By Quinn Connolly
Santa Catalina School has announced a new edition to their programs. This new immersion program was selected for the upcoming year based on popular demand. These immersive experiences will be conducted year-round, completely separate from the rest of the school. All subjects will continue to be studied, but in the context of the program’s theme for the year. The category for this year will be English Literature. Following is a description of this new program starting in Fall of 2025.
English Literature: Immersion into Wuthering Heights (1874).
In this course, students will fully immerse themselves in the story from Emily Brönte detailing the lives and loves of two generations. Students will live in one of the cottages on campus without electricity, running water, or plumbing, purely living by candlelight while in their home for the year. Students will dress in typical clothing of the time including large, frivolous dresses and small straw hats with ribbons. Students in this program will be dismissed from all other classes and activities usually required for students at school. The application for this program will open as soon as the storms stop. The following is the course outline for English Literature.
Math: Students will participate in activities such as counting every time a gothic element is used throughout the book, then use those numbers to assist them in simple algebraic calculations. Math will also include tedious tasks such as counting the number of leaves on a tree and counting the number of twigs on campus while contemplating life and previous love encounters in multiples of primes.
Science: Students will participate in popular sciences of the time (1771-1802) including pondering the discovery that life is the sum of the forces resisting death whilst marveling at sprouting acorns. Students will also participate in science by observing natural areas on campus for extended periods of time and writing their observations in the form of poetry.
English: Students will read works from the time such as Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake and Camilla by Fanny Burney. Students will choose nine books to complete throughout the year, reading them through once a week to combat boredom. No literature written after this time period will be permitted.
Language: Students will observe classes in calligraphy in order to strengthen their writing skills and enhance their penmanship. Students will also participate in oral presentations of the novels they choose to read throughout the year. These will include a dramatic monologue from the novel as well as an excessive description of the writings with the hopes of spurring significant emotion from the audience (other students).
History: For the first semester, students will do a deep dive into the history of Gimmerton and England during this time with the use of books. Along with internet access, technology, such as computers and iPads, is strictly forbidden. Second semester, students will do independent research using Brönte Literature to learn the history of the Brönte Family.
Final Project: Students will have all semester to write a book based on their experiences in this program. Students will be expected to produce either two novels or four short stories, either gothic or romantic, in tangent to the novels by Emily Brönte.
Continue looking out for future programs as the year progresses. Some possibilities for the following years include an Immersion into the Life of Taylor Swift and an Immersion into Musical Canine Freestyle. Please consider applying! Applications for Immersion into Wuthering Heights begin after the storms.
LAMPLIGHTER 