Welcome to the High School
Ninth grade–Twelfth grade
The GDS High School is a community of 460 students and 70 teachers known for the depth and breadth of its college preparatory program and for its supportive and challenging atmosphere. The relationships among students, faculty, and administration are predicated on respect and honesty. Recognized as individuals, students are granted a great deal of freedom yet are expected to live up to the standards and values that permeate and define the School.
The High School cultivates in its students a deep appreciation of the humanities, mathematics and science, and the arts. Graduating students are required to complete a minimum of four years of assigned English and one year of a literature elective; two successive years of the same foreign language; two years of mathematics at the high school level, including geometry and algebra II; two years of laboratory science, including one year of a life science and the other a physical science; three years of history and social science; one year of studio and one year of performing art; and two years of physical education. Nearly all students commit themselves to a schedule that goes well beyond those requirements. Block scheduling, Advanced Placement (AP) and honors courses in nearly all disciplines, and the ability to shape their program provide students with opportunities for academic exploration and challenge.
 High School students participate in a range of extracurricular activities. The School fields interscholastic teams in eighteen men’s and women’s sports. The debate team and the It’s Academic squad rank among the finest in the nation. The School’s unique black box theater is the site of fall, winter, and spring productions. Students fulfill a sixty-hour community service requirement through involvement with local, national, and international service organizations.
The foremost goal of a GDS High School education is preparation for college and life beyond. Young people achieve most when they are enthusiastic about their studies, work closely with their teachers, and involve themselves in a range of activities. GDS strives to instill moral and ethical values that result in an appreciation of others and a willingness to serve the larger community. We seek to graduate young men and women eager for a lifetime of learning, who can work independently but value cooperation, and who have experienced the satisfaction that comes from completing a task to the best of one’s abilities.
The Arts
Studio Arts
 With facilities that rival many colleges, the art department builds upon the work students have done in the lower and middle grades. Adobe Photoshop, and InDesign are used with Apple’s I-Life suite and Final Cut Pro in state-of-the-art Mac labs to augment the more traditional tools and techniques of drawing, photography, ceramics, print making, and painting. Among courses offered are graphic design, digital color photography, ceramics, drawing and painting, film and video, traditional photography, and AP studio art. Because classes are small, students receive close and regular instruction and critiques from their teachers. Additionally, the art department mounts extensive displays of student work several times a year using both the studio gallery and spaces throughout the campus.
Performing Arts
 The vibrant and innovative Performing Arts program is central to the life of the High School. The department offers introductory through advanced classes in acting, directing, theater production, instrumental and vocal music classes, and dance classes including ballet, modern, and musical theater. Faculty members are all performing arts professionals with extensive careers ranging from the Broadway stage to local jazz clubs.
The department puts up three theatrical seasons each year: a fall drama, student directed One-Acts in the winter, and a spring musical. Students also perform in numerous concerts, short plays, recitals, and showcases throughout the year, in the evening as well as in the popular Lunchbox Series. Students may join the extra-curricular symphony orchestra or one of six contemporary vocal groups. The department offers student-run groups that include an improv troupe and an award-winning dance company, and the School hosts a jazz festival each spring. Students also perform in annual GDS festivals celebrating Hispanic, Asian-American, and African American cultures, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Christmas, and Passover.
 The Performing Arts department at GDS enjoys extensive new facilities, including dance and acting studios, choral and instrumental rooms complete with a recording center, practice rooms, and a MIDI lab. The new black box theater features state-of-the-art technology in lighting and sound and is adjacent to a vast tech shop, dressing rooms and a makeup room, and a costume shop.
English
 Three basic principles determine the required reading curriculum of the English department at the High School: the belief that the allusions in art, literature, and music demand a familiarity with the Bible, Shakespeare, and Homer; the belief that students should be exposed to those American and British authors who have stood the test of time; and the belief that American literature owes much of its richness and complexity to the work of African American writers and other writers of color.
Because critical reading, thinking, and writing are inseparable, the English department places expository and persuasive writing at the core of its program. While all English courses require extensive writing, juniors devote much of their year to the art of constructing logical arguments and seniors complete their high school English career with a fifteen-page independent, critical study of an author or literary topic. In addition to the four-year required English curriculum, all students must take an additional year of literature. Elective courses include the Age of Shakespeare, Women and the Age of the Novel, world and modern literature, and creative writing as well as literature courses in French, Spanish, and Latin.
