UPPER SCHOOL Pursuing In-Depth Courses During INTERSESSION

Asher joined the French Farm/Beekeeping Intersession class not quite sure what he was getting into. After learning about the anatomy of bees—who knew they have five eyes?—and the behavior of bees to forgo all individual gain for the good of the colony, it was clear that he was sold. This was just the start of a three-week course in the Upper School focused on the role of pollinators and other factors impacting sustainable farming. In a very short amount of time, students traveled from mildly interested in beekeeping to experts ready to start hives and businesses on both the Stanwich Road and French Farm campuses. And that is what Intersession is all about—an immersive experience into an area of interest; generating a product, project, performance, or proposal that demonstrates learning—and that many students continue to pursue after the course is completed.

By Chris Winters Head of Upper School

For the first three weeks in January at the GCDS Upper School, students experience an in-depth exploration of an individual topic of their choice from among the course offerings. Courses take advantage of the expertise of our faculty and our local resources. With full days working and researching together, students become partners in the planning and execution of the class and associated projects. Often, new relationships form with teachers or classmates in other grades that they might not otherwise have met and strong connections are made.