HTH Intersession Catalogue

January 22nd – February 1st, 2008

Dear High Tech High Students and Families,

I am delighted to announce our school’s third year of Intersession.  The course offerings are as diverse as they are rich in content and character.  We as a school community have discussed at length the purpose of Intersession ever since it was first proposed.  In the end we agreed that these nine days are a chance for students to explore new and exciting topics that are designed to be meaningful and intense.  It could also be a chance for students to delve even deeper into a subject about which they already have great interest.  More than anything else Intersession offers teachers and students a chance to work together in meaningful and authentic contexts that awaken and/or deepen their interest in a particular subject or field. 

Intersession runs from January 22nd to February 1st for a total of nine days of classes.  We will follow a traditional school day schedule (8:40-3:40) with lunch from 12:50-1:35.  Within these pages you will see detailed descriptions of our Intersession course offerings.  During a community meeting on Wednesday, November 14th teachers will present their courses to the school.  I encourage students to approach teachers with questions so that they can make the most informed decision possible. 

In addition to these course offerings, several teachers are taking international trips with interested students.  Though some details have changed, these trips were announced last spring in an effort to give families time to arrange finances to pay for the trips (and give students time to work).  What’s more, High Tech High is able to offer some financial aid to students in need, though no trip will be fully funded. 

Finally, Intersession is just like regular school, which means that attendance is mandatory. 

Some additional policies regarding Intersession:

1. Intersession courses will appear on the transcript.
2. Intersession courses will receive a pass/fail designation. 
3. Intersession courses will receive one credit, reflecting that the course hours are roughly one third of a year long, single period course.
4. Students who are absent more than twice will receive a failing grade for Intersession, since one absence reflects six hours of missed instruction.
5. Some courses have a fee.  For students who qualify for free and reduced lunch and have filled out the necessary paperwork, financial assistance is available.  Please fill out an Intersession Financial Aid Application and turn it in to the appropriate teacher.

As ever feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. 

Yours in High Tech High,

Brett
Intersession Offerings

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Description:  Dance Theatre will create and perform intelligent dances that breathe life into the people of our region and beyond.  You will be provided access to the viewing, training in, and dancing of professionally choreographed performances created by Jean Isaacs’ San Diego Dance Theatre (http://www.sandiegodancetheater.org/).  Novice & experienced dancers welcome.

Goals/Content:
You will have the opportunity to:

• Watch a San Diego Theatre Performance in Balboa Park
• Train & rehearse for 6 hours a day in a variety of dance styles: Salsa, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, etc.
• Collaborate with professional dancers and Jean Isaacs, the Artistic Director
• Exhibit an original dance piece during performances for friends & family
• Put on your resume that you were part of a renowned professional dance company

Teacher: Alfred Solis & Professional Dance Instructors

Location:  Dance Place San Diego at Liberty Station

Students: 20 maximum

Grade Level: ALL

Funds Needed: $150 Fee to pay for instructors and space rental.  Some financial aid is available.

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Description: In this intersession we will be designing, prototyping and making low-cost, low-impact furniture. Our materials will be reclaimed and recycled wood that would otherwise be destined for the land-fill, wood from past HTH projects and any off-cuts you may have in your own garage. To this we will add a little care and attention to detail and one or two low cost 2-by-4s from Home Depot. You will learn good planning, a little engineering, and you will be using practical mathematics and geometry in 3 dimensions. The result will be a functional (and maybe beautiful) piece of furniture that you can be proud to own, knowing that no trees were destroyed in its making.

Teacher: Andrew Gloag

Location:  High Tech High, seminar room 7/8

Grade Level: All

Special Needs or Circumstances: Power tools will be used, but you do not need previous experience. Building furniture takes time, so you will need to be diligent and patient. The ability to work on your project all day is essential.

Funds Needed: No cost to participate, but be prepared to scavenge for materials both at school and at home.

