Upper School Course Catalog

Friends Foundations

This course is designed to introduce ninth grade students to the core principles of Quakerism, with a particular focus on how these values intersect with themes of diversity, equity, belonging, community engagement, and global education. Students will explore the rich tradition of the Religious Society of Friends and critically examine how Quaker teachings shape contemporary practices in social justice, activism, and global citizenship. Through a combination of readings, discussions, service projects, and reflection exercises, students will gain a deeper understanding of how Quaker values inform a commitment to creating inclusive and equitable communities both locally and globally.

One semester, Fall or Spring: one credit

Computer Science II

This course is an ideal extension of the concepts and skills introduced in Programming & Computing. The course will use Processing, a Java programming language extension, to teach object oriented programming and Java through design projects. Students will create visually compelling programs to formally learn the basics of the Java language. Once the basics of class implementation have been mastered, students will use Java classes to learn data structures, inheritance, and the powerful concept of recursion by creating interactive games and code generated artwork. This course is designed to allow students to unleash their creativity through the power of code.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Programming and Computing

Computer Science III

This course is designed to encourage students to learn a new language, Python, in order to understand its differences from and similarities to other languages. Python has become the most commonly used programming environment, making it an important language to learn for students interested in Computer Science. The first part of this course will be an accelerated review of how Python does all of the routines of any programming language. Students will complete coding projects using skills they already know from prior programming, thereby solidifying the importance of style and algorithms.

The second half of the course will require students to use the Design Process to create their own project in Python. Students will build a reasonable proposal, identify critical milestones, and ultimately implement their plan. The important skill of Just in Time learning will be emphasized so that students can learn new Python skills required for their individual projects. The final in this course will be a formal presentation of their finished project to an appropriate audience.

This class could serve as a Senior Project Class.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Computer Science II

Engineering

What distinguishes engineering from science?

How can we use the engineering design process to create solutions to problems we can name?

How can we involve different constituencies in determining what the optimal solution to a problem is?

This class will be based around a series of projects that students undertake. When each unit starts, we will learn skills necessary for students to have in order to work towards their designed solutions. Students will engage in real work towards solutions to real world challenges.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Game Design I

Students use the programming language Processing to study the fundamentals of object‑oriented programming and to build on fundamental programming topics, including: class structure, data types, inheritance, loops, array, and conditional statements. Game formats will include both text‑ and graphic‑based formats, and students will use the iterative design process to outline, design, test, and troubleshoot their programs. This class is open to students who have completed the ninth grade Programming & Computing class.

Fall Semester ‑ 2 credits

Game Design II

Students use the Python programming language to deepen their study of object‑oriented programming and to build on topics from CS II, including: class structure, data types, inheritance, loops, array, and conditional statements. Game formats will include both text‑ and graphic‑based formats, and students will use the iterative design process to outline, design, test, and troubleshoot their programs. This course is open to students who have completed CS II.

Spring Semester – 2 credits

Programming & Computing

Programming and Computing is a required project‑based, semester‑long class for ninth grade students. The course explores the fundamentals of computer programming and object‑oriented programming through the Java‑based language, Processing. Students cover concepts such as data types, conditional statements, and boolean logic, before turning their attention to loops, iteration, and arrays. The semester culminates in a game design project in which students develop programs influenced by the arcade classic, Space Invaders, and the course provides ongoing opportunities for students to engage creatively with the iterative design process.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall & Spring) – 2 credits

Creative Writing

Creative Writing offers an opportunity to gain greater familiarity, and a sense of agency, with the process of writing prose and poetry. Each week, students engage with a different mindfulness‑based exercise that is meant to facilitate and inform their writing. Students read original work aloud during class, offer time for personal reflections from the writer, and then open the floor for feedback and discussion. Passages from The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodron help us to gain a sense of what kind of attitude we can bring to our writing from the outset. Collaborative readings of poems by writers including Thich Nhat Hanh, Rosamond S. King, and adrienne maree brown, serve as sources of inspiration as well. Students integrate all that has been learned through the framework provided by a practice called "The Seven Homecomings," introduced in Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens. These practices help students to find their voices and express them through more nuanced pieces of prose and poetry.

2.5 periods per week ‑ 1 credit

Spring Semester

Open to students in grade 9, 10, 11 & 12

English 9

Of signal importance to literature in English, the Bible is the centerpiece of the ninth‑grade curriculum. Students are introduced to a number of translations, from the King James Version to Robert Alter’s.  As they encounter biblical allusions, themes, and analogs, students begin to understand how writers can be in conversation with each other across centuries and continents. With an emphasis on how accurate observations of a text lead to the most imaginative interpretations, we continue to develop literary‑critical skills. Through vocabulary building, instruction in grammar, and regular, varied writing assignments, we give students a foundation for more advanced study of English language and literature.

Common Texts: Readings from the Bible and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Other texts may include Sophocles’ Antigone, James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

English 10

English 10 focuses on British Literature. Tenth graders begin their study of British literature with a brief introduction to the origins of the English language. Students learn the formal qualities of poetry, including scansion, figures of sound and speech, and poetic form. Building on the basic grammar they studied in ninth grade, students learn the functions of subordinate clauses, gerunds, participles, and infinitives. Students are thereby prepared for the serious study of British literature by authors as various as Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, and Jane Austen. In the spring, tenth graders expand their study of British literature to include colonial and postcolonial texts that demonstrate further how wide‑reaching and complicated the field of British literature has become over the last thousand years.

Common Texts: Selections from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, William Shakespeare’s Othello or The Tempest, Jane Austen’s Persuasion or Pride and Prejudice, and a selection of colonial and postcolonial literature.

Other texts may include Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, James Joyce’s Dubliners,, Athol Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys, Aimé Césaire’s A Tempest, Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place, and essays by Jamaica Kincaid, George Orwell, and Jonathan Swift.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

English 11

English 11 is an introduction to American Literature. Beginning with selections from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Martin Luther King, Jr., English 11 focuses on the challenge of self‑reliance within a community. The course emphasizes reading accurately at the sentence level—whether reading nineteenth‑century essays or twentieth‑century fiction. The more closely students read, the better they are able to recognize the variety of American experiences beyond their own. Such careful reading also prepares students to craft their own sentences and essays. Our grammar study emphasizes writing with clarity and precision. In reading and discussing literary texts, writing essays, and occasionally leading a lesson, students learn to balance self‑reliance and collaborative work as a community of scholars.

Common texts: Selections from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Martin Luther King, Jr.; Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter; Herman Melville’s “Bartleby”; Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; and selected poetry of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman.

Other texts may include works by writers such as James Baldwin, Willa Cather, Ta‑Nehisi Coates, Frederick Douglass, Ralph Ellison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Jacobs, Gish Jen, Nella Larsen, Toni Morrison, Flannery O’Connor, Phillis Wheatley, and a variety of other American poets.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

English 12

Students in English 12 hone their analytic reading and writing skills through seminar‑style discussions and formal and informal writing. All sections study Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannos and WIlliam Shakespeare’s Hamlet before they read texts that draw from a wide range of genres, periods, and continents. Readings may include works by James Baldwin, Vladmir Nabokov, Dante Aligheri, Haruki Murakami, Toni Morrison, Virginia Woolf, Jesmyn Ward, J. M. Coetzee, Philip Roth, Julie Otsuka, William Faulkner, Alison Bechdel, Art Spiegelman, August Wilson, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

5 periods/cycle

Fall semester ‑ 2 credits

English 12: Don Quixote & the Modern Mind

As denizens of an internet‑saturated society, we are awash in fiction and fantasies, whether of our own or others' making, which shape our lives, structure our experience of the world, and sometimes confuse us about what’s real. Don Quixote, Cervantes' deranged knight who believes he lives inside of a story, may then be familiar to us as we spend the spring reading the novel in Edith Grossman's excellent translation. The commonplace description of Don Quixote as “the first modern novel” does not sufficiently convey how funny, strange, and contemporary the book is, or what it can offer to contemporary readers.

Spring semester: 2 credits

English 12: Troubled Homes, Troubled Selves

The notion of home, already complicated in the Ithaca of Homer’s Odyssey, becomes more vexed in works by twentieth‑ and twenty‑first‑century authors who borrow structures and details from Homer’s epic poems to tell the story of their own troubled homes. In this seminar we will consider what each of three diverse works suggests it means to have a home and to feel at home and what each suggests about the relation between home and self.

We will read excerpts of Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad, excerpts of James Joyce’s Ulysses, Derek Walcott’s Omeros, Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, as well as Alice Oswald’s poems, Memorial, Tithonus, and Nobody, which Oswald has called “excavations” of Homer. Although written responses to the readings will include short analyses, most of the writing will be creative experiments inspired by the literature. Students will conclude the semester with a larger work of fiction, poetry, or graphic memoir that explores their own home and self in a form of their choosing.

Spring semester: 2 credits

English 12: Truth & Mirages

The narrator of 100 Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez’s 20th century Colombian masterpiece, famously describes Macondo, the central town of the novel, as “an intricate stew of truth and mirages”. The main purpose of this class will be to dig deep into that stew by reading and writing about the fictional world of Macondo and its ruling family, the Buendias, in order  to understand how García Márquez imagines the relationship between “truth and mirages” in literature and life and to connect the unifying strands that run through this multi‑generational novel.

Students will write both analytically and creatively about each text and complete a final project.

Spring semester: 2 credits

English 12: White Teeth & City Stories

In this course students will read Zadie Smith’s White Teeth and explore questions about life in the city.  The novel invites readers to consider the experiences of immigrants, the relationship between the present and the past, and the nature of love and friendship in Smith’s London.  Then, students will turn to short fiction, essays, and poetry about their own city.  The syllabus may include works about New York by Colson Whitehead, Joan Didion, Frances Chung, E.B. White, Jenny Xie, Langston Hughes, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Bernard Malamud, Edith Wharton, and James Baldwin.  Students might also visit locations in New York City linked to what they read.

Spring semester: 2 credits

English Seminar: Franz Kafka and His Heirs

On his deathbed in 1924 at age 40, the Bohemian and Jewish writer Franz Kafka instructed his friend Max Brod to burn all of his manuscripts unread, including several novels and hundreds of pages of short stories. But Brod could not bring himself to do so, and today Kafka is read all over the world and widely celebrated as a key writer of the 20th century for his fresh mix of tragic and comic, his capacity to surprise, his tremendous empathy, and his sharp eye for the ways that bureaucracy and hierarchy can oppress.

