It wouldn’t be second semester at Academy without the annual tradition of mini-course week. While the second half of the school year can be overwhelming , this week in mid-March offers a much-needed break for busy AHN students. As Principal Camille Jowanna explains, mini-course week introduces girls to “different types of community experiences, career opportunities, and leisure activities.”

Academy students are presented with various options for mini-course week. There are six mission trips, a visit to Epcot, and a week-long trip to Italy. Girls also have the opportunity to take college trips during the week or participate in an internship. Students who don’t go for any of these options are allowed to stay at school for “mini-courses.” There are about ten options to chose from per day.

Monday is a seminar day and offers courses such as “Interior Design” and “30-Minute Meals.” Tuesday is a life skills day, with classes ranging from etiquette to kickboxing. Wednesday is the day of creative pursuits, so the options are more varied. “Popcorn with Potter” and “Bringing Pinterest to Life” have always been popular picks. Thursday will involve a school-wide field day and movie presentation.

A month before mini-course week, students who have not already committed to a trip have the opportunity to sign up for courses. With the help of the iPads, this year’s sign up was done electronically. Many students agreed that this made the sign up process much less stressful and confusing.

Senior Angelina Bartucci was thankful for the time she saved because of the online system. “I especially liked the iPad sign up because it was faster and we could get back to study hall sooner.”

With just a few weeks left before mini-course week, girls are making their final preparations. Mission trips are holding collection drives and the international travelers are brushing up on their Italian. This year’s mini-course week is sure to be a great success thanks to the hard work and excitement of everyone involved.