Registration for academic year 2024-25 is currently open. To inquire about or register in a class, please contact the teacher via email (click on the teacher's name below). If you would like to discuss a course or student placement over the phone, please include your phone number in your email to the teacher.

​

Pre-Algebra (Laurie Warren)

Aims to develop confidence and independence in the concepts and skills necessary to approach Algebra successfully.

Grade: 7, 8, 9 (placement test required)

Meets Wednesday 10:00-12:00

​

NEW! Algebra (Marco Campelli)

This two-semester course will generate proficiency in foundational algebraic and arithmetic concepts including Linear Equations & Inequalities, Algebraic Expressions, Systems of Equations, Exponentials, and Polynomials. The course will meet for 3 hours per week; homework will focus on increasing mathematical competencies.

Grade: 7, 8, 9, 10

Meets twice weekly: days and time TBD

​

NEW! Geometry (Marty Georges)

This two-semester course will cover elements of classical Euclidean geometry: logic, proofs, and deductive reasoning; points, lines and planes; rays and angles; congruent triangles; parallel lines and quadrilaterals; transformations and symmetry; area; right triangles; regular polygons and circles; geometric solids and volume; and coordinate geometry. Course material will be drawn primarily from Harold Jacob's Geometry (3rd edition), with supplemental material from Euclid's Elements. Weekly homework will emphasize student mastery of essential principles, as well as application to practical examples.

Grade: 10, 11, 12

Meets twice weekly: day and time TBD

​

Integrated Math Science and Engineering (IMS) (Marty Georges)

Exploration of classical problems of science and engineering throughout history, particularly those problems that have led to the development of mathematical methods that scientists and engineers take for granted today. Students will learn to develop solutions to problems using first principles of physics and engineering. The course will consist of lectures, in-class collaborative problem solving, weekly homework, and unit studies. Topics may vary depending upon the interests of students; previously the class analyzed, modeled, and accurately predicted the performance and trajectory of a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster.

Grade: 11, 12

Prerequisites: Algebra II, Trigonometry, Geometry; Pre-calculus or Calculus desired.

Meets Thursday 3:30-5:00

 

NEW! Observational Astronomy (Marty Georges)

Introduction to astronomy intended for the novice and focused on the practical aspects of observing the heavens both with the naked eye and with a telescope. Particular attention will be devoted to the coordinate system of the night sky; the order and system of constellations; how to locate celestial objects; the motion of the sun, moon, stars, and planets; the use of software to plan and model observations (i.e. Starry Night); and the use of a large amateur telescope.

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12

Meets twice weekly, fall semester only: days and time TBD

Classes will alternate between classroom instruction during the day and field observations in the evening.

​

Music: Meaning and Materials (John Sundet)

We think of music as primarily about listening and pleasure, but these things are merely a gateway to the riches that deeper musical study yields. This course provides an introduction to music with a focus on language and participation, covering philosophy (musical meaning, learning to think about music), physics and materials (rhythm, tone and pitch, timbre, etc.), notation, and theory (temperament, scales, keys, harmony, etc.). The course will approach all topics via concrete musical examples and stress active active musical involvement using our voices—the primary musical instrument given to each of us.

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 (also open to adult students)

Prior musical experience welcome but not needed.

Meets Thursday 2:00-3:30

 

NEW! What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? (Intro to Philosophy) (Marty Georges)

“A great deal as it turns out.”

—Dr. John Mark Reynolds.

Introduction to philosophy through selected readings exploring faith, reason, and western civilizations. Topics may vary depending upon the interests of students, but will include at minimum: existence; properties; belief, justification, and knowledge; the intersection between faith and philosophy; and the history of philosophy. Particular attention will be devoted to the development of critical reading and concise writing skills through the use of analytical outlines and a weekly précis. The course will consist of lectures, in-class discussions, weekly reading assignments, and short papers (<650 words).

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12

Meets twice weekly: days and time TBD

​

Bible Overview (John Sundet)

A guided journey through the full text of the Bible designed to promote biblical literacy and to establish the basis for a lifetime of reflection and re-engagement with the text. A prominent goal is to assure that no book or chapter remains obscure or unrelated to the redemptive narrative. First semester: Genesis through Song of Songs; Second semester: Isaiah through Revelation. 

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 (also open to adult students)

Meets Monday & Wednesday 10:00-12:00

​

NEW! Literary Study Toolkit I: Basic Analysis (Joseph Leake)

This one-semester course will equip junior high students with the tools and confidence they need to approach literature in high school and beyond. One half of the course will focus on poetry, from comprehension and enjoyment to form, structure, and terminology. (What’s the difference between a metaphor and a simile? Between assonance and alliteration? Between the Italian sonnet and the English sonnet?) The other half will focus on prose fiction: plot structure, character classification, genre, terminology. (What’s the difference between falling action and resolution? Between a protagonist and a deuteragonist? Between a romance and a Bildungsroman?) Assignments will include short readings, quizzes, and creative writing in the genres studied. 

