Winter Term

For a two-week « term » between the fall and spring semesters, MICDS students embrace a unique experiential learning opportunity dubbed « Winter Term. » Launched in 2024, this program in January allows our Lower, Middle, and Upper School Rams to venture outside of the traditional school day in order to dive into immersive courses and hands-on experiences. From specialized classes and global learning trips to senior internships and job shadowing, Winter Term sparks a remarkable and perhaps pivotal learning adventure for all Rams!

Academic

Learning is at the very core of Winter Term. It is the heart of what this unique opportunity is all about. If a student has ever wanted to take a deep dive into a subject area that they’ve never pursued before or want to learn more about, this is their chance. Courses provide actionable lessons and expectations to be met through niche writing, critical thinking, acting, creating, exploring, and problem solving challenges.

Enrichment

Perhaps there is a subject that a student has been exposed to that they would like to take a crash course on for deeper learning. Or maybe they want to better understand material from a class that only scratched the surface. Winter Term is the perfect way to meaningfully tackle a specific area of interest.

Transitioning: From Vacation to Education

Winter Term lands right after Winter Break, fittingly helping students bridge the time from vacation back to education. Through their student-selected and specilaized, hands-on experiences, they pursue passions that their regular courses might not include before diving into the second semester.

Winter Term 2024 Gallery

In Winter Term, I valued creative ways to learn outside of the normal academic schedule.

Winter Term Student
Winter Term Student

Past Experiences

Read Past Experiences from 2024.

Lower School
Recap of Winter Term '24 in Lower School

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Beasley Winter Term
Lower Schoolers were offered some incredible opportunities on celebrating difference as part of Winter Term 2024...
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Middle School Electives
In addition to the courses, what are the Middle School electives like?

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Unique Electives
During Winter Term, our Middle Schoolers started all of their days with unique and engaging electives. Thirty different options were offered from Taylor Swift and Dude Perfect-themed classes to games, instruments, mysteries, and puzzles...
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Upper School
Write About Now

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Write About Now
Under the careful guidance of Celeste Prince, Upper School English Teacher, students in the Write About Now course focused on the stages of the writing process, experimented with several genres, and crafted a variety of pieces...
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Upper School
3-2-1 Blast Off!

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3-2-1 Blast Off!
Several years ago, Upper School Math Teacher Melanie Moody toyed with the idea of creating a fun summer course based on flight...
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Middle & Upper School
Sledding Into the Start of Winter Term

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Sledding Into the Start of Winter Term
The first few days of the two-week stretch kicked off on Wednesday as students convened after Winter Break to SLED into a smorgasSNOWboard of “classes” like never before...
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Upper School
Cut, Press, Print: The Art of Printmaking

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Cut, Press, Print: The Art of Printmaking
Students in the Winter Term course “Cut, Press, Print” explored the art of the ink transfer process by creating relief works, gelli prints, linoleum plates, E-Z-Cut blocks, and serigraphy (screen printing)...
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Upper School
Student Sports Journalists Launch Rams Nation Sportscast

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Student Sports Journalists Launch Rams Nation Sportscast
Over Winter Term, 26 Rams studied sports journalism and launched their first episode of Rams Nation Sportscast...
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Upper School
Take a Hike!

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Take a Hike!
Upper Schoolers in the "Take a Hike" course partook in several hiking adventures to view nature as would a transcendentalist with the help of Henry David Thoreau...
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Upper School
Upper School Thespians Immerse Themselves in Theater

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Upper School Thespians Immerse Themselves in Theater
MICDS actors and crew members traveled to the Missouri State Thespian Conference to compete in performance and design events...
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Upper School
Cooking from Scratch

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Cooking from Scratch
Students taking the Winter Term course Cooking from Scratch learned that science is a main ingredient in everything they eat...
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Upper School
Installation Art

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Installation Art
Upper School students in the Winter Term course “Installation Art” enjoyed the unique experience of creating their own environment, an exhibit entitled "Lost & Found."...
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Middle School
Minecraft & Sustainability

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Minecraft & Sustainability
Middle School Math Teacher Dustin Delfin, an architect, challenged the students in his Winter Term Course to use Minecraft Education, a favorite app among Middle School students, to explore sustainability...
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Upper School
Capturing the Moment

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Capturing the Moment
For Winter Term, students were offered the opportunity to gain experience and skills in interviewing, writing stories, editing, design, and photography while producing spreads for a creative, innovative yearbook that records school memories and events...
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Upper School
Changing the World Through Pictures

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Changing the World Through Pictures
Students were able to sharpen their photography skills while analyzing images that have been instrumental in shaping the world we live in today...
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Global Learning
Rams Explore South Africa

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Rams Explore South Africa
Eighteen students and three intrepid chaperones started the new year by flying to South Africa for a two-week adventure...
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Global Learning
A Marvelous Trip to Spain for 27 Rams

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A Marvelous Trip to Spain for 27 Rams
The Spain trip during Winter Term was the perfect opportunity to be immersed in the Spanish language, culture, history, and so much more...
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Upper School
The World Peace Game: A Political Simulation

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The World Peace Game: A Political Simulation
Several Upper Schoolers put their problem-solving skills to the test in The World Peace Game Winter Term course where they tried to solve different, complex global crises to attain world peace.
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Upper School
Instruments by Design

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Instruments by Design
From cigar-box guitars to washboard basses, American popular music has a long tradition of repurposing materials to build musical instruments...
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Upper School
MICDS Congress

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MICDS Congress
The MICDS Congress course provided students with a hands-on simulation of the United States legislative process...
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Upper School
Luau Party

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Luau Party
Several Upper Schoolers figuratively escaped to the Polynesian Islands during Winter Term as part of the Luau Party course offered by Jenna Lin, Upper School Math Teacher...
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Global Learning
Domestic Exchange

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Domestic Exchange
Some Upper School students participated in a domestic exchange during Winter Term...
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I enjoyed facilitating something that I'm passionate about that would not (usually) fit into my regularly scheduled classes. Winter Term allowed me to use open-space curriculum, student-led activities, and problem-based inquiry; I couldn't have been happier.

Upper School Teacher
Upper School Teacher

All-School FAQs

Lower School FAQs

Middle and Upper School FAQs

Course Catalogs

The Senior Experience

The Senior Winter Term Experience

The Winter Term Senior Experience is an opportunity to extend learning beyond the MICDS curriculum and campus. Seniors can pursue their interests, try something new, and use skills learned at MICDS in real-life situations. Options for the Class of 2025  seniors include internships, job shadowing, community service, and travel learning programs.

My advice for seniors next year is to find an internship or opportunity that deals with an issue or topic you're passionate about. For me, finding an opportunity to be involved in grassroots organizing and environmental policy was something that I will never forget and made these two weeks so crucial.

Agatha Curylo ’24
Agatha Curylo ’24