9-12 Catalog

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: David Tran

• Simplify or identify equivalent algebraic expressions.
• Represent math relationships using symbolic algebra.
• Differentiate between linear and nonlinear functions.
• Model and describe slope as a rate of change.
• Identify the slope from a graph, table, or equation.
• Evaluate variable expressions and functions.
• Identify an equation of a line from given information.
• Recognize the general shape and properties of functions from graphs, tables, or equations.
• Interpret the role of coefficients and constants on graphs of linear or quadratic functions.
• Analyze functions by investigating domain, range, rates of change, intercepts, and zeros.
• Model problems using functions and relations.
• Create and connect representations that are tabular, graphic, numeric, and symbolic from a set of data.
• Represent quantitative relationships graphically and interpret the meaning of the graph as it relates to a certain situation.
• Interpret and solve linear equations and inequalities.
• Solve and interpret graphs of systems of equations and inequalities.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Ronit Kumar

Biology, 1-year life-science lab credit. No prerequisite.

This is a full year, activity-based, laboratory science course focusing on the unique properties of living organisms and how they connect to larger Biosystems. Topics may include science of research, cell biology, genetics, evolution, molecular biology, elements of life, carbon and nitrogen cycles, and ecology. Critical thinking and problem-solving are emphasized. Students work with digital microscopes, perform individualized experiments, interpret data, and form generalizations. The department aims to ensure that students gain an understanding of the diversity and complexity of life, and an appreciation of the sanctity of life regardless of its form.

This is a UC/CSU/NCAA approved course.

Crossroads College Board Code is 053307.

Any Crossroads student taking this course will be required to take a placement test to qualify for Chemistry Honors course (if another science class isn’t taken in place of Biology).

Absences & Tardies
For Upper School credit courses students must plan to attend all sessions of class.

We understand that illness can happen in the summer. For classes that meet for five-weeks, a student may miss a maximum of two class sessions. When absent or late to class, students are still responsible for completing all assigned work. Students must complete all course requirements to receive Upper School academic credit.

Academic Credit
To have grades and transcripts sent to a student's home school, an Academic Credit Form is required for all non-Crossroads students. That form will be available on the summer website after April 15. An Academic Credit Form is not required for Crossroads students.

Preparation
Students taking this class should be prepared for the intense pace of the course. One day of class in the summer program is considered to be equal to a week of classes during the school year. Students should also be prepared for homework each night. It’s recommended that students do not take other classes, work, or take on internships during the five weeks of the summer program.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: TBD

Chemistry is a full-year course designed as a general introduction to the properties and interaction of all forms of matter. Through inquiry-based investigations, hands-on experimentation, demonstrations, and problem-solving sessions, students gather facts, organize data, and analyze trends and patterns that explain the nature of matter. The course covers atomic theory, chemical periodicity, chemical bonding, nomenclature, chemical reactions, gas laws, molecular geometry, and stoichiometry.

Students should expect 2-3 labs, 2-3 quizzes, and 2-3 tests per week. Chemistry is a math-intensive course; therefore, students must have a strong facility with Algebra.

Prerequisite: 1 year of Biology, B- or better in freshman math course or completion of Intermediate Algebra.

Any Crossroads student taking this course will be required to take a placement test to qualify for a CAS Science course.

Contact Miranda Guenther (mguenther@xrds.org) to schedule a placement test.

This is a UC/CSU/NCAA approved course.

Crossroads College Board Code is 053307.

Absences & Tardies
For Upper School credit courses students must plan to attend all sessions of class.

We understand that illness can happen in the summer. For classes that meet for five-weeks, a student may miss a maximum of two class sessions. When absent or late to class, students are still responsible for completing all assigned work. Students must complete all course requirements to receive Upper School academic credit.

Academic Credit
To have grades and transcripts sent to a student's home school, an Academic Credit Form is required for all non-Crossroads students. That form will be available on the summer website after April 15. An Academic Credit Form is not required for Crossroads students.

Preparation
Students taking this class should be prepared for the intense pace of the course. One day of class in the summer program is considered to be equal to a week of classes during the school year. Students should also be prepared for homework each night. It’s recommended that students do not take other classes, work, or take on internships during the five weeks of the summer program.

Grades: 10-12
Instructor: Maya Rao

How do things work? How do we design, engineer, construct, and build new things? How do we solve problems with new ideas or technology? In this hands-on, project-based course, students learn tools and processes for creatively solving problems and creating new things.

This course emphasizes design thinking as a toolkit for finding sustainable, human-centered solutions to complex transdisciplinary problems. Projects may include work in robotics, fabrication, structural engineering, 3D modeling, electrical engineering, and architecture.

