T H E H E W I T T S C H O O L

UPPER SCHOOL

PROGRAM CATALOGUE2015–2016

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This Upper School Program Catalogue offers an overview of the requirements and opportunities in grades 9-12 for the 2015-2016 academic year. Upper School students should read the course descriptions and choose courses that will challenge and inspire them; in addition, they should consider the program opportunities in clubs, publications, athletics, theater, and other co-curricular offerings as they design a program for the coming year that is balanced, ambitious, and manageable. As students register for courses, they should consult with their advisors, the Head of Upper School, the Director of College Guidance, department chairs, and their parents/guardians. Courses and other aspects of program may be cancelled or changed prior to the fall of 2015 pending enrollment, staffing, and scheduling.

Graduation Requirements The Hewitt School requires a minimum of 24 credits for graduation. Students are also required to take a minimum of 5 academic courses per year in addition to creative arts, technology, and physical education. The following is a breakdown of the credits. English 4 credits Mathematics 4 credits Classical and Modern Languages 3 credits History 3 credits Science 3 credits Creative Arts 2 credits Physical Education 4 years Hewitt’s Online Course Policy: It is expected that Hewitt students fulfill all of their graduation requirements and yearly coursework through courses offered by The Hewitt School. Courses offered at other institutions, including online courses and summer courses, do not fulfill Hewitt’s graduation requirements and are not reflected on a student’s official transcript. In the event that a student enters Hewitt after ninth grade and has not met a requirement normally offered in a grade prior to her enrollment, the Head of Upper School and Director of College Guidance will work with the student and her family to identify and approve a course online or at another institution. Advanced Placement and Honors Criteria Students who have met the stated criteria and who receive departmental permission are eligible to pursue study in Advanced Placement or Honors courses provided that their overall academic history has been strong and indicative of Advanced Placement or Honors work. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. Honors and AP courses require a greater degree of independent work and a significant amount of time.

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ENGLISH 4 credits required

British and European Literature (Grade 9 – 1 credit) The ninth grade English course develops students’ maturing skills as readers and writers through a range of writing-to-learn techniques as well as through the drafting and revision of more formal pieces; students write in a range of genres, including literary analysis, multi-media essay, fiction, and poetry. Selected literary texts engage students in an inquiry central to emerging Western concepts of the individual in relation to community, religion, and nation, ranging from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in the medieval and Renaissance periods, to voices from the Romantic period (William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Charlotte Brontë) and the moderns (Gertrude Stein, T.S. Eliot, and Virginia Woolf). Throughout the course, students are challenged to work on projects that intersect with their studies in European History.

American Literature (Grade 10 – 1 credit) Selected works of 19th, 20th and 21st century United States literature are the focus of this course, which complements the study of tenth grade United States history. Themes such as the importance of nature, self-reliance, and individualism are explored. Genres and literary terms are reviewed through the study of a range of novels, short prose pieces, poetry and drama. Texts may include Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, and Anna Deveare Smith’s Fires in the Mirror. Both the style of the writers studied and students’ own styles of writing are carefully examined and enriched. Usage, punctuation, correct citation of sources, and grammar are also reviewed in the context of students’ writing. The Dangers of a Single Story: Studies in African and Caribbean Literature (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) In this course, students read a selection of writers from Africa and the Caribbean. These writers offer a corrective to a single story that has often been told about these two regions of the world – a story of war and famine that the Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has called dangerous because it tells only part of a much more complex tale of people and place. The course texts develop and challenge this single story with insight into life under colonial rule, reflecting on the consequences of accommodating oneself to and resisting foreign culture. Students read stories about coming of age in Zimbabwe and Antigua, adjusting to life in London after growing up in Trinidad and Sudan, and seeing one’s homeland overrun with tourists from foreign places. Students also hear from the madwoman in Rochester’s attic as she corrects her depiction in Jane Eyre. In addition to the primary texts under discussion, the course includes study of selected music and poetry from these regions of the world. Students who enroll in this course can expect to complete a project after spring break. This course will not be offered in 2015-2016. Inside the Wire: The Literature of War (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) Spy, revolutionary, and combat nurse: women perform many vital roles during periods of intense, even global, conflict. And soon, like their male counterparts, women in the U.S.

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Armed Forces will have the opportunity to join ground combat units. But what are the social and financial costs of sending a nation’s young men and women to war? And after their return, how might a society’s civilian citizens better understand the searing experiences of its veterans? This course strives to answer these questions—and numerous others—through carefully reading and analyzing literature written from the perspective of infantry soldiers, Allied spies, and nurses. Along with film clips and song lyrics, students use a mix of new and familiar writing-to-learn techniques to interrogate texts for this course. Over the course of the year, students read poetry, novels, and memoirs focused on World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and the present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also write both analytically and creatively in order to strengthen their ability to read a text critically. Finally, the course may include a collaborative project with a Manhattan-based non-profit for veterans and a visit to the class by members from the program to discuss their experiences in Vietnam or Iraq. Literary Monsters (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This course addresses classic creatures of terror such as the monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, vampires in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the wolf in several different renditions of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. While these monsters have thrilled and shocked generations of readers (and those of us who have jumped just a little when seeing them rendered in film), they have also served a cultural role that critics have spent time trying to unpack. Like these critics, the class asks students to consider not only what monsters represent but also why human beings create them in the first place. Students do this critical work together in the classroom with writing as the primary mode of inquiry, using focused freewrites, dialectical notebooks, written conversations, image explosion, and other tools that have become a part of the English program at Hewitt. Students also write essays, take tests, and complete projects that assess their understanding of the coursework. By the end of the semester, it is expected that students become astute writers and thinkers conversant in the rhetoric of monstrosity. The Short Story: A Global Tradition (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) Although the short story has its roots in the oral storytelling of Homer, the fables of Aesop, and the short prose and verse of Boccaccio and Chaucer, the genre really begins in the nineteenth century. This course traces the short story as it evolves from the romantic tales of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathanial Hawthorne to the realism of Guy de Maupassant and Anton Chekov and the modernism of James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway. From there the course follows the short story as it develops in myriad ways throughout the remainder of the twentieth century, spending time with the southern gothic literature of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor, the suburban literature of John Updike and Ann Beattie, the literature of James Baldwin and Louise Erdrich – both so rich in explorations of identity politics – and the experimental literature of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Aimee Bender. Alongside more traditional writing assignments that challenge students to explore the short story form through research and literary analysis, this course also asks students to write and publish several short stories of their own. This course will not be offered in 2015-2016.