In this course we shall read deeply in Kafka, including his shorter fiction and the novel The Trial, in which Joseph K. is charged with a mysterious crime and must contend with the limitless and shadowy forces of a sprawling legal system. We shall also trace echoes of Kafka in short stories and short novels by a wide variety of more recent authors who blend the outrageously surreal and the outrageously real, including Brazil’s Clarice Lispector (The Hour of the Star), Iran’s Sadegh Hedayat (The Blind Owl), and the USA’s Toni Morrison (God Help the Child) and Nana Kwame Adjei‑Brenyah (Friday Black). Written work in this class will be mostly analytic.

4 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

English Seminar: Mystery Stories

The suspense that can make mystery stories so thrilling often lies in the tension that arises from uncertainty. When they are centered on people, events, or circumstances that can be exceedingly difficult or impossible, yet necessary, to comprehend, mystery stories can be prime occasions for thinking about the modes, motives, and consequences of searches for knowledge. This course will consider the ways that detective stories and ghost stories can serve as those occasions. We will begin by looking at some of the roots of the detective story in short stories by Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle before reading short classic American crime novels by Raymond Chandler and Chester Himes. We will then see how contemporary writers Walter Mosley and Haruki Murakami make use of crime novels’ tones and techniques to explore existential questions as they impress themselves on citizens of Los Angeles and Japan, in their A Red Death and A Wild Sheep Chase, respectively. We will also consider the sometimes dramatically altered film adaptations of some of these works.

The course will end with a detour away from the reassurances of ratiocination as we encounter the unexpected, inexplicable, and uncanny in a suite of ghost stories by Edith Wharton, Helen Oyeyemi, and Jesmyn Ward.  There will also be a Japanese horror unit in which we watch classic Japanese films featuring ghosts such as Kwaidan and Ugetsu and read some of the stories that are their sources. Students will do a little analytic writing and also write their own multi‑chapter detective stories over the course of the semester.

4 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Junior Seminar

At Friends we think of the college process in three stages — self‑evaluation, research, and application. The Junior Seminar course focuses on the first two stages — self‑evaluation and research. These small classes allow us to break the college process into manageable pieces, addressing a different topic each week. Topics include: Dispelling Myths, Research Methods & Resources, Interview Tips, Essay Writing Workshops, Making the most of Campus Visits.  Our text is College Match: A Blueprint for choosing the Best School for You.

1 period/cycle

One semester course – 0 credit

Senior Seminar

In the Senior Seminar, our work focuses on the application aspect of the college process. In most classes we use computers so that students can actually work on parts of their own applications. Topics include: The Common Application, Resumes & Essays, Financial Aid Workshop, Balancing the College List, and Recommendations.

1 period/cycle

One semester course – 0 credit

Health & Wellness 10

Health & Wellness 10 is a semester‑long course required for all 10th graders in either the spring or fall. The course challenges students to dive deeper and explore their personal and social health in their community and more globally. Students will evaluate the impacts of health through self reflection and group discussions as they learn to prepare themselves physically, mentally, and socially.

2 or 3 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall or Spring) – 1 credit

Health & Wellness 9

Health & Wellness 9 is a semester‑long class that is required for all 9th graders in either the spring or fall semester.  The course addresses social and personal development. Classes will provide facts and in‑depth conversations about street smarts and internet safety, self awareness, self‑image as well as sexual development and identity. Class topics also include the concepts of self‑esteem, maintaining healthy bodies (including the development of efficient sleep and nutrition habits), practicing healthy communication, relationships, substance use and mental health.

2 or 3 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall or Spring) – 1 credit

Advanced U.S. History

This course seeks to reframe the United States History survey toward contextualizing and illuminating the central social, cultural, and political conditions shaping American life today. Contemporary economic, racial, and gender power structures and modern struggles over resulting social inequities have historical roots. Similarly, 21st Century political conflicts over how best to secure “freedom” for Americans or over what role the United States should play in global affairs must be examined through a historical lens. In order to help students better understand the country they live in, this course prioritizes the last two hundred years of U.S. history and allots significant time to the recent past. The course draws from social and cultural history, attentive to the fact that all people who have lived in the United States had a hand in making American history. Readings are selected from scholarly work and primary sources to represent the broad range of Americans’ perspectives and experiences. Student assessments include analytical essays, smaller writing assignments, and participation. Students in this course will also spend a significant portion of the second semester working on a major research paper that will be due at the end of the year.

Prerequisite(s): A‑ in World History and permission of the History department

5 periods per cycle

Full year course ‑ 4 credits

Spring Semester ‑ 2 credits

Open to Grades 11 and 12

Black Thought & Action in a White World

This class focuses on the history of black thought and action in a white world.  The course provides a narrative history covering two phenomena. First, after establishing pre‑Columbian context within West and Central Africa, this class will explore white‑dominated systems and thoughts which have historically oppressed African‑descended peoples. This course will cover the economic practices, political policies, and written thought produced from the Early Modern Era to the modern day. Analysis will start within a global context but will gradually narrow into an American context. Secondly, this class will explore the agency and acts of resistance exercised by African Americans. Specific attention will be paid to the diverse range of African American thought and action, including developments such as Black Nationalism/Pan‑Africanism, Transnational alliance building, Black Self‑Defense, and the Black Left. The overriding goal of this course will be to provide an accessible structural analysis that students can apply to other contexts and identities.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

Open to Grades 11 and 12

Case Study in Cultural History

Clothing is among the most visible ways human beings signal to the world who they are. In getting dressed, whether we are aware of it or not, all of us engage with a multitude of social, cultural, economic, and historical relationships. Considering questions about who made our clothes and how they got to us, what is “fashionable” in a particular time or place and why, and how the style choices we make reflect and shape our identities, will be a central purpose of “Fashion, Dress, and Style.” In the course, students will explore a number of case studies in historical and present‑day contexts. While the main geographical focus will be on the United States (and in fact, on New York City), global perspectives will be included. Case study topics include: dress and gender, Black style, the business and labor practices of the clothing industry, fashion and sustainability, dress and social activism. The case studies will be explored through readings, podcasts, online explorations of clothing collections, and field trips to various relevant sites around the city. Assignments will include short analytical responses to readings, reflections on field trips and other activities, and informal presentations. All students will also make fashion of their own through visible mending and upcycling projects. Those students who choose to stay in this course for their Senior Project will propose and execute a more expansive clothes‑making project of their own design. Expertise in sewing is not required for participating in this part of the course. This course may be used to satisfy the Senior Project requirement.

5 periods per cycle

Spring Semester ‑ 2 credits

Open to Grade 12

Case Study in Social History

Culture has long been a tool used by people to define themselves and exercise agency. This course will explore the cultural powerhouse that is Hip‑Hop. In doing so, the course will start with a survey of the political, social and economic history of New York that led to the culture’s development. This course will also consider how Hip‑Hop became a mainstay tool for social commentary and the conduit for the Black perspective in public life. Lastly, students will examine and evaluate the culture’s ever‑growing economic and political power. Students will also be required to critically listen to certain songs and albums, and comment accordingly in discussions and essays. Major themes include the influence of the Black Power/Arts Movement, Cultural Diffusion, and Representation.

This course may serve to satisfy the Senior Project requirement.

5 periods per cycle

Spring Semester ‑ 2 credits

Open to Grade 12

Gender in Popular Culture

Representations of gender in popular culture both reflect, and help to shape, audiences’ ideas about masculinity and femininity, gender identity, relationships, and power dynamics. As well, because most contemporary popular culture is capitalist enterprise, it tends to bolster existing power structures including patriarchy and misogyny. However, popular culture can also provide platforms (intended or not) for critiquing and even subverting those structures. In this class we will examine advertising, film, television, music, and social media through a feminist lens. Students will read some gender analyses of popular culture, both historical and current‑day, and they will spend a good deal of time, in and out of class, doing gender analysis of the popular culture they love (and love to hate). Assignments will include short analytical essays, presentations, and a final project which can consist of creating a podcast, a website, a documentary, or a paper, and which students can do individually or in small groups.

5 periods per cycle

Fall Semester ‑ 2 credits

Open to Grades 11 and 12

History of Beliefs and Belief Systems

History of Beliefs and Belief Systems explores pre‑modern world history through the lens of the beliefs and cultures that shaped civilizations across the globe. By examining various religious and philosophical traditions, students can reassess the details and patterns commonly emphasized in previous curricula and the feedback loops they create. In addition to historical study, the course incorporates recent academic approaches that make seemingly distant topics more personal by integrating perspectives from social sciences such as anthropology. Students will engage with historical simulations and creative writing prompts, expanding their understanding beyond traditional methods. While introducing these new experiences and activities, the course also maintains familiar scaffolds and assignments, including Jigsaws, graded discussions, quizzes, and analytical comparison essays.

5 periods per cycle

Full year course ‑ 4 credits

History of Capital Punishment

As of the Spring of 2026, 27 American states (and the US Military) as well as 55 countries around the world maintained laws allowing the execution of citizens by the State for a variety of crimes.  This course will trace the legal, social, and cultural development and practice of capital punishment in the United States and around the globe from the ancient world to the present through the lenses of Quakerism, anti‑racism, and decolonization. We will examine this deep and compelling topic through a variety of means and approaches, including but not limited to: readings, field trips, documentaries, primary source analysis, interviews, guest lectures, and research. We will engage deeply and in community with the various moral and philosophical questions surrounding the death penalty in American society, as well as the larger historical arc of the practice in human populations. Class work will be focused on discovery, examination, research, group work, and collaboration. This course is reading intensive.

5 periods per cycle

Spring semester – 2 credits

Open to Grades 11 and 12

History of the Adirondacks

Upon first encounters with Indigenous peoples and an unfamiliar terrain, Dutch explorers thought that the region known today as the Adirondack State Park was a mystical place, full of fantastical creatures. Since that time, the region has continued to draw the interest of all kinds of adventurers, opportunists, and dreamers. Boasting a varied history, diverse ecosystems, unique settlement patterns, and distinctive cultures, the area acts as a superb vehicle through which to explore one of the most basic and yet complex relationships in American history, that of people to the land.

This course will begin with an examination of the rich history of the region through the many narratives of those Indigenous peoples who originally inhabited and used this land.  We will then focus on the historiography of Black identity in the Adirondacks, using the Timbuctoo settlement as the primary case study. This will then segue into our last point of examination, the idea of wilderness as recreation, and how such an approach can either foster sentiments of exclusion or of belonging.  At each juncture, we will stop and consider the implications of land use and ownership, and the ways in which these fluctuating relationships go on to shape the identities of both people and landscape.

This course may serve to satisfy the Senior Project requirement.

Students requesting this course as their Senior Project will participate in a 5 day camping/paddling excursion to Adirondack State Park. This trip will occur in late May during the Senior Project time period. There will be a $900.00 trip fee for all participants. Financial aid will be available. There is an enrollment limit of 16 students.

