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House Courses

House is an integrated, interdisciplinary environment. Instead of taking three separate classes in language arts, social studies and environmental science, students take one class, Thematic Studies. 

The lessons will often be team-taught by your house teachers. Even though each teacher has a content specialty, they will be working with you in many capacities, not just as the English teacher, the science teacher, or the social studies teacher. They consider themselves Thematic Studies teachers.

Students spend half their day, every day, in their Thematic Studies course (House), where they earn three credits (language arts, social studies, and environmental studies) through an integrated, interdisciplinary curriculum. The other half of their day is spent participating in two 88-minute periods, called blocks, in non-house courses that meet every other day. The school days are designated as Sky and Earth to help keep track of the every other day schedule. Below are examples of possible student schedules. 

Earth_Sky schedule with AM House
Earth_Sky Schedule with AM career development course and afternoon house

To be eligible for graduation, a student must have earned a total of 66 credits (minimum) in grades 9 through 12. Many students accumulate far more than the minimum number of credits during their high school studies. All students are encouraged to select more than the minimum of required courses in order to take advantage of the broad scope of course offerings.

The School of Environmental Studies is on a trimester system with a four block school day; each trimester is 12 weeks long. For each course taken and passed, students earn 1 credit. For example, if a student in grade 11 takes (and passes) 7 courses each trimester, he/she will have earned 21 credits toward graduation: 7 credits x 3 trimesters = 21 credits earned that year.

Thematic Studies, meets for two blocks every day and is worth three (3) credits towards graduation from SES and District 196 each trimester. Thematics Studies counts as one (1) language arts credit, one (1) social studies credit, and one (1) elective credit toward graduation.  

District 196 Graduation Requirements

 

Language Arts

To fulfill graduation requirements, all students in District 196 must earn four years, twelve (12) trimester credits in Language Arts. Students at SES will earn three (3) credits each year, in this category, through their Thematic Studies course.

Please Note: There are NO courses at SES that provide an opportunity to make-up missing English/Language Arts credits. If you are behind on English/Language Arts credits, you will need to make them up outside of SES. 

Social Studies

To fulfill graduation requirements, all students in District 196 must earn four years, twelve (12) trimester credits in Social Studies. These credits must encompassing U.S. history, geography, world history, economics and government/citizenship. Students at SES will earn three (3) credits each year, in this category, through their Thematic Studies course.

Please Note: SES offers AP Psychology which is a 2 trimester course that provides social studies credits. However, beyond AP Psychology, there are NO other courses at SES that provide an opportunity to make-up missing social studies credits. If you are behind on social studies credits, you will need to make them up outside of SES.

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