ACADEMIC OFFERINGS AND STUDENT LIFE UPPER SCHOOL
MISSION & CORE VALUES
Miami Country Day School empowers every student, every day, everywhere to learn with vigor, explore with purpose, strive for excellence, and serve with honor, respect, and compassion as global citizens.
We do this in a community where every student is known and included by engaging the whole child, in and out of the classroom as they discover their full potential.
CORE VALUES
Purpose: Cultivates the curiosities, motivations, and interests of all our learners to build individual and collective purpose.
Honor: Fosters integrity and honesty in all that we do and ensure trust and confdence within our community.
Respect: Upholds dignity and rights of each member and values our diverse perspectives and experiences.
Wisdom: Grows through our commitment to the intellect, spirit, and character of every person and of the whole community, as well as seeking truth, knowledge, and excellence.
Compassion: Builds on the foundation for empathy and is indispensable to learning, productive inquiry, and civic engagement.
CORE COURSE REQUIREMENTS
4-YEAR ACADEMIC OVERVIEW
Core #1
English (8)
Core #2
Math (8)
9th Grade
World
Literature
Credit #1
10th Grade
American
Literature
Credit #2
11th Grade
Choice
English
Credit #3
Math
Credit #1
Core #3
History/Social Studies
(6) + Choice (2)
World History
Credit #1
Core #4
Science (6) + Choice (2)
Biology
Credit #1
Core #5
W. Language (6) + Choice (2)
World Language
Credit #1
Math
Credit #2
12th Grade
Choice
English
Credit #4
Math
Credit #3
U.S. History
Credit #2
Comparative Government / Economics
Both courses = Credit #3
(Can be taken as senior)
Math
Credit #4
Chemistry
Credit #2
World Language
Credit #2
Physics
Credit #3
(Can be taken as senior)
World Language
Credit #3
Non-Core (F) Health & Life Skills (S) Elective (F) Physical Education (S) Elective (F) Choice Elective (S) Elective
Humanistic
Studies #1
3 Additional Core Courses in any of the fve core subject areas are required in the senior year.
NOTE: C. Gov./Econ and/or Physics may be taken in either 11th or 12th grade.
(F) Choice Elective (S) Choice Elective
Non-Core
ISP (8)
Elective
Elective
Elective
Choice Elective (S) Elective
Humanistic Studies #2 (F) Choice Elective or ISP (S) Choice Elective or ISP
NOTE: Courses in red are required.
English: Course Offerings (8 credits required)
World Literature (CP, H)
American Literature (CP, H)
British Literature (CP, H)
Gender Studies (H)
AP English Language & Composition
AP English Literature & Composition
Detective Fiction (H)
Contemporary African American Literature (H)
Worlds in Motion: Literature of Migration (H)
Revising the Classics: Contemporary Retellings (H)
Literature of Social Activism (H)
College Composition
Shakespeare
HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES
History & Social Studies: Course Offerings (6 credits required)
World History (CP, H, AP)
U.S. History (CP, H, AP)
Comparative Government (CP, H)
AP Comparative Government
Any of the following meet the economics requirement:
Economics (CP, H)
Microeconomics (H)
Macroeconomics (H)
AP Microeconomics (online)
AP Macroeconomics (online)
Courses that count as a 5th core once the three required courses have been completed
AP Human Geography
AP European History (online)
AP Art History
AP Psychology
THE SCIENCES
Science: Course Offerings (6 required credits)
Biology (CP, H)
Chemistry (CP, H)
Physics (CP, AP)
Courses that count as a 5th core once the three required courses have been completed
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Environmental Science (CP, AP)
AP Physics 2
AP Physics C: Mechanics (online)
AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism (online)
AP Computer Science Principles
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics: Course Offerings (8 required credits)
Integrated Math I (CP)
Integrated Math II (CP,H)
Integrated Math III (CP,H)
Precalculus (CP, AP)
Calculus
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
Multi-variable Calculus (post AP, online)
Data Modeling & Functional Analysis (H)
Discrete
Probability & Statistics
AP
(H)
WORLD LANGUAGES
World Languages: Course Offerings
(6 sequential credits required)
Chinese 1
Chinese 2
Chinese 3
Chinese 4 (CP, H)
AP Chinese Language & Culture (online)
English as a Second Language (ESL)
French 1
French 2
French 3 (CP, H)
French 4 (CP ,H)
French 5 (H)
AP French Language & Culture
