health & peer education

Health Seminars

Designed to support co-curricular programming, including Health Education and College Counseling, all Upper School students are pre-enrolled in a required (pass/fail) Seminar section that meets during afternoon blocks, once per two-week cycle (twice a month), all year (16 seminars in total).

Freshman Seminar

Freshman Seminar is designed to support students in successfully transitioning into Upper School. Eight of 16 lessons focus on health and are co-taught by peer educators from the 11th and 12th grades. Freshmen explore personal decisions related to managing stress and anxiety, use of technology, sleep, healthy relationships, food choices, and alcohol and drugs. The eight additional sessions are led by a rotation of presenters who will help freshmen explore honor, mental health, basic first aid, CIE, library resources, and college prep.

Sophomore Seminar

Sophomore Seminar includes eight health education lessons focused on substance abuse prevention and human sexuality. The eight additional sessions are led by a rotation of presenters and include discussion about the Outward Bound trip, mental health and wellness, community service, CIE and college prep.

Junior Seminar

Junior Seminar is evenly split between Health Education and College Prep. Health lessons cover topics including stress management, alcohol and other drug prevention, and sex ed. In addition, college counselors will work with juniors to begin scaffolding the college process, through a combination of large-group presentations and smaller-group discussion and one-on-one meetings.

Senior Seminar

Senior Seminar is comprised of meetings with college counseling (first quarter), followed by a series of Health Seminars designed to support students as they prepare to make the transition from high school to college. Seniors explore familiar health education topics with a new lens and an eye toward life on a college campus.

Peer Education

PEER EDUCATION Afternoon block

Peer educators are 11th and 12th grade student role models who facilitate the Freshmen Seminar by sharing their experience and wisdom with ninth graders. Peer educators work in pairs to support a small group of freshmen through discussion on a range of topics from time management to healthy relationships to decisions about alcohol and other drugs. In addition to meetings with freshmen, peer educators must attend sessions to prepare for Freshman Seminar, plus attendance at mandatory training retreats in August and January. The course is limited to 25 juniors who, if the course fits into their schedule, will also need to submit an application and demonstrate the skills and attitude needed for the program.

To satisfy the Gilman School requirements in history and religion, all students must complete World Cultures in the freshman year, The Making of Modern Europe (or Humanities) in the sophomore year, and United States History in the junior year. Freshmen, juniors, and seniors may choose from among a variety of elective courses. Departmental approval is required for enrollment in an honors or an Advanced Placement course.

9TH GRADE COURSE – REQUIRED WORLD CULTURES

This yearlong course is required of all freshmen and explores the geography, history, and cultures that inform the lives of the world’s population. Students will investigate the political, economic, and social practices of the peoples of the world through close examination of non-Western regions with the objectives of identifying commonalities and gaining an understanding of the Earth as a global community. Teachers emphasize fundamental social studies skills such as reading, writing, researching, note-taking, and speaking while students also continue to develop their ability to think critically and creatively identify solutions to problems facing people anywhere and everywhere.

9TH GRADE COURSE – ELECTIVE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

Intended primarily for freshmen, but open to juniors and seniors. This introductory course spends one quarter examining each of the three branches of the federal government in their contemporary and historical context. A fourth unit investigates the political process through elections. In odd years that unit would be in the fourth quarter to correspond to primary elections; in even years it would be in the first quarter to examine general elections. The format of the course includes discussion, lecture, and video presentations. Reading assignments include primary documents and academic interpretations. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the reading assignments and an awareness of each author’s interpretation. Students will present several oral reports, write essays, and take short quizzes and unit tests. Some of these assessments are done in collaboration with classmates. Grading is based on the student’s performance on these assessments.

10TH GRADE COURSE – REQUIRED THE MAKING OF MODERN EUROPE

Intended for 10th graders only and designed to run parallel to the 10th grade courses in English, art history, and music history, this course will survey major intellectual, social, and political themes in the development of modern European civilization from the Renaissance to present day. First and foremost, this course will present a history of ideas. Students will read selections from a wide variety of authors and explore how ideas relate to politics, literature, art, and music. Most readings will come from Perry’s “Western Civilization: A Brief History” but students also will encounter literature from the past and historical works by contemporary scholars. Essay work will be based extensively on Document Based Questions. The course culminates in the completion of a properly cited historical research paper using primary sources.

11TH GRADE COURSE – REQUIRED

UNITED STATES HISTORY (BMS, GILMAN, RPCS)

This course, taught at Gilman, Bryn Mawr, and Roland Park Country School, surveys the history of the United States from colonial times to the post-World War II era. While readings and specific assignments will vary from teacher to teacher, all require analytical papers, essay tests, and extensive readings, including primary sources.