SCHEDULING
2o25-2o26
The scheduling window will be open from March 4- March 13
Welcome to 2025-2026 Scheduling. We will provide as much information as possible to support you through the scheduling process. This section includes the Slidedeck and Video from our School Meeting (February 26, 2025), where Mr. Simon introduces course options and talks through some opportunities and changes.
Scheduling for 2025-26, Grades 10-12 - School Meeting Presentation - Upper School - 2/26/25GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Humanities
9th grade:
Full year humanities 9
1 semester of Humanities 9 Lab
1 Humanities 9/10 Intensive
10th grade:
Four Parts
Humanities 10 Lab (semester), plus
At least one History 10 Seminar, plus
At least one English 10 Seminar, plus
One Humanities-based intensive OR one additional English or History seminar
11th grade:
US History (2 semesters)
2 English Seminars or Full-year English course
12th grade
2 English Seminars or Full-year English course
New: Modern Constitutional Law,
AP World, AP US Government,
Native American History & Literature,
Information for this year in Humanities 10
One English 10 class
Coming of Age in a Changing World
Heroes & Villains
Unscripted (Storytellers)
Journalism: AffNo and Beyond
One History 10 class
Current Events and Their Historical Underpinnings
United States Foreign Policy
Global Human Rights
Revolutions
Humanities 10 lab
Intensive or double English or History
Petition option for 11 and 12 seminars
Information for this year in English 11 and 12
Two years (four semesters)
Seminars--a wide rage!
Paired classes
AP classes
Intensives
Studios
Information for this year in History 11 and 12
One year but encouraged to do more!
Required: US History (regular, honors, AP)
Options: seminars, studios
New: AP World, AP US Government, Native American History & Literature, Modern Constitutional Law
Mathematics
4 years, through at least Precalculus
Students may earn high school credit while in middle school.
Information for this year in Math
Students will receive a Math Placement, based on the best available data, to the next course that is the best fit for them
Students who have completed a level of Precalculus may elect to take a Calculus course, AP Statistics, or (potentially) both!
Seniors may choose to take a Math Studio and explore a more niche Mathematical avenue that is not offered in the broader catalogue
2 New Course offerings (Alternative to AP pathway):
Precalculus Plus!
Calculus Plus!
Visual & Performing Arts
4 semesters (visual or performing or a combination) [through the class of 2026]
5 semesters (up to two waived via coding) [beginning with the class of 2027]
Information for this year in Performing Arts
5 Semesters of Art Credits to Graduate
Concert Choir
Hawken Harmony
Jazz Band
Jazz Combo
String Orchestra
Chamber Strings
Concert Band
Pep Band
Mixtape: Covers and Mixtape: Originals
Theater Fundamentals
Advanced Acting: Two Seminar Options
Stagecraft
Information for this year in Visual Arts
Diverse Course Offerings
The visual arts program encompasses an array of disciplines:
2D Art - Courses in drawing and painting.
3D Art - Includes ceramics and sculpture.
Photography - Focused on both traditional and digital photography techniques.
Design and Fabrication - Covers design, prototyping, and digital fabrication in the Fab Lab.
Course Progression
Students can begin with introductory courses that lay the groundwork for more advanced study.
Progression is structured to guide students through levels, from beginner to advanced, culminating in **AP courses** for those seeking college credit.
Advanced options enhance students' portfolios and prepare them for further education in art-related fields.
New Course Introductions
The curriculum is dynamic, with new courses being offered to keep pace with evolving artistic trends:
Life Drawing - A fundamental skill for artists focusing on human figures.
Filmmaking - Integrating visual storytelling through motion pictures.
Fiber and Fashion - Exploring textiles and wearable art.
Art Intensives and Extracurricular Opportunities
Art Intensives - These are specialized courses that provide in-depth exploration of specific artistic skills or themes, contributing to art credit.
Internships - Allowing students to gain hands-on experience in the art world.
Studio Assistant Roles - Providing practical experience in a studio setting, fostering collaboration and mentorship.
Human Performance
5 semesters of an HP course (2-9th, 2-10th, elective in 11th)
Health 1
CPR/AED certification
10th and 11th graders have various paths and course offerings to fulfill their HP requirements. See descriptions for details.
