New Courses for the 24-25 School Year

We're excited to continue expanding our curriculum and offer new classes to our students next year! We will be offering two new courses in partnership with Saint Michael's College: General Psychology and Personal Finance. We're hoping for 1 more class - AP Economics - and are finalizing details currently. These classes are only available to juniors and seniors and will be taught on campus by Rice instructors. Dual enrollment credit will be available for a fee of $825 for 4 credits, a fraction of the price of a traditional college class. Our hope is that these classes will help students gain maturity, knowledge, and real-world skills that will prepare them for their next step - and give them actual college credit!

We have additional science and arts classes, click the link to jump to a description:

• SMC General Psychology
• SMC Personal Finance
• *SMC AP Economics (likely)
• AP Environmental Science
• Robotics
• Digital Filmmaking
• Vermont Poetry

SMC General Psychology

Taught by: Mr. Farrell 

Course Description: This is a college-level introductory Psychology course taught at Rice High School.  Students will earn 1.0 high school credits upon completion of the course.  Students who successfully pass the course can also be awarded 4.0 Saint Michael’s College credits for an additional fee.  The class will generally follow Saint Michael’s guideline of expecting 7 hours of work outside the classroom for every 3 hours of lecture time.  Some of this time will be directed independent study time with instructor supervision during regular classroom hours.  General Psychology will introduce students to basic psychological concepts, and investigate the reasons for our own behavior and the behavior of others.  In addition, students will be challenged to apply psychological principles to personal growth and other aspects of everyday life.  General Psychology will utilize a number of creative and engaging methods and technology to enhance the students’ experience and enhance the impact of the course content. 

SMC Personal Finance

Taught by: Ms. Mulligan
Course Description:  Personal Finance aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complex world of personal/consumer finance and make informed financial decisions.  Throughout the course, students will explore key concepts and fundamental principles related to the time value of money, budgeting, saving, investing, credit management, taxes, insurance, and retirement planning.  This course is designed to help students set financial goals and understand the importance of financial literacy and its impact on their long-term financial well-being.  
 

*SMC AP Economics

Taught By: Mr. Collins
Course Description:  This is a two part course that prepares students for both the AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics exams. This course allows students to develop a deep understanding of how the economy around them works. AP Microeconomics focuses on the decisions of individual producers and  consumers, and helps students understand how those decisions create the vibrant web of connections that is our economy. AP Macroeconomics focuses on how larger forces such as global trade and labor can change and affect one another.

*this class will most likely be offered, we're finalizing details with SMC
 

AP Environmental Science

  
Course Description:  AP Environmental Science is a multidisciplinary course that focuses on ecological processes, human impacts on the earth, and how to resolve or prevent natural and human-made environmental problems. The course ties together scientific principles from geology, chemistry, biology, geography, and Earth Science. The course is designed for grade levels 11-12.

Robotics

Course Description:  Robotics is an exciting field that sits at the intersection of science, engineering, and technology.  This new semester-long interdisciplinary course is dedicated to the design, construction, and utilization of mechanical robots. During this course, students will gain knowledge across multiple disciplines and will cover the basics of modeling, design, planning, and control of robot systems. 
 

Digital Filmmaking

Course Description: After learning about the history of video and how to best use a video camera, students will develop and enhance their own video production skills. Projects will include producing tours, DIY, interviews, newscasts, and entertainment videos individually, in small groups and class wide. Students will also have the opportunity to produce live events, visit live production studios as well as create their own videos from start to finish. Students will produce their own final video using a variety of video production equipment and doing their own work on video editing software.

 

Vermont Poetry - Green Mountain Rhythms

Taught by: Mr. Nagy
Course Description: Inspired by the landscapes, people, culture and environment of Vermont, the Vermont Poetry course will focus on reading poems from Vermont poets along with poems written about Vermont. There will be lots of opportunities for poetry writing and creative responses as we look to understand the structures and rhythms utilized by the poets the class covers. The class will encourage students to incorporate their own perspectives and poetry they’ve experienced during their time living in Vermont. Class activities will include socratic seminars, collaborative work, poetry readings, poetry recitations, inspirational excursions, poetry presentations, skit work, poetry inspired art and of course plenty of poetry writing and experimenting with various structures and forms. The course will be utilizing the poetry text, Roads Taken, as its foundational text and students will receive handouts and electronic copies of the poems we cover. Poetry is the molten lava of prose, the skeleton of larger works, the beginnings of something larger. Good poetry takes time and reflection so we will approach the class with the mindset that unfinished drafts can be returned to at other times with fresh eyes and deeper thoughts. This is a class meant to explore your creative side and find the words to express your love of all things Vermont!