Course Curriculum/Objectives:

• ●To light the spark of creative innovation for designing and building new things.
• To provide tools, skills, and processes that empower students in tackling real-world problems.
• To build empathy and design skills.
• To provide a shared space where students can safely “fail early and fail often”.
• To build confidence in students’ ability to approach, analyze, and develop solutions to complex engineering problems.

Any Materials Needed

• Laptop with at least 20 GB of hard drive space (don’t forget your charger!)
• Headphones/airpods/earbuds.

Recommended but not required:

• Pencil case with sharpies, highlighters, and colored pens/pencils, pen, pencil, eraser, ruler.

This is a UC/CSU/NCAA approved course.

Crossroads College Board Code is 053307.

Absences & Tardies:
For Upper School credit courses students must plan to attend all sessions of class.We understand that illness can happen in the summer. For classes that meet for five-weeks, a student may miss a maximum of two class sessions. When absent or late to class, students are still responsible for completing all assigned work. Students must complete all course requirements to receive Upper School academic credit.

Academic Credit:
To have grades and transcripts sent to a student's home school, an Academic Credit Form is required for all non-Crossroads students. That form will be available on the summer website after April 15. An Academic Credit Form is not required for Crossroads students.

Preparation:
Students taking this class should be prepared for the intense pace of the course. One day of class in the summer program is considered to be equal to a week of classes during the school year. Students should also be prepared for homework each night. It’s recommended that students do not take other classes, work, or take on internships during the five weeks of the summer program.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor:  James Katseanes

This course develops critical thinking and visualization skills, presenting and exploring the properties of shapes in space. Some of the major topics covered are angles, parallel and perpendicular lines, triangles and congruence, quadrilaterals, similarity, right triangles, trigonometric ratios, circles, area, and volume.

Concepts from Algebra 1 are integrated throughout this course. Construction tools such as a straightedge and a compass (not included in class fee) are required for this course. Prerequisites: Algebra 1 or Intermediate Algebra.

This is a UC/CSU/NCAA approved.

Crossroads College Board Code is 053307.

Absences & Tardies
For Upper School credit courses students must plan to attend all sessions of class.

We understand that illness can happen in the summer. For classes that meet for five-weeks, a student may miss a maximum of two class sessions. When absent or late to class, students are still responsible for completing all assigned work. Students must complete all course requirements to receive Upper School academic credit.

Academic Credit
To have grades and transcripts sent to a student's home school, an Academic Credit Form is required for all non-Crossroads students. That form will be available on the summer website after April 15. An Academic Credit Form is not required for Crossroads students.

Preparation
Students taking this class should be prepared for the intense pace of the course. One day of class in the summer program is considered to be equal to a week of classes during the school year. Students should also be prepared for homework each night. It’s recommended that students do not take other classes, work, or take on internships during the five weeks of the summer program.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: TBD

Physics is a full year laboratory science class that explores the nature of the world by examining the motion of objects (kinematics) and the causes of motion (dynamics). Students learn scientific reasoning and build problem-solving skills by developing mathematical models for the behavior of matter and energy. In the laboratory component of the course, students learn the scientific method of disciplined observation and how to systematically relate these observations to mathematical models for the behavior of matter and energy. Topics covered include: Galileo's Equations, Newton’s Laws, conservation of energy and momentum, circular motion, Kepler's Laws, sound, light, electricity, and magnetism. The class encourages students to think systematically about the world around them, emphasizing group participation in laboratory and discussions.

Prerequisite: completion of Biology, a second science course, and completion of one of the following math courses with a B- or better: Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 Honors, Math 2 or Math 2 Enriched, any Math 3 course, or Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry.

This is a UC/CSU/NCAA approved course. Crossroads College Board Code is 053307.

Absences & Tardies
For Upper School credit courses students must plan to attend all sessions of class.

We understand that illness can happen in the summer. For classes that meet for five-weeks, a student may miss a maximum of two class sessions. When absent or late to class, students are still responsible for completing all assigned work. Students must complete all course requirements to receive Upper School academic credit.

Academic Credit
To have grades and transcripts sent to a student's home school, an Academic Credit Form is required for all non-Crossroads students. That form will be available on the summer website after April 15. An Academic Credit Form is not required for Crossroads students.

Preparation
Students taking this class should be prepared for the intense pace of the course. One day of class in the summer program is considered to be equal to a week of classes during the school year. Students should also be prepared for homework each night. It’s recommended that students do not take other classes, work, or take on internships during the five weeks of the summer program.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Catherine Stewart
Dates: 3 weeks; June 30 - July 18
Price: $1,249

This 3-week summer course gives students a hands-on introduction to psychology, covering topics like human behavior, memory, learning, personality, and mental health. Focusing on critical thinking, research, and real-world applications, students will explore areas such as brain behavior, sensation, perception, emotions, and social interactions. Through engaging activities, experiments, and case studies, they’ll gain a deeper insight into how people think, feel, and behave.

