upon the modes of persuasion and the canons of rhetoric.  Students will use original composition, suggested speeches, and other primary source documents to study, practice, and recite with skill and confidence.  

Course Description:  This course will dive into some of the most impactful British works ever written, works that ask the question about the nature of humanity. In this course, one of the most important tasks is active engagement with the texts. Studying them should be both an independent and collaborative effort. Each text might mean something a little different to each person, but shared interpretations help everyone to gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for the texts.

Books for Students: 

• The Canterbury Tales

• Inferno

• Paradise Lost

• Pride and Prejudice

• A Tale of Two Cities

• One or more of the following:

  • Beowulf

  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

  • Pearl

• One or more of the following:

  • MacBeth 

  • King Lear

  • Much Ado About Nothing

• Elements of Style

• Various works of poetry and short stories

Course Description: In Algebra 2, students will build on and expand upon the mathematical concepts from Algebra 1. They will dig deeper into  equations, problem solving, graphing, functions, matrices, systems of equations, exponents, polynomials, rational expressions, radicals, higher-degree functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, and more.  

Course Description:  In Chemistry, students will explore and develop a deep understanding of the atomic world around them.  They will accomplish this with a mixture of lecture, discussion, skills practice and hands-on labs.  The students will begin their journey with basic understanding of atomic structure with an emphasis on discovery, then move into study of electron configurations, periodic trends, bonding essentials, kinetic molecular theory, nomenclature and stoichiometry.  This class will give students ample time to practice new and foreign skills in a guided environment that will encourage an appreciation of the unseen world around them.

Course Description: In Western Civilization II, students will learn the stories and become acquainted with the people, cultures and art of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment. They will begin after the fall of Rome, and chronologically progress to the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Students will read primary sources, develop a timeline encompassing major events, engage in discussions on the religious and philosophical movements, and wrestle with questions about what shapes a society’s culture. This class will also provide practice with close-reading skills, research and paper-writing, and oral presentations and Socratic discussions. 

Course Description:   Latin II is the intermediate Latin class provided to tenth graders. Over the course of this year, students will achieve a mastery of Latin’s morphology and syntax, finishing the textbook Learn to Read Latin. Students will also continue to read actual Latin texts, through the purview of the textbook. In addition, students will also begin to read medieval sources in the original Latin.  The class will also supplement language instruction with the occasional class on Roman history and culture, to provide context for the language and the stories students will read.

Course Description:   Upper school physical education is designed to promote lifelong fitness, health, and wellness through a variety of physical activities. Students will engage in individual/team sports, individual fitness challenges, and cooperative games to develop physical, social, coordination, and endurance skills. Physical education emphasizes the importance of cardiovascular health, strength training, flexibility, and proper nutrition. Through engaging lessons, students will explore goal-setting, teamwork, and the benefits of an active lifestyle. Activities may include basketball, soccer, flag football, badminton, archery, team handball, volleyball, circuit training, and outdoor recreation, tailored to student interests and school facilities. Assessments will focus on participation, effort, skill development, and a basic understanding of fitness principles. 

Course Description:  Students will interact with great literature across multiple genres encompassing many of the best ideas - especially those involving moral development.  We will learn to read, to interact with the text, to annotate well and effectively, and to understand the place the selected works play within their historical context.  Students will be expected to read diligently and participate actively in class discussions.  Assignments will include a variety of writing, identification of style and school, and a growing recognition of each author and their greater body of work.

Books for Students: 

• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

• Moby Dick

• The Scarlet Letter

• Elements of Style

• Various works of poetry and short stories

Course Description:  Pre-Calculus weaves together previous study of algebra, geometry, and mathematical functions into a preparatory course for calculus. The course focuses on mastery of critical skills and exposure to new skills necessary for success in subsequent math courses. Topics include fundamental concepts of Algebra, functions and graphs, polynomials and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, analytic trigonometry, topics in trigonometry, systems of equations and inequalities, matrices and determinants, conic sections and analytic geometry, sequences, induction, probability, and an introduction to Calculus. 

