May Term
· is required
· will have no homework
· will be Pass/Fail
· will be on the transcript and will be for credit
Purpose of May Term
To foster meaningful, authentic learning, our school year ends with each student taking one May Term course. These seven-day courses enrich the student experience beyond the core GFA curriculum and offer opportunities to dig into a topic in ways that are impossible during the regular school schedule. Students should expect to connect with classmates and teachers in a different way, explore new interests, and focus on their learning.
The world is about to converge on North America for the 2026 World Cup, but are you ready for kickoff? Join us for an immersive class where the “beautiful game” meets the classroom to explore how a simple ball moves nations, defies physics, and mirrors global society. This course is your chance to dive into the heart of the world’s most popular sport, beyond just kicking a ball. We will break down the science of the pitch, analyzing the forces behind a perfect free kick, while tackling tough questions about VAR technology, financial giants, and how soccer challenges racism and stereotypes. From “Culture Tours” of participating nations to simulated press conferences and guest speakers, you’ll discover the soul of the sport. Whether we are analyzing epic documentaries or heading outdoors for a blindfolded penalty shootout, you will leave with a deep, global perspective. If you eat, sleep, and breathe soccer, sign up and let’s play!
The Art of Suspense:
Alfred Hitchcock and the Language of Film
How does suspense work, and what makes the films of Alfred Hitchcock, the “Master of Suspense,” so enduringly compelling? In this class, we will study Hitchcock’s work as both a masterclass in cinematic technique and a window into the cultural and psychological contexts of twentieth-century filmmaking. Through guided screenings and close analysis, we will examine how filmmaking elements shape meaning and audience experience while exploring recurring ideas in Hitchcock’s films, including guilt and responsibility, identity, fear, and human psychology. Alongside critical inquiry, we will engage in creative exercises, such as storyboarding or reimagining scenes. Watch out!
The Art of Wabi Sabi
Explore the ancient wisdom of Wabi Sabi, finding beauty in simplicity (wabi), and serenity in the rhythms of the seasons (sabi), by creating art using materials and processes from the natural bounty around us. Wabi Sabi teaches us that all things are impermanent and imperfect, giving us permission to be our imperfect selves as we create art in harmony with nature. We will hand-build tea bowls and sculpt “netsuki” (small animal figurines). We will also use natural dye materials to dye fabrics using traditional Japanese techniques. We will stitch on these fabrics using sashiko mending practices. We will also study the art of Haibun poetry, writing our own poems in quiet moments between art projects. A visiting tea master and artist will introduce us to the traditions and philosophy of the Japanese tea ceremony, including the form, texture, and spirit of the tea vessels themselves, allowing us to experience the wabi sabi aesthetic and contemplative practice first-hand.
Builders within Borders
What are the pressing needs of our local communities? How can we continue to help where needed? Can we plan for the future to eliminate some of the suffering of our local communities? Service projects will either be half- or full-day and afford students more time to delve into the hands-on projects they love doing while assessing the pressing needs of their local communities. These projects range from working on a Habitat for Humanity house to spending a day at the CT Food Share Warehouse in Wallingford. We’ll visit with the Seniors at Elder House, Norwalk, and interact with individuals with disabilities. We’ll even connect with the students at Columbus School in Bridgeport as classroom helpers. By sharing our experiences and reflecting, students will see how they grow as they help others.
Chinese Cultural Immersion
This is a vibrant, hands-on class designed to deepen students’ understanding of China’s rich heritage and living traditions. Through an engaging blend of interactive classes, field trips, and cultural activities, this course immerses students in the art, games, cuisine, and customs that shape Chinese life. Students will take part in energetic Chinese Zumba sessions, learn to play Chinese Checkers, and discover the meaning and stories behind major Chinese festivals. Excursions to cultural landmarks and local markets in New York City’s Chinatown will offer participants an authentic opportunity to connect with Chinese culture in a personal and memorable way. This course is ideal for anyone eager to expand their global perspective and build meaningful cross-cultural connections. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a board game lover, or simply curious about Chinese culture, this class offers a fun and accessible way to learn and engage. As part of the course, students will also reflect on how Confucius’s teachings have influenced their own thinking and personal values. Through guided discussion and self-reflection, participants will explore how Confucian ideas—such as respect, harmony, and self-cultivation—can inform modern perspectives on ethics, relationships, and community.
