January Term

January Term (or J-Term, as the students call it) enables our community to live the mission and values of our school and to explore new passions, interests, and interdisciplinary ways of learning about the world and ourselves. Through a month-long program of “mini courses,” it provides teachers and students a space for experimentation, investigation, and reflection. 

At GFS, we ground our educational practices in the Quaker notion of continuing revelation and the belief that there is that of God in everyone. In order to better live these ideals, the Upper School has modified its schedule to make room for teacher and student exploration. January Term enables both teachers and students to find and share their passions outside of our regularly-offered curriculum.

J-Term is supported by a dedicated committee of Upper School teachers and administrators. In alignment with the program’s philosophy, it is entirely elective and all courses are evaluated on a credit/no credit basis. Students submit preferences following the publication of the course catalog, and enrollment is facilitated by members of the committee. Successful completion of three January Term sessions is a graduation requirement. Browse catalogs from previous years below to check out past offerings of these interdisciplinary courses.