2026-2027 Curriculum Guide by The Ethel Walker School

Introduction from Head of School

Dr.

Meera Viswanathan

“The joy of learning is as indispensable to education as breathing is to running.”

—Simone Weil

At Walker’s, education is understood as transforming — a venue where girls can emerge as authentic thinkers and doers, learning about the world, those around them and, perhaps most of all, about themselves.

Education, literally from the Latin “the leading out,” signifies discovery, revelation, and most of all transformation. The educational philosopher Parker Palmer reminds us, “We are here not only to transform the world but to be transformed.”

In the last fifteen years, educators have borne witness to three major ways in which teaching and learning have changed. Technology, and more specifically skills such as coding, transcend all disciplines. Learning has become more collaborative and interactive, rather than solitary learning and solely text-based teaching. Students today are also called upon to engage actively in original thinking, writing and research. Opportunities are emerging for crowdsourced research that allow our students to work in tandem with higher education research institutions.

We are committed to developing and delivering a comprehensive curriculum which keeps pace with helping girls realize their extraordinary potential and capabilities across a host of areas, including those in which traditionally women have been underrepresented. Courses such as Honors Biochemistry where our students conduct real-world research on bacterial resistance and the discovery of new antibiotics, engineering, and public health immerse our students in acquiring skills for emergent fields. Our humanities courses, including the Visiting Writer Seminar, Creative Writing, and a full complement of electives, allow our students to become accomplished writers, whose work is published in national and international publications and platforms as well as books we produce with The Ethel Walker Every Woman Press. Arts programs range from painting, ceramics, video production, a capella singing, African drumming, and chamber music to many forms of dance and choreography as well as art history.

We strongly affirm the need for our students to master qualitative skills as well as quantitative ones. Walker’s girls discover their voices in order to articulate their understanding, interrogate questions lucidly, and put forward their perspectives persuasively.

As Simone Weil, one of the leading female philosophers and activists of the 20th century, reminds us, there is joy in learning. Walker’s girls can immerse themselves in the wonder of learning, thanks to brilliant, dedicated and charismatic teachers and innovative classes and approaches. Most of all, our classrooms at Walker’s are places of wonder, discovery, play — even fun.

Disrupting Gendered Mindsets

Walker's Capabilities Approach

Why do female students tend to become less vocal as they progress through school despite success? Why do girls often steer clear of certain areas and disciplines? While myriad factors are at work, the key question is: What can schools do to address this disparity and support girls to fulfill their great promise and potential? The answer is: reimagine girls’ education.

With the support of a prestigious Edward E. Ford Foundation Education Leadership Grant, Walker’s Capabilities Approach seeks to disrupt the gendered mindset into which girls are socialized. The Capabilities Approach represents the development of a constellation of skills, interwoven and foundational. The goal is functional mastery of each skill with the assumption that all girls can achieve proficiency through support and collaboration. Girls learn resilience, teamwork, and the understanding of the role of failure as an intermediate stage of the learning process.

Capabilities

• Fluencies: digital, financial, and rhetorical

• Discoveries: sustenance and sustainability

• Agencies: swimming, first aid, and self-defense

• Self-Selected Capability: a unique agency, fluency, discovery, or experience chosen by each student

• International experience and paid internship

Collectively, these capabilities allow for challenge and failure by encouraging girls to be confident and resilient, and to embrace a growth mindset.

Digital Fluency

Today, the acquisition of a wide range of digital skills is necessary across all disciplines. As early as 6th grade and up through advanced courses, students are immersed in projects that require coding. Our Dean of Academic Technology and Innovation explores with students a range of digital fluency topics including creating your digital footprint, digital citizenship, and differentiated learning styles. One group already well-established in these areas are Walker’s Wirecats, the first all-girls robotics team from New England to compete in the FIRST FRC World Championship.

Financial Fluency

Historically, women lag behind in the acquisition of financial fluency, resulting in women owning and managing fewer assets. One way our students gain an understanding of personal finances and investing is through our signature community partnership, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. In addition to providing a very important service to the community, our girls study for — and pass — an IRS training program which allows them to prepare personal income tax returns for low income families. This real-world activity is enhanced with classroom work, giving students a first-hand look at the complexities and understanding of personal finance and investment.

Rhetorical Fluency

Having the confidence and skill to speak eloquently and convincingly in front of an audience, and ensuring that your ideas are heard, are skills that all Walker’s students develop both inside and outside the classroom. Classroom work, community partnerships, and affinity groups are just a few of the many stages on which you can safely test — and hone — a wide range of rhetorical skills.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice

By using the Capabilities Approach to enable all Walker’s students to develop a variety of capabilities, we also address divergences in backgrounds and preparation, offering a foundation for all Walker’s students to flourish as well as develop their cultural competence as global citizens. You will learn, live, and grow with people of different ages, interests, nationalities, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, religious traditions, and political affiliations.

Multiple classes and activities are offered where girls improve their knowledge and develop their desire to shape a society that is more equitable for all.

Mission of The Ethel Walker School

VISION STATEMENT Walker’s – Where inspired learners become inspiring leaders.

MISSION STATEMENT To awaken students to their capabilities in an environment engineered for girls.

SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT We strive to uphold sustainability principles of conservation and innovation in an effort to shape a better future for all.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT We affirm that diversity strengthens our community and we deliberately cultivate inclusion and belonging.

VALUES Respect, love of learning, confidence, courage, conviction, integrity.

The mission of the English Department is to develop in every student, every year, in every lesson, the ability to read, write, and speak effectively with brilliance, authenticity, and passion. The curriculum begins with a foundation of developing students’ writing process through creative, personal, and analytical assignments, as well as a survey of literary genres. These skills and knowledge will be the springboard for students’ success in the 11th and 12th grade electives. Electives provide students with an opportunity to explore corners of literature that spark their interest and allow them to delve deeper into these topics and ideas. The Advanced electives are college-level courses that ask students to engage with challenging texts and literary criticism of those texts, as well as demonstrate their learning through a self-directed seminar paper.

Publishing

We encourage students to submit their work to contests and for publication. The best way to understand the power of one’s voice is to use it in the wider world. Our literary magazine, Daemon, regular participation in national and international writing contests, and our very own press, The Ethel Walker Every Woman Press, create an environment in which student voices are heard and celebrated.

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH COURSES

ENGLISH 7

Grade 7

Credit: 1

At the 7th grade level, students maintain their momentum and build new skills by continuing an exploration of the various genres of literature. We read a challenging collection of texts that may include: Cast Away; Howl’s Moving Castle; Poetry Speaks Who I Am; Romeo and Juliet; Good Master, Sweet Ladies; and The Outsiders. Other texts, including individual poems, myths, fairy tales, short stories, and essays, are carefully selected to be appropriate to the age and developmental level of 7th grade students. Teachers strive to help students truly love to read. Students will learn to present their work to an audience — aloud and in writing. Students continue to enhance their composition skills through a study of analytical writing, with an emphasis on the process of writing, not just the final product. Language mechanics, also taught in English 7, concentrates on understanding the passive voice, parallel structure, audience engagement, and logical flow. Students will read beyond the curriculum in this course. They will also have many opportunities for creative writing in a wide variety of genres.

