High School
High School Curriculum
The Waldorf School Orange County High School curriculum guides students across the threshold of adolescence, helping them actively engage the world with strength and courage.
We endeavor to educate students in a manner that awakens independent thinking, intrinsic motivation, and inner confidence.
We work alongside adolescents to develop the full measure of their human potential, combining personal achievement with service to the greater world.
Curriculum Highlights
| Ninth Grade | Tenth Grade | Eleventh Grade | Twelfth Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | Anatomy, Physiology | Embryology | Botany, Cellular Biology | Zoology, Evolution |
| Chemistry | Organic Chemistry | Inorganic Chemistry | Periodic Table and Atomic Theory | Biochemistry |
| Physics | Thermodynamics | Mechanics | Electricity, Magnetism, Nuclear Physics | Optics |
| Earth Sciences | Geology | Oceanography | Astronomy | |
| Electives | Science or Humanities | Science or Humanities | ||
| Math | Combinatorics, Algebra 1 or 2 | Trigonometry, Geometry | Projective Geometry, Algebra 2 or Precalculus | Calculus and Business Math |
| History | Modern World History | Early American History, Ancient World History, Greco-Roman History | Medieval History, Constitutional Law, Current Events | |
| Aesthetics | World History Through Art | Poetics | World History Through Music | World History Through Architecture |
| Global Studies | History of the Middle East | Developing Countries | Global Economics | Symptomatology |
| Language Arts | Tragedy and Comedy, Mythology, Cultural Perspectives in Literature | Sacred Writings, Illiad, Odyssey | Wolfram Von Eschenbach's Parzival, Dante's The Divine Comedy, Shakespeare | Russian Literature, Transcendentalists, Goethe's Faust, Melville's Moby-Dick, Memoir |
| Foreign Languages | Spanish 1 | Spanish 2 | Spanish 3 | Spanish 4 |
| Music | Choir, Chamber Ensemble, Piano Master Class, Wind Ensemble | Choir, Chamber Ensemble, Piano Master Class, Wind Ensemble | Choir, Chamber Ensemble, Piano Master Class, Wind Ensemble | Choir, Chamber Ensemble, Piano Master Class, Wind Ensemble |
| Arts and Practical Activities | Puppetry, Mask Making, Basketry, Black and White Drawing, Color Theory, Carpentry, Performing Arts | Painting, Drawing, Modeling, Sculpturing, Textile Arts, Printing, Carpentry, Performing Arts | Painting, Drawing, Modeling, Sculpturing, Textile Arts, Printing, Bookbinding, Performing Arts, Monologues | Painting, Modeling, Sculpturing, Bookbinding, Performing Arts, Twelfth Grade Play, Art Portfolio Elective |
| Health | Life Skills | Life Skills | ||
| Eurthymy (movement art set to poetry and music) | Eurthymy | Eurthymy | Eurthymy | Eurthymy |
| Physical Education | Physical Education* | Physical Education* | Physical Education* | Physical Education* |
*Combined (grades 9-12) Physical Education classes this year MAY include the following: beach volleyball, surfing, yoga, flag football, disc golf, hiking, basketball, dance, sailing, archery, soccer, swimming, track and field, and cross country.
Grade 9
Main Lesson Blocks
- History
- Modern World History
- World History Through Art
- Global Studies
- History of the Middle East
- Literature
- Tragedy and Comedy
- Cultural Perspectives in Literature
- Mathematics
- Combinatorics
- Science
- Biology – Anatomy
- Organic Chemistry
- Physics – Thermodynamics
- Geology
Track Lessons
English, Algebra, Spanish, Music, Health, Physical Education, Mythology
Arts and Practical Activities
Puppetry, Mask Making, Basketry, Black & White Drawing, Color Theory, Carpentry, Performing Arts
Grade 10
Main Lesson Blocks
- History
- Early American History
- Ancient World History
- Greco-Roman History
- Global Studies
- Developing Countries
- Literature
- Sacred Writings
- Poetics
- Mathematics
- Geometry
- Trigonometry
- Science
- Biology – Embryology
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Physics – Mechanics
- Oceanography
Track Lessons
English, Geometry, Spanish, Music, Health, Physical Education
Arts and Practical Activities
Painting, Drawing, Modeling, Sculpture, Textile Arts, Printing, Carpentry, and Performing Arts
Grade 11
Main Lesson Blocks
- History
- Constitutional Law
- Medieval History
- World History Through Music
- Current Events
- Literature
- Wolfram Von Eschenbach’s Parzival
- Dante’s The Divine Comedy
- Shakespeare
- Mathematics
- Projective Geometry
- Triangle Trigonometry
- Science
- Biology – Botany
- Chemistry
- Physics – Electricity, Magnetism
- Astronomy
Track Lessons
English, Algebra/Precalculus, Spanish, Test Prep, Personal Finances, Music, Physical Education
Arts and Practical Activities
Painting, Drawing, Modeling, Sculpting, Textile Arts, Printing, Bookbinding, Performing Arts, and Monologues
Grade 12
Main Lesson Blocks
- History
- World History Through Architecture
- Global Studies
- Symptomatology
- Literature
- Russian Literature
- Transcendentalists
- Goethe’s Faust
- Melville’s Moby-Dick
- Memoir
- Mathematics
- Business Math
- Calculus
- Science
- Biology – Zoology
- Biochemistry
- Physics – Optics
Track Lessons
English, Calculus/Financial Mathematics, Spanish, Music, Physical Education
Arts and Practical Activities
Painting, Modeling, Sculpture, Bookbinding, Performing Arts, Twelfth Grade Play, Art Portfolio Elective