History & Social Science
 Beginning with their study in ninth grade of the history, geography, culture, and contemporary life of China, the Middle East, and Africa, students at the High School plunge into an in-depth exploration of both the Western and non-Western worlds. Teachers use a wide variety of instructional materials, including primary source documents, secondary texts, guest speakers, debates, videotapes, CD-ROMs, simulation and role playing activities, lectures, and discussions to promote reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills. Opportunities for independent research occur as early as freshman year when students write a ten-to-twelve-page research paper. In addition to their study of the non-Western world in ninth grade, European history in tenth grade, and U.S. history in eleventh grade, students may select from electives such as economics, U.S. government and politics, law, cultural anthropology, political philosophy, and social history. U.S. government and politics, U.S. history, European history, comparative world politics, and psychology are offered at the AP level.
Mathematics
 Challenging and flexible, the math curriculum offers a range of courses broad enough to accommodate the needs of even the most exceptional math students. At the same time, the math department ensures that all students have the opportunity to work at a pace compatible with their abilities. Most GDS students take four years of mathematics and go well beyond the minimum requirement of geometry and algebra II. Regular course offerings range from algebra I to AP calculus AB and BC. Courses in linear algebra and multivariable calculus, AP statistics, and great ideas in mathematics are offered. Graphing calculators are used extensively in all courses.
Modern & Classical Languages
 Chinese, French, Spanish, and Latin courses are designed to give students the linguistic skills and cultural background to participate fully in an increasingly interconnected world. Most students continue their language study throughout their four years at GDS, well beyond the two-year high school language graduation requirement, and a number of students study two languages.
The first two years of Latin provide training in translation, grammar, syntax, figures of speech, and etymology, as well as background in Roman civilization and life. Students then continue on to study works that are integral to the Western cultural tradition in AP Latin Literature–Virgil and then AP Latin Literature–Horace/Catullus.
Chinese, French, and Spanish classes are taught in the target language with an emphasis on developing competency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as significant cultural knowledge and perspectives. Language classes foster discussion of current issues in societies where the language is spoken and invite the student into conversation based on personal experiences. The Advanced Placement language courses encourage students to discuss a variety of literary and expository texts, to reflect on various aspects of style, and to hone their own rhetorical skills and writing styles. AP and advanced literature courses provide an introductory survey of major literary works of the target cultures within a historical and cultural context and provide an opportunity to further polish analytical skills. Language literature courses fulfill the literature elective graduation requirement. Other non-AP advanced language courses are offered for those who want to further their language fluency and cultural knowledge. Audio cassettes, films, CD-roms, and the Internet enhance communication and learning.
Physical Education & Athletics
 With an eye to preparing students for a lifetime of healthy activity, the physical education program emphasizes physical fitness, self-confidence, self-defense, stress management, nutritional and consumer education, and basic principles of exercise. All ninth graders take freshman physical education, a year-long course which, in addition to the above goals, includes certification in First Aid and CPR and exposes students to a wide variety of individual and team sports. Cooperative games and group initiatives ensure that students recognize the applicability of the skills and concepts taught to all phases of their lives. The advanced physical education course places particular emphasis on cardiorespiratory fitness, stress management, muscular strength and endurance, body composition, and flexibility.
In the gym and on the field, varsity interscholastic competition provides a challenge for the more experienced and talented athlete, while junior varsity teams allow less experienced players to develop their skills in a competitive situation. The High School facilities feature a double gymnasium, an indoor track, wrestling and fitness rooms, a well-equipped athletic training room, and an all-weather playing field. GDS men compete in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) in basketball, baseball, crew, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track & field, and wrestling. Women compete in the Independent School League (ISL) and field teams in basketball, cross-country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and crew.
Science
 All students at the High School level begin their science studies with an inquiry-based biology course. This foundational course provides students with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and concepts needed for success in more advanced studies in the sciences. A year-long investigatory field project is a focal point of this course.
 Most students go well beyond the minimum requirement of two years of laboratory science, including the introductory biology course and a physical science course. Advanced coursework is available in chemistry and physics, as well as molecular, physical, and evolutionary biology. AP courses are offered in biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science. Laptop computers, CBL interfaces, and other forms of technology are used in data collection and analysis during the extensive lab work that is integrated in all areas of study. Students can also engage in independent research.
Technology Education
 At the High School, students use technology as an everyday learning tool in all subject areas. Each student has a GDS e-mail account that is a portal to an extensive online conference and calendaring system. Students participate in lively debates, store and share files that are accessible from any computer with Internet access, and communicate with anyone in the GDS community. In addition to the FirstClass e-mail system, the school’s online “Hopper” is a gateway to assignments, class projects, web links, and other classroom tools. The High School has five computer labs, including a Mac lab for digital image and video work, a Mac MIDI lab, a library PC classroom, and two PC labs. Classes sign up to use a Tablet PC cart or Laptop carts as needed. There is no formal computer graduation requirement but computer literacy skills are well integrated into the curriculum. All 9th graders take a seminar that covers Internet safety, network etiquette, and basic networking skills. All students learn the basic suite of computer applications and many move well beyond the basics to explore specialized areas such as math and science modeling, digital video editing, computer-based science experiments, desktop publishing, blogging, podcasting, etc. Semester electives are offered in programming as well as technology topics relevant to living in a digital world.