Advanced Topics in French (post AP)
Spanish 1
Spanish 2
Spanish 3 (CP, H)
Spanish 4 (CP, H)
Spanish 5 (H)
Hispanic History & Culture
Hispanic Film & Literature
Spanish Speakers I
Spanish Speakers II (CP, H)
Spanish Speakers III (CP, H)
AP Spanish Language & Culture
AP Spanish Literature
PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH COURSE OFFERINGS
Physical Education & Health Course Offerings
(1 Health & 1 PE credit required)
Health & Life Skills
Select one of the following courses to complete the Physical Education Requirement
The Arts Course Offerings (2 credits required)
Beats & Tracks
Guitar
Music Theory (H)
Introduction to Music Theory (online)
Concert Jazz Band (CP, H)
Full-year & half-year options available
Early Bird Orchestra (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced (CP,H))
THE ARTS COURSE OFFERINGS
The Arts - Dance & Theater
( 2 credits required)
Dance 1
Introduction to Acting
Acting Techniques 1
Acting & Directing for TV/Film (H)
Acting & Characterization (H)
Advanced Theater Voice & Movement (H)
Dialects, Vocal & Physical Characterization (H)
Creating, Working and Starring in a Short Film (H)
Thespian Performance Studies
Thespian Technical Theater Lab
Spring Performance: Production & Performance (online)
Culminating Theater Performance (H)
Musical Theater Workshop
Stage Make-up & Design
Beginning Costume Design & Construction
Technical Theater: Stagecraft
THE ARTS - STUDIO
The Arts - Studio ( 2 credits required)
Ceramics I
Ceramics II
Advanced Ceramics
Advanced Painting
Digital Photo & Imaging I
Digital Photo & Imaging II
Fiber Studio
Fiber & Materials (H)
Sculpture
Open Studio Art
Explorations in Art Processes and Technologies
AP Studio Art
Printmaking (online)
Perspective Drawing (online)
COMMUNICATIONS
General Elective Course Offerings
*This course may also count as a core course
Debate & Mock Trial
Digital Story Telling
Produce a Documentary Short (CP, H)
Self-Directed Language*
Leadership!
Research & Writing for College
Focus on Success (online)
Yearbook
General Elective Course Offerings
Business & Entrepreneurial Studies
Social Media Marketing
Business & Finance
Innovation & Entrepreneurialism
Finance and Investing (online)
Analysis, Strategy & Action
Design Thinking & Creativity (online)
Advanced Chess Strategies
Intro to Sports Medicine
The Impact of Fashion:
Re-Thinking the Aesthetics of Being Human
The Impact of Visual Culture on the Now
SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, & TECHNOLOGY
General Elective Course Offerings
A History of Science
Space Science
Engineering Design for Living
Engineering Design for Architecture
Engineering and the Design Process (online)
Meteorology & Climatology
Natural Disasters
The Science of Human Disease (online daytime)
Evolution (H, online)
The War on Science? (H)
Python 1
Python 2 (H)
Introduction to Web Design
Mobile App Development
3D Animation
Studio 1: Foundations for Impact
Studio 2: Models for Impact
The Impact of Climate on Indigenous Cultures in Guyana
The Impact of Climate on Indigenous Cultures in Florida
HUMANISTIC STUDIES
Humanistic Studies Course Offerings
( 2 credits required)
*This course may also count as a core course
AP Art History*
AP Psychology (online)*
AP/AS African American Studies*
Confronting Global Issues (CP, H)
American Foreign Policy
Global Citizen
Sovereign Lands, Nations Within (H)
The Impact of Roadtrips: American Travel Identity
Fearless: Studies in Popular Culture
Psychology (H)
The Modern World Through Graphic Novels (online)
Art History: Modern to Abstract (online)
Sports in American Culture (online)
Racism, Identity & Cultural Understanding (online)
Philosophy: The Problem of Knowledge (online)
Understanding Film (online)
Art History: Pop to Present (online)
Popular Culture Studies (online, day & evening)
Holocaust Studies (online)
Philosophy: Ethics & Morality (online)
Intro to Portuguese Language & Culture (online)
Intro to Hindi - The Language of Bollywood! (online)
Arabic 1 (online)*
Chinese 1*
French 1*
Spanish 1*
Latin 1* (online)
PATHWAYS TO PERSONALIZED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Miami Country Day School believes that the future of education lies not only in providing an education of excellence in the traditional tenets of learning, but also creates space for today’s learners to follow their interests and passions. With this in mind, we are proud to offer our high school diploma endorsement programs.
