Upper School Curriculum Guide 2016-2017

THE MASTERS SCHOOL UPPER SCHOOL CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 - 2018

UPPER SCHOOL CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017-2018 THE MASTERS SCHOOL 49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, New York 10522 914-479-6400 WWW.MASTERSNY.ORG

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Non-Discrimination Policy The Masters School shall admit female and male students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It shall not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its admissions policies, educational policies, scholarship programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.

Further, The Masters School shall not in its employment policies or practices discriminate on the basis of gender, race, creed, color or national origin.

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 School Administrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Message from the Head of Upper School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Academic Program History and Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Planning Your Program of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 English Language Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Off-Campus Programs of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Academic Policies and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Academic Honors and Standing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Academic Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Academic Support Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Academic Resources and Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Office of College Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Standardized Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Course Descriptions English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Modern and Classical Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 History and Religion Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Visual Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Drama and Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Health and Physical Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Interdisciplinary Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

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MISSION STATEMENT The Masters School celebrates active participation, deep understanding, and meaningful connection. A community of diverse individuals, we gather to learn, to strive, to dare, to do — to be a power for good in the world.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS Head of School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laura Danforth Upper School Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Ives Dean of Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Erica Chapman Dean of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Newcomb Ninth-grade Class Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff Carnevale Tenth-grade Class Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthew Kammrath Eleventh-grade Class Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shelly Kaye Twelfth-grade Class Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephanie Mestyan Director of Admission and Financial Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keith Holton Director of Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kevin Versen Director of College Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Gimple Director of Community Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dena Torino Director of Residential Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dena Torino Director of Student Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed Gormley Director of Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Pereira Director of Equity and Inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Karen Brown Academic Coordinator and Registrar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily Zocchi Librarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Murphy

(The Masters School reserves the right to modify the school policies and course offerings listed in this guide.)

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A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL Some of you reading this guide are already attending school here at Masters; others of you are considering Masters for next year. Yet all of you have probably come to realize that at The Masters School, our expectations for the student are somewhat different than those set by other schools. As is made manifest by the Harkness table, which plays a prominent role in our educational philosophy, some of the most valuable learning that one can experience takes place in the company of one’s classmates. Such learning occurs as we ask questions and exchange ideas during the class discussion; such learning oc-curs as we engage in meaningful and open dialogue with others; such learning occurs as we develop the confidence to express our own views and the matu-rity to reflect upon and reevaluate those views.

When we are gathered around the table, the classroom becomes a crucible, with the table acting as the catalyst that makes possible the free exchange of ideas and opinions. Then, perhaps in the classroom, or perhaps in a quiet time of intro-spection and self-reflection (which are also critical to our learning and growth and self-formation), those ideas and opinions can then be refined and shaped, as the individual sees fit, or left unchanged. But even if left unchanged – and it is important that as individuals we feel comfortable maintaining those convic-tions that define us and that are sacred to us – we still have grown, intellectually and personally, when we consciously choose to listen to those around us, when we choose to consider those views not our own. For as the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “the test of a firstrate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” At Masters, our goal for the student is to learn not just to function but to flourish in a rigorous academic environment that champions the ex-change and discussion of ideas, an environment that makes room for the views of others, an environment where differing opinions do not stop us from build-ing strong and supportive relationships with each other.

The relationship between student and school is a partnership, and as with any partnership, clear communication is needed for it to prosper. We encourage students to work closely with their teachers, to get to know them and their goals for each class. Please make sure that the policies and expectations, presented in the classroom and in this guide, are clearly understood. If you have any questions – whether you are a current student or considering us for the future – please don’t hesitate to contact the Academic Office.

Matt Ives Head of Upper School THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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ACADEMIC PROGRAM

ACADEMIC PROGRAM HISTORY

AND

OVERVIEW

The Masters School is a college preparatory school for girls and boys in grades 5-12. The School is situated on a 96-acre campus in Dobbs Ferry, New York, a town on the Hudson River and half an hour north of New York City. Academic excellence, integrity, responsibility, and social concern have been guiding principles since the School was founded in 1877 by Eliza Masters to educate girls. The oldest daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Miss Masters was determined that her school would not be the typical "finishing school" for girls. Although her students in the very early years did not ordinarily go on to college, her school offered a liberal arts curriculum that included Latin, mathematics, and astronomy at a time when most girls’ schools limited their courses to needlework and penmanship.

In 1995, the Board of Trustees voted to make the Upper School coeducational, to institute a boys’ middle school that would parallel the existing girls’ middle school, and to use the Harkness method of teaching in the Upper School beginning in the fall of 1996. The general intent of these decisions was to redefine the co-educational experience and to create an environment both challenging and comfortable for girls and boys. Nurturing the growth and development of each student remains a primary goal of education at The Masters School, and the Harkness tables have emphasized the collaborative nature of learning. A wide array of athletic, cultural, and community service activities enhance the overall school experience while offering varied opportunities for leadership skills and individual achievement.

Today, Masters offers its students a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. Core courses provide a solid foundation in critical thinking, and electives offer multiple opportunities for students to explore individual interests. Classes are small, and the low faculty-to-student ratio fosters close working relationships between students and their teachers. In a diverse community of learners and leaders, students are challenged to grow as individuals and to develop the confidence to make a difference and to be a power for good in the world.

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ACADEMIC

PROGRAM

TEACHING AROUND TABLES – THE HARKNESS METHOD Named after philanthropist Edward S. Harkness, who through his generous donations to Phillips Exeter Academy in the 1930s made possible the introduction of this new pedagogy, the Harkness method of teaching encourages students to play an active role in and take responsibility for their own learning. The table is an oval wooden table that seats up to sixteen students. Its shape and large size promote discussions involving all the students in the class and make the table an ideal setting for collaborative learning. Though methodology differs from subject to subject and from teacher to teacher, the basic principle of teaching around tables is to turn as much of the learning process as possible over to the students, who are expected to prepare thoroughly, participate daily, solve problems collaboratively, and when appropriate, lead class discussions on their own. The student's respect for a diversity of perspectives and desire to keep learning about the method itself are crucial to the success of the class.

SCHOOL DAY The academic day for students in the Upper School runs from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. The co-curricular period is from 3:30 to 5:00 pm, though athletes on varsity teams are usually engaged until at least 5:30 pm. Evening study hours for residential students run from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. Attendance is required for all classes, study halls, assemblies, appointments, and all other academic and co-curricular commitments.

Class periods run for either 55 minutes or 110 minutes, with the longer blocks meeting mid-week. A, B, C, D, E, and F are considered major bands; M, N, and O are bands reserved for minor courses. An additional major band is formed by combining the O with the M or N bands. The schedule runs in a two-week cycle that allows for rotation. Classes that meet in the morning during Delta week move to the afternoon in Phi week; Delta afternoon classes become Phi morning classes. Monday’s sequence of bands changes slightly on Friday. Classes that meet during the middle third of the day generally stay the same from week to week.

Weekday Schedule: 7:00 am – 7:45 am

Breakfast

8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Morning assembly and academic classes

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Tutorial period and extra help

3:30 pm

Sports and co-curricular program begins

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Dinner

8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Study Hours 10:00 pm THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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THE DELTA PHI SCHEDULE Below is diagrammed the two-week cycle:

DELTA WEEK

Monday Morning Meeting 8:00 – 8:25

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Morning Meeting 8:00 – 8:25

A

A

C

E

B

55 min 8:30

110 min 8:30

110 min 8:00

110 min 8:30

55 min 8:30

B Break 10:20

A

Break 9:50

55 min 9:25

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Advisee Breakfast 8:00 – 8:25

Morning Meeting 8:00 – 8:25

Friday

Break 10:20

C

M

55 min 10:40

55 min 10:40

55 min 9:25 Break 10:20

Break 10:20

O

M

C

110 min 10:10

55 min 10:40

55 min 10:40

D

N

N

D

55 min 11:35

55 min 11:35

55 min 11:35

55 min 11:35

Break 12:30

Break 12:30

Break 12:30

Break 12:30

Lunch and Flex Time

70 min 12:00

E

B

D

F

F

55 min 1:10

110 min 1:10

110 min 1:10

110 min 1:10

55 min 1:10

F

E

55 min 2:05

55 min 2:05

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ACADEMIC

(Lunch is served daily from 11:15 am until 1:15 pm.)

PHI WEEK

Morning Meeting 8:00 – 8:25

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Advisee Breakfast 8:00 – 8:25

Morning Meeting 8:00 – 8:25

Friday Morning Meeting 8:00 – 8:25

E

B

D

F

F

55 min 8:30

110 min 8:30

110 min 8:00

110 min 8:30

55 min 8:30

F Break 10:20

E

Break 9:50

55 min 9:25 Break 10:20

C

M

55 min 10:40

55 min 10:40

55 min 9:25 Break 10:20

Break 10:20

O

M

C

110 min 10:10

55 min 10:40

55 min 10:40

D

N

N

D

55 min 11:35

55 min 11:35

55 min 11:35

55 min 11:35

Break 12:30

Break 12:30

Break 12:30

Break 12:30

Lunch and Flex Time

70 min 12:00

A

A

C

E

B

55 min 1:10

110 min 1:10

110 min 1:10

110 min 1:10

55 min 1:10

B

A

55 min 2:05

55 min 2:05

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PROGRAM

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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS The graduation requirements as outlined below were approved by the Board of Trustees in January 2007. Any student who enters Masters after ninth grade must have a copy of his or her official transcript sent to us from his or her previous school. The Academic Office will determine those courses from other schools for which to give credit. The School reserves the right to have students take courses similar to those that may have been taken elsewhere if deemed necessary or desirable for fulfilling our requirements.

Please note: Diplomas are given only to those students who have successfully fulfilled the graduation requirements and who have passed all of their courses by the end of senior year.

Subject

Requirement

English

Four years

Math

Three years, through at least trigonometry

Languages

Three years of high-school study, in the same language, through at least an introductory literature level

History

Three years of history, one of which must be United States History

Religion

A half-credit course in world religions, typically taken in the sophomore year

Science

Three years of science, two of which must be composed of laboratory science courses

The Arts

The equivalent of a half-credit course in any of the visual or performing arts to be taken in any year. Ninth graders are also required to take the year-long minor Arts Lab course (rotating through the visual arts, music, dance, acting, and drama) or an equivalent half-credit course in the Visual or Performing Arts.

Public Speaking

A quarter-credit course to be taken in grade eleven

Health

A quarter-credit course to be taken in grade eleven

Physical Education

Four years; beginning with the Class of 2020, a test of swimming proficiency must be passed by graduation.

ACR

The Athletic Credit Requirement must be fulfilled by all students by the end of sophomore year.

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By referring to the graduation requirements outlined on the previous page, students can map out an anticipated academic program over their careers at Masters. Majors designate full-credit courses that meet for approximately 220 minutes a week; minors are courses that meet for approximately 110 minutes or less a week. All students are expected to take a minimum of five credits in major courses each year and remain in good academic standing. A sixth major in any year may be added only with the approval of the Academic Dean. Physical education is required every term (see HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION).

Members of the Academic and College Counseling Offices work with individual students to plan and help monitor their academic progress through the Upper School. The academic advisors for students in grade nine, ten, and eleven are the Class Deans and the Academic Dean; for grade twelve the academic advisors are the college counselors. Students are also encouraged to discuss their progress and future courses with their advisors, teachers, or the department chairs. They are invited to drop by the Academic Office at any time, and parents are welcome to call if they have any questions.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

PLANNING YOUR PROGRAM

THE COURSE REQUEST PROCESS Our goal at Masters is for each student to be placed in those classes that present the most appropriate challenge to his or her educational development at that point in time. While each year there are required courses to take, there are also electives and some options to consider.

The student is directly involved in this process. Returning students are given course request forms in the spring along with other placement materials for the following year. The expectation is that students and parents review this form together and consider the courses most appropriate to take for the coming year.

In the spring term, students meet individually with their academic advisor to discuss placement. After the end of the year, a finalized list of the courses that will be scheduled for each student will be sent home to students and parents.

The scheduling of courses is done over the summer, and individual student schedules are distributed during registration at the beginning of the fall term.

Please note: Only students who return their course request forms to the Academic Office by April 15 will be given priority when it comes to placement and scheduling of courses. After June 1, any requests for courses or course changes will be considered conditional upon enrollment and availability of the course or courses requested.

Upon enrollment, new students are sent a placement packet that has a course request form, a language selection form, three placement questionnaires for the student’s current math, language, and science teachers to fill out, and a math THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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placement exam for the student to take. As we cannot finalize a new student's placement until we get these materials back, it is very important that they be passed along to the appropriate individuals and returned to us as soon as possible, certainly before June 1st. We also must have a copy of each new student's official final transcript before he or she can begin classes at Masters in the fall.

New international students must provide a transcript translated into English.

Below you will find listed by grade a general overview of each year's academic program. Students for whom English is their first language or who have demonstrated fluency in English are considered mainstreamed. English language learners who have not yet demonstrated fluency in English are enrolled in ELL courses in English (see ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS). More information about specific courses or a department's philosophy and sequence of courses can be found in the course descriptions at the end of this guide.

Please note: The School reserves the right to cancel any course due to insufficient enrollment; some upper-level courses and electives may be offered in alternate years. Enrollment into some elective courses may be limited or restricted to upperclass students. Students will be notified if they need to make an alternate selection.

THE NINTH GRADE PROGRAM Ninth grade serves as an introduction to the Upper School. All ninth-graders who are not in ELL courses must take English 9, World History I, mathematics, a foreign language (French, Spanish, Latin, or Mandarin), and science. Ninth graders must take Freshman Seminar and fulfill the Physical Education requirement. They must also enroll in Arts Lab or an equivalent half-credit course in the visual or performing arts. Ninth graders must fulfill at least one-third of the Athletic Credit Requirement.

THE TENTH GRADE PROGRAM All sophomores are expected to take five major courses in addition to the two required minor courses, World Religions and Physical Education. English 10, mathematics, foreign language, World History II (which complements English 10 and World Religions), and science are all required majors. Tenth grade is also a good year for fulfilling the arts requirement. Sophomores take the PSAT during the fall of tenth grade (see STANDARDIZED TESTING). All students must also fulfill the Athletic Credit Requirement (ACR) by the end of sophomore year.

THE ELEVENTH GRADE PROGRAM All juniors are expected to take five major courses in addition to physical education. Among the major courses, English 11, mathematics, United States History, and foreign language are required in the eleventh grade, and science is strongly recommended. Several elective courses, both majors and minors, are offered in the visual and performing arts. If the student's schedule permits, both of the required minors, Public 12

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THE TWELFTH GRADE PROGRAM All seniors are expected to take five major courses in addition to Physical Education and any of the other graduation requirements that have not yet been fulfilled. Among the major courses, English is required, and mathematics, history, science, and a foreign language are once again strongly recommended. Students enrolled in English 12 request, from among the several options offered, two semester-long Senior Seminars to be taken over the course of the year. Seniors have several electives available to them in the other subject areas as well. The college counseling process for seniors continues through the fall and winter terms (see OFFICE OF COLLEGE COUNSELING).

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Speaking and Health, are added. Students take the PSAT in the fall of junior year and the SAT and/or ACT in the spring (see STANDARDIZED TESTING). In the winter and spring term, students formally begin the college counseling process and have their initial consultations with their appointed college counselor (see OFFICE OF COLLEGE COUNSELING).

Please note: Seniors must pass all of their courses in order to graduate.

HONORS, ACCELERATED, AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) COURSES Courses in some subjects may be offered at the basic, regular, honors, accelerated, or AP level. The honors or accelerated section of any given course requires its students to work at a faster pace and exposes them to more difficult material or a more challenging workload than would a regular section of that course. An AP course is a year-long, college-level course that follows the curriculum designed by the College Board. Each course culminates in an exam given in May that provides students with an opportunity to earn college credit. All students who enroll in an AP course are required to take the AP exam for that course. Because of the demanding nature of AP course material and the high level of discipline and commitment required by the student, it is not recommended that any student take more than three AP courses in a given year (see STANDARDIZED TESTING).

With the exception of AP courses offered in the junior and senior years, no course in English, history, the arts, or any of the minor courses is sectioned by level. Students under consideration for placement in honors sections of mathematics or science, for accelerated sections of foreign language, or for any AP course must meet the criteria outlined by each department. The placement process involves careful assessment of each student to determine whether these criteria have been met. Parents and students are reminded that enrollment into these courses is selective, especially for AP courses, the curricula for which are designed for those students who have demonstrated the ability, motivation, and discipline to work on the college level for the duration of the course. The student’s academic performance, progress, potential, enthusiasm for learning, and willingness to collaborate all factor into these determinations, as do the enTHE MASTERS SCHOOL

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ergy and attitude brought to the group dynamic and the student’s classroom attendance, preparedness, and participation. At their discretion, the department may require any student being considered for an honors, accelerated, or AP course in that subject to submit a writing sample or take a placement test.

While the student is an important part of the placement process, and the student’s requests are carefully considered, placement decisions for all courses are made by the faculty on the departmental level and are not finalized until after the end of the academic year, once the student’s final grades and reports have been reviewed. The departments reserve the right to revise placement decisions.

Please note: Because honors, accelerated, and AP courses require students to work at an advanced pace in order to complete a specified curriculum, at any point during the year, if in the judgment of the department a student is not doing acceptable work, accumulates an excessive number of absences, or becomes an impediment to the progress of the class, that student may be removed from the class or moved to a regular section.

ATHLETIC CREDIT REQUIREMENT (ACR) Students entering as ninth graders are required to participate as a member of an interscholastic team for three of the six seasons of their ninth and tenth-grade years. At least one of these seasons must be during ninth grade. Team sports earn physical education credit and satisfy the ACR; they meet five afternoons per week and sometimes on weekends. The ACR and the physical education requirement may also be satisfied by participating in Dance Tech III or IV (year-long academic major courses), Dance Company (fall and spring seasons; membership is by audition), or the Community Musical (winter season). Students entering Masters as sophomores are required to have participated as a member of an interscholastic team for at least one season by the end of tenth grade. Students entering Masters as juniors are exempt from the ACR. ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELL) The ELL program is designed for international students who are English language learners. Students entering Masters must already have some mastery of English, as our introductory ELL classes require an intermediate level of English proficiency. Our goal is to prepare students for and support them through the rigors of mainstream coursework by teaching skills and covering material that will accelerate their English language learning. By providing them with special classes in addition to their mainstream courses, these students should develop the skills and the confidence to express themselves effectively in English and thereby acquire the means to become fully engaged in all aspects of community life at Masters. (see ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS under ENGLISH).

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Each year, The Masters School offers qualified students the opportunity to apply to semester programs that provide rich, alternative learning experiences. The School participates in three such programs as charter members and also presents other educational opportunities, such as School Year Abroad and department-sponsored educational travel.

The School will send up to a total of six students to semester programs each year. Sophomores and juniors who are interested in applying to one of these programs for 2017-2018 must first submit to the Academic Office a written statement explaining why they want to attend their program of choice. In this statement applicants should also explain why they feel the program will serve to advance their educational experience and how it will serve to fulfill their educational goals. This statement by the applicant must be signed by both the student and the student's parent. Along with the applicant's statement, students must also submit a statement written and signed by their parents supporting their candidacy for the particular program. Both statements are due by February 1 at the latest, though preferably earlier.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS

Once received, the student and parent statements will be reviewed to determine whether the student is eligible for consideration by the program. The candidacy of any student who is not in good academic or disciplinary standing or for whom time away from Masters would be prohibitive to his or her academic progress will not be approved. Those students who are approved should then submit their applications directly to the program of interest, which will then process the application and decide whether or not to offer the student admission for the following year. Applications are available from the Academic Office or online from the programs themselves. Please note that the various programs have agreed only to consider the applications of those students whose candidacy Masters has approved, and that juniors applying for senior year will only be considered for the spring semester. Admission decisions from these programs can be expected by April. Students accepted to off-campus programs must work with the college guidance staff well in advance of their departure in order to complete any stages of the college planning process that will be conducted during their absence.

Please note: Applications are normally restricted to the following programs:

CITYTERM Our own CITYterm, situated on the campus of The Masters School, attempts to raise significant questions about the nature of urban life through an intensive study of New York City. Texts include traditional printed works as well as the city itself, which also serves as the program’s priTHE MASTERS SCHOOL

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mary classroom. Students focus on questions of how knowledge becomes understanding and finish the semester with an intimate knowledge not only of New York City but also of themselves as learners. For more information, visit the CITYterm website (www.cityterm.org).

OXBOW The Oxbow School in Napa, California, offers a program that places the visual arts at the center of its interdisciplinary, project-based curriculum.

By engaging students in the creative process, Oxbow fosters a deep appreciation for creativity in all areas of life beyond the classroom. The program satisfies the academic requirements of college-bound high school students while exposing them to college-level studio arts practice. For more information, visit the Oxbow website (www.oxbowschool.org).

HIGH MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE High Mountain Institute (HMI) provides a unique combination of academic and wilderness experiences to a select group of high school juniors and seniors. Students live and work on the forty-acre alpine campus and explore the Colorado Plateau during a series of learning expeditions. Students guide their own learning by making hypotheses, testing them in their surroundings, and sharing their results in ongoing community discussions. For more information, visit the HMI website (www.hminet.org).

SCHOOL YEAR ABROAD Launched by Phillips Academy, Andover, in 1965, School Year Abroad was created so that American students could reap the benefits of living in a foreign culture without delaying graduation from their home schools or compromising their applications to selective colleges and universities in the United States. The program’s goals are to give high school juniors and seniors a deep understanding of another people and another way of life through near-total immersion in a foreign culture and to provide students opportunities to grow in responsibility, in self-reliance, and in tolerance as they face the challenges of living abroad. Every year the program sends approximately 60 eleventh and twelfth graders to each one of their unique schools in Beijing, China; Rennes, France; Viterbo, Italy; and Zaragoza, Spain.

For more information, visit the SYA website (www.sya.org).

ACADEMIC POLICIES

AND

PROCEDURES

COURSE EXPECTATIONS At the beginning of each course, teachers distribute a document outlining their expectations for the course and for the students.

