Upper School Intersession 2025

Have you ever had an idea for a TV show or app and wondered how you would even go about trying to create it? Well, the one thing TV shows, apps, sneaker companies, etc. all have in common is that their creators first had to pitch the idea to investors. If you have an idea that you’d like to sell, this workshop is for you.

Emmy-nominated TV writer Michael Kramer is going to teach you how he takes ideas for TV shows and turns them into compelling oral presentations in order to get Hollywood studios, networks and streamers to buy them. He’ll break down the whole pitch for you using actual pitches of his that have sold -- going from what inspired the idea to how to succinctly describe it to developing the characters to the importance of a theme. And whether your idea is for a TV show or something else, you’ll each get to present to the class the opening of your pitch: a short description of your idea and what inspired it. So whether your idea is for a TV show or another creative outlet, by the end of the workshop you’ll have an understanding of how to transform that idea into an actual presentation and tailor it to your unique talents so that your idea will have the best chance of selling. And hopefully have fun doing it.

"He plundered and burnt the town, bestowed the booty on the troops, and then crossed the Loire with the army." Julius Caesar led a huge army that conquered much of modern day France, leaving death and destruction in its trail. He also wrote reports on that war, seven books known as the Gallic War (from which the first sentence is quoted). Slightly less than a generation later, the poet Vergil wrote the Aeneid, which Romans thought of as their national poem; it too deals with warfare and its costs, but from a very different perspective. Two Romans, two takes on war: where Caesar is cold and calculating and distant,Vergil is close and compassionate.
In this seminar we will read and discuss sections of Caesar's Gallic War and Vergil's Aeneid. We'll reflect on the representations of war by the two authors, what it means to be human(e) in times of war, the notion of the hero (then and now), and views of 'the other'; and, lastly, questions of destiny, the darkness and cost of empire, and loss. We will combine it with a modern reading on drone warfare.

Live Action Role Playing (LARP), players pretend to be someone else, living in a different time or place, and acting out events that might happen in that world. Many of these games involve battles, and so LARPers use safe, padded props that look like weapons to act out the combat. Unlike in a play where everyone has certain lines to say and the story is set, in LARP, the players each act out a certain person and make their own decisions for that person as the game evolves. Live Action Role Playing is a tremendous teaching tool and capable of dynamic, physically driven learning that transcends the usual boundaries of standard education. Due to the interactive, dramatic, hands on methods used in LARP, teaching is often effortless and fun. This class begins with basic battle training and rules of combat, followed by character creation and entry into the game world of Roekron, a game world continuously run for over two decades in the Bay Area and which currently has leagues all across the region with weekly and monthly meetups. Students will have a character at the end of this class that can be taken and used in any of the other Roekron League events they choose and may continue their story at future events if they wish.

Topics Covered:
- First Five Battle Rules
- Equipment Sets and Weapons
- Armor System of AV
- Basic Spell and Skill Types
- Overview of the Classes
- Character Species
- Character Backstory
- Alignments
- Flow of Events
- Playing a Monster or NPC
- Quests and Role Playing
- Magical Items and Money Cards
- Completing a Mission
- Transfer of Characters to other leagues

Check out these videos to get a sense of what we'll be doing!
Intro (2min)
The Regulars LARPing (SF Chronicle)- 
https://youtu.be/YdnqN-TcBq4

Core Rules-(13min)
The First Five Rules- 
https://youtu.be/K7PVm6rw2H8
Armor Zones- (3min)
https://youtu.be/N67hPOenaHU
Color Tags- (5min)
https://youtu.be/XIbgvo-5nnA

-Bonus Material-
TEDx Talk on LARPing with Kids and Teens- (10min)
https://youtu.be/L6xl-qYRHco

Sebastopol Times Article 2024
(10min read)

"Don’t tell me words don’t matter. I have a dream – just words words. We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal – just words. We have nothing to fear but fear itself – just words, just speeches" (President Barack Obama).

Back in the day, in his first campaign for president, Barack Obama promised change; yet in formulating that promise he relied on rhetorical rules, which for more than 2000 years have remained unchanged. Across the ages another politician and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero, can help us analyze and appreciate Obama’s and other contemporary politicians’ rhetorical accomplishments.

We will look at excerpts from speeches by Obama, Bill Clinton, Pericles, Cicero, and Tacitus with an eye to their enactments of specific rhetorical rules–formulated in ancient times, followed to this day. Words have always mattered.

When people think of “networking,” they imagine attending social events to meet the right people to advance their careers while exchanging business cards. The reality is that building relationships leads to making meaningful connections that happen in both personal and professional settings. 

Instead of thinking about networking as making a business connection, think about it as creating a friendship. Demonstrate interest in others to build relationships in the same way you would make a friend through The FACE Framework: Familiarity, Authenticity, Curiosity, and Elasticity. You are the FACE of your organization!

This session will include storytelling to demonstrate each element of FACE. There will also be an activity called “Speed Friending” that encourages audience members to find what they have in common as they learn about each other for who they are.

Are you a Heartstopper fan (graphic novel and/or Netflix show)? This is the intersession for you. In our session, we are going to dissect representation (of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, ability, etc.), friendships and romantic relationships, family dynamics and influences, cultural and societal expectations, differences and similarities between the graphic novel vs. Netflix show, and any other themes you want to bring to this session. Come prepared to share and discuss!

