Tag Archives: 23spring

Integrated Algebra 1 (Michael J. Coffey)

A continuation of fall term’s Integrated Algebra 1, continuing to use the Numerimurgy system so that everyone can be working at the right level of challenge. (Newcomers or students below level 19 of Numerimurgy should consider taking this course rather than IA2, but either can work if there are scheduling conflicts.)

This class will cover all four of areas of skills and concepts of pre-college mathematics with an emphasis on algebra, but also drawing from number systems, measurement, and geometric thinking. The course has a lot of ideas about relationships between numbers, and learning the special language of math. That includes things like:

learning how to convert real-world problems and situations into mathematical descriptions of what’s going on, like using an equation to describe the relationship between two things that influence each other such as price of a product and how many get sold
looking at different ways of representing and manipulating numbers, even when you don’t know specifically what number you’re working with (variables, exponents, roots)
new functions and equations–and what can be done with them
graphing and estimation skills
some techniques for analyzing and comparing different data sets
practice thinking in specific ways in order to solve problems (rather than guessing or experimenting)

We will discuss in class what your math goals are. However, keep in mind that most high school math classes meet 5 days a week and we will only meet for 2 days each week. If your academic goals are to learn the equivalent of a public high school’s amount of math, you will have to do a significant amount of work on your own.

Will happen in one of the two Monday/Tuesday morning slots.

Outside work: Occasional throughout the term

Integrated Algebra 2 (Michael J. Coffey)

A continuation of fall term’s Integrated Algebra 2, continuing to use the Numerimurgy system so that everyone can be working at the right level of challenge. (Experienced students at or above level 19 of Numerimurgy should consider taking this course rather than IA1, but either can work if there are scheduling conflicts.)

learning how to convert real-world problems and situations into mathematical descriptions of what’s going on, like using an equation to describe the relationship between two things that influence each other such as price of a product and how many get sold
looking at different ways of representing and manipulating numbers, even when you don’t know specifically what number you’re working with (variables, exponents, roots)
new functions and equations–and what can be done with them
graphing and estimation skills
some techniques for analyzing and comparing different data sets
practice thinking in specific ways in order to solve problems (rather than guessing or experimenting)

Will happen in one of the two Monday/Tuesday morning slots.

Outside work: Occasional throughout the term

Old Time Radio (Dan Gillmore)

After the printing press, radio was the next great revelation of communication. One of radio’s best uses was sharing stories, presented by actors and talented producers of sound and editing.

In this class we will occasionally read a source text before class, and in class we will create art while we listen to a performance from the golden age of radio. Written/and or digital copies of each story will be provided to the students to read before each class.

Sponsor: Dan Gillmore

Twilight Zone (Dan Gillmore)

We will watch a selection of episodes from the classic anthology series from 1959 and beyond, followed by a conversation about the themes and deeper meanings behind each episode. The show often features stories that fall into genre categories such as sci-fi, western, and horror.

Play Production (Maggie)

Are you interested in putting on a play this fall? Sign up and we’ll plan a production based on who’s interested. To be performed on stage this year.

BeatCraft (Brandon Bermudez)

This class is focused on learning and applying music theory ideas, including reading and writing, analysis, and production. Students in this class will get a better understanding of how harmony, rhythm, and melody work together to create songs. This term’s iteration of this class will have a heavier focus on rhythm. Open to all grades. Computer and headphones required. Some homework will be required.

Third Unnamed Band (Brandon Bermudez)

This was a request from Ollie to start a new, beginner-friendly performance band. If you’ve spoken with Ollie about this project, please sign up!

Basaso (Brandon Bermudez)

Intermediate performance band.

If you’re not currently in this band and are interested in joining, please talk to Brandon before signing up.

Casual Ghost Party (Brandon Bermudez)

Advanced performance band.

Closed band.

Yearbook (final drafting!) (Sieglinde)

The yearbook theme this year is Y2K y’all!

If you’ve been on the Yearbook Team these past two terms, welcome back! If you’re interested in joining, it’s not too late, but please talk with Sieglinde before signing up. We seek motivated students who want to spend time on Canva working on layout, photos, content, etc, and continue to pull it all together into a book that can last your lifetime.

Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session
Minimum students: 5
Sessions per week: 2

Songwriting! (McKenzie Burkard)

Whether you’re completely new to songwriting or it’s been your passion for years (or if you’re anywhere in between), this class is for you! We’ll explore reasons for songwriting, approaches/styles, key terms, techniques, and have plenty of opportunities to write + share! This will be a great opportunity to build a songwriting community and connect through music and collaboration. As someone who started songwriting in middle school, I have used this practice throughout my life and I’m passionate about the reflective, creative, and fun nature of crafting songs. I’m excited to pass on some of my own approaches and learn with and from you all about other ways of lyric creation! In this class, understanding that there is no one way to learn or teach songwriting, we’ll all work to find our songwriting fit – discovering our writing motivations and interests along the way

About the instructor: I've been an administrative intern at PSCS since the start of Winter Term this school year! I'm an English major (Education minor) in my third year at UW and songwriting is a huge passion of mine :)

Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session
Minimum students: 3

POKER! Texas Hold ‘Em (Ori) (Ori)

POKER! Texas Hold ‘Em- is a class where students will learn what Texas Hold ‘Em is, and how to play it, and then use those skills during class where we will hold games of Texas Hold ‘Em. This class will never involve betting with real money.

Why I want to teach this class

I see Texas Hold ‘Em as a part of PSCS history. Elizabeth taught me how during a flex, and I have taught flexes about Poker before. I want to pass on this small, fun part of the school to my fellow students. This class will be an elective.

Outside work: No outside work
Sponsor: elizabeth

BME- The Black Music Experience MS/HS (TSam)

“Describing the African-American influence on American music in all of its glory and variety is an intimidating—if not impossible—task. African American influences are so fundamental to American music that there would be no American music without them. People of African descent were among the earliest non-indigenous settlers of what would become the United States, and the rich African musical heritage that they carried with them was part of the foundation of a new American musical culture that mixed African traditions with those of Europe and the Americas. Their work songs, dance tunes, and religious music—and the syncopated, swung, remixed, rocked, and rapped music of their descendants—would become the lingua franca of American music, eventually influencing Americans of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. The music of African Americans is one of the most poetic and inescapable examples of the importance of the African American experience to the cultural heritage of all Americans, regardless of race or origin.” – Steven Lewis (Music historian)

In this class, we will be exploring the black experience through the lens of music. We will spend time in more popular genres, but also take time to explore lesser-known styles including the blues, jazz, gospel, and African and Caribbean music genres.

Requirements & Materials- Students will need to have their own headphones, a Spotify account, and the ability to download and listen to music files.

Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session
Mature themes: Some of the lyrics could contain explict language.

Girl, Woman, Other (hannah)

Note: This class is open to high school students only.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo “follows the lives of twelve very different people in Britain, predominantly female and Black. Aged 19 to 93, they span a variety of cultural backgrounds, sexualities, classes, and occupations as they tell the stories of themselves, their families, friends and lovers, across the country and through the years” (from Evaristo’s website). It is written in a hybrid poetry-prose style that illuminates themes of modern womanhood and intergenerational histories.

In 2019, the year it was published, this book crushed many bestselling lists and, more importantly, was on the favorite-books-of-the-year lists of Barack Obama and Roxane Gay. It also won the Booker Prize.

In this class, we will read, analyze, discuss, and write about this stunning book. It will be really fun. Take this class if you wanna learn how to read with purpose and write with power and engage with an excellent narrative.

Outside work: A moderate amount (e.g., 30-60 min) for each session
Mature themes: sexuality, racial dynamics

MS Washington State History (hannah)

Note: This class is open to middle school students only.

How did Washington’s unique location and natural resources influence its development, demographics, and interactions between people and environment? In this class, we will trace our beautiful state’s history through time. Students will examine the struggles to control territory in the Pacific Northwest, including the conflicts and treaties surrounding indigenous sovereignty. We will look at how Washington became an agricultural and technological center of industry. Students will practice skills of historical analysis to examine the interconnected strands of history, culture, geography, government, and economics.

We will be using curriculum from the UW Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest and Department of History; Washington State Historical Society; and the text Washington’s History; The People, Land, and Events of the Far Northwest by Harry Ritter

Outside work: A moderate amount (e.g., 30-60 min) for each session
Mature themes: genocide, colonialism

Soccer and Kick It (hannah and elizabeth)

MORE SOCCER AT YESLER WE LOVE IT

Outside work: No outside work

Recess! (hannah)

MORE RECESS. We will continue to play together, practicing the skills of communication, negotiation, coordination, collaboration, and more. Some of this term will be spent playing outside, too. More spikeball! More frisbee! Kickball? Slackline??? Come to recess class and find out.