5 periods per cycle

Spring Semester ‑ 2 credits

This course is only available for Grade 12

History of the Middle East

This course is designed to introduce students to the emergence of the Middle East as a region of study, and as such, it encourages students to question the very meaning of the “Middle East” as a category of analysis and a geopolitical reality. In order to make sense of the range of political, social, economic, and cultural realities that have set the region apart from the rest of the world since the end of WWI, we explore a variety of themes related to both global history and Middle Eastern history, including antiquity, modernity, nationalism, secularism, radicalism, class, gender, culture, and revolution. Using a variety of readings, including maps, images, and a series of primary source documents, students are encouraged to grasp the history of the Middle East in a more nuanced and integrated manner in order to better contextualize and appreciate the myriad complexities that characterize the region and its peoples to this day. This is a reading intensive course that expects students to be regularly engaged with the material and prepared for class discussions.

5 periods per cycle

Fall semester – 2 credits

Open to Grades 11 and 12

Power, Politics & Citizenship

In the past years, the non‑partisan think‑tank and advocacy group Freedom House noted, “In every region of the world, democracy is under attack by populist leaders and groups that reject pluralism and demand unchecked power to advance the particular interests of their supporters, usually at the expense of minorities and other perceived foes.” During the last half decade, America has experienced a consistent and troubling decline in democratic freedom, ranking the United States below other industrialized nations such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The fragility of democracy has come into stark relief, and this course will focus on developing students into responsible and civic‑minded custodians of our socio‑political systems. As such, students will pursue topics pertaining to the roles of forbearance and mutual toleration, the rise of authoritarianism, the use and abuse of media in political environments, and the role of citizenry in advocating for a more accurate and tolerant reality. This is a reading intensive course, and students are required to stay up to date with local and national news. The curriculum concludes with an examination of the right of revolution, using the 2014 Revolution of Dignity (Maidan) as the primary case study, which is then connected to the larger framework of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

5 periods per cycle

Fall semester – 2 credits

Open to Grades 11 and 12

U.S. History

The primary goal of the United States History course is to get students to understand how the past informs the present, and subsequently can go on to forge a more inclusive and equitable future.  In order to grapple with the complexity and nuance of this nation’s history, the course is designed around 3 major themes: Language, Memorialization, and Agency.  Language – how do we talk about History and how do word choices inform our understanding of past events and people?  Memorialization – how do we as a society choose what to remember?  Agency – how does History get “made,” and who gets to “make” History?  This course will rely heavily on secondary sources, as students will also examine the role of historiography in shaping and promoting certain narratives.

The exploration of the content will be conducted through the lenses of anti‑racism and decolonization, and will particularly presence marginalized voices in an effort to decentralize dominant narratives around America and its past.  This course will openly challenge the ideas of American exceptionalism and rugged individualism. Ultimately, students will be provided the foundation needed to appropriately comprehend the individuals, groups, and structures which comprise United States History.  This begins with an exploration of North America and its Indigenous inhabitants prior to European settler‑colonialism and completes with an examination of the present moment.

At the conclusion of the course, students will work in groups to create presentations and formal papers which will address the ways in which specific moments from the American past can inform a present moment. They will be tasked with coming up with specific queries which will drive their research.  The topics and scope of this final exploration will change yearly in order to most effectively and directly connect to the present moment.

5 periods per cycle

Full year course ‑ 4 credits

World History

This course surveys world history (1200 C.E. to present) from an antiracist and global perspective. The goals of the course are for students to: understand the process by which the modern world developed and the historical roots of today’s unequal power dynamics; to decolonize the traditional Eurocentric conception of world history; to recognize multiple forms of modernity; and to engage with history as a form of storytelling. We consider the emergence and evolution of the global economy, the transition from monarchies to nation‑states, the development of and challenges to a Western world order, the expansion and effects of long‑distance migration, shifts in global economic and political power, and the evolution of the relationship between humanity and the environment. While students will engage this course through seven distinct units, they do so by focusing on regional case studies from around the world. This course is writing intensive, and students will have the opportunity to develop both analytical and creative writing skills.

5 periods per cycle

Full year course ‑ 4 credits

Geometry with Algebra Applications

This course introduces geometric concepts through an inductive approach, observing patterns and drawing conclusions. Students build on previous algebraic skills to strengthen their conceptual understanding of mathematics and apply them to geometrical concepts. Students formulate definitions and conjectures involving polygons, circles, three‑dimensional figures, parallel and perpendicular lines, congruence and similarity, area and volume, the Pythagorean Theorem, coordinate geometry, and right triangle trigonometry. Students also have the opportunity to explore the deductive structure of mathematics and apply mathematical concepts to the physical world.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Algebra I or the equivalent

Geometry: Proof‑Based

This course explores the nature of spatial relationships and the properties of certain geometric figures while helping students understand the nature of an axiomatic deductive system.  Students study the role of postulates, definitions, and theorems, analyze classical proofs, and learn how to write original proofs. Geometric topics studied include: triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, basic three dimensional shapes, parallel and perpendicular lines, congruence and similarity, area and volume, the Pythagorean Theorem, and an introduction to right triangle trigonometry. Continued algebra review is integrated into various geometric concepts.  Applications to the physical world are included where appropriate.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Algebra I or the equivalent and permission of the departmentAdvanced 

Algebra II/Trigonometry

This course applies algebra skills to an increasingly integrated abstract level. Topics include linear and quadratic functions, absolute value functions, logarithmic and exponential functions, rational and radical functions, trigonometric functions and probability. For each function type, students simplify expressions, solve equations and graph functions.  Connections between algebraic and graphical representations of functions are emphasized, and graphing calculators are used throughout the course.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Geometry: Proof‑Based or Geometry with Algebra Applications  or the equivalent and permission of the department

Algebra II/Trigonometry A

This course applies algebra skills to an increasingly integrated abstract level. Topics include linear and quadratic functions, absolute value functions, logarithmic and exponential functions, rational and radical functions, trigonometric functions, and probability. For each function type, students simplify expressions, solve equations, and graph functions. Connections between algebraic and graphical representations of functions are emphasized and graphing calculators are used throughout the course. Students in this course cover the same topics as in Algebra II/Trigonometry but in increased depth and are challenged with more complex problems in class and on assessments.

5 periods/cycle

Full‑year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Geometry: Proof‑Based or Geometry with Algebra Applications or the equivalent and permission of the department

Applied Precalculus

This course prepares students for the concepts encountered in college precalculus. Students study polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions in great detail.  Students are exposed to applications of key concepts and learn how to use various technological programs, such as the graphing calculator, to solve problems associated with these functions. This course covers much of the same material as in Precalculus, but some topics are explored in less depth. This course does not fully prepare students to take an advanced calculus in the following year.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Algebra II/Trigonometry or the equivalent and permission of the department

Precalculus

The purpose of Precalculus is to prepare students for a rigorous approach to calculus in terms of dexterity with relevant algebraic and trigonometric skills and in terms of mathematical reasoning and problem‑solving capabilities. Various functions are introduced, and an exploration of the properties of their graphs is included. Some topics studied in depth are analytic geometry, linear regressions, trigonometric and circular functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, polynomial and rational functions, continuity, and limits.

5 periods/cycle

Full‑year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s):  Algebra II/Trigonometry or Algebra II/Trigonometry A and permission of the department

Precalculus A

Precalculus A is a rigorous course that prepares students for Advanced Calculus I & II. Students build on previous algebraic concepts to strengthen their conceptual understanding of mathematics. They explore proofs of mathematical concepts and examine multiple representations of functions and models. The course includes an in‑depth study of functions, analytic trigonometry, polar and parametric equations, sequences, and series. Students utilize technology to examine patterns, formulate conjectures, and create mathematical models.

5 periods/cycle

Full‑year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Algebra II/Trigonometry or Algebra II/Trigonometry A and permission of the department

Fundamentals of Calculus

This year‑long course will help students build a foundation from which they will be prepared to take an introductory college calculus course.  Course topics include limits, continuity, derivatives, differentiation, and integration; this narrow focus allows students to work at a supportive pace.  May include mathematical applications through the lens of business, physics, and more.  Students will be assessed via traditional assessments as well as self‑paced and collaborative projects.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Precalculus A, Precalculus or Applied Precalculus and permission of the department

Advanced Calculus I

This course will cover all of the main topics included in the first semester of college calculus. Students will be able to dive more deeply into the main concepts learned in a traditional calculus class. Subject matter covered in the first semester of the course will include functions and graphs, limits and continuity, the definition of a derivative, analyzing derivative graphs and differentiating basic functions. Subject matter covered in the second semester will include antiderivatives, evaluating basic integrals, applications of the definite integral limited to particle motion, net change, area and volume. The students will be introduced to differential equations and slope fields. There will be no required time outside of class for students to take tests.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Precalculus A or Precalculus and permission of the department

Advanced Calculus I & II

This fast‑paced and challenging course covers many of the topics covered in the first and second semesters of college calculus. There are three major parts of this course: the derivative, including differentiation, applications of the derivative, and local linearity; the integral, including antiderivatives, differential equations, slope fields, Euler's Method, and applications of the definite integral; and Taylor Series, including polynomial approximations of transcendental functions and convergence tests. Concepts will be presented from graphical, numerical, and algebraic points of view.

5 periods/cycle

Full‑year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Precalculus A or Precalculus and the permission of the department

Advanced Calculus III

The course begins by revisiting and extending topics from the Advanced Calculus I & II curriculum including numerical integration, techniques of antidifferentiation, differential equations, polar and parametric functions, and Taylor series.  Students learn about vector geometry and cylindrical and spherical coordinates, and the calculus of multivariable functions, including partial derivatives, the gradient, double and triple integrals, line and surface integrals, Green’s Theorem, and Stokes’ Theorem.  The syllabus covers the topics in a standard multivariable course.

