Humanities
A serious study of the Humanities (history, literature, theology, philosophy, cosmology, geography, art, and music) will help adolescents see the interconnectedness of history, its ties to the world today, the origins of its progress as well as the roots of its troubles. It will enable them to ascertain what it means to be human: the meaning of love, suffering, sacrifice, death, and generous service to others. This knowledge elicits an appreciation and profound gratitude for the work of those who have come before us, the past civilizations that have greatly impacted us. Humanities’ studies in the Adolescent Program begin with an exploration of a particular time and place, creating a geographical foundation for understanding the people and events of the time-period as well as relating the study to the student’s previous knowledge and preparing a foundation for deeper study.
Desired Outcomes Through the Study of Humanities:
Literature, Writing, Theology, History, Philosophy, Art, and Music Appreciation
- Understand the time and space (when and where events happened in the course of history)
- Ask questions about literature that reveal deeper meaning, connecting students to issues of humanity: what does it mean to be human/what connects people through space and time?
- Develop an appreciation for story
- Develop an appreciation for Sacred Scripture
- Develop perception for the Logos in Scripture
- Adopt a habit of contemplation of ideas embodied in literature and art
- Demonstrate gratitude for the contributions of those who have come before us
- Appreciate the great music
This course is taken during the ninth-grade year and sets a foundation for all future humanities’ studies. In this course, the ancient Mediterranean world is explored from the perspectives of the Iliad, the play Agamemnon, selections from Plato’s Republic, and Xenophon’s Anabasis. Through extensive use of maps and evaluation of the interactions of various cultures, they will gain a deeper understanding of Greece and Asia Minor. Students will begin by locating these cultures within the Bronze Age, utilizing timelines to perceive characteristics of the Bronze Age. They will then closely read each work with a consideration for the genre, foundational stories, characters, and central cultural ideas present in the poems. At the end of the course, they will select a topic relating to the Greek world and/ or Asia Minor and will complete an extensive research project on it. Their project will include a paper of length and a detailed visual aid. They will present their research to their peers and the wider school community.
This course begins with an examination of the time of transition from Late Antiquity to the Medieval world. Students will focus on the movements of various peoples around and through the changing borders of the Roman Empire, and the emergence of new centers of power in Europe. Students will examine the ways in which these kingdoms and empires came into conflict with each other and with other world powers, with a focus upon events such as the Crusades. Special attention will be given to the understanding of the concept of Christendom and its lasting impact upon the world. The High Middle Ages course continues the students’ work in Medieval Studies, starting from the Crusades and discussing major events such as the rise of universities, the Black Plague, and the Great Schism. The systems of commerce and trade and inventions of the age will also serve as points of focus. Relevant examples of art, sculpture, manuscripts, and architecture will also make up part of the course.
This course is open to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students. It surveys modern Europe beginning with the late Middle Ages, progressing to what is commonly called the Age of Enlightenment, and ending with the nineteenth century and the Age of Revolution. Students will examine the role of empire and colonization in the changing fortunes of various European powers. Major conflicts between these powers will also be analyzed. A final area of focus will be the revolutions and movements that contributed to modern European thought and culture.
This course is open to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students. This course explores the history of the United States from the Civil War through the Cold War. As students analyze the major conflicts, influential figures and primary documents relating to this century, they will continually discuss what is required of leaders and citizens to preserve a free nation.
This course is open to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students. It is a survey of Jewish and Near Eastern studies followed by the Far East (semester two). The Jewish and Near Eastern course traces the beginnings of Jewish civilization from the covenant of the Old Testament through the loss of Jewish sovereignty and destruction of the Temple during the Roman era. Students will focus especially on the interactions that the Jewish people had between the various cultures that came into contact and interacted with them: the Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans.
This course is open to 10th, 11th, and 12th surveys the most influential eras, figures, inventions, and ideas in Chinese and Japanese history. As an introduction to the course, students will complete an extensive timeline and engage in map work. They will then focus especially on the interactions that these cultures had with peoples outside of China and Japan, with each other, and with the West.