Adults are often drawn to careers with a distinguished title, comfortable salary, and variety of benefits in an established company. On the contrary, when kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they simply think about what they LIKE to do!

Whether following a career path or pivoting mid-career, choose a career based on what you LIKE to do – a career that’s a good fit for you! Discover careers that apply everything you LIKE to do into one job, leading to finding fulfillment in a career that you sometimes didn’t expect to pursue.

This session will include storytelling to illustrate key takeaways. There will also be activities that help the audience brainstorm their career path, skillsets, and projects that give them fulfillment, reminding them of what they LIKE to do.

Pandemics! Geopolitics! Economics! Bad behavior! These are turbulent times and businesses and other organizations are encountering lots of new challenges and even full-fledged disasters. When it all goes wrong, how should organizations think about communicating? What are the rules of the road? The common mistakes? Which audiences matter? What do you do when the New York Times calls or social media explodes? We'll talk about all of this and explore some scenarios.

Political cartoons have been part of public debates around the world for more than 250 years. Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist David Horsey will take students on a visual journey through the history of political cartoons and then talk about his own career; how he creates cartoons, the presidents he has lampooned, the readers he has angered, the wild scenes he has observed -- all illustrated with copious examples of his award-winning cartoons.

California's official state dance, West Coast Swing, is a fun social dance that emphasizes improvisation (check out examples of competitive WCS here, here, and here). Originally a form of Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing has evolved into a modern partner dance which can be danced to almost any kind of music and is also degendered (anyone can lead or follow). It's increasingly popular thanks to social media: Learn how to "speak" WCS, and you'll have a community of Westie friends on college campuses and in cities all around the world.
No dance experience necessary. Wear pants and comfortable sneakers/flat shoes.

In this half-day stand-up comedy writing workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of crafting and delivering their own original comedic material. Through interactive exercises, group collaboration, and solo writing time, students will explore the art of joke construction, comedic timing, and finding their unique voice. The workshop will also emphasize the importance of storytelling and personal experience in comedy, helping students turn real-life observations into relatable, funny material. By the end of the session, participants will have developed a short stand-up set and gain the confidence to share their work with the group.

You will make a (very) short film in one day. You will come into the session with an idea for a (very) short film. You will learn about the type of shots and framing to tell your story. You will storyboard your film, including thinking about camera placement. You will cover the basics of directing actors. Then, you will shoot your film and come back in the afternoon to edit your film into the final form - including using music and sound to make your film more impactful.

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a children's book writer? Then this session is for you. Sabrina Moyle, author of over 20 children's books including nine Amazon Editor's Picks, will walk you through the business and process of writing and publishing a children's book. What makes a great children's book? What are the different children's book types and formats? Why do people purchase children's books? Why are some books successful, and others are not? What are the key elements of a children's book? What does a finished children's book manuscript look like? How does a book go from manuscript to publication? How do you get a children's book published? We'll start by discussing some beloved children's books, such as Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon and The Rabbit Listened, investigate what makes them work, and discuss how books like these are made and published.  Students will then have a chance to brainstorm some ideas of their own.

Why were grown men once absolutely terrified to ride trains? What would compel well-to-do women to swear off all physical activity and eat nothing but heavy cream soups? Why were doctors so worried about wristwatches? How did Coca-Cola – with traces of cocaine – become America’s favorite headache remedy?

In a word: anxiety. 

In this session, we’ll explore the history of modern America through its wild, amusing, and sometimes disturbing responses to big changes that included the rise of cities, new technologies, lightning-fast transportation, access to drugs, and shifting gender roles and identities. To do this we'll examine medical literature, fairytales, Victorian fiction, and a bit of 19th century pseudoscience.

For students interested in history, medical mysteries, gender studies, source analysis, and storytelling.

This workshop explores magic and witchcraft as tools of the radical imagination—experimental and empowering methods for challenging the dominant narratives and systems of control in our lives and “rewiring” reality itself. Together, we’ll examine these multifaceted concepts, tracing their evolution, cultural significance, and philosophical relevance to our world today. Students will explore the intersections of magic with politics, art, and psychology, and have a chance to craft their own “spells” to confront and transform the limiting structures they encounter in their lives. No previous knowledge of the subject matter will be expected. All are welcome.

In this full-day stand-up comedy writing workshop, high school students will dive deeper into the art of crafting and performing original comedic material. Throughout the day, students will explore advanced techniques in joke writing, comedic timing, and personal storytelling, while developing their unique comedic voice. The morning will focus on brainstorming ideas, understanding different comedy styles, and learning how to turn personal experiences into relatable humor. In the afternoon, students will refine their material through peer feedback, revision, and performance practice. By the end of the day, each participant will have the basis of a stand-up set or comedy sketch ready to perform and the skills to confidently deliver their work in front of an audience.

Hear from New York Times-bestselling author Jasmine Guillory as she reads an excerpt from her latest book. After, she'll open up space for a Q&A.

In this course, students will learn about poems, songs, and literary texts from across Spain and Latin America. No prerequisites are necessary as the course will be 1/2 lecture and 1/2 discussion based

In this session we will use tools to to figure out what aspects of your experience could lend itself to memoir, whether in a short form or a book and as well as how to structure your material and potentially publish it. There are no prerequisites: just the desire to explore your experiences.

In this course, students will learn about poems, songs, and literary texts from across Spain and Latin America. No prerequisites are necessary as the course will be 1/2 lecture and 1/2 discussion based