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Description:  This intersession will revolve around studying fish that are consumed and sold commercially in this area.  We will research the diversity of species in our local waters as well as analyze the levels of contaminants particular to each.  Activities included in this intersession are learning how to fish for different types of species, learning to cook and prepare certain fish dishes (including sushi), and perhaps a visit to the Scripps aquarium.  We will spend a lot of time on local beaches and structures, so be prepared for outdoor weather and handling fish or bait.  For some of the days, lunch will be prepared at our fishing spots on a BBQ.  Transportation is required to and from local fishing areas that we will be visiting.  One last requirement is fishing equipment and a fishing license.  The bad news is the license costs around $30.  The good news is that it’s an annual fee that begins in January, so you’ll have it for the whole year! 

Academic Content:  We will begin this intersession as if you have no experience!  For fishing, we will teach you about the equipment and tying rigs, the diversity of the sea, and analyze how the levels of contaminants have changed over the years.  In studying those trends, we may find connections to the levels of contaminants and particular factors, such as pollution levels and locality.  Lastly, we will learn about consuming fish (by eating them!) and what the “safe” levels of consumption are.  You will also be required to keep a fishing log to keep track of the fish you catch.  This log will be used to keep records, including photos and data of the fish you catch, which you can use to participate in the FISHING COMPETITION! **prizes are yet to be determined**

Teacher(s): Andrew Lerario & Paul Lopez

Location: High Tech High, local beach areas

Students: 25 preferred (30max)

Grade Level: Open to all

Funds Needed:   $30 for fishing licenses.  Additional money is required to if you lack equipment, or for other daily expenses such as bait or tackle.

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Description:  In this course, we will take a closer look at the functions of folklore in traditional stories and see how these functions relate to the Twilight Zone. Folklore is said to be mainly an oral tradition which serves a purpose within each culture, society and era in which the stories were derived. The Twilight Zone incorporates many of the purposes of folklore but with a twist or unexpected consequence for the person stuck in the twilight zone. Since the Twilight Zone imparted its moral lesson in a non-traditional manner often exploiting elements of fear, we will also look at those fears as they relate to the culture of the time in which the episode was produced.  If funds and parent drivers can be secured, we will face our fears with a trip to the Twilight Zone based ride the Tower of Terror at California Adventure.

Goals/Content:  With the above elements in place, the students will write their own Twilight Zone tale with themselves as the hero(ine). These stories will be dramatized in the oral tradition of folklore. Students will create podcasts of their Twilight Zone tales and post them on the web including on their DP’s. Through storytelling and story dramatization, students will improve language arts skills, increase understanding of dramatic processes and become aware of the various forms of folklore as transmitters of information valuable for understanding themselves and society.

Teacher:  Anne Duffy

Students: Max 25

Grade Level: Open to All

Special Needs or Circumstances: We may take a trip to Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim to experience the Twilight Zone based Tower of Terror. If this happens, we will need parent drivers and permission slips for all the kids.

Funds Needed: Approximately $80 to attend the field trip to Anaheim. Please do not let money limit your ability to participate in this intersession. Come talk to me if you need help to fund the field trip.

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Description:  We've all played 3D video games, right?  Ever wondered how to make one?  We'll play some games to research how they work and then use our programming and math skills to design and build our own 3D game.  This is not a MODing class for those of you who know what that is.  We will be building these games from scratch using the Java programming language, and understanding the logic that is involved with rendering 3D objects on a 2D screen.  We will also discover how to animate these objects to create a fun, interactive game.  Some of us will use our new programming skills to support the programming efforts of the HTH robotics team, the Holy Cows.  Any students interested in programming for the Holy Cows should sign up for this intersession.

Goals/Content:  Computer programming requires creativity, problem solving, and logical thinking skills.  There is a tremendous amount of math involved with 3D gaming that I will do my best to shield you from, but those who are interested are welcome to delve deep into it.  4x4 matrices, anyone?  Not only do the objects that are displayed on the screen need to be displayed in the proper perspective, but they also need to be appropriately lit using whatever “lighting” is featured in the game and moved according to the laws of physics.  Most of us will focus our energy on the fun of creating a game and solving the problems that will surely arise.