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Reading and Writing New York City (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This course investigates the ways in which writers and other artists have shaped the image of New York City from its origins in colonial America through the 21st century. Although the course begins with early visionaries like Washington Irving, students look mainly at nineteenth and twentieth century authors who have defined what it means to be a New Yorker – and how contentious this definition has at times become. In this course, students attempt to read a city that is famous for its refusal to be read, exploring the premise that New York is a city built on tensions and contrasts. It is simultaneously a place of dissolution and resurgence, greatness and squalor, hope and despair, and countless other inconsistencies. With each text the class reads, students ask the questions, What are the tensions that continually drive New York forward and make it impossible to pin down? How have these tensions shaped a mythology? and How has that mythology shaped the national identity? From Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," to Stephen Crane’s Bowery, to Nella Larsen’s Harlem, to J.D. Salinger’s Upper East Side, and to the punk rock of Patti Smith, students explore the places, people, and sounds that have shaped the image of New York. In addition to traditional academic essays, students should expect to complete reader response papers, projects, and possible service learning trips that coordinate with the course readings. AP English Literature and Composition (Grade 12 – 1 credit) This course treats a variety of literary genres, with a dual focus on the unique qualities of each genre and broader unities of characterization and theme; in particular, the two themes (both drawn from Milton’s epic) of “paradise lost” and “the world before” inform the choice of texts, which extend from the ancient to the contemporary. Through dramatic texts such as Aeschylus’ Oresteia, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Othello, and Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, students confront characters whose perfect worlds are overturned, by themselves and by others, and who must then re-define their understanding of normalcy and humanity in a new context. In the poetry of Beowulf and Milton’s Paradise Lost and in the prose works Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, students encounter characters who struggle with their inner demons and hostile environments, extraordinary beings whose ambitions and personalities create conflict and chaos. Two works of satire, Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock” and Jane Austen’s Persuasion, offer a contrast of perspective and tone. Simultaneously, the course offers practice in close analysis of prose and poetry (including details of rhythm, rhyme, and poetic form), in a deeper understanding of literary technique, and in the refinement of expository writing. Students write at least one essay for each of the works studied, either timed responses to AP-style prompts or 3-5 page critical analyses developed through a process-oriented approach. They write informally in almost daily focused free-writes and in journal responses. Students take the AP English Literature and Composition exam in May. Prerequisite: grades 9-11 A- average in English and departmental permission

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HISTORY 3 credits required

. European History (Grade 9 – 1 credit) This class provides a survey of European history from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Topics include the late Middle Ages, the Age of Absolutism and growth of monarchies, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution. Both Eastern European and Western European perspectives are considered. Students learn how to identify and analyze political, economic, social, intellectual, military, and cultural themes. They read primary and secondary sources and are asked to think about a variety of historical views to come to their own conclusions about why the past is important to study today. Projects include presentations, analyses of art and architecture, and biographical research. To arrive at a multidimensional sense of the periods they examine, students work on projects in several genres that integrate their history and English studies. United States History (Grade 10 – 1 credit) This course is designed to give students a grasp of the facts of the nation’s past from the tri-cultural Encounter (among the peoples of Western Europe, Western Africa, and North America) through the 2008 presidential election. Students achieve mastery of the relevant geography and the ability to interpret primary and secondary sources as well as to discern bias in both. They examine varieties of history (military, medical, demographic, political, and religious to name just a few) through time. Projects focus on individuals and their roles as expressive of the evolving American personality – for example, the daring of the Corps of Discovery that was grasping in territorial expansion yet idealistic at the same time. Students write often to express such tensions and ambivalence and to recognize contemporary manifestations of those impulses. In addition, students who demonstrate mastery of the concepts in the first semester have the option of applying for honors designation in the second semester. Honors eligibility is determined based upon grades to date and assessment of the student’s work in the course. Those who elect and are approved for honors work do especially challenging reading and research. Law and the American Legal System (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) Recent current events have shown that students want and need to understand how law and the American legal system work. This course includes some or all of the following topics: what common law is, how it evolved, and how it works; statute law and common law, and how they interact; the U.S. Constitution, and how the constitutionality of laws and actions is determined; state and federal courts, the differences between them and what cases are adjudicated where; the differences between civil law and criminal law; basic evidence concepts; what lawyers do besides going to court (most lawyers seldom or never go to court: for example, patent lawyers, trust and estates lawyers, corporate and contract lawyers). The class is taught using a combination of textbook and other reading materials, including the reading and analysis of decided court cases on various topics (which is how law is taught in law schools), and with moot court cases to enable students to put into practice the concepts they have learned.

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Regional Studies: Southeast Asia (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) Pundits, prophets, and politicians proclaim, preach, and even “warn” of Asia’s growing strength in our world today. It has become almost a matter of course to assume that the world’s next superpower will be India or China – yet economists and academics alike present a fractured view of this issue. Leading journals question in their headlines, “Is India or China the Next Superpower?” while, in the next issue, predict the imminent demise of both countries. This regional studies course gives students the tools to understand and grapple with the complexities of Asia’s modern realities, particularly as they have taken shape in the post-1945 years. As current and historic centers of South and Southeast Asia power, this course uses India and China as focal points. Other countries, both Asian and otherwise, are highlighted to the extent that they intersect with them thematically through the course of history. Some of the themes and topics addressed in this course are religious philosophies and conflict, the roles and rights of women, childhood and education, revolution and social change, demographics and population policies, environment and energy policies, development and infrastructure, domestic and foreign economic policies, government structure and transfer of power, ethnic and political conflict, and role on the world stage. Students examine secondary and primary sources, visit relevant museums and cultural centers, and watch films; they apply their findings through problem-based case studies, real-world investigations, and creation of multi-media projects. (The 2015-2016 Southeast Asia course is one half of a two-year regional studies program that also includes Southwest Asia and the Islamic World.) AP Art History (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) AP Art History offers students the equivalent of an introductory college course in art history. Students achieve an informed, sensitive understanding of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other art forms within their historical and cultural contexts; the skills and vocabulary necessary to analyze these visual arts; and the ability to express understanding and analysis clearly and gracefully both orally and in writing. Two units are non-European, and they are Islamic and West African art. Other units are Euro-American and, following Greek and Roman art histories, they are based overwhelmingly on Christian tradition and iconography, although classical references continue to the present as well. Students gain pleasure from no longer merely looking at art: they understand it in an informed and critical manner. Along with extensive reading and writing, students look at art images every day and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art once a week. Students take the AP Art History exam in May. Prerequisite: grades 9-11 A- average in history and departmental permission AP Human Geography (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This course explores the themes and facts of human activities and interactions that have, over time, place, and ethnicity, determined how natural wealth is exploited and how human-made wealth (including food, clean water, and energy) is distributed. The primary focus is current and global with special emphasis on location. Students learn to recognize and analyze commercial agglomeration, agricultural and agribusiness policies, urban and rural organization, race, language, sports, religion, demography, disease and medicine, and reproduction. Students study human geographers and theories developed to explain social organization and the political ordering of space. Biological and spatial determinism, possibilism, and the tragedy of the commons are some of the themes they

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assess. One of the great goals of the course is to give students a sense of elation derived from how much they know about the world and how eager they are to participate in forming it. Students take the AP Human Geography exam in May. Prerequisite: grades 9-11 A- average in history and departmental permission This course will not be offered in 2015-2016.

