WinterMission Debuts 17 New Courses

“Students have been amazing about embracing these experiences as an opportunity to try something new and expand the School’s sense of what is possible,” said Jason Hult, dean of teaching and learning, who is overseeing the WinterMission program. Following the success of last year’s WinterMission, Hult is “excited to see how these courses continue to evolve.”

This year’s session, which runs from January 23 to 26, takes the place of regularly-scheduled classes. Forty-seven courses are being offered; 17 of them are new this year, including “The Paradox of Horror,” a thoughtful and in-depth look at the horror movie genre. 

“I think it is going to be amazing to have a health teacher, English teacher and visual arts teacher collaborate to investigate this increasingly popular medium through a variety of disciplinary lenses, concluding the session with a screening at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema,” added Hult.

“Living and Serving with Purpose” is another new cross-divisional class that will give students an opportunity to better understand MISH’s approach to purposefully engaging with the world. Students will have the chance to spend time at Children’s Village, a local nonprofit institution.

"Board Game Research and Design" will bring students across age groups together to hone their critical thinking skills and have fun. Ian Mook, upper school math teacher, and Paul Friedman, middle school humanities teacher, both love board games and “are excited to offer the class to both middle and upper schoolers because, well, the box says 'Ages 10 and up' for a reason,” said Mook. “Paul and I find board games to be phenomenal ways to gather with peers, engage in low stakes games that often relate to very real and very important situations or content in the real world,” Mook explained.

Upper School English teacher Miriam Emery and Rachel Langosch, upper school visual arts teacher, have joined forces to lead the new course “Scavenger Hunt: Discovering NYC Through Sight, Sound and Taste,” which will capitalize on the cultural and historical resources of the City. “The students know we will be walking a lot, which is great,” Emery said.
 
Oliver Kreeger ’24 can’t wait for WinterMission to get underway. “When I was ranking my preferences, I saw so many courses that felt like ‘I could only do this at Masters’ and it’s really that love of learning combined with the huge potential for a new and unique experience which I’m looking forward to.”

Students in both divisions will receive their WinterMission course placements via email later today, Wednesday, January 10.