Community Service
 To foster a commitment to social justice and a sense of responsibility for the larger community, all High School students must contribute at least sixty hours of community service outside of school and home as a prerequisite for graduation. Student-led community service clubs also provide opportunities for groups of students to work together on a regular basis. Projects include mentoring and tutoring younger children, preparing meals at food kitchens and shelters, and building and renovating housing. Most students go well beyond the required minimum sixty hours in reaching out to the larger community. In recent years students have performed such services as translating for health clinic patients in Adams Morgan, partnering with a school in Ethiopia, and helping to rebuild houses in New Orleans.
Diversity and Multicultural Education
 Guided by the School’s mission, GDS students take an active role in addressing issues relating to diversity and equity from their first days at the High School. Students participate in a Ninth Grade Seminar devoted to examining issues of stereotypes and media literacy. Diversity Connections, a student club promoting equity and justice, hosts frequent discussions on topics related to diversity. This umbrella organization supports other student diversity leadership groups including Rainbow, a gay/straight alliance; Black Culture Club; FUSION, a club for multiracial students; and Brenner, a women’s leadership group. To honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., each year students and faculty dedicate an entire day of classes to conduct a teach-in with workshops led by students, teachers, parents, and special guests.
The Library
 In a school that bustles with the energy and noise of classroom and extracurricular activities, the library, which houses 14,000 volumes, provides an airy and quiet oasis perfectly designed for research and reading. The library offers ample opportunity for the most up-to-date research. The library’s collection can be accessed through the online catalog available throughout the School on the network. Students may search the Internet and a number of online databases such as Proquest Platinum, Historical New York Times, CQ Researcher, and a variety of notable encyclopedias and reference resources as well as access local library catalogs. In the past few years the library has added nearly one hundred audio books to its collection, which particularly benefits students with different learning styles.
Two professional librarians staff the library from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Available to assist individual students as needed, the librarians also teach a unit on research and reference skills to all ninth graders. Instruction in database searching and subject-specific reference tools helps prepare students for the intricacies of college research.
Math & Writing Centers
 The math and writing centers serve students interested in advanced work as well as students in need of remediation. Students seeking help with individual assignments or general academic difficulties may sign up in advance or simply drop in. Students may also be referred to a center by advisors or subject teachers. In addition to working directly with the teachers, students may avail themselves of various computer programs designed to sharpen their writing and mathematical skills. Staffed by English and math teachers, the centers are open daily.
Extracurricular Activities
 Extracurricular activities at the High School reflect a vital aspect of the School’s philosophy: not only are many of the activities student-run, they are often student-initiated. Students were instrumental in establishing such team sports as wrestling, lacrosse, and crew. The continued success and vitality of activities such as the multicultural discussion group FUSION, Eat at Joe’s (a cappella singers), Fata Morgana (a student-run dance company), Monday Night Tutoring, the school newspaper, a literary magazine, and the yearbook depend on student leadership. Faculty sponsors support rather than direct student activities. Six days a week, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., the School resonates with activities such as Student-Staff Council (SSC), debate, Model Congress, It’s Academic, math and chess teams, Young Men and Young Women of Color, Rainbow, and math, science, and language clubs as well as a host of voluntary service clubs. More than one hundred students involve themselves in all facets of the theater and music programs, including performance, costuming, set design and construction, makeup, choreography, lighting, direction, and production.
College Counseling
 A crucial element of the School’s academic program is careful college planning. Beginning in earnest in January of a student’s junior year with College Night, the process of seeking and finding the right colleges for our students demands considerable time and attention from parents, students, and three college counselors and a registrar. After completing the detailed questionnaire which appears in the GDS College Handbook (mailed to families of juniors in January), juniors and their parents meet with their assigned counselor. In addition to meeting individually with all families, the counselors conduct a Mock Admissions Workshop and a Financial Aid Workshop for parents and students in the fall of senior year. Throughout the search process, counselors work closely with each student, reviewing essays, fine-tuning college lists, and offering advice and encouragement.
The GDS college counseling staff firmly believes that there are no best colleges, only colleges that are best for individual students. GDS students attend a wide range of colleges across the country and abroad.
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