2026 Full Course Descriptions

Grade Levels: Rising 12th graders

Course Description: Seniors will write a solid draft of their personal statement, the primary essay required for applications to most private and out-of-state public  universities. Students will also learn how to write essays for other prompts including supplemental essays and those required for the University of California application. As students complete their personal statements, they will begin writing drafts of other required application essays. The course begins with the assumption that students hold no prior knowledge or experience on the application process, and ends with each student learning the structure of the personal essay and what makes them effective, gaining a clearer grasp of the college application season, with an introduction to the best approach for writing supplemental essays. 

College Essay Writing is a half day course that meets 9 days during the first two weeks of summer session. Students seeking credit/credit repair in English must take one 2-week session of College Essay Writing and two other English classes.

Instructor: Shelley Willig

FULL - Morning Session Week 1 & 2

Grade Levels: Rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders

Course Description: Welcome your first official Mid-Pen writing workshop! Students will study the craft elements key to any piece of writing: plot, pacing, character, setting to set the foundation for their creative work. They will read each other’s work and engage in workshop discussion grounded in support for their fellow writers. 

10th through 12th graders can take this course for English credit and/or for credit repair. Students seeking a semester of English credit or credit repair need to take four total English classes; this English course can be taken along with other English offerings. Rising 9th graders can take this course for enrichment, but will not earn credit.

Instructor: Gen Greer 

Grade Levels: Rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders

Course Description: Lean in, I have a ghost story to tell you. Actually quite a few ghost stories. Over the space of this week-long course students will be reading from all across the horror genre: ghouls, ghosts, and vampires here we come! Students will investigate the roots of horror stories, how they reflect societal concerns, and what role horror plays today as well as writing a horror story of their own. 

10th through 12th graders can take this course for English credit and/or for credit repair. Students seeking a semester of English credit or credit repair need to take four total English classes; this English course can be taken along with other English offerings. Rising 9th graders can take this course for enrichment, but will not earn credit.

Instructor: Gen Greer 

Grade Levels: Rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders

Course Description: In this class, students learn the fundamentals of a variety of sports activities, fitness, and recreation. Motor skills for each unit or sport are introduced and practiced until the class is ready to play the actual game associated with each sport. Games are often modified to best fit the class size and facility. Students learn game concepts and strategies, as well as the basic rules for each sport. Students also learn the concepts of sportsmanship, cooperation, and competition. 

9th through 12th graders can take this course for P.E. credit. Students seeking a semester of P.E. credit needs to take four total P.E. classes.

Instructor: Raul Salazar

Grade Levels: Rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders

Course Description: Hawaii is one of the most interesting regions of the United States. Come learn about their culture and history, including the Kingdom of Hawaii, colonization and modern issues facing the island chain. We will learn about traditional Hawaiian religion, as well as how imperialism has impacted the islands. This class highlights an often forgotten region of history!

10th through 12th graders can take this course for History credit and/or for credit repair. Students seeking a semester of History credit or credit repair need to take four total History classes; this History course can be taken along with other History offerings. Rising 9th graders can take this course for enrichment, but will not earn credit.

Instructor: Alan Cameron

Grade Levels: Rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders

Course Description: Yay Area! Want to learn what makes the Bay the Bay? We will learn about Bay Area history and culture; starting with the Ohlone peoples, colonization, the gold rush, the barbary coast, counter culture, civil rights and the tech boom. We will highlight the entire Bay, with a focus on San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. Interested in your local community? Come get hyphy in Alan's Class.

10th through 12th graders can take this course for History credit and/or for credit repair. Students seeking a semester of History credit or credit repair need to take four total History classes; this History course can be taken along with other History offerings. Rising 9th graders can take this course for enrichment, but will not earn credit.

Instructor: Alan Cameron

Grade Levels: Rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders

Course Description: This introductory Biology course will teach students about living organisms and biological processes. The course will allow students to understand the basic principles of living things, including, but not limited to, cell structure and function, evolution, and the various organ systems of the Human Body. This course is designed to cover a wide range of lab experiences to build strong inquiry skills and an understanding of real-world contexts. It will incorporate hands-on laboratory experiments as an essential part of the learning process.

10th through 12th graders can take this course for Biology credit and/or for credit repair. Students seeking a semester of Biology credit or credit repair must take four total Biology classes. Rising 9th graders can take this course for enrichment, but will not earn credit.

Instructor: Meenu Baloda