5 periods/cycle

Full‑year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Advanced Calculus I & II or the equivalent and permission of the department

Advanced Statistics

This challenging course in statistics follows the curriculum covered in a college level statistics and data science course. The course includes an solid introduction to R programming, data visualization, descriptive statistics and the basics of statistical modeling (e.g. one‑way ANOVA and simple regression). The approach to inferential statistics is grounded in simulation, randomization and bootstrapping. Students perform frequent projects that include bivariate and multivariate models. Students will learn to apply statistical methods appropriately while refining their communications skills.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4  credits

Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department

Statistics: Epidemiology

This course will introduce students to the quantitative methods of scientific inquiry.  Epidemiology is the study of health conditions in a population ‑ every citizen should know how to interpret its results.  Students will learn the history of the science of epidemiology and they will learn how to conduct and analyze observational studies.  Students will also learn how to design randomized clinical trials. Students will learn about diseases, transmission rates and ways that diseases are controlled.  Students will explore case studies and consider important ethical issues such as: genetic testing, animal experimentation and use of placebo treatments. Probability and its applications to understanding tests of statistical significance will be explored.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

Prerequisite(s): Algebra II/Trigonometry or permission of the department

Financial Mathematics

This semester‑long course will help students enhance their financial awareness and feel empowered to make financial decisions.  Topics include spending and saving, credit and debt, employment and income, investing, and risk management and insurance. Mathematical applications include simple and compound interest calculations, budget creation, and fee analysis.  This course is aligned with the National Standards in Personal Finance Education.

This is a possible course for 23‑24 and its scheduling will depend on student interest and classroom and teacher availability. Students who would like to request this course should also select an 'Alternate Request' in case this course does not run.

5 periods/cycle

One‑semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

Prerequisite(s): Algebra II/Trigonometry and permission of the department

Advanced Macroeconomics

This course is the equivalent of a college‑level introductory Macroeconomics course. We examine the fundamentals of economics, starting with the concept of scarcity of resources and the problem of satisfying unlimited human wants. The course extensively uses the concepts of demand and supply, opportunity cost, and decision‑making based on marginal analyses. These concepts are used to examine the behavior and performance of the economy as a whole. Aggregate changes in the economy such as unemployment, growth rate, gross domestic product, and inflation is the focus of this course.

One semester course (Spring) ‑ 2 credits

Advanced Microeconomics

This course is the equivalent of a college‑level introductory Microeconomics course. We examine the basics of economics, starting with the concept of scarcity of resources and the problem  of satisfying unlimited human wants. The course extensively uses the concepts of demand and supply, opportunity cost, and decision‑making based on marginal analyses. These concepts are used to examine different types of market structures and their deficiencies. Additionally the course also examines the factor markets and the role of government intervention in providing public goods.

One semester course (Fall) ‑ 2 credits

Advanced Psychology

This course is the equivalent of a college‑level introductory Psychology  course. Students will explore theories, key concepts, and studies behind our understanding of human behavior and mental processes. Topics covered will include the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning and cognition, motivation, developmental psychology, testing and individual differences, treatments of psychological disorders, and social

psychology.  This is a fast paced course that covers in a semester the range of topics typically covered in a full year introductory psychology course.

One semester course (Fall or Spring) ‑ 2 credits

American Sign Language

In this course, students will be introduced to the basics of American Sign Language (ASL), as well as the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture. Students are not required to have any previous knowledge of ASL but multiple levels are available for students with prior experience. In level 1, students will develop both expressive and receptive ASL skills centering around the manual alphabet, numeral skills, colors, days of the week, expressions, animals, basic food items, daily greetings, daily routines, and careers. Student discussions will revolve around topics such as hearing loss, hearing aids, lipreading, grammar rules, and fingerspelling skills involving double letter usage.

Full year course ‑ 4 credits

American Sign Language 2

In this course, students will build on the foundational skills they learned in American Sign Language 1 to develop greater fluency, breadth, and flexibility in their American Sign Language (ASL) skills. Students will significantly expand their working vocabularies to allow for conversation on a wider range of subject matters. Additionally, they will increase their understanding of ASL sentence structure, facial grammar, and conversational protocols. An expanded focus on the context of Deaf Culture will prepare students for more varied interactions in ASL. Students will develop increased expressive and receptive fingerspelling skills. Topics covered include descriptions of people, possessive pronouns, giving directions, cardinal and ordinal numbers, advanced money concepts, patterns and designs, role shifting, and rankings by age.

Full year course ‑ 4 credits

Acting: Intro & Public Speaking

This course is designed as an introduction to public speaking and acting. This class will develop the student’s own creativity and critical thinking as we strive to strengthen both performance and communication skills. Students will present their work throughout the semester and focus will be given to breath, enunciation, volume, and articulation. The course will help prepare students for a variety of situations where formal presentations are required. Topics will include public speaking, demonstrative presentations, persuasive speeches, impromptu and debate.

One semester course (Fall & Spring) – 2 credits

Acting: Scene Study

In this class, students will study character objectives, obstacles, and tactics by looking at scenes from many different plays. Students will analyze contemporary, classical, and Shakespeare scenes as they continue to hone their acting skills. There will be a focus on text analysis as students explore some of the more iconic roles in both American and Shakespearean theater. Students will also dive into the basics of stage combat as they learn some hand‑to‑hand moves and simple combinations. There will be culminating in‑class presentations of contemporary scenes, Shakespeare, and stage combat scenes.

One semester course (Spring) – 1 credit

Chamber Players

Chamber Players is a class for instrumentalists who enjoy playing with an ensemble.  The repertoire ranges from classical works and familiar movie themes to rock and pop arrangements.  In recent years, Chamber Players has performed Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles, and music from the Harry Potter soundtracks by John Williams.  The orchestra periodically performs larger‑scale masterworks in conjunction with the Upper School Chorus.  Representative compositions have included Gloria by Vivaldi and Schubert’s Mass in G.  The students perform together as a chamber orchestra and also rehearse and perform in smaller groups drawn from the larger ensemble.  There are two concerts per year, one in November and one in April.  Another component to the class is that every student participates in a form of Solo & Ensemble festival, which showcases smaller ensembles and solo presentations by each musician.  Other performance opportunities often arise throughout the year.  The Chamber Players class may include strings, woodwinds, brass, piano, guitar, and mandolin. Instrumentalist grades 9‑12 are welcome.

Full year course ‑ 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): An audition/permission from instructor

Chamber Singers

This course is designed for students wanting to sing four times per cycle and spend time practicing their music outside of class. Chamber Singers is an advanced group that explores close harmony, different time feels, improvisation, and vocal independence (holding one’s own part against simultaneous harmony). Members of the ensemble further develop their awareness of score reading, scale and chordal theory, and healthy use of the voice within multiple stylistic contexts. The ensemble performs a wide variety of repertoire, including but not limited to folk and traditional songs, Spirituals, jazz, musical theatre, madrigals, and classical. Chamber Singers involves a higher level of commitment and vocal independence than Concert Choir due to the more demanding song repertoire. There is a formal audition requirement and instructor permission is required in order to register for this course.

Full‑year course – 4 credits

Prerequisites: Instructor permission

ChoreoLab

ChoreoLab is a creative space where students explore the art and craft of choreography while discovering the elements of composition that shape all artistic expression. Through both independent work and collaboration with classmates, students experiment with movement and develop original dances inspired by a wide range of ideas, music, themes, and experiences. Throughout the year, students will also have opportunities to attend professional dance performances outside of school, deepening their understanding of the art form. The course culminates in the annual ChoreoShow, where each student choreographs and presents an original dance work, sharing their creative voice with a live audience. This course satisfies PE requirements for the full year and also counts as Performing Arts credits. 

This course meets 4 periods per cycle during the school day. Approval by teacher required for course entry.

Concert Choir

Concert Choir is a vocal ensemble open to all students in grades 9‑12. This course is designed for students wanting to engage in group singing twice per cycle without spending much time on their music between class sessions. Repertoire includes works from many cultures, languages, eras, and genres. In addition to composed repertoire, significant class time is spent developing improvisational skills and comfort. Special attention is paid to learning and maintaining a healthy vocal technique, sight‑singing and ear‑training, part‑singing (harmony), and other musicianship skills. Works may be sung a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment. There is no audition requirement. Concert Choir typically performs in two concerts throughout the year.

Full year course – 2 credits

Directing

Students will work in a variety of ways, using improvisations, scenes, and original work, to learn how to be the creative force behind what the audience sees on the stage. Students will explore the use of space, character, color, music, and tempo to discover the intricacies of directing a scene. Directing a ten‑minute play, one‑act contemporary play for a workshop production or directing a short film is the culmination of the course.

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Instrumental Studio

Instrumental Studio is a course open for all instrumentalist students in grades 9 through 12. Students who want to prepare auditions or extra recordings for university applications, pursue instrumental compositional goals, or simply develop a deeper pedagogical understanding of their instrument. This course is not intended to change one's ensemble participation; rather, it is intended to help students improve their solo and ensemble musicianship. This course gives students additional time for one‑on‑one and small group instruction on their instrument. The course will meet 2.5 times per cycle and students will participate in small‑group instrumental training sessions. The student and teacher will work together to choose repertoire, and overall performance opportunities will be available throughout the semester. Students may enroll in this course for one or both semesters. The course does not require an audition.

One semester course (Fall) – 1 credit

Jazz Ensemble

Any musician is welcome to join any one of three jazz ensembles, each matching one’s instrumental and musical ability. The ensembles study and perform music from the American jazz tradition with an emphasis on the development of individual and group improvisation. The ensembles participate annually in jazz competitions in the Northeast. Past ensembles have won awards for their musicianship and proficiency and have performed at numerous functions throughout the NYC area. Study culminates with a prominent jazz artist rehearsing and teaching the ensembles and then performing with them at our annual “Jazz Night.” Through this course, students will have the opportunity to participate in a service learning experience and earn credit hours toward their annual service requirement.

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): An audition

Playwriting

Students will learn the tools involved in creating a one‑act play. Through reading published plays as well as in‑class writing assignments, students will write several short plays over the course of the semester. Students will experiment with monologues and scenes in different styles of playwriting. Students will explore conflict, given circumstances, obstacles and character as they write and edit their work. This course culminates with a reading of the students' work performed by professional actors.

One semester course (Fall) – 1 credit

Tech Theater: Sound and Lights

Tech theater is an elective course open to students in grades 9‑12. This course is designed for students interested in learning about the backstage elements of a production. We will take a hands‑on look at how sound and lights are designed, implemented, and run during a production. Through class exercises and workshops, students will have the opportunity to design both lights and sound for a variety of shows. Students will also have the opportunity to work with our professional designers during tech rehearsals for the spring musical. There is no pre‑requisite or previous experience needed for this course.

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Vocal Studio

Vocal Studio is an elective course open to students in grades 9‑12. This course is designed for a variety of students: those who want to prepare auditions or supplemental recordings for college applications, pursue a performance or recording career, or simply develop solo singing as a skilled hobby. This course is not intended to replace ensemble participation, rather to support students who wish to develop solo musicianship as well as ensemble musicianship. Students enrolled in the course will participate in small‑group vocal coaching sessions once a cycle. Repertoire‑selection will be a collaboration between student and teacher, and performance opportunities will be available throughout the semester. Students may take this course for one or both semesters and may take it multiple times throughout their time in the Upper School. No audition is necessary.

