Upper School Courses
Welcome to Brunswick School’s Summer Sessions for Upper School students! Offerings for students entering grades 9-12 are coeducational and run from June 12-June 30 for Session I, and July 10-July 28 for Session II. Preparatory and enrichment classes are available in Math, English, Computer Science, Languages, History, and the Arts. Please see each course description for additional details, timing, and dates. Registration is open to the public, and as class sizes are limited, enrollment will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Course Offerings
ARTS – Brunswick Theater Workshop!
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (12:30p-3:30p) |
| Grade (Rising): 5-12 | Teachers: Seth Potter, Matthew Kirby-Smith, Brittney Redler, Logan Stamey |
| Course Size: 60 | Cost: $2,350 |
Description: The Brunswick Theater Workshop will be an exciting and fun immersive theater experience. Using 2023-24’s middle school and upper school plays and musicals as a foundation, actors, and technicians will explore Acting, Musical Theater, Improvisation, Stage Combat, Puppetry, Choreography, Lighting and Stagecraft, and so much more. Come trip the lights fantastic with Brunswicks Theater team! Get a leg up on next year and be a part of this great company!
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
ARTS – Wick Rocks!
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (12:30p-2:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-12 | Teachers: Shane Kirsch |
| Course Size: 10 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: Led by Upper School Music instructor, Shane Kirsch, this camp seeks to bring kids together in a collaborative music environment. Focus will be on individual instruction as well as small group ensemble for both the beginner and expert. Kids will utilize their skills playing together as a band, incorporating many styles of music including pop, rock, blues, funk, etc. Depending on enrollment, differentiated instruction will be geared toward age and ability with a final project consisting of writing and recording an original song using the School’s in-house recording studio.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
COMPUTER SCIENCE – Java Coding Bootcamp
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 7-12 | Teachers: Sunil Gupta, Chair of the Computer Science Department |
| Course Size: 10 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the world, powerful and versatile, driving websites, embedded controllers, as well over 80% of the worldwide Smartphone market. The Java bootcamp offers hands-on learning in important Java skills, through an engaging classroom environment that covers data types, conditional statements, strings, functions, loops and arrays. You'll learn to control the flow and logic of your code, and debug your projects to make sure they run perfectly. Along the way, you'll see real-world coding examples and solve challenges to practice your new skills. This course is perfect for beginning programmers who want their first taste of this popular language.
Materials Needed: Mac or Windows device to write, compile and run Java code
Materials Needed: Mac or Windows device to write, compile and run Java code
COMPUTER SCIENCE – Java Coding Bootcamp
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 7-12 | Teachers: Poonam Gupta |
| Course Size: 10 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the world, powerful and versatile, driving websites, embedded controllers, as well over 80% of the worldwide Smartphone market. The Java bootcamp offers hands-on learning in important Java skills, through an engaging classroom environment that covers data types, conditional statements, strings, functions, loops and arrays. You'll learn to control the flow and logic of your code, and debug your projects to make sure they run perfectly. Along the way, you'll see real-world coding examples and solve challenges to practice your new skills. This course is perfect for beginning programmers who want their first taste of this popular language.
Materials Needed: Mac or Windows device to write, compile and run Java code
Materials Needed: Mac or Windows device to write, compile and run Java code
COMPUTER SCIENCE – Python Coding Bootcamp
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 7-12 | Teachers: Sunil Gupta, Chair of the Computer Science Department |
| Course Size: 10 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: Jump-start your Computer Science journey with an immersive hands-on coding camp offering the most in-demand programming skills in Python. Loved for its flexibility, versatility and intuitive syntax, Python is one of the most popular and fast-growing programming languages today, with wide-ranging applications in data science, software development, AI and machine learning, yet it is remarkably easy to learn and use. Designed to foster algorithmic thinking and problem solving with practical examples, the bootcamp will cover the fundamentals of Python language and object-oriented programming, including variables and constants, control statements, loops, and functions, as well as advanced features like objects, lists, and tuples. The bootcamp is entirely lab-based, with extensive project-based lessons using real-world examples.
Materials Needed: Mac, Windows or Chromebook device to write, compile and run Python code
Materials Needed: Mac, Windows or Chromebook device to write, compile and run Python code
COMPUTER SCIENCE – Python Coding Bootcamp
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (2:30p-4:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 7-12 | Teachers: Poonam Gupta |
| Course Size: 10 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: Jump-start your Computer Science journey with an immersive hands-on coding camp offering the most in-demand programming skills in Python. Loved for its flexibility, versatility and intuitive syntax, Python is one of the most popular and fast-growing programming languages today, with wide-ranging applications in data science, software development, AI and machine learning, yet it is remarkably easy to learn and use. Designed to foster algorithmic thinking and problem solving with practical examples, the bootcamp will cover the fundamentals of Python language and object-oriented programming, including variables and constants, control statements, loops, and functions, as well as advanced features like objects, lists, and tuples. The bootcamp is entirely lab-based, with extensive project-based lessons using real-world examples.