ENGLISH 8

Grade 8

Credit: 1

In English at the 8th grade level, independent thinking and writing play major roles, as every student is encouraged to further develop their creative and critical skills in response to literature and in preparation for secondary school. Through discussion and writing, which include analytical and personal essays designed to promote mastery of essay writing, each student is supported as they learn to express herself clearly, accurately, and fluently. In this way, student voice is at the heart of English 8. We read short fiction, novels, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Texts may include Macbeth, The Poet X, The House on Mango Street, and One Last Word, among others.

UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH COURSES

ENGLISH: COMPOSITION AND LITERATURE

Grade 9

Credit: 1

Writing is fundamental to success in the upper school and this course lays a strong foundation for writing in the humanities as well as an introduction to studying literature at the high school level. Students will practice writing personal essays, research papers, rhetorical arguments, and literary analysis over the course of the year. Students will read reviews, watch Moth story performances, participate in research that reflects their own interests, and analyze poetry, fiction, and non-fiction writing. Students will also engage deeply with their own writing process, identifying strengths and learning to revise and edit areas that need improvement. To help bolster their writing toolkit, students will learn grammar, vocabulary, and MLA style and citation. Students will also work to build reading habits through book circles and common course texts which may include works from our visiting writers, Shakespeare, and a selection of short fiction, poetry, and essays chosen by the instructor.

ENGLISH: LITERARY GENRES

Grade 10

Credit: 1

In this course, students will expand their knowledge of literature and genre as they explore novels, plays, poetry, and creative nonfiction from literary traditions across the globe. They will build their lexicon of literary devices and terms as well as learn to analyze these both verbally and in writing. Students will continue to build on their foundation of writing skills as they practice analytical writing in academic essays as well as creative pieces demonstrating their understanding of each genre. By the end of the year students will be comfortable encountering and engaging with a wide range of literature as they work toward becoming independent learners, thinkers, and writers. Works may include Much Ado About Nothing, Antigone, A Raisin in the Sun, Parable of the Sower, Homegoing, When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities, and texts from our visiting writers.

SEMESTER ELECTIVES FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS

This course will sample winners of the big literature awards (like The National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize, Man Booker, etc.) from recent years. Award winners reflect the psyche of a reading public, though in sometimes unexpected ways. A year’s slate of award winners is like a time capsule, and we’ll crack them open in order to rediscover where the culture has been, to identify trends that have moved through the culture, and to locate where the culture currently is. Award winners are also, of course, a whole lot of readers’ favorite books. Genres might include fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and drama. The course might focus on one genre over a sequence of years, a sample across a decade, or a diversity of genre winners in one year.

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: LITERARY HORROR

Grades 11 and 12

Credit: 0.5

This course will explore the reasons that we are drawn to the things we fear. The umbrella of horror as a genre covers many different subgenres, including monster stories, psychological thrillers, gothic literature, dystopian literature and more. We will discuss the way that horror readers read to explore their fears and anxieties, and the ways in which authors write in order to exorcize their own demons. We will also explore the ways in which horror literature trends reflect society and current events. We will read stories from authors both early and contemporary, including but not limited to Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, Nnedi Okorafor, Shirley Jackson, and more.

ADVANCED ENGLISH SEMINAR: MIGRANT LITERATURE

Grades 11 and 12

Credit: 0.5

How does movement–across and within nation-state borders–impact people in various ways? How do they write about their experiences before, during, and after this physical act of migration through literature? How can literature itself be impacted by movement? These are some of the questions we will explore together in Migrant Literature. In this course, you can expect to read literature by authors from around the globe. We will sample literature contextualized in migration by various authors with a focus on modern literature, though we may begin the course with historical literature by migrant authors.

ADVANCED ENGLISH SEMINAR: THE NEW FUTURES NEIGHBORHOOD: AFROFUTURISM, INDIGENOUS FUTURISM, AND MORE!

Grades 11 and 12

Credit: 0.5

In print and in movies, science fiction has long been dominated by visions of the future that center whiteness and replicate contemporary racial hierarchies. Outside of the mainstream, meanwhile, science fiction writers of color crafted their own visions of the future, drawing upon diverse cultural heritages and traditions, and in recent decades they have regularly garnered much-deserved attention and the most prestigious awards in the genre. In this class we’ll study science fiction as imagined by writers of marginalized identities, and in the process we’ll widen the possible futures we might imagine. Authors may include N.K. Jemisin, Rebecca Roanhorse, Ted Chiang, Lisa M. Bradley, Stephen Graham Jones, Tobias S. Buckell, Octavia Butler, Nnedi Okorafor, and others.

Grades 11 and 12

Credit: 0.5

Over the last decade, poetry has resurged into daily life across the country. We turn to poetry in times of celebration and consolation, to give voice to community and identity, to post some bit of inspiration on social media and as a rallying cry. Poetry right now is more diverse than it has ever been—both in terms of who gets to write it and the styles in which it is written. This class is a deep dive into that diversity. We’ll study five books by poets representing diverging and coalescing trends and movements across the poetry landscape, plus a collection chosen by students. We’ll seek to answer one guiding question: What are the ways that poetry speaks to our particular moment? Coursework will include both creative and analytical projects.

LITERATURE OF MUSIC

Grades 11 and 12

Credit: 0.5

Music will be both the theme and the subject for our course of study, and for some of the texts we read, music will in fact be part of the very process of their creation. At times it will be a central metaphor, and at times this will radiate out to ideas about performance itself. One other question posed by many of these texts is the question of practice. What are the processes by which we can pay more careful attention to the world around us, and how might this enhance our ways of being in the world? Texts under consideration include A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, Olio by Tyehimba Jess, and Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo.

ADVANCED ENGLISH SEMINAR: GHOSTS, ROOTS, AND RECKONING: BLACK WOMEN WRITING THE UNSEEN

Grades 11 and 12

Credit: 0.5

In this course, students will explore how Black women writers use magical realism to illuminate history, memory, family, and survival. Through close reading and discussion of Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, we will examine how the supernatural, the ancestral, and the unseen coexist with lived reality, revealing emotional and historical truths that realism alone cannot capture. Students will analyze how these novels grapple with legacy, trauma, love, and resilience, while also considering why magical realism has become such a powerful mode for telling Black women’s stories.

ADVANCED ENGLISH SEMINAR: LITERATURE AND ECOLOGY

Grades 11 and 12

Credit: 0.5

Questions about the relationship between humans and the natural world have been some of the most essential throughout all of literature, from Tang Dynasty poetry to contemporary climate fiction. In our current, pivotal moment, those questions have become increasingly urgent as ecological systems continue to be affected and remade by human-caused climate change. Global problems require global imaginations, and a wide array of writers are lending their voices and cultural traditions to explore how humans have and might develop different relationships to the environments in which they are enmeshed. In this class we’ll study stories, poems, and creative nonfiction. Possible texts may include Orion Magazine and works by Camille Dungy, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Ursula K. Leguin, Ross Gay, and many others.

