Northfield Mount Hermon
Academic Departments and Programs
MARCH 2022
NMH Advanced Program
Education for the Head, Heart, and Hand The Advanced Program at NMH is designed to offer an immersive learning experience that challenges, captivates, and empowers independent learners. NMH made the decision to replace AP courses so our curriculum — at all levels — serves our mission to engage our student’s intellect, compassion, and talents, empowering them to act with humanity and purpose. The intentional curriculum we developed equips students with advanced knowledge to achieve excellence while igniting their curiosity and passion for learning, broadening their view of the world, and refining their image of themselves. With updated prerequisite requirements, we are also providing the important benefit of ensuring that a greater number of our students have access to advanced offerings. Advances Knowledge to Achieve Excellence Like AP courses, the NMH Advanced Program gives students the opportunity to develop skills needed to tackle and complete college-level work, and stand out to colleges as they compete for placement and scholarships. Our Advanced Program courses are taught at or beyond the AP level and emphasize the values of interdisciplinary studies, equity and inclusion, and student-centered learning. Designated by a course number of 500 or 600, these courses allow students to complete rigorous, college-level coursework with an inquiry- and project-based approach, in addition to preparing them for the AP exam. Engages Curiosity and Ignites the Passion for Learning with Meaning The NMH Advanced Program takes an advanced curriculum beyond a test-prep model and centers learning around the student and their development as insightful researchers and informed problem solvers.
PROGRAM BENEFITS Reformulates Rigor and Emphasizes the Acquisition of Skills
The Advanced Program prioritizes mastery of relevant skills, understanding of subject-specific content, and examination of issues from multiple perspectives, which students then apply to real-world situations. This divergence from the AP program expectations for content coverage and focus on the ability to test well allows for review or reflections on learning. The long-block academic model allows for deeper and more focused learning each day. The pace is more humane for students, and as a result fosters richer understanding and long-term retention.
Requires Students to Apply their Learning
Courses focus on more flexible and relevant modes of instruction that ask students to apply their learning using relevant, real-world skills and project-based assessments. Unlike AP courses that require teachers to teach toward a test, emphasizing a “right/wrong” test model, there is more flexibility to allow for open-ended responses and divergent thinking.
Incorporates more Diverse Voices and Perspectives into the Curriculum
NMH faculty are scholars who have the flexibility to update their curriculum or tailor their instruction in response to current events or advances in their respective field. Teachers are not confined to a prescribed and often static AP curriculum. They can be more creative both in the content they teach and the ways they assess – making the curriculum more responsive to challenges students encounter each semester. The ability to be dynamic also increases the relevance of the content for students and gives them the opportunity to incorporate their own perspectives and ideas.
Offers Unique Advanced-Level Courses
By leaving the AP program, NMH has been able to develop unique, advanced-level courses, such as Biotechnology, Environmental Applications of Advanced Chemistry, or Advanced Latin Literature: Republic to Empire, which are taught at or beyond the AP level. The program also extends beyond traditional disciplines to include more tailored learning experiences including the Rhodes Fellowship Course in Social Entrepreneurship and Capstone programs. Now students have greater flexibility to select courses which align with their long-term academic goals, rather than feeling pressure to take only those courses labeled “AP.”
Margaret Eisenhauer
Department Chair meisenhauer@nmhschool.org 413-270-5545 Please see the Curriculum Guide (bit.ly/NMHEnglish) for complete course descriptions.
English Department At NMH, we want you to fall in love with the written word. We want you to be hungry for reading and passionate about writing. So our English courses serve up an incredibly broad range of voices, styles, and assignments.
Elective courses for Juniors, Seniors, and Postgraduates
Whether you are reading ancient epics or a graphic novel or the tale of the 1934 murder of Elliott Speer (former headmaster of NMH), you’ll learn to interpret texts skillfully through discussion and written analysis. The texts you read and the assignments you write help you hone your technical, critical, and creative skills.
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Our English teachers are highly experienced. Many have lived and taught in other countries. Some are published writers themselves. We offer international and domestic travel options that are unique experiential learning opportunities for our students. Our faculty simply love what they teach, and hope that you’ll join them in their passion for reading . . . everything.
