Chatham Hall Completes Inaugural January Term

Designed to allow students to expand their learning on topics not currently part of our semester curricula, January Term featured 18 courses on subjects chosen by faculty. Courses ranged from Biochemistry Techniques to Reading Like a Writer, Writing for Readers, to Italian Language Bootcamp, to Quilting.

January Term has been exciting from its inception. It was wonderful to see the faculty embrace this new program as they pondered what they would teach,” said Dean of Academics Martha Griswold. ”We have a blend of hands-on and skill-based classes as well as more content-based areas that all have attracted a good number of students.”

In addition to their afternoon courses, students participated in grade-level programming about specialized topics such as personal health, personal finance, citizenry, and life preparedness. All students also participated in Living Well Wednesdays led by faculty about topics important to everyone including basic home and clothing maintenance, yoga and pilates, meal planning, study skills, and more.

“January Term is an important time for Chatham Hall students to reflect on Living Well. It is an opportunity for the student body to learn valuable life skills not usually taught in the course of an academic year,” said Dr. Francis Yun, lead January Term coordinator.

On the final day, students presented their new found knowledge and skills at an across campus expo. Some groups held interactive demos while others showcased projects completed during the term.

“Women & War just stood out to me because it’s something I’m really interested in. I’ve enjoyed the class a lot. For my final project I made a timeline of women’s rights throughout history related to war,” said Whitley Younger ‘24.

“January Term gives students more time to focus, especially on a class they are very interested in. Being able to take an in-depth, month-long class can really open your eyes to things you might not have even known you were interested in. I’m glad that Chatham Hall decided to do it.”

To see more photos from January Term, please visit the School’s SmugMug account.