In addition to presenting the teacher’s goals, the document also outlines policies on homework, tests, and other types of assignments and assessments; expectations concerning class participation, preparation, and behavior; curricular and other pertinent information for the course including office hours 16

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ATTENDANCE All students are required to attend morning assemblies, all classes and study halls, and meet all other academic and extracurricular commitments; they are expected to be punctual and prepared. The School will determine which absences are excused and which are unexcused. For students whose absences total 15% of the number of periods for a major course and 30% of the number of periods for a minor course, credit for that course will ordinarily be denied, and the student will be withdrawn from the course.

Please note: Teachers are not required to re-administer tests or quizzes or accept or give credit for assignments missed or not submitted because of an unexcused absence or tardiness.

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and contact information. It is crucial that students take time to understand fully the expectations outlined in this document and to discuss with their teachers any questions or concerns they might have.

Students who miss school due to an illness or other excused absence should work with their teachers to reschedule due dates and missed tests or quizzes so as to complete all outstanding work in a timely manner. Students who miss more than five consecutive days should consult the Academic Dean upon returning to school (or sooner, if possible) to develop a plan for making up missed work. Absences from school due to observance of religious holidays are considered excused provided that parental notification has been received in advance by the Office of the Dean of Students. Teachers try to avoid conflicts with religious holidays as much as is possible, though students and parents should be mindful that the School does stay open during some religious holidays and that lessons continue. Students who are absent from school because of a religious holiday will be given an equivalent opportunity to make up any assignments or tests missed during the absence. No student will be penalized for an absence due to religious observance, and no student will be expected to make up missed work on the first day after such a religious observance but should arrange prior to the absence a revised timetable with their teachers. We encourage students both to work ahead and catch up as quickly as possible.

Please read carefully the entire attendance policy in the Student/Parent Handbook.

HOMEWORK Students generally should receive homework for every class that they take. Up to 220 minutes of homework per week is a reasonable expectation for Upper School major courses; honors, accelerated, and especially AP courses may require more time.

Homework is assigned at least one week at a time, with the assignments for the week ahead posted for students in advance on the LMS. Students in AP classes can expect to be assigned homework over the Thanksgiving, winter, or

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spring vacations. Students with incomplete grades or serious academic difficulties may be required by the Academic Dean to complete outstanding assignments or work on specific projects during these vacations (see LMS).

As homework plays a crucial role in our students’ educational development, it is essential that they do their homework regularly, that they prepare their assignments thoroughly and conscientiously, and that they submit them in a timely manner. It is also imperative that there be a clear understanding between teacher and student when it comes to expectations regarding any help that might be received on homework. On occasion, students may need help with their homework or other assignments, in which case their first recourse should be their teacher. Students are also encouraged to seek help from other teachers or from parents, siblings or friends, in accordance with the policies of their teacher. Please keep in mind, however, that such help should always be given with the intention of helping students better understand and master the concepts and skills presenting difficulty so as to empower them to do the work independently. Assistance should not be in the form of helping students do the actual work or of checking the work for correctness.

While a teacher may design assignments, units, or even an entire course for students to work collaboratively with one another, unless otherwise stated in the assignment or in the policies of the teacher as outlined in the course expectations, homework should represent the individual student’s own best work, and students should understand that they are to do all assignments independently and not collaboratively. There are several important reasons for this, one being the need of the teacher to have an accurate and reliable means for gauging the student’s individual ability and progress at any given point in time and to discern any problems or deficiencies that need to be addressed. A second critical reason is our desire to work towards building in every student a sense of self-reliance and confidence when it comes to tackling homework and other assignments. Lastly, a clear distinction of individual versus collaborative ownership and authorship of work plays a vital role in upholding the School’s high standards of academic honesty and integrity.

Please note: Teachers are not required to accept or give credit for assignments that are submitted late.

ACADEMIC DETENTION If a student fails to submit an assignment on the day that it is due, the student can be assigned by the teacher to academic detention for that afternoon. Instead of reporting to his or her co-curricular activity, the student must report to a supervised detention at 3:30 to work on the assignment and stay until 4:45 pm. Even if the student completes the assignment 18

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STUDY HALL All students in grade nine and ten are placed in a supervised study hall during free periods. Study halls provide valuable opportunities during the acdemic day for students to work on assignments or prepare for upcoming classes and assessments. Students are expected to make productive use of their study hall time so as to minimize the time spent outside of school on homework and other assignments. Students requesting to be excused from a study hall to meet with a teacher first need to present a pass, written by the teacher, to the study hall proctor before being excused. Juniors and seniors can be assigned to study halls at the request of the student's advisor or at the discretion of the Class Dean, the Academic Dean, or the Dean of Students.

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during that time, he or she must stay for the duration of the detention and can work on other assignments. Three or more assignments to academic detention will result in the student’s parents’ being notified. Continued assignment to academic detention will lead to an academic review and may result in the student’s being placed on academic probation.

EXAMS Exams are given in early June. These are comprehensive exams that cover the year’s coursework and count as 15-20% of the final grade for the course. Exams are given for all major courses; no exams are given for minor courses. The exam schedule is announced at the end of April and posted on the School’s website. Students who discover that they have a conflict (i.e., two exams scheduled at the same time) must make arrangements with the Academic Dean for rescheduling the exam in conflict.

All exams are held in the gymnasium unless otherwise specified. Students are expected to be at the exam site at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of the exam. Students who are late for an exam are not given additional time to compensate for their lateness. No materials or devices may be brought into the exam site unless prior approval has been given by the teacher or the Academic Dean.

All exams are 90 minutes in length; they are designed to present to students what is reasonable for them to complete within those 90 minutes with time to spare. The School's policy is to offer all students an additional 30 minutes of extended time on final exams. After two hours, those students officially approved for extended time on classroom tests may have an additional 60 minutes to complete their final exams.

Please note: All students are expected to take their exams on the days designated on the exam schedule. Teachers are not required to re-administer or give any credit for an exam missed due to an unexcused absence.

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GRADING SCALE Grades represent an assessment of the student’s quality of work or performance, or the degree of achievement or mastery of a skill or body of knowledge, at a given point in time, falling along a scale, measured against a standard. The following grades are used at The Masters School: 90 – 100

A

Excellent

80 – 89

B

Good to very good

70 – 79

C

Satisfactory

60 – 69

D

Unsatisfactory but of sufficient quality to be granted credit; promotion to a more advanced course in the same subject will ordinarily require summer study

59 or below

F

Failing – no credit is granted; repeating the course over the summer or the following year is required

The Academic Office calculates cumulative grade point averages for students at the end of each term for internal purposes, such as determining eligibility for the Dean's List and Honor Roll, and for external purposes, such as official transcripts. However, the School does not rank students by grade point average. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis, such as Physical Education, are not included in the calculation of the grade point average (see TRANSCRIPTS).

Please note: Only grades earned for courses taken at The Masters School are used in calculations of grade point average.

REPORTING OF GRADES AND COMMENTS At the midpoint and end of each semester, the teachers prepare progress reports on each of their students. Numerical grades and narrative comments are recorded and posted online for students and parents. Components that figure into the calculation of the term grade include classroom performance as well as daily preparation and participation. These reports also indicate the student's effort over the course of the term, the exam or project grade (if applicable), an assessment of subject-specific skills, and the number of accumulated absences.

SCHEDULE AND COURSE CHANGES Scheduled courses must be attended until an official course change form has been approved by the Academic Office and the student has been given a new schedule. A schedule or course change may be initiated by the School if a student is deemed to be in an inappropriate level or to correct enrollment imbalances among sections of the same course due to other schedule changes. Every effort will be made to make these adjustments as early as possible in the school year.

A student who wants to initiate a schedule change must request a course change form from the Academic Dean. The form must be signed by the student's cur20

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Please note: The School does not assign students to any specific section of a course based on preference for a particular teacher or band in the schedule.

SUMMER COURSEWORK All failed courses must be repeated either at summer school or in the following year at Masters. The summer school that the student attends must be accredited, and the course to be taken must meet with the approval of the department that offered the failed course. Students who have passed a course but who have not demonstrated sufficient progress to merit continued study at the next level in that discipline will ordinarily be required to do remedial work over the summer in order to develop or improve the requisite skills and understanding.

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rent teacher and prospective teacher and approved by the student’s advisor, the department chair, and the Academic Dean. If the change is approved, the student's schedule will be adjusted, and a new schedule will be issued. All requests for changing year-long courses must be made during the drop/add period, which typically ends on the fourth Friday of the first semester.

Students who wish to pursue an accelerated course of study over the summer with the purpose of skipping a level must first consult with the Academic Dean and the department chair of the subject in question. Summer courses taken for such purposes do not count towards fulfilling any graduation requirement, though they may enable the student to accelerate. The program of study must be offered by an accredited institution and must meet with the department’s approval. These students must also pass a placement test administered at Masters by the chair of the department before starting class in the fall. Please note that a student who takes an accelerated course of study and passes the placement test may still be denied entry into the advanced course if the department determines that the student is not adequately prepared for study at that level.

Please note: No credit towards graduation is given for summer work except when making up a failed course, in which case the failing grade is not removed from the transcript but remains as part of the student’s permanent record.

TRANSCRIPTS The transcript is the official record of grades earned by the student during his or her time at Masters. All grades, including failing grades, become part of this permanent record. Only grades earned for courses taken at The Masters School appear on the transcript and are used to calculate grade point average. Grades from semester programs or summer school do not appear, though mention is made of such outside course work on the Masters transcript, and copies of all supporting documents are sent along with our own transcript in the application process. Official transcripts will only be sent to another institution, though upon request, parents may have an unofficial transcript sent to them. Please allow two business days for the processing of all transcript requests.

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ACADEMIC HONORS

AND

STANDING

DEAN'S LIST Students who qualify for the Dean's List must have a term grade point average of 90 or above with no grade lower than an 85. Tenth graders on the Dean’s List are exempt from daytime study halls for the term.

HONOR ROLL Students who qualify for the Honor Roll must have a term grade point average of 85 or above with no grade lower than an 80.

CUM LAUDE Induction into this nationally-recognized honor society is one of the highest distinctions a junior or senior can be awarded. Areté (excellence), timé (honor), and diké (justice) embody the three ideals of the society.

Cumulative grade point average, the difficulty and overall number of courses taken, as well as other assessments of student achievement are used for determining candidacy.

GRADUATING WITH DISTINCTION Those seniors who are noted for high achievement in a particular discipline throughout their years in the Upper School can graduate with distinction in that subject. The criteria for distinction vary among the departments, but among the criteria that might be considered are the number of courses taken by a student in the particular discipline; the level of difficulty presented by those courses; the grades earned in those courses; the student’s devotion, enthusiasm, and level of commitment for the subject; and the recommendations of the student's teachers. Students earning such distinction receive a letter of recognition from the department along with their final term reports.

ACADEMIC AWARDS At the end of the year, departments may present awards to students in recognition of achievement or improvement in that subject. Two sets of awards are bestowed, one upon seniors and one upon students in grades 9-11.

THE BLUE SHEET A student who is in danger of failing a course or who is otherwise experiencing academic difficulty may be placed on the Blue Sheet, a weekly progress report circulated among the student’s teachers. (Any student may also be placed on the Blue Sheet at the request of the advisor.) The Blue Sheet serves as a mechanism by which the advisor, the Class Dean, and the Academic Dean can monitor the student’s progress. The teachers assess the student’s performance and record any concerns, which can then be communicated to the parents by the student’s advisor. If the faculty continue to have serious concerns about a student’s progress, the student may be issued a formal academic warning.

ACADEMIC WARNINGS AND ACADEMIC PROBATION The faculty meet formally at the middle and end of each semester to assess the academic performance of all students. At any of these meetings, a student who is seri-

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As a result of this initial warning, a letter is given to the student and is sent home to the student’s parents stating the concerns raised and outlining specific measures to be put into place for the student. These measures may include scheduling the student into study halls during all free periods and monitoring the student’s weekly academic performance. Other measures may be implemented as needed. Such measures are meant to give the student the opportunity and necessary structure to improve academic performance. If the student’s academic performance does not improve, a subsequent warning may be issued, which would result in the student’s being placed on academic probation for the remainder of the academic year.

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ously underperforming or who is not meeting the academic expectations outlined by the teacher or the School may be issued an academic warning.

Reasons for issuing an academic warning include but are not limited to failing one or more subjects, earning grades of below 70 in two or more subjects, accumulating excessive absences, or demonstrating a pattern of behavior that has prevented the student or other students from learning or achieving to their potential.

The consequences of being placed on academic probation midyear are that the student’s enrollment contract is withheld or is issued conditionally. A comprehensive review of the student’s academic standing at the end of the year is conducted. Unless the student has demonstrated significant improvement, an invitation to return the following year may not be extended. If improvement has been made but serious concerns remain, the student may be invited back but under the status of academic probation for the entire upcoming year.

The consequences of being placed on academic probation in September for the duration of the academic year include scheduling the student into study halls during all free periods and monitoring the student’s weekly academic performance. The student’s academic standing is thoroughly reviewed at the middle and at the end of each semester. After any such review over the course of year, a report from the teachers of a less than satisfactory effort or performance may result in the student’s dismissal from school at that point in time. Moreover, committing an act of academic dishonesty while on academic probation is grounds for the student’s immediate dismissal. Upon the recommendation of the Academic Committee, an enrollment invitation will be issued in June if the student on probation completes the year in good academic standing.

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Submitting one’s own work, rather than someone else’s, is a critical part of the learning process. The faculty expect students to try their best, to do their own work and neither give nor receive unauthorized help, to cite references when they are used, and to respond honestly to the academic demands of each course. When a student fails to uphold these standards, academic integrity is compromised. As such integrity is the hallmark of any educational institution, academic dishonesty is one of the most serious offenses that a student can commit at The Masters School.

Academic dishonesty presents several dangers. First, there are consequences, ranging from losing credit on an assignment and/or a one-day suspension to expulsion for repeat offenders. Moreover, academic dishonesty undermines the student’s ability to approach future assignments. Like any other form of dishonesty, it compromises the values we share as a community, resulting in the erosion of trust and confidence in oneself and in others.

The two primary categories of academic dishonesty are cheating and plagiarism. Cheating is the use or provision of prohibited sources or material in order to advance the quality of one’s own or another’s academic work. Plagiarism is submitting someone else’s work, idea, or writing as if it were one’s own without giving credit to the author. A teacher will speak to a student suspected of academic dishonesty and will report this violation to the Academic Dean, who may then turn the matter over to the Discipline Committee for consideration.

Students who feel pressured to cheat or plagiarize or to help others do so are encouraged to approach and seek guidance from the teacher, whose goal is not to overload the student, but to challenge the student appropriately, knowing that growth and learning will result from the student’s rising to the challenge.

If questions arise as to what comprises plagiarism or concerning the proper use of quotations, footnotes, or bibliographies, the student should consult the teacher. Direct quotations as well as all paraphrases and all information or ideas taken directly from outside sources must be acknowledged. The following are examples of plagiarism:

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•

Submitting another’s essay, or portion of another’s essay, as one’s own.

•

Failing to properly acknowledge a source of ideas essentially not one’s own.

•

Failing to properly indicate paraphrases of ideas or writings not one’s own, including Internet sources and materials on the Web.

•

Receiving unauthorized help on assignments, tests, or other work.

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ADVISING SYSTEM The purpose of the advising system is to ensure that each student receives individual attention, support, encouragement, and guidance throughout his or her career at The Masters School and to promote a sense of community in the School at large and within each class and advisor group.

The advisor is the first contact when parents wish to inquire about the student’s academic or social progress. The advisor is also instrumental in ensuring that each student feels a sense of belonging at the School and is aware of and engaged in the programs offered here. The advisor monitors and guides the student’s involvement in all areas of school life and promotes the student’s growth and development by helping the student find the appropriate balance and breadth of challenges.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES

Upon enrollment, every student is assigned a faculty member as advisor. This faculty member sees his or her advisees at every morning assembly and meets with them more formally biweekly at breakfast. The advisor may meet informally with an advisee whenever necessary.

EXTRA HELP Occasionally, students may have difficulty mastering the material presented in a course despite their best efforts. When faced with these situations, students should make use of the resources already in place to help them through the challenging material. Extra help appointments with the subject teacher should be the first recourse. Extra help can also come in the form of time spent with another student who has mastered the material or in the form of help given by parents or family members in consultation with the teacher. As with homework, extra help should only be given with the intention of helping students better understand and master the concepts and skills presenting difficulty so as to empower them to do the work independently.

Teachers are available for occasional extra help sessions during free periods and after school between 3:00 and 3:30 pm. Additionally, teachers are often available for extra help when they are proctoring a study hall or, in the case of residential faculty, when they are on duty in the dormitories. At the request of the teacher and student, an extra help session can be added to the student’s schedule as a weekly appointment. As teachers need to be available to provide extra help to all of their students as needed, the help provided to any one student must be within reasonable limits.

TUTORING As our small classes and dedicated faculty allow for individualized attention and extra help both in and out of the classroom, most students do not require additional tutoring. In some cases, however, it may become necessary to engage a tutor for students who experience continued difficulty THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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or need remedial instruction in a subject in order to keep up with their daily work. Tutors should only be engaged as a last resort once extra help and other support services have been fully utilized.

Day students at the discretion of their parents may engage private tutors provided that they work with them off campus. Boarding students who need tutorial support must make arrangements with the Academic Dean, who will refer the student and family to a School-approved tutor or tutoring agency.

Once the tutor or agency has been referred, it is up to the family to negotiate fee and payment arrangements directly with the tutor or agency. As a background check must be run on all tutors working on campus with students, please note that only School-approved tutors will be permitted on campus, and the School must be informed as to when tutors are on campus working with students. Once the student and tutor arrange an appointment or schedule of appointments, the Academic Dean must be informed. Students should work with their tutors in the Dining Hall except during mealtimes, when they are permitted to work in the Library.

Because tutoring is most effective when done in conjunction with the teaching and support being provided by the School, tutors of both day and boarding students are expected to be in communication with the classroom teacher and to coordinate efforts with the instruction and support provided at School. Tutor and teacher should stay in close contact throughout the time that the student is receiving tutorial support.

Please note: Masters School teachers are not permitted to tutor Masters School students.

SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES The Masters School has on staff a learning specialist to work with those students who have documented learning disabilities and who require the services of a trained professional. Students with documentation who meet these criteria are eligible for a weekly appointment with the School’s learning specialist if they so choose and if the School determines that such appointments are needed. The duration for these appointments typically last for five weeks or until the School no longer deems them necessary. Students without documented learning disabilities may also meet with the learning specialist at the request of the student, parent, or advisor, as schedules permit.

Students with documented learning disabilities may request in writing certain classroom accommodations, namely 50% extended time or the use of a laptop computer for the word processing of essay tests and papers. Requests for these accommodations will be reviewed by the Academic Office; if granted, the student will be provided with guidelines on how to use the accommodation.

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The College Board and the ACT require that students planning to take any of their standardized tests who request testing accommodations for learning or other disabilities fill out their respective application forms, both of which are processed through the Academic Office. Students filing for accommodations with these agencies are responsible for filling out and returning these forms to the Academic Office well in advance of any published deadlines.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Regarding the documentation of learning disabilities, the School follows the protocol outlined by the College Board, which stipulates the following: that such documentation state the specific disability as diagnosed; be current (that is, completed within the past five years); provide relevant educational, developmental, and medical history; provide the comprehensive testing and techniques used to arrive at the diagnosis; describe the functional limitations supported by the test results; describe the specific accommodations requested; and establish the professional credentials of the evaluator. For more information on requesting accommodations, requirements for documentation, or guidelines on how to use the granted accommodation, please contact the Academic Office.

STATEMENT ON LEARNING DISABILITIES The following is The Masters School’s official statement on learning disabilities: The mission of The Masters School is to provide for students a challenging academic environment that encourages critical, creative, and independent habits of thought as well as a lifelong passion for learning. All students at Masters are expected to learn, work, and live within the educational philosophy stated by the mission. The School recognizes that among its successful students are a certain number with documented learning disabilities, and considerable thought has been given to the needs and expectations of these students.

While The Masters School is fully committed to meeting its obligations under state and federal law, the School is essentially a mainstream school and as such is not designed to provide individualized educational programs for students with learning disabilities. While teachers routinely provide extra help on a limited basis for students as needed, the School’s faculty are not specifically trained to teach students with disabilities. Furthermore, the advising system is not designed to provide frequent meetings each week with a student to monitor time management, assess progress, or assist the student with the work in one or more classes. All students, regardless of any disability, will be held to the School’s standards for academic achievement and personal conduct. Masters is prepared to make reasonable accommodations for the documented disabilities of students to assist them in meeting these standards.

But no accommodation shall put an undue burden on the School and its staff or fundamentally alter the School’s educational program or mission.

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In support of the School’s efforts to address the needs of students with learning disabilities, parents of such students seeking accommodations are expected to share with the School the results of any testing that may have been done before enrollment at Masters and any testing that is done while the student is at the School. If a disability for which an accommodation is sought is diagnosed after enrollment, the student or the student’s parents should inform the Academic Office, at which point the School will undertake an interactive process, involving the student’s parents, the School’s learning specialist, and other School staff, to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations. The School reserves the right to confirm the existence of any learning disability and the need for accommodation and to require such additional tests as may be appropriate. Parents may be required to make arrangements for and bear the expense of any testing that is done while their child is at Masters. The School makes a conscientious effort to treat all medical and testing information sensitively and does so in compliance with applicable law. Students and parents should be aware that the School may share the results of educational testing with faculty and staff as appropriate.

In general, the School expects all students to take responsibility for their own learning needs in order to develop independence. Students who have learning disabilities that require accommodations should discuss their needs with their teachers and advisor. Students with disabilities are also responsible for applying for extended time on SATs and other standardized tests administered by the Educational Testing Services or the ACT. Students requiring medication are responsible for following the School’s policies and procedures for distribution.

