Prior to this year, I had never taken an advanced math class. I had always looped myself into the “humanities student” box, and so, advanced math seemed out of reach. However, after taking pre-calc, I wanted to try something new and challenge myself. So, I decided to take AP Calculus AB, and I am so glad I did. Not only is it currently my favorite class, but it feels like the perfect level of difficulty. Although the class is challenging, the workload is manageable and Andy Cantrell, the teacher, often makes himself available. The first unit feels incredibly difficult, but the unique set-up makes the following units manageable and easier to understand. I would rate this class 5/5 stars.

 How can my classes in high school prepare me for life as a college student? What classes will challenge me to develop academic independence and self-driven rigor? How can I contribute to academic discourse as a high school student?  These questions I asked myself during course registration last year led me to Advanced Topic Research with David Zalk. 

   Daily work consists of writing bibliography annotations, developing new lines of questions, and checking out books from local libraries. While assigned homework is on the lighter side, time-intensive self-guided work is required; roughly 100 pages of reading and research are expected outside of class each week. All of this intensive work culminates in an 8-16 page research paper at the end of the semester.

Ahan Devgun ‘24, who took the class last year, reflects positively on his experience in the class and his final paper titled “Cultural Competence in Mental Health Diagnosis: The DSM and its Global Applicability.” However, Devgun advises that “it’s a lot of work. It is a post-AP level class, so people should be expecting to put in a post-AP level course load.”

While some of the class’s magic lies within its small size and constructive community, I hope that more people select Advanced Topics Research as their first choice during course registration this year. Overall, I give Advanced Topics Research 5/5 stars. 

Taught by Kirstin Holm, AP Chemistry serves as a rigorous exploration of chemistry. The class is fast-paced and you have to be comfortable with the prospect of lower grades than you’re used to. It will prepare you for college-level courses, subsequently setting you up for future success. While difficult, it’s a valuable opportunity to expand your knowledge of natural sciences. If you have a rigorous course load, prioritize the classes that are most important to you. Ava Broll ‘25 expresses that if chemistry is, “a subject you’re curious about… then you should take it. If you’re just doing it for…anything besides [that], I would not take it because it’s going to be a hard class to maintain a good grade in.” Broll also notes that because it’s so fast-paced, “if you’re confused about anything in class… you have to work outside of class.” Sai Buddi ‘25 also recommends the class, sharing “[Kirstin] Holm’s a really great teacher… [and] I enjoy the style of class… we don’t have homework, it’s mostly a few assignments before a test—like a problem set.” Buddi, Broll, and I all advise that if you are taking the class, form a group chat to help each other out.

Anatomy and Physiology with Jim Arnold is and will be my favorite class I will ever take at The Blake School. In the first semester of my Junior year, I was placed into Anatomy and Physiology, a class which my sister recommended to me because she had a great time in the class. The combination of Arnold being a fantastic, very humorous teacher, and the very hands on, enjoyable curriculum made me look forward to the class everyday. The class was not too difficult but was a nice challenge if you wanted to spend some more time going into deeper detail with the work. Arnold spends a lot of the time in class making jokes, teasing students in the class, and making sure that the whole class is both learning and having a good time. Class mate Jada Chenitz ‘25 agrees in saying “I liked the class. Arnold was a great teacher, he makes really good personal connections with the students.” Overall, I would rate the class a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

AP Spanish, currently taught by Laura Rodríguez-Duran, covers the AP curriculum and encourages in-depth understanding of spanish-speaking cultures around the world. The course is great because it makes the preparation for the AP exam fun and engaging. Part of the course that is greatly appreciated is the supportive and welcoming teaching. Martha Hughes ‘24 affirms that “Rodríguez is really fun and awesome and genuinely cares about everyone in her class.” The stellar teaching is complimented by a rigorous course that sets students well on their way to a successful AP Spanish test. Ethan Edinburgh ‘26 argues that the course prepares students extremely well for the AP exam “because all of our tests and big summative activities are components of the AP exam.” The course is a perfect combination of learning about Spanish language and culture and enjoying time in class. Overall Rating: 5/5 stars.