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MATHEMATICS 4 credits required

Geometry (Grade 9 – 1 credit) The Geometry course begins with an in-depth logic and reasoning unit in which constructing a valid argument is stressed. Students then apply this reasoning to writing formal geometric proofs involving line segments, angles, triangles, parallel and perpendicular lines, and quadrilaterals. After proving theorems, the students use these theorems to solve algebraic problems and classify geometric figures. Next, the course moves from planar geometry to the coordinate plane. Students use techniques of proof and the properties of the coordinate plane to validate statements of analytic geometry. Transformations and isometries in the coordinate plane are defined and studied in depth. Student first perform all the transformations by hand with compasses, rulers and protractors and then using a computer program called Geometer’s Sketchpad which allows students to investigate and make conjectures. Students then delve into the study of circles and the properties of the line segments and angles formed in them. There is a cumulative final in the second semester that counts as two test grades. Prerequisite: Algebra I Algebra II (Grade 10 – 1 credit) This course is an analytic and graphical approach to families of functions including constant, linear, quadratic, polynomial, radical, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Domain, range, intercepts, roots, and behavior of each family are examined. Transformational relationships and inverse relationships between functions are studied, as is the basic operations of functions and composition of functions. Students study techniques for solving linear, quadratic, polynomial, radical, exponential, and logarithmic equations. Students then use these techniques to model and solve real-world problems using functions. There is a cumulative final in the second semester that counts for two test grades. Prerequisite: Algebra I and Geometry Honors Algebra II (Grades 9 and 10 – 1 credit) This course is an analytic and graphical approach to families of functions including constant, linear, quadratic, polynomial, radical, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Domain, range, intercepts, roots, and behavior of each family are examined. Transformational relationships and inverse relationships between functions are studied, as are the basic operations of functions and composition of functions. Students study techniques for solving linear, quadratic, polynomial, radical, exponential, and logarithm equations. Students then use these techniques to model and solve real-world problems using functions. The honors class concludes the year with an in-depth exploration of rational functions and their properties. There is a cumulative final in the second semester that counts for two test grades. Prerequisite: A- in Geometry and departmental permission Precalculus (Grade 11 – 1 credit) In the first semester, students delve into the exploration of functions through an analysis of polynomial, rational, logarithmic, and exponential functions. Throughout the year, students are expected to interpret and represent functions algebraically, numerically, and

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graphically. Graphing calculators are used extensively in the course to engage students in problem solving and application of mathematics to real-life situations. In the second semester, students begin studying the applications of trigonometry through an examination of trigonometric functions, identities, and equations. A second semester project that investigates the relevance of trigonometry in professional careers is required of all students. This course extends the concepts of algebra and coordinate geometry and prepares students for the study of calculus or statistics. There is a first-semester midterm and a second-semester final, which are both cumulative and count each as two test grades. Prerequisite: Geometry and Algebra II Honors Precalculus (Grades 10 and 11 – 1 credit) In the first semester, students delve into the exploration of functions through an analysis of polynomial, rational, logarithmic, and exponential functions. Throughout the year, students are expected to interpret and represent functions algebraically, numerically, and graphically. Graphing calculators are used extensively in the course to engage students in problem solving and application of mathematics to real-life situations. In the second semester, students begin studying the applications of trigonometry through an examination of trigonometric functions, identities, and equations. A second semester project that investigates the relevance of trigonometry in professional careers is required of all students. This course extends the concepts of algebra and coordinate geometry and prepares students for the study of calculus or statistics. There is a first-semester midterm and a second-semester final, which are both cumulative and count each as two test grades. This course introduces the concepts of continuity and limits to prepare students for the AP Calculus AB course. Prerequisite: A- in Algebra II or B+ in Honors Algebra II and departmental permission Introduction to Economics (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This course serves as an introduction to the principles of both macroeconomics and microeconomics. Students investigate economic principles such as scarcity, supply and demand, comparative advantage, externalities, inflation, money and banking, and unemployment. Historical case studies, current events, and the work of leading economic philosophers such as John Maynard Keynes and Karl Marx give students a practical and theoretical framework for economic mastery. The course blends history, philosophy, and mathematics, and students should expect to tackle both abstract theories as well as real-world scenarios. While the scope of the course is broad, there are opportunities for students to explore areas of interest in greater depth through long-term projects. Probability and Statistics (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This course introduces students to the basic concepts and logic of statistical reasoning and gives students introductory-level practical ability to choose, generate, and properly interpret appropriate descriptive and inferential methods. In addition, the course helps students gain an appreciation for the diverse applications of statistics and its relevance to their lives and fields of study. The students work toward being able to interpret the statistics that they are presented with in their everyday lives. Students study measures of central tendency, measure of dispersion, and linear regressions. The course also offers an introduction to probability and counting including dependent and independent events, binomial probability, and Bayesian probability. Throughout the course, students solve

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non-routine problems and discuss problem-solving strategies. Prerequisite: either level of Precalculus Calculus (Grade 12 – 1 credit) Calculus begins with a review of functions, trigonometry, and graphing before exploring the concepts of limits and the definition of a derivative. The theory and techniques of differential calculus are developed and applied to topics including optimization techniques, related rates, and the study of change in physics, economics, and geometry. Numerical approximation methods and integration techniques are applied to the contexts of areas, volumes, and rectilinear motion, again from both theoretical and mechanical perspectives. The distinctions between anti-derivatives, definite integrals, and improper integrals are addressed. While this course gives a sound foundation for the study of calculus in college, it is not intended as preparation for the Advanced Placement test. There is a first-semester midterm and a second-semester final, which are both cumulative and count each as two test grades. Prerequisite: either level of Precalculus and departmental permission AP Calculus AB (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) The material in this course follows closely, but is not limited to, the guidelines of the AP Calculus AB syllabus. Following a short review of functions, trigonometry, and graphing, the concept of a limit and the definition of a derivative are introduced. The theory and techniques of differential calculus are developed and applied to topics including optimization techniques, related rates, and the study of change in physics, economics, and geometry. Numerical approximation methods and integration techniques are applied to the contexts of areas, volumes, and rectilinear motion, again from both theoretical and mechanical perspectives. The distinctions between anti-derivatives, definite integrals, and improper integrals are addressed. Differential equations and slope fields are studied to end the course. Students take a cumulative exam in April that counts for two test grades and the AP Calculus AB examination in May. Prerequisite: A- average in Geometry and Algebra II; A- average in Honors Precalculus; departmental permission Advanced Problem Solving and Mathematical Modeling (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This is a course in undergraduate-level mathematical problem solving and modeling. The course begins by delving into common problem-solving techniques employed frequently by professional mathematicians. The course then tackles introductory topics in undergraduate-level mathematics by examining both standard and non-standard problems in each domain. Students learn not only to solve problems, but how to construct a convincing argument that their solutions are correct. These undergraduate topics include Discrete Mathematics, Graph Theory, Combinatorics, Number Theory, Geometry, and Calculus. The focus of this course is to develop the critical thinking and analysis skills that will prepare students for a broad range of undergraduate-level mathematics courses and for their future professional lives. This course puts the skills learned in all previous mathematics courses, and in this one, to true mathematical practice. Students write formal mathematical papers to present their work. Prerequisite: Honors Precalculus or AP Calculus AB; departmental permission

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SCIENCE 3 credits required

Biology (Grade 9 – 1 credit) The ninth grade biology course provides students with a comprehensive study of the major concepts of life science. During the first semester, the topics include: the scientific method, ecology, organic chemistry, photosynthesis, respiration, cell division, and genetics. Some of the highlights of the first semester are labs involving water testing and the effects of oil on a bird’s feathers. The class also takes a trip to Soundwaters in Stamford, Connecticut, where students participate in a class on adaptations, as well as board a floating laboratory to examine the rich diversity of life in the Long Island Sound. In the second semester, DNA, chromosomes, evolution, and human organ systems are explored. A semester exam is given in January, and the year culminates with a semester- long project on zoo habitat design. Each topic is reinforced with appropriate labs. In addition, students who demonstrate mastery of the concepts in the first semester have the option of applying for honors designation in the second semester. Honors eligibility is determined is based on grades to date and assessment of the student’s work in the course. In conjunction with supplemental work, those who pursue the honors option also complete a project featuring research, lab work, and a formal presentation of findings before a panel of experts.