One semester course (Fall) – 1 credit

After School Yoga

Students will be introduced to the foundational practices of yoga, including meditation and relaxation skills, breathing techniques, and yoga postures of increasing complexity, from grounding standing poses to backbends and inversions. Through consistent practice, students will build body awareness, focus, and a foundation for lifelong wellness.

Two separate sections of this class meet after school, once a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

After School Dance

This course introduces students to the art and discipline of dance through a rotating curriculum that varies by semester and instructor. Students may study one or more dance genres, which could include Tap Dance, Modern Dance, Capoeira, Partner Social Dancing, or Urban Dance Forms (such as Afrobeat dances, Hip Hop, Street Jazz, and House Dance). Regardless of genre, students will build technical skill, musicality, and body awareness while exploring the cultural and historical context of the styles they learn. Coursework emphasizes both individual technique and group collaboration, culminating in choreographed pieces or performances that reflect the semester's focus. No prior dance experience is required; students of all skill levels are welcome.

Two separate sections of this class meet after school, once a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays.

AM Rock Climbing

This course introduces the fundamentals of rock climbing instruction and technique in an indoor climbing gym. Students will learn the foundations of belaying, knot tying, spotting, bouldering and top rope climbing. Students may also engage in route setting and design.

One section of this class meets before school, once a week, on Wednesdays.

ChoreoLab

ChoreoLab is a creative space where students explore the art and craft of choreography while discovering the elements of composition that shape all artistic expression. Through both independent work and collaboration with classmates, students experiment with movement and develop original dances inspired by a wide range of ideas, music, themes, and experiences. Throughout the year, students will also have opportunities to attend professional dance performances outside of school, deepening their understanding of the art form. The course culminates in the annual ChoreoShow, where each student choreographs and presents an original dance work, sharing their creative voices with a live audience. This course satisfies PE requirements for the full year and also counts towards a student’s Performing Arts requirement.  This course meets 4 periods per cycle during the school day.

Permission of department required.

Fitness

Fitness provides students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to develop healthy, sustainable approaches to physical fitness. Students explore key components of fitness, including cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and functional fitness, while learning how each contributes to overall health and well-being.

Through hands-on instruction, students gain experience using a variety of fitness equipment, including treadmills, stationary bikes, free weights, and other strength-training equipment, with an emphasis on proper technique, safety, and responsible use. Throughout the course, students participate in progressively challenging workouts and learn to apply fitness principles to their individual abilities and goals. The course encourages students to build greater independence in their fitness practices and develop skills they can carry with them beyond the classroom.

Modern Dance

In this class, students will be introduced to the art of modern dance, including its history and artists. Students will study various dance techniques, including release technique and floor work. Students will also learn the basics of choreography and composition, and apply all of these skills to choreography they perform in class.

Team Sports

Team Sports is a dynamic course that introduces students to a variety of traditional and non-traditional team sports and cooperative games. Through skill-based activities and game play, students develop fundamental techniques, strategic thinking, and a deeper understanding of team dynamics.

The course emphasizes teamwork, communication, sportsmanship, and active participation while providing opportunities to build confidence and overall fitness. By engaging in both competitive and collaborative activities, students are encouraged to challenge themselves, discover new athletic interests, and develop an appreciation for lifelong physical activity.

Tap Dance

Students will be introduced to the art of tap dance, including its history, artists and technique. Students will develop a working tap dance vocabulary of steps and sequences as well as the rudiments of tap dance improvisation. Tap shoes will be provided.

Team Sports

This course will introduce students to a variety of traditional team sports and cooperative activities played in the gymnasium. Through games and skill‑based activities, students will develop fundamental techniques, strategic thinking, and an understanding of game play. Emphasis will be placed on teamwork, sportsmanship, and active participation. Students will also have opportunities to build their fitness, coordination, and confidence while engaging in both competitive and collaborative games!

Yoga

Students will be introduced to the foundational practices of yoga, including meditation and relaxation skills, breathing techniques, and yoga postures of increasing complexity, from grounding standing poses to backbends and inversions. Through consistent practice, students will build body awareness, focus, and a foundation for lifelong wellness.

Fall Sports

• Cross Country
• Soccer (Boys + Girls)
• Tennis (Girls)
• Volleyball (Girls)

Winter Sports

• Basketball (Boys + Girls)
• Swim Team
• Winter Track

Spring Sports

• Baseball
• Softball
• Tennis (Boys)
• Track
• Volleyball (Boys)

Advanced Biology

Advanced Biology is a full‑year, advanced course for students who wish to deepen their understanding of living systems beyond Biology I or Biology IA. The course briefly reviews core concepts such as cell structure and function before moving into more advanced topics, including biochemistry, organismal diversity, comparative anatomy, and physiology. Students engage in regular laboratory investigations and analysis of scientific data, strengthening their ability to think critically and apply biological concepts across levels of organization. Emphasis is placed on experimental design, interpretation of results, and clear scientific communication. The course culminates in an independent research or capstone project in which students investigate a biological question of interest, drawing on primary literature and presenting their findings. Advanced Biology prepares students for advanced study by emphasizing analytical thinking, experimental design, and the clear communication of scientific ideas and challenges students to engage deeply with biological questions, strengthening habits of inquiry, reflection, and evidence‑based reasoning essential for advanced study.

Full year – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Permission of department.

Advanced Chemistry

This advanced course will build on the foundational concepts of  introductory chemistry courses and focuses on advanced chemical concepts, such as kinetics, thermodynamics, electrochemistry and organic chemistry. Students will learn analytical lab techniques and hone their critical‑thinking and problem solving skills through inquiry‑guided labs and project based learning. Topics will include Stoichiometry, Atomic Structure & Spectroscopy, Chemical Kinetics, Acid‑Base Equilibria, Chemical Thermodynamics, Electrochemistry and Organic Chemistry. Students will design and perform experiments that allow them to identify unknown substances, determine the concentration of food dye in sports beverages, and calculate the percent composition of synthetic pain relievers to name a few. Not only will students collect and plot data from these experiments, but they will analyze it and perform calculations in order to draw conclusions. This course requires students to have a strong foundation in algebra. Students will also explore how the concepts we are studying relate to real world issues, such as energy, medicine and environmental chemistry by reading contemporary articles and publications.

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite: Permission of department.

Advanced Physics

This advanced course brings together the fundamentals of physics from the introductory courses and both applies as well as introduces new ideas and advanced mathematical computations in order to determine physical quantities in sophisticated, real world situations. For example, students will learn to apply Newton’s second law to outer space and to explain the motion of moons and satellites. Topics include Kinematics, Dynamics, Circular Motion and Gravitation, Energy, Momentum, Torque and Rotational Motion. The year culminates using project based learning where students work in teams on a design and construction challenge related to real world themes. Students in this course routinely design, implement, and analyze experiments to illuminate a physics principle and then present their results for critique. In this way, a vibrant learning community is created in the classroom.

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Permission of department.

Biology I

Biology is the study of life, and life is all around us with millions of species inhabiting the Earth. Building off of molecular concepts learned in chemistry, we will explore the complexity of life on earth from the microscopic cellular level to the larger biosphere. We will examine evolution, cell biology, biochemistry, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and genetics. Major themes include: the structure and function relationships in a wide variety of life forms and the influence of variation on evolutionary trends. Experiments, lectures, discussions, and research will be integrated so that students will be able to recognize the fundamental biological concepts in their immediate world as well as understand the methods and significance of current research in the field. This course will parallel the Biology 1A course in topics presented but not in depth of coverage and therefore Bio I is best suited for students who prefer structured review and reinforcement of concepts while learning. The class pacing is an introductory level course and provides scaffolding as problems ramp up in difficulty and moves at a pace which is somewhat slower than the demanding pace of level IA.

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Chemistry I or IA

Biology IA

Biology is the study of life, and life is all around us with millions of species inhabiting the Earth. Building off of molecular concepts learned in chemistry, we will explore the complexity of life on earth from the microscopic cellular level to the larger biosphere. We will examine evolution, cell biology, biochemistry, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and genetics. Major themes include: the structure and function relationships in a wide variety of life forms and the influence of variation on evolutionary trends. Experiments, lectures, discussions, and presentations will be integrated so that students will be able to recognize the fundamental biological concepts in their immediate world as well as understand the methods and significance of current research in the field. This course moves faster than the Biology 1 course and explores topics in greater depth and therefore this course is best suited for students with strong critical thinking skills as well as the ability to take abstract principles and apply them to broader concepts in the course. Level IA courses require students to make connections using scientific facts and data driven applications. Because of the quick pace of this course, students will be asked to take more ownership of their learning.

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Chemistry I or IA and Permission of department.

Chemistry I

Chemistry is the study of the composition of matter and the changes that matter endures. This course introduces basic chemistry with an emphasis on the applications of chemical concepts to the “real world.” Students will encounter traditional chemical concepts and laboratory skills through student‑centered activities and labs. While the course is conceptual in nature, there is a mathematical component. This course will best serve students who are growing in their  math skills and require periodic review of math concepts that connect to the discipline to which they are learning. The class pacing is an introductory level course and provides scaffolding as problems ramp up in difficulty and moves at a pace which is somewhat slower than the demanding pace of level IA. Major topics include: metrics, states of matter, mixtures, atomic structure, chemical periodicity, chemical bonding, solubility, acids and bases, stoichiometry, and gas laws.

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite: Physics I

Chemistry IA

This course introduces basic chemistry with an emphasis on the atomic and molecular theories. The focus of this course will be on understanding what matter is and how it behaves. Students will participate in inquiry‑based laboratory activities that will require them to have strong analytical skills and the ability to comprehend abstract concepts. This course is best suited for students who find they have strong math skills and who find they have a mastery of concepts at a faster pace. Level IA courses require students to make connections using scientific facts and data driven applications. Because of the quick pace of this course, students will be asked to take more ownership of their learning.

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Physics I and Permission of department.

Electricity and Magnetism

How can a magnetic field power a city?  How is lightning fundamentally related to the smartphone in your pocket? This course demystifies the invisible forces that hum behind the walls of our homes and the screens in our hands. While electricity and magnetism are often taken for granted, they are surprising, interconnected forces that have redefined human civilization. Designed for curious minds who want to understand the "how" and "why" of technology without the math‑heavy focus of an advanced mechanics track, this course prioritizes hands‑on discovery and conceptual depth. You will act as a scientific investigator, building physical models and testing hypotheses through inquiry‑based labs. The semester culminates in a capstone project where you will research, design, and build a physical object that brings these invisible forces to life.