Ninth-Grade English
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Humanities I
Sophomore English
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World Literature (includes international travel option)
Junior English
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American Literature (includes domestic travel option) Shared Voices, Interdisciplinary U.S. History and American Literature A choice of elective courses
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Advanced Studies in Rhetoric: A Digital Portfolio Class Advanced Studies in Literary Theory and Analysis Ancient Epic Big Books: Authors You Should Meet Coming of Age: Reading the Bildungsroman Creative Nonfiction Creative Writing Empowering the Powerless Get Free: Literature of U.S. Social Movements Global Women’s Literature: Mothers, Sisters, Daughters Speak Literature and the Environment Multimedia Storytelling Outlaws, Outcasts, and Castaways Postgraduate English I and II Queer Lives and Literature Reading and Writing the Landscape Society and Crime The Bible as Literature Tracing Asian American Literature
Half-Credit Electives
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Creative Writing Film Journalism
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Your English classes will develop you as a thinker and as a community member. You’ll be asked to articulate your thoughts and reactions to readings. And, perhaps most importantly, you’ll be asked to listen thoughtfully. That’s because we believe it’s vital to learn to think about and respond to a variety of opinions and perspectives, whether they come from a world-famous author or the student sitting next to you.
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Tim Relyea
Department Chair trelyea@nmhschool.org 413-498-3453 Please see the Curriculum Guide (bit.ly/ NMH_HistSocialSci) for complete course descriptions.
History and Social Science Department
The department offers a wide variety of courses, looking backward and forward at the same time. We try to make sense of the economy, current events, government, culture and politics around the world, even your very psyche. As you progress through the curriculum, the range of course offerings increases, including a number of college-level classes open to juniors, seniors and PGs. Many of our classes integrate literary, religious, and artistic perspectives, which provides context for what we study and can increase your appreciation of varied perspectives as you develop your own analyses and interpretations. In addition to our incredible faculty, we bring in a wide variety of guest speakers. Sometimes we bring in visiting groups of international students to share experiences and ideas. We also offer study-abroad opportunities. You might travel to South Africa with a sophomore Humanities class and explore the realities of racial reconciliation and identity politics, or join Model United Nations and travel to a conference in Greece or Qatar. As you become a more skilled critical thinker, you’ll learn to express your ideas about history and society more clearly. As you write research papers, you’ll discover where to find data and how to seek answers. You’ll become a sleuth, a theorist, an interpreter, and an agent for change in the world — in other words, a historian and social scientist.
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Academic Courses NMH History in Context— ninth grade elective World History—sophomore year
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HUM II: World History (Travel option offered as safety guidelines allow: Brazil, Spain/Morocco, South Africa, China)
U.S. History—junior year
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U.S. History Survey
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Government and Civil Liberties
Shared Voices: Interdisciplinary U.S. History and American Literature For the People: Advanced Topics in United States History
History Electives
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Foreign Policy
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The Ancient Mediterranean World: Kings, Oligarchs, and the Oppressed
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In Their Footsteps: Rethinking Women’s History
The Islamic Middle East Warfare, Humanity, and Society Advanced Studies in World History: Africa Advanced Studies in U.S. History: Lifting as We Climb
MAR-2022
Our goal is to help you develop skills to better see and interpret the world. Our courses, which cover everything from FDR’s New Deal to the Green New Deal, Amazon warriors to Confucian scholars, help you analyze historical events and individuals’ roles within them. You’ll look at the nature of historical and cultural change, and what it means for us today.
Social Sciences Electives
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Economics Advanced Topics in Economics Psychology Advanced Psychology Global Ethics and Climate Change The Rhodes Fellowship Course in Social Entrepreneurship
Kai Robinson ’05
Department Chair krobinson@nmhschool.org Please see the Curriculum Guide (bit.ly/NMH_math) for complete course descriptions.
Mathematics Department Mathematics at NMH means developing a solid foundation in theory and mechanics, and applying these mechanics in real-world situations. This year, students engaged in art projects using Desmos graphing software, examined the mathematics behind the dairy industry, designed roller coasters, constructed student-life polls and interpreted the results, analyzed news articles about racial disparity in police forces, and wrote computer programs for transmitting messages in secret code.
The math department recognizes that students differ in ability, background, interest, and rate of learning. Teacher recommendations, transcripts, aptitude records, and placement tests will ensure that you land in the most appropriate math course. Math Outside the Classroom The math faculty at NMH are innovative instructors who are involved in all areas of school life. They offer drop-in homework help every school nights, and tutoring is available as part of the Center for Academic Strategies and Achievement (CASA).