Chemistry (Grade 10 – 1 credit) This course investigates the major areas of chemistry. Topics covered include atomic and molecular structure, periodicity, chemical bonding, the nature of chemical reactions, stoichiometry, chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, acids and bases, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry. Students perform laboratory experiments, analyze results, and report their findings in both written and oral presentations. Exams are given at the conclusion of both semesters. In addition, students who demonstrate mastery of the concepts in the first semester have the option of applying for honors designation in the second semester. Honors eligibility is determined based on grades to date and assessment of the student’s work in the laboratory. In conjunction with supplemental work, those who pursue the honors option also complete a project featuring research, lab work, and a formal presentation of findings before a panel of experts.

Anatomy & Physiology (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) Anatomy focuses on health and disease in the human body and is approached from a medical standpoint. The course covers the following body systems: integumentary, skeletal, muscular, and central and peripheral nervous, as well as the cardiovascular system, in particular heart disease. Students first learn how each body system works in times of health and then learn to apply this knowledge to diagnose disorders and interpret case histories. Students make doctor/patient presentations, and group projects on specific disorders are assigned. The year culminates in a surgery project for which students create dynamic presentations that may include interviews with health professionals and patients. All topics are reinforced with appropriate lab work, including several dissections. A semester exam is given in January. In addition, the class observes a cardiac surgery or neurosurgery via video conferencing at the Liberty Science Center and hosts several medical specialists who add additional insight to the curriculum.

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Environmental Science (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) Students learn the fundamentals of environmental science while focusing on the major systems that drive our planet. By better understanding the processes that have formed our environment, students can develop a deep understanding as well of the impact that human beings are having on an increasingly changing world. Students investigate the complexities of environmental interactions through case studies, lab experiments, and fieldwork. Students explore the science behind the topics of climate change, alternative energy, biodiversity, and sustainability, allowing them to think more critically about these issues – issues that will form many of the fundamental challenges of the students’ generation – in the news, politics, and their daily lives The year culminates with a project in which students construct self-sustaining biospheres.

Physics (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This course investigates first-year physics topics with a strong emphasis on Newtonian mechanics. Topics include kinematics, Newton’s Laws, work and energy, sound, light, electricity, magnetism, and special relativity. Students design and conduct inquiry-based laboratory investigations to better understand the natural world. Students also utilize their knowledge of geometry and algebra (level II). Extensive demonstrations and laboratory work are included to support the course material. First semester concludes with an exam; second semester culminates in a project.

Honors Physics (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This rigorous course in physics utilizes algebra, trigonometry, and introductory calculus concepts. Topics include mechanics, Newton’s Laws, work and energy, momentum, torque, vibrations and waves, optics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and special relativity. Demonstrations, hands-on laboratory work, and virtual labs are included to support the course material. First semester concludes with an exam; second semester culminates in a project. Juniors interested in pursuing a physical science-based undergraduate major are strongly encouraged to take the SAT-II Physics exam upon completion of this course. Prerequisite: for rising juniors: A- average in either level of Algebra II and of Chemistry; rising juniors must also concurrently enroll in Honors Precalculus. For rising seniors: A- average in either level of Precalculus and in Chemistry. For rising juniors and seniors: departmental permission

AP Biology (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) The AP Biology course is designed to be the equivalent of a college-level introductory biology course. Topics covered in this advanced course fall into three major areas: molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and organisms and populations. The course is accompanied by numerous inquiry-based labs, which further student understanding of the course topics. The course is rigorous and requires a significant time commitment. This course prepares students for the Advanced Placement Biology examination in May. Prerequisite: A- average in Biology, either level of Chemistry, and (for rising seniors) 11th grade science; departmental permission

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MODERN LANGUAGES 3 credits of a modern or classical language required

The goal of the modern language program at Hewitt is to achieve proficiency in the language. Multiple perspectives are explored through readings and class discussions, as well as through emphasis on a wide range of topics related to the contemporary world. New and traditional media play an essential role in allowing teachers and students to access the resources that enhance language teaching and learning. In addition, students are encouraged to join trips abroad: in 2014-2015, there was a trip for French and Spanish students to France and Spain. All upper school language courses are conducted in the target language, and students are assessed in all skills at the end of each semester.

French

French III (1 credit) This course builds on the strong foundations acquired in middle school and starts to deepen the students’ knowledge of more sophisticated vocabulary and grammatical structures. The text Adosphère 3 serves as a base for language study and for reinforcement of structures. In addition, students read, discuss, and learn to interpret short stories and poems from renowned authors from the French-speaking world such as Alexandre Dumas, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Fanny Joly, Jean Cocteau, and Jacques Charpentreau. Students are encouraged to expand their knowledge of French beyond the traditional classroom environment by taking trips to some of the city’s cultural landmarks such as La Maison Française at Columbia University or the French Institute Alliance Française. Following these visits, students undertake a multimedia and/or theater project, which they devise from conception to final production. Prerequisite: French II or French 8  French IV (1 credit) This course deepens students’ knowledge of grammatical constructions and their ability to converse in French. Readings include cultural material and unabridged literature, selected poems, short stories, and excerpts of representative works by various authors. At this level and beyond, students are expected to contribute freely to class discussions on the themes being studied. Grammar structures such as forms of the subjunctive and pluperfect tense are introduced and reinforced, and students conduct a thorough review of what has been studied so far. The goal is mastery of the syntax necessary to express oneself with accuracy in the language. Typical literature includes: L’école des femmes by Molière and works from a range of francophone authors such as Guillaume Apollinaire, Dany Laferrière, Marguerite Duras, Jean Juraver, Ghislaine Sathoud, and Lamine Sine Diop. Each of the texts enables students not only to develop their French language skills, but also to deepen their awareness of French and francophone culture and history. Prerequisite: French III French V/Honors French V (1 credit) This high intermediate/advanced culture and conversation class provides students with a variety of opportunities to learn about the French-speaking world. Through the rich literary and cinematic traditions of France and the francophone world, students explore

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questions relating to society, history, and current events. They focus on works from the francophone world with a particular emphasis on women writers such as: Marguerite Duras, Leila Sebbar, Malika Mokeddem, and Anne Hébert. The focus on the role of women in France and the francophone world culminates in a multimedia project in which students present portraits of women living in different parts of the French-speaking world, and they explain the work these women do to advance the cause of women in their particular fields/countries. Classroom discussions are based on texts, documents, and short movies from the course text Imaginez. All the material is used to reinforce the development of reading, writing, and speaking skills in order to build vocabulary and to stimulate class discussions. Prerequisite for French V: French IV Prerequisite for Honors French V: French IV; grades 9-11 B+ average in French; departmental permission French VI/Advanced Seminar: Themes in the French-Speaking World (1 credit) In this course, students use their advanced language skills to explore selected aspects of the French-speaking world. The course materials encourage them to communicate in French through a wealth of engaging texts, technology, and multimedia resources in order to reflect in depth on themes such as politics, current issues, history, geography, art, film, music, science, and technology. The focus is on how these themes are unique to each part of the French-speaking world and inform its culture. Thought-provoking short films provide students with one of many conversation strands along with an assortment of communicative activities related to the theme of each lesson. Students focus on perfecting their writing skills in a manner comparable to a rigorous college-level course by engaging with texts specifically designed in a ‘writers workshop’ form. In addition to periodic oral and written assignments and assessments throughout the year, students are required to complete a long-term multimedia project on a particular topic of interest, and present it to the class. Preparation proceeds through several guided steps over a number of weeks. Each student or group of students: (1) selects a tentative topic and discusses it with the teacher for feedback and approval; (2) submits an outline of the presentation for review and comment by the teacher; (3) submits a draft presentation for review and comment; (4) finalizes and makes the presentation to the class. Furthermore, students are expected to use their skills and knowledge to investigate language and cultural offerings in New York city and beyond through activities such as: engaging in internships at multinational companies, teaching bilingual students, performing local and/or international community service, tutoring Hewitt students through Peer Tutoring, seeking out French lecture series at cultural institutions, and joining international travel opportunities, just to name a few. Prerequisite: French V or Honors French V; departmental permission