Lastly, as a private institution, The Masters School is not required to provide all the services that would be required by law if it were a public school. In those cases where the School determines it cannot provide a necessary accommodation (and is not legally obliged to do so), the parents and the School will reconsider whether the educational program at Masters is appropriate for the child. For this reason, during the application process, parents of a prospective student are encouraged to disclose the nature and effects of any disability that would prevent their child from participating fully and equally in all the programs offered by the School. A candidate who otherwise qualifies for admission to Masters in accordance with its usual admission criteria will not be discriminated against in the admission process because that candidate discloses a disability and requests an accommodation. However, Masters reserves the right to deny admission if it is deemed, in accordance with applicable legal standards, that the School is unable to adequately provide for the candidate’s needs.

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AND

FACILITIES

PITTSBURGH LIBRARY The Pittsburgh Library houses a collection of approximately 17,000 volumes and 45 periodicals, including several foreignlanguage publications. Students have access to thousands of current and back issues of magazines, scholarly journals, national and international newspapers through 37 online indexes and full-text services; several computers are reserved for online research. Library books, with the exception of reference materials and books on reserve for class use, may be signed out for three weeks. In addition to Follett Destiny, the automated print catalog, reference materials, ebooks and indexes and are always accessible through the student portal. An additional 7,000 ebook titles are available through the EBSCO High School Collection and are downloadable to your personal device. Phone chargers and color printers are also available, and a full-time certified school librarian is on staff to assist students and faculty.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

ACADEMIC RESOURCES

In The Pittsburgh Library in Masters Hall students will find 22 workstations and a large copier/printer/scanner for general use. An adjacent Publications Lab with 4 iMacs, 8 PCs, scanners, and a large format color laser printer is configured for publication projects.

The Library is open for quiet study, research, and collaborative learning during the following hours: Monday – Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

7:00 am – 9:55 pm 7:00 am – 5:00 pm Noon – 5:30 pm Noon – 5:30 pm and 7:00 – 9:55 pm

COMPUTER FACILITIES The School’s computer facilities are spread across the academic buildings at Masters. The Technology Department works out of Morris Hall, the Science and Technology Center, and tech support walk-ins are welcome any time between 8:30 am and 5pm. The department’s primary goal is to encourage the use of technology by providing students and classes with easy access to computers. Three mobile carts (two in Masters Hall, and one in Morris Hall) each hold 18 Macbook Pros for classroom instruction.

All PCs and Macs run current operating systems with the latest Microsoft Office suite of applications. On select high-performance PCs, students have access to a variety of graphic and media publication software to support and encourage multimedia projects. Wireless access is provided to all students, with access points located strategically throughout the school and dorms. This provides easy access from any location to a variety of network services, such as

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high-speed Internet, email, file storage and library services. The Library catalog, Follett Destiny, and Internet reference sources are accessible school-wide from all networked computers. Staff members are available to provide supervision, technical support, and encouragement during laboratory hours.

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (LMS) The LMS is the interactive, webbased component of our School’s website which serves as a virtual extension of our educational program. Each class has a presence on the LMS, by which teachers post assignments and other resources and students submit assignments and access other class-related materials. All students and parents have access to these class pages. Clubs, committees, dorms, team sports, and other groups are also represented on the LMS. LANGUAGE LAB The digital language lab, comprised of 18 iMacs running DILL software, is a state-of-the-art facility by which students can learn to speak a foreign language effectively. Teachers create multimedia lessons drawn from music, television, movies, radio, and other sources about the culture of the language being studied. The lessons offer scenarios where students can practice their listening skills, engage interactively (with a movie scene, for example, or with other students), or even review grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation through games.

CAMPUS STORE Along with basic school supplies the campus store sells a variety of gift and clothing items such as shirts, hats, and sweaters with school insignia. Additionally, the store manager conducts modest banking operations for students through their personal accounts. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

OFFICE

OF

COLLEGE COUNSELING

The mission of the College Counseling Office is to assist our students through a process of self-exploration. Knowing that each child is different, our counselors help students to articulate their interests and skills and examine their personality and aspirations, linking these with a range of colleges and universities. Although acceptance at a college or university that matches the student’s educational, social, geographical, and financial needs is a significant part of the end product, the self-exploration that occurs as a part of the process helps students to learn more about themselves and create a positive vision before they move on to the next, more independent phase of their lives.

NINTH GRADE All ninth graders are assigned to the Director of College Counseling. In the second semester, students are invited to come by the office 30

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TENTH GRADE Students are assigned counselors starting in the tenth grade and formally start an introduction to the college process through a series of counseling sessions usually held in first part of the second semester. Students are introduced to Naviance, a database that houses The Masters School college admission information. Students use Naviance to take self-awareness, personality, and interest inventories to help them assess their individual strengths.

Results are interpreted for each student and then for the parents at a meeting in the second semester, at which time are discussed the standardized test results from the PSAT along with other topics as determined by the development and interests of the student. There is also an emphasis placed on visiting some colleges early in the process to help the student discover what colleges might be a good fit. Care will be given to each family if they need advice in setting up an individualized list of colleges to tour. A College Counseling packet is given to each family that contains standardized test, academic, and college visitation information. Sophomores are encouraged to stay in touch with their counselor as they work through the academic course selection process.

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to meet the Director and discuss any transition issues or college questions they may have.

Any student who has extended time on tests at The Masters School and wants this accommodation on standardized tests like the SAT I and II and the ACT needs to apply with the testing agency preferably before the fall of the student’s junior year. The Director can help families with extended time questions.

ELEVENTH GRADE Students now know their counselor and should feel free to make an appointment at anytime to help with issues ranging from when to sign up for standardized tests to college visitation feedback. Although much of the first part of the semester in the College Counseling Office is geared towards helping seniors, counselors’ doors are always open to help eleventh graders and their families. In the second semester, juniors are invited to discuss their PSAT results, standardized testing schedule, academic course selection, and revisit any personal information as it relates to college selection.

A family meeting can be scheduled to discuss the college admission process as it is handled at The Masters School. A preliminary list of colleges will be generated for the family to consider if one was not developed sooner. Applying Early Decision to a college should only be considered if a student has decided, after visiting and carefully weighing academic, financial and admission factors, that a college is a realistic fit for him or her. Counselors and parents play a key role, but this process should be driven by the student. In the spring of the junior year, all students are placed in groups to review the Common Application. The college counselors help each student fill in the Common App. Issues THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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regarding the college application process are discussed in these groups, and sessions are held on how to write a cogent essay geared to the college admission reader. Writing quality essays is a key part of the application process, and the counseling staff teams up with the English Department to support the student’s efforts in crafting the best essay to submit to schools.

Please note: Athletes who think they may be recruited to play their sport in college need to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse after junior year and let the College Office know.

TWELFTH GRADE Students are asked to finish the Common Application online after August 1st before their senior year. The student, who now is at the center of this process, is encouraged to take a leadership role by contacting colleges for interviews, registering for standardized tests, preparing and submitting applications on time, and paying close attention to the deadlines of college admission offices and The College Counseling Office’s own internal deadlines.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

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COURSE SELECTION

There are many factors that enter into college admission decisions, but none may be seen by colleges as more important as a student’s academic profile.

When colleges evaluate the transcript of an applicant, two factors are weighed most heavily: the rigor of the curriculum and the student’s performance. This means that each student should take the most demanding load they can handle, especially in their area of academic strength, while giving important consideration to achievement. Students are encouraged to follow their passions and develop their talents while carefully considering the colleges’ requirements. Students who are competing for first-year college spots often have four years of math, science, English and foreign language. In choosing courses, it is also important to consider the timing of SAT II tests. Counselors can help students determine what tests a student should take and when.

STANDARDIZED TESTING Standardized tests play a unique role in the college admission process today.

While college admission professionals recognize that some students may not test well and that test scores do not reveal all that is significant about a student, it is nevertheless a mistake for students and parents to think that the significance of test scores is minimal. Certainly, the most important part of a student’s application is the high school transcript. However, high school programs throughout the country vary so widely that many admission professionals feel the need to rely on standardized tests as a means for comparison and assessment, and thus

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The two major standardized tests that colleges and universities accept as part of the admission process are the ACT and the SAT. To introduce students to these tests, The Masters School administers the PSAT, a preliminary form of the SAT, in both sophomore and junior year. Sophomores can also elect to take a practice ACT, as the PLAN no longer exists. An overview of these tests is outlined below:

PLAN The PLAN was the preliminary ACT. As it no longer exists, parents should consult with their child’s counselor to determine if taking a practice ACT is a preferred option for the student.

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scores are used to corroborate grades on the transcript. Therefore, a high score on the SAT or ACT does not guarantee admission to selective institutions, and a lower score may limit the selectivity of probable colleges.

PSAT The PSAT, or the Preliminary SAT, is required for all sophomores and juniors and is administered every October at The Masters School on a national test day set by The College Board. The test is usually returned in late December. This test is a timed, multiple-choice exam that tests a student’s skills in two areas: critical reading/writing and math problem-solving. The PSAT is also used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which awards merit scholarships based on scores achieved on this test when taken in the junior year. The results of the PSAT also serve as a good testing baseline, and the actual PSAT test document is returned to sophomores with the score report during a conference in January. In this way, students and parents can evaluate a student’s testing strengths in the middle of the sophomore and junior year.

Please note: The PSAT is used for practice purposes only. Scores from this test are never considered as part of a student’s college application. Rather, this test is used as a measure when building a preliminary college list.

ACT The ACT is a multiple-choice exam that tests a student’s ability in English, reading comprehension, math, and science reasoning; there is an optional essay section that students should also take. Each section of the test is scored on a 0-36, scale, with 36 being the best possible score. The composite score is the average of these scores rounded to the nearest whole number.

The ACT is not an easier exam than the SAT; rather, it is a different exam. More often than not, students who take both the ACT and the SAT score about the same in terms of percentiles, but the possible advantage to reporting the ACT score may be that, since the exam tests different subject areas, the score report may show a student’s strength in a particular area. In addition, this test can often be used at many colleges in lieu of any or all SAT Reasoning and SAT Subject Test scores. For more information check the ACT website (www.act.org).

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SAT REASONING TEST The SAT is a two-part exam that tests a student’s critical reading and writing and math skills. Each section is scored separately on a scale of 200-800, with 800 being the best possible score. If the SAT is taken several times, most colleges will consider the highest achieved score in each section.

Please note that the SAT is offered in October, November, December, January, March/April, May, and June, but The Masters School is a test center on only some dates (please see the academic calendar for the dates when the SAT is offered at Masters). All students may register to take the SAT on dates when it is not offered at Masters at a local high school; boarders generally register to take the exams at Dobbs Ferry High School. A list of all schools that administer the SAT is provided in the registration booklet and on the College Board website (www.collegeboard.com).

Please note: Both the PSAT and SAT will change beginning in March of 2016. The exams will return to a two-part, Critical Reading and Math format. An explanation of these changes will be communicated to families by the College Counseling Office.

SAT SUBJECT TESTS These exams test a student’s knowledge in a particular subject area. Each test is one hour long, and up to three tests can be taken on one day. These tests are also scored on a 200-800 scale and are offered in Literature, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, U.S. History, World History, French, Spanish, Latin, and several other subjects. These tests are typically taken immediately following successful completion of coursework in the chosen subject areas or in May when students are prepped for Advanced Placement exams.

It is important for students to consult with their counselors to determine which subject tests are appropriate to take. As students, even those in honors courses, may not be ready or qualified to take a given subject test, students should pick the subjects in which they feel they will score in the highest percentile. Even though “score choice” exists for both the SAT and the ACT, some colleges require students to report all scores when applying. It is also important to remember that not all colleges require subject tests.

Please note: Students may not take the SAT Reasoning Test and a Subject Test on the same day.

AP EXAMS Advanced Placement exams are the comprehensive tests administered upon the completion of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP classes present curricula designed for college-level work, and depending on the score earned on the AP exam, students may receive college credit for work done in high school. Students enrolled in an AP class are required to take the exam in that subject area and are, therefore, automatically registered. With approval from the Academic Dean, a student may take an AP exam for an AP course not offered at Masters, or for an AP course offered but in which the student 34

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The Masters School offers AP classes in the following subject areas: English Language, English Literature, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, Spanish Language and Culture, French Language and Culture, United States History, European History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Music Theory, Art History, and Studio Art. With approval from the Academic Dean, a student may take an AP exam for an AP course not offered at Masters, or for an AP course offered but in which the student is not enrolled, provided that the student take the exam in the year the student would normally be enrolled in the course.

More information on the AP, as well as the PSAT and SAT, can be found at the College Board website (www.collegeboard.com).

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is not enrolled, provided that the student take the exam in the year the student would normally be enrolled in the course. Students are billed $92 per exam; there are reduced exam fees for those students who receive financial aid.

These tests are generally three hours long and include a combination of multiple choice and essay questions. They are administered at The Masters School each year in early May. Tests are scored on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being the highest possible score. Colleges generally will not award advanced credit to students scoring below a 3.

TOEFL The TOEFL, or Test of English as a Foreign Language, is required of all international students who wish to continue their studies in the United States and for some students whose language spoken at home is one other than English. Many colleges and universities will list the minimum TOEFL score required before an application will be considered. These minimum TOEFL scores are not negotiable! For example, if a particular school requires a 250 minimum TOEFL score, a student must achieve a 250 on the test before his or her application will be considered.

Students register to take the exam through an automated telephone service at 1-800-GO-TOEFL. The test is administered on the computer at a designated testing center. Students typically make their testing appointments at One Penn Plaza in Manhattan, but there are many other sites. For more information, call 1-800-GO-TOEFL or go to the website (www.toefl.org).

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ENGLISH

ENGLISH The mission of the English Department is to help our students think and communicate clearly. We emphasize purposeful writing, effective speaking, thoughtful listening, and careful reading because these skills are the basis for academic and personal growth. We study literature as a model for effective communication as well as for its moral and aesthetic values; we strive to facilitate our students’ own discovery of literature’s power to move and enlighten.

In classes around the Harkness table, students work with each other and their teachers in an ongoing process of collaborative inquiry and discovery. Discussion, projects, and presentations are common because they require students to take an active role in their learning. The small class size allows teachers to give a great deal of attention to each student’s writing.

Together, we study literary works from a multitude of genres and cultures, with common texts in grades nine through eleven presented by English teachers at every level. Thus, over the course of their years at Masters, students read a rich variety of works from classical, British, American, and world literature.

Individual teachers choose additional texts to complement the works in common and to meet the needs of their particular courses. Throughout the curriculum students write in various modes so they can practice the range of skills necessary to pursue understanding and self-expression. For instance, they respond to literature in both analytic essays and informal ruminations; they give shape to memories or sort out issues in personal narratives; they experiment with various genres by producing their own original pieces of creative writing.

All students are required to take English each year they are at Masters. Distinction in English is typically conferred upon those graduating seniors whose remarkable achievements in English reflect an abiding interest in literature, great care and skill in writing, and valuable contributions to the Harkness discussions and other activities in English classes.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Bob Cornigans B.A., Amherst College

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9 – INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION

Ninth-grade English serves to provide a strong foundation for expository writing and literary analysis by examining elements of literature and by developing essential skills. With key texts from Homer and Shakespeare to J.D. Salinger and Zora Neale Hurston, students learn discussion skills at the Harkness table, where they respond to literature in a variety of ways. The analytical essay is emphasized, as students learn to create and support a thesis effectively with text. Students also write memoirs, short stories, and poetry, using the literature studied as models. In all writing, a process of outlining, drafting, revising, and editing is taught. Grammar and vocabulary instruction are drawn both from students’ writing and from supplemental texts.

ENGLISH

111 ENGLISH

1 credit – year-long major 121 ENGLISH

10 – LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION II

Building on the skills they learned in ninth grade, students in English 10 strive to become more sophisticated readers and writers. They explore aspects of expression and literature such as genre, style, voice, and rhetorical devices.

Common texts include works by Shakespeare and major authors of world literature such as Rushdie and Naipaul. Students are coached in "close reading" skills as well as in those skills of inquiry, listening, and articulation that are needed to engage in and sustain challenging, collaborative, text-based discussions. In studying matters of style, students develop a critical ear for tone, voice, and figurative language. Through instruction, writing workshops, research of secondary sources, and the use of grammar and vocabulary texts, the students improve their English usage and polish their writing skills. Their writing covers a range of modes and purposes, including poetry, fiction, and the analytical essay.

1 credit – year-long major 131

ENGLISH 11 – AMERICAN LITERATURE

The literature in eleventh grade is drawn from America’s multicultural heritage, with works of prose and poetry from authors such as Anne Bradstreet, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Frederick Douglass, Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ralph Ellison, Louise Erdrich, and Toni Morrison, as well as an assortment of contemporary non-fiction pieces. Students continue to refine their writing skills through a variety of genres, ranging from the analytical essay to poetry. In Harkness discussions, students analyze literature and their own writing, and they use THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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textual analysis and writing to better understand themselves and their world.

1 credit – year-long major 133

AMERICAN STUDIES

American Studies is an interdisciplinary course for juniors offered by the English and the History and Religion Departments. The class coordinates the material taught in eleventh-grade history and English by prompting students to explore the underlying philosophical and moral assumptions of Americans, as reflected in their country’s history and literature. Simultaneously, students are encouraged to examine the framework of their own philosophical and moral assumptions and reflect deeply upon what it means for them to identify themselves as Americans. The class meets during two bands and is assigned two teachers, one from each department. Students who thrive in American Studies are those who willingly embark upon a rigorous and challenging course. They strive to make connections between history, literature, the world today, and themselves; they emphasize discovering personal meaning in their studies rather than memorizing and retaining content. Feeling responsible to themselves, to each other, and to their inquiry, students in American Studies enjoy learning independently and collaboratively.

1 credit – year-long major – taken in conjunction with 433 135

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The Advanced Placement course in English Language combines two courses in one. American literature, which makes up the standard eleventh-grade English curriculum, is explored in greater depth and at an accelerated pace.

In addition, students prepare for the Advanced Placement examination in English Language and Composition by close examination of rhetorical strategies and frequent in-class writing.

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– SENIOR SEMINARS

Senior English classes are divided into term-long seminars. Each student selects two seminars from among those offered. Courses vary from year to year, but the selection is always broad and diverse. Seminars are taught by department members, each one teaching an area of interest. Students are expected to rise to higher levels of analysis, to write frequently and fluidly – in short, to 38

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1 credit – two seminars are the equivalent of a year-long major The following are samples of recent senior seminars:

ENGLISH

demonstrate the reading, thinking, listening, speaking, and writing skills they have learned in the previous three years.

AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE In this course we will explore a variety of literary and historical works in order to trace a genealogy of the concept of race in the United States. Contemporary works – like the film Dear White People, the memoir Between the World and Me, and the novel Caucasia – see race and the concept of “blackness” as a construct along a continuum. But there is also a history embedded in it that includes segregation and protest, dehumanization and self-assertion, slavery and rebellion. We will analyze how the concept of race grew out of those historical facts: a cultural fiction that nonetheless has materially real consequences. Moreover, we will query the extent to which the signifiers of blackness help to construct concepts of white identity and many of its attendant signifiers, like professionalism and middle class culture. Authors, poets, documentarians, memoirists, and speakers to be explored include Ta Nehisi Coates, Danzy Senna, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Stanley Davis, Angela Davis, Langston Hughes, Charles Chesnutt, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Herman Melville, Phillis Wheatley, Olaudah Equiano and others.

AN EXPLORATION: NEW YORK This is a course about being an explorer, an explorer of New York City and its environs. Literature that will help us practice and develop the skills of an expert explorer includes fiction, poetry, film, music, and memoir. As most of the interesting problems in the world cannot be addressed by a single discipline or by staying solely in a classroom, one of our goals will be to read New York City and its environs through the eyes of writers, historians, artists, poets, photographers, architects, theater directors, movie producers, urban planners, activists, etc. We will consider writing chiefly as a form of exploration and will craft essays, journals, poems, and memoirs that serve not as aids to exploration, but as explorations themselves.

A POETRY WORKSHOP In this poetry workshop, we will immerse ourselves in the playful and profound world of poetry, as we create poems based upon careful listening to the work of published poets and peers. Published poets will help guide, inspire, and provoke us; they will visit our class for authorship seminars and workshops, and we will visit them at centers for poetry in the city and nearby. Close reading of poems, selected by the class, will help us become more nuanced writers of poetry. No experience, proficiency, or even comfort with poetry is expected nor required, only a willingness to take risks, THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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a passion to practice, and the desire to collaborate in our community of writers and readers of poetry.

FILM AS LITERATURE How does film train us to see the world and ourselves?

This question will guide us as we learn to recognize the medium’s basic elements: camera shots and angles, mise-en-scene, sound and lighting design, dialogue, and story structure. By viewing the works of directors such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Spike Jonze, Todd Haynes, Stanley Kubrick, and others, we will analyze how film captivates us and curates lived experience. We will also explore film as a form of literature, a medium that heightens our experience of things we often take for granted: the self, the family, gender, duty and responsibility, love, even the mind itself. While our reading will be primarily visual, our work will culminate in a literature-to-film adaption project arguing whether a film such as The Shining, Blade Runner, or even Pride and Prejudice translates the spirit of its source text or instead creates an entirely new work. All along we will be guided by the question of how much film alters, or perhaps even transforms, our ability to experience, to critique, and to be aware.

FINDING BALANCE: ENDS, MEANS, AND ENDINGS We often frame high school as preparation for college, as preparation for life, as preparation for the “real world.” We understand that high school is a formative time in a person’s life, a time when young men and women are doing the hard work of discovering who they want to be. It’s only natural, therefore, to regard the high school experience as a kind of stepping-stone; it is a means to some other end, some grand (often unnamed) ambition that lies on the far side of college. Of course, high school is not the only transitional time in an individual’s life. In our careers, our relationships, and our private lives, we often choose to take on temporary hardships or responsibilities in order to achieve long term ends. But how do we balance the value of the current moment against our future hopes and dreams? Alfred Tennyson opens In Memoriam with the proposition “That men may rise on stepping-stones/ Of their dead selves to higher things.” No doubt, there are times when tremendous hardship results in tremendous growth, but again, how do we know when our dead selves are worth the sacrifice? Through readings ranging from Aristotle to William Wordsworth, and modern films, podcasts, and articles, students will have the opportunity to contemplate these questions for themselves.