Materials Needed: Mac, Windows or Chromebook device to write, compile and run Python code
Materials Needed: Mac, Windows or Chromebook device to write, compile and run Python code
ENGLISH – Summer Reading & Writing
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-12 | Teachers: Seth Potter |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: Using Brunswick's Upper School Summer Reading books as a base, students will work on crucial writing skills based on the reading. Brush up on your writing while completing your English and History summer reading.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
ENGLISH – Writing in the Humanities
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-12 | Teachers: Brian Hoffman |
| Course Size: 14 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: This summer course will introduce students to the distinct academic expectations of humanities courses at Brunswick. Students will learn how to write strong body paragraphs, topic sentences, and thesis statements. Students will also develop approaches that will improve their notation skills in the classroom, reading comprehension, and test taking skills. Please contact bhoffman@brunswickschool.org if you have any further questions.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
ENGLISH – Writing Workshop
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-12 | Teachers: Seth Potter |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: We will be brushing up on writing fundamentals at the core of the upper-school curriculum. Students will be able to strengthen both their analytical and creative writing abilities. The class will center on the needs and desires of each student.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
ENGLISH – Writing Workshop
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-12 | Teachers: Bob Benjamin |
| Course Size: 10 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: Writing Workshop will help students become more effective analytical writers. We will work on building strong, active, clear sentences, and then combining these sentences into focused and unified paragraphs. We will concentrate on crafting clear, arguable topical assertions for paragraphs, and incorporating relevant specific evidence in support of these assertions. Finally, we will combine these skills in composing well-organized and logically developed five-paragraph essays.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
ENGLISH – Writing Workshop
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-12 | Teachers: Bob Benjamin |
| Course Size: 10 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: Writing Workshop will help students become more effective analytical writers. We will work on building strong, active, clear sentences, and then combining these sentences into focused and unified paragraphs. We will concentrate on crafting clear, arguable topical assertions for paragraphs, and incorporating relevant specific evidence in support of these assertions. Finally, we will combine these skills in composing well-organized and logically developed five-paragraph essays.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
ENGLISH – Writing Workshop (Advanced Placement)
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-12 | Teachers: Brian Hoffman |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This summer course will introduce students to the writing strategies and techniques needed to master Advanced Placement humanities courses. The complex rubrics that structure Advanced Placement humanities courses will be reviewed point by point. Students will learn to successfully write responses for the Document Based Essay Question (DBQ), the Long Essay Question (LEQ), and the Short Answer Question (SAQ). Strategies to master the stimulus based multiple choice section will also be reviewed consistently over the course. Dr. Hoffman has been teaching AP US History for over 10 years and has been a reader for the College Board for the last 5 years. The course is ideal for rising Sophomores and Juniors preparing to take their first Humanities Advanced Placement course. Please contact bhoffman@brunswickschool.org if you have any further questions.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
FOREIGN LANGUAGE – Fundamentals of Latin
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-11 | Teachers: Jaime Gonzalez-Ocana |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: Prepare for upper school Latin, by reviewing and reinforcing the foundations of Latin’s elementary grammar. The course includes practice on parsing and translating, and reviewing basic vocabulary. For 9th and 10th graders taking Latin, and for rising 9th graders enrolled in Latin II Honors.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
FOREIGN LANGUAGE – Fundamentals of Latin
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-11 | Teachers: Nick Salazar |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: Prepare for upper school Latin, by reviewing and reinforcing the foundations of Latin’s elementary grammar. The course includes practice on parsing and translating, and reviewing basic vocabulary. For 9th and 10th graders taking Latin, and for rising 9th graders enrolled in Latin II Honors.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
FOREIGN LANGUAGE – Fundamentals of Spanish
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-11 | Teachers: Jaime Gonzalez-Ocana |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This course is directed to upper school students who would like to reinforce and practice their language skills by participating in activities and hands-on projects using the language as much as possible. The course is especially interesting for students who (1) want to consolidate and expand their foundation in Spanish, (2) are moving into an Honors class and want to review and strengthen their linguistic foundation, (3) are new to Brunswick and want to transition easily to their new Spanish class.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
FOREIGN LANGUAGE – Greek Readiness
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-11 | Teachers: Nick Salazar |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: Spend time this summer preparing for Greek I by getting a head start on learning the alphabet, diacritics, the writing system, and basic grammar. Especially interesting for students who are aiming at completing the Classics Diploma. For rising 9th, 10th, and 11th graders enrolled in Greek I.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
