Spring Street International School Viewbook

WHERE

POTENTIAL

BECOMES

PURP SE

SPRING STREET

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

is a close-knit community dedicated to helping students from diverse backgrounds find their voice and passion to learn. We build problem-solvers, team-players, learners, and leaders through advanced academics and hands-on curriculum in a safe and beautiful setting.

academics At Spring Street, teachers work to build relationships that prepare each student to meet the requirements of a rigorous curriculum, fostering the complex reasoning crucial to thriving in both college and life. Collaborating on projects, fieldwork, experiments, and presentations, students and teachers create meaningful understanding of themselves, their community, and their world.

experiential education Each fall and spring, the classroom expands to the trails of the North Cascades mountain range, to the streets of New York City, to the Himalayas, to a Mayan village on Lake Atitlan, and beyond. Providing a global perspective through internships, museums, language immersion, trekking, homestays, and service projects, our expeditionary learning program challenges students to put theory into practice.

boarding In a home-like setting, boarding students are nurtured by caring dorm parents in our spacious new residence. From sharing meals as a family to daily chores, supervised study halls, and dynamic weekend activities, the boarding program balances academics with the emotional, physical, and social needs of our students.

WELCOME

Why Spring Street? known, nurtured, and challenged I joined Spring Street in 2008, drawn to its rigorous academics, safe small-town culture, and rich history of experiential education. My son, class of 2020, and my daughter, class of 2022, essentially grew up on our campus from a very young age. I have no doubt that they are who they are today because of their peers, their teachers, and their travel with Spring Street. The school has nurtured their curiosity and their compassion. It has challenged them academically and artistically; and it has shown them how to apply theory learned in the classroom to actual practice out in the field. And it has embraced them as unique individuals. They have studied AP psychology, learned the techniques of logos and pathos, practiced derivatives and integrals, and built trebuchets. What has set their experience apart most profoundly is their relationships with their peers and their teachers.

Students are known, they are nurtured, and they are challenged.

They are known, they are nurtured, and they are challenged.

If you want to be known for who you uniquely are; if you want to be both supported and challenged academically, emotionally, and physically; if you are willing to put on a backpack each fall for a week; and if you aspire to explore places like Nepal and India for three weeks in May, then this might be the school that shapes you profoundly as well.

– Louis Prussack, Head of School.

YOUR NEW HOME

the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest

Vancouver

Washington State

island living Rated in the top 3 U.S. vacation destinations, the San Juan Islands are known for their exquisite natural beauty and safe, small-town atmosphere.

Vancouver Island

The San Juan Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, are part of Washington state, and form the core of San Juan County. There are 172 named islands and reefs in San Juan County with four main islands served by a ferry system. Today, the San Juan Islands are an important marine research and tourist destination, with sea kayaking and orca whale-watching.

The town of Friday Harbor is located on San Juan Island, approximately 70 miles northwest of Seattle via an hour-long ferry ride or a short plane flight.

Friday Harbor is just one square mile in size and is the walkable hub of San Juan Island. It is home to art galleries, museums, bookstores, cafes, and theaters, and is the hub of San Juan Island.

British Columbia

Pacific Ocean

Orcas Island

San Juan Island

Olympic Peninsula

Lopez Island

Puget Sound

Seattle

YOUR TEACHERS

We believe in...

Relationships: When students know that teachers care, students care what teachers know. Our teachers are mentors and guides, engaging students in academic inquiry and creating space to discover what ignites them.

Individuals: Every child is unique and deserves a unique education. We teach students, not classes, and tailor courses of study, assignments, and skill development around the needs of each individual student.

Creativity: Characterized by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to make new connections, and to innovate solutions, creativity thrives in our unique environment. Our students develop their own opinions and critical thinking.

Experience: Learning emerges from doing and experiencing. Our students are not stuck at a desk.

They work in groups, they lead, they present, they go beyond the walls of a classroom.

Our students are not stuck at a desk —they go beyond the walls of a classroom.

advisory Each student is assigned a faculty advisor at the beginning of the year who serves as mentor, advocate, and main school contact for families.