We offer a wide spectrum of coursework to fit students’ varied needs, from introductory algebra and geometry to advanced explorations of typically collegiate topics. So whether you want a basic understanding of equations, graphs, and theorems or you are hungry for collegiate electives such as Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Number Theory, we have courses for you. We offer Advanced Calculus I, Advanced Calculus I and II, Advanced Statistics, and Advanced Topics in Computer Science. See the math flowchart for possible progressions through the curriculum.
If you enjoy playing with numbers, you can join our thriving and diverse Math Team. Every team member can find success in problem solving, and we make sure that no one runs out of challenges. Collaborative work is emphasized, and explaining how a solution is achieved is as important as finding it in the first place. There are no grades or tests on Math Team; it’s where you can focus mathematics for the sheer joy of it.
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Technology is integrated into all classes. In some courses beyond geometry, you’ll use a TI-Nspire CX-CAS graphing calculator. Students also use Desmos, Wolfram Alpha, and other online technologies, and learn basic coding in Python. You can also participate in the “Hour of Code,” a nationwide initiative encouraging students to begin writing code early in their education.
Course Flowchart Basic Courses
Regular Courses
Basic Algebra 1, 101
Algebra 1, 111
Honors Algebra 1, 121
Basic Geometry, 201
Geometry, 211
Honors Geometry, 221
Basic Algebra 2, 301
Algebra 2, 311
Honors Algebra 2, 321
Algebra Survey, 401
Precalculus, 411 or Statistics, 413
Honors Precalculus, 421
for students needing more review and support
Topics in Trigonometry, 402
Calculus, 431
or Advanced Statistics, 522
Honors Courses
for students with a strong background in math and high motivation
Advanced or Advanced Calculus 1, 515 Calculus 1 and 2, 525
Note: Students may not take 522 after 413. Multivariable Calculus, 611
Linear Algebra, 612 or Number Theory, 613 (alt. years)
Gretel Schatz
Department Chair gschatz@nmhschool.org 413-498-3341 Please see the Curriculum Guide (bit.ly/NMHPerforming) for complete course descriptions.
Performing Arts Department The performing arts teach us new ways to see and think about the world and allow us to communicate with our fellow human beings in ways that transcend — and sometimes critique — language, history, religion, and politics. They also foster empathy for others by allowing us an entry into different cultures.
Academic Courses Arts Foundations in the Performing Arts — The Power of Art (Ninth graders are required to take a Foundation course.) Dance Moving Conversations: Dance Technique and Choreography Auditioned Class: Honors Ballet: Advanced
Performing arts courses at NMH will nurture your appreciation and understanding of a wide variety of expressive media while developing your own creative skills and deepening your confidence in your talent. Whether it’s learning about sight reading in music, movement in dance, or lighting and set design in theater, when you leave NMH, you’ll have the skill set to make art for the rest of your life.
Technique and Theory Auditioned Class: Intermediate Ballet Technique and Theory Music Advanced Applied Music I and II Advanced Musicianship Honors Auditioned Groups: Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Combo, Select Women’s Ensemble, NMH Singers
You’ll learn the vocabulary of the performing arts and how to discuss and critique it articulately. You’ll also learn the importance of crossing boundaries, by collaborating with artists from other disciplines and even incorporating ideas from science or economics into the way you think about art.
Electronic Music Studio I and II The History of Jazz The Creative Impulse: Religion and the Performing Arts The Evolution of Hip-Hop and its Role in Documenting Social Commentary
Perhaps you’ll join our many alumni who have gone on to careers in theater, music, or dance. We are certain you’ll become one of the thousands who have developed a lifelong passion for making — or just simply loving and supporting — art.
World Music Theater Acting in Production Acting I and II
Come explore our beautiful Rhodes Arts Center. You’ll see just how serious we are about art . . . and how much we celebrate it.