LITERATURE AND VISUAL ART

Grades 11 and 12

Credit: 0.5

In this course, students will explore the dynamic relationship between written texts and visual expression. Writers and visual artists have long taken inspiration from one another and sought to combine elements from each art form. The rich tradition of ekphrasis and the explosion of graphic novels in recent years are just two examples. Students will examine how writers translate visual detail and other visual techniques (perspective, framing, composition) to communicate metaphor, narrative, and argument. At the same time, students may consider the reverse relationship: how visual artists interpret literary texts. Ultimately, through the work of the course students will pursue a fuller understanding of what literature shows us about humanity’s relationship to the visual arts.

History and Social Science

The History and Social Science Department faculty seek to teach our students to be active, informed global citizens who can distinguish between observation, opinion, and argument, and who can reject weak arguments and bandwagon thinking.

Throughout their core courses and electives in the social sciences, students will examine the actions, forces, and systems that transform society — past and present. These investigations push them to think deeply about the human condition and recognize complexity. We are committed to arming students with basic competencies in critical reading, historical reasoning, writing, speaking, listening, and effective research skills.

Learning activities and assessments encompass a variety of formats ranging from Harknessstyle discussions or debates to traditional tests or document-based questions, to videos or other presentations. The graduation requirement for History is 3.5 credits. Core courses include Global History and United States History. Electives offered are subject to enrollment and may be offered in alternating years. Enrollment in all honors and advanced courses is subject to departmental approval.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSES

HISTORY 7: WORLD GEOGRAPHY

Grade 7

Credit: 1

This course focuses on allowing our students to see how our world looks today. With the purpose of allowing our students to understand the way that geography impacts our lives, students will undertake a unit on reading and understanding maps as well as a unit on important geography terms, including the study of geography itself, climate, and vegetation. They will then study various regions, focusing on themes of geography, including themes of place, location, and the movement of people and ideas.

HISTORY 8: AMERICAN IDENTITY

Grade 8

Credit: 1

This course takes as its basic question, “What does it mean to be American?” Students explore the foundation of American democracy, examining the ways in which the American government functions, and how citizens engage in that process. Students dig deeper into the experiences of three groups who have been influential in the development of this country: indigenous peoples, Black Americans, and the Latinx community. Students also have the opportunity to explore groups that resonate with their own American experience. Students use a variety of sources ranging from primary documents to academic articles to help them improve their ability to think like historians

UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSES

GLOBAL HISTORY

Grade 9

Credit: 1

This course is designed to challenge students to assess the modern globalized world through the study of systems and processes that have shaped the countries and cultures that exist within it. Students will learn to work collaboratively in researching topics such as exploration, colonization, revolution, industrialization, and globalization. Global History provides students with an intensive introduction to, and ongoing instruction in, the research and writing process. Students will also develop historical thinking skills such as evidence evaluation, corroboration, and interpretation, deploying these skills not only to study the past, but to grow as critical consumers of information in the digital world.

U.S. HISTORY

Grade 10

Credit: 1

This course takes a thematic approach to the study of the history of the United States from early European and Native American encounters to the start of the 20th century. Rich content and intentional skill instruction work simultaneously throughout the year, as students engage with a variety of written, visual, and primary and secondary sources, hone their historical thinking skills through developing evidencebased arguments, and communicate their ideas through clear and compelling speaking and writing.

HONORS U.S. HISTORY

Grade 10

Credit: 1

Open to Grades 11-12

Open to Grades 11-12

Credit: 0.5

This is an elective course that introduces students to the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. Students will explore topics such as personality, learning, memory, emotions, development, and psychological disorders. The course emphasizes critical thinking, research methods, and the application of psychological principles to everyday life. Throughout the course, students will examine key psychological theories, conduct hands-on experiments, and analyze case studies to gain insight into the complexities of human thought and behavior. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

ETHICS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COURSES

All students are required to take at least 0.5 credits in Ethics and Social Justice.

Semester 1

WORLD RELIGIONS

Open to Grades 10-12

Credit: 0.5

In order to be a culturally competent global citizen, one must understand the motivations, traditions, and cultural forces that influence the globe, including religion. Though the United States is an increasingly secular state, other parts of the world are strongly influenced by their religious traditions, informing international relations, social values, and the global marketplace. This class will address the religious practices of the major world religions and the vast spectrum of beliefs within each that makes it difficult to generalize about them. To honor the living traditions that we are studying, we will not only examine but will also find ways to experience the Hindu Traditions and various Yogas, Buddhism and Meditation (or the interpretation of a Koan), Taoism and Tai Chi, Islam and Prayer, Christianity and Worship, Judaism and the study of the Torah, and native Aboriginal and American relationships to the Earth. In the midst of this quest, we will consider the way astrology, cults, New Age practices, and mindfulness function as derivatives of religious intent.

ADVANCED TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY

Open to Grades 11-12

Credit: 0.5

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Topics in Philosophy is an introduction to thinking clearly about universal questions that have been asked from the beginning of time. We will survey great thinkers from both Western and Eastern traditions and make philosophers of you by entering into the creative activity of thinking deeply. We will think about things which we believe to be of ultimate importance such as how we know what we know, what it means to be a self, what is real, and how we define truth, beauty, goodness, freedom, personhood, and God. Students will develop in-depth analysis of complex topics. Students will complete advanced level research and writing assessments. Students will also consistently demonstrate independence and preparedness with their work. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

Semester 2

INTRODUCTION TO ETHICAL REASONING

Open to Grades 10-12

Credit: 0.5

In this course, students will explore relativism versus moral absolutism, they will deconstruct the role culture plays in shaping our individual beliefs regarding morality, learn how to construct strong ethical arguments using the principles of logic, and engage, test, and debate different keystone ethical theories such as moral relativism versus absolutism and utilitarianism versus deontology. Students will apply these theories and principles to contemporary ethical dilemmas and case studies. Justice will be one of the central topics to help us delve into the fascinating world of ethical thinking as we seek to help the world become more just. In grappling with ethical principles we will refine our voices, clarify our ultimate concerns, take responsibility for our role in the wider community, inspire integrity, and instill global responsibility, thus fulfilling some of the important objectives of Walker’s education.

World Languages

The mission of the World Languages Department is to nurture meaningful communication, develop cultural competency, and promote multilingualism and multiculturalism. The advantages of being able to communicate in another language include increased adaptability and mental acuity as well as acting with empathy and an open mind. Learning another language advances the development of skills essential to academic, social, and personal growth.

Modern language courses at Walker’s foster language acquisition by emphasizing meaningful and authentic communication in all three communicative modes: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. Modern language instructors deliver rich, compelling, and comprehensible input in order to maximize engagement with the target language across all three modes. In this way, learners will develop confidence and fluency communicating in the target language. Latin courses naturally focus primarily on the interpretive mode of communication.

All language instruction is guided by pedagogical standards that enable language learners to set linguistically appropriate goals, identify areas of growth, and track progress. Learners will come to understand that language and culture are intertwined and interdependent, but that a shared language does not necessarily represent a shared culture. Through knowledge and appreciation of the geography, customs, history, and literature of the regions where the target language is or was spoken, learners gain cultural as well as linguistic competency.