Teacher: Neil McCurdy

Location:  High Tech High

Students: 16 preferred (22 Max)

Grade Level: Open to all students who have either taken one of my classes or have an interest in computers.

Special Needs or Circumstances: None

Funds Needed: None

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Description: The main goal of this course is to learn how to live a healthy, fit life; mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. This course also offers instruction and practice in warm-up, stretching and physical fitness conditioning through weight training.

Goals/Content: In this intersession we will focus on studying health and nutrition science.  We will also study the human muscular system.  Daily activities in these next two weeks will include:

• reading a book for leisure
• meaningful and introspective journaling, drawing, and writing
• meditating and silent self-reflection
• learning about and eating healthfully
• working out and taking boxing classes at Gold’s Gym
• watching inspirational movies, such as The Secret, What the Bleep Do We Know, and Stephen Hawking’s Universe
• guest speakers, such as nutritionists, fitness trainers, etc.,
• and many more interesting and exciting activities.

Teachers: Julia Gordon and Phi Nguyen

Location: High Tech High and Gold’s Gym

Students: 44 maximum

Grade Level: Open to all

Special Needs or Circumstances: Permission slips, if needed, for the gym.

Funds Needed: Gym membership fees.  Partial financial aid is available. 

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Description:  Throughout history, the arts have been a place for expressing social discontent, protest and revolt.  In this course we will work in various media (writing, painting, graphic design and music) to create our own expressions of social protest.  We will also investigate other examples of protest art and report on their contributions to the course of history.  Our studio and academic pursuits will be augmented by a museum visit and possible excursions into public art making.

Goals/Content:
1.) Students will design and execute a finished piece in one of the following categories:

• Creative Writing
• Graphic Design
• Painting (students must provide their own materials – acrylic paint, brushes, canvas, etc.)
• Music (if students choose this option, they must have the means to perform or record their finished composition)

2.) In addition to their main pieces, students will also do a number of daily exercises in their chosen genre in class and at home.

3.) Students will also complete a research component which investigates other examples of social protest in the arts.

Teacher: Spencer Pforsich

Location: Project Room 10

Students: 20-22

Grade Level: Open to all

Funds Needed:  Students who choose to paint or perform music must provide their own materials with which to do so.  Also, parent drivers will be needed for one field trip.

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Description:  Create ceramic artwork using clay hand building techniques. Learn through hands on practice how to shape, mold, and sculpture clay.   Make pinch and coil pots, plates, vases, cups or bowls.  Use a clay press, molds, and stamps to make three dimensional objects.  Go beyond the basics and use your imaginations to make mythical creatures, animal figures, dolls, toys, picture frames, or gifts of any sort.  In addition to clay building, we will learn about the firing green ware and glazing of bisque ware.  Choose from among a variety of glazes to make your creation the color you want.  Additional time will be given to criticism of finished pieces, and demonstration in the latest ceramic techniques.  On Wednesday afternoons we will visits to local art sites, including Spanish Village in Balboa Park, to view ceramic pieces on display and up for sale.  (Not for those who do not like to get their hands dirty.)

Goals/Content

• Create original works of art.  Make pieces which show more and more complexity and skill.

• Create original works of art which address social issues, serve a practical need, or add beauty to the world.  Express your feelings and personal style through art.

• Identify and use the principles of design to plan your creations.

• Discover the processes for refining and reworking your own works of art.

• Solve clay building problems through ongoing practical and aesthetic evaluation.

• Discuss and analyze your original works of art using the vocabulary of pottery.

• Apply practical art-related ideas and perspectives to your works of art and the work of others through classroom critiques.

• Take home ceramic creations for gifts, sale, or your own personal enjoyment.

