Dean of Teaching and Learning Joanna McDonough sums up this year's first Winter Term event in a new Deans' Den Blog. 

Yesterday, we hosted the Winter Term Fair! Students had the chance to talk with teachers about the 31 courses available this January during our annual, three-week, one-topic course of study program. 

Students heard about the abilities to build their own kiln in "Raku", travel to Portugal in "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained," and learn the ins and outs of all things Brooks in "Brooks History and Documentary Film."

They moved from table to table and room to room, learning about all the immersive experiences for 2025. I could hear students asking, "Where’s 'Leading a Legacy? Where’s 'Science Olympiad? I want to learn more about these new courses." Others shared that they are so excited that popular, and long-running, classes including "Car Wars" and "The Great Outdoors" are back again this year.

Course selection is rolled out in two phases this year. Courses with significant overnight travel are in the first round of course selection (click on each title below to see an album of photos from the course's activities last year):

• Fair Winds and Following Seas 
• El Camino
• Haunted Hotel
• France: Through the Eyes of Immigrants
• Guardians of the Sea
• Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
• Italian Art and Culture
• Art as Activism
• Shredding 101
• Mindfulness 

See photo albums from last year's Winter Term classes!

Students will submit their course requests through their advisors before September 24. Rosters for courses in Round 1 will be set by October 1.

Round 2 course selection begins the same day, October 1, and includes the remaining 21 courses.

It was a great hour yesterday, bringing the course catalog to life, with much buzz about all the creative and immersive options available this year. 

Students were still talking about it well into the evening. Some residents of Gardner House shared that they learned so much more about the courses by going to the fair and talking with the teachers.

We can’t wait for Winter Term 2025!