Global Studies Endorsement As embodied in our mission and core values, we believe that global citizenship is an essential part of that lifelong learning. As today’s world becomes more interconnected, our graduates must enter life beyond Miami Country Day School prepared to face the challenges of a multicultural and multinational world complete with the complexities of managing relationships, navigating cultural mores, and brainstorming solutions to global issues. For students interested in embracing these challenges by dedicating time, creativity, compassion, and energy to being an involved global citizen, the upper school offers a Global Studies Diploma Endorsement. To earn this endorsement, students complete specifc learning and service opportunities in the following areas: community service, global learning, travel, world language, and design and complete a global project. Click here for more information: GSE
Arts Endorsement Miami Country Day School seeks to inspire a lifelong involvement in the arts for each of our students. The Arts Endorsement allows students who have a particular passion in Music, Theater or Visual Art, the opportunity to have an in-depth, personal learning experience with their craft. Finding one’s artistic voice whether on a canvas, on the stage or beyond, requires deep learning, discipline and commitment. This program provides the space and coursework for this to develop while at the same time, cultivates students who are empowered to share their art with the world. To earn this endorsement, students complete specifc learning and community service opportunities in the all areas of the arts, and culminates with each student designing and delivering a performance or exhibit. Click here for more information: FAE
Impact Studio Endorsement All young people have incredible potential to be positive disruptors in our world. We know if we set the conditions for students to tap into their natural curiosity, provide them with opportunities to test their ideas, and foster an environment that embraces action, they will thrive. Students must be empowered to engage in learning that transcends the traditional bounds of school to impact the world around them. Impact Studio is a diploma endorsement program that extends beyond the walls of a classroom in order to create a connected community of changemakers and engaged citizen-leaders committed to making a positive impact in our community and beyond. Impact Studio courses are real-world deep dives culminating in the creation of projects or products that make an impact. To earn this endorsement, specifc learning and service opportunities in the following areas: studio and elective course work, travel, a self-directed experience, a project and portfolio. Click here for more information: ISE
A DAY AS A SPARTAN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A DAY LOOKS LIKE
8:30AM START DAYS (MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY)
7:30am-8:23am
8:30am-9:43am 9:50am-10:29am 10:36am-11:49am 11:49am-12:00pm 12:07pm-1:20pm 1:20pm-2:00pm 2:07pm-3:20pm
DAY 3 EBO TRACK 1 COMMUNITY TIME TRACK 2 BREAK TRACK 3 LUNCH TRACK 4 DAY 1 EBO TRACK 1 COMMUNITY TIME TRACK 2 BREAK TRACK 3 LUNCH TRACK 4 DAY 2 EBO TRACK 5 COMMUNITY TIME TRACK 6 BREAK TRACK 7 LUNCH TRACK 8
School begins at 8:30 am Monday through Friday with dismissal at 3:20 pm every day except for Wednesday when school begins at 9:15 am. Students participating in EBO (Early Bird Orchestra) begin school at 7:30 am daily.
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY TIME
Daily rotations include: College Counseling, Academic Advising, Capstone Project, Meetings for Clubs, Honors Societies, and Affnity Groups, Upper School Assembly, Class Meetings, Service Programs, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Education, and Social-Emotional Learning Education.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Miami Country Day School is rooted in the belief that it is our spiritual and civic duty to serve others in need and that service should be meaningful and personally relevant. Our community service embodies our core values of honor, respect, wisdom, compassion, and purpose. As a requirement each student is required to complete at least 25 hours per year for a total of 100 hours of community service for all non-proft organizations, as a graduation requirement.