Walker’s language classes are learner-centered and collaborative, and designed to maximize engagement and meaningful communication. The interests and needs of learners constantly inform the curricula, which are designed to be relevant, dynamic, and responsive. In this way, language classes enhance learner agency and curiosity. From collaborative storytelling to the discussion of current events or classical literature, learner questions and contributions are at the heart of the learning environment. Finally, the Language Department is committed to creating learning environments that are inclusive and respectful of all the diverse characteristics of learners’ identities and experiences.

MIDDLE SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGE COURSES

MS LATIN

Grade 7

Credit: 1

This course serves as an introduction to the study of another language. Students will master the foundations of Latin grammar, including the core grammatical concept of inflection. Through short readings, students will become comfortable interacting with Latin prose. Collaboration is a core component of the class, and students will also learn about how best to work together in large and small groups. Special attention will also be given to the context of the ancient world. Students will learn about Roman families, houses, and urban and rural domestic life. They will also explore Roman religion and mythology, including the Olympians and the myths that shape many of the stories we tell today.

MS SPANISH

Open to Grade 8

Credit: 1

This course serves as an introduction to the Spanish language through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By the end of the year, learners will be able to talk about very familiar topics: themselves; the weather; their likes, dislikes, and preferences; their families and homes; and their favorite pastimes and hobbies. Learners will also discover the many places in the world where Spanish is spoken through music, video, artifacts, and projects.

MS FRENCH

Open to Grade 8

Credit: 1

This course is designed for students who have previously studied French. In Middle School French, learners will continue to expand their vocabulary and build upon the structures they acquired previously. By the end of the year, not only will they be able to talk about themselves and the familiar topics covered during the previous year with greater confidence and in greater complexity, they will also begin to develop narrative competency in multiple time frames as they talk about what they did in the past and what they will do in the future.

UPPER SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGE COURSES

Students must complete either three consecutive years of a single language in the Upper School at Walker’s or Level 3 (Latin)/Level 4 (French, Spanish), whichever comes first. Students may take Advanced twice, provided the course title and content are different. Students may enroll in more than one language simultaneously, schedule permitting.

Advanced courses are offered in partnership with the Early College Experience program at the University of Connecticut. These courses are taught by Walker’s faculty and have been certified as college-level by UConn. Students enrolled in an advanced language course will have the opportunity to register for college credits, receiving a UConn transcript along with their Walker’s transcript upon graduation.

LATIN 1

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 1

What is Ancient Rome, and why do we care? In this first-year course, students will learn about the ancient world through geography, mythology, history, archaeology, and, of course, language. Through short readings, plays, and cartoons, students will become comfortable interacting with Latin prose. Special attention will also be given to the context of the ancient world.

LATIN 2

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 1

In Latin 2, students begin to go deeper with their Latin language skills, learning more challenging and sophisticated grammatical concepts. Learners will build upon the structures they acquired in Latin 1 and engage in the target language with greater ease. Students are assessed through reading novellas of increasing length and difficulty, and explore. Prerequisite: Latin 1.

LATIN 3

Open to Grades 9-12

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 1

This course is a continuation of French 3. Learners will examine the history, contemporary life, art, and culture of the French-speaking world, while reinforcing and building upon the skills developed in Levels 1-3. This course uses authentic literature and film to expose learners to diverse Francophone perspectives. Learners are expected to make cultural comparisons, participate in individual and group analysis, and draw conclusions about historical and current events. By the end of the year, learners will be able to express themselves fully and spontaneously in paragraph-length language on a wide variety of everyday topics as well as topics of personal or general interest. Learners will be able to formulate and support hypotheses, make arguments, and sustain narration in multiple time frames. Students will be able to negotiate meaning in a wide range of unfamiliar contexts with confidence. Prerequisite: French 3.

UCONN ECE ADVANCED FRENCH: GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION

Open to Grades 11-12

Credit: 1

In this course, students will focus on strengthening their reading and writing skills. Students will read texts from a range of genres, including comic strips, excerpts from novels, short stories, essays, articles, and film reviews. Students will engage in extensive written practice in a variety of forms (e.g., summaries, essays, compositions) in order to to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate in French with greater accuracy, fluency, and complexity. Although the primary focus on the course is on written skills, students will also engage with oral texts (e.g., podcasts, radio), cinema, and music and will further develop their speaking skills through class discussions and short presentations. The course is conducted entirely in French. Prerequisite: French 4.

Mathematics

At Walker’s, mathematics instruction is guided by a desire to instill critical thinking and the integration of technology into classroom instruction. Our math faculty provide experiences that encourage and enable students to value mathematics, develop confidence in their mathematical ability, use mathematics to solve problems, and be able to reason and communicate mathematically.

Instruction is problem-based and focuses on the practice of new skills and concrete applications. Mathematical rigor is introduced at all levels, commensurate with the course level. Our lower level courses are taught with a great deal of structure, providing a solid foundation for abstract thinking, integration, and synthesis needed in the more advanced selections. We offer regular and honors sections for every grade level; 98% of our students take a four-year mathematics program.

The traditional subjects of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry provide the theoretical background for students intending to further their education. For students who plan to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and engineering, the precalculus and calculus courses are preparation for higher-level mathematics courses.

Various teaching techniques are employed to address multiple learning styles in order to help each student find and develop her unique abilities and strengths in math. At the core of our mission is the determination to encourage our young women to find their own “unique voice” in our mathematics classrooms as students are encouraged to lead discussions, ask clarifying questions, and contribute to alternative methods of problem solving.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS COURSES

The Math Department seeks to meet students where they are upon entry to Walker’s Middle School in regards to their course placement. Thus, entry into Middle School math courses is not limited by grade level.

MATH 7: FOUNDATIONS OF ALGEBRA

Grade 7 or Departmental Placement

Credit: 1

Algebra is explored through a variety of applications, including its connections to Geometry and Data Analysis. Topics include further exploration of decimals, factors, fractions, integers, exponents, ratios, proportions, and percents, as well as graphing on the coordinate plane, linear equations, algebraic expressions, and solving algebraic equations and inequalities. Prerequisite: departmental placement.

MATH 8: ALGEBRA CONCEPTS

Grade 8 or Departmental Placement

Credit: 1

This course begins the formal study of Algebra. Topics include algebraic properties and notations, real numbers, inequalities, number lines, variables, equation-solving and a thorough examination of linear functions and their graphs. Algebraic language, reasoning and tools are the focus of this course while students improve mathematical literacy and continue to strengthen their mathematical study skills.

MATH 8 HONORS: ALGEBRA 1

Grade 8 or Departmental Approval

Credit: 1

Open to Grades 11-12

Credit: 1

This course will extend the study of calculus to functions with several variables. It will additionally cover topics that are not currently included in a traditional high school calculus course but may be included in a college-level calculus course. Students will explore topics including but not limited to partial derivatives, double and triple integrals, vector fields, and integration over curves and surfaces. Prerequisite: Advanced Topics in Calculus and departmental approval.