Advisee groups usually number 8-12 students, and as such, advisors often are the best first contact when families have questions or concerns. Advisees meet with their advisors frequently throughout the year, both individually and also as an advisee group three to four times each week during flex.

• As a mentor, the advisor monitors and addresses issues related to students’ academic lives, assisting them with course and activities selection, effective time management, and study habits.

• As a facilitator, the advisor communicates students’ progress with parents and faculty and works with the Head of School, parents, and faculty to develop strategies for student success.

• As an advocate, the advisor supports students in the form of advice, encouragement, affirmation, and trust. The advisor actively engages students in meaningful interactions.

YOUR LIFE AT SCHOOL

a space to navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood our approach to residential life The primary goal of the Spring Street International School Residential Life Program is to take care of the emotional, physical, psychological, and intellectual health of the students in our dorm, in that order.

Residential Advisors focus on spending time with the students individually while our chef focuses on providing healthy meals. During the week, advisors are present from 3 pm until 9 am the next morning to connect with students. During the weekend, advisors cook meals with students and work with faculty to plan activities both on and offisland, creating an opportunity to relax, to study, to unwind, and to enjoy.

We encourage students to get exercise, be healthy, and take care of their academic obligations. Most importantly, we create a safe atmosphere where students learn how to navigate the inherent struggles of adolescence. Students have chores.

They have lights out. Limited Internet hours. They lose their off-campus privileges when they mess up. But in the grand scheme of things, these are ultimately less important than our focus on their emotional health and well-being.

your residence Campus residences occupy a space somewhere between one’s home with mom and dad and the expectations and obligations of a classroom. Rules must apply to everyone and the ratio of parent to child is out of proportion to what most families have at home. But our student residence should not and cannot function as after-school classrooms.

Adolescents need a place where they can be messy, mess up, and push back against authority as they transition towards adulthood – in other words, what happens at home.

But, they need to learn to do this in a way that ultimately is respectful and honors the relationship they have with Residential Advisors.

We encourage students to get exercise, be healthy, and take care of their academic obligations.

Our goal, ultimately, is to help students successfully navigate this nether space between these two paradigms in their transition from adolescence to adulthood.

A DAY IN YOUR LIFE

experience nature, cities, workshops, sports, and other weekend activities • 7:30 am: Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and breakfast bar are just a few of the tasty breakfast choices offered. Our food is made in-house and is locally sourced, healthy, and cooked from scratch.

• 8:25 am to 3:00 pm: Our 90-minute classes follow a block schedule, allowing students to engage deeply with peers and faculty. The three periods every day are separate with a 20-minute break, a 40-minute lunch and a 50-minute advisory.

• 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm: Fitness Hour: We believe physical exercise is a vital component of well rounded and healthy individuals. Students spend an hour every weekday getting outside engaging in the exercise of their choice: hiking, biking, working out at the gym, or participating on one of the sports teams.

• 4:15 pm to 6:00 pm: Supervised study halls, Sunday through Thursday, are important for creating a ritual time and space for homework and developing good study habits. It is important to distinguish between homework and studying. Homework is an activity that can be finite. It has a distinct beginning and end.

Studying is infinite. It has no end. Students who find themselves without homework take advantage of the study hall for reviewing class material, studying for upcoming exams, and reading.

• 6:00 pm: Dinner in our great room is prepared using local, fresh, seasonal, and nutritious ingredients every night of the week and served family-style.

a variety of activities round out your educational experience at Spring Street

Weekend Activities include time for unwinding from the week, cooking meals, going to the beach, eating out, fishing, sailing, biking, rehearsals for theater, playing music, and of course studying. Off and on-island activities led by staff include: • Biking, hiking, and BBQs around San Juan Island • Day-trips to Seattle and the neighboring islands • Workshops with local artists • Halloween activities (zombie paintball offisland, on-campus pumpkin carving, costume shopping) • Escape room • Sporting events (college basketball, hockey, etc.)

• Ice skating, ropes course, going to the theatre, and sailing

YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

instilling a love of learning and good study habits In Middle School, the key goals are to promote a love of learning and good study habits. Spring Street is very much a family, teachers and students know each other well, engendering respect, kindness, and understanding. While the setting and atmosphere is informal and comfortable, there is the expectation of attention and commitment to academics.

