Students enrolled in Health, Leadership, Ethics and Public Speaking (LEAPS) or Teacher Assistant in Lower School (TAILS) must be carrying at least four additional academic credits.
Health
Upper School health classes are scheduled for students in the tenth grade and for older students who have not yet satisfied the school requirement. Topics covered include emotional development and mental health; A.I.D.S. education, nutrition, weight management and physical fitness; over-the-counter, prescription, and psychoactive drugs; alcohol and tobacco; community health; and human sexuality. Finally, special single-topic presentations (e.g. education about STDs for seniors) are presented to specific classes periodically during the year.
Leadership, Ethics and Public Speaking
This required course provides seniors with an opportunity to explore as individuals, in small groups, and as the entire class, issues and ideas related to the communities in which they live, as well as to their sense of identity as students and as people. The course will stress observation, speaking, listening, and thinking skills and will involve writing public presentations, debates, and simulations. It will be graded on a pass/fail basis.
Teacher Assistant in Lower School (TAILS)
This one-year course combines psychology, child development, and fieldwork. Seminars, lectures, workshops, and discussions deal with personality theory, child development, and teaching techniques.
Upper School students work in a tutorial capacity with individual children and small groups of Lower School students on a regular basis. They work closely with TAILS supervisors and field site teachers who evaluate their contributions and effectiveness. Students who have taken this course for credit may, with permission, give service to the school community by continuing to assist in Lower School.
The School is a member of the Educational Records Bureau and administers its academic assessment tests each year in grades three through nine. The results are reported to parents as a helpful guide that shows a childís progress in comparison with national percentiles. The School also administers the PSAT test to sophomores and juniors in preparation for SAT testing.