Prerequisites: Physics I

5 classes per cycle

Fall semester – 2 credits

Environmental Science

Environmental Science is a lab driven investigative course where students will probe the natural processes that regulate land, air, and water. Paramount in this course is the focus on students designing their own experiments and interpreting the results. However the acquisition of knowledge without a call to action is incomplete. One of the big ideas of this course is the focus on how the priorities of today affect future generations. Investigations assessing the effects of global climate change are central to this conversation. Ultimately students will come to see science as a way to lead healthier, more sustainable, and ethical lives.

Full year ‑ 4 credits

Independent Science Research I

This program is a 3‑year course (Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced Years) in which students will be expected to read, analyze, and present primary literature in the form of peer‑reviewed journal papers, perform experimentation as carried out in professional research laboratories, analyze cutting‑edge scientific research, communicate their findings in the format expected by the scientific community and compete in science competitions such as JSHS and Terra. Students will spend the first year of the program honing their scientific understanding of their chosen field, as well as their scientific writing and presentation skills. They will also look for and secure a lab mentor for the following two years by the end of their first year in the course. Then, students will spend two years and two summers working in their respective lab. Each student will be required to spend 240 hours per school year in their lab and 160 hours per summer in their lab. If they desire, these requirements will allow students to receive up to 12 college credits from SUNY Albany for their work in this class. The essential prerequisites of this program are motivation, organization, and dedication. This course will develop and hone students' commitment to long term scientific research while fostering creativity, perseverance and resilience as they navigate the ebbs and flows of research design and thinking.

Full year – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Application required. Permission of department.

Physics I

Physics employs an inquiry based, student centered approach to understanding the physical world and prepares students for learning science in Friends Seminary’s Upper School. Students investigate the physical world utilizing an experiential approach in which data are collected and analyzed to reveal fundamental physical laws. With energy storage and transfer as a recurring theme, the emphasis in this course is on developing a deep, conceptual understanding of the core skills needed to do classical mechanics. Students develop important scientific skills including experimental design, data collection and interpretation, and drawing logical conclusions. In addition, an emphasis is placed on communicating one’s understanding through a variety of representations: verbal, diagrammatic, graphical and mathematical. Students are encouraged to collaborate, make mistakes together and grow as learners.

Full year course – 4 credits

Physics of Light

What if everything you thought you knew about time, space, and reality was only half the story? This course invites you to look beneath the surface of the macroscopic world to explore the most ubiquitous yet mysterious phenomenon in the universe: Light. We begin with the classical world of waves and uncovering the surprising ways light acts in our world. From there, we dive into the "hard questions" of Modern Physics. Through the lenses of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, we will reimagine what light is and by extension, what our universe is made of. We will construct knowledge through collaborative experiments, moving from the simple geometry of a lens to the reality‑bending nature of the subatomic world. The course concludes with a student‑directed capstone, giving you the freedom to conduct a deep‑dive research inquiry into a modern physics topic that resonates with your own curiosity.

Prerequisites: Physics I

5 classes per cycle

Spring semester – 2 credits

2D Art: Intro to 2D Design

This course is for students of all skill levels who would like to learn new approaches or further their work with a variety of materials and methods. Students will explore perspective, drawing and painting techniques, work with mixed media, and complete a non‑traditional ‘drawing’ assignment. Students will be encouraged to think conceptually about the materials they use, and how they use them. The final project of the class will culminate in a group exhibition. This class is for any student who wants to explore challenging and dynamic projects. Students will be expected to go to at least one selected gallery/museum during the semester.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

2D/3D Art: Personal Narrative

This course is for students of all skill levels who are interested in creating art within an individualized art program. Each student will work with the teacher to develop a course curriculum based on the student's personal interests. These interests might focus on materials (painting, printmaking, drawing, digital or fiber art, etc.) and/or be conceptually rooted (identity, place, conflict, freedom, etc.) Throughout the semester, students will develop a body of work building on past projects and ongoing dialogue. Students will consciously work to determine how and where their work will be displayed to the community and be expected to go to at least one selected gallery/museum during the semester.  Seniors taking this course can  propose and design a final independent project that will serve as their Senior Project. Seniors can also work on elements of their project during course time prior to Senior Projects.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Advanced Studio

Advanced Studio is the visual art department's capstone course, designed for motivated students interested in any artistic discipline (photography, film, painting/drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, fiber) and eager to fully explore their creative potential. The course begins with a series of rigorous thematic exercises designed to encourage innovation and the refinement of the creative process. These exercises make space for experimentation, risk, and opportunity to expand students' exposure to different mediums and conceptual approaches to making art. Interwoven into these exercises is the close analysis of a diverse collection of modern and contemporary artists, transecting race, gender, and geography, that stimulate discussion and drive students personal investigations. Each student in Advanced Studio will keep a detailed website that tracks their creative process, artistic influences, and final projects. By the start of the second semester, students will work towards defining a concentration project, of their own design, that will explore an area of artistic inquiry for the remainder of the year. This project is a deep‑dive into an area of personal interest for the student and allows for the full development of both conceptual ideas, processes, and materials. The city will be an extension of the classroom, with frequent visits to museums, galleries, and culturally significant public spaces. Students will culminate the year by staging and installing an exhibition of their final project for the Friends community.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite: Open to 11th and 12th graders. Previous completion of at least 2 visual arts credits. Departmental Approval.

Art History: The Art of the Renaissance

This class will begin by examining the art of the Early Renaissance in Northern Europe then spend the majority of the semester exploring the art and culture of the Italian Renaissance. The study of the Northern Renaissance will include a look at how some artists expressed their love of nature while others revealed their intensely spiritual beliefs. The artists we will look at in the north include Jan van Eyck, Hieronymous Bosch, Albrecht Durer, Hans Holbein, Pieter Breugel, and Jean Foquet among others. The students will then study the artists and culture of the Italian Renaissance focusing on the unfolding narratives (economic, political, and artistic) coming out of Florence beginning in 1400. We will be exploring the role of patronage in the revival of the arts as well as the various rivalries among artists of the time. The artists we will study in the south include Giotto, Fra Angelico, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Ghiberti, Donatello, Michelangelo, Mantegna, Da Vinci, Raphael, Bramante, Botticelli, and Titian among others. Students will also be expected to make several museum/gallery visits, as well as publish their writing on the class blog.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Prerequisite(s): Open to 10‑12th graders

Art History: The Sacred in Art

This course will explore art from ancient times through the present. The lens that we will examine such a wide swath of art will be through how various cultures explore life's most essential questions. We will learn about many world views and myths from around the world by examining the art of these cultures. Students will explore the connections that unite the stories of humankind.  Topics covered include creation, paradise, the apocalypse, gods and goddesses, the afterlife, and the hero's journey. We will also explore how these ancient tales affect or relate to modern civilization. Students will be encouraged to find evidence of these stories in contemporary works of art.  In addition to the ongoing study of these works, students will be encouraged to reflect upon their own lives as being both mythic and heroic. Students will also be expected to make several museum/gallery visits.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

Prerequisite(s): Open to 10‑12th graders

Ceramics

Ceramics is a foundational course that focuses on process, history, and principles of clay design. Students will produce functional and nonfunctional three‑dimensional art forms using hand‑building (pinch, coil, and slab), surface decoration and glazing, and various other techniques. We will be exploring the relationship between form and function, and personal invention and experimentation is encouraged. Projects are thematic: students are given the creative freedom to explore the concepts of protection, trompe l'oeil, pop‑culture, and self. Students with prior experience will deepen their practice and understanding through independent work and research on ceramic traditions, with the opportunity to throw on the wheel. All skill levels are welcome.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall & Spring) – 2 credits

Digital Painting & Design

This course is designed for those new to, and curious about, the world of digital illustration and design. We will be doing a deep dive into the building blocks of digital painting: expressive mark‑making, value, form, composition and color theory. Students will be primarily using a digital tablet and stylus, and working on Procreate. Projects are thematic: students are given the creative freedom to explore concepts like everyday objects, identity, places and spaces, and the future. The course culminates in an independent project, where students can select an arena they would like to hone their skills in, such as character design, animating in Photoshop, or digital printing on apparel. For seniors taking this course, this final independent project will serve as their Senior Project. Students will come away with a solid understanding of how to use digital art as a means of visual communication and self‑expression.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

Digital Photography I

Digital Photography students will be introduced the basics of photography as an art form. Students learn to use the camera as a tool to explore the world, make connections, and develop a visual language through composition, light, and unique approaches to subject matter. The technical aspects of a Digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera and digital editing programs will also be introduced. Early assignments emphasize the creative process and an understanding of light,  composition, subject matter, and layering to build up dynamic imagery. Later assignments explore portraiture, street photography, and increased creative risk taking. Frequent discussions about photographs by historical and contemporary photographers provide feedback and inspiration.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall & Spring) – 2 credits

Digital Photography II

Digital Photography II is an opportunity for students to hone the technical and conceptual skills they began to develop in Photography I and push themselves even further. Students are challenged to explore the potential of photography to examine the world around them in a more rigorous manner through both traditional and unconventional approaches to image making. Projects include explorations in narrative, motion photography, and bookmaking. In addition, students will explore the methodologies of street photography in and around the East Village.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Prerequisite(s): Digital Photo I or Portfolio Review

Drawing

This course is designed to give all upper school students the opportunity to explore and develop their visual ideas through drawing. Strong emphasis is placed on observation, personal perception, and interpretation of the world around them. Students will hone their rendering skills through various methods of mark making using pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink. This is a great class for any student who wants to develop their perceptual and conceptual drawing skills.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

Fiber Arts

In this course, students will explore the elements of art and design using fiber materials and methods as a starting point. Students will explore surface design through the Japanese shibori tye‑dye tradition, and the embellishment of embroidery, as well as pulling inspiration from traditional and contemporary artists. Students will be given opportunities to experiment, invent, create, play, wonder, discover and, in the process, celebrate themselves as individual thinkers and observers of the world. Personal storytelling is a large component of this course. This is a great course for any student who is interested in exploring painting and sculpture through another set of materials and techniques; building on discoveries made in past art experiences or as a first art class.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

Film and Animation

Film and Animation students are exposed to the process of shooting video, editing footage, mixing audio, and building original and compelling narratives. During the course, students will develop a deeper understanding of cinematic language through the viewing and critical analysis of short and feature length films. Students will complete three short films, including a short narrative film, a documentary, and a chase scene shot on the streets of New York.  An additional project will also explore the use of stop‑motion animation and editing techniques. All skill levels are welcome.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Graphic Design