Students, staff and faculty form strong bonds of support through their school years and beyond.

6th-7th graders receive only narrative evaluations.

Beginning in 8th grade, students additionally receive a grade in progress at the midterm and a final grade at the end of each semester.

Subject Area

Typical Offerings

Language Arts

Expository Writing, Introduction to Comparative Literature, The Critical Essay

Mathematics

Transition Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra

Science

Island Inquiry, Life Science, Biology

Social Studies

Ancient Civilizations/Middle Ages, Modern World 1600-1850, Modern World 1850-Present

Foreign Language

Spanish I (8th grade)

Physical Education

6th-7th grade: Swimming, Hiking, Field Sports

The Arts

Music, Studio Art

Students and teachers form strong bonds of support that endure through their school years and beyond.

YOUR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

encouraging curiosity and promoting intellectual risk-taking and excellence goals Students need challenge, support, and inspiration.

In high school, we combine both rigor and support to create a program where students are recognized as individuals with a set of unique strengths and needs.

Subject Area

Minimum Credits

Typical Offerings

English

4

English: Human Nature, American Literature, English Literature, AP English Language & Composition, Creative Writing

approach Relationship lies at the heart of our educational philosophy. Our teachers foster meaningful connections with their students, and the trust built through relationships encourages curiosity and promotes intellectual risk-taking.

STEM

8

Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics, Precalculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Genius Hour, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems

Social Studies

4

AP Human Geography, AP Comparative Government, AP Psychology, US Constitutional History

Class schedules are based not upon grade level but upon individual need. Typically, students take 5 academic classes and one elective each semester. As students approach their senior year, work outside of class increases, with a greater emphasis on selfdirected study in preparation for transitioning to college. By graduation, students are prepared to write persuasively, think logically, create, analyze, synthesize, calculate, defend, and conduct research.

Foreign Language

3

Spanish I, II, III, IV/AP Spanish; Independent Language

Physical Education

2

Independent Study; Team Sports

Electives

1.5

Studio Art, Theatre, Music Performance, Creative Writing, Video, Game Design, Gardening

Occupational Education

1

State requirement: education or training that will prepare a student for employment

Additional Courses

4.5

Arts, Humanities, and STEM

Total Required

28 minimum

Spring Street uses narrative evaluations, rubrics, grades, and teacher-parent-student conferences to address academic progress.

YOUR ADVENTURES

a personal journey, a global perspective Why do we travel at Spring Street?

Why do we spend four weeks out of the year exploring the waters of our local Salish Sea, climbing the nearby Cascade Mountains, or losing ourselves in the Met? Our philosophy combines traditional academics with experiential education.

To be truly educated, we need academics. We must learn from each other. We also need to learn from people, experiences, and cultures outside of our school. And most importantly, we must reflect upon all of these. Learning beyond the school campus gives us the chance to take the theory and knowledge we get in the classroom and apply it out in the field.

For over two decades, our school has provided incredible opportunities for experiential learning.

This education begins each year with the fall hiking trip, where we embrace the tenets of Expedition Behavior. These principles, which include being as concerned for others as you are for yourself and respecting the cultures you contact, are incorporated into the classroom. We take care

of ourselves, we take care of our planet, and we take care of each other expedition behavior • Stay organized, on time, and pitch in when needed • Be as concerned for others as you are for yourself • Help others, but don’t routinely do their work • Prioritize group needs over individual needs • Maintain an awareness of individual and group safety • Respect the cultures you contact • Take appropriate risks; demonstrate a willingness to go beyond comfort zone • Exhibit comfort with the concept of expecting the unexpected • Admit and correct your mistakes

We learn from people, experiences, and cultures outside of our school.

fall backpacking Since 1995, we have been bringing students into the nearby North Cascades mountains to get away from technology, to work hard, to be uncomfortable, to experience the beauty and serenity of remote wilderness, and to learn to take care of each other.