Science

At The Ethel Walker School, students learn the fundamental principles of science and the essential skills required to investigate the foundational disciplines of physics, chemistry, and biology. In addition, students are able to go beyond the basic science requirements and explore individual interests through numerous science electives. With this strong foundation, students engage in inquiry-based discovery, research-guided coursework, and student-driven exploration of topics that are engaging and relevant to their lives.

As science educators, we prepare students to think critically and to recognize bias as they explore scientific questions through student-designed lab experiments. The rich experience of hands-on labs supports individual creativity and curiosity, and allows students to engage in argument-driven inquiry, analyze data, and finally draw conclusions based on observation and experimentation. Students also gain valuable writing and presentation skills and become effective communicators as they present their findings. With the skills and content that they develop, students emerge as lifelong learners and innovators who have the confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems and the courage to be resilient as they work to design solutions to these problems. We strive to inspire future scientists as well as citizen scientists and enlightened future voters, mindful of the scientific issues that are locally and globally relevant.

Each student is required to complete three years of science; Physics during 9th grade, Chemistry during 10th grade, and Biology during 11th or 12th grade. The concept of “physics first” provides students with a strong scientific foundation on which Chemistry, Biology, and all science electives are built. Most students at The Ethel Walker School go beyond the graduation requirement and take science courses all four years, and many students take multiple science electives during the 11th and 12th grades.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES

STEAM 7

Grade 7

Credit: 1

What makes a habitat healthy for living organisms? What causes natural disasters? How does energy shape the world around us? In STEAM 7, students investigate questions like these through hands-on, phenomenon-based learning. Integrating science, technology, engineering, art, and math, this course builds foundational skills in experimental design, troubleshooting, and scientific communication. Topics are drawn from Earth science, physical science, and life science, and the content and skills in this course spiral and deepen in STEAM 8. The centerpiece of the course is a semester-long ecological project in which students raise trout from eggs to fingerlings in the classroom. Along the way, students monitor water chemistry, analyze fish genetics, and investigate the environmental factors affecting aquatic life. Their work culminates in releasing the trout into the Farmington River. Students share their learning through lab reports, research papers, artistic representations, and short films. By the end of the year, they not only understand key scientific concepts but also see themselves as confident investigators and designers.

STEAM 8

Grade 8

Open to Grades 11-12

Credit: 1

Advanced Physics is our most challenging physics course that parallels an introductory algebra-based college physics course. Major topics include kinematics, forces, energy, momentum, rotation, and simple harmonic motion. This is a rigorous, fast-paced course that also includes a significant laboratory component. In collaboration with their lab teams, students will have significant license in designing experimental procedures and in analyzing and explaining their data in ways that demonstrate a strong command of the underlying physics concepts. Students will also enrich their understanding of the physics concepts by learning how to create and explore computational models of physics phenomena using the VPython coding environment. This course assumes that students are comfortable with both algebra and trigonometry. To allow for the completion of college-level laboratory experiments, the course meets for an additional 70-minute block each week. Prerequisites: Physics 9 or equivalent and departmental approval.

ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL MODELING: 3D MODELS AND ANIMATIONS

Fall Semester

Open to Grades 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Are you interested in designing your own characters, animations, and games while also learning foundational skills in coding? In this semester-long, project-based course, you will create renderings of 3D models, physics-based animations, and user-interactive games using VPython, a coding environment that combines the Python programming language with a 3D graphics module. Through your projects, you will learn how to use coding elements such as variables, loops, lists, conditionals, functions, and more. We will use the engineering design process to develop each project, including research, brainstorming, iterative prototyping, peer feedback, and sharing. This is a highly collaborative class; you will share your codes with your classmates so that they can build upon them “open-source”-style, and you will adapt and cite some of the work of your classmates to move your own projects forward. No previous coding experience is required, but students should be comfortable with mathematical thinking, troubleshooting, and sometimes feeling confused! Since we will be drawing upon physics concepts to create animations, students should enter this course having completed a year of Physics 9 or equivalent. Prerequisites: Physics 9 or equivalent and departmental approval.

ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL MODELING: DATA SCIENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING MODELS

Spring Semester

ADVANCED CHEMISTRY

Open to Grades 11-12

Credit: 1

The Advanced Chemistry course is our most challenging chemistry course and parallels a college-level introductory chemistry class. Building on the foundation of Honors Chemistry, this course emphasizes the advanced topics of equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics. Students must be prepared for a significant commitment in both time and the level of challenge. To allow for the completion of collegelevel laboratory experiments, the course meets for an additional 70-minute block each week. This course fully prepares interested students for the Chemistry Advanced Placement Test in the spring. Prerequisite: Honors Chemistry and departmental approval.

HONORS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN ANTIBIOTIC DISCOVERY

Open to Grades 11-12

Credit: 1

This course will be run in partnership with the Small World Initiative (SWI) and the Tiny Earth Network (TEN), two innovative programs that encourage students to pursue careers in science while addressing a worldwide health threat — the diminishing supply of effective antibiotics. This course centers around an introductory biochemistry course in which students conduct original hands-on field and laboratory research in the hunt for new antibiotics. Through a series of student-driven experiments, students will collect soil samples, isolate diverse bacteria, test their bacteria against clinically-relevant microorganisms, and characterize those showing inhibitory activity. This is particularly relevant since over two thirds of antibiotics originate from soil bacteria or fungi. SWI and TEN’s approach provides a unique platform to crowdsource medical breakthroughs by tapping into the intellectual power of many people concurrently addressing a global challenge and advancing promising candidates into the drug development pipeline. Prerequisites: Chemistry, Biology, and departmental approval. Possible concurrent enrollment with Honors or Advanced Biology.

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Open to Grades 11-12

Credit: 1

The Human Anatomy and Physiology course is designed to give the student an overview of all of the systems of the human body. Students will study the structure, function, and numerous disorders of each body system as well as the interrelationships among the various systems. Students will be exposed to critical thinking and clinical application questions throughout the course as they delve into actual case studies and work through these cases to reach a diagnosis. In addition, students will experience hands-on learning and develop collaborative skills through various labs, activities, and projects throughout the year. Prerequisites: Current enrollment in or completion of Biology.

ELECTRICITY LABORATORY

Open to Grades 10-12

Credit: 0.5

Semester 1

Let’s play with electricity! In this highly hands-on, semester-long elective, we will learn about electrical concepts through labs and circuit-building. Our learning will come from a series of experiments with wires, batteries, light bulbs, and capacitors, and we will put it all together through class discussion, argumentation, and collaborative problem-solving in our classroom scientific community. We will start by using circuits to develop conceptual models of electric charge and the flow of charge through a closed loop, and we will build upon these experiments to discover electrical concepts such as resistance, voltage, power, electromagnetism, motors, and more! Along the way, you will build lots of circuits, play with computer simulations, and engage in electrical engineering projects. Prerequisite: Physics and/or departmental approval.