Course Description:  In Physics, students will explore and develop a deep understanding of the laws of nature which surround them. The students will begin their journey with basic understanding of movement through a study of both linear and projectile kinematics before exploring the implications of the more recent addition of the theory of relativity.  Students will then move into exploring Newtonian laws of forces and the implications of circular motion.  Finally students will have the opportunity to investigate the laws of energy how it relates to kinematics and forces.   This class will give students ample time to practice new and foreign skills in a guided environment that will encourage an appreciation of the unseen world around them as well as giving them ownership in designing experiments of their own to facilitate their deepening understanding of science.

Course Description:  Students will develop an understanding of American history in its entirety, including the tradition that inspired our national foundation and the identity our country has crafted among the nations of the world. By studying numerous primary and secondary sources, we will learn the stories of the men and women that built America each step of the way. In this class, students can expect to read, take meaningful notes, and engage in in-class conversation. Through assignments and coursework, students will practice their communication skills in writing and speaking, grow in geographical/chronological familiarity, and shape a deep understanding of how the eras and events of American history built the world around them.

Course Description:  The goal of this course is for students to encounter the Spanish language and culture in such a way that they have an inspiring familiarity with the history, arts, architecture, literature, people and places of the Spanish-speaking world, along with a basic level of language acquisition. Students will encounter rich vocabulary, and move toward proficiency in basic communication, both spoken and written, using regular and irregular verbs in the present, past, future, imperfect, and conditional tenses.  Students will read Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. Students should expect 20 minutes of focused study and/or reading 5 nights per week.

Course Description: The goal of this course is for students to encounter the French language and culture in such a way that they have an inspiring familiarity with the history, arts, architecture, literature, people and places of France, along with a basic level of language acquisition. Students will encounter rich vocabulary, and move toward proficiency in basic communication, both spoken and written, using regular and irregular verbs in the present, past, future, imperfect, and conditional tenses.  Students will read The Song of Roland and Ninety-three by Victor Hugo.  Students should expect 20 minutes of focused study and/or reading 5 nights per week.

Course Description:  This class will lead students to deeply consider the political tradition of the West, from Plato to the American Founding and beyond. Students will engage with the texts of political philosophers and, through close study and dialogue, develop their own understanding of how man ought to form society and behave within it. Beyond reading, students will practice thoughtful analysis of the ideas at play and will be expected to express their own thoughts in writing and in-class conversations. 

Course Description:  This course will be an overview of modern literature. It will involve engagement with great works, human struggles, beautiful language, and an encounter with the struggles faced by all of humanity.  By reading about the real problems concerning human nature, the human good, or the natural order, students will be able to make predictions and connections with real-life struggles that they may later face themselves and be able to have more prudence when solving any problems that arise in the future. Students should employ all their skills of reading, thinking, writing, and speaking.

Books for Students: 

• Crime and Punishment

• Hamlet

• Heart of Darkness

• The Metamorphosis

• Elements of Style

• Various works of poetry and short stories

Course Description:  Students will explore patterns regarding slope and area leading to fundamental properties of calculus, derivatives and integrals. From these foundational truths, students will establish connections between a variety of functions and their graphs exposing the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Finally, students will apply their discoveries with complex abstract scenarios revealing the beauty of Calculus.

Course Description:  This course is designed to provide a foundational understanding of human anatomy and physiology around the unifying themes of interrelationships of body organ systems, homeostasis, and complementarity of structure and function. Students will gain an orientation of the body, develop an understanding of anatomical language, examine the structural organization at the chemical/cellular/tissue levels, develop an understanding of the majority of the 11 body systems both anatomically and physiologically, and gain an appreciation of some of the homeostatic imbalances within the body systems covered. 

Course Description:  Students will develop an understanding of modern world history in a course that surveys the 19th century, 20th century, and the beginnings of the 21st century. In this course, we will study critical primary and secondary source texts, examine the relationship between our eras of study with earlier periods, and investigate the great people, movements, and changes that directly shaped the modern world. In this class, students can expect to read, take meaningful notes, and engage in in-class conversation. Through assignments and coursework, students will practice their communication skills in writing and speaking, grow in geographical/chronological familiarity, and craft a deep knowledge of the remarkable modern age.