Spanish Spanish I (1 credit) This course is designed as an intensive introduction to the language. It meets an additional class period per week and is intended for high school students beginning their study of Spanish with little or no previous knowledge of the language. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of the language and vocabulary. The grammar and lexicon are presented in a range of texts from authors spanning the landscape of Spanish

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and Latin American literature. In addition, students study music, short stories, short films, comics, and dialogues. There are several projects, presentations, and small group work. For example, students research a Spanish-speaking country and design a food menu based on the country’s cuisine. There is an excursion to the Museum of Modern Art to research and study the Modernist artists of the Spanish-speaking world. As the pace of the course is increased throughout the year, students are introduced to more complex language forms and are expected to demonstrate a greater degree of autonomy. This course will not be offered in 2015-2016. Spanish II Intermediate (1 credit) In this course students are presented with material from a range of text types, in which they encounter intermediate level vocabulary structures and some advanced grammatical concepts, which they use in class activities such as listening exercises, class presentations, and dialogues. Students develop the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing), with special emphasis on conversational skills. Cultural readings present people and places from the Spanish-speaking world. Students are also exposed to reading brief literary selections in order to provide additional opportunities to develop their reading skills in an enjoyable and rewarding context. There is an excursion to the Museo del Barrio for a guided tour and a hands-on workshop in Spanish in order to spark curiosities, create conversations, and foster observation, critical thinking, and creative skills. Prerequisite: Spanish I Spanish III (1 credit) This course reviews and expands upon core content from Spanish I and II before students move on to more advanced language skills. They are expected at this level to have the necessary skills to contribute with some degree of fluency to class discussions on a variety of topics. Additionally, this course aids the students in their very real desire for self-expression by learning grammar in context through reading and analyzing poems and short stories by well-known writers such Octavio Paz, Julia Álvarez, Laura Esquivel, and Isabelle Allende. Students also learn the nature of language and culture by comparing other languages and cultures with their own. Furthermore, students go beyond the classroom to explore how to use Spanish for personal enjoyment and career possibilities. Students visit the Museum of Modern Art to further their study and research of modernist artists of the Spanish-speaking world and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to view the influences of the Arab world on Spanish culture and history. Prerequisite: Spanish II or Spanish 8 Spanish IV (1 credit) In this course, students use their already-acquired advanced language skills to explore selected aspects of the Spanish-speaking world. Students are expected to possess advanced skills in the language, such as knowledge of sophisticated grammatical concepts and vocabulary, which enable them to read articles on current events from magazines, newspapers, and movies, as well as short stories from significant Hispanic literary figures such as Pablo Neruda and Jaime Sabines. Students choose topics for discussion that focus on personal and social issues. Oral presentations are given throughout the year and are based on texts, documents, and short movies. Students are assessed throughout the year on their listening, speaking, reading, and

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writing skills through oral presentations, one-on-one interviews, in-class writing assignments, listening and reading comprehension tests using authentic material, and cumulative exams assessing all four skills each semester. Prerequisite: Spanish III Spanish V/Honors Spanish V (1 credit) This is a course designed for advanced students with a strong command of Spanish language and grammar. It is designed to improve their language proficiency as they use a wide variety of materials and media to explore themes of particular interest to them. Readings include articles on current events from magazines and newspapers, as well as short stories from significant Hispanic literary figures such as Pablo Neruda, Elena Poniatowska, Rosa Montero, and Gabriel García Márquez. Students choose topics for discussion that focus on personal, moral, and social issues. Oral presentations are given throughout the year and are based on texts, documents, and short movies. Besides classroom resources, the class visits art museums in New York to learn about Spanish-speaking artists and follows up with class discussions in the target language. All of these resources and materials are utilized to reinforce the development of reading and writing, with a special emphasis on speaking and listening skills, to build vocabulary and to stimulate class discussions. Prerequisite: Spanish IV Prerequisite for Honors Spanish V: Spanish IV; grades 9-11 B+ average in Spanish; departmental permission Spanish VI/Advanced Seminar: Themes in the Spanish-Speaking World (1 credit) In this course, students use their advanced language skills to explore selected aspects of the Spanish-speaking world. The course materials encourage them to communicate in Spanish through a wealth of engaging texts, technology, and multimedia resources in order to reflect in depth on themes such as politics, current issues, history, geography, art, film, music, science, and technology. The focus is on how these themes are unique to each part of the Spanish-speaking world and inform its culture. Thought-provoking short films provide students with one of many conversation strands along with an assortment of communicative activities related to the theme of each lesson. Students focus on perfecting their writing skills in a manner comparable to a rigorous college-level course by engaging with texts specifically designed in a ‘writers workshop’ form. In addition to periodic oral and written assignments and assessments throughout the year, students are required to complete a long-term multimedia project on a particular topic of interest, and present it to the class. Preparation proceeds through several guided steps over a number of weeks. Each student or group of students: (1) selects a tentative topic and discusses it with the teacher for feedback and approval; (2) submits an outline of the presentation for review and comment by the teacher; (3) submits a draft presentation for review and comment; (4) finalizes and makes the presentation to the class. Furthermore, students are expected to use their skills and knowledge to investigate language and cultural offerings in New York city and beyond through activities such as: engaging in internships at multinational companies, teaching bilingual students, performing local and/or international community service, tutoring Hewitt students through Peer Tutoring, seeking out Spanish lecture series at cultural institutions, and joining international travel opportunities, just to name a few. Prerequisite: Spanish V or Honors Spanish V; departmental permission

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CLASSICS 3 credits of a classical or modern language required

