Summer Writing & Composition

All-Gender Course; Prerequisite - None, designed for 9th & 10th Grade Students; Non-credit course
​July 13 - August 7, 2020
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this four-week course is to help students write with confidence, clarity, and purpose in all of their school work, and to prepare for the rigors of high school level writing.  It is an appropriate course for rising high school students, for students who struggled with the writing components of a 9th grade level English course, and for English-proficient foreign nationals coming to the US for high school.  
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By the end of this course, students will have:
  • the writing process: planning, drafting, and revising; 
  • types of writing:  analytical, persuasive, and personal essays; and
  • the use of grammar as a tool for clarity, style, and meaning.
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One Schoolhouse summer bridge courses are graded, non-credit opportunities for students needing extra support in preparation for the 20-21 school year. Students participating in these courses should plan to devote 15-20 hours per week for all four weeks of their course. Student work is graded, and students receive grades and comments on a report card at the end of the course; students do not receive course credit or a transcript for these bridge courses. Because of the pacing and intensity of summer courses, students must have the ability to login and complete work for their course daily; students must be available and have internet access from July 13th until August 7th – this is nonnegotiable! 
WHAT STUDENTS DO
​Learning is an active process at One Schoolhouse. Students design, create and apply. And, they engage and connect with their teacher through discussions, video conferences, and projects. Specifically, in this class students will:
  • Gain Confidence:  One Schoolhouse recognizes that circumstance in the spring of 2020 may have prevented some students from mastering essential skills, and that this doesn’t feel good to hard working students.  Not wanting these deficiencies to carry over into the next school year, summer provides an opportunity to close some gaps and restore students’ confidence in their ability to be successful.
  • Practice Skills:  These are skills-based review courses where activities are designed to identify misunderstandings and scaffold skills, thereby improving readiness for the next level of work.  
  • Engage with Others:  Students will work with a highly trained One Schoolhouse teacher, as well as with their classmates from around the world.  Small class size ensures that students have ready access to their teacher and get to know their peers.  ​​
WHAT IS THE BRIDGE PROGRAM?
Summer bridge courses are designed for students who have seen this material before but need extra support in preparation for the next school year. These courses are a little different than our summer and school-year courses because students come with a range of knowledge, so teachers meet students where they are to identify and shore up any deficiencies or learning gaps within the listed topics/skills. The teachers themselves come from great independent schools around the country and are caring, supportive, and highly trained - meet some of them here! ​