STUDENT OPTIONS
FOOD OPTIONS
Lunch is included in tuition and available at four locations around campus including a cafeteria. Offerings include vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free options with a full salad bar. Break time snacks are also provided.
UNIFORMS
Miami Country Day School red, blue or white polo shirt and khaki bottoms purchased through Risse Brothers.
EARLY BIRD ORCHESTRA (EBO)
EBO is a string orchestra class that takes place before school every day, 7:30 - 8:23 am. There are three EBOs: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced, all being skill-based. Students in Upper School can play in any of the three ensembles.
EXTRA HELP
Each Upper School teacher has extra help sessions available after school twice weekly. Students are encouraged to attend extra help to reinforce concepts learned in class and prepare for upcoming projects and assessments.
GATEWAY
GATEway, or Global Access To Education, offers global programming that supports, enhances, and develops our students’ views of the world, its diverse cultures, and people. In the Upper School, students have the opportunity to spend four weeks living and learning at one of our multiple sites across Europe. They may choose to explore different cultures through one of our X-Term travel experiences around the globe or may spend one week working at an orphanage in Central America. Upper School students can also use their experiences abroad to earn a Global Studies Diploma Endorsement at graduation.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
X-TERM
X-Term offers Upper School students the opportunity to explore a whole child passion not typically found in the traditional curriculum. Opportunities exist on campus, in the greater Miami community, and at domestic and international locations. X-Term transports students to experiential endeavors where the real world serves as the classroom and education is reimagined.
ORGANIZATIONS
ADVOCACY GROUPS
Asian Student Association (ASA)
Best Buddies
Black Student Union
CAUSE: Creating Awareness, Understanding, & Social Equity
JSU (Jewish Student Union)
CSU (Christian Student Union)
MSU (Muslim Student Union)
Gender and Sexuality Alliance
Girl Up
Indigenous Advocates Association
PLAN: Pan-Latin American Network
Zoe’s Dolls
INTEREST CLUBS
Amused Literary Magazine
Book Club
Chess Club
Contemporary Music Ensemble
Cyber Spartans - MCDS Robotics Team
Debate
DECA
Full STEAM Ahead Club
Generation SOS
Geography Bee
(HOSA) - Future Health Professionals
Model United Nations
Upper School Drama Club
SERVICE CLUBS
Achieve Miami
Animal Rights Foundation (ARF)
Breakthrough Miami Community Cares
Crochet for a Cause EcoClub
Ellie’s Army (PROJECT)
Helping the Homeless (CADENA)
Hope Box Club
Mental Health and Suicide Awareness (MHSA)
MOSS (Make Our Schools Safe)
Peer Counselors
Peer 2 Peer Tutoring SCOPE
Student Ambassadors
Student Government
Students for Coral Preservation
Ties with Troops
Walk with Purpose
Why not Teens?
HONOR SOCIETIES
Art Honor Society
Capstone Society
Innovative and Engineering Honor Society
International Thespian Honor Society
Jack DuBois Social Studies Honor Society
Mu Alpha Theta (Math)
National English Honor Society
National Honor Society
Science National Honor Society
Spanish Honor Society
Tri-M Music Honor Society
The MCDS Garner Center for Innovation is a hub of experiential and project-based learning for our entire PreK3-12 campus. In the GCI students are immersed in innovative technology, skills, and their applications. Using the principles of design thinking, engineering, programming, invention, and innovation; students and teachers work with the Garner Center Team, to bring hands-on, design, and interactive projects to life. The Innovation Center experts collaborate with teachers to design and facilitate projects that thoroughly engage and motivate students to think beyond the classroom, critically analyze, problem solve, and often, to create solutions in the form of original prototypes and products The GCI is the home to our, EI², Product Development Program and Honor Society for 9th – 12th graders.
Students who are a part of our EI² programs become experts in the tools, and technology of the Innovation Center and learn to apply these tools in a semester or year long project, in one of three focal areas: Programming and Robotics, Invention and Product Development, or Educational Development.
