While snow may still be on the ground, mid-year exams are officially behind us and many students are freshening up their academic experiences with spring semester elective courses. From English to art, science and beyond, here are a few highlights in the spring semester.
Genre Studies: Podcasting
Ms. Koester and Mr. Masterson will lead the Genre Studies: Podcasting class, highlighting this popular modern method of storytelling. By listening to and analyzing several different types of oral storytelling—including historical, non-fiction, investigative journalism, and creative fiction—students will gain an understanding of what it takes to produce a podcast and the efficacy that comes along with this type of information.
Students will also have the opportunity to explore Podcasting this March during Project Week. This team will hone their skills and apply them to real-life applications. With our school in mind, the students will travel to New York City and Boston to capture the stories of our alumni in preparation for our Bicentennial. They will also meet with media and journalism professionals to get an inside view of the podcasting industry.
Robotics
Robotics with Dr. Duncan returns this spring, a great course for students looking to build on their computer science and programming skills. Utilizing their skills in components, programming, and design, students will test out their robots in a final robotics competition.
Students also explore robotics through the school’s Robotics team. With their recent success and qualification regionally, the team is excited to head to the NH/VT VRC State Championship competition held in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday, February 15. They will compete against other great teams including Pembroke Academy, Trinity High School, Pinkerton Academy, Plymouth High School, Thetford Academy, and others.
Exploring new ideas
Other popular spring electives include Film Studies, Creative Writing, Comedic Improv, and much more. Students are also challenging themselves with offerings such as Genre Studies: Literature of Mental Illness led by Mr. Cramer. This course has a goal of educating students in the realm of mental health and psychology, critically examining society’s acceptance or rejection of these conditions, and reflecting on the effects of portrayal and representation in literature, both positive and negative. Ms. Tyson and her students enrolled in Psychology and Physiology of Performance will tackle key questions behind our physical and mental potential. Through practical hands-on experience, personal reflection, research, and discussion, they will explore personal health behaviors and proven techniques that have been shown to enhance performance and increase satisfaction.
Trying new courses that a student wouldn’t have otherwise experienced is a great opportunity for growth. In-depth topics provide a place to further explore their intellectual curiosity. Likewise, co-curriculars like Robotics and experiential learning through Project Week offer fresh areas of practical engagement for students throughout the year. We look forward to seeing how these classes continue to question and reflect on their explorations over the remainder of the academic year.
