Twelfth Grade


The Culmination of Six-Years in the Community of Learners

After years together, the seniors have formed deep friendships and know that the unique perspectives and strengths of each of their classmates has helped them grasp things that they never could have on their own. Other highlights of this last year include discussing Christian responses to the challenges of the modern world in a senior colloquium; studying light in physics, culminating in Einstein’s theory of special relativity; and exploring together what is revealed about human love and suffering in Doystevsky’s Brothers Karamazov.

Curricular Overview

Humane Letters Seminar (2 Semesters)
Students wrestle with a wide variety of texts in medieval to modern literature, philosophy, theology and poetry. They write approximately fifteen papers on these texts over the course of the year. See our reading list for the literature of the course.

World Issues Colloquium (1 Semester)
Students have the opportunity to explore together some of the challenges facing the modern world and think through how Christians who yearn to help humans thrive as much as possible can approach these challenges. The topics covered vary according to student interest and evolving challenges. They can include the growth of secularization, the use of artificial intelligence, the loss of a sense of community, and cultural polarization.

Modern Language II: Italian or Spanish (1 Semester)
Students continue their study of a third language, with the aim of being able to read a work of literature in the original language.

Art IV (1 Semester)
Students continue to develop techniques learned in previous years concluding with a major independent work.

Art History II (1 Semester)
Students study art from the twelfth century to the present, expanding their ability to employ artistic vocabulary, formally analyze a work of art and appreciate art in its historical context.

Drama II (1 Semester)
Students review the basics of acting then produce another full-length play. By the end of Drama II the students have performed in a work of Shakespeare and a work from the modern repertoire.

Calculus C and Advanced Math Topics (2 Semesters)
Students conclude their study of calculus with an introduction to multivariable calculus, working through how to apply their understanding of derivatives and integrals from single variable calculus to functions of two variables. They then study linear algebra organized around the solution of the matrix equation Ax=b and around the eigenvalue/eigenvector problem. Finally, they work significantly in mathematical modeling, applying the mathematics they have learned to biology, physics, and economics.

Physics B and C (2 Semesters)
Students study electrostatics, circuits, magnetism, and electromagnetism. They approach each topic from both a conceptual and a mechanical point of view, using calculus to problem-solve. They discuss the history of the study of light, culminating in Einstein’s theory of special relativity. They are introduced to quantum mechanics and particle physics.