Upper School

English (4 credits required for graduation)

American Literature (Grade 10 – 1 credit)
As Walt Whitman demonstrates in Leaves of Grass, America is a landscape of multiple voices. In this tenth grade English course we journey through this landscape, and move roughly chronologically from the seventeenth century through our present day. Beginning with Native American literature and narratives by colonial women held in captivity, we will trace several important movements in literary history, such as transcendentalism, Romanticism, and the Harlem Renaissance, always seeking out the “living and buried speech” Whitman describes. In the first semester, we establish the canon with Thoreau and Hawthorne, while exploring the often unheard voices of the enslaved in Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Douglass’s autobiography. Second semester widens its scope, beginning with selections from the Harlem Renaissance, and moving through four distinct voices in Cather, Morrison, García and Rankine.                          

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 writers we study this year will challenge and develop this single story. Students will read about the Lost Boys of Sudan and the mixed blessing of arriving in America as a refugee; about coming of age in a Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Antigua disrupted by English imperialism; about adjusting to life in London after growing up in the Caribbean; and about seeing how tourism irrevocably alters one’s island home. Students also hear from the madwoman in Rochester’s attic as she corrects her depiction in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. We will listen carefully to the voices that emerge from these texts and respond thoughtfully to what they have to say. In order to further broaden our understanding of the topics and themes raised in this course, we will also attend to current events and look for opportunities to serve the immigrant communities of New York City. Students who enroll in this course can expect to write traditional literary essays, original poetry, and blog posts.

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 free writes, dialectical notebooks, written conversations, image explosion, and other tools that are 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 year, it is expected that students become astute writers and thinkers conversant in the rhetoric of monstrosity.

Reading and Writing the Short Story (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit)
This eleventh and twelfth grade English elective is both a literature class and a creative writing workshop. As such, students will produce both formal, analytical written responses (such as essays) and also creative work (such as short stories) that will be shared with the class.  We will explore the short story by reading widely and deeply in the genre, always with an eye toward craft; that is, by asking how the author wrote the story. Students will learn about the history and development of the genre, important authors and movements therein, and various aspects of craft, including plot, character, detail and narrative structure. They will also learn how to write about short stories. During second semester, our focus will include short story collections by such authors as James Joyce, Edward P. Jones, and Louise Erdrich. Each collection focuses on characters in a particular place and demonstrates another way that stories can work together to evoke a certain truth. In the fiction workshop, our collective task is to create a safe space in which creative work can be nurtured and developed. Each semester, students will complete a variety of creative writing prompts and bring one completed story to workshop. At the end of second semester, each student will focus on the revision of one piece. Publishing opportunities will be discussed and encouraged throughout the year.

Research/Revise/React (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit)
In this cross-disciplinary elective, you will develop a research project of your choice and tell that story through multiple creative genres. This course offers the opportunity for you to become an expert (super-nerd) on your chosen topic. The creative outcome is not set, but rather will evolve. You will begin the year practicing new research skills, including writing an annotated bibliography of multimodal sources. Your first project will be a small series of creative written and visual pieces, including creative nonfiction writing, visual art, infographics, or performance. You will then propose a long-term research project in an area of your choice, which you will pursue for the remainder of the year. Written and oral feedback and critiques will be instrumental in shaping the research, drafting, and revision phases. The classroom community that you create will be instrumental to your work. Written genres may include: expository essays, articles, editorials, interview transcripts, infographics, blog entries, dialogue, various forms of nonfiction poetry, and other creative nonfiction. Visual genres may include: video, performance, design (fashion, architectural, product) studio arts (drawing, painting, illustration, ceramics, sculpture, photography), and art installation.

AP English Literature (Grade 12 – 1 credit)
Where is happiness? What is best in life? In this course we will survey literary representations of paradise from the Book of Genesis to contemporary fiction and poetry. Some authors on our syllabus imagine paradise as a place. For John Milton in his epic Paradise Lost, Eden is both a lush garden and a laboratory for his radical ideas about marriage and monarchy. Other authors (e.g., Jane Austen, James Baldwin) focus on our experience of consolation after loss: how do we go on when the best part of life may be over? In drama especially—Aeschylus’s Oresteia, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun—we will confront characters who must re-define themselves when the world they know is overturned. Other texts will include Whitman's "Song of Myself," Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and Achebe's Things Fall Apart.

Students should expect to read and write extensively throughout the year. We will tackle at least twelve major texts plus independent reading, literary criticism, and an intensive poetry unit. Students will deliver in-class presentations and write in several registers: informal journal entries, discussion-board posts, AP-style essays, and longer papers developed through several drafts. They will write at least one essay for each of the works studied. Independent research in history and criticism will help us to read literature with sympathy and understanding. Students take the AP English Literature and Composition exam in May. Prerequisite: grades 9-11 A- average in English and departmental permission

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 now, like their male counterparts, women in the U.S. Armed Forces 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 their 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 nonprofit for veterans and a visit by members from the program to discuss their experiences in Vietnam or Iraq.
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019.

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 our vision 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. From Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" to Woody Allen's Manhattan, Claude McKay's Harlem to Don Dellilo's Bronx, and F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jazz Age 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 written assessments, students should expect to complete an interdisciplinary project after spring break.
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019.

History (3 credits required for graduation)

United States History (Grade 10 – 1 credit)
This course is designed to explore the facts and themes of the nation’s past, starting with the early interaction among European colonists, indigenous peoples, and people of African descent, and ending in the present day. Students learn relevant geography, and they gain the ability to interpret primary and secondary sources. They examine varieties of history, such as military, economic, cultural, and political. Projects focus on ideas of freedom and how those ideas changed over time. For example, in the pre-industrial era many Americans valued a set of rights protected by the government. In the industrial age, the idea of freedom encompassed economics and individual choice. Finally, the idea that “one person’s freedom is linked to another’s servitude” is fully explored. Students who demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the concepts in the first semester have the option of applying for honors designation in the second semester. Honors eligibility is determined by grades to date and assessment of the student’s work in the course. Upon approval, those who choose to do honors work will be assigned challenging reading and research.
 