Directing Playwriting Theater Production I and II
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Theatrical Design and Technology I and II
Co-Curricular Classes Dance
Music
Theater
(Dance receives PE credit)
Intro to Music Theory
Costuming
Ballet
Private Music Lessons (fee)
Musical Production Role
Choreography
One-Act Play Festival (student directed)
Jazz
Stagecraft
Modern/Contemporary
Theater Production Role
Tap
Additional Intensive Performing Arts Programs Music Concentration is for the musician who wants to pursue their music lessons seriously and wants daily practice time to do so. In order to be in music concentration, the student must participate in one of the major music groups (Concert Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble or World Music Percussion Ensemble), and take PE each term. This fulfills the same requirement as playing a team sport. Music Immersion is for the student who wants to pursue their music lessons seriously, wants daily practice time to do so, and who also wants to play a team sport one of the terms. The student is enrolled in the music immersion program in the terms that they are not playing a team sport or other intensive program.
Theater Immersion is an opportunity for students who wish to take a deeper-thanaverage dive into one or more specific disciplines within the Theater Arts, to receive the mentorship and the protected time to do so. On the technical (backstage) side Immersion Students become the specialist or student leader of their course of study; i.e. as the paint lead or a props designer. Within the rehearsal process an immersion student might become the dance captain, fight captain or dramaturg of a production and handle the bulk of the research around the time period in which the play or musical is set. If the role onstage could be categorized by the director as an exceptional undertaking, the time required for rehearsal, memorization and character study would qualify for Theater
Immersion. Credit can be received in any area of theater production in which the student is deeply invested, which has been approved by the program director, and meets the appropriate time commitment. Ideally, the student has demonstrated a deep interest and commitment to the study of theater arts (either through taking classes or previous production involvement), before they or their advisor suggests enrollment in Immersion.
Performing Groups Dance
Music
Theater
Junior Dance Company
Concert Band
At least three major productions a year,
NMH Dance Company
Concert Choir
including a musical
(Dance companies fulfill NMH’s arts and
Jazz Ensemble
athletic group requirement)
NMH World Percussion Ensemble Stage Band Student led a cappella groups: Hogappella Northfield Mount Harmony The Nellies Symphony Orchestra
One-Act Play Festival (student directed)
Student Directed Play
Lori Veilleux
Department Chair lveilleux@nmhschool.org 413-498-3474 Please see the Curriculum Guide (bit.ly/NMH_ReligPhilos) for complete course descriptions.
Religious Studies and Philosophy Department
Many of our courses take an interdisciplinary approach, recognizing that human experience is not as neatly divided as conventional academic departments. In fact, NMH’s humanities requirements for 9th- and 10th-graders will introduce you to this collaborative approach. With two teachers and academic credits in two different disciplines, you’ll examine the relationship between humans and their environment through literary and philosophical expressions. Then, you’ll study the world’s religions and their impact on world history. If you choose the Humanities II travel option, you might even see first-hand how academic concepts play out in the real world — in Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Morocco, India, and China. All of this — combined with our passionate, caring faculty — will help you grow and begin your quest for truth.
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Academic Courses
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Humanities I: Religious Studies and Philosophy
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Humanities II: World Religions In alternate years we visit one or more of these countries: Brazil, Spain/Morocco, and South Africa
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Bioethics
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Ethics
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Global Ethics and Climate Change
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Philosophy
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Religioin, Power, and Text: Sacred Stories
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The Creative Impulse: Religion and the Performing Arts
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The Islamic Middle East
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Theology of the Oppressed
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World Religions and Contemporary Issues
MAR-2022
Let’s think about big questions — questions about meaning and purpose, identity and community, ethics and destiny. At NMH, you’ll come to better know your world and better know yourself. Our religious studies and philosophy program will help you on this journey. You’ll explore ideas of great thinkers, from Confucius to the existentialists. You’ll learn to analyze the powerful connections between religion and human history. And you’ll examine how the ethical and spiritual dimensions of human experience connect with questions of equity and social justice. Along the way, you’ll develop your perspective — and your voice.
Religious Studies and Philosophy Graduation Requirement* Type of student
Freshman year
Sophomore year
4-year students (option 1)
Humanities I
Humanities II
4-year students (option 2)
Humanities I
Junior year or senior year
Total credits required 2
World Religions and Contemporary Issues
2
½ credit in an elective
1.5
2-year students
1 full credit or 2 half credit elective courses
1
1-year students
½ credit in an elective
3-year students
Humanities II
0.5
*ESL students are required to fulfill the religious studies requirement that matches the number of full years they are not enrolled in ESL.
Nhu Gonzalez Hoang
Department Chair ngonzalezhoang@nmhschool.org Please see the Curriculum Guide (bit.ly/NMHScience) for complete course descriptions.
