The Student Life Department supports Madeira’s mission to launch women who change the world by providing opportunities for students to develop the knowledge and skills to help them navigate and take charge of their lives in high school and beyond.
Student Life classes are designed around Madeira's community values: awareness of self and others, compassion, creativity, intellectual curiosity, integrity, and resilience. The classes provide opportunities for student to discover and develop their individual and collective identities, learn how to make healthy choices and care for themselves and others, strengthen their ability to communicate effectively and advocate for themselves and others, increase their awareness and understanding of cultural and societal issues, and build their critical thinking and analytical skills. The classes are focused on inquiry-based learning.
2-block course; Required of all ninth graders.
The Student Life ninth grade curriculum (LAUNCH) engages students in the examination of who they are as individuals and as community members, how they influence and are influenced by others, and how they can care for themselves and cultivate healthy and inclusive communities. Each student will develop and apply essential life skills as she builds a deeper understanding of herself and of those around her. Students will be assessed through experiential activities, inquiry-based projects, presentations, journal entries, papers, and class participation. LAUNCH is taught by faculty and staff members from various departments, giving students the opportunity to learn from community members not usually found in the classroom. These faculty and staff members bring their unique, professional perspectives to the LAUNCH curriculum. Prerequisite: None
1-block course; Open to grades 9-12
Civil discourse has long been viewed as a fundamental building block of successful societies and democracies. But in today’s increasingly partisan American culture, are we losing the ability to engage and share ideas in a persuasive, spirited, informed and most importantly, respectful, way? In this class, students will explore the foundations of successful civil discourse, active listening, and media literacy. While examining different communication styles, students will delve into the concept of confirmation bias and how the practice of consuming our news only from sources with whom we share the same biases serves to widen the ideological divides in our society. We will also explore what questions we should be asking to be discerning, media-literate consumers in an increasingly complex information ecosystem. Throughout the course, students will research a variety of issues and then, through a combination of journaling and structured conversations, will practice the skills they have learned. Prerequisite: None.
1-block course; Open to grades 9-12
This class is an introduction to riding, designed for students who have had minimal or no previous experience with horses. Students will learn how to groom, lead, tack, mount and dismount. Students will also learn the correct position and basic controls while riding a horse in the walk and trot. The theory and practice of basic horse care will also be taught. Prerequisite: Department approval. This course has a physical fitness requirement.
1-block course; Open to grades 9-12
This course offers an exploration of topics in programming and physical computing while giving students the opportunity to develop the critical 21st-century skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world. This course is open to students of all coding levels from beginner to advanced. Students will work with the teacher to develop a personal learning path. This course will be taught through a blended model, allowing for both face-to-face and online interactions with the teacher and each other, and giving students the opportunity to learn in an environment that sparks creativity and to practice time management and self-motivation skills. This course meets the coding requirement. Prerequisite: None
1-block course; Open to grades 9-12
Mindfulness practice involves paying attention to the present moment in a specific and deliberate way without judgment. Research shows that mindfulness can have a profound impact on the way neurons fire in the brain and subsequently the way different regions in the brain, most notably the prefrontal cortex, communicate with each other. In other words, mindfulness practice can permanently influence how we think. Through examination of the work of Daniel Siegel, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and others, students will investigate the anatomy, functions, and interconnectedness of the brain, how the brain continues to change over the lifespan, and how mindfulness practice impacts the brain's functions and by extension, one's ability to make decisions, regulate emotions, and interact with others. This course will provide each student the opportunity to explore the basic tenets of mindfulness, experience different ways to focus attention and increase awareness, and develop her own unique daily mindfulness practice. Prerequisite: None.
1-block course; Open to grades 9-12
Students are tasked with becoming an expert on a topic. They consider what topic to research and what question to investigate. This course is an opportunity to build academic research skills. Students do research that matters to them, while at the same time developing investigation, analysis, writing, and presenting skills. The course explores key word searches, database research, journaling, annotated bibliographies, infographics, research writing, and elevator speeches. The goal is to learn, research, create, and share findings in various formats including an info graphic, a presentation, and a paper. Prerequisite: None
3 blocks (including 2 blocks of LAUNCH in 9th grade)
Student Life Curriculum is taught by faculty and staff members from various departments, giving students the opportunity to learn from community members not usually found in the classroom. These faculty and staff members bring their unique, professional perspectives to the Student Life Curriculum.
| Class | Faculty |
| Academic Integrity | Rebecca Brooks, Director of Information and Innovation Emily Dowd, Librarian |
| Body Image, Gender, and Media | Carla Belsher, Counselor Tracie Epes, Director of Counseling |
| Car Maintenance and Safety | Ed Hamer, Director of Facilities |
| Civil Discourse | Tracie Epes, Director of Counseling Kim Newsome, Dean of Students |
| Communication Skills | Tracie Epes, Director of Counseling |
| Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Pilar Cabeza de Vaca, Head of School Andre Withers, Assistant Head of School |
| Exercise and the Brain | Kelly Chandler, Assistant Athletic Director |
| First Aid, CPR, and AED Certification | Peggy Sotos, Director of Nursing Carleen Kelley, Nurse |
| Healthy Relationships | Carla Belsher, Counselor |
| Introduction to College Counseling | Linda Mathews, College Counselor Sheila Reilly, Director of College Counseling |
| Leadership | Kelly Chandler, Assistant Athletic Director |
| Madeira 101 | Kim Newsome, Dean of Students Stacy Tippens, Educational Technology Specialist |
| Media Literacy | Emily Dowd, Librarian |
| Memory | Audra Krupp, Learning Specialist |
| Pathways to Learning | Audra Krupp, Learning Specialist |
| Personal Safety and Awareness | Jim Pollack, Director of Campus Safety and Security |
| Personality Type and Identity | Carla Belsher, Counselor Tracie Epes, Director of Counseling |
| Public Speaking | Karen Joostema, Director Communications Kim Newsome, Dean of Students |
| Reading Strategies and Note Taking | Audra Krupp, Learning Specialist |
| Sex Education | Carla Belsher, Counselor Tracie Epes, Director of Counseling Sarah Yarborough, Asst. Dean of Students for Campus Life |
| Small Talk 101 | Karen Joostema, Director of Communications Kim Newsome, Dean of Students |
| The Power of Sleep | Tracie Epes, Director of Counseling Health Center Nursing Staff |
| Time Management and Using Resources | Audra Krupp, Learning Specialist |