High School

High School Curriculum

Harmony High School’s graduation requirements are equivalent to Indiana’s Core-40 curriculum.  Students take five classes each semester from content areas that include:

• Mathematics
• Language Arts
• Social Studies
• Physical Science
• Foreign Language
• Media and Technology
• Creative Arts

We also allow students to engage in independent research, work with personal tutors, and take college-level classes at Ivy Tech Community College or Indiana University. The goal of a Harmony education is to equip students with the tools necessary to succeed as citizens in the greater community, pursuing a wide variety of career paths.

Teachers use a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate students, including:

• Papers
• Quizzes and tests
• Class presentations
• Class discussion and participation
• Projects and labs
• Attendance

Feedback on a student’s performance is provided via discussion and teachers’ written comments during the Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences at the end of each semester.

The Senior Project

Seniors spend their Spring Semester undertaking a Senior Project they have spent the fall semester designing and organizing.  Projects may involve travel, professional internships, fine arts, or professional trades, as well as  extensive research.  They devote a minimum of 360 hours to their endeavor and create a video presentation showcasing their accomplishments that is voted on by the entire High School community. It is a keystone of a Harmony Student’s graduation process.

Sample High School Schedule

Each semester we offer the necessary core classes as well as a variety of creative and academic electives to engage and challenge students.

Daily Schedule

Unless otherwise notified, school begins each day at 9:00 am.  Students should be seated in their first scheduled class by 9:00 am.  Morning classes continue until students are released for lunch. Students must return from lunch before 1:00 pm.  Afternoon programming (fifth period, exploration, creation, or advisory) continues until 2:45 pm.  Students are expected to perform their clean up jobs between 2:45 and 3:00 pm.  Each student is released from school after he or she completes his or her clean up job.  All students must leave the building by 5:00 pm.

High School Family Meeting

Classes & Projects

Science

• Biology
• Earth Science
• Chemistry
• Integrated Chem/Physics
• Computer Science

Mathematics

• Algebra
• Geometry
• Algebra II
• Pre-calculus

Spanish

• Spanish I
• Spanish II
• Option for Independent Language study through Rosetta Stone

Language Arts

• Fundamentals of English
• Greek & Latin Roots
• Modern Novel
• Composition
• Science Fiction Literature
• Shakespeare

Digital Media Arts

• Photography
• Music Video Production
• Short Film
• Studio Rhino (in-studio multi-camera video production)
• Podcasting
• Advanced Media Projects

Social Studies

• Western Civilization
• American Century
• World Today
• We The People
• History of Food
• Law & Order
• Girls With Grit
• Technology & Futurism

Creative Arts

• 2D Visual Art
• 3D Visual Art
• Ceramics
• Independent Projects
• Theater

Class Projects

Projects are an integral part of Harmony High School, just as they are throughout the school. In many of our classes, teachers evaluate students based on projects that are tailored to individual interests. We encourage students who are passionate about particular areas of a subject to pursue them, for this is what builds life-long learning.

Senior Projects

The Harmony School Senior Project is the capstone to the Harmony High School experience. It is a rite of passage that allows students to explore their passions, to live independently, and to travel the world. During the spring semester of their Junior year, students begin to think about their projects. Over the summer and in the beginning of the fall semester they plan out the essential components:

1. The Spark – Every great project begins with an idea, a dream, an ambition.  For some students, this is abundantly clear.  For others, this is a tremendous struggle.
2. The Budget – It is not enough to want to do something; Harmony Students are taught to actually make it happen.  Our students work part-time jobs, sell home-made crafts, write fund-raising letters, and much more in order to make their projects happen.  Some projects cost virtually nothing; other students have worked to raise over $5000 for a trip.
3. The Itinerary – If a senior is traveling for their project they must make a detailed itinerary.  In particular when students are traveling out of town, or out of the country, it is essential that there is a plan of where they will be staying and what they’ll be doing.
4. The Mentor – Although the role of the mentor differs depending on the type of project, every student is expected to work with a mentor to gain the knowledge and skills that are needed to get the most out of their experience.
5. The Essential Question – This question is what brings the project into focus for the student, what gives it greater depth, and what allows others to relate to it in a more meaningful way.

When the seniors have finished writing up these five components, as well as others, they present their proposal to the rest of the seniors.  If the seniors think that the proposal is worthy of a Harmony School Senior Project, then Family Meeting votes on it. Once it has been approved by the Family Meeting, and once the senior has completed all credit obligations, he or she is ready to begin the project.