Latin II (Grade 9 – 1 credit) At this level, familiarity with reading methodology as a means of learning Latin provides the basis for students to move forward through a combination of new material and review. The course introduces all manners of Latin description – that is, adjectives, prepositional phrases, relative clauses, demonstratives, and participles – and includes an expansion of the study of comparative and superlative forms. In addition, students complete their study of the five Latin declensions and the six Latin cases while also learning a new tense of Latin verbs and the command forms of all four Latin conjugations. Students continue their study of English derivatives and begin to see English sentences translated into Latin of noticeably more developed sophistication. The Cambridge narrative moves from Roman Britain to ancient Alexandria and allows students to examine the interaction – sometimes fraught with tension, and even conflict– of Romans and local inhabitants in the provinces; the diversity of cultures in Roman Egypt; the importance of the Nile to the entire Mediterranean world; math, science, medicine, and engineering at history’s most famous Library and Museum; the Baths at Aquae Sulis; and the limitations of travel across such a massive expanse of land. Students complete a project at the close of each semester. Prerequisite: Latin I Latin III (Grade 10 – 1 credit) At this intermediate level, an emphasis on patterns allows students to corral their knowledge of Latin forms thus far to begin seeing the language as the highly organized system that it is. Students explore the more complex constructions in Latin sentences, including subjunctive clauses, gerundives, ablative absolutes, the passive voice, and indirect statement. By the spring, the readings become a mixture of graded Latin and authentic Roman literature. English derivatives take on a more ancillary role; as such, students in Latin III begin to learn these words more independently. Students conclude their translation work from English into Latin, which marks a shift in their roles from Latin co-generators to pure critics of writers and poets. Against the backdrop of Roman Britain and the capital city of Rome, students look in depth at the Roman military; read the Romano-Jewish historian Josephus in translation for a consideration of the legendary events at Masada; study Roman engineering and architecture; analyze the society, beliefs, entertainment, and prejudices in the big city; and lastly, examine the contrast that life in the country provided for citizens of the Empire. Students write almost daily about what they are reading. Each semester concludes with a project. Prerequisite: Latin II Latin Literature: Philosophy and Memoir (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) In this course, students explore the variety and richness of Latin poetry and prose in the republican era. The Epicurean poet Lucretius offers an example of didactic epic in his work De Rerum Natura; students analyze the Greek antecedents and Roman expression of this genre and philosophy, which offers its followers equanimity through knowledge of the natural world. Students assess a recent critical appraisal of this ancient text through Stephen Greenblatt’s The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, which argues for the significance of Lucretius’ work in the Renaissance. While Lucretius and Epicurean tenets

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survive in their influence on later writers and thinkers, Cicero’s letters provide an immortality of another sort through the memorialization of self. Providing fascinating and apparently authentic glimpses of his relationships, tensions, and ambition, Cicero’s letters offer readers a personal memoir of this famous public figure. For comparison, students investigate how people record their experiences and exchanges today, from diaries to blogs. Throughout the year, students hone their contextual mastery of Latin grammar and vocabulary and their comprehension of syntax, meter, and literary devices. They have numerous opportunities to convey their critical and creative responses in class and in writing. (This course is offered as level IV for juniors and level V for seniors, with differentiation in assignments and assessments for each class.) Prerequisite: Latin III or Latin IV Latin Literature: Epic and Lyric (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) In this course, students experience the poetry of Catullus, Horace, and Vergil. Catullus provides his readers with Latin that is at once colloquial and sophisticated in both language and content. Students consider the neoteric nature of Catullus’ poems, which are mostly short and impactful, and evaluate his creation of a persona that is beguiling, sympathetic, and memorable. Horace offers students a different sort of lyric experience, as they assess both the longstanding Greek tradition that informs many of Horace’s Odes as well as the Augustan, and purely Roman, setting that shapes others. With Vergil’s Aeneid, students read a narrative epic tale that tells of the fall of Troy, the heartbreak of Dido, and Aeneas’ journey to and struggles in Italy. As students study each work, they come to define the qualities of each genre and to consider the influence of these writers on artists and writers in the centuries since they composed their works (St. Augustine, Dante, and Auden among them). Throughout the year, students hone their contextual mastery of Latin grammar and vocabulary and their comprehension of syntax, meter, and literary devices. They have numerous opportunities to convey their critical and creative responses in class and in writing. (This course is offered as level IV for juniors and level V for seniors, with differentiation in assignments and assessments for each class.) Prerequisite: Latin III or Latin IV This course will not be offered in 2015-2016.

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PERFORMING ARTS 2 credits of performing or visual arts required

Chamber Choir (Grades 9-12 – 1 credit) The Chamber Choir focuses on the further development and refinement of vocal and choral technique toward the goal of a unified performing ensemble of the highest caliber. Repertoire is chosen from an eclectic variety of eras and styles, from the 13th century to the present. Integral to the course is the study of basic music theory, terminology, sight-singing, and vocal production, as well as the application of languages, history, and other arts as they relate to the specific repertoire being studied. The rehearsal process is geared toward the ongoing development of the skills necessary to be fluent, knowledgeable, and confident singers. The class culminates in at least one concert at the end of each semester, for which the students rehearse throughout the year. Prerequisite: departmental permission Drama (Grades 9-12 – 1 credit) The Drama class seeks to develop students' means for self-expression, creativity, and knowledge of the performing arts. The class centers on acting techniques, directing skills, and performance. Students study and analyze Stanislavski text by working on skills and techniques of acting. Students discuss and learn styles in directing and direct their peers in scenes. Utilizing New York City as a classroom, the students observe outside performances and learn about the world of theatre. In the second semester, the class chooses a play that is to be directed and performed for the school community. Film Studies (Grades 11-12 – 1 credit) Film Studies is a year-long course designed to introduce students to the major concepts of film theory. Students learn about the major concepts behind filmmaking while watching films chosen to illustrate those concepts. The students also create film elements of their own, including storyboards, slide shows, color schemes, scripts and a five-minute short film. The class visits the Museum of the Modern Image in Queens, using the museum’s collection to enhance the class curriculum. Some of the films viewed are Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Seven Samurai, and Singin’ in the Rain. Handbell Choir (Grades 9-12 – 1 credit) The Handbell Choir is a performance ensemble open to all members of the upper school. The group rehearses and performs handbell music of American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Level 3+, with a great deal of “ensemble ringing” and extended techniques. The class culminates in two concerts at the end of each semester, but there are additional performances scheduled throughout the year. Previous performance venues have included the Cloisters, the Morning Show, Central Park, the Riverside Church Handbell Festival, and other community locations.

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VISUAL ARTS 2 credits in Performing and/or Visual Arts required

Ceramics I (Grade 9-10 – ½ credit) Students are introduced to historical and contemporary practices of using clay to create functional and sculptural ceramic ware. The course explores both wheel-throwing techniques and basic hand-building techniques such as pinching, coiling and slab rolling. Various surface treatments are covered, including texture stamping and glaze applications. Students develop a body of work that reflects a variety of sources and themes: personal, figurative, narrative, and architectural. There is at least one museum or gallery visit during the year. This one-semester course will be offered both first and second semesters.

Advanced Ceramics (Grades 11-12 – 1 credit) This is a challenging hand-building and wheel-throwing class for students with previous clay experience. Advanced techniques are introduced as students explore the formal and technical challenges of complex three-dimensional construction. Experimentation with glaze, mixed media, and porcelain are all part of the curriculum. Students focus on developing a body of work that expresses their authentic voice. There is at least one museum or gallery visit during the year, and students are also assigned a research paper. Prerequisite: Ceramics I Photography I (Grades 9-10 – ½ credit) Photography I is an introductory course in digital photography in which students learn to use digital cameras and Adobe Bridge and Photoshop both as a digital darkroom and as new design software. Students explore self-expression through the photographic medium, analyze both historical and contemporary works of art, and illustrate personal themes in their image making. A strong emphasis is placed on art making, the technical understanding of new media technologies, and the use of writing in response to works of art. This one-semester course will be offered both first and second semesters.

Advanced Photography (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) Advanced Photography builds upon the study of digital photography and new media technologies established in Photography I. Students explore advanced methods of self-expression using the photographic medium, refine their technical skills using Adobe Bridge and Photoshop, and work toward developing their own unique voice as a photographer. Students begin to explore designing their own creative topics and taking advanced leadership in their own art-making process. Prerequisite: Photography I Studio Art I (Grades 9-10 – ½ credit) Students produce a wide variety of work preparing them for continued study. Lessons include observational, imaginative, and abstract drawing and painting, printmaking and mixed media collage, mixed media sculpture, and the use of new technology. Artists are encouraged to use visual metaphors and develop a personal voice. This one-semester course will be offered both first and second semesters.

