J-Term

J-term is a month-long class during the month of January. Students have an opportunity to take day long intensives. This is also when internships take place.

Please Note: Courses are designed to operate within the school’s allocated budget. Activities or experiences that require additional funding will only occur if funding is fully secured and approved in advance. References to potential activities indicate possibilities only and do not represent a guarantee or commitment. In the absence of secured funding, courses will operate within existing resources.

Courses Offered

Play Development

H/NCES Code: LA: H102675/01104/ SSC: H102676
Credit Offered: .25 LA and .50 SSC
Grade Level: 9-12
Course may be repeated for credit
This course may focus on managing the planning and design for an upcoming production of an A3 play or on personal storytelling. Coursework may include instruction in adaptation; set, costume, prop, lighting, and sound design; stage management; marketing; casting; acting; and dramaturgy. Alternatively, coursework may include instruction in telling a true, revised story through listening and discussing examples, brainstorming, story mapping, social drafting, and using constructive feedback. Students will read, watch, discuss, and research one or more plays during the course of the term. Students in this class may choose to audition for the play, but this is not a requirement.

This is Your Brain on Music

H/NCES Code: LA: H10207Q/SC: H17501Q
Credit Offered: .25 LA/.50 SC
Grade Level: 9-12
In this course, students will explore how the human brain perceives sound and music and why music evokes such a strong emotional response in us. They will learn what differentiates music from noise and how we discern rhythm, loudness, and harmony. They will be introduced to physics concepts to make sense of pitch and timbre and engage in a project to construct their own instruments and compose a song using their creation.

Internship Program 1 (also offered Term 1 - does not include LA credit)

H/NCES Code: LA:H089865/01155; H089860/H0898601/22998 Credit Offered: .25 LA and .50 OT, College Now & CTE
Grade Level: 10-12
Course may be repeated for credit
Internships provide opportunities for students to experience work-based learning. Interns are typically placed with private businesses, art galleries, non-profit organizations and government agencies that align with students’ areas of interest. The work-site supervisor will orient, direct, instruct and evaluate student performance. The Internship Coordinator will meet on-site with internship supervisors, discuss student performance, and do final evaluations at the end of the term. Students will set learning objectives, document weekly activities, and evaluate their progress at the end of the experience.

Additional Notes: This course is intended for 11th and 12th graders. Students must be on track to graduate and maintain 95% attendance. In order to participate, students must submit an application by the stated deadline.

Spies Like Us

H/NCES Code:LA: H102946/0165; HE: H148952/8099
Credit Offered: .25 LA & .50 HE
Grade Level: Preferably 10-12
Course may be repeated for credit
This course will cover the integration of art forms and mindfulness. Students will engage in experiencing different art forms (visual arts, media arts, and writing). The art will also be analyzed through writing and discussion. Students will create portfolios of their art and write an artist statement. There will also be a focus on mental health and how different art forms can be used as a tool to create mindfulness and help regulate mental and emotional stability. Field trips to art exhibits will be part of the class depending on available exhibits at the time.

Art and Mindfulness

H/NCES Code: H175538/02056
Credit Offered: .50 Math (Algebra 2)
Grade Level: 9-12
Prerequisites: Already taken Algebra and Geometry in Middle school or two years of A3 Math passed
This is a college Algebra class that goes more in-depth than Algebra 2. This is our Algebra 2. You can gain college credit if you choose to. This will be rigorous and have higher expectations than the previous Math classes you have taken. This course will cover: using prerequisite skills of arithmetic of real numbers, manipulate, simplify, and evaluate algebraic expressions including rational expressions, radical expressions, and rational exponent expressions, solve, graph, and apply linear equation of a line, using function notation, solving a linear system and inequality systems, performing operations involving polynomials including factoring, applying rules of exponents, and using scientific notation, solving equations containing rational expressions.