HONORS ENGINEERING: PHYSICAL COMPUTING AND ELECTRONICS

Open to Grades 10-12

Credit: 1

Semester 2

Let’s build and tinker with electronic devices! In this highly hands-on, semester-long elective, we will use Arduino microcontrollers to create devices like dimmer switches, motorized robots, and musical keyboards. We will use the engineering design process to design, prototype, and test our devices, and we will use the C++ programming language to control them in the TinkerCad and Arduino IDE coding environments. Along the way, you will develop familiarity with a variety of sensors and actuators, including temperature sensors, light sensors, user-interactive buttons, and motors. If time allows, we can even learn how to solder our own microcontrollers! No previous coding experience is required, but students will be expected to take initiative in the process of researching and troubleshooting to accomplish their project goals. Enrollment in the first-semester course, Electricity Laboratory, will be useful but is not required for this second-semester course.

Arts

The Visual and Performing Arts are an integral part of the Walker’s community. Communication, creativity, and collaboration are fundamental to all of the arts on our campus. Through the arts, students learn to take risks, push beyond perceived boundaries, and discover new ways of expressing themselves and engaging with the community.

A student who has a passion for the arts can pursue after school co-curricular activities such as acting, technical theater, dance, and visual arts during all three seasons. In addition, students can participate in private voice and instrumental lessons, and perform in vocal and instrumental ensembles. There are so many opportunities for students to perform and showcase their art work. There are several main stage music, theater, and dance performances as well as art galleries throughout campus.

The full Middle School music meeting is called Choristers. All Middle School students participate in this choral group, which performs in the Holiday and Spring Concerts, as well as all-School Chapels.

UPPER SCHOOL ARTS COURSES

Performing Arts

DANCE FUNDAMENTALS

Open to Grades 9-12

Credits: 0.5

Semesters 1 and 2

This course is designed to give students an overview of dance technique, improvisation, composition, and dance history. We will focus on several techniques as well as learning how to watch and talk about dance, building strength and knowledge in the art form. The study of dance composition through improvisation and design concepts will also be a focal point of the course. Recommended for students with little to no experience in dance.

DANCE COMPOSITION

Open to Grades 9-12

Credits: 0.5

Semester 2

This course focuses on the process of choreographing original dance pieces. Students will learn composition through experimenting with the elements of movement — time, space, weight, and flow. We will study the artistic process through improvisation and the exploration of movement concepts. Students will also learn how to analyze dance through video viewing and research.

ACTING

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Semester 2

This course is designed to give students an overview of acting, theatre technique, storytelling, playwriting, and improvisation. Students will study several theatre techniques and styles to build understanding and knowledge in acting and the performing arts. The study of theatre through class activities, play projects will be a central focus of the course. The class is open to all experience levels.

PLAYWRITING, PERFORMANCE, AND PLAY PRODUCTION

Open to Grades 9-12

Credits 0.5

Semester 2

After studying plays from contemporary playwrights, this course culminates in a performance of students’ original plays in a one-act mini play festival. Students will develop, write, and perform an original 10-15-minute play that will be staged with other students in the class (or from the Walker’s student community). Students will learn how technical aspects of the theatre can inform storytelling such as costume creation/selection, prop acquisition, and research, etc. Class will also include interactive theatre and improv activities to improve acting, playwriting, and team building.

UCONN ECE INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE

Open to Grades: 9-12

Credits 0.5

Semester 1

This course introduces students to theatre as a collaborative, dynamic, and socially expressive art form by delving into the artistry, concepts, and techniques of theatre makers. Through discussions, experiential activities, and in-class performances, students of all backgrounds are invited to apply their knowledge and experience to explore creative processes. In this course, students will immerse themselves in the creative process of theatrical production by exploring diverse artistic approaches, experimenting with innovative techniques, and expressing their unique voices through hands-on collaboration and performance. Students will investigate the collaborative nature of theatremaking, examining how

directors, designers, performers, and other creatives bring a production to life. Through the analysis of a representative case study play, students will deconstruct the interpretive and preparatory work of creative teams. Building on these insights, students will engage in hands-on experimentation to develop original short theatrical pieces. Interactive discussions and practical exercises will strengthen communication skills, spark new ideas, and expand creative practices. Students will also learn to critically evaluate and refine their creative processes in response to the evolving needs of collaborators, audiences, and production goals.

Open to Grades 9-12

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 1

This is a one-year, college-level course with heavy emphasis on portfolio production and review. Advanced art students will produce a series of sequential visual forms while exploring in greater depth a particular visual concern or inquiry, through practice, experimentation, and revision. Emphasis will be placed on the Elements of Art, the Principles of Design, materials, processes and ideas, and skill development. Students will study and discuss historical and contemporary artists to aid in their own creations and development. Students may choose to submit portfolios to the Advanced Placement Program in the spring in AP Drawing, AP 2D Art and Design, or AP 3D Art and Design. The course is taught in the same physical space and time block as the Studio Art course. Prerequisite: Studio Art or other relevant Visual Arts course and department approval.

SUSTAINABLE FASHION DESIGN

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Semester 1

In this course, students will combine sustainability and design to discover an environmentally conscious approach to fashion and accessories. Through hands-on projects, students will repurpose recycled and upcycled materials, such as fabric scraps, plastic, paper, and other non-traditional resources into wearable art and functional designs. The course emphasizes creativity, problem-solving, and the importance of reducing waste in the fashion industry.

GRAPHIC PUBLICATION: YEARBOOK

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Semester 1 and 2

Students may take this course for either semester but are encouraged to stay in the course for the whole year to help bring the yearbook to publication.

This course allows students to develop the design, writing, and photography skills needed to create a thorough, interesting, and dynamic documentation of the life of the School: the official school yearbook, the Pepperpot. Includes elements of art, image manipulation, design, layout, article writing, research, editing, marketing, publishing, and sales. Students will have additional responsibilities and take greater leadership roles each time the course is taken.

INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA ARTS

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Semesters 1 and 2

This introductory course provides students with foundational skills in media arts. Students explore basic photography, develop familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud software, and gain an introduction to threedimensional modeling. Through structured projects and goal-setting, students build essential digital art skills while developing technical confidence and creative problem-solving. This course prepares students for more advanced coursework such as Digital Illustration or Animation.

DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION

Open to Grades 9-12

Credit: 0.5

Semesters 1 and 2

In this course, students explore the world of digital illustration through storytelling and visual communication. Emphasis is placed on concept development, composition, and creating illustrations that communicate a clear narrative or idea. Students use photography to create their own reference images and develop a personal artistic voice and visual style. A creative writing component allows students to pair their illustrations with original short narratives. Students deepen their proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud and other digital art platforms while producing polished, thoughtful illustration projects. Prerequisite: Digital Art 1.0 or Intro to Media Arts.

Capabilities Approach Seminar Program

The Capabilities Approach Seminar augments Walker’s rigorous academic program by allowing students to transcend boundaries and horizons. The learning that takes place in Seminars challenges their assumptions about gendered mindsets and what girls can do and be, and reminds them that their potentialities are not fixed but always a moving horizon as they learn. The skills learned and the process of acquiring those skills help students take responsibility for their own learning, develop a growth mindset, and increase their confidence, self-esteem, and ability to collaborate.

Over the course of their Upper School experience, students engage in four areas of capabilities that influence their learning, growth, and transformation:

· Their physical relationship to the world (Agencies);

· Their engagement and negotiation with the world (Fluencies);

· Their experiential relationship to the world (Discoveries); and

· A self-selected capability in their senior year.

