We’re so excited to dive into the spring semester at Watershed! As students return from winter break, ready to stretch their thinking and deepen their skills, our spring course offerings open doors to exploration across disciplines and grade levels.
From illustrated histories, SciFi, and Capstone projects in middle school to global inquiry, studio art, and civic leadership in upper school, spring at Watershed is designed to support meaningful learning that feels both challenging and joyful. This is a semester for trying new ideas, following curiosities, and seeing how learning connects to the world beyond campus.
Middle School: Big Ideas, Creative Exploration, Growing Independence
In middle school, Semester 2 builds momentum through immersive Expeditions and skills-based electives that balance structure with choice.
Students explore the power of storytelling in Comic Books: The Art of Illustrated History, examining how visual narratives shape our understanding of history, conflict, and identity. Art, literacy, and social studies come together as students analyze, create, and communicate through images and text.
In Science Facts of Science Fiction, imagination becomes a springboard for scientific inquiry. Students investigate familiar sci-fi concepts - like time travel or teleportation - and test them against real scientific principles through hands-on experimentation and research.
Electives allow students to lean into interests and discover new ones. Creative options such as ceramics, painting, and photography foster artistic confidence, while courses like Digital Design and Journalism build technical skills and media literacy. Athletics, wellness, and leadership offerings support physical health, collaboration, and personal growth.
For 8th graders, Semester 2 culminates in Capstone Projects, where students synthesize years of learning into meaningful, self-directed work that reflects their passions and readiness for Upper School.
Throughout the semester, math placement and Spanish courses ensure students are both supported and challenged, laying a strong foundation for the years ahead.
Upper School: Depth, Dialogue, and Real-World Relevance
The spring semester invites upper school students into deeper academic inquiry and greater independence, with courses that emphasize critical thinking, global awareness, and purposeful action.
Humanities and history offerings ask students to wrestle with complex questions of power, place, and responsibility. Courses like Land, Labor, and Legacy and Vietnam: Colonization, Occupation, Globalization explore how historical forces continue to shape the present, encouraging students to analyze systems and perspectives across cultures.
In science, students move from origins to solutions. Courses such as The Beginning of Life and Waves of Change blend lab work, field study, and discussion as students investigate biological systems, environmental challenges, and pathways toward sustainability.
Electives provide space for both creative mastery and innovative thinking. Studio Ceramics and Mosaics push artistic practice, while Digital Design, Gods, Heroes, & Games, and Cinema Studies combine technology, storytelling, and social impact. Courses like New Civics: Leadership for the Common Good empower students to see civic engagement as active, everyday participation.
Upper school students may also pursue Independent Studies or internships, reinforcing Watershed’s commitment to student-driven learning and authentic, real-world experience. Spanish language courses continue to build global fluency and cultural understanding.
A Semester with Purpose
Across grades, Semester 2 at Watershed is about more than completing coursework. It’s about making connections — between disciplines, between ideas and action, and between students and the world around them.
Whether students are crafting visual narratives, debating global histories, designing for change, or preparing to step into new leadership roles, our courses provide opportunities to learn with intention and joy.
We’re excited to see where curiosity leads this spring!
