Peg Board

ON
CAMPUS
Introducing the Darrow Postgraduate Program
Darrow School recently announced
the introduction of a new element to
its academic curriculum: the Darrow
Postgraduate Program.
Beginning with the 2017–18 school
year, the program will provide a select
group of high school graduates with
an additional year of study designed
to help them meet their educational
objectives through a focused, self-directed,
active curriculum.
Postgraduate students will choose
from three available options.
Traditional: A comprehensive selection
of hands-on, active curriculum
courses that will strengthen and hone
academic proficiency and study skills,
and offer extracurricular and sports activities,
to provide a competitive advantage
in the college admission process.
The Conrad Challenge: Students
will participate in a nationally recognized
entrepreneurial program named
for Apollo 12 astronaut and Darrow
alumnus, Charles “Pete” Conrad ’49.
Independent Study: Working in a
makerspace environment, PG students
will create innovative programs of their
own design under faculty mentorship
and guidance.
“Darrow’s program is something
very different,” said Director of Studies
Mika Saarela, who noted that some
postgraduate programs serve primarily
as a means for prospective collegiate
athletes to gain an extra year of
high school competition. “It will provide
a highly customizable opportunity
for students to benefit from our active
curriculum in order to develop their
academic skills, from critical thinking
to creative problem solving.”
For more information visit www.darrowschool.org,
call (518) 794-6000, or
email admissions@darrowschool.org.
Teachers Present Race Class at National Conference
In November, Darrow faculty members
and Diversity Co-coordinators
Nancy Dutton, Chair of the English
Department, and Joel Priest, math
and science teacher, presented a
workshop at the Annual Convention
of the National Council of Teachers of
English (NCTE) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Titled “Race: Reality and Fiction,”
the workshop was named for a spring
elective they co-teach to juniors and
seniors at Darrow.
“To advocate for racial justice,
students need tools to understand
and dismantle racist institutions and
practices,” Dutton said, describing the
workshop’s objective. “We provide
rationales, materials, and experiences
from our course, which teaches secondary
students to apply understandings
of racism and the construction of
race to fictional and real incidents.”
The topics addressed included:
• What does it mean when biologists
say that human races do not exist?
Nancy Dutton, English Department Chair,
and Joel Priest, math and science teacher,
at the National Council of Teachers of
English convention in November
• What does it mean when historians
say that race was created in
the last 500 years?
• How does the idea of race inform
one’s understanding of current
policies and controversies?
• How does it impact people’s lives,
inform how people view races
other than their own, and influence
the development of one’s
identity?
• Why human variation is not racial
• Historical creation of race categories
and racism
• Political, social, historical impacts
of racism/racist structures
• Impacts of racist structures on
personal identity
• Impacts of racist structures on
current society, policies, future
“People say they are color blind but
really they are color mute. They prefer
not to talk about race,” Priest said.
“There is fundamental knowledge one
needs in order to have responsible
conversations about race. We have
created an academic course that looks
at race from scientific, sociological,
and historical points of view that will
inform personal perspectives. We try
to impact students’ personal understandings
as well as their understanding
of race in America, and provide
safe spaces in which to apply and
refine their learning.”
DARROW SCHOOL 9