Over the course of a semester, students will examine the political history of American founding years, the constitutional and philosophical basis for the American system, the establishment and protection of civil rights and liberties, and, finally, the political culture unique to American politics. The course will then
10
explore political parties and interest groups and the media, along with the impact that all three have upon the political process. Next, the course will study the institutions of government, the three branches of American government – Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary, discussing each of the branches’ unique roles and responsibilities. Finally, the course will end by looking at how public policy is pursued and implemented within the political process, taking a deeper look at the nature of politics itself.
This course is open to 11th and 12th grade students. During this course, students will learn to identify factors that drive economic decisions, analyze economic choices, understand the differences between Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, and identify the types of economic systems. Students will learn about market structures, how Supply and Demand interact, and analyze productivity and standards of living, along with the balance between management and labor. Students examine government revenue, spending, and taxation. They will also examine globalization, the global economy, and then look more closely at personal finance. Students identify how banks, the Federal Reserve, and the FDIC function, and they learn how data is collected to determine how to analyze the economy. Inflation, revenue, taxes, and other economic issues are explored.
Literature & Writing
Literature is fundamental to the curriculum of the Adolescent Program because mythos, or story, is essential to learning. Through stories, students acquire culture, understand human nature, imagine possibilities, and construct themselves. Literature is integrated into Humanities and Theology. In addition, students read selections for Book Club, in which they participate throughout their time in the Adolescent Program. Students discuss books in Socratic seminar format. Students will further develop questions asked in their seminar classes through a classical approach to writing focused on logic rhetoric, and elocution.
The high school literature and writing two-year course relies on a wide range of literature as a means for helping students learn to read deeply and widely, write with clarity and eloquence, listen attentively, and communicate ideas. Throughout the course of the year, students will read and study myths, short stories, novels, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. Furthermore, they will learn to annotate effectively, be able to discuss elements of a story, ask interpretive and evaluative questions, and participate in Socratic discussion seminars. In addition, students will learn to write thoughtful, well organized, and eloquent multi-paragraph essays in response to the literature they read. Students will learn tools through which they can become skilled writers. As an additional aid, students will learn vocabulary for the parts of an essay and will use this vocabulary when discussing their writing with their teacher as well as their peers. Students will hone editing skills that focus on grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In addition to assigned reading, students will be required to read independently, creating their own independent reading goals from a provided list of “good” and “great” books. Additionally, students will develop their vocabulary through their study of both prose and verse.
This two-year course builds upon English 9/10 and relies on a wide range of literature as an aid for further assisting students to read, write, listen, and communicate deeply and widely. Students will read and study short stories, novels, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. They will learn to crystalize their capacity to annotate a text, be able to discuss elements of a story, ask interpretive and evaluative questions, and co-lead Socratic discussion seminars critically and analytically. Students will continue to write persuasive, thoughtful, well- organized, and eloquent multi-paragraph essays in response to the literature they read, learning to think through additional layers of the issues they are writing about, consider more deeply the audiences they are writing for, and express themselves more eloquently and appropriately, as well as construct informative research papers using multi-source materials. Students will recall and expand vocabulary for the parts of an essay and will apply this vocabulary when discussing their writing with their teacher as well as their peers. Students will refine the previous year’s editing skills, which include grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In addition to assigned reading, students will be required to read independently from a range of literature throughout the span of this course. Students will develop their vocabulary through their study of both prose and verse.
Languages
The study of languages enriches our understanding of the world and our place in it through different eyes and ears. Foundational to the Adolescent Program’s language studies is Latin, the bedrock of Western Civilization. Latin serves as a starting point for studying the Romance languages. Spanish is studied because it is the most applicable to our place and time. Greek is introduced during the ancient Greek Humanities studies and may be further studied as an Independent Study along with other languages.
Utilizing the Cambridge Latin series, this course emphasizes learning Latin through translation of a series of stories set in ancient Pompeii. Its focus is reading comprehension in the target language, Latin; introduction of vocabulary and new grammar takes place within these stories. When possible, students discuss new concepts with reference to the characters and events in the stories, so that they have a frame of reference for new words and ideas. Students also learn about the Classical world and its ideas alongside their Latin language studies. Once students have established a basic sense of the Latin sentence structure, they are given the opportunity to supplement their Latin studies by reading Latin novellas. These Latin language stories use cognates and a basic Latin vocabulary to aid in student comprehension. Examples of texts that we have read together include Labyrinthus, Familia Mala, and Ego, Polyphemus.