The Garner Center is also home to our Lower, Middle, and Upper School competitive FIRST Robotics Teams. Our Student Teams serve as engineers, programmers, fundraisers, marketing experts, and overall problem solvers, to design, build, and code robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams.
GARNER CENTER FOR INNOVATION
THEATER
Upper School holds auditions for a musical, a play, and a Theater for Social Change production yearly. Auditions are open to all Upper School students. To learn more about theater opportunities at Miami Country Day School click here www.miamicountryday.org/arts/drama.
ATHLETICS
Our athletics help to foster team-building skills, problem-solving skills, self-discipline, and self-confdence. The program also promotes a healthy lifestyle with physical activity. Practice is every day after school during each season.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
AI SCHOLARS (STANFORD UNIVERSITY AND MIT)
This program exposes high school students to fundamental Al concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
SOCIAL INNOVATORS PROGRAM (UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA)
The Social Innovators Program is a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, Miami Country Day School, and Schoolyard Ventures. This twelve-week virtual program helps students develop an entrepreneurial mindset while in Upper School. It also gives students substantive differentiation from their peers, better insight into their future educational and career opportunities, and more grit and resilience to accomplish their goals, as entrepreneurship is much more than merely learning how to start a business. It’s a mindset.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
STUDENT SUCCESS NETWORK
The Student Success Network offers a variety of one on one or small group tutoring. Services available include subject tutoring, English language support, and ISEE, SAT, and ACT test preparation. This service is available at an additional cost. Contact Valerie Bosman for information.
SPARTANS AROUND
Miami Country Day School is a founding school in the online learning consortium for independent schools called Constellation Learning. There are 16 nationally based schools from Hawaii to New York who are members. The consortium allows MCDS students the opportunity to take online courses with teachers and students from different learning environments. Students interested in these courses must have approval from the academic dean before registering for an online course.
WRITING LAB
Drop-in writing support across the disciplines offered at selected times during the day and after school
MATH LAB
Accessible to all US students throughout the school day on a drop-in basis; peer tutors from Mu Alpha Theta are available to assist on-site as well.“
COLLEGE COUNSELING
We believe in a personalized approach that seeks to maximize the admission opportunities of every student. In 9th grade, students are introduced to the College Counseling program and advising. Starting in 10th grade a full-time College Counselor is assigned to each Miami Country Day student to help guide them and their families through the college admissions process.
Each year representatives from over 200 colleges and universities visit our campus to meet in small groups with our students. With a 100% college matriculation rate, two-thirds of our students are accepted into a top 100 institution.
CAPSTONE
Capstone encourages students to develop a sense of purpose through action. This dynamic approach to learning invites students to pair interests with impact as they address real-world issues through solution-based and/or serviceoriented projects.
At Miami Country Day, we have created an intentional program inspired by original passions and infuenced by lessons around our past and present as well as our real world and local community.
As a result, Capstone Projects explore a variety of felds and subject-areas, but all have the Miami Country Day School values of Honor, Respect, Wisdom, Compassion, and Purpose at their core.
Capstone directly speaks to our mission. The process involves refecting, asking essential questions, identifying needs, and mapping out an action plan as students consider the ways these projects might come to fruition.
All the while, Capstone asks that students remain authentic to who they are as learners, members in our MCDS community, and, on a larger scale, an active participant in the world we are charged with nurturing.
MATRICULATION
OUR 2022-2023 GRADUATES MATRICULATED TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD:
Alfred University
Babson College
Barry University
Bentley University
Boston University
Brown University
Case Western Reserve University
Clark University
College of Charleston
Colorado State University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Florida State University
Fordham University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Indiana University Bloomington
Marion Military Institute
Marymount Manhattan College
Mercer University
Michigan State University
New York University
Northeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Oakland University
Occidental College
Pace University
Queen’s University
Salve Regina University
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Southern Methodist University
Suffolk University
Syracuse University
The American University of Paris
The New School
Tufts University
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Florida
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of North Florida
University of Pennsylvania
University of Vermont
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of the Pacifc
Western Connecticut State University
Every Student. Everyday. Everywhere.