Senior Projects typically take over 360 hours to complete: full-time work, 30 hrs/week, for 12 weeks.  During the spring semester of their senior year, seniors typically do not take regular classes at Harmony.  Instead, they simply work full time on their projects.  Some students travel out of state or out of the country, some as far afield as Europe, Asia, or Africa.  Other students choose to stay in Bloomington to pursue their dreams.

At the end of the spring semester, the seniors return to Harmony to present their project to the whole High School.  These presentations showcase their journey and experiences, and students present the evidence they collected during their project.  Finally, after the presentation is over the Family Meeting votes whether the senior successfully completed their project as they presented it. We also vote whether the senior is a “responsible, contributing member of the community with a sense of humor.”  This is the final step to graduate from High School.

Community

Citizenship

• Harmony encourages its students to participate in the democratic governance of the school and many of the policies in this document were initiated and voted upon by the students.  However, before a High School student is considered a full member of the community and is able to vote on school policies, they must receive their first citizenship vote in Family Meeting.
• New students receive their citizenship vote after they have attended school for six weeks.  Students must also receive a second citizenship vote after they present their senior project in order to graduate.

Social Dynamics

• Social Dynamics Credit is based on a set of social and community criteria:
  • Community service and cleanup
  • One-on-one interactions
  • Attendance
  • Class participation
  • Participation in school community and activities
• Teachers decide whether or not each student has earned their Social Dynamics credit at the end of each academic year.  Consequences for missing a Social Dynamics Credit are individually tailored to the student.
• Successful progress results in the student gaining a Social Dynamics Credit.

Conduct and Conflict Resolution

• All Harmony students are expected to accept and follow the Harmony Ethos. Click here to learn more about it.
• Failing to follow the ethos and other behavior deemed disrespectful or harmful can result in the student being required to meet with the Student Advisory committee.  Such behavior can also result in probation and/or the loss of a social dynamics credit.  The resolutions of Student Advisory and the conditions and supports of a probation are created on a case-by-case basis, tailored to the specific needs and issues of the individuals involved.

Attendance

• Students are expected to attend school every day. If they are sick; have a personal issue or family emergency; a pre-arranged appointment; or educational event, students are responsible for informing their teachers of their absence.
• Students who realize in the morning they will be late or absent must text their grade level advisor or First Period teacher before 8:50 am.

Community Events

• There are a number of events and celebrations throughout the year that are an important part of Harmony’s unique community:
  • McCormick’s Creek camping trip
  • Roller skating
  • Bowling
  • Halloween Party and Parade
  • Senior Send-Off
  •  Secret Somebodies Gift Exchange
  • Holiday Follies
  • Social Action Day
  • Multicultural / Art / STEM Month (rotates each year)
  • May Day Picnic
  • Senior Welcome Back
  • Prom
  • Spring Trip

Visitors

• A Harmony student may invite someone from another school system to shadow at Harmony provided they receive permission from teachers and inform other students at Family Meeting.
• All visitors must sign in at the office when they arrive.

Harmony High School has the following requirements for graduation:

Core Credits

Each student needs to have completed a total of 27 core academic credits with:

• 8 in Language Arts
• 7 in Mathematics
• 6 in Science (with 2 in life science, 2 in physical science and 4 labs)
• 6 in Social Studies (with 1 in World History, 1 in US History and 1 in US government)

We also recommend:

• At least 4 credits of a single foreign language. This is an entrance requirement for Indiana University
• For students who are planning on college, we recommend at least 1 college class (usually through IU or Ivy Tech).

Social Dynamics

Each student must receive one Social Dynamics Credit for each year at Harmony. (Social Dynamics are detailed under the “Unique Policies” tab.) This is based on a set of 5 criteria designed by the students, including:

• Community service and cleanup
• One-on-one interactions
• Attendance
• Class participation
• Participation in school community and activities

Citizenship Vote

Each student needs to receive two citizenship votes (one their first semester, and one after they present their Senior Project). This vote is taken by the High School Family Meeting and asks:

• “Is this student a responsible, contributing member of the community with a sense of humor?”

Senior Project

Each student needs to successfully complete and present their Senior Project. This project takes approximately one semester (360 hours) to complete and culminates in a video presentation to the whole High School.

Read more about Harmony’s Graduation Ceremony here.