Seminar courses are required for graduation and complement Walker’s rigorous academic program without impinging on other study time. They are held to the same standards as all course work, done with integrity, respect, confidence, courage, conviction, and love of learning. Seminar courses appear on student transcripts with grades of Meets Expectations/ Does Not Meet Expectations.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SEMINAR COURSES

7TH GRADE SEMINAR

Grade 7

Study Skills

Students focus on study skills and executive function strategies, such as sustained attention, task initiation, working memory, planning, and organization. Students work on skills-building activities from the SMARTS Executive Function Curriculum developed by the Research Institute for Learning and Development.

Emotional Wellness

This seminar is a discussion-based class where students focus on emotional well-being and social emotional learning with a particular emphasis on relationship skills. With identity as their primary focus during this period of development, students are in search of solid and meaningful relationships. Each class with a brief meditation and a check-in. Students are given writing or discussion prompts to help begin conversations related to their developing social awareness and the skills involved in forming and maintaining healthy relationships.

Social Justice

Rooted in building communities of belonging, students work to understand identity and stereotypes through introspection and perspective. Students explore the many ways identity is formed by reflecting on their own identities, assumptions, stereotypes, and prejudices.

8TH GRADE SEMINAR

Grade 8

Speak Out!

Speak Out: Prepping for Upper School seminar allows 8th grade students the opportunity to work together as they become comfortable and confident with using their voice through public speaking. Throughout the trimester, students engage in intentional games to experiment with persuasive language, crowd engagement, peer support, and learning how to balance anxiety with energy. Members of the Upper School faculty and staff join students in class as guest stars to help build community. Guest stars partake in conversations with students regarding leadership opportunities, equity and inclusion on campus, Upper School public speaking classes, and college counseling. The goal for the 8th grade in this seminar is to prepare students to present their 8th grade speeches and help students gain a sense of independence through the power of their voices.

WALKER'S CAPABILITIES

Finance

The Finance seminar introduces students to the fundamentals of how a market economy operates. They learn about how they can make money and when they have what to do with it. Students work through the difference between gross and take home pay, where their money goes through taxes before it gets put into their bank account, credit, loans, budgeting, and investing.

Lean In

The “Lean In” leadership seminar helps students to see themselves as leaders in our community and the world at large. This course equips students to be self-assured, resilient, and inclusive everyday leaders, who lead boldly. Based on the “Lean In Girls” curriculum, the course strikes a balance of strength-building activities and real talk on important topics like bias and allyship.

UPPER SCHOOL SEMINAR COURSES

9TH GRADE SEMINAR

Grade 9

The 9th Grade Seminar provides students with an academic, social, and emotional grounding to thrive at Walker’s. In this coursework, they will examine and shape their online communication skills, develop relationships in a diverse and multicultural context, and acquire tools to understand and monitor their social-emotional responses within a variety of settings. In each class, students are taught how to develop constructive feedback and deliver it to their peers, strengthening their empathic skills by recognizing and learning about the needs of others.

Academic Foundations and Public Speaking

The 9th graders begin the year by learning to use our LMS — Canvas, understanding our academic policies and procedures, learning what academic resources are available for them, and practicing using some of our academic technology. Students also have their first chance to work without public speaking rubric and begin to build those skills that will be utilized throughout their time as a student at Walker’s.

Digital Ethics

In this seminar, students examine the ways that information and communication technologies impact their lives as learners, family members, friends, workers, and global citizens. The class will explore key pillars of digital citizenship, including digital literacy, digital communication, digital law, rights and responsibilities, citation, and digital health and wellness. Students examine a variety of social media platforms and apps, analyze the positive and negative effects of different online behaviors, and learn strategies for becoming more responsible, efficient, and effective users of the web and digital media. Students are expected to respect themselves, their peers, their teachers, and the learning environment, to engage actively in class discussions and activities, to drive their own learning, to strengthen their initiative and collaboration skills by working both independently and as a part of a team, and share what they have learned.

Coding

In partnership with the Connecticut Science Center, Walker’s is providing students with a hands-on introduction to the world of computer science. Using project-based learning, students will focus on problem solving, collaboration, and basic coding proficiencies. Skill acquisition includes proficiencies in coding languages, artificial intelligence, digital ethics, and technology across a variety of platforms, culminating in a final project presentation and establishment of a digital portfolio.

Social Justice

In the Social Justice seminar, students explore their own identities and think about the ways identity impacts their perspective and interactions with others. Students examine social systems and concepts that provide advantages to some social identity groups and restrict access and opportunity to others. Specifically, students look at the ways that stereotypes, discrimination, prejudice, and socialization affect individuals in the pursuit of justice and communities of belonging. The term concludes with students addressing the ways that they can individually take action within their own spheres of influence to create positive social change.

10TH GRADE SEMINAR

Grade 10

The 10th Grade Seminar introduces students to skills necessary for their own well being and the wellbeing of the world around them. The Seminar coursework includes Women, Health, and Culture with a focus on understanding the issues related to women’s emotional and physical health; Sustainability and Sustenance with a lens to their relationship to both the external physical world and the inner spiritual world; and Coding as a means by which students can be part of fast-growing and important technologies that are currently underrepresented by women. The skills they develop in these courses help our students to make informed choices about their own well being and the well being of the world around them.

Sustenance and Sustainability

This seminar provides students with direct engagement and negotiation with the natural world. Sustainability refers to the human relationship to the natural world and our stewardship, care, and nurture of the planet we call home. Sustenance refers to the ways in which we internalize these relationships through mindfulness, connections, and spirituality. Together, these capabilities allow students to engage both physically and spiritually with the world around them and develop skills that have been credited as defining the American experience.

Women’s Health: Wellness

This seminar shares the resources of positive psychology, academic support, and social and emotional intelligence to help students develop a strong sense of wellness. Activities are designed to strengthen self-awareness, emotional resilience, and self-esteem. Using tools such as the Johari Window, students learn relationship-building skills and develop social awareness. Other subjects explored include identifying signature strengths using UPenn’s Authentic Happiness Site, practicing mindful meditation, developing healthy sleep habits, stress management, and learning and memory.

Women’s Health: Our Bodies and Beyond

Women, Health, and Culture is taught by Walker’s Director of Health Services. Using a medical model, comprehensive analysis of issues related to the health status and health care of women is presented. Knowledge of health concerns of particular importance to women are shared to aid in maintaining wellness, as well as the identification and early treatment of common physical illnesses. All students will be instructed in American Red Cross Child and Adult CPR as well as the use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED). [Note: A nominal fee will be charged to students’ accounts for these certifications.] Women, Health, and Culture is designed to aid students in becoming critical thinkers about health and wellness issues facing young people and it is expected that they will be knowledgeable about current events that affect young women.

Personal Finance and Investment

As a way of helping students become more knowledgeable and confident with finances, students learn about investment strategies, how the market works, political effects on the market, and the role of women investors. Thanks to a generous donor, each student actually invests $1,000 in the market and follows that investment, along with the aggregate investment of the class, for the course of the year, when the investments are sold and the profits are shared as a charitable contribution.