Adapted from the California Visual Arts Standards 9 – 12

Teacher(s): Tom Fehrenbacher & Eric Woods

Location: Clay Associates, 3667 Adams Avenue, (Normal Heights in San Diego)

Students: 16 max.

Grade Level: Open to all

Special Needs or Circumstances:  This intersession will take place off campus.  Students will need to arrange transportation to and from studio location (3667 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights).  On Wednesday afternoons, we will take field trips by bus to Balboa Park.  Arrangements for pick up from Balboa Park at the end of the day will be necessary. 

Funds Needed: $150 studio and materials fee.  Financial aid is available. 

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Description:  Many topics in fiction and art are considered taboo in high school and then emphasized in college.  What is censured in our society and why?  This workshop will look at how the rules have changed throughout time and the issues that have always been controversial.  We will experience poetry, films, and art that challenge us to think about the world we live in and our place in it.  We will watch films ranging from Crash to Boys Don’t Cry, read poetry by several authors including Gwendolyn Brooks, Ginsberg and Bukowski, visit museums, view art, and discuss what we learn.  We may even write some poetry!

Goals/Content:  Critical thinking, considering multiple perspectives, poetry, art, film analysis.

Teacher: Tricia Ornelas

Location:  PR8

Students: 16

Grade Level: 9-12

Special Needs or Circumstances: none

Funds Needed:  money for trips to museums, beach, and Hillcrest cinemas

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Description:  By the end of this course, you will learn the basics skills needed to sail independently.  We will spend at least six three-hour sailing sessions at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center and during the first lessons; each student will have his own one-person boat to sail.  Students will then progress to larger two-person boats.  Other useful skills will include basic rules of the water road, raising sails and boat setup, sailing vocabulary and parts of a boat, knots, basic sailing theory, water safety, etc. 

Goals/Content:  You explore some of the science behind foils and their uses in sailing, the history of sailing craft, and possibly visit the San Diego Maritime Museum.  Every student will also create a journal documenting his/her learning process and progress in the sailing arena.  This journal will be put into a webpage format and will include pictures, reflections, and work created during the class. 

Teacher: Juli Ruff

Location: High Tech High, Mission Bay Aquatic Center, possible other trips to the water and the Maritime museum

Students: 20 max

Grade Level: Open to all

Special Needs or Circumstances:  Transportation is necessary for the 6 or so days we will have sailing lessons at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center.  Parent volunteer drivers will be a must and students who can drive themselves to and from the Aquatic Center are a huge help.  It is also important that parents be aware that insurance coverage during water activities is limited by the waiver and Mission Bay Aquatic Center’s coverage.

Funds Needed: $120 is required for sailing lessons/ boat use and there may be a further need for admission money at the Maritime museum.  If students are interested in the class, but worried about the money, fundraising is an option, and limited financial aid is available.

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Description: Want to learn what it’s like to be a culinary student? Slice and dice like a gourmet chef?  Make sushi and pasta from scratch?  Learn the science behind food?  And more importantly, learn how food impacts your lifelong health?  HTH Iron Chef Intersession will combine cooking, nutritional education, science and competition!  Students will learn life-long culinary skills, healthy diet practices, and have tons of fun!  Bon Appétit!

Goals/Content: This intersession is designed to EDUCATE!  Students will learn a wide variety of information and skills: sanitary food guidelines, knife skills, preparation techniques (how to make food pretty and tasty), and how food relates to our overall health (including links to happiness, fitness, and even cancer).  Students will also be exposed to other culture’s views of food by watching foreign food films, and will study chemical and biological connections to nutrition.

Teacher: Amy Callahan & Jesse Wade

Location:  HTH

Students: 40 maximum

Grade Level: open to all

Special Needs or Circumstances: BEFORE intersession begins, students and guardians must pay a $50 fee, sign a permission slip for food-related field trips, and sign a permission slip for handling hot and/or sharp cooking equipment

Funds Needed: There will be a $50 fee to sign up.  See Amy Callahan for further information.  Financial aid is available. 

