Curriculum 2012-13

Arts Department

The Arts Department seeks to enable each student to discover and realize her creative potential, to foster an understanding of the artistic achievements of her own and other cultures, and to foster a life-long appreciation of the arts by developing proficiency in expressing her ideas through the artistic media, developing criteria for making aesthetic judgments, and by integrating the arts with other disciplines.

English Department

The English Department holds the discovery and expression of each student’s voice as a primary goal and invites students to develop a life-long appreciation for literature and language through critical thinking and writing skills, authentic self-appraisal, and respect for people and cultures.

History Department

The History Department seeks to cultivate a strong spirit of inquiry in its students and to develop the skills necessary to recognize patterns, themes, people, and events of the past and the connections of the past with the present. The curriculum reflects the increasingly interdependent world and strives to produce citizens capable of acting with competence and confidence to make contributions beyond the SPSG community. SPSG girls will understand the voices of women in the past and be prepared to exercise their own voices in the future.

Mathematics Department

The Mathematics Department seeks to instill in each student confidence in her ability to learn and apply mathematics; to encourage independent critical-thinking; to foster mastery of fundamental mathematical skills and concepts; to develop analytical problem-solving skills; and to broaden the student's appreciation of the beauty and value of the discipline and of its ubiquitous presence and importance in the world around her.

Online School for Girls

If you are interested in registering for a course offered through The Online School for Girls, please see Mrs. Wolfe or your college counselor. Courses offered through The Online School for Girls are intended to supplement your core courses, taken at SPSG. In some instances, if you encounter a conflict with a core course, you may be allowed to take an OSG course for credit, but only with the permission of the Upper School Head and your college counselor. Grades from The Online School for Girls will be counted towards an elective credit, and transcripts from these online courses will be attached to your SPSG transcript. Once you have permission from your family and from Ms. Szala and/or your college counselor, register by for a course with the Online School for Girls by selecting the link for Member or Affiliate Schools on the OSG website.

Physical Education Department

The St. Paul's School for Girls physical education program is designed to provide a varied and flexible program in which students acquire and maintain a healthy level of physical fitness, physical skills, and socially desirable habits of good sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play, and safety. The program is also designed to develop an interest in lifetime wellness activities and a healthy lifestyle that students will use throughout their lives. Physical education provides a non-threatening environment for experimenting with new challenges and skill work and provides an opportunity to develop self-confidence and a positive self-concept.

The physical education philosophy mirrors the School’s mission of challenging each student to take risks, to develop critical thinking skills, to learn problem solving skills, to develop leadership skills, to foster creativity, and strives to impart such values as respect, integrity, and responsibility.

Religious Studies Department

The Religious Studies Department develops students’ understanding of religion and religious communities through the study of the world’s religious traditions, their texts, their histories, and their practices. The graduation requirement for Religious Studies is two half-credit courses, one in Grade IX and the other in Grade XII. There is also the option of taking an additional semester elective in the Religious Studies department for interested students.

Science Department

The Science Department is dedicated to providing a well-rounded science education that features theoretical understanding supported by a strong experimental laboratory experience; developing the habits of mind required for scientific inquiry, which include careful acquisition and evaluation of data, quantitative reasoning, and integrity in written and verbal communication; and cultivating the knowledge and skills that will allow students to function as responsible citizens in an increasingly complex technological society.

World Language Department

The World Language Department prepares students to embrace, respect, and celebrate the global and multicultural community by providing a strong foundation in both the communication and the culture of the target language, using the guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Students are offered the opportunity to pursue courses in French, Chinese, German, Japanese, or Spanish, some of which are coordinated with St. Paul’s School. Students must successfully complete three consecutive years of one language in the Upper School. Course levels are determined by teacher recommendations and by proficiency demonstrated on qualifying tests upon the completion of each year of study. The objective of each course is to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in the target language. The Language Department teaches Level I and Honors level courses in the Upper School when there is sufficient enrollment in those languages.