The Westminster Schools Announces New JanTerm Program

Staff Report

Beginning in January 2015, The Westminster Schools will introduce JanTerm—an intensive, three-week course of study that allows Upper School students to focus on a single topic in great depth and at an accelerated pace.

This immersive learning experience will offer unique, hands-on experiences in the classroom as well as off-campus field trips and opportunities for overnight travel. JanTerm courses will provide engaging, experiential, and project-based opportunities for our students in a variety of subject areas. The opportunities afforded by JanTerm directly support the goals of Westminster’s For College and For Life strategic plan to educate the whole person.

“JanTerm has energized students and faculty alike,” said Jim Justice, Upper School Assistant Principal and member of the English department at The Westminster Schools. “Students are excited about the chance to do something different—to take a course of special interest that takes them deeper, to try something new, or to choose a course taught by teachers they love. The faculty have been invigorated by the prospect of working in teams across traditional disciplines with a focus on getting out into the city and thinking beyond tests and exams as the assessment.”

JanTerm courses—which will take place January 5-23, 2015—come from all disciplines, are graded, and can help fulfill graduation requirements. The average class size will be 18 students with two team teachers, but class size will vary from 12-24 students. All Upper School students are required to enroll in a JanTerm course.

A few JanTerm course offerings include “Appalachia: History, Music, and Culture,” “Behind the Scenes: Theater, Film, and Television in Atlanta,” “Biomechanics and Sports Medicine,” “Ecology and the Culture of the Georgia Coast,” “Electronic Fashion: e-textiles and Wearable Computers,” “If You Build It: Designing Stadiums for Communities,” “Shakespeare and Music,” and more.

Students had the opportunity to learn more about course offerings and speak with faculty at a JanTerm information fair held in late September, and then students registered by selecting the five preferred courses they would be interested in taking. Using a computer program designed by Westminster Upper School teacher Eliot Kaplan, all students were assigned one of their top three choices for JanTerm.

The flexible structure of the program was designed to continue to expand and grow in coming years to possibly accommodate internships, offer accelerated language, math, and science classes, and dovetail with the fall and spring semesters and with summer school.

“JanTerm is not a one-year thing,” said Justice. “It has the potential to grow, do more, and keep energy and excitement high in the future. This program represents Westminster at its best—challenging, fun, energized, and a great place to be a student and a teacher.”

For more information and a complete list of course offerings, visit westminster.net/upper_school_academics.