GETTING OUTDOORS: THE AMERICAN NATURE ESSAY When Henry David Thoreau got fed up with the daily grind of town life, he moved to the woods to escape the deadening effects of pointless social habits and expectations. His writings about his two-year experiment show him re-creating himself and re-

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considering the world around him. Later American nature writers such as Mary Austin, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Edward Abbey, and Annie Dillard discuss ecology and the value of the wilderness, but like Thoreau, they write about more than just trees and bugs. They explore the outdoors to ask deep questions about themselves and their society as well as about the natural world. Students read these authors and take advantage of the warming spring weather to actually get outdoors, to observe, to raise questions, and to write.

PERSONAL ESSAYS AND PERSONAL NARRATIVE All good writing requires attention to form, an ability to observe closely, and an understanding of the subtleties and power of language. But personal narrative poses special challenges: What parts of your life do you choose to frame? How can you be character and writer at once? How much freedom do you have to embellish or even invent when you re-create the past? How do you describe your own emotions without melodrama? Students read masters of the genre who serve as models. Reading essays by George Orwell, Natalia Ginzburg, Cynthia Ozick, Scott Russell Sanders, Annie Dillard, David Sedaris and others, we look closely at syntax, diction, metaphor, and tone, as well as considering issues of authenticity, pacing, and humor. The class is primarily a workshop, however, in which students critique one another’s work in small groups or with the entire group. During the second semester, as we read full-length memoir, students may consider writing long pieces linking various parts of their lives. The seminar runs a full year to allow time for students not only to explore a range of creative nonfiction, but also, with increasing expertise, to go back to pieces written early in the year, revise, and evaluate them for publication. In the spring the classroom becomes a microcosm of the publishing world: we read and edit narratives by the class, make suggestions for revisions, and select pieces for our on-line publication, Before 19. Students consider design elements as well as select art to accompany their work.

QUESTS, JOURNEYS, AND ROAD TRIPS In this seminar, we will explore the transformative experiences that occur when a protagonist quests, journeys or simply “takes to the road” in order to find something essential that seems to be missing in the comforts of home. Travelling out of one’s comfort zone is a great way for characters, authors and readers to explore how we construct meaning and a sense of self from experience. Removing oneself from the known, comfortable and familiar forces characters and readers to question essential premises about identity, existence, consciousness and beliefs. Expect to travel (literally and figuratively) in assignments. We will start with a short and absurd medieval quest in Italo Calvino’s The Nonexistent Knight (combined with a little Monty Python) and end with a spiritual journey in Hermann

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Hesse’s Siddhartha that may lead us toward some important character development of our own. Between the two, we will cast a wide net among a range of authors, time periods and genres to experience as much as possible of our protagonists’ discomfort and dislocation before crafting the ultimate road trip of our dreams.

RE-IMAGINING: PARODIES, RETELLINGS, AND LITERARY CANNIBALISM All writers draw on earlier works, but some authors start with a specific past work and reimagine it. They take something from the older text and use it to create fresh literature. They might develop a sub-plot into its own story, offer the villain’s point of view, set the story in a new time and place, or parody what the original presents seriously. Not only are these new works interesting in their own right, but they also have the potential to change how we understand the earlier story.

Students study seminal works and the texts they inspired, including the heroic epic Beowulf and the monster’s version, Grendel; Hamlet and the absurdist play about two of its minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead; Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the 1931 movie version of it; and shorter works such as fairy tale retellings and poetic parodies. Writing for this course is a mix of analytic essays and students’ own re-imagined versions of stories.

SETTINGS: ON LOCATION Have you ever read a story or novel where the setting seems to be just as important as any of the characters in it? Authors often create memorable narratives by developing settings with maximum impact.

In this seminar we will explore how setting-building strategies can help us tell more meaningful tales; we will also look at the extra advantages that visual elements add in movies and films. Class texts will include short stories, narratives and one novel – all where the setting is front and center. Novels will be read and discussed in “book club” format, which will allow groups to set their own pace and explore their own topics in one of several setting-rich selections ranging from light and readable (Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast) to more intense experiences (Paul Bowles’ The Sheltering Sky). There will also be a few healthy classics (E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View and Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa), as well as contemporary choices. Assignments will be short and creative, and sometimes reflective – and all will be geared toward building your “on location” skills. The final project will involve researching a time and place of your choice then crafting a short story or film where the setting plays an integral role in the telling of your tale.

THEATER THROUGH THE AGES For more than three thousand years, theater has been used to tell stories of love and loss, heroes and villains, comedy and tragedy. Across centuries, continents, and social strata, we find again and again that it is painful to watch a fatal flaw hurtle a heroic character toward a terrible 42

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end. Likewise, romantic misadventure and flouting gender norms never fail to elicit laughter. What can we learn about human nature from themes that endure the passage of time and the rise and fall of civilizations? How do we differ from our dramatic forbearers, and how have we remained the same? Potential comparisons include (Ancient Greece) Antigone and Lysistrata, (Renaissance) Macbeth and As You Like It, and (Victorian) The Importance of Being Earnest.

Students will also attend at least one modern play.

COMPOSITION

An advanced course in the close analysis of literature, AP English Literature and Composition focuses on American and British literature, but may include works in translation as well. The course covers various genres from a range of time periods and may include novels such as As I Lay Dying, Beloved, Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness, The Remains of the Day, and Pride and Prejudice; playwrights such as Shakespeare, Sophocles, and John Patrick Shanley; and the work of poets such as John Donne, John Milton, William Wordsworth, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Elizabeth Bishop and e.e. cummings. While the course focuses on analytic writing, creative writing is assigned as well. Students also do regular practice activities designed to help them prepare for the Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature and Composition, which is given in early May. The course culminates in a final project, a collaborative activity that allows students to showcase the analytic reading and writing skills they will have practiced and refined throughout the year.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS The ELL program is designed for international students who are English language learners. Students entering Masters must already have some mastery of English, as our introductory ELL classes require an intermediate level of English proficiency. Our goal is to prepare students for and support them through the rigors of mainstream coursework by teaching skills and covering material that will accelerate their English language learning. By providing them with special classes in addition to their mainstream courses, these students should develop the skills and the confidence to express themselves effectively in English and thereby acquire the means to become fully engaged in all aspects of community life at Masters.

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Two levels of ELL classes are offered by the English Department. The literature and writing courses correspond to mainstream English classes. The Language Arts courses are offered to support and improve upon students’ academic English skills; credits for these courses are applied towards fulfilling the School’s foreign language requirement. Students who are mainstreamed by junior year are required to begin study of a foreign language unless another year of Language Arts is required. Placement decisions for ELL courses are based upon the student's academic record and the results of a placement test that the English Department administers when students arrive on campus. On rare occasions and on a case-by-case basis, after a student has been placed in a given ELL course, he or she may be promoted midyear to a higher-level ELL course with the recommendation of his present ELL teacher and with the approval of the English Department. In no case is promotion to a higher level ELL course or to a mainstream course automatic; students must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the English Department a mastery of skills at one level before they are eligible for promotion to another.

102

LANGUAGE ARTS II

The aim of this course is to further develop and refine academic English language skills. Elements covered include vocabulary building, reading comprehension, grammar and sentence structure, and speaking and listening skills. The material covered in this course helps students to function in mainstream courses as well as to prepare them to take the SAT and the TOEFL exams.

1 credit – year-long major 103

LANGUAGE ARTS III

In order to continue the study of the English language at this more advanced level, students taking this course will have demonstrated a competency in academic reading and writing as well as a willingness to participate fully in classroom discussions. Texts and materials are chosen to strengthen academic language skills required for success in mainstream courses at Masters and at the college level. Students work to refine their academic writing skills with particular attention to producing essays that reflect a mature understanding of voice, style, tone, and nuance.

1 credit – year-long major

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LITERATURE

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Literature and Composition emphasizes the development of critical reading, writing, thinking, and Harkness discussion skills as well as a genuine appreciation for the benefits of collaborative learning. It is designed to help broaden a student's appreciation of literature through the study of novels, short stories, plays, and films. Examination of texts at this level is primarily student-guided. Academic and creative writing skills are emphasized. Students have opportunities to produce both critical essays and creative writing.

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120

1 credit – year-long major 130

ADVANCED LITERATURE

AND

COMPOSITION

This course is for advanced English language learners. At this level, students are reading and responding to more advanced literature. Students are also challenged to write longer and more complex responses to texts in order to prepare for the rigors of mainstream classes at Masters and in college.

1 credit – year-long major

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MATHEMATICS

MATHEMATICS Mathematics is an essential part of our experience of the world around us and one of our most effective tools for exploring and defining it. Through our program, students learn how to engage in mathematical activities of analysis, synthesis, deduction, and prediction. The department’s primary objectives are for the student to gain a sense of the beauty and power of mathematics as a subject, to appreciate its relevance and importance to our every day lives, and recognize it as a universal language for communicating ideas and concepts and as such, the common heritage of the human race.

Students who complete their course of study in mathematics at The Masters School should have developed the mathematical proficiency needed for entry into a diverse choice of college programs for which math is required or applied. Through the use of the Harkness table, we expect our students to develop the creativity and perseverance needed for problem solving and to communicate their mathematical knowledge to others.

Students must take math for three years and through trigonometry. While a grade of 60 is passing, a grade below 70 for the year or for the spring semester will ordinarily require summer work as recommended by the department.

Distinction in Mathematics is typically conferred upon those graduating seniors who have demonstrated noteworthy dedication and strength of purpose in exploring math topics in depth, pursued consistent goals of high achievement, and come to a level of mathematical knowledge not ordinarily attained by students at the school. Such students have maintained grades of about 90 or better throughout their upper-school years, achieved at or near their potential, completed a greater number of honors and AP courses than most other students, and possess a unique interest and dedication to the subject.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Michele Dennis M.S., Cornell University

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212 ALGEBRA

I

1 credit – year-long major – offered at the basic and regular levels 220 INTEGRATED

MATHEMATICS

This course aims to build a solid algebraic foundation that will be essential to students’ success in higher-level math courses. After an initial review of important pre-algebra topics such as order of operations, fractions, ratio, proportions, and percent, the major points of study will be understanding our number system; solving, graphing, and writing linear equations, inequalities, and systems; operating with exponents and polynomials; and factoring. Throughout, emphasis is placed on learning to represent mathematical concepts graphically, numerically, symbolically, and verbally.

GEOMETRY

This course covers many of the topics of the traditional Geometry course and seeks to strengthen students’ algebraic background by focusing on the use of analytic (coordinate) geometry in proving theorems. In the process, reviewed and reinforced are many of the important algebraic methods introduced in Algebra I: midpoint formula, distance formula, equations of lines and circles, systems of equations, and ratio and proportion. This course provides a solid foundation for Algebra II the following year.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA I 222

GEOMETRY

The primary focus of this course is the exploration of Euclidean geometry.

The topics of study are: parallel and perpendicular lines, quadrilaterals and parallelograms, congruence and similarity, right triangle relationships, circles and polygons. Additional areas of study include solid and analytic geometry.

The course aims to develop students’ powers of logical thought through the use of inductive reasoning and formal deductive proof.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA I 224

HONORS GEOMETRY

The emphasis of the Honors Geometry curriculum is on Euclidean Geometry, and we additionally integrate the study of transformations, vectors, parametric equations, and algebra so that meaningful connections are developed between the topics. This course uses a spiraled and problem-based text, Phillips Exeter Academy's Mathematics 2, in which concepts evolve through THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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MATHEMATICS

carefully constructed sequences of problems where all needed information is embedded in the questions themselves and in the order in which they appear.

Class is structured as a seminar where students present problems, discuss their approaches, and collaboratively make essential connections. The role of the teacher is to help students evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies and identify key ideas and strategies that emerge. In this way, students develop a deep conceptual under-standing of the topics studied, acquire increasingly sophisticated problem solving skills, and are active authors in their own learning. Additionally, students learn how to extend, communicate, verbally and in writing, and defend their mathematical thinking.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA I and permission of the department 232

ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY

This course extends the concepts studied in earlier courses by presenting a formal treatment of functions and their graphs, along with some use of a graphics calculator as an aid for exploration and discovery. The concepts include exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, polynomial, and rational functions. The course stresses real-life applications in order to teach the concepts involved in mathematical modeling.

1 credit – year-long major – offered at the basic, regular, and honors levels prerequisites ALGEBRA I, GEOMETRY 250

TOPICS

IN

PRECALCULUS

Topics in Precalculus focuses on the most essential topics in Precalculus with the aim of laying a solid foundation for the further study of calculus. Considerable emphasis is placed on strengthening students’ algebraic skills and deepening their understanding of the core conceptual ideas. The unifying theme of this course is the analysis of functions – polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric – through graphical, numerical, and symbolic perspectives. Wherever possible, students are exposed to the application of these functions in modelling real-world phenomena. Graphing calculators are required and will be used extensively throughout the year.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY 252

PRECALCULUS

This course is designed to further students’ algebraic development and math48

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1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY 254

MATHEMATICS

ematical thinking by laying a strong foundation for the further study of calculus. The unifying theme of this course is the analysis of functions – polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric – through graphical, numerical, and symbolic perspectives. Wherever possible, students are exposed to the application of these functions in modelling real-world phenomena. If time permits, additional topics include sequences and series, polar coordinates, complex numbers, and vectors. A key concept of calculus, the first derivative, is introduced utilizing the difference quotient. Graphing calculators are required and are used extensively throughout the year.

HONORS PRECALCULUS AB

Designed to prepare the student to advance to AP Calculus AB or a similarly rigorous course in college, students entering this course should demonstrate independence of thought, creativity in problem solving, and intellectual curiosity.

In addition to the topics mentioned in Precalculus, the following concepts are supplemented in Honors Precalculus AB: conic sections, advanced trigonometry, inverse relations, and an introduction to limits. By the end of the year, students will be able to comprehend how the graph of a tangent line, the slope written as a difference quotient, and the instantaneous rate of change attained through limits all relate to the notion of the first derivative. Graphing calculators are required and are used extensively throughout the year.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department prerequisite ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY 256

HONORS PRECALCULUS BC

Designed to prepare the student to advance to AP Calculus BC or a similarly rigorous course in college, students entering this course should demonstrate independence of thought, creativity in problem solving, and intellectual curiosity. In addition to the topics mentioned in Precalculus and Honors Precalculus AB, the following concepts are supplemented in Honors Precalculus BC: mathematical induction, properties of limits, probability, matrices, parametric equations, and the area under the curve. Graphing calculators are required and are used extensively throughout the year.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department prerequisite ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY

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MATHEMATICS

260

CALCULUS

Calculus serves as an appropriate capstone course for those students who are considering further study of science, engineering, technology, finance, or other field not necessarily exclusively mathematical. The syllabus includes a review of the topics from algebra, trigonometry, and analytical geometry that are necessary for success in the course and contains an in-depth coverage of most of the topics normally taught in the first semester and part of the second semester of a three-semester college calculus sequence.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite PRECALCULUS 265

AP CALCULUS AB

AP Calculus AB follows the Advanced Placement curriculum outlined by the College Board and is comparable to a college-level calculus course. The prerequisites outlined by this curriculum should be covered before or during the course. The course focuses on developing students’ understanding of the concepts of calculus and providing experience with its methods and applications.

The course emphasizes a multirepresentational approach to calculus, with concepts, results, and problems being expressed graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. The connections among these representations also are important. The course prepares students for the AP Calculus AB examination.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 266

AP CALCULUS BC

AP Calculus BC is an extension of Calculus AB rather than an enhancement; the common topics require a similar depth of understanding. While most students come from Calculus AB, that course is not a prerequisite. Students taking Calculus BC should have covered all the prerequisites outlined by the Advanced Placement curriculum before taking the course. The course prepares students for the AP Calculus BC examination.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 267

MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS

This advanced course is geared towards students with a strong understanding of the algebra and calculus of single variable functions who would like to extend their study to functions of multiple variables. The course begins with a comprehensive review of the algebra of vectors and vector functions. Students 50

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1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department prerequisite AP CALCULUS (BC preferred) 268

LINEAR ALGEBRA

MATHEMATICS

explore different coordinate systems and examine the graphs of surfaces in three dimensions. We then apply the tools of calculus to these functions and discover how derivatives and integrals work in higher dimensions. Computer software such as Mathematica, which can render 3D graphs, is implemented as necessary. Applications to engineering and physics are also considered.

Time permitting, students end the year with an exploration of topics related to solving differential equations.

This advanced course provides an introduction to the study of Linear Algebra, which at its core is the study of higher dimensional spaces through Matrices and Vectors. Students begin with an exploration of the use of Matrices in solving Systems of Linear Equations and then move on to Algebra with Matrices, Determinants, Vector Spaces, Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors, and Orthogonality. TI graphing calculators are used regularly, and Mathematica, which can render 3-Dimensional graphs, is used as needed.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department prerequisite AP CALCULUS (BC preferred) 270

STATISTICS

Statistics is offered to students as an introduction to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. The three broad conceptual themes include exploring and analyzing data by observing patterns and departures from patterns using graphical and numerical techniques; planning a study, which includes the way in which data is collected; and anticipating patterns by producing models using some probability theory and simulation. The course is an excellent option for any student who has successfully completed a regular or honors-level course in Algebra II/ Trigonometry and possesses sufficient mathematical and quantitative skills.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY 275

AP STATISTICS

Advanced Placement Statistics is offered to juniors and seniors who wish to complete studies in secondary school equivalent to a one-semester, introductory, non-calculus based, college course in statistics. The purpose of this

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MATHEMATICS

course is to introduce students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. The four broad conceptual themes include exploring and analyzing data by observing patterns and departures from patterns using graphical and numerical techniques; planning a study, which includes the way in which data is collected; anticipating patterns by producing models using probability theory and simulation; and statistical inference. The course prepares students for the AP Statistics examination.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 281 INTRODUCTION TO

BUSINESS

AND

PERSONAL FINANCE

This major course is open to those students who have fulfilled the graduation requirement for math and is designed to provide students with a comprehensive look at the world of finance and investing. Students will study various financial institutions, the inner workings of the financial markets, and the risks and rewards of investing in these markets. Considering our campus’ proximity to the capital of the financial world, students will also have the opportunity to visit Wall Street and lower Manhattan as well as design and pursue various projects and activities. They will also be exposed to the many career opportunities that exist in the financial field. Course objectives include learning the basic concepts and usage of basic business math, consumer math, and practical investment issues.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY 283

APPLIED MATHEMATICS: METEOROLOGY

This course provides an introductory look at atmospheric science with applied mathematics, exploring the causes and effects of the elements of weather. Students take a close look at the vertical structure of the atmosphere, weather elements, and climate, studying and analyzing weather maps and energy. Students also learn and apply the first law of thermodynamics, the conservation of energy, as well as heat transfer within the atmosphere. We also examine the fluctuations in seasonal and daily temperatures for various latitudes and to-pographies, followed by a study of light and color, atmospheric optics, atmospheric moisture, condensation, precipitation, stability, and cloud development. The course concludes with an exploration of global climatic models, the earth-atmosphere energy balance, air pressure, and storm development skills.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY

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MODERN

AND

CLASSICAL LANGUAGES

The faculty of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages recognize the importance of helping students develop an understanding of the ideas and culture of the ancient world as well as preparing students to be fully-fledged members of today’s global community.

LANGUAGES

In Latin, the department offers instruction to complement and strengthen the missions of our English, History & Religion, and Art Departments. Students gain insight into and understanding of the English language through extensive study of Latin vocabulary, sentence structure, and the great works of classical Greek and Roman literature that have inspired and informed writers and thinkers throughout the centuries. The objectives of our Latin program are to engage students with this rich heritage; to help them develop their command and appreciation of Latin as a language and as the vehicle of history, theater, poetry, science, philosophy, theology, and everyday life; and to explore with them the cultural differences that separate us from the ancient world and the similarities that link us to it so tightly.

Modern language faculty are committed to the student-centered communicative approach in an immersion classroom environment. Our goal is to help students cultivate intercultural competence as part of their path toward a global citizenship. The curricula of French, Spanish, and Mandarin stress the development of the four basic modern language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students should expect all French and Spanish courses to be conducted in the target language, with our immersive classes providing the appropriate pedagogical environment for students to participate actively; Mandarin courses move more gradually toward immersion. Moreover, students have the opportunity to practice their skills with their class regularly in our language laboratory and to incorporate available technological resources into their studies. We implement authentic materials at all levels to illustrate scenarios of daily life as well as to convey information about the culture, history, literature, and geography of representative countries.

The language requirement stipulates that all students complete a minimum of three years of study in the same language at the high school level, through at least an introduction to literature (year III), though we encourage students to continue in their course of study through senior year, and most do. While a grade of 60 is passing, a grade below 70 for the year or for the spring semester will ordinarily require summer work as recommended by the department.

Distinction in one or more of the languages offered as majors by the depart-

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ment is typically conferred upon those graduating seniors who have completed four years of study of the language, maintained a high level of achievement reflected by grades in the high 80s or 90s throughout those years, completed the most challenging courses available to them, and shown passion for the subject.

LANGUAGES

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Richard Simon M.A., M.Phil., New York University

“ 301

LATIN I

Students use the Cambridge Latin Course Series to learn the fundamentals of Latin grammar and begin to build a vocabulary. The textbook is readingbased and follows the story of a Roman family living in Pompeii in 79 CE, the year of Vesuvius’ devastating eruption. Family members relocate to Roman Britain and Alexandria, Egypt, giving students a sense of the geographical and cultural breadth of the Roman Empire in the first century. Grammar topics include the functions of cases, noun declensions 1-3, the active voice of present, imperfect and perfect tense indicatives, and relative clauses. Attention is also given to expanding English vocabulary through Latin.

1 credit – year-long major 302

LATIN II

Students continue their study of Latin in Units 2 and 3 of the Cambridge Latin Course. Grammar topics include complete noun morphology (declensions 1-5), and additional case functions and verb forms, including participles and the subjunctive mood. The textbook continues to explore life in first century Roman Britain as well as Rome proper. Latin composition projects help students develop a mastery of more complex syntax. Attention to expanding English vocabulary through Latin continues throughout the year.