HISTORY – Hollywood and the Civil Rights Movement
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9-12 | Teachers: Brian Hoffman |
| Course Size: 14 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This class will use film to look at the way Hollywood has represented the history of the Civil Right Movement. Students will use primary sources and learn the history of the civil rights movement in order to evaluate the accuracy of films like Selma (2014), Mississippi Burning (1988), The Long Walk Home (1990), and The Butler (2013). What do these films get right? What did they change? Why did Hollywood make these changes? This highly engaging course is designed to develop critical thinking skills, media literacy, and improve essay writing skills. There will be daily short writing assignments as well as an opportunity to write a long format essay. Please contact bhoffman@brunswickschool.org if you have any further questions.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
MATH – Intro to Algebra II
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 10 | Teachers: Amy Kerekes |
| Course Size: 15 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This course is intended for students of any level who are preparing to take Algebra II with Trigonometry in the Fall of 2023. This course will cover essential topics of Algebra II, such as linear functions, quadratic functions, exponents, and a small review of basic trigonometry.
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator or better needed
MATH – Intro to Algebra II
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 10 | Teachers: Amy Kerekes |
| Course Size: 15 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This course is intended for students of any level who are preparing to take Algebra II with Trigonometry in the Fall of 2023. This course will cover essential topics of Algebra II, such as linear functions, quadratic functions, exponents, and a small review of basic trigonometry.
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator or better needed
MATH – Intro to Geometry
| Course Length: Session I - 2 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/23 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9 | Teachers: Milica Dussinger |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $900 |
Description: This course is intended for any student who is preparing to take Geometry in the Fall of 2023. This course will cover essential topics of Geometry, such as angles, parallel lines, polygons and their properties, circle theorems as well as introductory proof problems.
Materials Needed: None
MATH – Intro to Geometry
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9 | Teachers: Poonam Gupta |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This course is intended for any student who is preparing to take Geometry in the Fall of 2023. This course will cover essential topics of Geometry, such as angles, parallel lines, polygons and their properties, circle theorems as well as proof problems.
Materials Needed: None
MATH – Intro to Geometry
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (1:00p-2:30p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9 | Teachers: Poonam Gupta |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: This course is intended for any student who is preparing to take Geometry in the Fall of 2023. This course will cover essential topics of Geometry, such as angles, parallel lines, polygons and their properties, circle theorems as well as introductory proof problems.
Materials Needed: None
MATH – Intro to Proof Based Geometry
| Course Length: Session I - 2 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/23 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9 | Teachers: Milica Dussinger |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $900 |
Description: This course is intended for any student who is preparing to take Accelerated or Honors Geometry course in the Fall of 2023. The course is heavily proof oriented and is designed to teach proper proof writing, while covering essential topics of Geometry, such as angles, congruent triangles, parallel lines, and polygons and their properties.
Materials Needed: None
SCIENCE – Chemistry
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 10 | Teachers: Derek Hruska |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This course is designed to bolster the knowledge and introduce vocabulary that students will encounter upon entering their chemistry class in the fall semester. Topics that we cover include, but are not exclusively limited to, matter, reactions, scientific measurement and its notation, historical discovery and structure of the atom, significance of electrons and chemical bonding, the periodic table and its trends and relevance and an introduction to chemical naming and formulae. This is a wonderful opportunity to enter Chemistry and “hit the ground running.” Familiarity with the ideas and vocabulary will certainly make the first semester of any chemistry class more manageable and fun! Additionally, the students will be instructed on how best to approach the organization and review of material that will serve them beyond chemistry and in subsequent science courses.
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator
SCIENCE – Chemistry
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 10 | Teachers: Derek Hruska |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This course is designed to bolster the knowledge and introduce vocabulary that students will encounter upon entering their chemistry class in the fall semester. Topics that we cover include, but are not exclusively limited to, matter, reactions, scientific measurement and its notation, historical discovery and structure of the atom, significance of electrons and chemical bonding, the periodic table and its trends and relevance and an introduction to chemical naming and formulae. This is a wonderful opportunity to enter Chemistry and “hit the ground running.” Familiarity with the ideas and vocabulary will certainly make the first semester of any chemistry class more manageable and fun! Additionally, the students will be instructed on how best to approach the organization and review of material that will serve them beyond chemistry and in subsequent science courses.
