Respect for children and trust in their inherent enthusiasm for learning are central to the design of Sparhawk School’s educational processes and objectives. Our purpose is to provide a foundation of academic strength, to facilitate critical and creative thinking, and to nurture qualities of character in our students that will sustain them throughout their lifetimes, whatever challenges and adventures may come.
Sparhawk students become scientists, explorers, academics, engineers, artists and leaders. Each cultivates their own unique point of view and tend to be eager to share it with the world. They thrive on active participation in their own learning. Our students engage with the global community through service, education, and travel. They have a profound generosity of spirit and respect the culture of kindness they build together at our school. Sparhawk students maintain their individuality while building a community that supports academic exploration, applied learning and civic engagement.
Sparhawk School is committed to the ongoing process of building a culture of kindness that is sustained by an inclusive and respectful community. To us, this is paramount. We celebrate the many forms of diversity within our community including race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, family structure, and abilities. You are unique, and your individuality adds to our community as a whole.
An important part of the Sparhawk experience is becoming a person who contributes to the community both locally and globally. We call it service learning because it is an important part of the Sparhawk learning experience as it exposes you to new ways of viewing the world. It also provides you with real-world experience. Students choose from a wide variety of ways to better the Sparhawk, local, national and/or global community.
Sparhawk School is a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), which allows us to offer high school sports to our students. We have a cooperative agreement with Amesbury, Georgetown and Whittier High Schools and have offered, girls soccer, cross country, winter & spring track, boys baseball and girls lacrosse. We seek cooperative agreements based on student interest, so if you are committed and interested in playing a high school sport, you have the opportunity to do so at Sparhawk.
In Sparhawk math courses, we help you develop a solid understanding of math concepts by helping you work through increasingly difficult problems and analyzing problem-solving strategies and common errors. The goal is to develop the mathematical tools that will improve your ability and confidence as well as to prepare you for the SAT and ACT tests and for math learning in college and life beyond. At Sparhawk, you will take traditional math courses from Algebra 1 through Pre-Calculus in small classes that allow for instruction that will meet you at your level. If you are a person who wants the opportunity to wrestle with advanced math and technology courses, you can take an AP Calculus course or participate on our FIRST Robotics Team. Elective courses have been offered in the following subject areas: AP Calculus AB & BC Statistics, Introduction to C++, Advanced C++ and Introduction to Arduino microprocessors.
Science courses at Sparhawk High School are designed to excite and inspire you while teaching you the existing knowledge, vocabulary, tools, and processes used by professional scientists. In science classes at Sparhawk, you will engage in hands-on and minds-on experimentation activities that value what you bring to the table—your questions, curiosity, creativity and problem-solving skills. At Sparhawk, you will take Physical Science, Chemistry and Biology. If you are a person who wants the opportunity to wrestle with more advanced science, you can choose from electives such as Physics, Engineering, Robotics, Forensics, Psychology, Neuroscience, Astronomy or Genetics.
Sparhawk world language courses immerse students in a culturally thematic context. You will develop ever-higher levels of ease and fluency as you develop an understanding of the way culture shapes language and language shapes culture. There are vast and rapidly expanding opportunities for you if you develop communication skills and cross-cultural understanding. We offer three world language choices: Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and French. In these classes, you learn grammar and syntax, and practice listening, speaking, reading and writing. Our students also live their world language study outside of the classroom in multiple significant ways including traveling abroad for the Winterim Master Class.
Winterim is a four-week intensive winter term that provides you with additional opportunities for deep, authentic experiential learning. You are able to choose a master class in an area of personal interest, then delve deeply into the topic of your choice, refining your individual skills and understanding. To enhance your learning, each course offers either a local, regional, or international travel experience. Since you will be putting in the same number of hours as a typical semester, but with the intense focus on one subject area, you will receive academic credit for these classes. Examples of Past Winterim Experiences: Expedition: Exploring the culture, customs & language of the Peruvian people, Students traveled to Peru, traversed villages, cities and climbed Machu Picchu. Street Art: Studying skills like silk screening, spray painting, stencil making & graphic design to create original street art. Trips to local museums & art studios enhanced this course. Marine Biology: Delving deeply into the science of Marine Biology and traveling to Belize to study the rich cultural and biological diversity of the local marine life. New Orleans: Students traveled to and studied the city of New Orleans and the varied cultures, music and history that together formed the city.