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Description:  We are going to solve the world’s problems in 9 days!  Well, we will at least start to solve the world's problems.  Each day, we will discuss issues facing our planet, brainstorm ideas on how to solve them, and then volunteer in the community.  Students will earn 20 hours of community service (possibly more depending on projects) and get to visit social service organizations around town. 

Goals/Content:  Each day, we will:

• Watch a video or read an article about a problem affecting our planet,
• Discuss causes of the problem,
• Explore current strategies in place to solve the problem,
• Brainstorm other possible solutions,
• Visit and volunteer at agencies tackling these problems.

Some of the issues we will attempt to solve:

• Hunger & Homelessness
• Violence towards Women & Youth
• Environment & Overpopulation
• Animal Abuse
• Prison System & Rehabilitation
• Other issues recommended by students

Hopefully, by our last day, we have thought of some new ways to save the world.  We will share these ideas through letter writing, blogging, or other methods to help make the world a better place!

Teacher: Rachel Amato

Location:  Ms. Mohr’s room in the fishbowl

Students: 20 max

Grade Level: any

Special Needs or Circumstances: none

Funds Needed: none

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Description:  Join us in viewing classic gangster films from the 1930s to the 1990s.  We will study these films as representations of American society and culture and trace developments within the genre.  Students will be required to read various short articles on historical or cinematic topics, give presentations, participate in discussion, keep a film journal, and conduct a project of their choice. A list of films has not been finalized, but the following films are being considered: Little Caesar (1930), Scarface (1932), High Sierra (1941), Kiss of Death (1947), White Heat (1949), 99  River Street (1953), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Godfather (1972) The Godfather II (1975), The Untouchables (1987), Goodfellas (1990).  Students will be required to have their parents sign permission slips to take this course due to R-rated films.  Class will meet in Project Room 6. 

Academic Content:  Academic content will follow historical and cultural themes as they developed within the genre.  Emphasis will be placed on how gangsters have been represented as tragic heroes (and/or villains) who found alternative ways of pursuing the American dream.  Towards this goal we will consider the tension between freedom and equality and between insider and outsider as we discuss the themes of capitalism, class, and ethnicity in American history. 

Teacher: Peter Jana

Location: High Tech High

Students: 20 Max

Grade Level: Open to all

Special Needs or Circumstances:   Permission slips for R-rated movies.

Funds Needed: None

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Description:  We will touch-up the walls and art work around the school. Fixing projects and repainting walls. If you’re good with tools and paint and like to fix things this is for you. We will also go to an art museum and set up a print show at a gallery.

Teachers: Jeff Robin

Location: High Tech High

Students: 16 preferred (22 max)

Grade Level: Open to all

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Description/Academic Content:  Join the elite HTH Science Fair Team, leader in San Diego County. This is an opportunity to conduct extended experiments, receive feedback from outside mentors, practice stastical analysis, learn the art of science writing and presentation, and play some outdoor volleyball.

Teacher: Jay Vavra

Location: HTH Biotech Lab and outdoor volleyball court

Students: 18

Grade Level: 11, 12

Funds Needed: None

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Description:  FIRST (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology) is the super bowl of high school robotics competitions.  This two week intersession falls right in the middle of the six weeks students have to design and build a robot that will compete nationally against other high schools. We will receive the new challenge in the first week of January and will be brainstorming, designing and building two fully functional robots to compete in the competition.  Our team will be competing in San Diego, Los Angels as well as traveling to and competing at the Championship in Atlanta, GA.

Goals / Content:  Students can work in any of the three departments within the team.  The three departments are mechanical design & build, electrical & programming and PR & marketing.  These three departments will work together to support our team’s goal of building fully functioning robots, competing at various competitions and spreading the word of science, technology and engineering within our community.  Students will have to brainstorm solutions and design various subsystems using CAD and other tools to come up with a complete design for the robot. Once these systems are designed students will be building and assembling the various components to complete and test the functioning robots.  Areas that students will be learning and working with are mechanical design, electrical circuits, pneumatic systems, wireless communication, video recognition, software programming and control systems.