Chowder
Catch wind and sail with us through Moby-Dick’s “unshored, harborless immensities.” This course will engage in a variety of salt-spattered Moby-Dick adventures: reading and listening to (one of) the Great American Novels; whaling around Fairfield county, and to Mystic, Brooklyn, and the Berkshires; casting harpoons; clamming; scrimshawing; cooking and eating beachside–and above all, chasing whale-sized questions through an oceany experiential inquiry of Herman Melville’s masterpiece. Of the chowder served at Nantucket’s Spouter Inn, Melville writes, “It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship
biscuit, and salted pork cut up into little flakes; the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt.” This class, too, like the novel around which it forays, is glorious, textured, and full of flavor.
CPR, First Aid, and Lifesaving Skills
What separates an injury from an emergency? When does a situation become life-threatening? How can you help care for someone experiencing an emergency until more advanced medical care arrives? Learn about the fundamentals of being prepared for potential day-to-day emergencies and keeping yourself and others safe from disease while in the process of responding. Students will also dive into responding to a variety of breathing and cardiac emergencies, including heart attacks, cardiac arrest, basic first aid, and the operation of an AED. We’ll also get a chance to talk to people who use these types of skills in their day-to-day lives, though at a much more advanced level. This course highlights practical, experiential skills and is designed to lead to first aid, CPR, and AED certifications through the American Red Cross.
Dragons in the Wild
This is an experiential learning course in being outdoors. As we explore the wild places around GFA and across Connecticut, we will learn through doing. Skills we will practice may include hiking, map-reading and route-finding, outdoor cooking, camping, canoeing, and rock climbing. As we interact
with and learn how to make our way in the natural world, we will ask ourselves: what does it mean to live competently and responsibly outside of the urban and suburban environments to which we are accustomed? What can the outdoors offer us? What are our responsibilities to the outdoors? And how can we live well as a collective, share the responsibilities of leadership and stewardship, and learn to function as a team? This course will culminate in a required overnight camping trip on Tuesday, May 26 in one of Connecticut’s beautiful state parks. To make the most of our time outside, we will leave campus promptly at 8 a.m. each day.
Exploring Math through Magic
A lot of mathematical concepts are intriguing because there seems to be some magical relationship behind the processes. The world of magic is cool and fascinating to many people because of the structure, patterning, and precision with which the tricks are delivered. This course is designed to merge these two worlds and introduce students to a number of mathematical concepts, using magic as a backdrop. Through a wide selection of tricks, students will explore the fields of number theory, combinatorics, probability, algebra, geometry, and topology (among others), while learning a bit about the successful presentation of magic. No advanced level of mathematics or experience with magic is required, but enrolled students should have an interest in (and be curious about!) mathematics and have successfully completed Math 300, Math 350, or beyond.
Gardening and Landscaping at GFA
What plants and flowers make the GFA campus so beautiful? How might we contribute to the upkeep of our school’s grounds? Do you have a “green thumb” and enjoy working outdoors, or would you like to learn more about gardening and landscaping? In conjunction with Tom Barry and the Maintenance Crew, students in this course will tackle projects around campus that will contribute to the spring beautification of our community.
Ignite and Drive: The Soapbox Engineering Challenge
In this hands-on May Term course, we will design and build a rideable go-kart using a combination of wood and a metal frame. Over seven intensive days, students will learn core engineering and fabrication skills including measurement, structural design, safe tool use, mechanical assembly, and iterative testing. Working collaboratively, students will make real design decisions as they design, assemble, and refine their karts, balancing performance, durability, and safety. The course culminates in a final test and showcase where students present their completed go-karts and reflect on the engineering challenges they solved. No prior engineering experience is required—just curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to build.
Inside Broadway
This course is designed for students who are passionate about musical theatre and are eager to explore the full process of creating and performing a production. Throughout May Term, students will take complete creative control in developing a cabaret performance, selecting a theme, choosing songs, and overseeing staging, choreography, and production elements. In addition to hands-on rehearsal and performance experience, students will engage with working industry professionals through specialized workshops, gaining insight into what it takes to sustain a career in theatre. To deepen their understanding, students will attend a Broadway musical in New York City. By the end of the course, students will have developed a fully realized cabaret performance, showcasing their work and creative vision to an audience.
Making “Sense” with Science
How do you make sense of the world around you? Science can give us a shared language and help us explain what we sense. In this course, we’ll become researchers exploring the science behind what we taste, smell, see, touch, and hear. How does genetics define how we experience the world through taste? What chemical reactions can help us to generate synthetic scents? What is the relationship between memory and smell? How does touch help us gather information about the world
around us? Does removing one of our senses change how we use the others? Through experiments and observation, you’ll learn more about science, yourself, and the greater GFA community.