New this year in Human Performance
3 paths to explore starting in 10th grade
Active Life Path
Student-Athlete Path
High-Performance Path
Course Offerings (suggested HP Pathway)
Lifestyle Fitness (A,B)
Athlete Based Performance Training (B, C)
Applied Performance (B, C - with application)
Cultivating Happiness (A,B,C)
Lifeguard Certification (A,B,C - with pretest)
Science
Physics
Chemistry (Part 1: Chemistry Fundamentals + Part 2: One of the four options)
Biology or AP Biology
New this year in Science
10th Grade Options
3 years of science required (1 physics, 1 chemistry, 1 biology)
Most 10th grade students take year-long chemistry to fulfill their graduation requirement
Chemistry 1 - Fall Rotation
Chemistry 2 - Spring Rotation
Medical Applications
Cosmetic Chemistry
Forensic Chemistry
Rotensive Honors Chemistry
AP Chemistry
Summer Honors Chemistry is required
Algebra 2 Prerequisite
Department Chair approval required (you must meet with Ms. Coil-Sherck)
AP Physics 1
Algebra 2 Prerequisite
11th & 12 Grade Options
Most 11th graders take Biology or AP Biology to fulfill their graduation requirement
3 years total required (1 physics, 1 chemistry, 1 biology) but most students take 4 years of science.
Electives with an honors option and AP Options are open to 11th and 12th grade students
New info about AP Physics 1 and AP Psychology (advanced)
Modern & Classical Languages
Through Level 3 of Chinese, French, Latin, or Spanish, with two years taken at the Upper School.
With permission, a student may choose to complete level 2 of two different languages in lieu of finishing level 3 of the first language.
New this year in Modern and Classical Languages
Requirement: Successful completion through level 3 with 2 years at the Upper School.
Recommendation: Most students are strongly recommended by the college counseling office to take 4 years of the same language.
Placement: Students joining the Upper School from schools outside of Hawken will be given a placement test to determine their level.
Course Offerings
Latin 1, 2/2H, 3/3H, AP
Chinese 2/2H, 3/3H, 4/4H, AP
Spanish 1, 2, 2H, 3, 3H, 4, 4H, 5, AP, Hispanic Voices (Advanced Spanish Studies)
French 1, 2, 2H, 3, 3H, 4, 4H, 5, AP
Travel Intensive: Chile 2025
Course Limits
Minimum of five full-credit courses during each rotation and one during each intensive
GOA may count as one classroom course, Project STEM does not count as any
Seniors must be (and juniors should be) in five academic courses in each rotation
No consecutive free blocks unless it’s unavoidable
Enrolling in 6 (or more) academics or more than 3 APs + 1 honors requires permission from your advisor and class dean; you will be contacted if there are issues
Online Coursework
Global Online Academy (GOA) courses are structured as regular Zoom meetings with instructors plus assignments along the way, and are available to students in grades 11 and 12
Terms may overlap intensives, so travel then may be an issue
Project STEM courses are self-directed and mentored and are available to all students as part of the Computer Science track
An online course is not available if it is essentially the same as one offered by Hawken
Online courses follow add/drop/refund policies specific to their programs
The cost for online coursework will be paid by Hawken unless:
The student is already taking six academics in either semester
The student drops the course after the full refund period
The student is in a grade not typically approved to take an online course
The student takes the class in the summer term
The student takes more than one GOA course in a single semester
The course is already in the Hawken course offerings this year
You must register yourself for GOA courses on their website, but you must speak with Ms. Peterson first before doing so. She can tell you about any special conditions for the course that you should be aware of, such as an international teacher that will only be available late hours.
Signing up for a Project STEM course on your schedule is sufficient; the school will register you.
Online (or in-person) coursework from other institutions does not earn Hawken credit and will not be listed on our transcripts unless the work is directed by a department.
Course Enrollments
Courses have minimum enrollment numbers to be offered.
Courses have maximum enrollment numbers that cannot be exceeded.
Students are enrolled into a course, not into a particular teacher’s section of a course; enrollments may move as needed.
Rotation courses may be added through the end of the first cycle.
Rotation courses may be dropped by one week after the interim grades are released.
Intensive courses may be added or dropped through the end of the second day.
Intensive courses involving a conference registration or travel by air may not be dropped less than 90 days before the start; international travel may have an even earlier deadline.
All non-diploma requirements may be taken on a Pass/Fail basis (Pass = 70% minimum).
Auditing allows a student to attend a course for no credit or grade, simply based on interest.
All AP courses require students to take the AP exam in May to retain the AP name in the course title. Students who miss the AP exam for any reason will have the course renamed as “Advanced” instead.