St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Courses

Introduction to Psychology

3.9

Psychology is the academic and applied study of the human mind and behavior. Perhaps there are no more salient topics in the information age and the global economy than a comprehensive understanding of how learning takes place and what predicts and determines human behavior. The course is a primer, meant to provide substantive content through which to understand the human condition and to inspire students to continue their learning and growth.Students interested in the study of psychology are interested in why people do, say and think what they do. They have questions about how learning takes place, how genetics dictate certain traits but not others, how memories are formed, where to draw the line between normality and disorder, whether a damaged brain can regain function and the predictors of addiction.Through this introductory course, students will have the opportunity to understand the science of psychology and how psychologists measure mental function and behavior and how the results are reported. They will better understand perception and consciousness and the mysteries of sleep and dreams. Through child development, they will understand how the brain is ready for learning and pre-wired for language. Motivation, cognition and personality will be analyzed through the lens of past and current psychological thought. Students will understand the statistical reality of the normal distribution and how that is relevant to most traits. They will review new research on the plasticity of the brain and consider whether intelligence is fixed or flexible. Lastly, the array of disorders and dysfunction will be analyzed and discussed and the line between normal and abnormal will be considered.Learn more about our High School and AP* Exam Preparation Courses

The Road to Selective College Admissions

3.7

The Road to Selective College Admissions is designed for students in 10th and 11th grade who are looking to navigate the college application process. Students will become well versed in the language of college admissions and participate in exercises aiming to broaden their access to available resources. At the end of this course, students will understand how to research schools as they build a list of colleges of interest. We will provide tools to help students plan their high school summers, and begin considering financing a college education. Students will learn how to build a support network and given tips on how to be successful in college once they matriculate. Most importantly, students will be led through the application itself, focusing on standardized testing, essays, and extracurricular activities.The college counselors at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School bring a wealth of experience to the college admission process. Roland Allen has worked in independent schools for fifteen years (The Branson School, Sidwell Friends School, and St. Margaret’s). He has worked in selective college admissions at Stanford University, MIT, and Colby College. He currently is a reader for Presidential Scholars and serves on the Princeton Review’s Advisory Board. He earned his BA from Loyola University, New Orleans and his MS from the University of Scranton. Amy Warren has guided students through the college admission process in both Orange County, California and New York City. Her background also includes experience in admissions at Teachers College, Columbia University. She received her BA from Williams College and her MA and MEd from Teachers College, Columbia University.

AP® Spanish Language and Culture

1.5

AP® Spanish Language and Culture is a challenging course taught exclusively in Spanish that helps students to improve their proficiency across the three modes of communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal and Presentational. This course is designed to help you prepare for the AP exam, and focuses on the integration of authentic resources including online print, audio, and audiovisual resources, as well as traditional print resources such as literature, essays, and magazine and newspaper articles. Students will communicate using advanced vocabulary and linguistic structures as they build proficiency in all modes of communication toward the advanced level. Class is conducted completely in Spanish and includes frequent writing and integration of skills with a review of grammatical structures, which are troublesome for second-language learners. Advanced organizational and analytical strategies are taught, and students will complete the course feeling better prepared to take the AP exam.This course is authorized as an Advanced Placement® (AP®) course by the AP Course Audit. The AP Course Audit was created by the College Board to give schools and students the confidence that all AP courses meet or exceed the same clearly articulated curricular expectations of colleges and universities.By taking an AP course and scoring successfully on the related AP Exam, students can:Stand Out in College AdmissionsEarn College CreditsSkip Introductory ClassesBuild College SkillsAdvanced Placement® and AP® are trademarks registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these offerings.