11TH GRADE SEMINAR

Grade 11

The 11th Grade Seminar introduces students to the important capabilities of Financial Literacy, College Counseling, and Self-Defense. Each of these topics has students looking toward the future, both short term and long term, as their skills and agency evolve.

Personal Finance and Tax Preparation

Historically, women have had less opportunity to manage money or invest. As students graduate from high school and move out into the world, it is imperative that they possess an understanding of personal finance in order to make informed decisions that will affect their financial futures. The seminar offers students an opportunity to be introduced to the concepts of managing personal finances including earning, spending, saving, investing and philanthropy. Students conduct hands-on activities including budget development and the creation of an investment portfolio. Students in the seminar will also take and pass the IRS certification to become a personal income tax preparer in the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program. Training for the VITA program is conducted as part of the coursework.

College Counseling

In the second semester, the College Counseling Seminar focuses on learning skills and producing materials relevant to the college search and application process. Students are introduced to SCOIR, our online college preparation tool, and learn how to explore their interests, majors, and colleges. Other topics include standardized testing, the college essay, interviewing, resumes, scholarship and financial aid, and college visits. All juniors attend a college fair in April as part of this course. Students exhibit mastery in the following areas: SCOIR worksheets, short presentations, questionnaires, a preliminary college search, a first draft of a college essay, an extracurricular activities resume, and securing teacher recommendations.

12TH GRADE SEMINAR

Grade 12

The 12th Grade Seminar brings a Walker’s student’s learning to its apex. Each of the seminars builds upon the learning acquired during the previous years, deliberately utilizing that learning in new contexts.

College Counseling

Senior-year college counseling is a continuation of the work begun in junior year. This seminar focuses on completing and submitting applications, organizing application deadlines and requirements, connecting with admissions representatives, reviewing types of financial aid, and managing post-application requirements. In addition to actively participating in class, students are evaluated based on completion of the following: creating a final list of colleges, filling out the common application suitable for submission, turning in the deadlines and application requirements worksheet, and meeting with college admissions counselors on Walker’s campus.

Self-Directed Capability

Learning a self-directed capability is the capstone experience of the Walker’s Capabilities Approach Program. This seminar highlights students’ ability to show how they have mastered their own learning by choosing something they want to learn, developing a learning plan, learning it, and then sharing it with our community. This experience will provide students with a clear understanding of both their newfound capability and the complex cognitive processes they engaged in to learn it, positioning them well to continue their lifelong quest for learning.

Senior Speech

Seniors have the privilege of addressing the entire school on a subject of their choice to exhibit their mastery of public speaking and reflect on their development and learning while at Walker’s. They will use Seminar time to draft, rewrite, and rehearse their Senior Speech, which will be offered at a Morning Meeting or assembly during the school year.

College Prep

Workshops, speakers, and panel discussions cover topics such as personal health and safety, decision making, developing and maintaining healthy relationships, and adjusting to newfound independence, as well as an understanding of the resources that are available to students at the college level. Students will reflect on how social media and mobile devices have changed since they began high school and explore ways that these technologies can impact their lives in college. This course is designed to prepare students for the transition from Walker’s into a college or university setting where much more independence is expected.

Co-Curriculars and Athletics

All students are required to participate in an afternoon co-curricular during each of the three seasons (fall, winter, and spring) during the academic year. Each student will select from a variety of offerings every season, and the student must participate in at least one team activity per year. Membership on two seasons of dance companies fulfills the team requirement.

Fall

Cross Country (T)

Dance Companies (T)

Field Hockey (T)

Personal Fitness

Riding (T)+^

Soccer (T)

Volleyball (T)

Winter

Basketball (T)

Dance Companies (T)

Personal Fitness

Riding (T)+^

Skiing (T)+

Squash (T)

Swimming (T)

Winter Play (T)

Yoga

Spring

Dance Classes

Golf (T)+

Lacrosse (T)

Personal Fitness

Riding (T)+^

Softball (T)

Spring Musical (T)

Tennis (T)

Note: Co-curriculars are subject to enrollment. (T) Team credit

Open to Grades 7-12

Winter season

Beginning in November, students rehearse a play that is presented to the Walker’s community in February. The process is designed to be inclusive and educational, giving students the opportunity to learn about many aspects of theatrical storytelling, including acting, lighting, sound, costume design, scenic painting, set construction, stage management, and the collaborative process of building a production from the ground up. Auditions are open to any student who would like to participate and counts towards the team sport requirement.

SPRING MUSICAL

Open to Grades 7-12

Spring season

The Spring Musical is a collaborative production that brings together students from the Theatre, Music, and Dance Departments to create a full-scale musical presented to the Walker’s community. The process is designed to be inclusive and educational, giving students the opportunity to learn about many aspects of theatrical storytelling, including acting, singing, dancing, lighting, sound, costume design, scenic painting, set construction, and stage management. Auditions are open to any student who would like to participate and counts towards the team sport requirement.

Community Partnerships

Walker’s Community Partnerships Program allows students to understand the critical role that service organizations play in making a positive impact on our community — and ourselves.

We cultivate community engagement rooted in the belief that serving with others across differences and toward a common goal is the best way to build communities where everyone benefits. Walker’s students gain worthwhile skills and broaden their perspectives as they provide valuable services. Some initiatives are ongoing, while others change each year in response to student interest.

Highlights include:

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA): Since 2017, our students have been IRS trained to be personal income tax preparers for low-income filers in the greater Hartford area. To date, our students have secured more than $600,000 in tax refunds and credits for families in our community.

Horizons at The Ethel Walker School: Ours is the nation’s first all-girls Horizons program, providing six weeks of summer enrichment for underserved students who attend Hartford public schools. Walker’s students serve as teaching assistants to more than 100 girls in prekindergarten through 8th grade.

Habitat for Humanity: Each year during spring break, Walker’s students participate in new home construction as part of this international program. Most recently these service trips have been in West Virginia and Texas.

She Leads Justice: Walker’s students participate in writing and delivering testimony related to specific bills for this nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which advocates for women and girls, especially those who are marginalized.

Graduation Requirements

MIDDLE SCHOOL

English

History

World Languages

Mathematics

Science

Visual and Performing Arts

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Participation in Choristers

Participation in Seminars

Participation in Assembly Workshops

Participation in Lacuna Program

Participation in Class Trips

Delivery of an 8th Grade Speech

UPPER SCHOOL

English: Each semester

History: Three years including Global History and U.S. History

Ethics and Social Justice: One semester-long course

World Languages: Three consecutive years of the same language in the Upper School

Mathematics: Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry; at least three full years of Math in the Upper School

Science: One year each of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology

Visual and Performing Arts: Three semester-long courses, including at least one Visual Arts course and one Performing Arts course; one course must be completed in 9th or 10th grade and one course in 11th or 12th grade

NON-CREDIT GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Co-Curriculars: Every season, every year

Walker's Capabilities Approach Seminars: Grade-level thematic seminars

Lacuna: Every year

Self-Directed Capability and Senior Speech: To be completed in the 12th grade year

Community Partnership: One community partnership program each year