1 credit – year-long major 303

LATIN III

Students complete their study of Latin grammar in Unit 4 of the Cambridge 54

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1 credit – year-long major 306

SEMINARS

IN

LATIN LITERATURE

Each year the department offers Seminars in Latin Literature in which students read multiple Latin texts to hone translation skills and deepen their knowledge of classical literature, history, and culture. In addition to translating, students do a close and critical reading of all works. A major paper and/or project is generally assigned each semester. Since topics and reading lists vary from year to year, it is possible for students to take two years of Seminars.

LANGUAGES

Latin Course with an examination of the remaining advanced concepts of grammar and syntax. Reading and translation skills are refined through intensive practice. Over the course of the year, we transition to working exclusively with unadapted selections from Classical Latin literature with particular attention to Latin poetry. Focusing on the Metamorphoses of Ovid, we not only translate, but also begin to analyze and interpret the literature.

Rhetorical and poetic devices are taught along with the meter and scansion of Latin poetry. From this point forward in the Latin program, students read only authentic Latin texts .

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite LATIN III The following are samples of Seminars in Latin Literature:

DRAMA AND SATIRE Students read in Latin selections by a number of comic, tragic, and satirical authors from the Republic and the Empire, including comedies by Plautus and Terence; tragedies by Seneca; and satires by Horace, Juvenal, and Petronius. Along the way we also consider some larger critical questions about the roots and influence of Roman drama, the nature of tragedy and comedy, and the purpose of satire. Critical readings on drama and satire include selections from Aristotle's Poetics, Horace's Ars Poetica, and work by contemporary scholars. Modern film versions, audio recordings, and, whenever possible, live performances complement our study of these ancient texts. Each semester culminates in a creative dramatic or satirical project inspired by our readings.

CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY IN ART AND LITERATURE Students read popular and lesser-known myths as told by Ovid, Vergil, Seneca, and Catullus, including the stories of Daedalus and Icarus, Medea, and Theseus and the Minotaur, to name a few. In addition to analyzing and interpreting these works, students also explore the extensive apparatus of literary allusion as they examine

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LANGUAGES

how the same myths manifest in post-classical and contemporary art and literature. In this context students explore the work of modern writers, artists, and filmmakers, such as Shakespeare, Rilke, Rubens, and Lars von Trier. Students produce two projects: their own original work of art – for example, a short story or play, a film, a painting – inspired by myths read in class, and a one-of-a-kind handbound book that chronicles the life of a myth over the last two thousand years. Bookbinding, medieval calligraphy techniques, and manuscript tradition are taught as part of this final project.

LATIN AND BOTANY In this highly interdisciplinary course, the natural world and the history of science are examined through the lens of Latin and botany.

Students read in Latin selections on plants, trees, and medicine from Pliny the Elder’s 1st century Historia Naturalia; they then compare Pliny’s style, approach, and method of organizing data with that of Carolus Linnaeus, botanist and father of taxonomy who wrote in 18th century Latin. In addition to reading these Latin texts, students also compose their own botanical descriptions in Latin, some in the style of Pliny and some in the style of Linnaeus. The descriptions are based on first-hand observations of botanical species on campus and at the New York Botanical Garden. Students gain a basic knowledge of plant anatomy; plant identification and scientific illustration techniques are practiced, and the role of Latin in scientific binomials and the distinct language of Botanical Latin are explored in depth. A nature journal showcasing Latin compositions, original illustrations, and pressed specimens is handbound by each student at the end of the year.

317

ADVANCED TOPICS

IN

LATIN LITERATURE

Advanced Topics is a college-level course that explores authentic Latin texts critically and in depth. Students translate all primary texts from Latin into English and are expected to analyze and interpret these works. Interdisciplinary and experiential learning are emphasized through manuscript tradition, New York City museum trips and resources, art history, and the place of these texts in the contemporary world. As themes vary from year to year, it is possible for qualified students to take two years of the course. Topics and texts include Roman history (Tacitus and Livy), Vergil’s Aeneid, the poetry and world of Catullus, and Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura.

1 credit – year-long major prerequisite LATIN III and permission of the department

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FRENCH I

1 credit – year-long major 322

LANGUAGES

With the interactive, multimedia programs of Le Nouveau Taxi! and French in Action, students use visual, aural, and print media to learn the language and culture of France. We supplement these with the present-tense story Un été pas comme les autres, which follows the adventures of an American high school student visiting a pen pal in France. The authenticity of the materials enables students to grasp the complexities of learning another language while at the same time making the subject matter interesting, accessible, and fun. The emphasis is on speaking, reading, writing, and listening, with the goal of the course being appropriate communicative proficiency through the development of language skills, self-expression, and intercultural understanding.

FRENCH II

This course further develops the four language skills along with a deeper study of grammar and syntax. Students continue their study using the programs of Le Nouveau Taxi!, French in Action, and Un été pas comme les autres; conduct a multifaceted project on a French film; and are introduced to the francophone world. Students in the accelerated level further review and expand their developing language skills. Readings from well-known French fairy tales and the novel Le Petit Prince introduce accelerated students to the study of French literature. Regular use of the language lab is an integral part of the course.

1 credit – year-long major – offered at the regular and accelerated levels 323

FRENCH III

At this point in their study of the language, students are expected to begin achieving a greater facility with idiomatic French and continue their study of grammar. An emphasis is placed on the students’ integration of speaking and writing skills. Students are introduced to francophone literature, reading selections of prose and poetry from the francophone world. In the spring students read works of modern and contemporary literature and engage in several projects using their ever-developing skills. In Accelerated French III, students explore diverse literary genres as a departure point for class discussions, written analyses, and oral presentations. Regular use of the language lab is an integral part of the course.

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324

FRENCH IV

LANGUAGES

As students pursue their mastery of the language, emphasis is placed on developing their oral and written analytical skills. Students study six major works of twentieth-century francophone literature and discuss cultural and current-event topics. The writing component includes both analytical papers and creative writing assignments. Students also do oral and written exposés on topics and themes derived from the course material.

1 credit – year-long major 326

SEMINAR

IN

FRENCH-LANGUAGE CULTURES

In this advanced francophone studies course, students expand their knowledge of the francophone world through deep analysis of films, literary works, and contemporary journalism. Learning to read francophone culture through the lenses of history, politics, and economics, students regularly do research on contemporary themes and engage in meaningful discussions in every class. While all four communicative skills are developed, there is a particular emphasis on writing. This is the only French course that does not have a final exam: Each student does an in-depth final project about a relevant topic he or she is passionate about. Our course materials cover the francophone cultures of Africa, Canada, and the Caribbean, as well as France itself, giving students a rich exposure to the multicultural aspects of life in these rapidly globalizing spheres.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 335

AP FRENCH LANGUAGE

AND

CULTURE

Students in this course have completed the curriculum covered through Accelerated French III or French IV. Students should have a solid understanding of spoken and written French, and by the end of the year be able to express themselves at a high level of proficiency, both verbally and in writing. Students continue to develop their oral and written skills by studying a rich variety of newspaper and magazine articles, scholarly texts, literary works, and contemporary films and by writing extensively in response to them. Culture is an integral element of this course, manifest in all materials the students engage.

Upon completion of the course, students take the AP French Language and Culture examination.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department

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SPANISH I

1 credit – year-long major 342

SPANISH II

LANGUAGES

In this introduction to the Spanish language, students learn and practice basic grammar, familiar expressions, basic phrases, idiomatic structures, pronunciation, and vocabulary. An emphasis is placed on the acquisition of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills. Students interact with each other through simple conversations. Oral pronunciation and listening skills are developed through regular use of the language lab and other media resources.

The cultures of Spain and Latin America are introduced through the exploration of history, geography, food, music, and the arts.

Students in this second-year course build on the foundation laid in Spanish I and develop more advanced language skills. Students learn several new tenses and constructions, deepen their understanding of grammar overall, and continue their study of the geography and culture of Spain and Latin America.

They continue to develop skills and understanding of the language through reading comprehension exercises and the writing of short essays. Regular use of the language lab is an integral part of building listening and speaking skills.

1 credit – year-long major – offered at the regular and accelerated levels 343

SPANISH III

In this intermediate course students solidify the structures they have learned previously so they can use them more accurately, and build new structures so they can express themselves with more nuance. Through the textbook Español Santillana 3, students learn to describe physical and personal characteristics, to narrate a biography, to express wishes and preferences, to talk about personal relationships, to speak about the past and the future, and to express needs and obligations, among other skills. In addition, students learn about Hispanic cultures through films and literary readings, which they also analyze and discuss. The accelerated course covers similar topics with more depth, and adds a number of intermediate-advanced grammar structures.

1 credit – year-long major – offered at the regular and accelerated levels

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LANGUAGES

344

SPANISH IV

This course is aimed at refining the students’ skills so they can express themselves with intermediate-advanced nuance, accuracy and fluency. The first few units provide an in-depth review of the structures studied previously, after which the course moves to new and more complex grammar. Our textbook, Imagina, features very clear grammar explanations, useful vocabulary, and a varied set of materials including short fiction films, short pieces of original literature by Hispanic authors, articles on the history and culture of Latin American countries, and online exercises. Our activities focus on topics such as love and relationships, family and traditions, environmental problems and policies, politics and human rights, and media and technology..

1 credit – year-long major 346

SEMINAR

IN

SPANISH-LANGUAGE CULTURES

This year-long seminar explores the cultures and civilizations of to the Hispanic world. Readings are drawn from original sources and original scholarship, literature and non-canonical writings, and other relevant cultural productions (folk, popular, and high art; architecture, music, journalism, magazines, movies, television, etc.). Recent seminars include: The History of Spain This seminar is a cultural-studies excursion through the centuries of Spanish history, beginning with Roman Hispania and ending with contemporary Spain. Students study Spain’s distinctive geography; Prehistoric, legendary "Hispania," Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Visigoth, late-medieval Christian and Muslim Spain up to the final “reunification” in 1492, accompanied by the start of the Inquisition and the expulsion of Muslims and Jews; the rise and fall of the “Empire” over the next four hundred years, and the 20th century. The Invention of the New World This course focuses on the Spanish “discovery” of the western hemisphere. Starting with the period of los Reyes Católicos, this course analyzes Columbus’ voyage to the Americas, his arrival in the “New World,” the encounter with the Mayas, Aztecs and Incas, and the subsequent extension of Spain in the Indies, the territorial order and the virreinatos. Students look closely at the reception and interpretation of these events in Spain and how ideas of this new world were shaped by touring “visits” by enslaved Indios, first-hand accounts of explorers, missionaries and settlers, and other forms of mythography: drama, poetry, painting, illustration, and highly politicized cartography.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department

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AP SPANISH LANGUAGE

AND

CULTURE

LANGUAGES

Students taking this course have completed the curriculum covered through Accelerated Spanish III or Spanish IV. The curriculum is comparable to a third-year college course in advanced Spanish writing and conversation. The course seeks more to develop language skills that are useful in themselves and that can be applied to various activities and disciplines than to the mastery of any specific subject matter. By the end of the year, students should have the ability to understand formal and informal spoken Spanish, read periodicals and modern literature written in Spanish, compose expository essays, and express ideas orally with accuracy and fluency. Coursework includes the expression of ideas, reading of literary works, extensive writing assignments, and oral class presentations. Upon completion of the course, students take the Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture examination.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 361

MANDARIN I

Mandarin I is an introductory course covering Mandarin Chinese language and culture. The course affords various opportunities to students interested in speaking a new language and experiencing a new culture. Students learn pinyin (a Romanized system of transliteration of Chinese), how to introduce themselves to one another, how to discuss daily school life, after school life, etc. Students also play games, sing songs, construct origami, write calligraphy, and more. By the end of the school year, students will have developed the basic conversation skills to converse about their daily lives.

1 credit – year-long major 362

MANDARIN II

Students in Mandarin II build upon the foundation of language skills and Chinese culture established in Mandarin I. Beyond daily practice with conversational Mandarin, students are introduced to Chinese characters in writing and in sentence patterns. Students continue to practice expressing their own ideas in Mandarin Chinese. Conversations focus on weather, cocurricular activities, Chinese holidays and American holidays, summer and winter breaks, hobbies, visits with friends and family, and more.

1 credit – year-long major

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LANGUAGES

363

MANDARIN III

Mandarin III is an intermediate-level course of study of the Mandarin language and culture. This course allows students who have successfully completed the first two years of Mandarin to continue to pursue their interests and studies. The course is comprised of four units: an introduction to China, travel to China, the Chinese Zodiac, and school life. During their course of study, students actively work together in the classroom and in various locations to facilitate language learning. We work on projects, watch videos, take trips, play games, sing songs, make origami, practice calligraphy, present tea, perform tai chi, and more. At the end of the school year, students will have developed skills and knowledge to express their ideas in the outlined topics.

1 credit – year-long major 364

MANDARIN IV

Representing a transition to advanced Mandarin studies, Mandarin IV continues the curricular studies presented in Mandarin III and takes a new approach. Students collaborate with their teacher on research projects, writing research reports in Chinese and creating a portfolio of work in Chinese.

The year is divided into four topics of study, and the teacher and students work together to research these topics, discuss and write about them, and finally present them. Topics may include the ten major Chinese cuisines, Chinese performing arts, Chinese history, and Chinese Medicine. At the end of the year, students develop sufficient vocabulary, knowledge, and mastery of each of these topics and are able to discuss them in Mandarin Chinese.

1 credit – year-long major 365

MANDARIN V

Mandarin V is the capstone of the Mandarin Chinese Program. Conducted entirely in the target language, the focus of the course is on the students’ development of independent skills for expressing their ideas in Chinese. These skills include daily conversation, reading (modern and classic short stories), listening to the news, and writing short essays. Students learn 500-600 new vocabulary elements and 70 new sentence patterns through class discussion and independent research, deepening their engagement with Chinese culture, literature, and idioms. Upon completing this course, students should have mastered 1800-2000 vocabulary elements and approximately 250 different sentence patterns, allowing them to express complex ideas both orally and in writing.

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391

ANCIENT GREEK I

.5 credits – year-long minor 392

ANCIENT GREEK II

LANGUAGES

This course meets twice a week and provides an introduction to the basics of the Attic dialect of Ancient Greek. Students learn the alphabet, acquire a preliminary vocabulary, and learn the function and forms of nouns and verbs. We use a reading-based text to quickly develop pronunciation skills and to facilitate comprehension. Composition and recitation skills are enhanced by a fourth quarter shadow puppetry production. Students compose the narrative in Ancient Greek and based on themes drawn from Classical mythology; we build our own puppets based on the stylized imagery and forms of Greek vase painting.

The course meets twice a week and continues the trajectory of Greek I, using the same reading-based textbook. Students increase their vocabulary, learn the complex system of Greek verb morphology and tackle more advanced syntax.

As in Greek I, art and language combine in a fourth quarter shadow puppetry project based on themes drawn from Classical mythology. The two Greek minors together comprise a typical semester of Greek I at the college level. .5 credits – year-long minor – prerequisite ANCIENT GREEK I 395

CLASSICAL STUDIES

This course is open to all students as an elective minor and as an elective major to students who have completed Latin 3 or higher. Students may choose to enroll in the minor even if they meet the prerequisite for the major. Two single blocks each week constitute CLASSICAL STUDIES MINOR, which explores the culture of ancient Greece and Rome: civilization, science in antiquity, literature, art, architecture, and theater; all readings are in English. The two single blocks together with the double-block constitute CLASSICAL STUDIES MAJOR. In the double-block, students who meet the Latin prerequisite translate primary sources from Latin into English; the selections are pertinent to the area being explored in the minor. For example, in a unit on theater, students in the minor might study the architecture of theater, examine the role of drama in Roman and Greek society, and analyze plays in translation, while students enrolled in the major additionally read Roman comedies or tragedies in the original Latin. This course does not count towards the language requirement. .5 or 1 credit – year-long minor or major – prerequisite for major LATIN III

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HISTORY & RELIGION

HISTORY

AND

RELIGION

The study of history and religion is the study of people and their cultures.

Keenly aware that the world is rapidly changing, our department seeks to foster in our students an understanding of the past, an appreciation for the rich diversity of the present, and an awareness of where the world is headed in the future. Our curriculum focuses on the students’ development of critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills. We stress the connections between events, people and places, and we emphasize the changes in cultures over time. We want students to be an active part of the historical process, so we focus on teaching them how to come up with their own interpretation of the events they are studying. We want them not only to be able to answer questions, but to be able to pose them as well.

The skills we emphasize in our classes vary somewhat according to the age of the student. In the ninth grade much emphasis is placed on teaching basic study skills. Students learn how to read their textbook effectively, how to interpret maps, and how to compile a notebook. In each successive year these skills are further refined. Acknowledging that one of the most important skills we can teach our students is how to write well, essays on historical and religious topics are assigned throughout the year in all classes. In addition to individual essays, students also conduct research in order to learn from outside sources. Students learn how to analyze primary and secondary sources and to use those sources to support their historical arguments, both in writing and in discussion. We work with students on all aspects of library and Internet research, teaching them how to identify useful sources, how to compile a bibliography, how to take notes, how to formulate a thesis, and how to write an effective paper that presents a logical and cohesive argument. Many classes do a term-long research paper in the winter; all classes conduct small research projects throughout the year, with the complexity of the projects developing as the students progress through the Upper School.

Our classes are conducted around the Harkness table, and students are expected to take responsibility for the discussion and participate actively. Other class activities include debates, role-playing projects, mock trials and congresses, all of which encourage students to formulate their own understanding of the events they are studying. In addition, we endeavor to show students how the ideas and events they are studying have had an impact on the world outside of our campus by taking them on occasional field trips to religious and historical sites in the region. Our goal is that students absorb the lessons of history and religion and leave with an appreciation for the

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world around them, including an understanding of how we got to where we are today and a desire to have a positive impact on the world in the future.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Skeffington Young M.A.T., Tufts University

“ 411

WORLD HISTORY I

Students in World History I examine the history of humanity from the birth of agriculture to the Middle Ages in Europe. Major units include the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Hebrews; Jerusalem: past and present; Ancient Greece; the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire; and the early and late Middle Ages in Europe. In the spring, students work on a major interdisciplinary project about the historical and biological evolution of cities. Over the course of the year, students learn the skills necessary to succeed in more advanced high school and college history classes, including note-taking, participating effectively in class discussion, working in groups, and writing a persuasive, well-organized essay. In addition, a major research paper is assigned.

HISTORY & RELIGION

All students are required to take three years of history, one of which must be United States History in the junior year, and the World Religions course, normally taken in tenth grade. Distinction in History and Religion is typically conferred upon those graduating seniors who have completed four years of history as well as World Religions; maintained a high level of achievement reflected by grades in the high 80s or 90s throughout those years; distinguished themselves for their critical thinking, for their analytical skills, and for the quality of their research; and who are devoted to the discipline. Such students have often completed at least one AP course and more than one history course during their senior year.

1 credit – year-long major 421

WORLD HISTORY II

The history of Europe and its rise, rule, and decline on the world stage is the focus of our study of the modern era (1500 to the present). This is not, however, to the exclusion of the other regions of the world. Two other recurring themes help to examine the impact Europe has had on other regions and vice THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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versa: the issues of progress in Europe and the conflict between convergence and divergence in the modern world. In addition, this course examines the rise of China and Japan, the Age of Exploration, the Reformation and Enlightenment, and the development of the Middle East. Our study of modern world history includes such activities as role-playing, Harkness discussions, the examination of primary sources and case studies, pamphleteering, and research.

A year-long component of the course is the preparation for and participation in the Model United Nations simulation day where students as representatives from various countries discuss temporary issues and challenges.

HISTORY & RELIGION

1 credit – year-long major 431

UNITED STATES HISTORY

In this required eleventh-grade course, students examine the political, economic, diplomatic, social, and cultural history of the United States from pre-Columbian times to the present. Students write a term paper on a topic of interest , and they may conduct an oral history interview with a participant or eyewitness to this event.

1 credit – year-long major 433

AMERICAN STUDIES

American Studies is an interdisciplinary course for juniors offered by the English and the History and Religion Departments. The class coordinates the material taught in eleventh-grade history and English by prompting students to explore the underlying philosophical and moral assumptions of Americans, as reflected in their country’s history and literature. Simultaneously, students are encouraged to examine the framework of their own philosophical and moral assumptions and reflect deeply upon what it means for them to identify themselves as Americans. The class meets during two bands and is assigned two teachers, one from each department. Students who thrive in American Studies are those who willingly embark upon a rigorous and challenging course. They strive to make connections between history, literature, the world today, and themselves; they emphasize discovering personal meaning in their studies rather than memorizing and retaining content. Feeling responsible to themselves, to each other, and to their studies, students in American Studies enjoy learning independently and collaboratively.

1 credit – year-long major – taken in conjunction with 133

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435

AP UNITED STATES HISTORY

A one-year survey course of United States history from 1607 through the 1990s, this class is designed to provide students with factual knowledge and to develop their analytical skills. Students use The American Pageant as their textbook along with a sourcebook of primary documents. Because the course is designed to prepare students for college-level work, there is a great emphasis on interpreting documents and writing essays. Upon completion of the course, students take the Advanced Placement United States History examination.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department

PSYCHOLOGY

An introduction to psychology as a social science, this course explores three central questions: Why do we do what we do? Why do we think what we think? Why do we feel what we feel? Students study the many theories that attempt to answer these questions and the branches of psychology that have developed accordingly. Along the way, they build their psychological vocabulary to aid them in their discussion and understanding of these theories.

Several short-term and two long-term projects help students understand the major divisions of our study: the history of psychology, cognitive psychology, biological psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, behavioral psychology, clinical psychology, and abnormal/healthy psychology. To practice the techniques of the psychologist, students design an experiment and use research methods employed by psychologists. Literature, music, and film are incorporated into several areas of this course; primary source documents and current articles are also assigned.

HISTORY & RELIGION

440 INTRODUCTION TO

1 credit – year-long major – open to seniors 442

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Seniors in this year-long elective course study the foundations of the American system of government as well as the inner workings of the modern political system. In addition to the three branches of government, other topics studied include political philosophy, voter behavior, and political parties. Students have a textbook (Magruder’s American Government), and they read The New York Times daily in order to stay informed about current political events.