Global Feminisms (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit)
No single feminism suffices in today’s world. This course demands the active engagement of each student as she explores issues vital to being a feminist woman in a world full of complex differences. This course is flexible by design: We can adjust its direction and focus in response to the interests and passions of the participants. In general, each unit revolves around one book and one key question that will anchor students’ work and discussions as they hone a fundamental analytical skill. Students will draw on contemporary news sources, movies, television, and other media in their explorations of feminism’s endless scope. In our exploration of women’s experiences, we examine tough, complicated issues, ranging from domestic violence to global economics. Sensitivity, patience, and the spirit of openness are essential to create an environment of trust in which every student can be bold. The year culminates in a research paper on a topic of the student’s choice.
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019.

Global Political Philosophy (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit)
This course explores global political philosophies both chronologically and
thematically. Each unit examines a moment in history and compares it to a modern event or movement. For example, the class begins with an examination of the origins of Islam, then compares Islam’s political philosophy to the ISIS goal of a caliphate in Iraq and Syria. Next, students analyze the origins of Hinduism by reading the Bhagavad Gita and connecting it to Mahatma Gandhi’s pacifist movement for Indian independence. Fifth century BCE Greek “democracies,” their ideas and realities, will be examined and compared to the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers, then a connection drawn to the current US presidential administration. Students will become familiar with Marxist materialism, which led to revolutions in Russia and later Cuba. The year concludes with a study of economics and European imperialism in Africa, and examines how Africans struggled for independence. Our culminating experience is an examination of the ethics of globalization, which is connected to current nativist movements in the United States and Europe.

History of Jazz (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit)
This course is an in-depth exploration of one of the United States’ greatest contributions to world culture, the many musics known collectively as jazz. The course takes a blended chronological and thematic approach, exploring and studying the cultural and historical contexts that produced jazz as well as the major composers and performers of each of its styles. Students will listen to important jazz recordings, watch filmed performances, read the writings of players and critics, and attend live performances at several of the many jazz clubs/performance venues in New York City. We will investigate and analyze how jazz influenced and was influenced by the struggle for equality in the United States and spread throughout the world bearing that same message. Jazz has played an important part in many of the most influential episodes of American history, from Jim Crow laws (a name taken from a supposed black musician from a plantation) to the angular and anguished protest music composed during the Civil Rights movement in the sixties. Another major concept explored within the course is the role of women within the history of jazz. Finally, many important female musicians uncompromisingly challenged the status quo of both the music and the country, from Billie Holiday’s championing of the protest song “Strange Fruit” to Nina Simone’s “Peaches,” and women have increasingly gained recognition for their contributions to the art form.
This course will not be offered in the 2018-2019 year.

Film Studies (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit)
Film Studies is a year-long course designed to investigate the development of film from 1900 to the present, to study the ways in which films are a lens through which to investigate major themes present throughout history, and to investigate the semiotics of film. The course begins by introducing students to the major concepts of film theory. Students learn about these concepts behind filmmaking while watching films chosen to illustrate those concepts. The students also create film elements of their own, including storyboards, slideshows, color schemes, scripts, and a five-minute short film. Some of the films viewed are Citizen Kane, Apur Sansar, The Seven Samurai, and Lawrence of Arabia. The second half of the course is structured roughly chronologically and focuses on moments in cinema’s development that are particularly relevant from a historical perspective; aesthetic, political, technological, cultural and/or economic. Students investigate these ideas while watching films chosen to illustrate those concepts. Special focus is paid to the contributions of women to film and film theory, and to celebrating cultural difference in film across the world.

Food Fights: Eating and Controversy in American History (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit)
Since before they started thinking of themselves as Americans, people in the United States have worried about their food: that it was unethical, unnatural, and not local enough. These complaints have changed over time, but they have consistently driven Americans to alternative food systems and utopian communities. Battles about what to eat have been vicious, often standing in for debates about race, gender, class, and power. In this course, students use primary and secondary sources to explore historical food fights. Students study the evolution of and power dynamics behind words such as “processing,” “local,” and “natural,” and concepts including tradition and authenticity. The class considers how industrialists, reformers, and legislators fought for the authority to tell people how to eat and live. Varied methods guide our work, as students use tools from American studies, food studies, environmental and cultural history, and the histories of medicine, science, and technology. Throughout the year, students work on assignments including reflective writing, presentations, and analytic essays. For the final assignment, students complete a “food review” that puts a dish, method of preparation, food company, or restaurant in historical context.

Law and the American Legal System (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit)
This course has three parts: first, it covers basics, as for example, the difference between (a) state and federal courts; (b) criminal and civil cases; and (c) common law and statutory law. Second, the course addresses U.S. Supreme Court cases dealing with, among other things, Constitutional equal protection rights applied to race, gender and sexual orientation issues; privacy (Roe v. Wade and related issues, and conduct inside the home); first amendment free speech cases; and other issues arising under the Bill of Rights. Third, the class includes a mock trial competition, which the school competes in each year pending enrollment. The mock trial is a statewide competition involving 350 high schools in the state and 95 high schools in New York City. Depending on how successful Hewitt’s team is, the team then advances in further rounds against other schools. The mock trial competition is both challenging — it requires students to master the facts of the case and to learn a great amount of trial procedure and technique - and rewarding — students typically regard the competition as the highlight of the course.