Science Department NMH science teachers and courses emphasize learning by doing. You’ll start with physics, tackling projects and designing labs that investigate energy, matter, and motion. By starting with the principles underlying everything in science, you’ll be better able to understand all the other science you learn. That includes biology and chemistry; electives such as astronomy, engineering, environmental studies, bioethics, or forensic science; and all our advanced courses.
indigenous Maori people. Astronomy students spend time in our observatory; one year, they discovered an uncatalogued Kuiper Belt object in the same region of space where “planet nine” may exist. And members of our Science Club design and build whatever they can dream up in our Maker Space. NMH’s College Model Academic Program allows many students to dive into two lab-based science classes in the same year. While some students explore different sciences, others immerse themselves in one subject, starting at the introductory level in the fall and moving smoothly through an advanced level in the spring of the same year.
We offer many opportunities to take science out of the classroom and into the lab, out to the forest, down to the NMH farm, and off campus. You might study acceleration by riding a roller coaster at Six Flags, milk a cow and assess the milk’s nutritional quality, or get involved in campus composting. In Forensic Science, you might study the evidence in an unsolved murder and ask a local writer how he uses forensic science in his mystery novels. Or you can visit dinosaur tracks and other nearby geological wonders.
With all of these opportunities and faculty with a broad range of backgrounds, science at NMH is innovative and inspiring. It can prepare you for a career or satisfy a curiosity. It’s all about making connections among the different science fields and between your academic studies and the real world.
In our interdisciplinary New Zealand travel program, students take Environmental Studies or Geology and hike over volcanic slopes and warm their feet in thermal pools while learning the cultural practices of the
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See our flowchart for possible progressions through the science curriculum.
9th grade Physics (PHY 211) and Robotics (PHY 115) (1/2 credit elective)
BIO 417
Human Physiology
BIO 451
Bioethics
CHE 417
Forensic Science
ENV 411
Environmental Studies
ENV 415
Environmental Studies: An International Perspectice
ENV 417
Geology
Env 419
Science of Farming
PHY 416
Engineering Physics
PHY 417
Astonomy
PHY 418
The Physics of Global Energy
PHY 421
Physics II
10th grade Biology (BIO 311) or Honors Biology (BIO 321)
11th grade Chemistry (CHE 311) or Honors Chemistry (CHE 321)
Advanced electives at 500 or 600 level, college-level courses requiring completion of core curriculum BIO 531
Advanced Biology: Biotechnology
BIO 532
Advanced Biology: Field Studies
CHE 521
Advanced Chemistry
CHE 611
Environmental Applications of Advanced Chemistry
ENV 521
Advanced Environmental Science
PHY 531
Advanced Physics: Mechanics
PHY 631
Advanced Physics: Electricy and Magnetism
Mona Martinez Seno
Department Chair mseno@nmhschool.org Please see the Curriculum Guide (bit.ly/NMHVisualArts) for course descriptions.
Visual Arts Department
NMH graduates have gone on to institutions like Parsons School of Design, the Tisch School at NYU, Maryland Institute College of Art, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Rhode Island School of Design. All visual arts courses are taught in the Rhodes Arts Center. Classroom instruction is supplemented by optional open-studio hours during the afternoon and evening, and it’s during this time that many students begin to explore individual ideas and themes that are collectively presented in a studioclass environment. One of the truly special things about studying art at NMH is that you’ll be surrounded by inspiring work from all disciplines. The frequent exhibits in the Gallery at the Rhodes Arts Center feature the work of nationally recognized artists, such as Robert Rauschenberg and Louise Bourgeois. So if your class happens to be working on collages or abstract sculpture, the work of some contemporary masters might be right outside your studio door. In addition to being surrounded by great art, you’ll be surrounded by great teachers who maintain studio space in the Rhodes Arts Center. When they’re not helping you with your work, they’re making their own. You’re all artists in the same community, sharing ideas and encouragement and celebrating one another’s creativity.