Teacher: David Berggren

Location: Engineering Lab

Students: 20 Max

Grade Level: Open to all (Preference given to students 16 years of age or older).

Funds Needed: Our FIRST team is currently working to raise funds for this expensive competition.  Students may be required to raise their own travel money to get to the competitions.

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Description: This workshop is designed to help students understand the impact media has on society. Students will examine a wide range of media, including television, film, newspapers, magazines, advertising and popular music. In addition, students will engage in discussions regarding media related topics such as: stereotyping, violence, marketing and the portrayal of diversity in media.

Academic Content:

• Students will create short documentary films or a series of Public Service Announcements (PSA) driven by media related topics.

• Students will learn how to decode and interpret messages within media.  Also, students will gain an understanding of how to effectively use media to communicate their own ideas.

Teacher: David Jean

Location: HTH Graphic Design Lab

Students: 20 students  

Grade Level: All

Special Needs or Circumstances: None

Funds Needed: None

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Description: As we all know, the recent fires have devastated San Diego.  We also know that by helping others, we help ourselves.  Our intersession will focus on helping those who lost their homes in the fires.  As the time for intersession draws near, we will have a better idea of what types of help will be needed.  When we know, we will focus our resources in that direction.

Goals/Content: We want students to take pride in their community and helping those in need is one of the best methods for achieving this goal.

Teacher: Aaron Commerson and Darrell McClendon

Location:  County of San Diego

Students: 40 max

Grade Level: open to all

Special Needs or Circumstances: We anticipate a large number of students volunteering to help and will need transportation to keep us effective.  If any parents would like to volunteer as well we would love to have you along. 

Funds Needed: Depending on our location, lunch might need to be provided.  We are working on ways to try to raise money.

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Description: Students will spend 13 days traveling in three different countries in Europe and Africa.  Students will spend time in Paris, Versailles, Carcassone, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Costa del Sol and Morocco.  

Goals/Content: Students will learn about the culture, art, history, and language.  Students will be responsible to reflect on all private walking city tours and the content given to them.  In addition, upon our return to the United States, students will change gears and focus on presenting what they learned during travels to parents and community members.  Tentative plans for this are as follows: student prepared dinner detailing the cuisine of Paris, Spain and Morocco, a digital presentation of photos, review of sights and historical information, and finally how they grew from this experience. 

Special Circumstances: Passport for international travel

*Note: This intersession is closed because it has reached full capacity.  Information on this intersession was emailed out in September.

Teachers: Colleen O’Boyle and Jade Mohr

Location: Paris, Spain and Morocco

Students: *CLOSED – at full capacity

Grade Level: Open to all

Funds Needed: $2500 for trip + $300 spending money + HTH international insurance (financial aid available)

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Description: A group of students will take a nine day tour of Italy and Greece that will include many historic sites and museums.

Goals/Content: Each student will research an art piece or archaeological site that we will be visiting. Each student will give a short talk before visiting the site, take photos, collect any literature and interview the docent or tour guide. This data will then be used to create a documentary that will serve as a recruiting tool for the following year.

Teacher: Mark Aguirre

Location: Europe

Students: 20

Grade Level: All

Special Needs or Circumstances: None. Pre-arranged trip with a tour company.

Funds Needed: $2200 plus $300 for lunch/spending money.