Regional Studies- Southeast Asia (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit)
How do nations create agents of power? We live in a world in constant flux. Nations in Southeast Asia are redefining what power means. This course explores the cultural roots and contemporary actions of two of the world’s emerging global powers: China and India. In our discussions of these two countries, we touch upon how surrounding nations, such as Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh are building national power in the wake of ethno-religious conflicts and imperialism. By tracing these nations’ storied pasts—their religious histories, their linguistic and geographic compositions—as well as their revolutions and internal political struggles, students will be asked to question how and why nations become global powers. Some of the concepts and topics addressed are ethno-religious philosophies and conflicts, genocides, roles and rights of women, childhood and education, revolution and social change, environmental sustainability and energy, infrastructure, domestic and foreign policies, government structure, relationships with the United States, and roles on the world stage. We will supplement our investigations in class with frequent trips to New York’s many museums dedicated to Asian History and Art. The ultimate goal of this course is to inspire students to understand current events in a global context.
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019.

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, and those classical references continue into 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 per cycle. Students take the AP Art History exam in May 2018. Prerequisite: grades 9-11 A- average in history and departmental permission
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019. 
  
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 access to food, clean water, energy, technology, and education) 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, and 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 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. The AP Human Geography exam is in May 2018. Prerequisite: grades 9-11 A- average in history and departmental permission

AP European History (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit) 
AP European History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university European history course. In AP European History, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in four historical periods from approximately 1450 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical comparisons; and utilizing reasoning about contextualization, causation, and continuity and change over time. The course also provides six themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: interaction of Europe and the world; poverty and prosperity; objective knowledge and subjective visions; states and other institutions of power; individual and society; and national and European identity. While exploring these themes from multiple perspectives students will constantly come back to one, over-arching question: How do hopes for the future shape visions of the past? Students are required to take the AP Examination in May. Prerequisite: grades 9-11 A- average in history and departmental permission

Mathematics (4 credits required for graduation)

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: Geometry
 
Honors 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. 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 based on placement test

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 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 and 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

Probability and Statistics (Grade 11 and 12 – 1 credit)
The course begins with an introduction to probability and counting including dependent and independent events, binomial probability, Bayesian probability, and probability distributions. This course then 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, measures of dispersion, and linear regression and other regression models. Prerequisite: either level of Precalculus
 
Calculus (Grade 11 and 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 Algebra II or Honors Algebra II; A- average in Honors Precalculus; and departmental permission

Advanced Mathematical Problem Solving and Problem Posing (Grade 11 and 12 – 1 credit)
This is a course in undergraduate level mathematical problem solving and problem posing. The course begins by delving into common problem-solving techniques and strategies employed 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 and construct convincing arguments that their solutions are correct, but also how to formulate mathematical problems of their own. The undergraduate topics touched upon include Discrete Mathematics, Graph Theory, Combinatorics, Number Theory, Algebra, 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, which include both justifications for their assertions as well as metacognitive commentary on how they broached and investigated the problems. Prerequisite/Corequisite: Calculus or AP Calculus AB; departmental permission
 

Science (3 credits required for graduation)

Chemistry (Grade 10 – 1 credit)
This course investigates the major areas of chemistry. Topics covered include the particulate nature of matter, gas laws, chemical composition, atomic structure, chemical reactions, and stoichiometry. Students design and perform laboratory experiments, analyze results, and report their findings in both written and oral presentations. Problem-solving as a skill for investigating chemistry is emphasized regularly throughout the course. 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 by the instructor, 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 and lab work.

Anatomy & Physiology (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit)
The Anatomy elective focuses on health and disease in the human body, and is approached from a medical standpoint. Students first learn how each body system works in times of health, and 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 which may include interviews with health professionals, designing and constructing a heart valve, etc. All topics are reinforced with appropriate lab work, including several dissections. The class observes a cardiac surgery via video conferencing at the Liberty Science Center, and specialists such as orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, and anesthesiologists visit the class to talk to the students about their specialty. Students may pursue summer internships.

Marine Biology (Grades 11 and 12 -- 1 credit)
In the marine biology elective students will learn about the ocean and its processes, the diversity of ocean life, marine ecology, and human impacts on the ocean. The course is activity-based and includes such activities as animal tracking (sharks, whales, seabirds, sea turtles) in real time, comparing the structures and functions of marine fish, listening to sounds of the sea, designing a device to clean up an oil spill, etc. In the Fall, the class will go on a schooner on the Long Island Sound to do water testing and observe marine life. Students will also set up and maintain a 55-gallon fish tank. For the biosphere project, students create self-sustaining marine biospheres and collect data for a two-week period in order to reach conclusions about the health of their biosphere. The class will participate in collecting data for the Billion Oyster Project.

Physics (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit)
This course will serve as a general introduction to the study of Physics.  It will serve as a comprehensive, standalone survey of the material, while also providing interested students with the mathematical and conceptual tools to pursue more advanced studies in the Physical Sciences.  The material covered will closely mirror what students could expect to see in a first-year, algebra based college-level Physics course, and so will provide preparation for college-bound juniors and seniors interested in pursuing any number of STEM programs.  Material will be presented with a level of mathematical rigor as fits the background of the enrolled students, but completion of at least precalc is required. Prerequisite: Completion of Precalculus

AP Biology (Grades 11 and 12 – 1 credit)
The AP Biology course is designed to be the equivalent of a college-level full year introductory biology course. Topics covered in this advanced course fall into three major areas: molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, as well as 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: Departmental approval following course application process or successful completion of an AP science course

AP Chemistry (Grades 11 and 12 -- 1 credit)
The AP Chemistry curriculum is designed to an equivalent of a full-year, introductory college-level chemistry course and is a direct continuation of 10th grade chemistry. Students will review chemical reactions, stoichiometry, and gas laws, and extend these topics into deeper understandings. Topics introduced and explored in-depth include: solutions, acid-base chemistry, atomic structure and modern atomic theory, thermodynamics and thermochemistry, electrochemistry, kinetics, and chemical equilibrium. A strong emphasis on lab activities and analysis of models will be applied throughout the course. Additionally, mathematical problem solving will be a large emphasis of the curriculum.This course prepares student to take the AP Chemistry exam in May. Prerequisites: A- average in Biology, Chemistry, and (for rising seniors) 11th grade science and/or departmental permission
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019; it will be offered in 2019-2020.

