Technology

AP Computer Science A – year course

Open to: 10th - 12th graders

Meetings per rotation: Two 100-minute periods

Prerequisites: None

The goals of the AP Computer Science

A course are comparable to those of a college-level, introductory computer science course. There are no prerequisites, but students should have a strong interest in learning how to program a computer and a curiosity about the computer science that underpins the art of coding. In this course, students will design, implement and analyze solutions to problems, practice commonly used algorithms, use standard data structures, and code solutions to challenges they have not encountered before. Students will use the Java programming language for all coding work and are expected to have their laptops for each class.

The English department is proud to offer classes that reflect the diverse literary landscape of our country and our world. In our quest to open our students’ hearts and minds to perspectives and viewpoints beyond their own, we provide a curriculum that draws from varied canons so that many voices are heard and appreciated. To that end, we utilize Harkness tables, wooden oval tables that allow discussion to be the primary method of learning. The US English program follows a developmental progression of increasing sophistication in grammar, vocabulary, discussion skills, writing, and reading in each 9th -11th grade classroom. AP English Literature is offered to 11th grade students with solid skills in critical reading and writing. In 12th grade, students are provided with an opportunity to choose their English class from three offerings that vary each year based on teacher and student interest. Senior English will only be a one-semester course, as the student will pursue research writing, reading, and reflection in their second semester senior project and their Humanities Capstone Course.

English 9: Foundations – year course

Open to: 9th grade

Meetings per ten day rotation: Five 80 minute periods

Prerequisites: None

This is a required year-long course for all freshmen, which focuses on the study of diverse texts both modern and classic that allow for a wide variety of perspectives. We will put social justice into context by reading novels, short stories, poetry and essays that inform our students of the relevance of other people’s experiences. The content of the class allows students to focus on varied points of view in order to better acknowledge differences and similarities between themselves and the characters. We also strive to establish the foundation necessary for upper-level skill progression in English. Skills are based in analysis, discussion, writing, and creative projects. A heavy emphasis on grammar and structured writing skills pervades all that we do in 9th grade so that students are practicing skills that will aid them through the rest of their academic careers. The Harkness table provides students with opportunities to hone listening and speaking skills, and to allow them the cultivation of their own voices and opinions in discussion.

English 10: Identity – year course

Open to: 10th grade

Meetings per two week rotation: Five 80 minute periods

Prerequisites: None

This is a required year-long course for all sophomores. The 10th grade year in English focuses on the study of texts both modern and classic that highlight an awareness of the relationship and balance between the individual and society. The content of the class allows students to explore their own identities by examining characters regardless of differences in time, culture, race, and language. Skills are based in analysis, discussion, writing, and creative projects. Students learn and use grammar skills and a sophisticated vocabulary in order to speak and write articulately, as well as to prepare for standardized tests. Students leave this course with the ability to participate effectively in discussion, critically examine texts, write interesting and analytical papers, and use correct mechanics to communicate.

English 11: Journeys – year course

Open to: 11th grade

Meetings per two week rotation: Five 80 minute periods

Prerequisites: None

This course is one of two offered to juniors, and it will focus on texts that highlight the concept of different types of journeys, both literal and metaphorical. We expect our students to learn to independently evaluate texts for theme, characterization, craft, and context. To that end, we will investigate novels, poems, short stories, essays, and personal narratives. Student-led discussion constitutes the primary method of learning in order to carry on the Harkness tradition of strong speaking and listening skills. Students hone their skills in writing personal narratives, compare and contrast essays, and literary analyses with the goal of practicing different organizational structures to advance effective communication. Vocabulary and grammar are regular components of the daily work in this class.

AP English Literature – year course

Open to: 11th grade

Meetings per two week rotation: Five 80 minute periods

Prerequisites: High A- or higher in English 10, current teacher and department chair signature upon consideration of application form, and completion of a summer assignment

This is an optional, year-long course open to 11th grade students who have achieved a high level of success and sophistication in their English skills. Prerequisites must be met for admission into this course. Attendance in this class guarantees a student’s commitment to taking the AP English Literature exam in May. This class will provide a typical VMS experience in English with seminar discussions and in-depth conversations about literature, but will also focus on AP specific skills like multiple choice tests and essay responses. The AP English Literature course title also demands a close attention to grammar, vocabulary, rhetoric, writing skills, and a focus on non-fiction texts, in addition to the typical study of literature found in VMS English classes.

Senior Seminar: In Love and War – 1st semester course

Open to: 12th grade

Meetings per two week rotation: Five 80 minute periods

Prerequisites: None

From “make love, not war” to War & Peace, these two concepts seem inextricably linked and an inevitable component of being human. We fight for all sorts of reasons: religion, money, power, freedom, etc., but in the end what we find is that what remains is love. These texts, many with accompanying movies, provide us with insights into the people who struggle through the pain of war and then need to figure out how to live and love in what is often a completely different world. This course will be a study in love, family relations, the natural world, the human mind's ability to see good in a world that sometimes seems like it is falling into despair. War leaves behind death, but also hope and a new vision. These texts and movies allow us to explore all these possibilities as we travel with these characters through hell and often out the other side. The course will also provide ongoing practice in writing, grammar, and vocabulary. Texts may include: The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien; Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier; Atonement, Ian McEwan; Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko; and others.

Senior Seminar: Writing from Within: Creative Nonfiction – 1st semester course

Open to: 12th grade

Meetings per two week rotation: Five 80 minute periods

Prerequisites: None

When you hear the word "essay," does your heart sink while your brain feverishly starts organizing a 5 paragraph paper about a book? Well, this course will provide an entirely new definition of what an essay actually can be. This course will predominantly use texts such as “The New Yorker,” Desert Solitaire, and selections from Pamela Houston, Barry Lopez, and Terry Tempest Williams as models for developing your own voice in writing. Expect to write and revise regularly throughout the semester in order to explore what is ambiguously known as "creative non-fiction," essentially a form of reflection that incorporates your own experiences into crafted, well-told, and inherently truthful stories. Rubrics and clear expectations will be provided for each assignment so that grading will be as objective as it is for analytical writing. At the culmination of the semester, you will have compiled an impressive portfolio of your own creative non-fiction with the potential to submit to a variety of magazines and publications.

Senior Seminar: Rage Against The Machine:

Counter-Culture Literature – 1st semester course

Open to: 12th grade

Meetings per two week rotation: Five 80 minute periods

Prerequisites: None

We live in a society that often imposes stereotypes, narrow perspectives, and a one-size-fits-all model, when in fact we are a species that searches for ways to rebel against conformity even as we so dearly covet it. This course will explore the counter-culture that has always existed whenever and wherever there is a governing body that seeks to dominate our personal and independent freedoms and values. Unlike the tropes of Hollywood and fairy tales, these texts will challenge your understanding of what is right and wrong and where people choose to draw the line that defines their moral compass. Expect to be pushed to evaluate, judge, and defend a variety of perspectives, even when they might run contrary to your own beliefs. Texts may include: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey; Howl, Alan Ginsberg; Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig; The Monkey Wrench Gang, Ed Abbey, and others.