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Advanced Studio Art (Grades 11-12 – 1 credit) This course is open to students who have completed Studio Art I or its equivalent. It may be taken two times because the curriculum changes annually. Over two years, projects focus on the figure, the portrait, new media, observational and creative painting, and some form of printmaking. The spring semester features a series of individually chosen projects culminating in a gallery opening at the Upper School Art Show. Students are expected to challenge themselves both technically and conceptually. There are at least two museum or gallery visits. Prerequisite: Studio Art I Studies in Contemporary Art (Grades 10-12 – 1 credit) This course focuses on current museum and gallery exhibitions, with particular emphasis on Modern and Contemporary Art. Students visit shows and reflect on them in presentations, writing, and discussion. The class looks at art through a variety of lenses, including aesthetics, gender issues, spirituality, history, and more. Projects include: reports and reviews on artists and movements, curation of virtual gallery exhibitions and press releases, and on-site observational and reflective writing. In addition to frequent field trips, students engage in conversations with art world professionals, view art videos, and explore written and online resources.

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TECHNOLOGY Design and Making I (Grades 9 and 10 – ½ credit) This course is designed to provide students with a hands-on experience in making things. Students have the opportunity to explore and discover new knowledge and skills that are needed to develop a meaningful and practical design. Through lessons, investigations, and projects, students apply the design-thinking approach to create solutions for various challenges. Students receive hands-on experience with Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, 3D printing, and manipulation of various building materials. This semester course will be offered both first and second semesters. Programming and Robotics I (Grades 9 and 10 – ½ credit) In this course students become familiar with various text-based programming environments, from Python and Java-based Processing to physical computing and robotics with the Arduino language. Students create interactive computer programs that respond to user input and produce creative graphics. Later in the semester, students explore programmed circuitry with sensor input to control lights and sounds with the Arduino microcontroller. This semester course will be offered both first and second semesters. Video Production (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) Video Production provides an environment for creative expression through visual media. Through a hands-on approach, students learn the entire process of video production from scriptwriting to final editing and basics of film/video principles, including composition, camera functions, lighting, sound design, and editing. Advanced Robotics (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit) This elective is designed for students who want to explore more advanced topics in computer science and robotics. Students are introduced to object-oriented programming in Java as they learn to organize their programs in more sophisticated and efficient ways. By designing and building robots, students gain hands-on programming and rapid-prototyping experience. This course requires no previous programming experience.

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CLUBS & PUBLICATIONS Clubs & Publications take place, for the most part, before or during the school day; note the time commitment for each activity and whether there are required events that extend beyond the school day. The information below has been provided by student leaders and

by faculty advisors. Clubs may be added or cancelled in the fall of 2015 pending membership and scheduling.

Art Club Purpose & Activities: Art Club creates projects determined by the members and visits nearby museums and galleries. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for forty-five minutes. This club requires no work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. Animal Rights Club Purpose & Activities: The Animal Rights Club's mission is to help bring awareness of and stop the abuse of animals all over the world. In Animal Rights Club, discussions are held, videos are watched, and attention is brought to the exploitation of animals. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires no work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. ACTION Purpose & Activities: ACTION is the social justice, advocacy, and current events club at Hewitt. Each meeting begins with a question about an article, a video, or a current event that we analyze and discuss together. In ACTION, we focus on a wide variety of topics ranging from popular culture to international politics. Based on social trends and compelling and challenging debates we have had, ACTION members plan and lead discussion groups and activities on Hewitt's annual Diversity in Thought Day. ACTION is an uplifting, eye opening, and educational experience not only because members speak about topics that you might not find in a classroom, such as one size fits all clothing and the freedom of speech, but also because you are exposed to so many different opinions, personal experiences, and thought processes. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires some work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. Book Club Purpose & Activities: Book Club members discuss a chosen book or play of literary merit. In the past we have read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Plague, and Eight Cousins. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires some work outside of the weekly meeting periods (reading a few chapters per week of the chosen book), yet this does not feel like work to the book-lovers who join the club. This club is open to all.

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Debate Purpose & Activities: The debate program strengthens students’ critical thinking and speaking skills and allows students who are passionate about pressing issues to express themselves in a formal manner. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for forty-five minutes during the school day and two hours after school one afternoon, in addition to outside tournaments through the Manhattan Debate League. This club requires a lot of work outside the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. Earth Committee Purpose & Activities: Earth Committee encourage students to become involved with environmental issues: for example, plastic bag ordinance, climate change, fracking, pollution, etc. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires work outside of the weekly meeting, including work in the community to improve the environment. This club is open to all. French Club Purpose & Activities: French Club members practice conversational French in an informal setting and watch a range of French movies, from comedies to dramas and animation. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires no work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all French students. Film Club Purpose & Activities: The film club watches a selection of some of the gems of cinema. Past films have included international selections, film noir, westerns, science fiction, shorts, and French New Wave. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires no work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. Global Perspectives Purpose & Activities: Members choose one country per month to explore, looking at different aspects of culture, art, or global outlook. The goal is to discover parts of the country's culture that would not be taught in an ordinary history class. We research and discuss the countries' traditional holidays and music, and we end the survey with a quick synopsis of recent news in the country. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires little to no work outside the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. Hawks TV Purpose & Activities: Hawks TV is a club that presents information to the rest of the Hewitt community and is comprised of segments including Fitness in the Stacks, Keeping

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Up With The Seniors, Quirky News, Hotspots, Tech Update, Sports, and Weather. Each student is assigned a segment in the beginning of the year and is responsible for making consistent segments for each episode. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires some work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club requires an application. International Thespian Society Purpose & Activities: ITS meets to work on a series of projects related to acting and writing, working on improvisation skills, volunteering in the community, and planning the annual end-of-the-year Induction Ceremony. We also take group trips to several theater events throughout the year. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires work outside of the weekly meetings, particularly regarding volunteering for the upper school play, upper school musical, and middle school musical. It also requires writing skits and memorizing lines. This club is open to anyone who would like to be involved in the theater community and interested in a team-building experience, but elections for leadership positions (President, Vice President, and Secretary) take place in the spring and require a certain number of ITS points. Jewish Culture Club Purpose & Activities: We discuss upcoming Jewish holidays, plan events (most importantly, the Hannukah party), and eat delicious Jewish foods. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires no work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. National Junior Classical League Purpose & Activities: The purpose of the National Junior Classical League is to encourage an interest in and an appreciation of the language, literature, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome and to impart an understanding of the debt of our own culture to that of classical antiquity. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires little to no work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. Peer Tutoring Purpose & Activities: Peer Tutors are partnered to work with younger students, in middle or upper school, on general subject-specific content or general time management and study skills. Number/length of meeting times: varies, usually one-two times per week, for forty-minute sessions. This club requires some work outside of the meeting periods. This club requires an application. Interested students should submit their name and preferred subject area to the Upper School Office; each student’s application must be endorsed by the appropriate department chair and/or by her advisor.