Students in second year Latin continue their work in the Cambridge Latin series. At this point in their studies, they have encountered and are working to master four verb tenses: perfect, imperfect, present and future. They have also mastered the Nominative, Dative and Accusative case for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives, and are mastering the Genitive and Ablative cases. Their translations are longer, with sentence structures that are more complex. Students often continue to read Latin novellas in the second year of their studies, striving to write and speak about these stories in Latin.
This advanced-level course continues to use the Cambridge Latin text, Book III. Students will encounter and work on mastering different moods of the verb, subjunctive constructions, and special noun constructions, such as ablative absolute as well conditional sentences. Students will follow characters as they travel through the Roman Empire into Imperial Rome, learning both the culture and history of the Roman world.
This course will utilize Book IV of the Cambridge Latin series and will focus on translating Latin poetry.
This is a yearlong course that introduces students to a beginning level of fluency in the written and spoken form of the language. Essential vocabulary is introduced and repeated. Fundamentals of grammar are learned: regular verbs in the present tense are reviewed, irregular present-tense verbs are introduced, and past tense verbs are presented. In addition to the grammar, students practice pronunciation and comprehension through oral and written exercises, as well as short reading passages. Basic mastery of these principles helps assist students for more advanced fluency and proficiency in the subsequent two years. Students who completed 7th and 8th grade in the Adolescent Program will bypass this course.
Spanish II is a yearlong course that emphasizes Spanish fluency. Spanish fluency and Spanish Language education will be achieved through the continued study of vocabulary, grammar and Spanish speaking countries and cultures. The course objective includes reading, writing, and speaking with the desired outcome of Spanish language fluency. Students will work independently and collaboratively with class partners to achieve these objectives and goals. Course work will include textbook work, written assignments, cultural heritage and identity projects.
Spanish III is a yearlong course that is conducted entirely in Spanish. This course has been designed for native Spanish speakers as well as for students who have arrived at high levels of mastery both in the written and spoken component of the language. Students continue their work in grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics of language, reviewing and refining skills in this area. Informal conversations in Spanish about ordinary, daily experiences are routine. Reading short but challenging novellas in Spanish is ongoing. Students are expected to read aloud, thus mastering pronunciation and dictation, as well as answering questions, clarifying vocabulary, and at times, writing fluid summaries of the assigned passages. All these skills require an adroitness and flexibility with the Spanish language that has been prepared for up to this point.
Spanish IV is a yearlong course that continues to be conducted entirely in Spanish. This course seeks to bring together the previous years of grammar, speaking, reading, and writing to better assist students in incorporating these skills better into the daily life and thought. Furthermore, it aims to increase student’s knowledge of the subtle rules and nuances which make Spanish such an interesting and rich language.
Sciences
The Saint Helena Montessori approach to the sciences in the Adolescent Program seeks to build upon the wonder and curiosity that comes from encountering the beauty of the natural world. It is our goal that students will, under our direction, be inspired to move from this place of wonder to explore further, gather knowledge, uncover patterns, and draw connections between the disciplines. In time, we hope that this will naturally lead students to a love and appreciation of the marvels of our universe. Ultimately, the end of our scientific studies will be the development of a sense of gratitude for all the gifts of nature and the natural response of a call to life-long stewardship. These courses are intended to continue the approach of focusing intently on one aspect of the world and “going deep” into the study of it. As these courses string together the study of many aspects of the universe, a scientific mind is developed, one accustomed to careful observation, intelligent inquiry, and contemplative appreciation for the wonders of creation.