Class activities include debates and research projects, and each unit concludes with a two-week role-playing project. It is the goal of the course that by the end of the year the students will not only have a working knowledge of their THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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government but also a strong desire to participate in it.

1 credit – year-long major – open to seniors

HISTORY & RELIGION

443

ECONOMICS

The course addresses such subjects as economic theories and systems; issues of supply and demand; relationship among workers, owners, consumers, and governments; the role of banks and regulation of currency; managing economies; and finally the global economy and growing nature of economic interdependence. The intent is to demystify the basic terminology within the field of economics and to gain a better understanding of the role of economics in people’s lives. Therefore, aside from the textbook, varied sources such as The New York Times are used not only to bring the financial matters to light, but also to draw connections to other areas such as politics and society.

1 credit – year-long major – open to seniors 444

GLOBAL CAPSTONE: LATIN AMERICA

AND

ASIA

If the world truly is a global village, what would that village look like if you were transplanted to Asia or Latin America? Using a regional studies approach, students explore major societal issues of the late nineteenth century through the present. The course is team taught, and students can choose a regional focus on either Asia (East and Central Asia) or Latin America. After completing foundational work in understanding these regions, the course centers around projects, simulations, and student-led seminar sessions. Key issues include geography, climate, and resources; religion and philosophy; popular culture; economics; immigration; and allies, enemies, and neighbors. There is also the possibility of an optional Spring Break trip to our Partner School in the Dominican Republic. Exchange students from our partner schools are likely to visit and participate in this class during their visits..

1 credit – year-long major – open to seniors 445

AP EUROPEAN HISTORY

The principal aim of the Advanced Placement European History course is to provide students with an opportunity to master and to demonstrate an overall understanding of the basic chronology, major events and trends in European history from 1450 to the 1990s. The course also aims to foster, through an intensive study of specific topics, a deeper understanding of the political, social, 68

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economic, and intellectual forces in history. Over the course of the year, students learn to read carefully and to express ideas coherently, precisely, and clearly. Through the process of conducting the coursework, students sharpen their understanding of the nature of history, the role of the historian, the importance of objectivity and substantiation, and the relationship of history to the other social sciences and to the humanities. Upon completion of the course, students take the AP European History examination.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 446

MODERN ASIAN STUDIES

HISTORY & RELIGION

Across realms ranging from teen pop culture to international security, Asia is a driving force in the 21st-century world. Focusing particularly on South Asia (India and Pakistan) and East Asia (China, Japan, and Korea), students in this course utilize a broad range of disciplines, including visual arts, fashion, dance, music, economics, literature, history, politics, and cinema to explore this region of the world. After grounding themselves in an understanding of the basic geographic and historical contexts that have helped define this region, students explore key thematic questions of central interest in these regions today as well as follow important developments in contemporary affairs in these nations. Students draw on both written and multimedia sources (music, film, visual arts, etc.) from the region to pursue their studies in addition to textbook materials to provide background knowledge. A highlight of the course is the opportunity to learn directly from teens in Asia through online communication. Students with language ability in indigenous languages of the region are encouraged to carry out research utilizing sources in these languages. By the end of the course, students have a broad understanding of contemporary South and East Asia, including why these regions have a large impact on the United States in the 21st century. No prior knowledge of Asia is required.

1 credit – year-long major – open to seniors 447

AMERICAN CHILDHOOD

This course studies the development of childhood in American history, focusing on both the cultural values of childhood and the changing experiences of young people in America. The course is structured chronologically, and an emphasis is placed on the roles of race, gender, and class. Students use both primary and secondary sources to examine the individual rights of children throughout United States History as well as how the expectations of childTHE MASTERS SCHOOL

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hood have transformed. The course also looks at how real childhood experiences have influenced legislation and social relations in America. Through regular discussions and essay writing in addition to project-based learning, students practice evaluating historical evidence and constructing arguments.

1 credit – year-long major – open to seniors

HISTORY & RELIGION

448 INTERNATIONAL

RELATIONS/SECURITY STUDIES

Introduction to International Relations/Security Studies introduces students to the academic discussion about contemporary world politics. This field aims to provide meaningful discourse and to critically examine contrasting international relations theories in order to explain both the historical and modern context of foreign policies. Students are introduced to traditional realist, constructivist, and liberal theories as well as key concepts pertaining to state behavior. Why do states behave the way they do? What drives states to join international organizations such as NATO or the UN? How do issues of nuclear proliferation, climate change, human rights/security, globalization, migration, national security, and sports affect international diplomacy? These central questions offer students a survey into the world in the global context of the twentieth century and help them to identify the distinguishing characteristics of the unfolding global order of the world today.

1 credit – year-long major – open to seniors 455

WORLD RELIGIONS

Typically taken in the sophomore year, World Religions is designed to give students an understanding and appreciation of different religious ideas and practices in the world. Many questions are explored: Why and how do people worship? What ideas of God do people have? What do people believe about life? death? suffering? evil? goodness? reality? The similarities and differences between traditions are examined to see how religion affects all aspects of life, including the cultural, political, historical, and psychological. This is done through readings, class discussions, videos, speakers, trips, and projects. Students do not have to agree with or believe in any of the ideas or religions studied, but they are encouraged to demonstrate an understanding of and a tolerance for each of them. .5 credits – semester-long minor – required for all sophomores and for graduation

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466

HISTORY

OF

AMERICAN BUDDHISM

.5 credits – semester-long minor – prerequisite WORLD RELIGIONS 468

MYSTICISM: EAST

AND

WEST

Defined as an individual’s direct experience of the divine, mysticism is a broad current running through the each of religious traditions of the world.

A systematic study of mysticism uncovers a common spring of wisdom that transcends the dogma or creed of any particular faith. This class leads students along a historical journey through mysticism in various parts of the world and provides possibilities for interdisciplinary connections with other departments. As students explore what mysticism is and how it is practiced throughout the world, their discoveries will lead them to seek for the answers to more probing questions. Students can expect to read from a variety of sources, representing the streams of thought in Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, as well as a few other curious case studies. Each student also produces a creative final project.

HISTORY & RELIGION

Many strands weave together to make the tapestry of Buddhism unfolding within North American culture. In this course, students explore how the story of one of the world’s oldest and largest belief systems, Buddhism, intersects with the American immigrant experience and enters mainstream acceptance in one of the most religiously diverse countries on earth. We begin the course with a brief survey of Buddhist beliefs and core concepts, covering the history of Buddhism in both Asia and the United States. We investigate six branches of Buddhism that are alive and well in America, learning more about the relationship between the immigrant communities and the established Americans who find meaning in adopting these traditions. Students grapple with questions specific to modern American Buddhism: issues of dual belonging, coping with detachment in a consumerist culture, adapting to a nonmonastic sanga community, and exploring the reality of “Socially Engaged Buddhists.” Guest speakers and field trips to local Buddhist communities are also part of our study.

.5 credits – semester-long minor – prerequisite WORLD RELIGIONS 469

CHRISTIANITIES

Since the inception of the “Jesus Movement” during the Second Temple period of Judaism, there have been multiple expressions of the Christian faith.

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HISTORY & RELIGION

religious community often struggled within itself to decide how best to move forward. This class examines many of the key disagreements, turning points, and eventual parting of ways that have occurred throughout Christianity’s history. What emerges is a picture of this ancient faith that is anything but monolithic, with various “Christianities” taking shape before our eyes. Some key events and phenomena that students study include Gnosticism, Christianity’s impact on the Roman empire, the emergence of Christian monasticism, the establishment of the doctrine of the Trinity, the Great Schism of East and West, priestly celibacy and other issues of the Medieval Church, the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic counter-Reformation, Christianity in the “New World,” Pentecostalism, and Liberation Theology.

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SCIENCE Citizens of the twenty-first century need to possess the scientific knowledge and analytical skills that enable them to make wise choices, both in their daily lives and in the exercise of their civic responsibilities. Global warming, stem cell research, genetic engineering, personal nutrition, custodianship of natural resources, toxic clean-up, and nuclear proliferation are just a few of the issues high school students will grapple with during their lifetimes. Science, with its emphasis on technology and objective analysis, is uniquely suited to prepare our students to meet the challenges that await them.

Students entering classrooms in our new science facility will be seated around Harkness tables. Teachers will employ Harkness methodology to develop in their students the skills of critical thinking needed to understand and address issues generated by today’s science and technology. Students will strive to master the problem-solving techniques and knowledge base needed to succeed in the more advanced science courses they will study in high school and college. They will also perform laboratory experiments and pursue research projects that reflect the scientific and technological issues of today. To unite the excitement of learning with the prerequisites of more advanced study is a fundamental goal of the department.

SCIENCE

Science teachers at The Masters School seek to realize the maximum potential of every student. This is accomplished by asking thought-provoking questions in the classroom. The greater the question, the more one is drawn into the process of investigation and methods of solution. The primary reason for excitement and involvement with science at Masters is the remarkable questions asked by its teachers and students.

All students are required to take at least three years of science classes in the Upper School, two years of which must be lab courses. Distinction in Science is conferred upon those graduating seniors who have demonstrated an aptitude for science as exemplified by their outstanding achievement in four or more science courses, at least three of which are lab sciences. These students not only excel academically but also exhibit a passion for and love of science and are considered to be ethical and considerate members of the school community.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Frank Greally B.S., Purchase College

“

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501

BIOLOGY

AIDS, global warming, cloning, habitat destruction, genetic engineering, cancer – the need to understand the basic biological concepts underlying these issues has never been greater. Through laboratory exercises, research projects, class discussions and lectures, this course serves to help prepare students for further study of high school science by relating standard biology topics to familiar experiences. A variety of media are utilized for instruction. In addition, laboratory exercises help students learn how to manipulate science equipment, make inquiries and observations, record and analyze data, and write detailed, comprehensive lab reports – fundamental skills necessary for their upcoming science courses.

1 credit – year-long major

SCIENCE

502

HONORS BIOLOGY

Moving at an accelerated pace through a traditional biology curriculum, topics in this rigorous course include basic biochemistry, cell structure and function, cell division and genetics, heredity and evolution, classification, plant biology, and human physiology. A variety of media are utilized for instruction. In addition, laboratory exercises provide hands-on learning opportunities that reinforce content and help students learn how to manipulate science equipment, make inquiries and observations, record and analyze data, and write detailed, comprehensive lab reports – fundamental skills necessary for their upcoming science courses.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 505

AP BIOLOGY

Advanced Placement Biology is a demanding, college-level biology course designed to meet the curriculum requirements set forth by the College Board.

The prerequisite for AP Biology is successful completion of Chemistry or Honors Chemistry; successful completion of a biology course is highly recommended. Due to the accelerated pace of the course and the depth of the material being presented, students must be highly motivated, responsible, and in possession of excellent reading comprehension skills. Students can expect to be given assignments to be completed over the winter and spring vacations in order to cover the syllabus. Upon completion of course, students take the AP Biology examination.

1.5 credits – year-long major – by permission of the department prerequisite CHEMISTRY/HONORS CHEMISTRY; BIOLOGY strongly recommended 74

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511

CHEMISTRY

A thorough study of basic chemistry topics comprises the curriculum for this course, including measurement, matter, atomic structure, nomenclature, reactions, moles, stoichiometry, solutions, acids and bases, bonding, and thermochemistry. Using a variety of techniques to introduce topics, teachers utilize discussion, group problem solving, and experiential learning in the lab to explore topics more deeply. Inquiry-based labs further develop students’ ability to observe, question, theorize, and experiment so as to deepen their understanding. Problem-solving skills are emphasized.

1 credit – year-long major – prerequisite ALGEBRA I 512

HONORS CHEMISTRY

SCIENCE

This course is designed for students who have a strong interest in chemistry and are able to keep up with a rigorous curriculum. The accelerated pace of the course demands that students be responsible, self-motivated and diligent in their work habits; they must also possess strong math skills. As the scope of this field of science is very broad, it follows that the course be a comprehensive one emphasizing both the acquisition of knowledge and skills. As in other science courses, a variety of media are utilized for instruction. Laboratory exercises help students learn how to manipulate science equipment, make inquiries and observations, record and analyze data, and write detailed, comprehensive lab reports. Students enrolled in this course are also expected to demonstrate proficiency in the communication of knowledge by researching, writing, and presenting a chemistry project to their classmates.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department corequisite HONORS ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY 515

AP CHEMISTRY

A college-level course designed for students who have a strong interest in the subject, AP Chemistry serves to prepare students for the Advanced Placement examination in chemistry. It is a challenging course for the superior science student and requires prior successful completion of both biology and chemistry.

Due to the accelerated pace of the course and the depth of the material being presented, students must be highly motivated, responsible, and in possession of both excellent reading comprehension skills and strong problem solving skills.

Laboratory investigations are used to further develop topics of interest.

1.5 credits – year-long major – by permission of the department prerequisites CHEMISTRY/HONORS CHEMISTRY and ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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521

PHYSICS

This course embodies many of the traditional topics of high school physics including mechanics, thermodynamics, optics, wave phenomena, electrostatics, and electricity. Usually taken after biology and chemistry, the course helps to round out the student’s understanding of science and is typically taken by juniors and seniors. Laboratory experiments and problem solving are emphasized along with the mathematical methods required for analysis and solution.

1 credit – year-long major – corequisite ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY

SCIENCE

522

HONORS PHYSICS

The accelerated pace of Honors Physics demands that students be responsible, self-motivated and diligent in their work habits; they must also possess excellent math skills. Half the year is spent studying Newtonian mechanics and the laws of motion. The remainder of the year is devoted to the study of electricity, magnetism, optics, and waves. Usually taken after biology and chemistry, the course helps to round out the student’s understanding of science and is typically taken by juniors and seniors. Laboratory and problem solving are emphasized along with the mathematical methods required for analysis.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department corequisite HONORS ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY 527

AP PHYSICS C MECHANICS

This course covers classical mechanics in more depth than prior physics classes. It complements AP Calculus, exposing students to more applications of calculus and showing them how to use mechanics more generally. The course focuses on linear motion, energy, momentum, rotations, and orbits. It also includes an introduction to thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.

1.5 credits – year-long major – by permission of the department prerequisite HONORS PHYSICS OR PHYSICS with corequisite AP CALCULUS AB, or corequisite AP CALCULUS BC 533

SEMINARS

IN

SCIENCE

A year-long major, this course is open to those students who have completed Biology and Chemistry and is divided into fall and spring semester units offered by various members of the department. Students select two seminars from among those offered in any given year. Not all seminars have laboratory components.

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The following are samples of science seminars:

ASTRONOMY This course provides an overview of the science of astronomy.

Topics include a study of the components of our universe (stars, planets, galaxies, comets, etc.), a brief history of astronomy, gravity and the causes of motion, and a limited mathematical analysis of the behavior of astronomical bodies. Goals for the course are to develop familiarity with the universe around us and to explore the techniques by which we learn about it. Students have opportunities to apply what they learn through classroom simulations, observations with our telescope, and a visit to the Hayden Planetarium.

SCIENCE

THE BEGINNING NATURALIST One way to achieve the goal of fostering environmental awareness and stewardship is to change the way we view nature. In order to do so, one must spend time in nature. This course seeks to introduce basic topics of botany, mammalogy, ornithology, and basic tenets of ecology (soil science, stream ecology, habitats, etc) in order to foster an awareness and love of the nature that surrounds us here on the Masters campus and, perhaps, other nearby locales. Our mission statement identifies the “celebration of active participation, deep understanding and connection” and immersing oneself in nature is certainly a way to achieve this. The goal of this class is to learn basic tree, bird, amphibian, reptile, and mammal identification skills for a rudimentary working knowledge of our local flora and fauna. Along with the appropriate textbooks, readings will include the historic naturalists such as John Muir, Aldo Leopold, E.O. Wilson, and poets such as Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver, among others. Significant time is spent outdoors so appropriate clothing is required for various weather conditions.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN SCIENCE Using newspapers, magazines, periodicals, movies, and other non-traditional sources, this course seeks to build on the knowledge base obtained in earlier science classes. Students relate their prior knowledge to current issues and work to develop further their scientific literacy by seeing the relevance of science knowledge and skills to their daily lives. Our society’s increasingly sophisticated technology has presented difficult moral and ethical issues that are reviewed and discussed. Grades are based on journals, papers, and Power Point presentations. Successful completion of two lab science courses is prerequisite to taking Contemporary Issues.

FORENSICS The course of Forensics helps students to think scientifically and analytically about problem solving. In this class, students will use a Forensics text as well as outside sources to explain basic science principles. Labs will be designed to help students separate evidence that is relevant from evidence that is irrelevant. They will learn scientific methodology, divergent problem

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SCIENCE

solving strategies, critical thinking, and ethics in a hands-on, problem-based setting framed by forensics. These basic investigative skills are valuable to any high school student, but they can also prepare students for entrance into careers as investigators and/or crime scene technicians.

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY In this semester-length course we first build a fundamental understanding of human anatomy and histology, including selective use of informative dissections. We then shift the focus to the study of three human systems, including the cardiovascular, the gastrointestinal, and a third to be determined with input from students. Topics such as the cardiovascular benefit of lowering cholesterol or controlling high blood pressure as well as a thoughtful assessment of the importance of gluten in the diet and screening for colon cancer are part of our study. The final grade for this class is based upon the student’s preparation for and participation as well as performance on various types of assessments, including Harkness discussion, quizzes, tests, and group projects.

MOBILE KITCHEN CLASSROOM This Farm to Table class will empower high school students to become food citizens, actively contributing to the creation of a new, healthy and sustainable food culture. This intensive, semester-long program explores the history and science of food, diverse food cultures, resilient agriculture, and cooking. The students' experience will culminate in the preparation of a Mindful Meal and production of a creative project to help spread the word about what it means to be a food citizen. The innovative curriculum uses hands-on, project-based learning. Students will be immersed in engaging projects, lively discussions and meaningful interactions with farmers, chefs, educators and creative storytellers.

SCIENCE AND ETHICS IN MEDICAL RESEARCH Scientists and physicians continually seek to improve patients’ health with research into better medicines and new insights into the treatment of diseases. This interdisciplinary course focuses on three areas to illustrate these efforts: How and why medical scientists and companies pursue treatments for some diseases, but not for others; the protection of the rights of individuals when they seek medical care as patients or as subjects in a medical study; and ethical issues in each of these settings. Students draw upon information from newspapers, scientific articles, and historical literature to discuss issues and to present to their peers.

Students also have the chance to select an area for a guided research paper on a topic of particular interest to them. Guest professionals from the medical and research world share their experiences with students during the course.

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534

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

This course investigates the many facets of the interdisciplinary field that is environmental science. Concepts in biology, earth science, physics, chemistry, and social science are addressed as the class explores dynamic ecosystems and the affects of human interaction. Environmental issues and current events such as climate change, biodiversity, sustainable energy, resource management, and pollution are incorporated into the curriculum and put into the broader context of the knowledge and skills needed to understand and solve the complex problems that face human society and the biosphere today. Students explore these topics through reading, discussion, laboratory experiments, and field-based investigations.

1 credit – year-long major – open to juniors and seniors 535

AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

SCIENCE

This course serves as an equivalent to an introductory college course in environmental science. Students are presented with the scientific principles and concepts required to analyze and understand the myriad of complex interrelationships found in the natural world. The course includes a lab component for firsthand observation and concept reinforcement. Students test ideas and principles and explore specific problems, both natural and man-made, associated with the environment. Participants gain an awareness of the importance of confounding variables that exist and come to understand the complexities that apply to environmental problems and solutions..

1.5 credits – year-long major – by permission of the department prerequisites BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 541

SCIENCE RESEARCH I: TECHNIQUES

As students advance in the sciences, the emphasis shifts from what we know to what we don't know. The main focus of the Science Research class is learning to ask questions. This is achieved in many forms, such as examining the social nature and ethics of scientific research, reading and analyzing primary literature, and listening to experts in their fields talk about the questions they are asking. In addition, we spend extensive time in the lab carrying out authentic, "real world" experiments with advanced instrumentation (e.g. polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis, restriction digestion, ELISA, and bacterial transformation). The course is capped by the preparation of a research proposal in the form of a small grant application. .5 credits – semester-long minor – by permission of the department THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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542

SCIENCE RESEARCH II: PRACTICE

This course allows those students who have taken Science Research I to continue their journey in science research through direct practice. Over the course of the semester, students research, propose, and ultimately carry out a research project in an on-campus lab. The projects are under a skeletal framework designed and maintained by the instructor. This framework ideally allows students to ask their own questions in an established field without having to start from scratch. One important aspect of science is collaboration, and one way that scientists work collaboratively is by building upon work done by other scientists. Thus, students will have to understand what questions are being asked in the field and what contributions they can make.

SCIENCE

.5 credits – year-long minor – by permission of the department prerequisite SCIENCE RESEARCH I 543

SCIENCE RESEARCH III: ADVANCED STUDY

This course allows students to pursue science research from an “experienced” perspective. As in Science Research II, students carry out an independent research project. However, Science Research III students also take an active role in mentoring Science Research II students. This ensemble-like format emulates an authentic laboratory setting in which more senior members mentor less experienced scientists. .5 credits – year-long minor – by permission of the department prerequisite SCIENCE RESEARCH II

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VISUAL ARTS Visual art offers a means of communicating concepts and ideas that cannot be expressed adequately through language. The deepest expressions of the human condition can be effectively conveyed through the visual arts through the very act of creating with hands-on methods. The power of the image in the twentyfirst century is of paramount importance to our culture and, as a result, the roles of the visual artist and the designer have expanded tremendously.

Distinction in the Visual Arts is typically conferred upon those graduating seniors who have taken at least two years of major courses in studio or media arts while at Masters and who have produced a body of work that demonstrates an unusually high degree of creativity, investigation, and technical skill. Such students will have demonstrated through their work that they have evolved a practice of their art as a vital means of self-expression; devoted the necessary hours outside of class to the successful pursuit of their ideas; and developed their own unique viewpoint.

