In Introduction to World Cinema, students watch and analyze films that will broaden their aesthetic and cultural horizons and give them the skills to analyze films they encounter every day. The course will push students to open themselves to film as art and more than entertainment to be consumed and forgotten. The course will help students explain why they enjoy the films they love so much and deepen their appreciation for the medium.

The wide goals of this class are here:

1. To give you a working vocabulary and ability to analyze and appreciate good film, including technical and narrative analysis

2. To enrich your lives with perspectives from across the world and to push you to engage with non-American or at least non-Hollywood voices and perspectives

3. Introduce you to key film movements

4. To grow your analytical and writing skills by engaging in film analysis essays and discussion

5. Enhance your appreciation for the provision and build a sense of solidarity with people around the globe in an extension of the Church’s global mission

The course is divided into four chunks roughly corresponding to a week of class time and two to three films per unit:

1. Building Blocks & American Movies

2. Akira Kurosawa & an Introduction to Classic Japanese Movies

3. European Movies

4. Pot Pourri: African and other Movies

Each course section will culminate in an essay of two to four pages concerning the unit’s films and themes.

The final project will be centered around an independent viewing experience. The instructor will provide you with a list of titles, and your task will be to select one of the films from the list or a film of equal rigor and analyze its technical execution as well as its thematic content as you would in literary analysis.

Qualifications: recommendation for Hon Alg II/Trig w Limits from the math department

This is an accelerated Honors Algebra II course. You must attend each class due to the accelerated nature of this course. Students earning 85% or higher will be placed into Honors PreCalculus during the subsequent school year. Students earning 90% or higher will be placed into Honors PreCalculus or AP PreCalculus. Students earning less than 85% will be placed into Hon Alg II/Trig w Limits during the subsequent school year.

This is an abbreviated Calculus course. This course is for rising seniors interested in AP Physics: Mechanics but will not take AP Calculus as seniors. You must attend each class due to the accelerated nature of this course. Students earning 85% or higher will have met the math requirement for AP Physics: Mechanics during the subsequent school year. Students earning less than 85% will have met the math requirement for Honors Physics during the subsequent school year. Completion of this course will not impact a student's math course placement.

An introduction to Forensic Science, which is the application of scientific principles and techniques to criminal justice matters. Forensic Science is the application of science (chemistry, physics, and biology) to the criminal and civil laws enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system. Topics covered will include the following:

• Introduction/History of forensics

• Crime scene investigations/Evidence Collection

• Fingerprinting

• Toxicology

• Biological evidence (DNA, Blood splatter, hair & fibers, etc)

• Students will be taught the proper collection, preservation, and laboratory analysis of various samples.

This course is a Science elective, and students will receive Science credit for completing the course. However, it does not replace the required courses needed for graduation.

Western Civilization I is an honors-level summer school offering open to all grade levels in which students will learn the foundations of western history and culture.  The course covers the history of Europe and the Near East in the time period before the required Modern World History course that all students take in the 9th grade and so it serves as an excellent introduction to that course or as a ‘prequel’ to that course for students who have already taken it.

The class will meet for two hours every weekday for four consecutive weeks and students will be expected to complete approximately one hour of homework for each class meeting.  Because of the condensed nature of the course, any absence will be highly detrimental to a student’s success in the class.  Students earning a passing grade will earn a ½ honors History elective credit.

Students will also be prepared to succeed on the Western Civilization I College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) test.  This optional test, offered by the College Board, could earn a student 3 college credit hours at participating colleges and universities.  There is a $90 testing fee plus an additional administrative fee that varies ($30-$75 typically) depending on the testing method chosen, i.e. in person at a local area testing center or remotely using your computer at home.

Maximize your potential and start earning grades that show how smart you really are by taking this non-credit class on skills that every successful student should have. Gain awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses, set goals and actually achieve them, improve digital competencies, and improve your retention of information. Students will develop skills to learn better!