Rock Climbing

H/NCES Code: LA: H10210Q; SC H17508Q
Credit Offered .5 SC and .25 LA
Grade Level: 9-12 graders
Do you like to contemplate the big questions? Questions like: What is reality? What is right and wrong? How do you know something? What is our purpose? These are the questions we ask in “Philosophy and Science.” In this course, we will explore the nature of right and wrong, knowledge, and reality. Through philosophical writings, film, and thought experiments, we will explore the world of philosophy and the scientific principles that connect with those philosophical ideas. This is a writing and discussion-based course. Students will be expected to think critically, write, and discuss their thoughts throughout the course.

Voices of the Sixties

H/NCES Code: LA:H273127/ 01104; US: H273128/04103
Credit Offered: .25 LA & .5 SSC
Grade Level: 9-12
Through music, readings, guest speakers, and some far-out “experiences” we’ll embark on an exploration of the 1960s, a decade that America still struggles to fully understand. We’ll utilize primary source videos and documents to examine some of the key events, leaders, and movements that help shape who we are as a people and a nation. If you're ready to get on the bus, then this is the class for you.

Neuroscience/Game Design (Interactive Storytelling 1)

H/NCES Code: LA:H298552/01149; SC:H298551/03201
Credit Offered: .25 LA & .50 SC (Integrated Science A)
Grade Level: 9-12
Come explore the art, history, and cultural impact of Interactive Storytelling. Interactive Storytelling is a form of entertainment in which users create or influence a dramatic storyline through actions, either by issuing commands to the story's protagonist, or by acting as a general director of events in the narrative. In other words, video games. Come engage with the full spectrum of Interactive Storytelling: from understanding and writing intriguing stories to designing thoughtful and engaging interactive play. The science of video game design will be explored through the study of the brain and the neuroscience of games. If you want to go beyond just playing video games to learn and think about what goes into great video game storytelling, then this is the class for you!

Film Studies

H/NCES Code: LA:H1111915/01061; OT:H1111914/05203
Credit Offered: .5 LA and .25 OS
Grade Level: 9-12
This course will examine filmmaking and the films that have helped define this distinct art form in all of its aspects: Characters, acting, dialogue, story, plot, pacing, editing, directing, lighting, camera work, sound, setting, art design, wardrobe, make-up, and endurance (ie. timelessness). In addition, we will look at the historical context in which films were released and the way in which these films, at times, provided audiences with deep, thought-provoking questions about society and the human condition. Students will spend the second half of the course making a short film in a small team, the subject of which will be determined through a class discussion and vote. Additional Notes: Students must have a movie-viewing waiver form signed by a parent or guardian to be in this course.

Ghosts in the Machine

LA:H102923/01105; GS:H273315/04065 Credit Offered: .25 LA & .50 SSC
Grade Level: 9-12
Course may be repeated for credit
This class is primarily a historical thinking class. Students learn how to vet and analyze historical information through research of their own family history. Along the way human frailty and world migration are discovered and explored. Additional components are: artistic exploration of human experience, thought-provoking written analysis, and Google/Excel bracket-building.

Sculpture for Life

H/NCES Code: LA: H27382J; AFF:H27382
Credit Offered: .25 LA & .50 AFF
Grade Level: 9-12
This course will help students learn how to be adults. Topics such as balancing your budget, paying bills, applying for jobs, creating a resume, interview skills, how to know what apartment you can afford, getting your first auto loan, how to build good credit, how to recover when your credit isn't so good, how to do basic home maintenance, how to do basic automobile maintenance such as changing the oil/oil filter, changing a tire, checking tire pressure, how to put together/repair IKEA furniture (any furniture really) etc.

Creative Literature - Chocolate!

Pride and Prejudice

H/NCES Code: LA: H1021Q; AFF: H11007Q
Credit Offered: .50 LA & .25 AFF
Grade Level: 9-12
Students will read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and watch the BBC miniseries. By reading, students will learn historical and cultural contexts of the Edwardian period to fully interact and comprehend the novel. While reading the challenging older text, students will gain an understanding of what made an individual “accomplished” during this era. Men and women of the period were expected to be proficient in the areas of fencing, silhouette rendering, watercolor painting, knitting/needlework, dancing, music, language, etc. Students will draw silhouettes and understand the evolution of this art form; watercolor painting techniques and subject matter will figure significantly in the coursework. Students will culminate their experience by being able to explain the societal expectations of the time and class we will be interacting with, including being accomplished.

