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Students dive into many creative and collaborative projects throughout the school year in STEAM. During the Fall term students begin by developing their computer skills, and learn how to use the internet safely. Students navigate the ins and outs of both My IMS as well as Google programs and learn how to use these skills inside the classroom. In addition, topics such as cyberbullying, privacy, and how to safely share information online were all addressed. Once students demonstrate a solid understanding of these platforms and skills it is then time for them to apply them, think critically, and collaborate with their classmates during many different projects and units. Students work both independently and at their own pace using Tynker.com an online program to learn the beginnings of the computer languages of Java and Python through interactive lessons. Furthermore, in small groups students re-created their own version of the show “Shark Tank” and invented a new product and presented their sales pitch to their classmates. During the Animation Unit students channeled their creativity and mathematical thinking while learning the various steps of the animation process. Students began by analyzing a few Pixar Short films and wrote definitions of ‘animation’ that evolved over the course of the term as they gained a further understanding of the process. Students learned the math and science behind the art of animation using “Pixar in a Box,” a collaboration between Pixar and Khan Academy, and completed interactives that demonstrated their understanding of the process.

In Latin II, students continue to build upon their foundations of grammar and vocabulary. They learn dependent uses of the subjunctive mood while expanding their understanding of the uses of nouns. Gerunds, gerundives, and new grammatical constructions are also practiced. Students use Ritchie’s Fabulae Faciles as their reading text and review and learn new grammar using the Learn to Read Latin workbook. In Latin II, students read translations of Greek myths in Latin. In the spring term, students will explore excerpts of Latin from classical authors, as they begin the transition to reading authentic Latin literature.

Language Acquisition and Development (LAD) is designed to strengthen studentsí understanding of language, and to reinforce their skills in the areas of reading fluency, reading comprehension, word attack skills, vocabulary recognition and usage, grammatical concepts, and other rudiments of language. Throughout the year, students will study short stories, articles, short essays, and other literature to deepen their understanding of the material and be able to analyze, interpret, and converse constructively about what they have read. Vocabulary words will mostly derive from the context of assigned reading, and punctuation and grammar will complement reading-based coursework. Assessments will include a variety of informal writing assignments, creative projects and quizzes.

The Ninth Grade English curriculum spurs students to consider journeys, homecomings, and homegoings through the lens of literature; in so doing, they apprehend the human condition and consider what it means to belong to a place, and likewise for a place to belong to us. This curriculum attempts to engender empathy and awareness while imparting a global perspective by considering what it means to seek refuge, to journey, to discover roots, and how home, or the idea of it, drives people. Using the course texts—The Odyssey, by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson; Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid; and Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison—the goal of the course is to help produce compassionate, informed, articulate, and effective exponents of critical thought and positive change, skills which supplement and parallel the Ninth Grade capstone Poquonook Solutions Project.

The Eighth Grade English curriculum places a greater emphasis on critical reading, writing, and clear communication through the study of literature, vocabulary, and various forms of creative, analytical, and artistic expression. Persuasive writing skills and literary analysis are integrated throughout the various units, alongside creative and visual projects, as well as opportunities for public speaking. Year-long themes of social and individual identities are explored through the course’s core texts: When the Emperor Was Divine, by Julie Otsuka; Maus I & II, by Art Spiegelman; The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros; and The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. Units may be supplemented with poems, short stories, video clips, and other forms of media. The goal of the course is to develop and nurture critical thinking and writing skills through student-centered discussions and analytical and personal writing.

Students must have fully completed Algebra I and Geometry and need a teacher recommendation to be placed in Algebra II. This is a rigorous and competitive course that contains some of our top math students. The focus is on polynomials, operations and simplifying rational expressions, working with the graphing calculator and other graphing devices to explore functions and transformations. Students engage with radians and degrees, connecting the unit circle and the graphs of periodic functions to one another. Working both independently and cooperatively, students seek to solve word problems and other challenging material.

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The seventh grade art curriculum focuses on creativity and learning various art making techniques, such as painting, printmaking, ceramics, drawing, and sculpture. Assignments encourage experimentation and invention and are designed to develop a relationship between arts, culture, history, and other academic subjects.

The general studio art curriculum focuses on creativity but with an emphasis on more ambitious projects. Utilizing techniques that are studied in seventh grade such as painting, drawing, and sculpture, students are expected to further refine their skills. Assignments will continue to encourage experimentation and invention. Projects are designed to develop a relationship between arts, culture, history, and other academic subjects.

The intensive studio art studio is a culmination of skills learned in seventh and general studio classes. While previous classes present an overview of many skills and mediums, the Intensive Studio class focuses on a select few techniques or materials, allowing students to delve deeply in to an area of study. Students may study woodworking for a whole term before switching to printmaking, or ceramics for example. Projects tend to be more conceptual in nature and students are expected to be self-directed with an increased ability to carry out more complex ideas. Upon completion of the Indian Mountain School art program, students are expected to have a solid understanding of essential art making skills including drawing, basic color theory, 3D construction, and ceramics.