Course Curriculum/Objectives:

Key Topics Include:

• Psychology Fundamentals & Research Methods: Explore key figures, research techniques, and ethical considerations in psychological studies.
• Sensation & Perception: Understand how our senses interact with and influence our perceptions of the world.
• Human Development: Study developmental stages from infancy through adulthood, and how people grow and change over time.
• Personality & Motivation: Learn about different personality theories, motivation types, and how they influence behavior.
• Social Psychology: Examine how individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by social contexts and group dynamics.
• Abnormal Psychology: Analyze mental health disorders and their treatments.
• Psychology in Real Life: Investigate how psychology applies to various careers and real-world situations.

Course Objectives:

• Develop a foundational understanding of psychology.
• Apply critical thinking to psychological concepts.
• Analyze psychological research and ethical considerations.
• Explore psychology’s real-world applications.
• Enhance collaboration and communication skills.

Grades: 10-12
Instructor: Blaire Bowman

Students study, discuss, and debate central issues in United States history between the 17th and 21st centuries. Major themes and topics of the course will include immigration and migration; social and reform movements; citizenship, membership and identity; caste, class and race; economic, infrastructure and business developments; and American governmental systems and politics.

Readings include classic works on American political and literary life, contemporary social and cultural criticism, and significant primary and secondary historical sources. Sustained writing, research, presentations and discussion deepen critical reasoning and solidify students' understanding of the historical process, strengthen students' ability to conduct quality academic research, and hone students' skills in the analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of historical sources and past events.

This course is only available to students entering Crossroads in grade 11 in the fall and non-Crossroads students.

Current Crossroads students are not permitted to enroll in this course, unless authorized by US Administration for the completion of graduation requirements.

This is a UC/CSU/NCAA approved.

Crossroads College Board Code is 053307.

Absences & Tardies
For Upper School credit courses students must plan to attend all sessions of class. We understand that illness can happen in the summer. For classes that meet for five-weeks, a student may miss a maximum of two class sessions. When absent or late to class, students are still responsible for completing all assigned work. Students must complete all course requirements to receive Upper School academic credit.

Academic Credit
To have grades and transcripts sent to a student's home school, an Academic Credit Form is required for all non-Crossroads students. That form will be sent to those enrolled. An Academic Credit Form is not required for Crossroads students.

Preparation
Students taking this class should be prepared for the intense pace of the course. One day of class in the summer program is considered to be equal to a week of classes during the school year. Students should also be prepared for homework each night. It’s recommended that students do not take other classes, work, or take on internships during the five weeks of the summer program.

Grades: 10-12
Instructor: Blaire Bowman

Students study, discuss, and debate central issues in United States history between the 17th and 21st centuries. Major themes and topics of the course will include immigration and migration; social and reform movements; citizenship, membership and identity; caste, class and race; economic, infrastructure and business developments; and American governmental systems and politics.

Readings include classic works on American political and literary life, contemporary social and cultural criticism, and significant primary and secondary historical sources. Sustained writing, research, presentations and discussion deepen critical reasoning and solidify students' understanding of the historical process, strengthen students' ability to conduct quality academic research, and hone students' skills in the analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of historical sources and past events.

This course is only available to students entering Crossroads in grade 11 in the fall and non-Crossroads students.

Current Crossroads students are not permitted to enroll in this course, unless authorized by US Administration for the completion of graduation requirements.

This is a UC/CSU/NCAA approved.

Crossroads College Board Code is 053307.

Absences & Tardies
For Upper School credit courses students must plan to attend all sessions of class. We understand that illness can happen in the summer. For classes that meet for five-weeks, a student may miss a maximum of two class sessions. When absent or late to class, students are still responsible for completing all assigned work. Students must complete all course requirements to receive Upper School academic credit.

Academic Credit
To have grades and transcripts sent to a student's home school, an Academic Credit Form is required for all non-Crossroads students. That form will be sent to those enrolled. An Academic Credit Form is not required for Crossroads students.

Preparation
Students taking this class should be prepared for the intense pace of the course. One day of class in the summer program is considered to be equal to a week of classes during the school year. Students should also be prepared for homework each night. It’s recommended that students do not take other classes, work, or take on internships during the five weeks of the summer program. Current Crossroads students are not permitted to enroll in this course, unless authorized by US Administration for the completion of graduation requirements. Current Crossroads students are not permitted to enroll in this course, unless authorized by US Administration for the completion of graduation requirements.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Solomon Turner


Objectives:

• Learn the essential components of filmmaking, including shot composition, lighting, and sound.
• Experiment with camera techniques and visual storytelling strategies.
• Work collaboratively to develop, shoot, and edit a short film or scene.
• Explore the creative and technical aspects of post-production, including editing and sound design.
• Screen and discuss films for inspiration, with a focus on how filmmakers use visuals to tell stories.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Caitlin Tortorici & Daniel Jimenez Afanador