Grade: 7, 8

Meets Thursday 3:30-5:00, Fall semester only

​

NEW! Literary Study Toolkit II: Mythology (Joseph Leake)

Do you know what Hamlet means when he describes his mother as “like Niobe, all tears”? Most modern readers don’t have the background information necessary to grasp the classical allusions that pervade not only Shakespeare, but virtually every author up until the 21st century. This course offers students a welcoming and engaging entrée into Greco-Roman and Norse mythology, walking them through the important myths that have shaped, inspired, and adorned so much of western literature. Assignments will include short readings, quizzes, and creative rewriting of a myth.

Grade: 7, 8

Meets Thursday 3:30-5:00, Spring semester only

 

NEW! Creative Writing (Debbie Goodale)

In this course, students will explore different forms of creative writing, such as poetry, memoir/narrative pieces, creative nonfiction, and journaling. Students will analyze mentor texts (the writing of published authors) as models for improving and expanding their creative writing skills. Students can expect mini-lessons and practice in creative writing skills, including word choice, voice, tone, etc. In addition, students will read various texts by poets and writers that speak to the creative writing process.

Grade: 7, 8

Meets once a week: Day and time TBD

​

NEW! Great Books of Western Civilization I (Joseph Leake)

Consider this course an invitation to embark on a three-year exploration of western literature, a ticket to tantalizing worlds lost to time, and the opportunity of a lifetime to see through the eyes of our intellectual forebears. Students will face the herculean—and richly rewarding—task of wrestling with the weightiest works of the western tradition from the ancient to the early medieval: Gilgamesh, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Aeschylus’ Oresteia, Virgil’s Aeneid, Beowulf, Norse Eddas, The Saga of the Völsungs, and Njal’s Saga. Alongside the literature, the course will give students an historical framework for understanding the trajectory of western thought and art, covering such topics as the heroic age, orality and literacy, the consolidation of power under Rome, the subsequent dissolution of the Empire and rise of European nations, the spread of Christianity, and the conversion of the pagan north.

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Prerequisite: Literary Study Toolkit I or II (or placement evaluation)

Meets Tuesday 3:30-5:00

This course is the first in our three-year Great Books program.

​

NEW! Great Books of Western Civilization II (Joseph Leake)

Picking up the threads from the previous course, this second installment in our Great Books program teases out the richly woven tapestry of thought from the High Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Students will enter the alien yet oddly-familiar and strikingly beautiful worlds depicted in The Song of Roland, the Lays of Marie de France, the Arthurian romances of Chrétien de Troyes, Dante’s Divine Comedy, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Cervantes’ Don Quixote, and Shakespeare’s Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Emerging with a robust understanding of this crucial epoch in the western tradition, students will delve into such topics as the transition from heroic epic to romance, the spread of the Italian Renaissance, Humanism and the Reformation, and the development of English drama. 

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Prerequisite: Great Books of Western Civilization I (or placement evaluation)

Not offered for academic year 2024-25

This course is the second in our three-year Great Books program.

​

NEW! Great Books of Western Civilization III (Joseph Leake)

Details coming soon

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Prerequisite: Great Books of Western Civilization II (or placement evaluation)

Not offered for academic year 2024-25

This course is the third in our three-year Great Books program.

​

Growth and Structure of the English Language I: Greek and Latin Roots (Joseph Leake)

Detailed study of Greek and Latin vocabulary in English—the building blocks of thousands of words—with emphasis on strategic vocabulary-building, enhancing reading comprehension and literary interpretation, and fostering thoughtful, nuanced usage of language.

Grade: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Meets Tuesday 1:30-3:00

​

Growth and Structure of the English Language II: The English Language, 600-1600 (Joseph Leake)

Advanced survey of the fundamentals of English grammar, syntax, and vocabulary through the study of English usage from the early medieval period through the Renaissance, with an especial emphasis on gaining greater facility in reading and interpreting (and enjoying) older works of English literature.

Grade: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Prerequisite: Growth and Structure of the English Language I

Not offered for academic year 2024-25

​

Arthurian Literature and Composition (Joseph Leake)

Exploration of Europe’s greatest cycle of stories, the Arthurian legend. Students will learn literary analysis and interpretation and hone their composition skills through studying a range of texts, including Celtic myth, medieval romance, Renaissance allegory, and the fiction of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Grade: 10, 11, 12

Not offered for academic year 2024-25

​

Senior Thesis Writing Class (Eleanor Georges)

Advanced writing course that hones skills of critical thinking, research, argumentation, and editing, refines the writing process (outlining, drafting, revising), and culminates in the composition and public presentation and defense of a thesis-length essay.

Grade 12

Meets twice weekly, Spring semester only (day and time scheduled based on availability of registered students)

Class size limit: 6 students

​

The Worlds of Lewis and Tolkien (Joseph Leake)

An evening course—open to both high school students and adults— exploring the literary works that inspired the fictional worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Reading from selected works of Tolkien and Lewis, as well as the very tales that so profoundly shaped these authors’ imaginations, including Greek and Norse mythology, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon legend, and the fairy-tales of northwestern Europe.

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 + adult

No tests or written assignments

Course meets 14 weeks; not offered for academic year 2024-25

Special cost: $100