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator
SCIENCE – Chemistry
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 10 | Teachers: Derek Hruska |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: This course is designed to bolster the knowledge and introduce vocabulary that students will encounter upon entering their chemistry class in the fall semester. Topics that we cover include, but are not exclusively limited to, matter, reactions, scientific measurement and its notation, historical discovery and structure of the atom, significance of electrons and chemical bonding, the periodic table and its trends and relevance and an introduction to chemical naming and formulae. This is a wonderful opportunity to enter Chemistry and “hit the ground running.” Familiarity with the ideas and vocabulary will certainly make the first semester of any chemistry class more manageable and fun! Additionally, the students will be instructed on how best to approach the organization and review of material that will serve them beyond chemistry and in subsequent science courses.
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator
SCIENCE – Chemistry - (Online Course)
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 10 | Teachers: Kristina Norrgard |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: This class will be taught online. This course is designed to bolster the knowledge and introduce vocabulary that students will encounter upon entering their chemistry class in the fall semester. Topics that we cover include, but are not exclusively limited to, matter, reactions, scientific measurement and its notation, historical discovery and structure of the atom, significance of electrons and chemical bonding, the periodic table and its trends and relevance and an introduction to chemical naming and formulae. This is a wonderful opportunity to enter Chemistry and “hit the ground running.” Familiarity with the ideas and vocabulary will certainly make the first semester of any chemistry class more manageable and fun! Additionally, the students will be instructed on how best to approach the organization and review of material that will serve them beyond chemistry and in subsequent science courses.
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator
Materials Needed: Scientific calculator
SCIENCE – Intro to Biology
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 9 | Teachers: Kristina Norrgard |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: In this course students will be introduced to topics that will be covered in the first few units of the year, including Ecology, Biochemistry, and Cells, while learning about how to take notes and think scientifically.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
SCIENCE – Intro to Biology
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 9 | Teachers: Kristina Norrgard |
| Course Size: 12 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: In this course students will be introduced to topics that will be covered in the first few units of the year, including Ecology, Biochemistry, and Cells, while learning about how to take notes and think scientifically.
Materials Needed: None
Materials Needed: None
SCIENCE – Physics
| Course Length: Session I - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 6/12-6/30 (12:30p-2:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 11 | Teachers: Derek Hruska |
| Course Size: 14 | Cost: $1,400 |
Description: This physics summer program provides an introduction to high school physics that will cover the following topics; velocity, acceleration, free-fall, projectile motion, forces, conservation of energy, and momentum. There will be classwork that will include problem-solving as well as lab work to provide hands-on experience with physics.
Materials Needed: Writing utensil, notebook, calculator, and a laptop
Materials Needed: Writing utensil, notebook, calculator, and a laptop
SCIENCE – Physics
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 11 | Teachers: Derek Hruska |
| Course Size: 14 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: This physics summer program provides an introduction to high school physics that will cover the following topics; velocity, acceleration, free-fall, projectile motion, forces, conservation of energy, and momentum. There will be classwork that will include problem-solving as well as lab work to provide hands-on experience with physics.
Materials Needed: Writing utensil, notebook, calculator, and a laptop
Materials Needed: Writing utensil, notebook, calculator, and a laptop
TEST PREP – ACT Prep
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (8:45a-10:15a) |
| Grade (Rising): 10-12 | Teachers: Drew Dawson |
| Course Size: 14 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: In ACT Prep, students will complete practice test sections and become familiar with the types and phrasing of ACT questions so there are not any surprises during the actual test. ACT prep teaches students proven strategies that help improve their standardized test understanding and performance. Students will play games that teach them time and stress management. Who says (some) aspects of ACT preparation can’t be fun?
Materials Needed: Writing utensils and clean paper
Materials Needed: Writing utensils and clean paper
TEST PREP – SAT Prep
| Course Length: Session II - 3 Weeks | Date & Time: 7/10-7/28 (10:30a-12:00p) |
| Grade (Rising): 10-12 | Teachers: Drew Dawson |
| Course Size: 14 | Cost: $1,500 |
Description: In SAT Prep, students will become familiar with key math, reading, and writing concepts they’ll be expected to know when they take the exam. Students also learn to improve the study and test-taking skills that they will need to employ throughout their college career. Students will play games that teach them time and stress management. Properly preparing for the SAT can lead to more confidence heading into college.
Materials Needed: Writing utensils and clean paper
Materials Needed: Writing utensils and clean paper