Each fall, the first day of classes is followed by three days of preparation for the backcountry as students work in small groups with their leaders going over personal gear, stoves, tents, rain gear, food, transportation, and routes. Before the sun rises on Monday morning, we are all at the ferry landing ready to take off in ten groups of twelve into the mountains.

On the fourth night, each group with its two leaders makes its way to a basecamp where our 12 become 120, as we share a meal and reflections around a campfire. Through the combination of confronting challenges together, new friends are made and memories that last a lifetime are forged. Around that final evening’s campfire, we often say that this is the first day of school because 120 of us are now one.

May term The concentrated experiential education component of Spring Street happens in mid-May, and the curriculum progresses from expeditions that are close to home and shorter in length to those that venture out further and provide more challenge, culminating in two options for mature high school students: the opportunity to create one’s own learning experience through an internship in fields such as architecture, veterinary science, guitar building, and marine biology—or—to participate in an expedition as close as the Southwest, or as far away as Nepal, Ecuador, or Spain. An important goal for the Spring Street graduate is that they leave this school with the ability to map their own education, with the capacity to land at any airport in the world and know how to navigate their way successfully.

We take care of ourselves, we take care of our planet, and we take care of each other.

YOUR CREATIVITY

expression, problem solving, confidence, commitment Spring Street strives to nurture a love and appreciation of the arts and to encourage a lifelong pursuit of creative expression. We provide learners with the ability to fully realize their creative potential through a comprehensive educational program, emphasizing visual and performing arts.

The program includes the disciplines of Music, Theatre, and Visual Art, and provides students with a deeper understanding of the artistic diversity of other cultures, while mentoring students to achieve confidence in their individuality and to trust their creativity and critical thinking skills. music The Music Program provides a space for students to collaborate as musicians, create original music, record, and perform. The curriculum helps students analyze reference material, learn to play an instrument, and engage in class exercises based on creative prompts. Students learn the technical elements of being a musician and familiarize themselves with music equipment, microphone placement, the mechanics of mixing, and software that enable them to record their productions.

As the musical interests of each student start to form, students play together in small groups.

Students build their voices through exercises in

vocal harmony and strengthen their performance with intentional instrumentation, compatible arrangements, and dynamic composition. theatre The overarching goal of the Theatre Arts program is to help students develop self-expression, self-confidence and a greater understanding of the human condition. Through theatre games, improvisation, and acting exercises students will expand their natural creativity and thinking “outside the box,” encourage collaboration and ensemble, access their emotions and learn to express them in a theatrically imaginative way. visual arts The Visual Arts program is dedicated to cultivating visually literate learners through the study of past and present artists’ works, diverse artistic periods and styles, and the elements of art and principles of design. The program takes an experiential approach, with skill-based projects that provide students with a progression of creative challenges in a variety of media. Students are encouraged to take risks in new mediums and also to develop technical mastery through practice and determination.

YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS

getting the academic, emotional, and psychological support you need holistic health School is sometimes stressful. Navigating adolescence often causes tension as well. While a certain amount of pressure can be a good thing, too much overwhelms our nervous systems and prevents optimal learning.

At Spring Street, we look after the well-being of our students, offering services to meet their individual needs. A Care Team (comprised of our School Counselor, Learning Specialist, and Academic Dean) collaborates with students and their advisors to ensure that they get the academic, emotional, and psychological support they need. This includes oneon-one meetings, stress management workshops, and connecting students with nature.

We promote and structure exercise, good sleep habits, healthy eating, counseling, and brain breaks as ways to nourish the holistic health and wellbeing of our students. fitness and wellness In Fitness and Wellness, students engage in a variety of physical activities, primarily outdoors, that include hiking, cooperative and non-

competitive games, team and individual sports.

Our program emphasizes flexibility, balance, coordination, and teamwork. The two main goals are to keep students moving and to help them develop personal fitness initiatives for lifelong personal health. Classes are organized around the principles of expedition behavior and the belief that wellness includes collaboration, social development, communication, nutrition, first aid, risk, fun, and reflection.

Classes take place on campus, at the Fitness Club’s courts and swimming pool, and on the many local beaches, parks, and trails. Students are challenged to seek and incorporate fitness activities and wellness concepts into their daily routines.