AP Environmental Science (Grades 11 and 12 -- 1 credit)
The AP Environmental Science course is the equivalent of a college-level one semester introductory course. The course covers a breadth of topics including cycles of energy and matter within ecological systems and processes and the functioning of the Earth as an interconnected system, as well as issues of human alterations to the environment from scientific, social, and cultural perspectives. These topics are explored while also emphasizing scientific skills and science as a process. Inquiry-based labs and explorations in class will complement the sequence of topics. This course is rigorous and requires a significant time commitment. This course prepares students for the Advanced Placement Environmental Science examination in May.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval following course application process or successful completion of an AP science course

World Languages (3 credits of a world or classical language required for graduation)

The goal of the world languages program at Hewitt is to achieve proficiency in the language. Multiple perspectives are explored through readings, class discussions, as well as 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: for French students to Quebec and France, and for Spanish students to 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 IV-10th grade (1 credit)
This course deepens students’ knowledge of grammatical structures and enhances their ability to converse in French.The text VHL Imaginez with its online component  serves as a base for language study and for reinforcement of structures. Grammar structures such as forms of the passé composé, imparfait and plus que parfait  tenses are introduced and reinforced, and students conduct a thorough review of what has been studied so far. Readings include cultural material and unabridged literature, selected poems, short stories, songs and excerpts of representative works by various authors of the Francophone world such as Guillaume Apollinaire, Dany Laferrière, Léopold Senghor, Assia Djebar. 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. 

Current events in the Francophone world are also an important component of this course to foster comprehension, communication and intercultural skills. At this level and beyond, students are expected to contribute freely to class discussions on the themes being studied. The goal is mastery of the syntax necessary to express oneself with accuracy in the language. Prerequisite: French III

French V/Honors French V- 11th grade (1 credit)
This high intermediate/advanced culture and conversation class provides students with a variety of opportunities to learn about the French‐speaking world. The text VHL Imaginez continues to serve as a base for language study and for reinforcement of structures Through the rich literary and cinematic traditions of France and the Francophone world, students explore questions relating to society, history, art, literary movements and current events. They focus on works from the Francophone world  like Le petit Prince by Saint-Exupéry and with a particular emphasis on francophone women writers such as: Marguerite Duras, Leila Sebbar, Malika Mokeddem and Anne Hébert. 

Students discuss literature, take part in debates,  and undertake a research project on the theme of women in the French-speaking world, whereby they interview a woman living in New York about her life and transition from growing up speaking French to an English-speaking environment. In addition, they write analytical and creative compositions based on the works studied. Films studied may include but are not limited to:  Inch’allah dimanche directed by Yamina Benguigui L’enfant by the Dardenne brothers, Entre les murs by Laurent Cantet and Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont by Julien Rambaldi. There is a regular revision of grammatical concepts based on students’ needs. Prerequisite for French V: French IV. Prerequisite for Honors French V: French IV; grades 9-11 B+ average in French. Interview. Departmental permission
 
AP French Language and Culture/French VI -12th grade (1 credit)
This course is the culminating course in the French language sequence, building on students’ mastery of the three modes of communication skills (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) and their associated elements (listening, reading, speaking, and writing). The course includes an intensive review and consolidation of grammar and vocabulary and reinforcement comes through a variety of resources and activities. These include literature readings of prominent writers of France and the Francophone world such as Albert Camus, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Nathalie Sarraute and Maryse Condé as well as discussions, class conversations and a variety of web based audio and visual resources such as: TV5Monde, Le Monde, Radio France International podcasts. These resources will center on the main themes of the course: family and society, global challenges, identity, environment, technology, beauty and aesthetics. All classroom activities take place in French and stress student participation and frequent interaction among themselves and with the teacher. Elements of the curriculum will be adjusted dynamically according to the preferences of the students; this will give them a sense of ownership, heighten their interest, and address their individual needs in acquiring language skills. In addition, students opting to take AP French language and culture, will also be assessed through regular practice tests during the year in preparation for the exam in May. Prerequisite for AP French Language and Culture: French V Honors; grades 9-11 A- average in French. Departmental permission, interview, and assessment. Prerequisite for French VI: French V

Spanish II - 10th grade (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. VHL Viva continues to serve as a base for language study and for reinforcement of structures. Prerequisite: Spanish I, 9th grade

Spanish IV - 10th grade (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 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 - 11th grade (1 credit) 
This is a course designed for advanced students with a good 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 Juan Rulfo, Elena Poniatowska, Rubén Darío, and José Martí. 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 follow 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 for Spanish V: Spanish IV. Prerequisite for Honors Spanish V: Spanish IV; grades 9-11 B+ average in Spanish. Interview departmental permission.

AP Spanish Language and Culture - 12th grade  (1 credit)
This course is the culminating course in the Spanish language sequence, building on students’ mastery of the three modes of communication skills (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) and their associated elements (listening, reading, speaking, and writing). The course includes an intensive review and consolidation of grammar and vocabulary and reinforcement comes through a variety of resources and activities. These include literature readings of prominent writers of Spain and Latin America such as Carmen Laforet, Emilia Pardo Bazán, Antonio Machado, Julio Cortázar, Miguel de Unamuno, and Mario Vargas Llosa, as well as class conversations, oral and formal presentations, essays, reports, and other critical writing, and a variety of web based audio and visual resources. These resources will center on the main themes of the course: families and communities, science and technology, beauty and aesthetics, personal and public identities, global challenges, and contemporary life. All classroom activities take place in Spanish and stress student participation and frequent interaction among themselves and with the teacher. Elements of the curriculum will be adjusted dynamically according to the preferences of the students; this will give them a sense of ownership, heighten their interest, and address their individual needs in acquiring language skills. In addition, students opting to take AP Spanish Language and Culture, will also be assessed through regular practice tests during the year in preparation for the exam in May. Prerequisite for AP Spanish Language and Culture: Spanish V Honors; grades 9-11 A- average in Spanish; departmental permission, interview, and assessment.

Ventanas: Windows into the World of Latin American Women Writers and Artists - 12th grade
In this course we will focus on the history and contributions of women writers from Latin America. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to different genres while learning about Latin American female writers and their profound impact to Latin American history. Through books, short stories, poetry and movies we will look at the historical, social and cultural influences of these fascinating and trailblazing women. We will explore the literature of Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic), Sandra Cisneros (México), Esmeralda Santiago (Puerto Rico ) and Isabel Allende (Chile), amongst others. The class will also focus on social justice topics such as “Las madres de la Plaza de Mayo”; a powerful movement of Argentine mothers that marched to protest the “disappearance” of their children during the state terrorism of the military dictatorship in the late 1970’s. Lastly, we will study the lives of prominent Latin women artists such as Frida Kahlo (México). Prerequisite :  11th grade Spanish IV or V
 

Classics (3 credits of a world or classical language required for graduation)

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. 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.  Examples of authors studied include the Epicurean poet Lucretius, who 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 on the Renaissance. While Lucretius and Epicurean tenets 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 and various social media. 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. Prerequisite: Latin III
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019.

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 they 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 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. Prerequisite: Latin III

2 credits (Class of 2019, 2020) or 3 credits (Class of 2021) of performing arts and/or visual arts required
 
Chamber Choir (Grades 10 -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 10 -12 – 1 credit)                                                        
Advanced scene study class seeks to further develop students' performing skills. The class centers on acting techniques, script analysis, scene work, rehearsals and performance. Students study and analyze text by working on skills and learning how to use the correct tools to act, followed by solo and scene work and observations. Students discuss and learn styles of acting, the Stanislavski system, the Method, Meisner and Stella Adler. Utilizing different approaches to script and acting work the students will explore realism, surrealism, Shakespeare and much more. New York City as a classroom, the students attend workshops and observe outside and invited performances to gain knowledge and learn about the world of theatre. 
 
Handbell Choir (Grades 10 -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. In addition to music required for festival performance, music is chosen to reflect a broad range of styles and celebrate cultural diversity. The class culminates in two concerts at the end of each semester, but there are additional performances scheduled throughout the year. Participation in the course requires availability to perform at the Riverside Festival in April of 2019. Previous performance venues have included the Cloisters, the Morning Show, Central Park, the Riverside Church Handbell Festival and other community locations.         
 

2 credits (Class of 2019, 2020) or 3 credits (Class of 2021)  of performing arts 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 basic hand-building techniques such as pinching pots, coiling and slab construction. 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 architecture. This one-semester course will be offered both first and second semesters. Tenth grade students may repeat this course in their spring semester. 

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. 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. Prerequisite: Ceramics I or permission of instructor
 
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. Tenth grade students may repeat this course in their spring semester. 

Advanced Photography (Grades 11-12 – 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 or permission of instructor

Studio Art I (Grades 9-10 – ½ credit)
Students produce a wide variety of work preparing them for continued study. Lessons include observational and abstract drawing and painting, illustration, printmaking and mixed media collage. Students use their sketchbooks regularly for project planning and related mini projects. Artists are encouraged to develop a personal voice. This one-semester course will be offered both first and second semesters. Tenth grade students may repeat this course in their spring semester. 

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 as curriculum changes annually. Projects focus on new drawing, observational and creative painting, printmaking, and new media. Themes are students driven and centered and linked to the greater world. Students learn to work with oil paints and stretch their own canvases. Sketchbooks are used for project planning, observation, research, and inspiration collection. Students are expected to challenge themselves both technically and conceptually. There are at least two museum or gallery visits. Prerequisite: Studio Art I or permission of instructor
 
Curatorial Studies & Exhibition Design (Grades 10 -12 - 1 credit)
Students study the history of art to curate a show of students’ art, writing, and performative responses to a chosen theme. Acting as curators, students actively engage in the process of creating an exhibition via research, jurying, and writing under professional and local mentorship from the Metropolitan Museum. In addition to designing the K-12 art show, students create and communicate their vision through various forms of social media and community outreach. Curatorial Studies students work in collaboration with Graphic Design students throughout the process of the exhibition design. Gallery and museum visits will be taken to further study current exhibitions. Particular focus is given to feminist pedagogy and intersectional identity as it relates to art and curation. Prerequisite: Studies in Contemporary Art, AP Art History, Visual Arts, or departmental permission
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019.

Visual Art: Graphic Design (Grades 10 -12 - 1 credit)
This course challenges students to examine the distinctions between fine art and design for commercial purposes. Students learn the history of design, or art that works, and explore where and how graphic design functions in the world today as advertising, as information, and as a method for social change.  Through the analysis of client expectations and the use of collaboration, students are tasked with navigating design ethics as they learn to develop and create their own works of graphic design using tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. Students collaborate with their peers in Curatorial Studies & Exhibition Design in the creation of graphic design materials for the student curated exhibit in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Materials may include: invitations, posters, and catalogues.  Students also design materials for the annual Hewitt art show. Prerequisite: Photography I, Studio Art I, or departmental permission
This course will not be offered in 2018-2019.

Research/Revise/React (Grades 11-12)
Art and English
In this cross-disciplinary elective, you will develop a research project of your choice and tell that story through multiple creative genres. This course offers the opportunity for you to become an expert (super-nerd) on your chosen topic. The creative outcome is not set, but rather will evolve. You will begin the year practicing new research skills, including writing an annotated bibliography of multimodal sources. Your first project will be a small series of creative written and visual pieces, including creative nonfiction writing, visual art, infographics, or performance. You will then propose a long-term research project in an area of your choice, which you will pursue for the remainder of the year. 

Written and oral feedback and critiques will be instrumental in shaping the research, drafting, and revision phases. The classroom community that you create will be instrumental to your work.Written genres may include: expository essays, articles, editorials, interview transcripts, infographics, blog entries, dialogue, various forms of nonfiction poetry, and other creative nonfiction. Visual genres may include: video, performance, design (fashion, architectural, product) studio arts (drawing, painting, illustration, ceramics, sculpture, photography), and art installation. 

Design and Making I (Grades 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 one-semester course will be offered both first and second semesters. Tenth grade students may repeat this course in their spring semester. 

Programming and Robotics I (Grades 10 - ½ credit)
In this one-semester  course,  students  become  familiar  with  the  text­-based programming  environments P5, Processing, and Arduino. Students use basic programming concepts to create computer animations, designs for digital fabrication on laser cutter, CNC mill, and 3D printers, and programmed electronic circuitry. Students learn to create their own website portfolio with HTML and CSS to showcase their work. This one-semester course will be offered both first and second semesters. Tenth grade students may repeat this course in their spring semester. 

Advanced Design and Making (Grades 11 and 12 - 1 credit)
This  course  is  designed  to  scaffold  upon  the  maker  experiences  from  Design  and Making I. Students apply their prior experience with the Design Thinking process to work on a long ­term project. Delving deeper into the Design Thinking process, students will independently develop design solutions for problems they want to tackle. Initial prototypes and user feedback will play an important role in making revisions leading up to the final prototype. Documentation of prototype revisions will also play a significant part in the design process. Students will gain hands-­on  experience  with  Computer  Aided  Design (CAD)  software,  3D  printing, laser cutting & engraving, and manipulation of various building materials. Prerequisite:  Design and Making I or departmental permission

Advanced Programming and 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 build and program Arduino-based hardware applications, learning to design circuits from breadboard prototype to milling and soldering custom circuit boards. Students also explore interactive graphics programming in greater depth with Python in Minecraft game environments and JavaScript to create Virtual Reality environments. Prerequisite: Programming and Robotics I or departmental permission

Robotic Engineering (Grades 10-12 - 1 credit)
This course is designed for students with a strong math and science background and an interest in robotics. Students explore engineering design, mechatronic principles, and C-based programming while using VEX V5 Robotics in a competitive game-based engineering challenge. As they engage in every aspect of robotics including designing, building, and programming, students also develop leadership, problem-solving, and project management skills. This is a year-long course that will be competing in robotics competitions throughout the NY Metropolitan Area on weekends during the school year. Additional work time during the school day and after-school may be required. Prerequisite: Departmental permission

Physical Education (4 years required for graduation)

Dance - Multi-Level 1 (Grades 10th-12th) 
The course is designed to increase strength, flexibility, and coordination through various conditioning methods and to develop basic dance technique through a variety of movement experiences.  One class per cycle is dedicated to technique and to training muscle memory in order to develop alignment and proper weight placement. The second class per cycle focuses on fundamental principles of varying dance styles. Some improvisation is incorporated.  Students with varying levels of dance experience are welcome.  Athletes looking to further develop ease and efficiency of movement are also encouraged to participate.

Dance - Intermediate/Advanced (Spring Semester; Grades 11 and 12)
This course further develops the dancer’s skills with more challenging technical classes that incorporate modern and jazz dance styles, rigorous ballet technique and somatic practices.  The class includes a deep study of key choreographers and remount some of their work.  The course also includes some dance composition. Prerequisite: Dance Multi-Level 1 or departmental permission
 
Yoga and Mindfulness - Fundamentals Level 1 (Grades 10-12)
This course is designed to introduce students to the practices of yoga and mindfulness and explores how the various dimensions of these practices contribute to one’s overall well-being. Students are introduced to basic yoga postures, breathing techniques, and relaxation methods. In the physical practice of yoga, students learn how to weave breath with movement and work to improve strength, flexibility, and balance. They begin to experience for themselves and reflect upon the benefits of the practice as they relieve built-up stress, learn to release and let go, and ultimately learn how to get more out of everyday life. The goal of this course is for students to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of wellness through the body, breath, mind, attention, and engagement. Each class includes time for movement, mindfulness practices and rest.

Deepening Your Yoga Practice  - Intermediate/Advanced Level 2 (Spring Semester; Grades 11 and 12)
This class is for students seeking to deepen their yoga and mindfulness practices with more focused awareness on the breath, postural alignment, and mindful movement. In this intermediary level class, more challenging poses (inversion variations, standing postures, backbends, arm balances, transition, binds, and more) are explored with the option of choices and variations, encouraging students to explore possibilities, and personalize their practice.  Students build upon the fundamentals explored in the Level 1 yoga course and work toward improvement in strength, flexibility, agility, and endurance. The goal of this course is for students to develop a personalized yoga and mindfulness program for their particular needs and well-being. Classes include movement, mindfulness practices, journaling and rest. Prerequisite: Fundamentals Level I or departmental permission

Strength and Conditioning - “Life-Long Fitness” (Grades 10-12)
This course is designed for students to develop a broad understanding of fitness concepts, while providing the necessary tools to live an active and healthy lifestyle. These concepts and tools are used to design personal fitness programs related to the goal of the student; such as developing sport specific fitness or improving their general health and well-being. Students learn the relationships between physical activity, physical fitness, group interaction, cooperation, and an appreciation for the abilities, and limitations of self and others. By the end of the course students have improved their physical fitness by participating in group fitness classes, weight training, nutrition and other activities.

The strength and conditioning program is designed to align with the Hewitt Athletics program; therefore, students are enabled to place specific focus on sports that the student will look to compete in the following season. For example, during this course in the Fall, emphasis is placed on developing fitness in squash, basketball, track, tennis and crew. In the Spring during this course, emphasis is placed on developing fitness for soccer and cross country.

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 events required for the activity that extend beyond the school day. The information below has been provided by student leaders or faculty advisors based on the 2018-2019 year. Clubs may be added or cancelled in the fall of 2018 pending membership and scheduling.

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. This club requires some work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all.

Animal Rights 
In Animal Rights club, we read articles, talk about controversial topics concerning the wellbeing of animals (cosmetic animal testing, different policies and legislations, fur coats have volunteer opportunities, watch movies, and look at cute pictures of animals! If you are interested in talking about different topics or have different ideas for the club, let us know!

Beyond The Earth
Beyond the Earth will explore everything outside of Earth! We will travel to the farthest light years and question whether there is life. We will debate whether or not it is ethical to colonize Mars considering that we were not born there. And of course, we will discuss current events happening with NASA and other space organizations. 

Business Club
The focus of this club is to engage girls who are interested in the business field to come and learn alongside their peers about different aspects of the business fields. We use apps to further our knowledge in finance and simply have fun with what we know. Our goal is to plan a trip to Barclays, along with the Museum of American Finance on Wall Street  in order to gain a first-hand experience what it is like to work in finance. Lastly,  the Club intend on hosting another speaker series including influential people in these fields along with a summit that focuses on the interconnections between business concepts and everyday life. This club is fun, interactive, and work free! 

Caribbean Culture Club
A club led by two Caribbean girls, our goal is to share our culture with the rest of the community. We'll be talking about the diversity of the Caribbean, as well as different aspects such as food, music, literature, and dance. Since the Caribbean is such a diverse place, we will elaborate on the various identities that each country’s population presents. Along with that, we'll have discussions on how colonization created the nations that we have today and how the Caribbean is "something that should've never existed but turned into something beautiful".

Current Events Club
In the club, we will discuss events taking place in our world today that is not usually brought up in school using resources such as the news, internet, etc. In addition, we will ask club members for their input on what they would like to discuss in club meetings. 

Dance
Dance Club will be a great addition to the Hewitt family! Each time we meet, we will explore a different type of dance and its culture/ meaning behind it. Dance club will promote school spirit and allow students to incorporate what they learn in their dance class (Physical education). This club will be open to grades 8-12 and will have a performance aspect to it. With the help of Mrs. Van Kesteren, we would love to perform some of the pieces that we learn in the club. This Club will be both fun and educational. Our goal is to involve dance more into the Hewitt community since it is a popular outside of school extracurricular activity for Hewitt girls. 

Earth Committee
The Earth Committee works both within Hewitt and in our community to promote sustainability. The club was instrumental in getting plastic bag legislation passed in New York City, and will continue to work on this issue, along with many others. Last year the club attended World Wildlife Day at the UN and traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the Climate March. We are part of the “One Last Straw” campaign, the Interschool Green Team, which is made up of students from various Independent schools in NYC that meet together once a month, and will be planning for Sustainability Day, which will take place in May. The US Earth Committee will be working with the MS environmental club to promote a “green” environment at Hewitt.
 
Exquisite Corpse
This club will produce poems by multiple club members, culminating different ideas and voices to form a writing piece. The club heads will lead the club members in different activities that are either discussion, writing, or drawing based, that build up to creating these poems. There would be no outside work for club members, but they would be expected to write a few lines of poetry on their own based on the assignment.Club members should enjoy writing, but they should not avoid this club if they’re not very interested in poetry because these poems are more about expressing ideas than showing skill. 

Film Club
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. This club requires no work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all.

Girls Who Code
In Girls Who Code Club, members learn to use various programming languages for interactive storytelling, graphics, mobile games, and music with a curriculum created by the national Girls Who Code organization. Members also use programming to create a group Impact Project that will address a social issue, as well as enjoy opportunities to meet professional women in IT.

Foreign Relations Club
In the Foreign Relations club, group leaders will initiate discussions surrounding prevalent issues throughout the world and crucial relationships between countries. Our goal is to emphasize the importance of equality as our world struggles with finding a dynamic in which balance and acceptance is cherished. The economical, cultural, and religious aspects of these certain relationships will be intertwined in our approach towards addressing the following questions: “How have relationships between countries created stereotypes and discrimination towards those inhabitants?” “How have alliances shifted the overall economic status of those countries and the countries around them?” Each month we vote as to which countries we will steer our attention towards. At the end of each month, however, members will be divided into two groups and will conduct extensive research about the country they were assigned to discover a serious problem occurring within that area. Then they will find a reliable organization that establishes donations for that cause. 

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 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. This club requires some work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club requires an application.

International Thespian Society
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.
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
We discuss upcoming Jewish holidays, plan events (most importantly, the Hannukah party), and eat delicious Jewish foods. This club requires no work outside of the weekly meeting periods.
This club is open to all.

Knitting Club
As​ ​students​ ​it​ ​is​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​set​ ​time​ ​aside​ ​for​ ​activities​ ​such​ ​as​ ​knitting.​ ​Having​ ​a​ ​club​ ​reserved​ ​for knitting,​ ​hand​ ​sewing​ ​and​ ​crocheting​ ​would​ ​let​ ​us​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​be​ ​more​ ​productive​ ​with​ ​projects. The​ ​knitting​ ​club​ ​would​ ​be​ ​open​ ​to​ ​people​ ​of​ ​all​ ​levels​ ​and​ ​abilities​ ​from​ ​beginners​ ​to​ ​those experts​ ​with​ ​past​ ​experience.​ ​Not​ ​only​ ​would​ ​we​ ​just​ ​work​ ​on​ ​projects,​ ​but​ ​we​ ​will​ ​also​ ​research about​ ​the​ ​history​ ​of​ ​knitting,​ ​knots​ ​and​ ​clothing​ ​design.​ ​At​ ​first​ ​we​ ​will​ ​start​ ​off​ ​with​ ​our​ ​own projects,​ ​so​ ​we​ ​can​ ​become​ ​accustomed​ ​to​ ​knitting,​ ​but​ ​later​ ​on​ ​we​ ​will​ ​hopefully​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do group​ ​projects​ ​together.​ ​Our​ ​finished​ ​projects​ ​will​ ​be​ ​gifts,​ ​for​ ​charity​ ​or​ ​personal​ ​use.​ ​The knitting​ ​club​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​collaborative​ ​space​ ​where​ ​we​ ​could​ ​learn​ ​from​ ​each​ ​other​ ​and​ ​make progress​ ​in​ ​cultivating​ ​our​ ​knitting​ ​skills. This club is open to all.

Mathematical Problem Solving
The problem solving club is a fun and low pressure time for students interested in tackling difficult math problems alongside their peers. With new problems each meeting, the club is interesting and exciting with the energy of everyone trying to solve challenging problems that would not be presented to them otherwise.

Medicine Club
MedClub is a club that focuses on students interested in science and medicine. We work with the Rogosin Institute to help spread awareness for kidney disease. We talk about current events in the medical field and meet with doctors and patients to discuss careers in medicine. We also plan on working with MEDLIFE, an organization that works to provide medical care in developing places. We are really excited for this year and we encourage any to join the club.

Mock Trial Club
In this club we will be preparing for the New York State mock trial competition. We will prepare as lawyers and witnesses for both the prosecution and defense sides of either a civil or criminal case. This club will run from September until the beginning of March (depending on how far we get in the trial competition). We will be competing in the New York City district of the Mock Trial. In the competition, teams compete at least twice; once as the prosecution and once as the defense. This is not a club for the lightly committed. Club participants will have to be willing to put in time, effort work and be willing to collaborate as a team.

Neuroscience Club
This club will be separated into three segments. First members will be introduced to the basic functions and structures of the brain, in order to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of what we will further discuss. The second segment will let members choose any disorders or diseases they are particularly interested in learning about in relation to the brain. They will learn this through a series of presentations, articles, and hands on activities. Lastly, during the third section members will be able to pick a certain drug to learn about and how it affects the brain.

Peer Tutoring
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 reach out to the Dean of Students and fill out the Peer Tutoring Form; each student’s application must be endorsed by the appropriate department chair and/or by her advisor.

Philosophy Club
In this club, we will be having open-ended conversations regarding unanswered philosophical questions. We would like this time to be a place where students can consider, and empathize with multiple perspectives in a safe space. Our goal is for every girl to leave like she has reexamined something that she might typically overlook. Each club meeting will revolve around a different topic to make each meeting more intriguing. Because this is a club rather than a class, we will not being going into depth about the major philosophers in history, but instead focus on vital philosophical questions that we feel impact our everyday lives.

Renaissance Consort
Renaissance Consort members will use instruments like a recorder, the piano, the violin, and much more, to explore old and modern music. The purpose of this club is to introduce people to the joys of playing music.

Science Olympiad 
Members of the Science Olympiad club work during the club period to prepare for an annual Science Olympiad competition in February. The purpose of this club is to figure out the most effective ways to prepare for each assigned competition and in some cases, how creative you can be in constructing something that will carry out an intended action. There are a variety of competitions that you can choose to enter into that range from creating fact sheets to having the construct something that will be judged on how well it can perform a given task. We hope you choose to join!

Socratic Seminar Club (Formerly Debate Club)
This club will meet once a month to discuss political and social topics that will be brought to the students prior being chosen. Between each meeting, students will prepare discussion points and collect evidence to support their argument. This is not a typical debate set up because we hope to reach a mutual understanding and learn from each other's varying points of view. 

Sophia
Sophia is the upper school foreign language literary magazine that takes submissions from grades 7-12 in Spanish, Latin, or French as well as any language students might speak outside of school. This publication is released digitally three times a year and is open for submissions year-round. If you are interested in layout, writing, editing, or incentivizing other students to submit, please join Sophia!

Spectrum
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. This club requires some work outside of the weekly meeting periods. This club is open to all.

Student Council
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. This club is open to all who choose to run for office, but only those elected are on the council.

Student Service Board
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. This club requires an application.

TEDxYouth@Hewitt
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.
This club requires an application for positions of Head Curator, Assistant Curator, PR Curator, Sponsorship Curator, Design Curator, and Tech Curator. This event will be on a rotating schedule. The next TEDxYouth @ Hewitt will be held in the 2018-2019 school year.

The Hewitt Times
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. 

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 9-12 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. Section editor and co- editor-in-chief positions are open for application in the spring to current HewittTimes reporters and section editors for the following academic year.

Tour Guide Program
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 knowledgeably 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. This club requires an application.

Venturer
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 professional software. 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
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. 

Yearbook
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.


Young Women’s Cooperative
The Young Women's Cooperative may be of special interest for those who have previously participated in The Women's March, The Climate March, ACTION and/or SPECTRUM, or have a particular interest in "Diversity in Thought Day" conversations. The Young Women's Cooperative is a voluntary group for those US students interested in facilitated discussions around identity and different aspects of social justice. Designed to provide both affinity space, as well as cross-cultural and cross-racial dialogue, members of the Young Women's Cooperative will have an opportunity to learn critical cultural competency skills and help to build a more inclusive Hewitt community.