This course grounds students in a firm conceptual understanding of the laws of physics through the fundamental themes of motion and forces, energy and momentum, heat and thermodynamics, waves, optics, and electricity and magnetism. Looking through the lens of wonder, integration, and mastery, the purpose of this course is to develop students’ skills of scientific exploration and discovery, problem solving, and communication and collaboration skills through theoretical and experiential learning, especially through the method of Project- Based and Inquiry-Based Learning. Students will apply scientific knowledge in the creation of a variety of products using the engineering design cycle. This will involve conceptualization, design, building, and debugging a product individually and in collaboration with other students. This course is centered on communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative thinking. Students will become familiar with the engineering design process including problem definition, research, creation of alternative solutions, development, prototyping, and testing and redesign to improve the design. In addition, students will work in teams and develop problem-solving and collaborative skills while developing products replicating real-world engineering processes. The course will involve the application of scientific knowledge to solve problems. Students will experience learning about physics in their classroom, the wood, auto, welding and bike shops, the school farm, and other school and community facilities. Work-Based Learning opportunities such as guest speakers, field trips, and internships will be available to complement the students’ in-class learning.
This course provides students with a “pedagogy of place” introduction to the geology, flora, and fauna of California. It begins with a study of Napa County and then expands to include the surrounding counties, the San Francisco Bay, the Mendocino Coast, the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta, the Monterey Bay, Pinnacles National Park, Santa Catalina Island, Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave National Preserve, Death Valley National Park, the Owens River Valley, Mono Lake, the Sierra Nevada, and the Central Valley.
Through a combination of reading selected texts, discussions in the classroom, video presentations, and field trips for direct observation of the phenomena described in these books and videos, students will practice the following
skills: careful reading, annotating, listening during discussions, and contributing ideas and observations. Students will learn the drawing and note-taking skills necessary to develop a field sketchbook of their observations at the various sites visited during the year.
Students will complete two major projects during the year. The first is a research paper accompanied by a visual component (diorama, display, etc.) which illustrates the topic being addressed. The second is a sketchbook project which captures some of the flora and fauna observed on the major field trip to Southern California and back. This project includes identifying the common name, scientific name, a written description of the organism, habitat, diet, and a detailed drawing of each species.
This course is currently being devised for implementation in 2023-2024.
This course is currently being devised for implementation in 2024-2025.
Mathematics
Mathematics in the Adolescent Program is tailored to meet the needs of the individual student. All classes are small, and each student is encouraged to work to mastery. Goals are set on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Teachers track this progress and make continual adjustments to make sure that the pace of progress matches the capability of the student. Assessments are administered at intervals throughout the course to ensure mastery.
This course begins with a thorough review of pre-algebra concepts, especially arithmetical operations, then moves through an in-depth study of how to solve and graph several different types of equations and inequalities, including linear, absolute value and quadratic. Students will also study systems of linear equations, polynomial operations, exponential operations, various factoring methods for polynomials, operations with radical and rational expressions, as well as an introduction to the concept of a ‘function’. Various methods for solving ‘word problems’ will be emphasized throughout the entire course, so that students can understand how to utilize mathematics in everyday life. Additionally, students will have many opportunities (called ‘Seminars’) to present their solutions to a variety of ‘critical thinking’ problems to their classmates; these auxiliary exercises were originally developed at Phillips Exeter Academy.
This mathematics course is centered around the text of Euclid’s Elements as well as a teacher-derived workbook. Students use both texts to write definitions of terms, and use inductive and deductive reasoning to form conjectures, which are a critical piece in this process because they form the basis of proofs. Students are then free use both the terms and the methods of reasoning to write proofs of theorems following Euclid’s methodological process. Towards the end of the course, students also study classical constructions, using a compass and straightedge.
Algebra II is course that allows students to extend previous knowledge of Algebra I concepts, which include extensive work with different kinds of functions: polynomial, rational, radical, exponential, and logarithmic. The later portion of the course introduces trigonometric concepts as well as sequences, series, and probability. Students achieve these outcomes by solving equations, analyzing the functions, and drawing the graphs. They are assessed regularly to check for mastery. Daily and weekly exercises as well as larger unit assessments are regularly provided.
This course is a comprehensive summary of all the different kinds of functions mastered in previous algebra classes. It extends knowledge of trigonometric functions and then culminates in a summative project demonstrating depth and breadth of knowledge of functions. This course also studies statistics and data analysis, wherein students learn terminology, apply appropriate calculations to real world data in various circumstances, and compile projects that make use of algebraic knowledge. Students also study a variety of other advanced concepts that can be chosen in a specialized independent study. Some of the topics of these studies include matrices, conic sections, vectors, and polar graphs.