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Academic Courses
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Advanced Drawing and Painting Portfolio Advanced 2D Portfolio Advanced 3D Portfolio Arts Foundations in the Visual Arts (Ninth graders are required to take a Foundations course in visual arts or performing arts.) Ceramics I, II Darkroom Photography I, II Digital Photography I, II Drawing and Composition I, II Graphic Design Intensive Studio Painting I, II Sculptural Forms I, II Stop Motion Animation Two Dimensional Design Video as Visual Art I, II
Co-Curricular Courses
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Beginning with Clay Digital Drawing Exploring Watercolor Introduction to Illustration Plein Air Painting Portrait Sculpture
MAR-2022
NMH’s visual arts courses give you a dizzying choice of media and techniques, so you can create artwork as varied as linoleum prints, digital images, pastel drawings, ceramic vessels, and three-dimensional assemblages — among many others. Many of our courses have multiple levels, which allows students to develop skills, and learn foundational art and design vocabulary, before applying these to their own independent work. Our AP classes (Drawing, 2D Design, 3D Design, and Advanced Drawing and Painting) provide opportunities for student-artists to develop an individual portfolio for college applications.
Andrea Sell
Department Chair ASell@nmhschool.org 413-498-3493 Please see the Curriculum Guide (bit.ly/NMHLanguages) for complete course descriptions.
World Languages Department You’ll learn how to communicate in the target language you choose, using it to discuss, read, and write about current events and a wide array of meaningful and relevant topics. Our classes are engaging, highly interactive, and centered on you. While mastering the language’s intricacies, you’ll also explore the social patterns, value systems, traditions, and cultures of the people whose language you are learning. The target language is used extensively in the classroom from introductory to advanced courses. You’ll build proficiency through hands-on tasks in group- and self-guided projects. You can also practice the language in a relaxed atmosphere at weekly language dinner tables. Study through the advanced level is offered in Chinese, French, Latin, and Spanish. Advanced students have the opportunity to teach French or Spanish to local elementary school students once a week throughout each semester.
Academic Courses
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Chinese I, II, III, IV
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Chinese VI: Intro to Chinese Literature
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Honors Chinese II, III, IV Advanced Studies in Chinese: Contemporary China and Chinese Culture French I, II, III Honors French II, III, IV French IV (Contemporary Issues) French IV (Service-Learning Project) Advanced Studies in French: The Francophone World in Depth French VI (Francophone Culture through Literature and Film) Latin I, II, III Advanced Latin Literature: Politics, Power, and the Populace Advanced Latin Literature: Republic to Empire Spanish I, II, III, IV Advanced Spanish I Honors Spanish II, III, IV Spanish IV (Service-Learning Project) Advanced Studies in Spanish: Equity and Inclusion Across Hispanic Culture Spanish VI: Introduction to Latin American and Peninsular Literature
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The NMH world languages program helps students develop the strong language skills needed in today’s global society.
Web: bit.ly/NMHTravel Instagram: @nmhglobal
Global and Off-Campus Travel Opportunities Some of NMH’s exciting and enriching opportunities are nowhere near campus. They’re in places like Brazil, China, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa, Spain, and across the United States. When you participate in one of our travel programs, you travel for one to three weeks, gaining incredible insights and new perspectives on yourself, your own culture, and the world at large.
Activities abroad can include anything from visiting favelas in Brazil to learning dance and drumming in Ghana to visiting the Hassan II mosque in Morocco. You might meet with students at a local school, work on a community-service project, or conduct an independent research project. Whether you’re writing critical analyses or personal narratives, exploring indigenous community political issues or the role of Islamic art, you’re sure to gain insights you simply couldn’t have gotten at home.
Each program focuses on specific themes. For instance, the sophomore interdisciplinary travel program visits Brazil, South Africa, and Spain/Morocco on a rotating cycle. Students in this program are simultaneously enrolled in World Religions and World History, which is NMH’s Humanities II program. Similarly, students enrolled in our junior interdisciplinary U.S. domestic travel program to New Mexico explore themes in U.S. history and American literature in the U.S. Southwest. Our language immersion programs promote intensive Chinese, French, and Spanish language learning through engagement with people in a range of real-life situations.
Participation in our travel programs is selective and by application only. Participants pay a program fee in addition to NMH tuition. The programs vary each year, depending on enrollment and staffing. • Mid-Atlantic Tour: College, Culture, and Career Explorartion • Model United Nations Conference • Spain/Morocco Hum II Program
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Note: Travel Programs are currently on hold due to the COVID19 pandemic, and will resume again when safety guidelines allow and travel restrictions are lifted.