VISUAL ARTS

The mission of the Visual Arts Department is to help students find a creative voice, hone the artistic skills necessary to communicate ideas, and make responsible use of art’s great expressive power. In this process, intellectual development and mark-making are addressed in tandem, and ideas are translated into form and material. In addition, we hope to foster awareness of the value of art to society so that students will accept the responsibility of preserving our artistic heritage as well as promoting and maintaining a variety of cultural activities for the benefit of our community and the world at large.

Our dedication to cross-disciplinary exploration within the arts and other academic subjects fosters the integration of visual language into the lives of our students. Our lofty studio and state-of-the-art media labs allow for an exciting exploration of materials and methods of construction.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Cheryl Hajjar B.F.A., Massachusetts College of Art M.F.A., Pratt Institute Ed.M., Teacher's College, Columbia University M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University

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601

ARTS LAB: VISUAL ART

One quarter of the ninth-grade Arts Lab rotation is devoted to visual art. One objective is to help students improve technical skills as well as create an outlet of self-expression through art. The emphasis is upon learning a visual and digital literacy while maintaining the core values of the elements of design. .125 credits – Open to all ninth-graders

VISUAL ARTS

610

STUDIO ART: FOUNDATIONS

The development of technical drawing skills, aesthetic awareness, and visual acuity are the primary goals of this course, and the skills and values presented form a foundation for all of the courses offered by the department. Specific exercises focus on the essential elements of visual art: line, shape, value, composition, and expressive quality, all of which are covered in depth. Various perspective systems and techniques are utilized. Students create individual value, intensity, tint, and hue charts to study color in preparation for painting.

During the paint unit, formal issues, with an intensive focus on composition, are looked at in depth. Examples of masterpieces are investigated in order to reveal the wealth of aesthetic content and hidden geometric structures. The three-dimensional component involves a wide variety of mediums and projects ranging from toy design to expressive figure work. .5 credits – semester-long minor 611-614

STUDIO ART MAJOR

Studio Art as a major course is designed for those students who have completed the visual arts component of the ninth-grade Arts Lab course, or an equivalent foundational course, and who wish to continue their study of art on a deeper and more comprehensive level. The objective of the class is for students to hone the skills acquired in previous courses and to provide them with an opportunity for a more in-depth experience in certain areas such as printmaking, painting, and sculpture. Students learn to analyze their work objectively and are encouraged to develop a personal style of expression while also developing sensitivity and perception in their response to other students’ efforts. Examples from art history are used to clarify creative goals.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department

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608

STUDIO ART: CERAMICS

Students experience hand building as well as altered wheel thrown ceramics.

Emphasis is placed on craftsmanship, mold making and glaze technique. Students explore the ideas and ideals from traditional pottery to the works of such artists as abstract expressionist Peter Volcus and such contemporary potters as Adrian Saxe as well as many others. Contemporary issues surrounding the world of ceramics including its historic and continued use in technological applications are discussed. Students explore and discuss visual examples of historic and contemporary ceramics through slides and original work when possible through gallery and museum trips. .5 credits – semester-long minor 606

STUDIO ART: ADVANCED CERAMICS

.5 credits – semester-long minor – prerequisite CERAMICS 609

STUDIO ART: CREATIVE MULTIMEDIA

VISUAL ARTS

Students use their prior learning from the ceramics class or through an outside studio to continue to use both hand building and thrown techniques while adding alternative elements to their ceramic investigation. Some of these alternatives will include usage of a variety of clay bodies (stoneware, porcelain, sculpture grogged bodies), use of oxides to dye/color clay, creating molds and slip mold casting, wax resist glazing, glaze mixing, image transfer onto clay and combustible firings.

This course can be an exploration of making things, both functional and decorative, that are at the fringe of the visual arts. A variety of materials and techniques are used with a focus on media, discovery, and skill building. The course is divided into work in fibers, wood, metals, sculptural work with found objects, and works inspired by natural materials. Projects could include weaving, furniture design and construction, assemblage, and jewelry. .5 credits – semester-long minor 607

STUDIO ART: PRINTMAKING

Students explore a wide variety of media and mixed media print techniques, including but not limited to, linoleum, engravings, mono prints, silk screen, and colographs. They also experiment with various printmaking surfaces, such as fabric and found objects, photo image, and collage techniques. StuTHE MASTERS SCHOOL

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dents then apply these techniques to craft editions, posters, and artist books.

They explore and discuss visual examples of historic and contemporary printmaking through slides and original work when possible through gallery and museum trips. Students are expected to maintain a detailed sketchbook and journal throughout the course. .5 credits – semester-long minor 605

STUDIO ART: ADVANCED PRINTMAKING

The focus of this class is to engage in the making and reproduction of images while learning about the artistic and social implications such technological advancements have had on the art world and indeed how they have formed our own aesthetics and art making today. Media explored include but are not limited to transfer techniques, Rader lithography, silkscreen, mold making, reduction printing, various ceramic printing techniques, and collage. The course complements printmaking, photography, studio art, ceramics, and other intro-level art courses.

VISUAL ARTS

.5 credits – semester-long minor – prerequisite PRINTMAKING 630

STUDIO ART: FOUNDATIONS

IN

DESIGN

This minor course is a foundation class in the elements, skills, and components of basic product design and graphic design for the advertising and publishing fields. Students first develop an understanding of the elements and principles of design and moves into designing a product on paper. They go on to create a corporate logo for that product and advertising for print and web.

Letterhead, report/brochure design, and magazine/periodical design will also be addressed. Students begin all design work on paper/board, working from rough sketches to finished inked designs towards a digital, pre-press product.

Software used includes Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Students work on projects individually, in teams, and in small groups. .5 credits – semester-long minor 632

STUDIO ART: FOUNDATIONS

IN

ARCHITECTURE

This minor course is designed to give students an introductory-level, handson experience in the study of architecture. Beginning with the history of architecture students gain both exposure and experience through a wide range of assignments and site visits. Topics/ projects include but are not lim-

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ited to material and digital rendering, architectural drawing, use of CAD software, site-specific design and model building. .5 credits – semester-long minor – by permission of the department 625

PHOTOGRAPHY MAJOR

1 credit – year-long major – open to students in grades 10-12 620

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Used either as a communication tool or as an integrated component of mixed media installation, photography has become a staple of many contemporary artists’ means of expression, a part of the vocabulary of visuality, and a tool for the deconstruction of more traditional forms of art and culture. Technology has made the practice of photography more accessible to the visual artist as well as the consumer. This minor class explores digital photography on its own terms and as a medium rooted in a rich tradition of image making. Students learn basic photographic skills (exposure control, composition, color and post-production) using Lightroom and Photoshop CC. Color photography is a major focus of the class, and students can also learn how to produce optimal color and grayscale prints on the Epson large-scale printers.

VISUAL ARTS

Photography as a major course is offered to students at different levels of technical experience who are serious in their pursuit of photography as an artistic medium. Emphasis is placed upon the development of a body of work addressing individual concerns and issues through the medium of photography, creative methods, and an introduction to the history of photography.

Students learn to bring their images into the public discourse through exploring the book form, creating a simple website and blog and utilizing social media as a means of self-expression. The moving image is also introduced as a component of visual literacy and is woven into these forms of communication. Technical expertise is approached on an individual basis so that the intellectual concerns of all of the students might be met in discussions and class critiques, preparing students for the more rigorous studies of art and media at the college level.

.5 credits – semester-long minor 621

DARKROOM PHOTOGRAPHY

This semester-long minor is designed to teach the beginning photography stu-

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dent the basics of black and white photography from a creative perspective.

Camera use, film developing, and printmaking are the three main areas of concentration in the first quarter. During the second quarter, students are introduced to studio lighting concepts and work hands-on in the studio exploring portraiture and still-life photography. Nineteenth and twentieth-century photography is explored through a visual and written project that students share with their class. Alternative photographic processes such as Polaroid transfers, pinhole, and toning prints may also be explored in the second quarter. Class projects throughout the semester are designed to give students considerable creative latitude. .5 credits – semester-long minor

VISUAL ARTS

622

PHOTOGRAPHY II

– DARKROOM

AND

DIGITAL PROCESSES

This minor course is designed for students who wish to improve their photographic technique and to explore individual areas of interest. Concepts introduced in Darkroom Photography or Digital Photography are expanded upon; more attention is given to the subtleties of the exploration of light, and students work with color in the media lab. Students are introduced to conceptual photography and are expected to take part in a more in-depth examination of their own working methods. .5 credits – semester-long minor – prerequisite DARKROOM OR DIGITAL PHOTO 623

PHOTOGRAPHY III

– PROJECTS

IN

PHOTOGRAPHY

This class is designed for those students who have completed Darkroom Photography or Digital Photography, and Photo II. Students will design a semester-long project, beginning with a written proposal, and ending with an artist statement that will accompany a portfolio of twenty finished, exhibition quality prints. This can become the student’s portfolio, and, as part of the class, students will learn how to transfer their finished portfolios to slides, blogs, or movable media storage, packaged for college admissions or gallery review. The course can be combined with another photo minor to form a major class. .5 credits – semester-long minor – prerequisite PHOTOGRAPHY II 641

FOUNDATIONS

IN

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Students learn the basics of short-filmmaking, including visualization, cam-

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era technique, editing, and sound. Students are introduced to the concepts of visual literacy, design, and light as these elements are utilized in the art of the moving image. .5 credits – semester-long minor 642

ADVANCED VIDEOMAKING

Theorizing, planning, casting, shooting, and editing a feature-length narrative or long-format documentary video are challenging processes. The overall effort requires thinking far outside the structure of traditional storytelling and requires acute attention to detail and continuity. This course affords serious students of video the opportunity to pursue the step-by-step development and completion of a feature-length video. .5 credits – year-long minor – prerequisite FOUNDATIONS IN VIDEO PRODUCTION 645

VIDEO MAJOR

1 credit – year-long major – open to students in grades 10-12 647

VISUAL ARTS

This course is designed for those students who want to pursue video production at a high level. As a year-long major, students are afforded more time to shoot, edit, and produce more ambitious films and projects. Students devote more time exploring the intricacies of the professional film editing application, Final Cut Pro, and work collaboratively to produce and critique each other’s work. Trips off campus to film on location are frequent.

ON LOCATION – HANDS-ON PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES

This interdisciplinary course is a fusion of Art, Theater, Music, and Dance that challenges students to create an artistic vision for a site-specific scene, story, or performance based on a specific physical location and then teaches them the skills and methods needed to bring that vision into a reality. The process for each project begins with full class collaboration in a creative development phase where instructors from the visual and performing arts departments guide the shaping of a student-driven vision. Once a project is approved, students are broken into small groups to learn and practice specific skills and techniques (screenwriting, acting, audio recording and composition, lighting, set construction, camera manipulation, editing, etc.) under the guidance of an individual instructor. The separate groups converge during the production phase of the process, during which all disciplines put their

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new skills and techniques to the test with directors guiding the cast in a performance captured by the crew. Once production has wrapped, crew edit and prepare the final video for screening, while the others loop back to the creative phase to begin developing the next project. .5 credits – year-long minor 638

ANIMATION

AND

GAME DESIGN

This minor course introduces students to the arts of animation and game design. Students begin by drawing and sequencing simple animation projects and move on to digitizing their work. They advance to creating animation solely with the computer. Game design is explored in the second half of the semester as students apply their animation projects to basic game templates of their design. Students leave the class with the basic knowledge and some materials to move on toward game programming.

VISUAL ARTS

.5 credits – semester-long minor 626

YEARBOOK

– DESKTOP PUBLISHING

In this class students learn the basics of graphic design and desktop publishing through assisting in the production of the School’s yearbook, Masterpieces.

During the first three quarters, student learn the basics of design and layout from concept to completion including the use of type as a visual element, properties of color and grayscale formatting, production processes, and the balance of photographs and text as compositional elements of the book. Students spend the final quarter preparing elements of the yearbook for the following year. .5 credits – year-long minor 627

MASTERPIECES SENIOR EDITORSHIP

This course is designed as an independent study for the senior editorial officers of Masterpieces, the school’s yearbook. In addition to attending the Desktop Publishing class, these students work independently during free periods under the direction of the faculty advisor for Masterpieces and develop such skills as creating the ladder, managing a staff and materials, deciding upon the chain of importance of information, and furthering developing design and layout of the yearbook as a whole. Students receive major credit for this course.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department

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615

AP STUDIO ART

Advanced Placement Studio Art is considered the capstone of the studio art offerings. After completing a dedicated course of study in the department, the student may be recommended by his or her teacher to enroll in AP Studio Art, usually in senior year. This challenging course is designed for the serious art student and results in the development of a comprehensive portfolio demonstrating technical mastery as well as a creative imagination. The portfolio is sent to an evaluating committee of artists and art educators who award it a grade (independent of the grade assigned by the student’s teacher at Masters) that may earn them college credit.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 635

AP ART HISTORY

VISUAL ARTS

This course gives students a comprehensive view of the panorama of art styles and periods from cave painting to the art of today. The work of the course is based upon class discussion employing both slides and, when feasible, original work. A text is employed and reading assignments, research reports, quizzes, and tests are essential components of the course. Field trips to museums and galleries in New York City are required. Periods covered are prehistoric art to the eleventh century, the twelfth century to the eighteenth century, and the later eighteenth century to the present. The objectives of the course are to familiarize students with a variety of art masterpieces, both past and present; to teach them to analyze works of art and to speak and write about their conclusions with clarity; and to encourage them to develop a passion for art that will lead to continued study of art beyond high school. At the end of the year, students take the AP Art History examination.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department

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PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

The Music Department of The Masters School endeavors to graduate from its program 21st-century musicians with the facility, capacity, and sensitivity to traverse a range of musical styles from classical to contemporary. Solo and ensemble performance opportunities are many, while collaborative work of all types is the cornerstone of the department’s philosophy and is in concert with the school’s Harkness pedagogy. Students may choose to study an instrument or voice privately, to participate in one of our nine faculty-led ensembles, or to investigate the academic side of music. The curriculum includes something for everyone: from music appreciators to advanced performers. We believe that being musical is a condition of being human and not a separate endeavor for a select few talented individuals. As such, we have opportunities for everyone to try their hand at musical study. We also believe that music is at once intensely personal and vitally connective. Advanced students of music can expect to be challenged and nurtured in their musical training. Simultaneously, service through music is a part of our musical culture and expected of all students from beginners to pre-professional, youngest to oldest.

Distinction in Music is conferred upon those graduating seniors who have completed at least two full credits of music courses, one of which must be an ensemble, and earned grades of 90 or higher in each of those courses.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Jennifer Carnevale M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University

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604 ARTS

LAB: MUSIC

During the music rotation of the Arts Lab curriculum, students complete work in three separate areas of music: Exploration, Performance, and Creation. Exploration centers around listening to various instrumental and vocal works, utilizing Harkness to discuss their musical features and emotional content, exploring the families and sounds of the symphony orchestra, and expressing/writing opinions about the music heard. Performance focuses on learning to play basics on the basic instruments, learning the associated music notation skills, and having the experience of playing the instrument with others in an ensemble. Creation involves using GarageBand in the music lab to create sound projects utilizing form, loops, and keyboard input. .125 credits – Open to all ninth-graders 90

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MAJOR

IN

CHORAL MUSIC

Students who take in the same year two choral music minors (Concert Choir, Tower Singers, or Dobbs 16) can earn major-course credit in Choral Music.

The two year-long minor courses combine to form this course, which can be counted as one of the required five majors students must take each year.

1 credit – year-long major 651

CHORAL MUSIC: CONCERT CHOIR

Concert Choir is a beginning to intermediate level campus-based choir open to all students. Concert Choir performs on campus several times per year. A wide range of classical and multicultural repertoire is used to create an experiential learning environment whereby members learn the fundamental elements of choral music: pitch and rhythmic notation reading, score reading, solfege, sight-reading, and vocal technique. No prior experience is required.

All choral music students are expected to participate in the Glee Club, which includes students, faculty, alumni, and parents and performs twice annually on Family Weekend and at Commencement. .5 credits – year-long minor

CHORAL MUSIC: TOWER SINGERS

Tower Singers is an advanced choir that performs both on and off campus.

Participation is competitive and determined by audition in the spring. Choral and/or vocal experience and proficiency, music literacy, and a basic understanding of vocal technique must be demonstrated in the audition.

Exceptional work ethic and practice habits are required to maintain membership in the choir, as is an ability to work well with others. Tower Singers focuses on classical and contemporary masterworks and advanced repertoire from the choral catalog in a variety of languages from a variety of periods in music history. Students are exposed to advanced sight-reading, musical literacy, and vocal techniques as part of the rehearsal process. The ensemble performs frequently and may travel for performances, festivals, and competitions. All choral music students are expected to participate in the Glee Club, which includes students, faculty, alumni, and parents and performs twice annually on Family Weekend and at Commencement.

PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

652

.5 credits – year-long minor – by audition

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PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

654

CHORAL MUSIC: DOBBS 16

Dobbs 16 is an advanced choir that performs both on and off campus. Participation is competitive and determined by audition in the spring. Choral and/or vocal experience and proficiency, music literacy, and a basic understanding of vocal technique must be demonstrated in the audition.

Exceptional work ethic and practice habits are required to maintain membership in the choir, as is an ability to work well with others. Dobbs 16 focuses on advanced contemporary a cappella music in the collegiate style from a variety of musical genres. Students are exposed to advanced sight-reading, musical literacy, and vocal techniques as part of the rehearsal process. The ensemble performs frequently and may travel for performances, festivals, and competitions. All choral music students are expected to participate in the Glee Club, which includes students, faculty, alumni, and parents and performs twice annually on Family Weekend and at Commencement. .5 credits – year-long minor – by audition 655

MAJOR

IN

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Students who take in the same year two instrumental music minors (Chamber Music, Symphonic Winds, String Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Modern, and Jazz Orchestra) can earn major-course credit in Instrumental Music. The two year-long minor courses combine to form this course, which can be counted as one of the required five majors students must take each year.

1 credit – year-long major 656 JAZZ

BAND

Jazz Band is an advanced course designed for experienced jazz students who are interested in furthering their studies of jazz improvisation concepts. This course will begin with the introduction of 32-bar song form and 12-bar blues progressions. In-depth study of scales, modes, and the respective harmonic relationships will be addressed, along with tune analysis. Most importantly, however, all concepts will be realized on their own instruments, with piano being a reference for all participants in the course. .5 credits – year-long minor – by audition 636 JAZZ

MODERN

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isation through both an artistic and analytic approach. From an analytical point of view, students develop improvisatory techniques by developing a deeper understanding of theoretical concepts and how they inform one’s approach as a soloist. From an artistic point of view, heavy emphasis is placed on developing one’s “sound” by focusing on approaches to articulation and phrasing unique to a student’s particular instrument. The Jazz Modern ensemble engages in several performances throughout the year and moves through a great deal of repertoire at a fast pace. Advanced skills in reading music is a prerequisite for the course. .5 credits – year-long minor – by audition 657

CHAMBER MUSIC

Chamber Music is offered as a minor to experienced instrumentalists (winds, strings, brass, piano) who seek the challenge of playing regularly with other musicians and rehearsing/performing works scored for chamber ensemble. All class members are soloists, with one musician per part. Self-directed rehearsal techniques and ensemble coaching are included, as well as Harkness discussions about the interpretation and progression of the works studied. Performance participation is required and includes performances in December and April as well as a fall performance for Family Weekend (combining with Symphonic Winds and String Ensemble) and possible off-campus performance opportunities.

658 JAZZ

ORCHESTRA

In this course, students explore a wide variety of “big band” repertoire, ranging from the elegance of Duke Ellington to the bold sounds of Tower of Power. This class focuses on building skills in large ensemble playing with an emphasis on listening and developing the “swing” feel, jazz articulations, dynamics, and musical interpretation. The work of the class culminates in winter and spring performances. Participation in the course assumes instrumental proficiency and basic skills in reading musical notation. .5 credits – year-long minor – by audition 659

STRING ENSEMBLE

PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

.5 credits – year-long minor – by audition

String Ensemble is offered as a large ensemble rehearsal/performance experience for players of violin, viola, cello, and string bass. Repertoire is selected to challenge and match the skill levels of the ensemble members, and includes

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diverse offerings from various historical periods as well as current 21st-century academic works. Strong rehearsal and ensemble techniques are stressed, as well as good individual practice habits. Participation in performances is required, including a fall performance for Family Weekend (combining with Symphonic Winds and Chamber Music), a winter performance in December, and a spring performance in April. .5 credits – year-long minor – by audition

PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

660

SYMPHONIC WINDS

Symphonic Winds is offered as a large ensemble rehearsal/performance experience for players of woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments.

Repertoire is selected to challenge and match the skill levels of the ensemble members, and includes diverse offerings from various historical periods as well as current 21st-century academic works. Strong rehearsal and ensemble techniques are stressed, as well as good individual practice habits. Participation in performances is required, including a fall performance for Family Weekend (combining with String Ensemble and Chamber Music), a winter performance in December, and a spring performance in April. .5 credits – year-long minor – by audition 662

STUDIO PRODUCTION

IN THE

DIGITAL AGE

In this offering, students explore a wide variety of digital audio workstation applications in order to create, promote, and perform their work. Students build skills in such state-of-the-art programs as Pro Tools and Ableton Live (the former being live audio recording and editing software, and the latter serving as both a recording and editing software program as well as functioning as a virtual instrument used by performers and DJs in a live setting). As students accumulate work, they explore ways to promote themselves and to “get their work out there” by examining the many forms of delivery in the digital age. .5 credits – year-long minor 647

ON LOCATION – HANDS-ON PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES

This interdisciplinary course is a fusion of Art, Theater, Music, and Dance that challenges students to create an artistic vision for a site-specific scene, story, or performance based on a specific physical location and then teaches them the skills and methods needed to bring that vision into a reality. The

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process for each project begins with full class collaboration in a creative development phase where instructors from the visual and performing arts departments guide the shaping of a student-driven vision. Once a project is approved, students are broken into small groups to learn and practice specific skills and techniques (screenwriting, acting, audio recording and composition, lighting, set construction, camera manipulation, editing, etc.) under the guidance of an individual instructor. The separate groups converge during the production phase of the process, during which all disciplines put their new skills and techniques to the test with directors guiding the cast in a performance captured by the crew. Once production has wrapped, crew edit and prepare the final video for screening, while the others loop back to the creative phase to begin developing the next project. .5 credits – year-long minor 648

ADVANCED TOPICS

IN

AUDIO RECORDING

.5 credits – semester-long minor prerequisite STUDIO PRODUCTION or by permission of the department 663

MUSIC THEORY I

This year-long course is an introduction to music theory including ear training, basic piano chord technique, and composition. Students sight-sing and learn to write out music as well as to write out dictated melodies and chord progressions. They study compositional techniques in popular as well as traditional music. This course can be taken as preparation for the AP Music Theory class. .5 credits – year-long minor 664

MUSIC THEORY II

PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

Advanced Topics builds on skills acquired in Studio Production in the Digital Age, providing a more in-depth study of audio recording, advanced concepts in mixing, effects processing, basic acoustics, and mastering. From pre-production to postproduction, from recording campus performances to processing them in the lab, students experience first-hand each stage of the recording process. Students encapsulate their progress with a final project consisting of an EP (Extended Play) with a minimum of four compositions or twenty minutes worth of music.