In Graphic Design, students will be introduced to the tools, techniques, and fundamental skills of the field. The course will explore graphic design as an art form as well as its more commercial applications. In this class students will employ the use of a wide range of hand‑made studio approaches to execute their projects, in addition to digital applications through the Adobe Creative Suite. Students will investigate graphic designs’ rich history as a medium for politics, propaganda, pop culture, and advertising. All skill levels welcome.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Fall) – 2 credits

Illustration

This course will explore visual storytelling through the lens of traditional and contemporary illustration.  Assignments will reinforce drawing and painting skills as well as strengthen concept development, communication, presentation, and imagination. Students will explore a wealth of materials and methods including pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic painting, and collage. Illustration students will cultivate their authorial voice and curiosity through projects that include illustrative shadow boxes, picture books, hand‑lettering, editorial illustration and advertising, and product design. Those students who choose to stay in this course for their Senior Project will propose and execute a more expansive illustration project of their own design. All skill and grade levels are welcome.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Painting

In this class, students will concentrate on painting from life as well as complete illustrative work that explores personal imagery and the use of multiple materials. Mediums including acrylic, watercolor, India ink, and mixed‑media will be examined. Projects include value studies, expressive self portraits, observational watercolors, and paintings of everyday life, as well as mixed‑media projects that seek out the possibilities of traditional and nontraditional materials. Those students who choose to stay in this course for their Senior Project will propose and execute a more expansive painting project of their own design.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Sculpture: Materials and Process

In this introductory course, students are introduced to an overview of three‑dimensional making processes, tools, and materials (paper, clay, found objects, wire, plaster, mixed‑media, and 3D printing). Students will explore the relationship between ideas, materials, and construction techniques. We consider sculpture through an expanse of time and across cultures, including the ever‑changing field of contemporary sculpture and installation. Projects are thematic: students are given the creative freedom to explore the concepts of space, place, nature, self, and memory. Emphasis is placed on imagination, craft, and a willingness to engage in the design process.

5 periods/cycle

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits

Advanced Arabic

Advanced Arabic is a content‑based course that examines youth culture and society through the discussion of Arabic‑language texts, both written and audiovisual. By focusing on youth voices, students learn from their peers about current issues, while also providing traditional context for those voices. Arabic VI builds upon previous study of the Levant region and broadens to include the Gulf and North Africa, necessitating the use of texts in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) over those in Levantine dialect. Rigorous study of MSA grammar and vocabulary prepares students for standardized proficiency tests, specifically the AAPPL test detailed below, and college placement tests.

As a course for intermediate speakers (from intermediate low to intermediate high), Advanced Arabic is aligned to standards from the American of Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The course  includes the annual topics of the ACTFL proficiency test (AAPPL), at the intermediate level. In order to challenge students to move toward the advanced level, rigorous topics will also be introduced. For example, a unit on gender and sexuality in Arab society includes a song by DAM (topic: music), excerpts from Girls of Riyadh (literature), fashion influencers (social media), and articles on LGBT culture in Beirut and Amman (current events).

5 periods/cycle

Full year course ‑ 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): A‑ in  Arabic V or equivalent and/or Departmental Approval

Advanced Chinese

This course offers an opportunity to read, listen to, and discuss a wide range of texts, tailored to the interests of the students and teacher. While students continue to work toward acquiring advanced proficiency in all skill areas, they will practice accessing authentic materials intended for a native speaker audience, whether through Chinese film, short stories, novels, periodicals, or social media. Students will be expected to engage in these authentic materials through discussion, writing, and presentations. Students are expected to put in the time and effort to engage in the full range of activities and homework designed to achieve advanced proficiency across all four skills of the language. Through the course, students will gain as much exposure as possible to authentic materials, whether through extensive reading, intensive reading, WeChat socializing, conversation meetups, online TV shows and movies, flashcards on Pleco, and listening to an episode of Slow Chinese or iMandarin Pod.  Students will be using the Chinese language to investigate, explain, and reflect on the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.

Students will demonstrate their knowledge and point of view of current events,  and literary works as well facets of intercultural communications by way of debate, interviews with native speakers of Chinese and creating their own literary and art works in Chinese.

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): A‑ in Chinese V or equivalent and/or Departmental Approval

Advanced French

In this advanced language course, we explore contemporary issues through the francophone lens. The students use French‑language media resources, both written and audiovisual, to research environmental concerns, diversity and migration, technological advances and the effects of social media, and food and health. They build topic‑specific vocabulary, develop their reading and listening comprehension, and hone their expressive skills through written and presentational projects which can be shared with the community. The five Cs of language learning (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities) are applied to emphasize the interconnectedness of the issues facing our world today. Although the study of grammar is not a formal component of the curriculum, there is occasional review of advanced grammatical topics that may benefit the students’ oral and written expression. Whenever possible, we make use of French‑language resources in New York City to support our classroom learning.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): French V minimum grade A‑; Department approval

Advanced Latin

Advanced Latin is an intensive course that deepens student understanding of the organization and content of advanced primary and secondary texts. Students will read a minimum of 50 lines of original text daily and will engage weekly with at least two secondary sources related to the primary texts. There will be no review of syntax. Students in this course must have exhibited superior control of all advanced skills prior to enrolling.

The course builds upon the prose and poetry read in previous classes but broadens the scope of inquiry as students draw connections between the ancient world and their own. The foundation of this analysis is rooted in the following topics: Language, Memory, Identity.

Language: How have these authors utilized language to either conform to or challenge codified systems of thought? How does genre contribute to the style and content of each text?

Memory: How does the retelling of stories contribute to personal and social memory? Who has the power to shift memory?

Identity: Who are these writers? How does reading and writing sculpt our own identities? How do changes in society overlap with personal identity and power?

Each student will create a portfolio. All students will engage with the same material, but each portfolio will reflect their individual thoughts and explorations of primary texts and support materials. All students will be required to read and summarize primary and secondary texts that are unique to their own readings’ intersections with the course themes. In addition to the portfolio, students will sit for formal translation and composition assessments. These assessments, in combination with the research methods required for the portfolio, will culminate in a capstone project that students will present to the community at the Annual Latin Colloquium.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): A‑ in Latin V or equivalent and/or Departmental Approval

Advanced Spanish

In this advanced language course, students will have the opportunity to hone their listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills.  Through the exploration of a wide range of Spanish short stories, cinema, theater, music, and pop culture, students will build topic‑specific vocabulary, develop their reading and listening comprehension, and hone their writing and speaking skills through essays and presentations.  To further support the importance of experiential and student‑based learning and inquiry, we will use New York City as our classroom whenever appropriate.  Although the study of grammar is not the focus of the curriculum, there is occasional review of advanced grammatical topics that will help students articulate their ideas more effectively in oral and written communication.  As a culminating project, students will choose one of the many themes discussed in the course to present a capstone project to their classmates.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Spanish V minimum grade A‑; Department approval

Arabic I

Arabic I offers an introduction to the language, emphasizing the acquisition of the new alphabet as well as the mastering of basic oral and written skills. Students learn Modern Standard Arabic and also gain exposure to basic structures of the Levantine dialect of Arabic. Vocabulary is presented in thematic units including introductions and greetings, the home and family, and food. Additionally, each unit has Important grammar concepts including forming adjectives, definite and indefinite articles, gender agreement, nominal and verbal sentences, pronouns and possessive pronouns,

asking and answering questions, plurals, present‑tense verb conjugation, and the root and pattern system of Arabic morphology.

Full year course – 4 credits

Arabic II

Arabic II is a direct continuation of Arabic I. After a thorough review of the previous year's material, students delve into new material covering units on the classroom,  family, daily routines and hobbies, weather and climate, and urban life. Students are exposed to past tense conjugation through the study of the biographies of Arab personalities. The course also continues to incorporate elements of the Levantine dialect of Arabic to supplement their study of Modern Standard Arabic through a variety of audiovisual sources. Greater emphasis is placed on students' independent compositions in both writing and oral presentations.

In Arabic III, students begin to build an increasingly substantial vocabulary through the use of Arabic roots and patterns. Students are also exposed to a greater number of primary sources ranging from news articles to Arabic language websites as they learn to speak about their homes, their school, and tourism in their city, before studying tourism in Arab cities. The course ends with the reading and discussion of culturally rich and authentic Joha stories. Students are required to complete more complex projects and give increasingly independent oral presentations and develop Arabic typing skills.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Arabic Level I or equivalent

Arabic III

In Arabic III, students begin to build an increasingly substantial vocabulary through the use of Arabic roots and patterns. Students are also exposed to a greater number of primary sources ranging from news articles to Arabic language websites, and they are taught to engage more closely with different texts. Thus, students are required to complete more complex projects and give increasingly independent oral presentations, working up to two page compositions, and developing Arabic typing skills as they learn to speak about home, school, travel and tourism in New York City. Students wrap up the year by reading culturally rich and authentic Joha stories, and performing one.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Arabic Level II or equivalent

Arabic IV

Arabic IV is an intermediate level course that engages students in comparisons of their home culture with Arab cultures on topics ranging from holidays and celebrations to technology and social media. Students also discuss health and wellness, read the poetry and life of Nizar Qabbani, and survey Moroccan geography and society. Intermediate structures including conditional phrases, accusative verbs, and negators are introduced, while reviewing present and past tense, and question words.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Arabic Level III or equivalent

Arabic V

After completing Arabic IV, students are ready to engage in a content‑based class conducted fully in Arabic. Students in Arabic V delve into diverse Arab cultures through cinema, literature and current events. They acquire new vocabulary and hone their linguistic skills through oral and written reflections on the topics they are studying. The theme of the course varies from year to year. Possible topics for the course include current events and politics, Levantine cinema, literary and media translation, history of the Middle East, sports in the Arab World, traditional and contemporary musical forms, and Arabic literature.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Arabic Level IV or equivalent

Chinese I

Chinese I is an introductory class that focuses on the basics of the Mandarin Chinese language. It introduces the foundation knowledge of Mandarin including the pronunciation system and writing of Chinese characters. Chinese I also integrate four skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing ‑ to help students build communicative competences. Students will learn to communicate about and identify the main idea and a few supporting details of short written and spoken messages on highly predictable, everyday topics on familiar themes involving personal identity, family, and daily life. They can use simple sentences that have been encountered, memorized, and recalled. Basic Chinese geography, ways of greeting Chinese people that explain your identity and ways of showing a beginning appreciation of Chinese language and culture are the focus of this course.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Chinese II

In this course, students expand their vocabulary for basic conversation and knowledge of characters that correspond to new vocabulary. Students also become familiar with conversational topics relevant to everyday life and more complex grammatical structures that will permit expression of more intricate ideas, both in speech and in writing. Students are exposed to authentic Chinese sources in the form of advertisements, popular music, and TV shows, and will be expected to be competent in the use and recognition of some newly introduced characters.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Chinese I or equivalent

