Academic
Profile
To download our academic profile, please click here (PDF Program Description: Maine Coast Semester is the semester school of Chewonki, an environmental education organization located in Wiscasset, ME. Maine Coast Semester (MCS) offers a select number of 11th - grade students the chance to live and work on a 400-acre saltwater peninsula with the goal of exploring the natural world through rigorous courses in natural science, environmental issues, literature and writing, art, history, mathematics, and languages. The community is very small — forty students and twenty faculty members — and the application process is competitive. MCS is a college preparatory semester school in which students are pushed to produce top-quality academic work as well as to think broadly about the value, importance, and meaning of their education. Our curriculum allows students to attend without disruption to their academic plans. In addition to their studies, students work on an organic farm, in a woodlot, or on maintenance and construction projects. The students who attend MCS are highly motivated and very capable. They savor hard work, both physical and intellectual, and they have a strong desire to contribute to the world. MCS students return to their sending schools with increased self-confidence, an appreciation for the rewards and struggles of community living, a strong sense of ownership for their education, and enhanced skills. The nature of Maine Coast Semester, where faculty and students do everything together, from washing dishes to mucking stalls, to teaching and learning, means that we get to know each other extremely well in the four months that we spend together. Sending Schools: Over 1,400 students from over 260 sending schools have attended Maine Coast Semester. Schools that have sent significant numbers of students include The Brearley School, Deerfield Academy, The Hotchkiss School, Milton Academy, Miss Porter’s School, Noble and Greenough School, Phillips Academy, The Taft School, The Thacher School, and The Westminster Schools (GA). Students have also come from a number of Maine Schools, including Waynflete, and Brunswick, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Freeport, Camden, Orono, and Cape Elizabeth High Schools. Forty-three percent of the schools have been public and 57% have been independent. Fourteen percent have been Maine schools. Over 40% of our students have come from one of thirteen member schools and over 20% have been siblings. Accreditation: Maine Coast Semester is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is approved by the State of Maine Department of Education. Faculty: The total number of MCS faculty members is twenty. Two members hold a Ph.D. degree and seven others have a Master’s degree. Faculty members have taught in the program for an average of over seven years. School Calendar and Classroom Time: One semester, 15 ½ weeks in length, either fall or spring. All academic classes meet the equivalent of 4 hours per week except science, which meets for approximately 8-10 hours per week, depending on the length of certain field trips. Classes meet in 55- or 110-minute time blocks, depending on the subject. Academic classes are held 5 days per week, Monday through Friday. Honors: All of the courses at Maine Coast Semester are taught at advanced levels of instruction. Most of the students who attend MCS take honors level courses at their sending schools; those students are adequately challenged and prepared to return to those courses. Because of Maine Coast Semester's small size, however, students are not "tracked" except in math and foreign language. All classes are geared to the very capable student. Maine Coast Semester does not offer Advanced Placement courses; however, many students match our courses with A.P. courses at their sending schools. Curriculum: Students take five courses during their semester. Required Courses: Tests and Papers: Students are fully tested in every subject. In English, U.S. History, and Environmental Issues, writing exercises are emphasized. Testing in the languages and mathematics is similar to what a student would experience at his or her sending school. Major projects are often a part of courses, including science, math, art, Environmental Issues, and foreign languages. In science, tests often involve practical exercises. In art, grades depend on the completion of several independent projects in diverse media and evaluation is based on both teacher and self-assessment. Standardized Tests: PSATs are administered in the fall to all students. In the spring, students may take either the SAT I, or the ACT. The SAT II (Subject Tests) is taken at home in June. Prep courses for standardized tests are not offered at Maine Coast Semester. Advanced Placement examinations are administered in May for students who choose, and are prepared, to take them. Except in mathematics, foreign language, and U.S. History, we do not offer special classes or preparation for the A.P. Typically, our students have taken A.P. exams in the following subjects: U.S. History, Calculus AB & BC, French Language or Literature, Spanish Language or Literature and English Language or Literature. Grading: Maine Coast Semester uses letter grades with the following equivalencies: A (94, 95, 96), A- (90, 91, 92, 93), B+ (87, 88, 89), etc. F = 59 (Failing) Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes. There are occasional exceptions made for illness or family commitments. As a result of our small size, and because the students who apply to our school are highly motivated, missing classes is simply not a problem. A student who is unable to meet his or her academic commitments would be asked to leave Maine Coast Semester. Financial Aid: Financial aid is available based on need. For the 2008-2009 academic year, approximately 30% of the student body is receiving financial aid; some of these students will also receive aid from their sending schools while attending MCS. The average award granted by Maine Coast Semester is $9,120. College Matriculation
Total # of students: 358
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