SEMINAR
List of Services
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Introduction to Seminar
At Lynnhaven, Seminar is where students learn how to be students. Every student, from 8th through 12th grade, belongs to a small grade-level seminar led by a Lynnhaven teacher who knows them well. Seminar teaches the skills that make everything else possible: planning, organizing, reflecting, communicating, and following through.
Our school motto, The Freedom to Be. The Responsibility to Do., comes to life in Seminar. Students have the freedom to explore who they are as learners. Seminar gives them the habits to act on it.
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How Seminar Works
All seminars meet weekly in an extended block, following a shared weekly rhythm adapted to each grade. During the rest of the week, structured study halls give students time to plan, catch up, and get help. Each week, students:
Plan their week using a physical student planner
Practice note-taking and study methods, so that by 11th grade they know which system works best for them
Track their own progress and write a weekly status update to their families
Curate their learning portfolio and reflect on their growth
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A Five-Year SequenceList Item 1
Each year of Seminar has its own theme, building from learning how to learn toward launching into life after Lynnhaven.
8th Grade: Learning to Learn. Students build the foundation: organization, planning, note-taking, and the habits of a successful high school student.
9th Grade: Identity & Community. Students explore who they are as learners and as members of the Lynnhaven community.
10th Grade: Communication & Voice. Students learn to make strong arguments with claim, evidence, and reasoning, and just as importantly, to listen.
11th Grade: Ethics & Decision-Making. Students wrestle with real questions about values and choices, and begin planning for college and career.
12th Grade: Launch. Seniors complete college applications, finish the Senior Project, deliver their Senior Speech, and prepare for life beyond Lynnhaven.
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Portfolios & Student-Led ConferencesList Item 2
Seminar is home to each student’s learning portfolio. Every spring, students lead their own conference with their family and House advisor, presenting evidence of their growth across all their courses. Each year, students also select a Throughline piece, a work that represents who they are becoming as learners. Seniors share their Throughlines at the Senior Dinner, our capstone celebration of each graduating class.