Music Theory II delves deeper into topics introduced at the end of Music Theory I. Focusing on applied harmonic structures, students will examine

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harmonic functions through both analysis and composition. Studying the works of such composers as J.S. Bach, Mozart, Ellington, Mingus and others as a point of departure, students will examine and realize through their own work techniques of voice leading, melodic and motivic development, and harmonic progressions. As a culminating work, students will be expected to present a musical score written for a jazz orchestra or small orchestral ensemble, and have that score realized by an ensemble in a performance situation.

PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

.5 credits – year-long minor prerequisite MUSIC THEORY I or by permission of the department 665

AP MUSIC THEORY

Advanced Placement Music Theory is an intense study of the rudiments of music, ear training, and composition. The first part of the year is devoted to ear-training and sight-singing. Students then study principles of eighteenthcentury theoretical practice including analysis, composition, and form. At the end of the year, students take the AP Music Theory examination.

1 credit – year-long major prerequisite MUSIC THEORY II or by permission of the department 666 INTRODUCTION TO THE

MUSIC INDUSTRY

This class is designed to appeal both to the well-versed musician and to the non-musician who has a profound love for music and would like to participate with music on a deeper level. Exposing students to many facets of the music industry, this project-based course focuses on the business of recording (types of contracts, recording vs. licensing, the recording process, distribution, digital outlets, brick and mortar outlets, mechanical royalties), publishing (types of publishing revenue, performances royalties, broadcast royalties, synchronization licenses, secondary use), touring (routing, budgets, logistics), merchandising, and promotion (online marketing, press release, print media, viral marketing, online content). The overarching intention of this course is to begin developing an understanding of how to negotiate the intersection of where art and commerce collide. .5 credits – semester-long minor 670

PERFORMANCE LABORATORY

Performance Lab is a year-long minor course designed for students interested

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in fine-tuning performance skills. Students will meet once weekly to view and/ or give performances. Each student will perform at least once monthly during class. Following each performance, a Harkness discussion focused on critical analysis and feedback will reflect both the performer’s and audience’s understanding of advanced musical concepts and the ongoing critical analysis that is vital to an active performer’s craft. The course will culminate in a public recital at the end of the year. This course meets once weekly on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 - 8:00 pm and can also be taken as a co-curricular instead of for course credit. Required for Artist Scholars in Music; open to all other students. .5 credits – year-long minor 677

PSYCHOLOGY

OF

MUSIC

.5 credits – semester-long minor 678

MUSIC

AND

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Accessible for both the musician and non-musician, Music and Social Justice examines the very real implicit and explicit roles music plays in the construction of identity, authentic culture, stereotypes, social platforms, and message.

Music serves to articulate and clarify an identity and can be used as propaganda – both for good and for ill. Students unpack the use of music as a form of critique and as a source of unification and cultural preservation. They read and discuss, watch and debate, listen and think. Students also perform close readings of song lyrics to unearth themes of social injustice as well as social justice.

They identify implicit assumptions and behaviors of the privileged majority populations that are delivered by wide-reaching pop music and that have profound effects on prolonging and promoting social inequities. Present throughout the course is our consideration of how music can change the world.

PERFORMING ARTS: MUSIC

Psychology of Music is a semester-long minor that investigates issues related to music perception and cognition with an emphasis on the psychological effects of both. This course will utilize the latest scientific research to investigate why music makes us feel the way it does, how it affects us physiologically, and what role it plays in our social development and identity formation. Our study will necessarily include some beginning neuroscience, developmental psychology, and biology. Accessible for both the musician and non-musician, the texts will include scientific papers, current popular and academic articles, song text, film, and literature that capture the experience of, inspiration for, and outcome of music-making and listening.

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PERFORMING ARTS: DRAMA & DANCE

DRAMA & DANCE The goal of the Drama and Dance Department is to foster and nurture each student's artistic potential and to help build the requisite tools to be successful at Masters and beyond. It is also our goal to cultivate an understanding and love of drama and dance, by providing a positive environment in which the student and teacher can explore the creative process. We strive to create a safe and nurturing environment in which to learn and take risks, while maintaining the high standards intrinsic to these performing arts forms. This starts within the department and through interdisciplinary connections. The final step is the sharing of the artistic experience with our school community, our families, other educational communities and the public - this happens through multiple theater productions and showcases, through seasonal dance concerts, through student-led drama and dance clubs presentations and live streaming of selected events.

The Drama program provides multiple entry points for students, allowing for diversity in backgrounds, interests, and levels of experience. A three-level scope and sequence track, Fundamentals, Intermediate and Advanced Drama, provide a pathway for the student to develop and hone acting and directing skills while learning to interpret dramatic source material. Additional nonperformance course offerings provide opportunities to explore an existing interest or to inspire a new one.

Performance and technical theater opportunities are abundant. Each year we offer four productions including dramas, comedies, student directed one-acts, and a major musical theater production. Members of Phoenix, the School’s honorary drama society, produce two plays themselves. Phoenix members also emcee monthly coffee house performances open to the entire school community. Out Spoken, our brand new student-led spoken word group offers additional original writing and performance opportunities. The recent addition of a one hundred seat Experimental Theater in the Fonseca Center provides a state-of-the-art facility for classes, rehearsals, and smaller productions. Distinction in drama is typically conferred upon those graduating seniors who have excelled in at least two courses in the department beyond the ninth-grade Arts Lab and who have demonstrated excellence in our afterschool theater program.

The Dance program offers students of all levels a rich and dynamic experience in the studio and on stage. As well as gaining a solid technique in multiple dance styles, our students are given the opportunity to experience self-expres98

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sion through movement and to explore their own creativity through dance improvisation and choreographic exercises. Our course offerings include an introduction to dance through our Arts Lab course, three minor and two major dance technique classes. In addition to studying with the performing arts faculty at Masters, guest artists are also brought to campus to give our students the opportunity to work with professionals active in the field.

Performance opportunities are provided through our three dance companies and the winter musical. The Masters Dance Company fulfills the co-curricular and ACR requirement. The company performs in concerts in both the fall and spring terms, and the repertoire includes all dance styles and a world dance component. Student choreography is supported in the fall concert. The spring concert presents works created by faculty and professional guest artists. We have two student dance ensembles that present a concert in the spring and perform for our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration and other campus events.

MUSE is a contemporary dance company, and Urban Connection is a step and hip-hop dance company. All dance companies on campus hold auditions in the fall and spring, and those interested in auditioning for the Masters Dance Company are invited to attend our Masters pre-season at the end of August.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Jennifer Carnevale M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University

“ 602

ARTS LAB: DANCE

Part of the ninth-grade Arts Lab rotation, this course serves as an introduction to the world of dance. It offers students an opportunity to explore how dance has been a part of our lives and various cultures from the beginning of time. The course broadens knowledge and appreciation for the art form through hands-on experience. Students learn how dance exists in our spiritual, social, and global society, and they experience what it is like to take class, learn choreography, and create the work itself. .125 credits – Open to all ninth-graders

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Curriculum Guide

PERFORMING ARTS: DRAMA & DANCE

Distinction in Dance is typically conferred upon those graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence and artistic growth in at least two courses in dance beyond the Arts Lab. The student must also have demonstrated excellence and commitment to dance while performing in one or more of our dance companies here at Masters.

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603

ARTS LAB: DRAMA

Part of the year-long Arts Lab rotation, Arts Lab: Drama focuses on developing the student’s dramatic skill set. Improvisation and game playing encourage students to tap in to their creative potential. A strong emphasis is placed on ensemble building and working collaboratively. .125 credits – Open to all ninth-graders

PERFORMING ARTS: DRAMA & DANCE

647

100

ON LOCATION – HANDS-ON PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES

This interdisciplinary course is a fusion of Art, Theater, Music, and Dance that challenges students to create an artistic vision for a site-specific scene, story, or performance based on a specific physical location and then teaches them the skills and methods needed to bring that vision into a reality. The process for each project begins with full class collaboration in a creative development phase where instructors from the visual and performing arts departments guide the shaping of a student-driven vision. Once a project is approved, students are broken into small groups to learn and practice specific skills and techniques (screenwriting, acting, audio recording and composition, lighting, set construction, camera manipulation, editing, etc.) under the guidance of an individual instructor. The separate groups converge during the production phase of the process, during which all disciplines put their new skills and techniques to the test with directors guiding the cast in a performance captured by the crew. Once production has wrapped, crew edit and prepare the final video for screening, while the others loop back to the creative phase to begin developing the next project. .5 credits – year-long minor 681

FUNDAMENTALS

OF

DRAMA

Fundamentals of Drama is a foundational course that encourages discovery through experimentation, the taking of risks, and the presentation of ideas to others. The goal of the class is to develop both acting and life skills while building confidence, inspiring creativity, and working collaboratively. Improvisation and theater games encourage students to tap into their creative potential and work freely on and off stage. With the introduction of Stanislavsky acting technique, students learn to play “truthfully” within the imaginary circumstances of the fiction. The course culminates with the presentation of short contemporary scenes. Fundamentals of Drama is the appropriate course for current students whose interest was piqued by their Curriculum Guide

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eighth and ninth-grade drama exposure as well as new students coming to Masters with a primary interest in theater. .5 credits – year-long minor 683 INTERMEDIATE

DRAMA

Intermediate Drama builds upon the skills developed in Fundamentals of Drama. Major units covered are intermediate stage acting with an introduction to Sanford Meisner technique and Uta Hagen exercises, characterization and motivation, advanced scene study, and fundamentals of stage directing.

An introductory film acting unit introduces students to a different style of acting. The course culminates with a showcase performance of short contemporary scenes, some of which may be student-directed. .5 credits – year-long minor – by permission of the department

ADVANCED DRAMA

Advanced Drama is a multifaceted theater-making course that builds on the skills developed in Intermediate Drama. Major units covered are advanced acting and directing techniques. A unit is also devoted to musical theater and film acting technique and the BFA. Guest artists are invited to conduct Master classes in performance and directing. Students enrolled in the course are given priority in applying to direct a co-curricular spring one-act play and assistant direct in any co-curricular drama production. The course may be repeated as Advanced Drama II, either as a semester or year-long class. .5 credits – year-long minor – by permission of the department 686

LIGHT LAB

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the art of lighting design and allow them to explore the medium in a light lab. Students analyze lighting for emotional impact, determine the qualities of light that impart these effects, and discover how these ideas can be enlarged upon and transferred to the stage. As a class they discuss the role of lighting in theatrical productions, how a script is analyzed for lighting needs, and the creation and control of light in production situations. In addition to the lecture material that will be covered, the class gains hands-on experience working with lighting equipment and control using the Experimental Theater as our light laboratory.

PERFORMING ARTS: DRAMA & DANCE

685

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690

DANCE TECHNIQUE IB

Tech IB offers beginning-level instruction in ballet, modern and musical theater dance, which may include tap. Fundamental skills and basic dance vocabulary are taught with an emphasis on proper alignment and technique.

Creativity and self-expression are nurtured through dance improvisation and basic choreographic exercises. .5 credits – year-long minor

PERFORMING ARTS: DRAMA & DANCE

691

102

DANCE TECHNIQUE IA

Tech IA offers advanced-beginning level instruction and builds upon the skills developed in Tech IA. Beginning to intermediate skills and dance vocabulary are taught in all genres of dance with a emphasis on consistent use of proper alignment and technique. Dance improvisation and beginning choreographic skills continue to be explored. The course serves as an ideal preparation for Tech II or the dance majors. .5 credits – year-long minor – by permission of the department 692

DANCE TECHNIQUE II

The Tech II minor course is an intermediate to advanced class and is suggested for the more experienced dancer. Ballet, modern, musical theater and tap are taught, and the dancers learn skills and choreography taught in our dance major classes. Dancers practice artistic professionalism, work toward a higher technical proficiency, and develop their performance skills. The course is ideal for advanced dancers without room in their schedules for the dance major. .5 credits – year-long minor – by permission of the department 693

DANCE TECHNIQUE III

Tech III is an intermediate level major class that is suggested for students who are serious about dance and wish to be challenged at a more technically advanced level. Greater emphasis is placed on technical skills, consistent use of proper alignment, and mastery of advanced movement vocabulary. Musicality and dynamics are explored and practiced, and the dancers are encouraged to use greater self-expression and artistry in their work. Artistic professionalism is taught, modeled and required. Creativity and risk taking are fostered through dance improvisation and the introduction of basic dance composition skills. All dance genres are taught, and master classes by professional Curriculum Guide

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guest artists are offered at this level. The class also fulfills the ACR. 1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department 694

DANCE TECHNIQUE IV

Tech IV is an advanced level major class suggested for dancers who wish to study at a pre-professional level or who plan to pursue dance in college and beyond. There is a greater requirement for technical achievement, mastery of skills, and the development of artistic expression at this level. Creativity and risk taking are practiced regularly and artistic professionalism is required. All genres of dance are studied and pointe shoes maybe worn in ballet classes.

Master classes taught by professional guest artists are offered at this level. The class a fulfills the ACR. 1 credit – year-long major – by permission of the department

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HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

HEALTH

AND

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The Department of Health and Physical Education is an integral part of the school’s educational program. The department provides students with opportunities for learning through the scientific study of human wellness and movement as well as through the practical application of athletics, exercises, and activities. The general goals of the department are to promote a lifestyle for our students that emphasizes physical fitness, health, and wellness and to teach our students how to make responsible choices, both of which should contribute toward the development of our students as well-rounded, responsible citizens of The Masters School and the larger community.

Students who enter Masters in the ninth grade are required to take two termlong minor courses in health, first in the ninth grade, and then in the junior year. Students must earn a passing grade in physical education each term while they are at Masters in order to meet the graduation requirement. Students may fulfill this requirement though participation in regularly scheduled physical education classes (which meet twice a week), the interscholastic athletic program, or, with departmental approval, an out-of-school athletic option. To qualify for an athletic option, students must complete an application form and submit it to the athletic office prior to the announced deadline.

Students may apply for an athletic option either for a specific season (fall, winter, or spring) or for the year; the option must involve a fitness activity that is not offered in that particular season at Masters and is supervised by an instructor licensed or certified in that particular activity. The instructor also must submit to the School a written evaluation of the student’s progress at the end of the term.

Long-term exemptions from participation in physical activity due to illness or injury will be issued only upon receipt of a written request from a student’s parents. This request must be accompanied by a note from a physician that specifies the activities that the student can or cannot take part in and the duration of the excused absence. An adaptive program of physical education can be arranged for students requiring special considerations. In such cases, a meeting involving the student, the parents, the school nurse or physician, and the director of athletics should be arranged prior to the start of the trimester.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Kevin Versen B.A., Lynchburg College

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HEALTH

Students are required to take Health in the junior year; the class meets twice a week for one semester. The primary goal of the course is to provide information and develop skills that will allow each student to make healthy and safe decisions in their lives. The curriculum includes units on nutrition, fitness, sexually-transmitted diseases, and CPR certification. Students explore how the brain is affected by what we eat; by drugs, alcohol, and nicotine; by hormonal changes; and by external factors such as stress. Class discussions focus on current health issues and assigned articles, and students are evaluated in these discussions as well as through quizzes, tests, and papers. .25 credits – taken in the junior year (schedule permitting) 800

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

725

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Physical education classes meet twice a week. The instructional units that are offered vary from term to term and depend upon class size and student interest. Fitness and skill-based units that are regularly offered include basketball, fencing, archery, tennis, soccer, volleyball, and weight training. offered each trimester season

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INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES

INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES These courses are multidisciplinary in nature and present opportunities for students to explore possibilities and develop skills that connect and integrate various subjects and approaches to learning.

“

700

FRESHMAN SEMINAR

The Freshman Seminar is a year-long minor course for ninth graders, the purpose of which is to provide students with a uniform introduction to the school community, its values and expectations, health and wellness, and the interdisciplinary skills they will need for success during their years at The Masters School. The teachers of this course work closely with the Ninth Grade Dean as well as the ninth grade teachers and advisors to provide a support network for students throughout their freshman year. .5 credits – Required for all ninth-graders 712

SEMINAR

IN

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP

Juniors and seniors who want to strengthen their understanding of ethical leadership and dig more deeply into the work of becoming effective leaders are encouraged to take this course. Using readings, films, podcasts, personal reflections, dilemma discussions, interviews with community leaders, and their own observations about challenges they face, students explore the character traits and skills that are essential to good leadership. Students who take this course engage in self-exploration to identify their essential character traits and potential obstacles to maintaining their values as they move on in life. They develop an understanding of their leadership style and how best to work with others whose styles may be different from their own. Students explore the leadership experience of established community leaders and take on a project within the school or a community-based organization, bringing the challenges they face to the class for analysis and discussion using a consultancy protocol. Final presentations about these leadership experiences are open to the entire Masters community. .5 credits – year-long minor – open to juniors and seniors

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715

PUBLIC SPEAKING

.25 credits – taken in the junior year (schedule permitting) 749

INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES

The purpose of this course is to prepare students with the vocal skills and the confidence to present ideas in front of an audience. This is a required, semester course that meets for approximately 110 minutes a week. Organization of content, clear enunciation, and vocal projection are stressed. To develop extemporaneous speaking skills, students answer questions on randomly selected assigned readings. The library is used as the source of material for speech writing, and listening skills are reinforced as students critique one another. During the course, each student is videotaped and writes a selfevaluation based on this performance. Digital media and research skills are developed during the semester.

THE MASTERS THESIS

The Masters Thesis is a rigorous, guided course for seniors who want to immerse themselves in a particular area of study for an entire summer and academic year. The class is interdisciplinary in nature as students are expected to look at literature and art that relates to their chosen field. Over the course of the year, students produce one long paper and a creative project.

Members of the class share what they learn with other students in a variety of ways, such as by guest-lecturing to appropriate classes or by presenting and discussing their research with interested faculty and students during lunchtime and evening seminars. The class meets twice a week.

1 credit – year-long major – by special permission 750 BEGINNING JOURNALISM

This course offers specific focus on developing basic news writing skills, including developing story ideas, angles, leads, interview techniques. Students analyze and learn from a variety of news sources. Students learn the basics of writing effective news, feature, sports, and opinion pieces. Workshopping, editing and rewriting become second nature to the Beginning Journalism student. In addition to writing, an array of other technical skills, essential for the 21st-century journalist, are taught: the basics of photojournalism, using Photoshop, “tweeting” news, and learning to lay out their work using InDesign, an industry-level standard desktop publishing program. Students are encouraged to have their work published in the school newspaper, Tower, as well as in one outside source. .5 credits – year-long minor THE MASTERS SCHOOL

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INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES

751 JOURNALISM/TOWER

This production course provides students with a hands-on opportunity to research, write, edit, photograph, design layout, and produce the school’s newspaper, Tower, which is published approximately seven times a year. In addition, students will produce and package content for Tower’s other media sources: an online website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook fan page. Students taking the course should have completed Beginning Journalism, mastered the basic journalistic skills, and demonstrated a high degree of initiative. .5 credits – year-long minor – by permission 755

TOWER SENIOR EDITORSHIP

This course is designed as an independent study for the editor (or editors)-inchief of Tower. In addition to attending the Journalism/Tower classes, this student works independently during free periods and outside of the academic school day under the direction of the faculty advisor for Tower and develops such skills as building and managing a staff, thoughtfully editing articles, and further developing design and layout. Overseeing Tower’s social media platforms are also part of the editor’s job. Students receive major credit for this course.

1 credit – year-long major – by permission 763

DESIGN THINKING

AND

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

In this course, students learn the principles of “design thinking” with a focus on entrepreneurship as a “power for good in the world.” Design thinking was developed at Stanford University, the Harvard Innovation Lab, and the MIT Media Lab and is a human-centered approach to creativity and innovation that integrates the needs of society with the requirements for business success.

Through readings and Harkness discussions, students come to understand the mindset of entrepreneurs and how business can drive social change. Additionally, students explore the fundamental principles of finding inspiration, product/service creation and prototyping, implementation in the real world and small business operational skills including interviewing, the extremes and mainstreams of creating effective work groups, analogous inspiration, how to effectively research potential markets and existing products/services, resource flow, design framing, project planning, and the activities of card sorting, drawing, roll-playing, and collaging as tools in the business building process. .5 credits – year-long minor

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766 INTRODUCTION TO

ENGINEERING DESIGN

INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES

In IED, students are introduced to the engineering profession and a common approach to the solution of engineering problems, an engineering design process. Utilizing the activity-project-problem-based (APB) teaching and learning pedagogy, students progress from completing structured activities to solving open-ended projects and problems that require them to develop planning, documentation, communication, and other professional skills. Through both individual and collaborative team activities, projects, and problems, students solve problems as they practice common engineering design and development protocols such as project management and peer review. Students develop skill in technical representation and documentation of design solutions according to accepted technical standards, and they use current 3D design and modeling software (Autodesk Inventor) to represent and communicate solutions. In addition, the development of computational methods that are commonly used in engineering problem solving, including statistical analysis and mathematical modeling, are emphasized. Ethical issues related to professional practice and product development are also presented. Through a partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology, students can earn college credits for successful completion of IED. 1 credit – year-long major

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