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Daniel Jimenez Afanador

This class teaches students how to compose and produce music for visual media. Through hands-on experiences and discussions, students will gain fluency in DAWs, learn film scoring principles, explore harmonic concepts for scoring, and get introduced to basic orchestration. From day one, students will be scoring for visual media, and by the end of the class, they will have a portfolio of work to take with them. Pro Tools, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro will be available in our computer lab, but students are welcome to use their own computers. There are no prerequisites for this class, though some experience with music production is recommended.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Wizdom Rounds

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Zoey Zimmerman

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

• Students may choose to work on scripted monologues or scenes from a play, TV, or film script. A variety of acting techniques will be explored, including Meisner, Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, Uta Hagen, and methods taught at Yale School of Drama.
• Students who need audition material for college or show auditions in the fall will have the option to use class time to work on a (modern or classical) monologue. Additional private coaching by the instructor (outside of class time) is included in the cost of the program.
• Students may choose to explore sketch comedy writing, playwriting, and / or directing during this workshop.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Solomon Turner

This immersive painting and drawing course invites students to experiment with a variety of techniques and materials while exploring their own artistic voice. Whether you’re a beginner or have experience, this class will focus on building confidence in mark-making, composition, and color. Students will leave with a collection of artwork that reflects their personal style and creative growth.

Objectives:

• Experiment with different drawing and painting techniques.
• Explore the fundamentals of line, shape, texture, and color.
• Develop skills in shading, perspective, and composition.
• Work with a range of materials (pencils, charcoal, ink, acrylics, or watercolor).
• Engage in creative exercises to generate ideas and refine personal artistic expression.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Paige Parsons


Course Curriculum/Objectives:

• Study how design elements work together, such as fabric type, color, and shape.
• Learn how to hand-stitch and sew on a sewing machine
• Learn how to measure and cut fabric.
• Practice problem-solving and creatively embracing mistakes.
• Explore sewing techniques based on student interest, such as embroidery or attaching zippers.
• Practice “upcycling” and crafting sustainable fashion.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Daniel Jimenez Afanador

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Daniel Jimenez Afanador

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Audrey Horner

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Wizdom Rounds

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Daniel Jimenez Afanador

This class teaches students how to compose and produce music for video games. Through hands-on experiences and discussions, students will gain fluency in DAWs, learn principles of gaming music, explore general music composition, and be introduced to basic gaming audio implementation. From day one, students will be composing music, and by the end of the class, they will have a portfolio of work to take with them. Pro Tools, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro will be available in our computer lab, but students are welcome to use their own computers. We will also explore the gaming audio application Wwise. There are no prerequisites for this class, though some experience with music production is recommended.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Wizdom Rounds

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Simon Mendoza

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Daniel Jimenez Afanador

This class teaches students about the workings of the music industry and how to release music as an independent artist. Through videos, activities, readings, and discussions, students will learn about copyright law, royalty collection, DIY music release strategies, music promotion, touring, record deals, publishing deals, sync deals, and other key industry structures. Students will also learn how to release their own music or help others do the same. This class aims to inspire students to discover their passion in the world of music.

Grades: 9-12
Instructor: Caitlin Tortorici

Do you love to sing? Do you want to learn more about singing? In this class we will cover vocal technique, how to sing in different styles, harmonizing, stage presence, music history, and song writing. The class will culminate in a performance at the end of the session.

Grades: 7-12
Dates: June 16 - July 10
Days: Monday - Thursday
Time: 3:30-5:15 p.m.
Price: $1,195

Details will be posted soon.

Grades: 1-9
Dates: June 16 - July 25
Days: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.
Price: $510

This program offers swimming instruction for participants in Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced groups. See below for details of our typical offerings. • Wave Runners—Beginners (ages 10 and under) Description: Swimmers will develop and improve their skills in all four competitive strokes (freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke). They will learn important racing skills such as starts and turns. Our goal is to help students see themselves as athletes while maintaining a primary focus on a fun, mechanically sound swimming experience. Prerequisite: Ability to swim 25 yards of freestyle and 25 yards of backstroke or backstroke kick • Wave Runners—Intermediate/Advanced Group (ages 9 and older) Description: Practices are designed to develop swimmers’ overall performance and dedication to the sport while simultaneously providing a fun and engaging team atmosphere. Our focus is on the continued development of individuals’ competitive skills in practice and at meets by setting goals, refining stroke mechanics and implementing a challenging workout regime. Prerequisite: Ability to swim a minimum of 25 yards in all four racing strokes (freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke). Swimmers will be placed in the Intermediate or Advanced group based on overall ability.