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Poetry Club Purpose & Activities: Poetry Club offers a weekly gathering to help get you thinking about how you can use the arts to better communicate your life experiences. We watch, read, learn about, and discuss contemporary poetry and view videos of slam poets. Number/ length of meetings: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires no work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all. Spectrum Purpose & Activities: Every week in Spectrum, we discuss a variety of topics, including sexuality, bullying in schools, and current events concerning the LGBTQ+ community. As a club, we hope to provide a safe and supportive space for all students, and we work with the Hewitt community to ensure the inclusion of all students. Moreover, Spectrum works with ACTION on the agenda for Hewitt's annual Diversity and Thought Day. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires some work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all.

Student Council Purpose & Activities: The purpose of Student Council is to hear ideas and address concerns of the upper school student body by creating a direct link between student representatives and the administration. Two students per grade are elected in the spring (9th grade representatives are elected in the fall) to represent their grade and voice the sentiments of the grade at the weekly meetings. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, before school for 30 minutes (7:30-8:00 am). This club requires a lot of work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all who choose to run for office, but only those elected are on the council. Student Service Board Purpose & Activities: In partnership with Hewitt’s mission to empower girls to lead lives of consequence with character, compassion, and conviction, Service in Action challenges girls to take action for social justice as leaders both locally and globally. Through integrated learning, social action, service learning, and volunteer work, students learn to research, advocate, and act for the betterment of their community and the world. The mission of the Student Service Board is to lead the Hewitt community in its service efforts both within and outside of the school. There are student representatives for each grade level, who work with the k-12 planning committee to coordinate activities that include: the Saturday Service Fair, the SOUP-er Bowl for New York Common Pantry, and the book drive for Project Cicero. Partnerships include GirlUp, a campaign of the United Nations Foundation, and AmeriCares. Number/length of meeting times: monthly, for thirty minutes; additional subgroup meetings are scheduled, as needed, around student availability. This club requires a lot work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club requires an application.  

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TEDxYouth@Hewitt Purpose & Activities: This club’s curatorial board plans and promotes the annual TEDxYouth@Hewitt event held every November in conjunction with Universal Children's Day. The club involves researching, contacting, and scheduling speakers; designing graphics; using social media to promote the event; communicating with other schools and potential sponsors; and more. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires a lot of work outside the weekly meeting periods. This club requires an application for positions as: Head Curator, Assistant Curator, PR Curator, Sponsorship Curator, Design Curator, and Tech Curator. The Hewitt Times Purpose & Activities: The Hewitt Times is the school’s newspaper. We are a daily, online publication (www.hewitt-times.org) that publishes articles under any of our six sections: Hewitt Happenings, Current Events, Arts & Culture, Science & Technology, #Trending, and Op-Ed. Number/length of meeting times: Staff meetings are once per week during the scheduled publications period (45 minutes). Section editors additionally meet once per week before school, from 7:30-8:00 am. This club requires that its members write articles outside of the club period. Reporters may write articles for any of the six sections, and deadlines are determined for each individual article with the section editor. Reporters are expected to contribute two articles per month. Reporters in grades 10-12 may join the staff of The Hewitt Times in the fall; no application is necessary, and only demonstrated interest and a commitment to the club meeting times are required. Reporters in grade 9 can apply to The Hewitt Times in the second semester with the recommendation of their English teacher. Section editor and co-editor-in-chief positions are open for application in the spring to current Hewitt Times reporters and section editors for the following academic year. Tour Guide Program Purpose & Activities: The Hewitt Tour Guide program is a terrific way to be an ambassador for the school and to share with prospective families the culture, the program, and the physical campus of Hewitt. Being a tour guide requires attendance at the Tour Guide Orientation and Training session just before the start of school, learning the tour guide script, speaking knowledgably about the academic and extracurricular program, sharing your personal Hewitt story with families, and potentially attending a number of evening admissions events held throughout the admissions season. Typically, tour guides lead up to two tours per week during free blocks. Number/length of meeting periods: not regularly scheduled; see above. This club requires a lot of work over the course of the year. This club requires an application.

Venturer Purpose & Activities: Venturer is the student art and literary magazine, and the club supports artists and writers through poetry slams, town-meeting poetry readings, and other community events. First semester's task is to generate writing and art, select pieces, and edit those pieces. During second semester, we put the magazine together using

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professional software. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for forty-five minutes. This club requires weekly homework. This homework includes writing, editing, and meeting with writers, and the homework will be tailored to you and your capabilities. Members will have about thirty minutes of homework per week. Editors-in-chief, co-editors-in-chief, writing editor, and layout editor should expect one to two hours of homework/meetings per week. This club is open to all students who would like to write for Venturer and who may become members of this club, but editor positions require an application. Students will not be considered for editor positions until they have at least one year of experience as members of the club. Women's Health and Issues Club Purpose & Activities: In Women's Health and Issues, we learn about what is going on in the world in relation to the health of women, in terms of both politics and wellness. We also discuss current events pertaining to women and girls. In the spring, the club hosts an event at which speakers discuss certain topics (decided by the club) that women face in our society. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for thirty minutes. This club requires some work outside of the weekly meeting periods when we plan our event in the spring. This club is open to all. Yearbook Purpose & Activities: The yearbook staff documents the school year through the design of the Argosy, the Hewitt School yearbook. Students are divided into sub-staff categories focusing on journalism, photography, design, and senior pages. Number/length of meeting times: weekly, for forty-five minutes, in addition to regular meetings with the editor-in-chief and/or faculty advisor. This club requires a lot of work. This club requires an application for all positions.    

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AN ADDITIONAL CO-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITY The following is an opportunity made possible through a partnership between Hewitt and

an outside organization. This internship requires a substantial time commitment and extends beyond the school day; it is available by application only. See Mr. Weaver

(cweaver@hewittschool.org) for more information.

 

RAMSA Architecture Internship Learn about architecture from the world-renowned architects at RAMSA as part of the ACE Mentor Program. ACE brings architects, engineers, construction managers, and students together to tackle exciting design challenges. Prior teams have presented their designs at the Center for Architecture before a panel of judges. Students work in the studios at RAMSA to create sketches and 3-D models of their work. They also meet with consultants in the fields of construction, mechanical engineering, and structural engineering, and they visit active construction sites. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity.

Dates and times are yet to be determined for the following year, but a typical design team meets twice a month for a semester from 4:30-6:30 pm at RAMSA’s midtown studios. Participation requires an application and full commitment.

Follow these links for additional information about RAMSA and to view Hewitt’s presentation from 2013.

     

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ATHLETICS & THEATER Participation in Hewitt’s sports teams and theatrical productions requires a significant time commitment before and/or after school; students cannot participate in athletics and theater during the same season. More information about the sign-up process, auditions, and pre-season practices and rehearsals will be available before the end of the 2014-

2015 year.

Athletics Fall Sports (JV & Varsity to be determined at a later date):

• Cross Country • Soccer • Volleyball

Winter Sports (JV & Varsity to be determined at a later date):

• Basketball • Squash • Winter Conditioning Program (not a team)

Spring Sports (JV & Varsity to be determined at a later date):

• Badminton • Crew • Tennis • Track & Field

Theater

Fall Play

• TBD for 2015-2016 • In the 2014-2105 year, the upper school produced Thornton Wilder’s Our Town,

which was performed at the DiCapo Theater. Winter Musical

• TBD for 2015-2016 • In the 2014-2105 year, the upper school produced the musical Hello Dolly!, which

was performed at the Kaye Playhouse (Hunter College).