Pictured Here: Expedition Peru
PBL is a teaching method in which you work in groups to solve an “engaging and complex real-world problem or challenge” and then communicate your proposed solution to an authentic audience. In doing so, you not only develop skills of critical and creative thinking, but also the important skills of collaboration and communication in a variety of media. PBL is a teaching method that is used in many Sparhawk courses to varying degrees. In addition, all students engage in a semester-long Project-Based Learning (PBL) experience, which they choose during course selection. Students work together with a team and a faculty member who directly teaches and encourages collaboration. Our PBL curriculum is designed both by Sparhawk faculty and by the Buck Institute of Education.
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Our humanities and arts curricula are thematic, drawing from a spectrum of curricular areas, and highlighting the ways in which these domains interact. Because the scope of content in these areas is limitless, thematic programs provide frames of reference for the integration of vast amounts of knowledge and cross-curricular insights. Thematic semester cycles; Becoming Human, The Global Village, Ancient Civilizations, Medieval to Renaissance, The “New� World, Enlightenment to Industry, American Civics and Law, 20th Century and Beyond.
We believe that being able to think flexibly, critically and creatively is one of the most important skills for 21st century--allowing you to look beyond traditional solutions to discover new and innovative ways to solve complex problems. We also acknowledge that thinking this way requires practice and that there are a multitude of ways to develop these skills. For this reason, you are required to earn 3 credits in Creative Thinking Arts and Design. This domain encompasses Visual and Performing Arts and Engineering. The Sparhawk Arts Department has several beautiful and spacious classrooms consisting of an innovation lab, a ceramics studio and a fine arts studio and theater. In addition to classes we have several community arts events each year such as Steamroller Print making, Soup+Cider & Open Studios.
Sparhawk students develop 21st century literacies across the curriculum that include the following: • • • • • • • •
Use technology fluently and proficiently Communicate and collaborate cross-culturally Solve complex problems within a diverse group Manage, analyze, and evaluate information from multiple sources Logically form, support and debate an opinion Think deeply and react thoughtfully Communicate concisely and accurately Understand and empathize with others
In the Humanities, students develop these literacies by reading works in many different genres (historical fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc.) and discussing them in class. Courses are designed to be thought-provoking and align with semester themes. You will develop the ability to respond to and communicate effectively both in writing and speaking using a variety of media & mediums. In Personal Development courses (Freshman & Sophomore Seminar) students analyze current events and dilemmas and share insights through writing and debate. Through this experience, and over time, you will become a more thoughtful, fluent and proficient communicator. In Math courses, you will practice these skills by using technology to analyze problems, errors and solutions and argue for the use of a particular mathematical strategy. In Science courses, you learn how to formulate hypothesis and think flexibly about how to design experiments that help to answer complex questions. You learn to record your observations, identify bias and use data to interpret results.
21ST CENTURY LITERACY Sparhawk students develop 21st century literacies across the curriculum that include the following: • • • • • • • •
Use technology fluently and proficiently Communicate and collaborate cross-culturally Solve complex problems within a diverse group Manage, analyze, and evaluate information from multiple sources Logically form, support and debate an opinion Think deeply and react thoughtfully Communicate concisely and accurately Understand and empathize with others
In the Humanities, students develop these literacies by reading works in many different genres (historical fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc.) and discussing them in class. Courses are designed to be thought-provoking and align with semester themes. You will develop the ability to respond to and communicate effectively both in writing and speaking using a variety of media & mediums. In Personal Development courses (Freshman & Sophomore Seminar) students analyze current events and dilemmas and share insights through writing and debate. Through this experience, and over time, you will become a more thoughtful, fluent and proficient communicator. In Math courses, you will practice these skills by using technology to analyze problems, errors and solutions and argue for the use of a particular mathematical strategy. In Science courses, you learn how to formulate hypothesis and think flexibly about how to design experiments that help to answer complex questions. You learn to record your observations, identify bias and use data to interpret results.
College guidance begins in ninth grade. Students are required to enroll in our extensive and highly personalized College Readiness course. This program helps each student uncover the best possible match between their personal and academic aspirations and the vast number of opportunities in higher education.
Our College Readiness Course is uniquely designed to offer guidelines, listen to concerns, answer questions and ensure that our students will always have an experienced professional to offer perspective and general assistance. This makes the difference in creating a seamless transition to college.
A campus tour & day visit are the best ways to know if Sparhawk is the right school for your family. As a visitor, you are assigned a student partner who acts as a guide, introducing you to fellow students & acclimating you to our community. Skype tours are available upon request.
After you have toured & visited the school and you know that Sparhawk is the place for you, it’s time to make it official by submitting your application. Our entire application is available online. To begin your application please visit: www.SparhawkSchool.com/apply