The Girls Rule! School: A progress report

The Girls Rule! School operates year-round, our academic year begins in August, and our studies generally sort themselves into three terms: August through December, January through April, and May through July. Rather than taking an extended break, we enjoy "relaxed" periods of study that usually coincide with the winter holidays, the conclusion of winter swim season, and the conclusion of summer swim season. ("Relaxed" here means, minimally, math-music-literature, but also includes wrapping up aspects of independent study projects, working on neglected art pursuits, and taking additional field trips, particularly those related to birding or nature study.)

With the first term of the 2012-2013 academic year drawing to a close, then, I find myself reviewing our progress, including adequate work with Destinos (Spanish); an term-long history unit focusing on the U.S. Constitution, political philosophy, and the presidential campaign and election; and excellent work in math, logic, and science.

Here are some other highlights:

LITERATURE
Shakespeare studies: 
■ Hamlet
■ Henry V

Plays (other than Shakespeare's works):
■ Three Sisters (Anton Chekhov)
■ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Tom Stoppard)
■ Waiting for Godot (Samuel Beckett)
■ No Exit (Jean-Paul Sartre)
■ Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)
■ Elektra (Sophocles)
■ The Misanthrope (Molière)

Novels:
■ Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
■ The Island of Dr. Moreau (H.G. Wells)
■ Animal Farm (George Orwell)
■ Watership Down (Richard Adams)
■ Dracula (Bram Stoker)
■ The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie)
■ The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
■ Life of Pi (Yann Martel)

Poetry:
■ Poetry 180: A Poem a Day for American High Schools
■ Poetry Out Loud

Noteworthy non-fiction:
■ Are You Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused? (Richard J. Maybury)
■ Physics for Future Presidents (Richard A. Muller) [Miss M-mv(ii)]
■ Essential Animal Behavior (Graham Scott) [Miss M-mv(i)]

FIELD TRIPS AND OTHER ADVENTURES
Theater:

■ Crowns at the Goodman Theatre
■ Three Sisters at the Steppenwolf Theatre
■ Sunday in the Park with George at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater
■ Hamlet at the Writers' Theatre
■ Equivocation at the Victory Gardens Theater
■ Black Watch at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Broadway Armory)
■ Metamorphoses at the Lookingglass Theatre
■ Les Miserables at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
■ A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre
■ The School for Lies at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Music:
■ Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma at Chicago Symphony Orchestra


Opera:
■ Elektra at the Lyric

Museums:
■ Volo Auto Museum
■ The Art Institute  of Chicago
■ Cantigny: The First Division Museum and the Robert R. McCormick Museum
■ The Field Museum

Other:
■ Yankees v. White Sox
■ "Wild Encounter" (marine mammal training) at the Brookfield Zoo
■ The Vera Meineke Nature Center at Spring Valley
■ Miss M-mv(i)'s first violin recital
■ Five swim meets: three rec team and two USA Swimming
■ Weekly volunteer gig coaching young swimmers
■ Miss M-mv(i)'s first paid job (lifeguard)
■ Weekly piano (both Misses), violin (Miss M-mv(i)), and guitar (Miss M-mv(ii)) lessons and daily practice