Signature Programs

The Malone Schools Online Network, or MSON, was developed by the heads of six independent schools to provide high-quality online courses for qualified students. This unique consortium provides students at member schools with a variety of online courses which reach beyond or enhance the member school's existing program. MSON courses are taught online and combine synchronous instruction (real-time video conferencing) with asynchronous instruction (lessons which are recorded, or screencasted, by the teacher). MSON classes are similar to classes offered at traditional independent schools. Students work on projects, collaborate with classmates, read, conduct research, watch videos, participate in discussions, take quizzes and tests. The classes differ from traditional courses in that they are taught online and enroll students from all over the country. Students learn to interact and collaborate with classmates and teachers by using innovative technology, tools students will use in their future careers in academia and the workplace. MSON teachers come from participating schools and are experts in their fields. Each teacher shares the values of the Malone Schools: a commitment to excellence and a desire to preserve the rich personal elements of classroom teaching.

The Hopkins Robotics Program was designed and established to give all students, in grades 7–12, the opportunity to explore and learn the various aspects of designing, building, coding, and testing robots of various sizes and complexity levels.  Areas of focus include the mechanical, electrical, and computational aspects of a robot. The Engineering Design Process and Design Thinking is used to teach students the importance of iterative robot design.

The program has three main areas: 

Junior School Robotics: This hands-on program is for Grade 7 and 8 students to build, code, and test their robots for basic functionality and then custom-design various add-on features for more advanced robot functionality.

High School Academic Classes: Robotics Engineering is a high school academic Term class that is offered to students of all skill levels in Grades 9–12 who are interested in either entry-level robotics or who want to upgrade their current robotics skills to the next level. Working in small teams, students create a robot that provides a solution for a community-defined problem.  

High School Competition Teams: Hopkins has two high school competition teams under the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) program.  Each team is challenged with designing and building their own robot to meet the annual competition challenge that is published by FIRST.  Our teams attend several qualifiers and consistently qualify for state championship competition. We have also qualified for Worlds Competition and have attended that event as well.  These teams are supported by our high school training team which prepares students for competition, teaches them the hardware and software that is used, and allows them to build a robot for the FTC annual challenge as well.  Students from the training team have the option to join one of the competition teams.

 

The Young Apprentice Writers Program (YAWP) was launched in 2021, involves a one-term Spring class and a Summer apprenticeship with a literary mentor.

During the Spring term, supported by weekly peer workshops designed to develop writing projects and collaboration skills, students will compose approximately 25 pages of finished writing across genres and forms, culminating in a portfolio. Visits from and meetings with alumni and other professional writers will complement the writing process and help students develop essential apprentice skills. Students also will read two course-wide books and two additional, self-selected texts relevant to their project. Those independent readings will grow students’ expertise within their proposed genre and form. A formal proposal for their summer reading and writing will accompany the spring portfolio. 

The formal proposal will guide and structure the summer project. Past participants have drafted a novel, completed several short stories, written a crown of sonnets, produced a poetry chapbook, and composed screenplays. Students will log between 12-15 weekly hours of reading, writing, and conferencing. Other requirements include regular and productive use of the mentor conferences, maintaining a writer's journal, and thoughtful responses to the Director’s summer communications. Upon successful completion of the summer work, students will earn a half credit.

The YAWP experience culminates with an autumn reading event in front of family, peers, and mentors.