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“El Caribe en tus manos”/The Caribbean in your hands

Description:  We will be traveling to Honduras to experience and explore the people and environment of the Caribbean.  At our first stop, Pico Bonito, we will hike to a water fall, visit small villages in the mountains and take a rafting trip through breathtaking rock formations in the jungle.  We will then travel to the island of Utila, one of the best scuba diving spots in the world. In Utila, students can take scuba diving lessons or snorkel on one of the largest coral reefs in the world. These waters are turquoise blue, providing a great opportunity to learn about the colorful fish, giant sea turtles, rays, and lobsters that live within them. Utila and the nearby islands are populated by villages which were colonized by Spain, occupied by pirates, taken over by England, used as shelter by Cimarron’s (escaped slaves) and are now governed by the Honduran government. Because of this history, this region of Latin America is rich in cultures and languages as well as a natural wonder.  Students will enjoy exploring this first hand.

Goals/Content: Students will explore, engage in, and develop an appreciation of both the Caribbean culture and a unique physical environment.  Through interacting with native people and the natural environment students will develop a first hand understanding of the history that has defined the unique culture, be challenged to employ Spanish language skills, and examine the natural environment through scuba diving, snorkeling, and hiking. 

Teacher:  Julio Delgado and Pat Holder

Location:  Honduras, Central America

Students:  20 students (25 maximum)

Grade Level:  All grade levels are welcome

Special Needs or Circumstances:  Students should have a general comfort with the water.  Students must be willing to experience non-luxurious accommodations.

Funds Needed:  $1,300.00

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Description: Students will spend 13 days traveling throughout Spain with a one day excursion to Morocco.  We will travel from Madrid, to Sevilla and  Córdoba, up the Costa del Sól to Granada, Valencia, Barcelona and other small fishing villages up the Costa Brava.

Goals/Content: Students will immerse themselves in the Golden Age of Spain, exploring the culture, art, history, and language of this beautifully diverse country.  The learning goals and academic content of this trip are so vast it is almost impossible to articulate on paper, however some specifics include analyzing and distinguishing the Moorish influence on Spanish culture and architecture as well as evaluating the impact of historical trends through the art of Dalí, Goya, El Greco, Picassso, Velásquez and Gaudí. Students will be responsible to reflect on all aspects of the trip in an informal presentation of learning for family and friends upon return to the United States.  Details of the evening are yet to be determined but will include a focus on art history.

Special Circumstances: Passport for international travel

Teachers: Cortney Golub

Location: Spain and Morocco

Students: 18 students (currently 10 available spaces)

Grade Level: Open to all

Funds Needed: $2400 for trip + $300 spending money + HTH international insurance (financial aid available)

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Description: 9 day trip to Costa Rica. The trip will focus on outdoor activities in order to connect the students with the natural surroundings of the rainforest.  Some of these activities include: horseback riding, hiking, swimming and visiting various museums and National Parks. 
Students will also take part in cultural activities such as: volunteering their time at a rural school, attending a discussion on Costa Rican folklore and practice their Spanish in a full-immersion setting.  Lastly, students will have the opportunity to better understand Costa Rica's varied ecosystems and the animals and insects that inhabit these varied conditions.  Some of the ecosystems visited include: the Central Valley forest, the humid forest, the tropical dry forest, and the wetlands.

Academic Content:  This trip will focus on three main content areas:
(1) Costa Rican culture, (2) Rainforest wildlife and vegetation (3) Spanish conversation

Special Needs or Circumstances:  This trip has already been filled and will no longer be accepting applicants.  All students enrolled will need a valid passport and out-of-country insurance to participate.

Teacher:  Jennifer Wilson + one male parent chaperone

Location:  Costa Rica
(San José, Árenal Region, Monteverde, Playa Jaco, Manuel Antonio)

Students: 14-15

Grade Level: all

Funds Needed: Trip cost: $1,900  This cost includes all meals, lodging, travel, 24 hour assistance, an in-country guide and entrance to all museums, national parks and other trip-related activities.  This amount does not include expenses for insurance, renewal of/registration for a passport or items students choose to buy with their own money.  Of the 14-15 students signed up, 3 students are on an Academic Scholarship.  Some students have also chosen to take part in various fund-raising activities (some of which will be monitored and run with the help and guidance of Ms. Wilson).