Academics
Academic Programs

Humanities

Humanities at Vistamar


Human experience, witnessed through history and expressed through literature, is most effectively studied as an integrated whole. The connections between different fields of knowledge are made explicit. Interdisciplinary topics, projects and discussions maximize the crossover benefits of investigating the historical context of literature and exploring the cultural production of political action. In 9th and 10th grade, this takes the shape of Humanities Core and Project courses which intertwine the traditional subjects of History and English. In 11th and 12th grade, required and elective courses allow for deeper dives into discipline specific studies, while still maintaining an interdisciplinary approach.
 
 

Department Objectives

These are the five key outcomes for Vistamar Humanities Students
  • Empathy – they have walked in others’ shoes across time/space and understand the many perspectives and cultures of the world
  • Synthetic learners – they see how literature, history, and other aspects of life are interrelated and interdependent
  • Communicators – they comprehend, write, and present their ideas effectively, confidently, and articulately in many different ways
  • Constructors of knowledge – they recognize how knowledge is constructed and are guided to create their own narratives
  • Active learners – they see education as a lifelong process that fosters their curiosity and informs how they interact with the world
 
 

Course Information

  • Humanities 9 (Core and Project): Global Studies
  • Humanities 10 (Core and Project): Ancient Civilization Studies
  • AP Human Geography
  • American Literature 
  • AP English Language & Composition (11th)
  • English 12: LA Stories
  • English 12: Writer's Workshop
  • AP English Literature & Composition (12th) 
  • US History 
  • Honors US History 
  • Honors Applied Economics
  • AP US Government and Politics (11th and 12th grade elective)
  • Psychology (Honors option) (11th and 12th grade elective)

Meet the Faculty

List of 8 members.

  • Photo of Sarah Older Aguilar

    Sarah Older Aguilar 

    Department Chair, Humanities Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Regan Buck Bardeen

    Regan Buck Bardeen 

    Humanities Faculty and Global Education Coordinator
    Bio
  • Photo of Stephanie Garcia

    Stephanie Garcia 

    Humanities Faculty
  • Photo of Daniel Hernandez

    Daniel Hernandez 

    Humanities Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of David Pham

    David Pham 

    Humanities Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Casey Quirarte

    Casey Quirarte 

    Humanities Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Jennifer Silver

    Jennifer Silver 

    Humanities Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Kara Ukolowicz

    Kara Ukolowicz 

    Humanities Faculty
    Bio
Vistamar School is a private independent high school in the South Bay region of Los Angeles.

Vistamar School