Other travel opportunities include the Model United Nations program, in which students participate in MUN conferences across the U.S. and the globe; a servicelearning program to Belize, where students live with a host family and are trained in facilitating basic medical screenings; a career-exploration program to Costa Rica focused on wildlife and environmental conservation; and an arts and culture program in Ghana.
Joe Latimer
Director jlatimer@nmhschool.org Please see the NMH website (bit.ly/NMHCollege) for more information
Our students are going to have a variety of experiences after graduating from NMH. At a school like ours, it’s typical that the vast majority of our students will head off to a four-year college/university in the fall.
Amid the changing landscape around test-optional and test-blind policies, we offer guidance to students about whether to test-prep, to take standardized tests, and to submit scores.
As college counselors, our relationships with students and families are grounded in trust, truth, honesty, and integrity that is meant to be sustained over time. Our work with students is collaborative, we communicate with parents and family members in a timely manner, and as a team of eight college counselors, we tap into each other’s expertise to support students and families throughout the process.
The college admissions landscape is constantly changing, and we remain on top of current trends in college counseling by attending and presenting at regional and national conferences, and other professional development opportunities.
We offer fall and spring programming including college fairs, as well as presentations from college representatives and financial aid officers from a variety of schools ranging from liberal arts colleges to Tier 1 research universities, from conservatories to technical institutes, and from military academies to universities in other countries, among others.
The foundation of our work with students, families, and admissions representatives from colleges and universities comes from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling’s (NACAC) Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admissions. Our staff are also members of the New England Association for College Admissions Counseling and Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, where we have access to an extraordinary amount of resources and expertise.
Given the diversity of our student body, our programming, and the 1:1 counseling we provide, we are sensitive to the needs of every student, including those who are *First Generation, LGBTQ+, low income, or underrepresented at college, have learning differences, and international students who navigate the process with additional nuances. (*First Generation indicates students who come from homes where no parent/guardian has a bachelor’s degree.)
With all this being said, we understand that some families will decide to seek college counseling from an independent source. It’s in the best interest of the students we guide and support for there to be an alliance among all parties, as conflicting advice will only increase anxiety in a process that is already stressful. We ask that you email your college counselor with the name and contact of your independent counselor if you chose this avenue.
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College Counseling: Statement of Principles and Practice
Schools NMH graduates currently attend Selected from the past four graduating classes
American University
Johns Hopkins University
Tufts University
Amherst College
Kenyon College
Union College, New York
Babson College
King’s College London
United States Naval Academy
Bard College
Lafayette College
University of British Columbia
Barnard College
Lehigh University
University of California, Berkeley
Bates College
Macalester College
University of California, Los Angeles
Boston College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Cambridge
Boston University
McGill University
University of Chicago
Bowdoin College
Miami University, Ohio
University of Colorado, Boulder
Brandeis University
Middlebury College
University of Illinois, Chicago
Brown University
Mount Holyoke College
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Bryn Mawr College
New England Conservatory of Music
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Bucknell University
New York University
University of Michigan
Carleton College
Northeastern University
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Carnegie Mellon University
Northwestern University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Case Western Reserve University
Occidental College
University of Notre Dame
Colby College
Pepperdine University
University of Oxford
Colgate University
Pitzer College
University of Pennsylvania
College of William and Mary
Princeton University
University of Rochester
Colorado College
Providence College
University of St. Andrews
Columbia University
Reed College
University of Southern California
Connecticut College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Texas, Austin
Cornell University
Rhode Island School of Design
University of Vermont
Dartmouth College
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Virginia
Davidson College
Saint Lawrence University
University of Washington
Dickinson College
Santa Clara University
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Duke University
Sarah Lawrence College
Vanderbilt University
Emory University
Savannah College of Art and Design
Vassar College
Franklin & Marshall College
Scripps College
Wake Forest University
George Washington University
Sewanee-College of the South
Washington and Lee University
Georgetown University
Skidmore College
Washington University in St. Louis
Georgia Institute of Technology
Smith College
Wellesley College
Gettysburg College
Stanford University
Wesleyan University
Hamilton College (New York)
Swarthmore College
Williams College
Harvard University
Syracuse University
Yale University
Haverford College
Temple University
Indiana University at Bloomington
Trinity College
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Advanced Program English History and Social Science Math Performing Arts Religious Studies and Philosophy Science Visual Arts World Languages Global and Off-Campus Travel College Counseling