Course Description:  In this first semester course, young Americans are introduced to the free market system and the economic way of thinking. Students will learn essential economic concepts and mental tools to understand a market economy and society's complex interactions. The course covers the basics of economic language and principles, applying them to free market conditions and comparing them to alternatives. Key topics include supply and demand, opportunity costs, marginal decisions, and market coordination. The course concludes with an overview of the different economic models to help students grasp current fiscal and monetary policy.

Course Description:  In this second-semester course, students will explore U.S. law and government at the local and national levels. 

Course Description:  These two courses are taught concurrently.  A capstone project including both an oral defense and a written essay. The senior thesis should involve engagement with great ideas, great works, and/or great minds from the tradition of liberal arts and sciences while wrestling with real problems concerning human nature, the human good, or the natural order. Students should employ all their skills of reading, thinking, writing, and speaking.

Course Description: Students will study various artistic methods in various media to learn how to create artistic works of their own. We will also explore the artwork of ancient civilizations and the great masters in order to develop a sense of what is True, Beautiful, and Good. Students will consider the virtues of the ages and how they apply to their heart, mind, and soul.  Finally, by attaining a basic knowledge of art, students will be better equipped with the tools and virtues needed to effectively communicate their ideas and feelings to others through the arts. It is the expectation that all students will do their personal best in art class just as they would in any other academic endeavor. Students will be encouraged to speak intelligently about art and to see the beauty in the world around them. Students will engage in discussions that seek to answer fundamental questions: Why do we create art? What does art tell us about human nature? How does art communicate culture? What makes something beautiful?

Course Description: Students will study various artistic methods in various media to learn how to create artistic works of their own. We will also explore the artwork of ancient civilizations and the great masters in order to develop a sense of what is True, Beautiful, and Good. Students will consider the virtues of the ages and how they apply to their heart, mind, and soul.  Finally, by attaining a basic knowledge of art, students will be better equipped with the tools and virtues needed to effectively communicate their ideas and feelings to others through the arts. It is the expectation that all students will do their personal best in art class just as they would in any other academic endeavor. Students will be encouraged to speak intelligently about art and to see the beauty in the world around them. Students will engage in discussions that seek to answer fundamental questions: Why do we create art? What does art tell us about human nature? How does art communicate culture? What makes something beautiful?

Course Description:  In this class students will explore the traditions of choral music around the world. Students are expected to work on their music outside of class so they are prepared to perform with excellence. Students will improve their music theory,  sight reading, and singing skills, exploring various vocal and choral techniques. 

Course Description:  Students will study music theory, music history, the fundamentals of their instrument, and performance practices. Students will perform at least one winter and one spring concert each school year with the possibility of other performances. Daily practice is expected and there will be performance tests throughout the year. 

Course Description:  Students will study music theory, music history, the fundamentals of their instrument, and performance practices.  Students will be required to perform at least one winter and one spring concert each school year with the possibility of other performances.  Daily practice is expected and there will be performance tests and online theory assignments throughout the year.

Course Description:  Dance  class explores the history, performance, and science behind dance.  Not only will students be studying and performing dances from various regions and time periods, but they will be learning about the history behind these dances and how dance has impacted various cultures throughout time.  Along with history, students will be discussing human anatomy as it relates to dance as well as choreography, dance terminology, nutrition, injury prevention and strength and conditioning techniques.  This course is available to students in 9th, 11th and 12th grade up to capacity.  There will be a required performance at the end of each semester.

Course Description:  Students will study the fundamentals of public speaking and debate. Participation in public speaking and debate provides students the opportunity to develop skills in research, communication, persuasion, logic, have differences of opinions with others yet still be able to have a polite and respectful discourse, as well as gain the confidence needed to speak in front of an audience (something that is becoming increasingly critical in our society).