Chinese III

Chinese III is a continuation of Chinese II. It is a course that is designed to broaden the student’s understanding of grammatical concepts in Chinese and integrate what he/she already knows into more coherent conversational skills utilizing a wide range of verbs and vocabulary.  Additionally, the student will be exposed to the cultures of Chinese‑speaking communities through the use of films, poetry, newspaper articles, etc. Some Chinese films appropriate to the age will be shown, which are an important part of the curriculum. Preparation for class and participation in class are absolutely essential.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Chinese II or equivalent

Chinese IV

This course is a continuation of Chinese III. Emphasis is placed on oral and aural ability for daily communication situations, reading and writing skills for functional literacy, and foundational grammar for more complex sentence structures. Students will also continue the study of cheng yu, or idiomatic phrases, to gain cultural insights about Chinese speaking communities. Materials will include both a textbook and a collection of modern short stories (chapter books). In addition, students will use their Chinese to learn about a cultural practice of their choice, such as Chinese music,

visual art, Chinese medicine, or Taichi. Students will also complete a variety of student driven projects where they will research on topics including, Best Chinese cities to live, Chinese communities overseas, Chinatowns around the world, but not limited to these topics. Students will also be exposed to the diversity of Chinese speaking communities through immigration stories, diversity in Chinese film, music and individual expression of self.  As students approach intermediate mid/high proficiency, they read longer and more complex texts, and respond to them both orally and in writing. Class discussion is a major component of the course, and builds the basis for reflections ranging from traditional assignments such as response papers and oral presentations, to creative writing and artistic expression.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Chinese III or equivalent

Chinese V

Contemporary China through Music and Film is a course designed for advanced students of Chinese who have completed the first four years of the upper school Chinese curriculum. The focus of the course is on popular culture and contemporary social issues in China. Students will experience these primarily through the study of films and music lyrics, but will also be exposed to current events through journalism and to popular literature through short stories and poetry. Students will continue to study vocabulary and grammar through these materials, and the curriculum will be supplemented by some content from textbooks. Work in the course will be assessed through presentations, compositions, group projects, and traditional tests.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Chinese IV or equivalent

French I

French I is an accelerated introductory course that emphasizes all four language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) through a variety of classroom activities. Students acquire vocabulary and grammatical structures, including idiomatic expressions, and language to be able to have conversations about themselves, their families, friends, school, pastimes, and the world around them. Instruction may include experiences such as trips to museums and restaurants.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

French II

This course capitalizes on the vocabulary and syntax used in French I and expands them.  Students learn to discuss topics that pertain to everyday life, including shopping, sports and health, dates, parties and cities.  Grammar points include the passé composé as well as the correct usage of articles and pronouns.  Assessments evaluate both writing and speaking abilities as the emphasis is on developing active skills in French. Journal writing helps students apply new structures and vocabulary regularly. Corresponding films, videos, and audio files that expand cultural and linguistic awareness reinforce textbook lessons.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): French I or equivalent

French III

In this intermediate course, students develop their language skills through topics such as school, shopping, work, the environment, travel, geography and the arts. The study of these topics is enhanced by authentic material from francophone websites and audiovisual sources. The students expand their vocabulary and learn new verb tenses and modes such as the future, the conditional and the subjunctive, as well as other grammatical features such as relative pronouns and comparative/superlative structures. They develop their reading skills with a variety of readings and improve their writing through short narratives. During the second semester, the students have an expanded unit in which they formally study a short story. They learn topical vocabulary and are introduced to painting, fashion and other cultural features of nineteenth‑century Paris. Following the in‑depth reading of the story, they watch a film based on it. The unit concludes with a formal essay. Throughout the year, the students also prepare class presentations and video projects to develop their oral and presentational skills, and they improve their listening skills through movies and songs. The class makes use of French‑language resources found in New York City to support their classroom learning whenever possible.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): French II or equivalent

French IV

The work in this course is designed to pull together and refine the material studied in the previous years through intensive grammar review and an expansion of active vocabulary. In addition, students being study of works by various French or francophone authors. Assessments include grammar quizzes and tests, vocabulary quizzes, and take home and in‑class essays. Corresponding films, videos, and audio files that expand cultural and linguistic awareness reinforce lessons.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): French III or equivalent

French V

In French V, students move into a topics class conducted completely in French. Students will have the opportunity to delve into the diverse parts of the French‑speaking world through literature, film, and history, building a more specialized vocabulary while honing their linguistic skills through The Five C's (Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities).  Students will complete a capstone project incorporating some of the major topics covered in the course.  The theme of the course can vary from year to year, but past topics have included: French theater, the aftermath of the Second World War, Holocaust survivors, the literature of French colonized regions.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): French IV or equivalent

French VI

In this language course, we explore contemporary issues through the francophone lens. The students use French‑language media resources, both written and audiovisual, to research environmental concerns, diversity and migration, technological advances and the effects of social media, and food and health. They build topic‑specific vocabulary, develop their reading and listening comprehension, and hone their expressive skills through written and presentational projects which can be shared with the community. The five Cs of language learning (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities) are applied to emphasize the interconnectedness of the issues facing our world today. Although the study of grammar is not a formal component of the curriculum, there is occasional review of advanced grammatical topics that may benefit the students’ oral and written expression. Whenever possible, we make use of French‑language resources in New York City to support our classroom learning.

Latin I

US Level I Latin is an accelerated course. Students read adapted excerpts from Ovid’s Metamorphoses while learning declension and conjugation. Sight translation is also a component of the course. Through mastery of the Present and Perfect Systems of verb conjugation, formation of participles, and infinitive usage, students are able to read intermediate level texts. Advanced syntax enforces the work students complete in English and Modern Language classes. Students write compositions, craft translations, and build an extensive vocabulary. Via creative projects, film, and literature in translation, students articulate connections between their world and Antiquity.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Placement by Department

Latin II

In Latin II students continue reading adapted excerpts from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Sight translation is also a component of the course. Through mastery of the Present and Perfect Systems of verb conjugation, formation of participles, and infinitive usage, students are able to read intermediate level texts. Advanced syntax enforces the work students complete in English and Modern Language classes. Students write compositions, craft translations, and build an extensive vocabulary. Via creative projects, film, and literature in translation, students articulate connections between their world and Antiquity.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Latin I or equivalent

Latin III

In this course students solidify their mastery of declension, conjugation, case usage, and infinitive and participle usage. The subjunctive verb forms and their usage are thoroughly examined. Students craft compositions and translations, thus, increasing their vocabulary. Readings include the myths of Atalanta, Theseus, Perseus, and Medea. Themes discussed are: gender and power in myth, intersections between Roman ideals of community and the world around us, journey and exile.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Latin II or equivalent

Latin IV

In this course students read unedited, original texts. Proper usage of commentary and rudimentary research methods are introduced. The literature read varies annually. Most recently students have read excerpts from Cicero, Pliny, Ovid, and Horace. In addition to rigorous readings, students complete creative projects such as storyboards, blogs, and skits. These projects encourage each student to examine one’s personal relationship to the modern world and ways the study of Classical languages influences our view of the world.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Latin III or equivalent

Latin V

This is an advanced, college level course. The central texts are selections from the Roman Elegists: Catullus, Propertius, Tibullus, Sulpicia, and Ovid. Some of the most challenging texts of antiquity, these poems were the precursors of the Italian and English sonnet, and influenced the matrix of western literature. Mastery of research methods, and formal explication of texts culminates in the preparation of a final paper. Each student must present a fragment of the research paper to an audience of peers and teachers at the close of the final term. In preparation for the final course of study, students read Virgil’s Aeneid in translation.

4 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Latin IV or equivalent

Spanish I

The US Spanish I Intensive is an accelerated course designed to accommodate students with little to no prior experience with Spanish and those students for whom the skills of speaking, writing, reading, and listening need further development. The work is intensive and students are expected to participate vigorously, by utilizing digital materials, practicing speaking outside of class, completing practice drills, and preparing oral presentations. Some of the vocabulary covered includes greetings, talking about school, family, pastimes, and traveling. Some of the grammatical concepts include numbers, telling time, regular ‑ar/‑er/‑ir verbs, the two ways to say "to be" in Spanish, stem‑changing verbs, the present progressive, and direct object pronouns. At the successful completion of this course, students will be eligible for Spanish II.

4 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Spanish II

This course presents the more complex structures of basic Spanish and expands the themes of the first level.  By the completion of this course, the students will have acquired a command of everyday vocabulary that will help them negotiate the ordinary activities of daily living and structures necessary for personal communication. It will also assist them in developing an appreciation of the breadth and variety of cultures found in the Spanish‑speaking world. Students listen to audio materials and watch videos reinforcing the material presented in class.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Spanish I or equivalent

Spanish III

Spanish III emphasizes all four language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) through a variety of classroom activities. Students learn vocabulary, grammatical structures, and expressions through various sources (textbook, short stories, digital resources, etc.) to be able to communicate effectively both in speaking and writing about such topics as modern life and the world around them. Some grammatical concepts include the preterite and imperfect tenses, por vs. para, familiar and formal commands, and the forms and uses of the subjunctive. Students also develop an appreciation for the breadth and diversity of cultures found in the Spanish‑speaking world.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Spanish II or equivalent

Spanish IV

Spanish IV students review, refine and expand the four skills of aural comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. The linguistic goals for this course include the learning of new tenses in both the indicative and the subjunctive and greater expansion of all the perfect tenses in Spanish. Students explore culture and grammar through the study of music, short readings and online games. Hands‑on language learning and authentic, activity‑based situations enhance their language skills.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Spanish III or equivalent

Spanish V

Spanish V is a course in Spanish language and culture that emphasizes all four language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) through a variety of classroom activities and uses the Spanish language to explore aspects of different cultures in the Spanish‑speaking world. Students will practice vocabulary, grammatical structures, and expressions through different sources (textbook, short stories, short films, digital resources.) Students are expected to communicate entirely in Spanish both in speaking and writing.

5 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Spanish IV or equivalent

Spanish VI

Spanish VI is a course in Spanish language and culture that emphasizes all four language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) through a variety of classroom activities and uses the Spanish language to explore aspects of different cultures in the Spanish‑speaking world. Students will practice vocabulary, grammatical structures, and expressions through different sources (textbook, short stories, short films, digital resources.) Students are expected to communicate entirely in Spanish both in speaking and writing.

4 periods/cycle

Full year course – 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): Spanish V or equivalent