Jedi Academy

H/NCES Code: LA:H10204Q; SC:H17500Q ; FA: H11000Q
Credit Offered: .25 LA, .25 SC, & .25 FA
Grade Level: 9-12
Jedi Academy is a course rooted in teaching science and theatrical design using the trappings of Star Wars as a tool for educational exploration. Students will explore the theory, design, and construction of electronic circuits as they construct lightsabers. They will engage in a variety of lab activities involving electromagnetic energy and apply Ohm's Law to describe the relationship between current, voltage, resistance, and power in an electronic circuit. They will also learn how to deconstruct scripts/films through the lens of scenic, costume, make-up, and properties designers. During this term, students will fashion lightsabers with working circuitry, fabricate Jedi robes, learn the elements of stage combat, and formulate concepts for character design.

Jedi Academy I

H/NCES Code: H23602Q - PE & H10204Q - ELA
Credit Offered: .25 LA, .50 PE
Grade Level: 9-12
Jedi Academy will teach Padawans how to expand on the beloved Star Wars Universe. In this course Padawans will analyze/read books, and short stories about the Star Wars universe and the many works of the Empire and Rebel Alliance. Padawans will create short stories about key characters and events from the Star Wars timeline. Padawans will also participate daily in training the body and mind so that they can learn the ways of the force.

The Art of Math

H/NCES Code: H10217Q/H204150
Credit Offered: .25 LA and .50 Math
Grade Level: 9-12
There is art in math and math in art! In this course, we will explore how math can be used to create art, with an emphasis on hands-on activities. Students will investigate the math of: fractals, the golden ratio, Fibonacci numbers, optical illusions, perspective in art, ancient geometry, cross sectional art, 3d models of polyhedrons, isometric drawing, anamorphic art, origami, knots, music, topography, tessellations, penrose tilings, symmetry, ancient number systems and calculating devices, games of chance, islamic tiling patterns, frieze patterns, Pascal’s triangle, flexagons and more!

Blacksmithing Metal Arts and Science

H/NCES Code: LA:H27382J; SC: H175623
Credit Offered: .25 LA & .50 SC
Grade Level: 9-12
Blacksmithing Metal Arts and Science is a course in which students will study and practice creating artwork in a variety of metals, working both cold and hot. A number of blacksmithing projects will be completed as well as wire sculpture and other artwork. Students will also study metallurgy and gain an understanding of the science behind metals and their properties.

Theater for Young Audiences

NCES Code: SC:H236953/03151 or PE:H236954/08004 and LA:H236953/03151
Credit Offered:. 50 SC or .50 PE & 0.25 LA
Grade Level:9-12
Course Description: This course will explore the history and structural elements of Theater for Young Audiences (TYA) and will also prepare students to manage the planning and design for a theatrical performance. Coursework may include instruction in adaptation; set, costume, prop, lighting, and sound design; stage management; marketing; casting; acting; and dramaturgy. If funding allows, the primary play studied will be performed during a future term for elementary and/or middle schoolers and also for the general public. Students in this class may choose to audition for the play, but this is not a requirement.

Speculative States: Sci Fi and Civics

NCES Code: Civics: H27315Q and LA: H10237Q
Credit Offered: .50 Civics and .25 LA
Grade Level:9-12
This course will analyze the structures and functions of the United States government and the role of citizens through the lens of science fiction. Explore various stories of speculative fiction and analyze their messages about society and governance. Compare and contrast our society to those of famous works of sci-fi like Hunger Games and Minority Report and short stories by Ray Bradbury, Ursula Le Guin and others. Students will be expected to think critically, write, and discuss their thoughts throughout the course.