We look after the well-being of our students, offering services to meet their individual needs.

YOUR FUTURE

preparing for college College Counseling supports each student’s higher education search and application process.

Beginning Freshman year and culminating in a class just for seniors called “Senior Studies,” students learn how to prepare themselves for college and the admissions process. We ensure each student receives strong guidance specifically related to helping achieve his or her goals, and our placement rates are excellent. Senior Studies works with students to identify best-fit schools and supports students and families as they navigate the application process. The course features in-class

exercises, discussions, web searches, independent work time, and private one-on-one counseling.

In addition, the College Counselor and Academic Dean help students reveal their best selves in their college applications and review student applications so they are at their best. Our goal is to help each student identify which schools are his or her best match, based on the schools’ mission, faculty, departments, programs, size, cost, location, and entrance requirements.

We help students reveal their best selves in their college applications and help them identify which schools are his or her best match.

College acceptances 2009-2019 American University Art Center College of Design* Bard College Beloit College Bennington College* Berklee School of Music* Boston University Bowdoin College* Bryn Mawr College Cal Poly Pomona* Cal Poly San Luis Obispo* Cal State San Bernadino* Carleton College* Chapman College Colorado College* Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Columbia University* Cornell College* Dartmouth College DePaul University Earlham College Emerson College

Evergreen College* Fordham University* Franklin and Marshall College George Washington University* Gonzaga University* Goucher College* Hampshire College Haverford College Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College Lawrence University* Loyola University Macalester College Maine Maritime Academy* Marlboro College McGill University Miami University-Oxford* Middlebury College Mills College MIT* Mount Holyoke* New England Conservatory

New York University* Northeastern University Northwestern University Oberlin College Occidental College Pacific Lutheran University* Pitzer College Pomona College Reed College* Rhode Island School of Design* Rutgers University* San Francisco Conservatory of Music* Santa Clara University* Sarah Lawrence College* School of the Visual Arts* Scripps College Seattle Pacific University Soka University of America* St. Mary’s College* St. Olaf College* Simon Fraiser University Stanford University

SUNY Binghamton* Swarthmore College* Temple University Tufts University University of British Columbia* University of California Berkeley University of California Irvine* University of California Santa Barbara* University of California Santa Cruz* University of Illinois Chicago* University of Michigan* University of Minnesota* University of Notre Dame University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Puget Sound* University of Redlands* University of Southern

California* University of San Francisco* University of Texas Austin University of Washington University of Wisconsin Madison University San Diego Vassar College Washington and Lee University* Washington State University* Wellesley College* Wesleyan University* Wheaton College* Whitman College* Willamette University* * Colleges attended

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

LET’S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER Spring Street strives for diversity—diversity in experience, personality, interests, cultures, strengths, and challenges. We believe that students learn best when there are multiple points of view and experiences in the classroom. Because of our small class sizes, we are able to meet the individual needs of each of our students. Come share your unique story with us and discover whether Spring Street is the school for you.

We look forward to hearing from you.

–Krista Strutz, Director of Admissions call: 360-378-6393 ext. 3 email: admissions@springstreet.org apply: www.springstreet.org/admissions

Spring Street I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L 505 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 360.378.6393 | admissions@springstreet.org

120 45 15 STUDENTS, COURSES GRADES 6 -12

100 day and 20 boarding students from the United States and countries including China, Hong Kong, Rwanda, India, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Iran, Germany, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Canada

8:1 STUDENT:

TEACHER

RATIO

Including AP Comparative Government, AP Human Geography, Studio Art, College Counseling, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Systems, Science Inquiry, Creative Writing, AP Psychology, AP Literature, AP Spanish, Theatre, ESL, AP Calculus, Genius Hour, Music Composition

AVERAGE CLASS SIZE

15

STUDENTS

70% FACULTY H AV E A DVA N C E D

DEGREES

COUNTRIES VISITED IN THE

LAST TEN YEARS

during May Term: Guatemala, Belize, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, India, Nepal, China, Ethiopia, Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Thailand, Sri Lanka

100% STUDENTS ARE ACCEPTED INTO

COLLEGE

40% STUDENTS

RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID