Students in The Falcon club reflected on their academic experiences so far this year. 

Maya Vakharia ‘26:

So far, my most interesting class this semester has been Computer Science. I have never taken a class like this before, but I am fascinated by the programming language of Python. From coding a program that draws a simple square to coding a program that draws an entire house design, I have already made progress in just a few weeks. I also enjoy learning about how Python and computer science apply to the real world and are used in apps, games, and other common utilities. I was a bit intimidated by the class at first, but I’ve grown to really enjoy it, and I’m excited to continue coding more advanced programs and projects.  

Grace Salmon ‘27: 

An interesting class thus far has been History 11, which focuses on United States history. I have really enjoyed learning more about the Constitution and Declaration through in-class discussions and homework assignments. Not only have we been talking about those two documents that play such an important part in our government, but we have also been comparing them and their impact today. I have also enjoyed improving my note-taking skills. I am excited to learn more about the civil rights movement and how that history is tied to what is happening today. 

Carl Heyne ‘27:

My most interesting class so far has been Progress: A Modern History. The Socratic seminars have been super engaging, thanks to everyone in the class being pretty invested. Admittedly, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with the seniors in the class, but so far the course has been quite rewarding.

Joely Kaplan ‘28:

A class that I have found very interesting this year is Peace and Justice. We have been learning about different types of ethics, like Utilitarianism and Deontology. We have been looking at these philosophies by using interesting situations and having Socratic seminars. My favorite activity we did was looking at the Trolley Problem and observing what different philosophers would decide. We have also looked at the Drawbridge Dilemma, where we chose who we thought was most at fault, and then looked at our personal identities to see why we thought that. For the rest of the semester, we will be looking at injustice and analyzing it using these philosophies. 

Serena Krouk ‘28: The class I have found to be interesting and that I have been looking forward to the most has been History 10, taught by Anna. I have been engrossed in what we have been learning about. Although I was a little skeptical at the beginning of the year about the handwritten note-taking policy, it has proven to be a positive style that works for me. Looking back at my beautifully written and highlighted notes makes me happy. I like the fast-paced learning that we have been doing in class, with the curriculum being a wonderful mix of videos, articles, and class activities. I am excited to see how this class progresses throughout the year. 

Deyon Fullard ‘26: 

My most involved class is Creating With Tech, with this being my senior year, and most of my classes being electives. Creating with Tech has allowed me to really drive and learn about photography. Photography is a small hobby of mine and something I learn about every day. I enjoy learning the different skills and art I can make with a camera. I want to pursue journalism as a career,and creating with tech is giving me pre-information and skills I can carry into college. Creating With Tech also provides material for me to explore the camera and editing. Taking this class has made me able to feel and develop a passion for photography. 

Layla Miller ‘28:

An interesting class I’m taking is Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking. I really like this class because it helps refine my drawing skills and helps build on them. I’m really excited to see what we learn next and develop and hone my skills. I’m a bit apprehensive about the printmaking part of the class, but I’m still excited. I’m thrilled to see what this year has in store, and I can’t wait to further my knowledge in drawing, painting, and printmaking.

Emma McCahill ‘28: 

To me, the most engaging and enjoyable class I have taken so far this school year is History 10 with Anna. I find the content to be thought-provoking, informative, and enlightening. I find the way she teaches to be succinct, straightforward, and easy to comprehend. The topics we’re set out to learn this year are major events in modern world history, such as the two world wars, and I’m very excited to unpack them as a class and learn new, intriguing facts to deepen and expand my knowledge. I believe that History as a class is an essential topic that helps us navigate the complexities of the modern world, and I’m incredibly grateful to be having a positive experience within the class so far. 

Julia D’Amico ‘28:

So far the the class I have enjoyed the most is History 10. I really like the way Anna teaches; she is always patient, and I feel like I have learned so much just in the first month of school. My class is a great mix of fun and focused, and I feel comfortable asking questions and participating with my classmates. I really like the topics we are learning about because they are more modern than last year’s history class. To me, it’s much easier to learn about events when they are closer to modern times and have affected the way we live today. Overall, the content of what we are learning, the class dynamic, and Anna’s teaching style have gotten me to love History 10. 

Lily Rosen ‘28:

This year so far, my most interesting class has been Biology with Kyra. At first, I was a bit apprehensive about enrolling in a science class targeted for juniors as a sophomore. But after spending only a few classes with her, Kyra made me and my fellow sophomores feel extremely comfortable and welcome in her classroom. Currently, we’re learning about organic life and chemical evolution. Recently, we were split into groups and were tasked with an activity to dissect the molecular structure of “drugs” we encounter in our everyday lives, identifying how soluble they are with water. I particularly enjoyed looking at caffeine, the most soluble and polar–roughly meaning hydrophilic–drug. 

