Q-term Week at The Storm King School is a time when experiential learning takes on a whole new dimension, especially when the subject is history. No one knows this better Ms. Schade’s Q-term students who were able to experience it firsthand. Their quest: to explore the area’s rich past and examine its local architecture. The Q-term, titled History and Architecture of the Hudson Valley, focused on several famous Hudson Valley estates and the people who influenced the area from a historical perspective. With Storm King’s location in the heart of the Hudson Valley and its close proximity to New York City, there was no better place to delve into these subjects.

 

 

During their week-long quest for knowledge, the group learned about the Roosevelt, Rockefeller, and Vanderbilt families, and their roles in the area’s history. While they honed their research and multi-media presentation skills, the students enjoyed their time exploring historic sites along the Hudson River including the Franklin D. Roosevelt House in Hyde Park, NY and the Boscobel House and Gardens Museum in Garrison, NY. Their research also took them to majestic Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate, located in Sleepy Hollow, NY, and culminated with a venture into Manhattan to witness the vast view of the city from Rockefeller Plaza.

 

 

A Storm King Signature Course, the Q-term – short for “Quest Term”- is a short, intensive course that allows students to immerse themselves in a subject of their choice while they focus on real-life experiences, hands-on skill building, and learning outside the classroom. Many of the subjects offered each year take advantage of interesting venues around the Storm King campus and throughout the Hudson Valley.  In the 2017-2018 school year, Q-terms took place at the end of the spring semester immediately following final examinations and featured a full roster of fascinating subjects.