Outside work: No outside work

HS Washington State History (hannah)

Note: This class is open to high school students only.

Outside work: A moderate amount (e.g., 30-60 min) for each session
Mature themes: genocide, colonialism

Danny Woo Community Garden (hannah)

Come join us as we plant, pull weeds, feed chickens, enhance the infrastructure, sort the compost, and care for our local community garden.

Outside work: No outside work

Duolingo (Valerie)

Break down communication barriers by learning a world language. Which communities do YOU want to interact with a little more? Choose a language in the free Duolingo app, work at your own pace to earn your language credit, and report your weekly progress to Val!

Outside work: Occasional throughout the term

The Poet X (hannah)

Note: This class is open to middle school students only.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is about a girl’s discovery of slam poetry “as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world.” The main character, Xiomara Batista, feels unheard and unable to hide in her home of Harlem. “But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers…So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems. Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent” (from Acevedo’s website).

A National Book Award winner, this novel – written in poetry rather than prose – examines themes of religion, sexuality, immigration, and culture. In this class, we will read, discuss, analyze, and write about the book, including writing poems of our own.

Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session

Hindi Language & South Asian Culture (Wasfee Vazir)

Did you know that Hindi is the third most spoken language in the world? It is amongst the fastest growing languages spoken in America and around the world.

Through this fun and interactive course, students will learn conversational Hindi. South Asian music, art, dance, and theatre will serve as a backdrop for this course ensuring high energy.

Salient topics:

Learn to write your name and age: Introduction to written Hindi using the Devanagari script. Students will be introduced to the alphabet and numbers in Hindi with the goal that they are able to write their names and age in Hindi!
Tour South Asian cultures: Immersive walkthrough of the various festivals, holidays, and cultural etiquette specific to the South Asian culture.
Welcome Spring! Use this period of transition from winter into Spring to learn about expressing the surroundings in this season.

Course Experience:

Use of arts and craft: South Asian art and craft themed activities including Warli Art, Indian block printing, clay pottery art and Rangoli designs allowing students to express words, characters, phrases, or simple sentences in Hindi.
Theater and drama: We will also work on a Spring celebration play for the students to participate and speak in Hindi language while learning about the Spring festival of colors from South Asia called Holi.

Dance and Music: There will also be a Bollywood dance workshop to experience how this language is used in Indian cinema now famous around the world. • Contextual relevance: We leverage books in Hindi written by South Asian authors – many of them based in the US. Some of these will also have English transliterated Hindi to give the student’s independence to read in Hindi using English script.

Digital learning support: The course will also utilize interactive apps in Hindi like Shoonya Kids and Duolingo to facilitate continuous learning for children at different levels of proficiency.

This course will enable PSCS students to reach novice level proficiency across communications, culture, connections, comparisons and communities.

Beginner-ish Yoga – (Meta)

Learn some simple yoga poses and stretches, along with breathing exercises to go along with the poses, and general ones to calm your body. Chill class, do what you can! I’m not the most skilled so I’ll be learning along with y’all.

Outside work: No outside work
Sponsor: hannah

Mr. Gingolds Musical School For Music – (Charlie)

Note: This class is open to middle school students only.

Do you go to PSCS? Are you looking to get into the music scene? Whether you’re a proficient musician, or have never touched an instrument, one thing is for certain: This class will make you better at music.

Mr. Gingolds Musical School For Music will teach you all the necessities of becoming the next greatest musician- Music theory, Rhythm, An instrument of you choosing, Coordination with a band, and even some performance tactics.

You may say to yourself… “Hmmm, I don’t know Charlie, that sounds complicated and hard, I don’t think I’m good enough to learn at your amazing music school for music…” You are not meant to be perfect, nobody is. The point of this class and learn more about music, and have some fun. Any skill level is welcome. Come and learn at Mr. Gingolds Musical School For Music.

Outside work: A moderate amount (e.g., 30-60 min) for each session
Sponsor: hannah

Writing 101 (hannah)

In this class, we will practice the foundations of writing: how to craft a strong variety of sentences and paragraphs; correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling; parts of speech; detailed word choices, etc. This class will be composed of mini-lessons, writing prompts, and editing sessions. It is open to all – I will adjust the lessons based on what kind of practice students need and where yall are at. This can also be a space to receive help on writing assignments for other classes.

Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session

Afro Indigenous History (cont) HS (TSam)

Note: This class is open to high school students only.

American History

The first intersectional history of the Black and Native American struggle for freedom in our country also reframes our understanding of who was Indigenous in early America.

Beginning with pre-Revolutionary America and moving into the movement for Black lives and contemporary Indigenous activism, Afro-Indigenous historian Kyle T. Mays argues that the foundations of the US are rooted in anti-blackness and settler colonialism and that these parallel oppressions continue into the present. He explores how Black and Indigenous peoples have always resisted and struggled for freedom, sometimes together, and sometimes apart. Whether to end African enslavement and Indigenous removal or eradicate capitalism and colonialism, Mays shows how the fervor of Black and Indigenous peoples’ calls for justice have consistently sought to uproot white supremacy.

Mays uses a wide array of historical activists and pop culture icons, “sacred” texts, and foundational texts like the Declaration of Independence and Democracy in America. He covers the civil rights movement and freedom struggles of the 1960s and 1970s and explores current debates around the use of Native American imagery and the cultural appropriation of Black culture. Mays compels us to rethink both our history as well as contemporary debates and to imagine the powerful possibilities of Afro-Indigenous solidarity.

Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session
Mature themes: Due to the nature of history, some elements could include loss of life and violent acts as essential to survival.

Cinema – HS (year long) (TSam)

Note: This class is open to high school students only.

The film industry has been a constant element that was created to express the ideas of others. Through film, we can see deep ideas from people whose expressions can capture moments from the past looking into the future. While it’s hard to see every film that has ever been made, we can center ourselves around so many elements of several movies and experience a connection that surpasses both time and space. In the class, we will participate in watching films from a large number of different styles and use those moments to expand our knowledge of these amazing selections of work. There will be in-class discussions along with essay writing (group project) to help us convey our thoughts and stretch our thinking.

Mature Themes: Words and images can be inappropriate for some students.

Outside work: Occasional throughout the term
Mature themes: Words and images can be inappropriate for some students.

Scientific Research & Skills (TSam)

The subject of Science is constantly changing as we seek to learn more. For this class, we will take an academic approach to science by reading, analyzing data, and researching the most talked about topics that are capturing the attention of this global community. You will also have the chance to tackle subjects that you’re interested in while developing your research skills and advancing your ability to present your findings

Outside work: A moderate amount (e.g., 30-60 min) for each session

Podcast/AV (TSam)

Podcasting has now become one of the coolest ways to acquire information in the present, digital age. While traveling, exercising, or relaxing; your average person is usually tuned into their favorite show. Recently, the popularity of podcasts took to new heights with the deep interest in shows like True Crime, and other mystery-based, story-led programs. Whether you’re into listening to podcasts or always wanted to create your own, this is the class for you.

Also, this class will double as a space for our new starting Audio/Visual Club! The purpose of this club is to help create a new culture around filming our school events while keeping our audio (and other video effects) in great working order. This club will be a starting point for a permanent need in our community. We will learn/enhance our skills in camera work, audio sourcing, mixing, and making sure lighting and other visual needs are being met on a high level.

Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session

Chess Club (hannah)

Chess is an ancient game of strategy and patience. It’s challenging and fun. In this class, we will play chess together! We will learn some strategies and eventually play each other, tournament style. This class is open to all – those who have played chess for years, those who will be playing for the first time, and everyone in between! Come try the game that has captivated and puzzled players for centuries.

Outside work: No outside work

EMC – Electronic Music Collective (DJ Edition) l (TSam)

Djing has become one of the most skillful musical forms of expression over the last 50 years. Through its early days in New York, MCs and DJs have been able to successfully keep so much music alive, while constantly evolving to make space for other styles and genres to emerge. In today’s current era, making music has become more accessible due to the use of laptops, iPads, and even cell phones. The only question that remains is what can a person do versus what has not been done yet.

In this class, I show you the basics of how to effectively mix songs and create new ones. There will be moments of exploration and collaboration. Also, expect to learn various techniques, sampling, sound engineering, song curation, music history, and uncommon genre exploration.

Required materials: You need to have a computer that can run specific music software (TBD) and be able to successfully download music files (repeatedly) from the internet. Also, you must have your own headphones.

Outside work: A moderate amount (e.g., 30-60 min) for each session
Mature themes: Some of the lyrics could contain explict language.

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