Lara Goldwert ‘29:

The class I am enjoying the most this semester has been Physics. I find I learn best with visual demonstrations, and Jillian is great at making hands-on experiments and labs. It has been very interesting to see how physics concepts that at first glance seem complicated fit easily into everyday life. Currently, we are wrapping up our unit on Newton’s 1st law of motion and the scientific method. Going into the school year, Physics was the class I was the most nervous about; however, Jillian is really skilled at breaking down large topics and relating them to simpler, more understandable concepts, and I have ended up really enjoying her class. 

Maddie Orr:

The most interesting class so far this year is Anna’s world history class. We have been doing interesting activities, and it’s been very fun. We’ve been exploring topics and discussing things like economic systems. I have found it very interesting, and it has also been interesting to see what other people know related to the topics. We have done a lot of things where we walk around the room to different areas to demonstrate what we think and know, and it has been fun to see when I’m wrong and see when I think the same things as others. The class has explored topics we haven’t explored before, and I’m excited to learn more.

 Lyla Harel ‘28:

My most interesting class this year is Suzanne’s English 10 class. We just completed creating our sister’s posters about our summer reading, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Which combined creativity and representation of our knowledge. I found it very fun to get to do such a fun project at the beginning of the year. In most classes, we have been taking tests and quizzes, while here in English 10, we have been getting to do fun activities. We got to choose our own partners and our own character to make the poster about which makes it more enjoyable.

Elise Kaplan ‘27

I’m really enjoying Miriam’s English class, English 11. I like the class because of the selection of books we get to read. Right now, my class is reading The Things We Carry by Tim O’Brien. The book is about the Vietnam War, and it shows the experience of the soldiers through the items they are carrying. The book describes the physical things they carry, like their equipment, and the non-physical things they carry, like the emotional baggage from the war. For me, the book is a very interesting way to explore what the war was like for the soldiers while also learning more information about the Vietnam War. Besides the content, the class itself is very engaging because of how it’s centered around group discussion and student participation. For every class we’ve had so far, we’ve had open discussions about the book, which allows everyone to get multiple interpretations and hear out perspectives they wouldn’t have considered before. Overall, I’m enjoying English 11 because of the interesting content and the class’s structure.

Maeve Singler ‘27

My most engaging class is English 11, taught by Miriam Rock.  We are reading The Great Gatsby and making connections to the real world through it. I am excited for English and to share my ideas, and Miriam creates a welcoming environment for new ideas and thoughts. The connections of books to the real world make it more fun and interesting to learn.

Susie Harries ‘28

When I go to school, I’m always most excited to go to Drawing, Painting, & Printmaking. I have a good group of friends in that class, and I love to draw, making it the perfect class for me. My teacher is Jason, who is super chill and makes art really fun. Right now, we are doing distillation paintings. Where we find a painting and simplify it into blocks of color. The result is a pixelated version of the original painting. This method is super interesting to me and has helped me with my understanding of colors and how to make the ones I want. I’m really excited to see my art improve throughout the course of the year.

Emilia Solari-Parravicini

So far, I’ve found Dave Marshall’s class, History 11, really interesting. So far, we have been focusing on Native American history, slavery, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. Dave does a great job of shedding light on untold stories most Americans have never heard before. Before taking his class, I had never heard of important historical figures like Sally Hemming, Hannah Callowhill, and Ona Judge. I think his class provides a unique opportunity to learn all sides of American history. In most schools, only the “Glory Story” of America is told, focusing on white male figures and ignoring the ugly parts of our history and the atrocities committed by the Founding Fathers. Dave teaches us the importance of carrying the good and the bad of American history and revealing the truth about history that has been manipulated over thousands of years. 

Abby Davenport ‘27

I’m really enjoying my Speech and Debate elective taught by Jared. Since joining the debate team last year, I have become curious about the subject, so I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to further academically pursue a new interest. My favorite part about the class is rebuttals – I love to pick apart arguments and prove myself. It is a small class, with only five students, which allows for a stronger, closer learning community and more attention and feedback from Jared. I am looking forward to continuing to improve my skills and participating in more speech and debate as an extracurricular activity. 

Jessica Li ‘27

My most interesting class so far is Advanced Biology, taught by Andrew Wood, who is mainly a middle school science teacher. We recently did an M&M lab where we counted how many different colors of M&Ms there were in a single bag. My lab group’s results were that there were more brown colored M&Ms compared to the other colors. We also got to eat the M&Ms after. The past few classes have been focusing on biostatistics.

Ruby Doggett ‘27

My most interesting class this year is my Advanced Physics class with Jillian. She is a really amazing teacher, and I love how we get to really engage with the material with labs and other challenges rather than just lectures. I also like how she is willing to listen to whatever ideas we have during class and doesn’t make anyone feel like their question is not valid.