 Printmaking is the perfect class for any student with any level of art experience. As a beginner artist, I have enjoyed learning techniques like stenciling, copper sketches, and rubber carving. The class allows for students to explore their creative side, where other courses at Blake may not. Printmaking has proven very therapeutic and a good class to just take a moment to yourself after a day of difficult classes. Talking to my friends while creating art has definitely been a highlight for me. My classmate Alex Wu ‘24 puts it similarly saying, “As a senior, printmaking has been a very relaxing space, as it is not only therapeutic in carving stamps or engraving the copper, but anyone can make something that looks really cool”. I’m excited to see how printmaking will open me up to different artistic opportunities in the future. I would rate the class a 5 out of 5 stars, and I recommend it for rising seniors to take with friends.

I chose to take Latin American Literature mainly because of my interest in learning about Latin American culture and my love of the Spanish language. In this class, we read a variety of different texts, ranging from fable-styled tales, to grand adventures about crossing borders, as well as origin stories that have clearly impacted the way Latin American societies behave today. 

The class is primarily taken by students studying Spanish, yet is available to all students regardless of the language they are taking. “I’ve been taking French for the past seven years, so I thought it would be really interesting to learn more about a culture that I haven’t spent much time learning about,” said Daphne Dresner ‘24. For students who have taken Spanish classes at Blake, this class is a perfect way of diving deeper into topics of Latin American culture through a new lens via an English classroom setting. 

 My favorite part of this class was the engaging environment that the teacher, Mike Bazzett, was able to foster in each of his Latin American Literature classes.  “In my class, everyone was very willing to put in the work which I enjoyed,” said Ahan Devgun ‘24.  Dresner, Devgun, and I mutually gave this class 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

When I started AP US Government and Politics, I wasn’t sure what to expect. As someone who enjoys political science, I knew I wanted to take the class, but I didn’t know if the class would be more discussion-based or lecture-based. What I found was an almost perfect balance. There was a set path that we had to follow because of the AP Test, but I did not feel like we were repeatedly doing readings from a textbook. There was a wide variety of learning methods, from videos to discussions to creating a game at the end of the semester. There was even a new type of quiz that truly showcased how the bureaucracy works. Classmate Hanna Hack ‘25 agrees, stating “[AP U.S. Government and Politics] was a great class, I would totally recommend it.” Although it was annoying, I learned a lot. I would give this class a 5 out of 5 stars.

In photography, taught by Brian Sago, students learn how to take photos using different compositions and how to use different features of a digital camera. They also learn different editing tools in Photoshop to enhance the quality of their photos. Students also learn a little bit about the history of photography and different historical photographs.

I enjoyed this class because I’m not typically very good at arts such as drawing or painting, but I still enjoy creating art. I also enjoyed times in class when we got to go to places such as the Sculpture Garden to take photos. Jax Newberry ‘27 said “I think that the projects are very fun and I like that we get to do a bunch of different things”. 

The one downside to this class was that I was hoping that we would get to take photos on film and develop them instead of just using digital cameras. Overall, I would give this class 4/5 stars.

After winter break, I came into the semester not knowing anything about ceramics or pottery. So far, arts have never really clicked with me as I have never been fond of art and its creative nature. However, so far through the semester, Ceramics has been fun and has helped me expand my artistic horizon. Although Ceramics has been challenging, the unique nature of the class has been enjoyable. Rayan Nasir ‘26, a first-time ceramics student, agrees adding, “Ceramics is really unique with the hands-on experience.” Ethan Edinburgh ‘26 also enjoys the class stating, “we can make whatever we want on the wheel and I think that’s very fun but I think also the process of making a pot and making clay can be really fun.” I would give the class five out of five stars because the class is a great mix of work and fun.