Mock Trial
Innocent or guilty? Accidental death? Suicide? Insurance fraud? This May Term course will introduce students to the use of legal reasoning and argument in the context of trial advocacy. The course will walk students through preparation for a mock trial of a fictional civil or criminal case. Students will learn about the various aspects of a legal procedure and will form the oral arguments, culminating in a trial at the end of the week. Students will have the opportunity to play the roles of both attorney and witness. Our work to understand the court system will include meeting with currently practicing professionals.
PAPER: CUTS AND CREATIONS
This class will take you on a journey through the world of paper and paper crafts. From its meager beginnings in China, the art of paper making took more than a 1,000 years before reaching Europe and eventually the New World. From books to home decor to cards for various occasions, paper has transformed our world. We will make ornaments, fold origami, cut and fold kiragami, and make paper and various paper related crafts. We’ll invite a paper making artist to help us make paper from invasive plants, have paper airplane flights over the Sound, and connect with each other while we work.
Passion to Purpose Lab
Inspiration lives in your neighborhood—you just have to know where to look. In this class, we’ll explore how purposeful people—from local artists to tech entrepreneurs, musicians, athletes, and community leaders—found their “why” and built a life around it; learning how they started, and noticing the choices and habits that helped them keep going. This isn’t a traditional class—it’s a partnership built around a core value from GFA’s mission: purpose. You’ll reflect, try things out, and build real momentum. Instead of only thinking about what you might want someday, you’ll practice turning interest into action: testing ideas, getting feedback, and learning how to talk about what you care about in a way that invites support. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Name a Passion and Its Possible Forms: identify a personal “why” and describe multiple tangible ways it could take shape in the real world.
Prototype: design and complete small experiments and design sprints to test ideas.
Partner with Mentors and Experts: build relationships with people who have walked your path and learn how they made the leap from idea to reality.
Make It Real: create a concrete, shareable deliverable and a next-step plan to keep moving forward.
A Puzzler’s Paradise
Do you find yourself playing the New York Times “Connections” or “Wordle” at school? Or do you play board games, sudoku, or other games with friends and family during downtime? Do you have an interest in connecting with your community? Then this class is for you! Please join us as we dive into the world of puzzling and take what we’ve learned out into the community by partnering with local community groups. Whether you love crosswords, strategy games, or escape rooms, there’ll be something for you. Together we will enjoy not only solving but even creating our own puzzles! You’re the missing piece to this class and we hope you’ll help us complete the puzzle!
The Upside Down Remix
Step into the world of Hawkins and the Byers’ house in The Upside Down Remix, an immersive, multi-sensory course where fantasy, 80s nostalgia, and mystery collide. This experience blends pop culture analysis with hands-on challenges, inviting you to interpret the cultural fabric of the decade that inspired Stranger Things. We will embark on a D&D-style quest into the Upside Down, testing your wits in a themed escape room and decoding cryptic KGB messages in Russian. We will curate 80s mixtapes, design Lite Brite art, and explore the cinematic parallels between the show and classics like Ghostbusters and The Neverending Story. The adventure extends into the real world with a trip to see the Broadway adaptation, a bike ride with walkie-talkies around Westport, and a visit to a retro arcade. To fuel the journey, we will do a Scoops Ahoy ice-cream challenge and master the art of the perfect Eggo waffle. We will also watch iconic scenes from the show and the animated spinoff Tales from ’85.
Wearable Art Studio
Can you wear your art? In this course, students will design and create wearable art through hands-on experimentation with fiber and mixed-media techniques. Blending creativity with playfulness, the course introduces foundational skills in knitting, weaving, felting, and jewelry making through short, skill-building sessions that encourage curiosity and confidence with unfamiliar materials. As students explore these techniques, they will begin developing wearable art pieces inspired by their personal interests, aesthetic choices, and creative goals. Projects may combine multiple materials or processes, with an emphasis on experimentation, iteration, and problem-solving. Students are encouraged to take creative risks, embrace trial and error, and learn through the making process. The course takes place in a collaborative studio environment that supports independent exploration, peer feedback, and creative exchange. Through demonstrations, reference materials, and guided practice, students will learn how different materials behave and how design choices affect both form and function. By the end of the course, each student will present a unique wearable artwork that reflects technical exploration, thoughtful design, and individual creative voice.
GFA ENGAGES STUDENTS AS PARTNERS IN AN INNOVATIVE, INCLUSIVE, AND GLOBALLY MINDED COMMUNITY TO PREPARE THEM FOR LIVES OF PURPOSE.