Kinkaid School highly values arts, academics, and athletics and structures their curriculum around student participation in all three. The three areas are equally strong the three and because of the requirements, it's impossible not to try all three and most students stay involved in at least two, if not all, areas. There are a variety of arts to choose from and the depth of each program is impressive. Art, architecture, sculpture, photography, band (jazz, concert and ensemble), orchestra, choir (both traditional and one focusing on musicals), dance, and theater (including drama, musical, and children's) are options for high school students. Arts classes meet everyday and students often submit work to festivals or contests. Kinkaid students are frequently acknowledged in regional and national competition for their work/performance in the arts. Kinkaid participates in arts festivals both locally and . The drama program performed in Scotland, the band traveled to Europe and China, and travel is an integral part of other arts as well. The average class size varies from 110-140 students per grade in the high school and there are between 8 and 16 students per class. There is a homework cap in each class (45 minutes per night per class) to keep the workload manageable, but some classes do require more time on a regular basis (American history), whereas in others there may be more work when there are papers due or there's a test. Also, if a student has more than two tests in one day, he/she can go to the office and ask the faculty member who scheduled a test last to allow them to take it the day before or the day after. Honors and AP classes have more work, but there are a variety of courses to take and most students find a balance. However, the bottom line is that there's a lot of work, generally 2-3 hours per night. The athletics programs vary in their competitiveness and the strength of the teams vary depending on the athletes. Football, field hockey, wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, and track are generally competitive. Some students choose to participate in club sports outside of Kinkaid either instead of or in addition to (usually the latter) Falcon athletic teams. There are other sports like karate and racquetball that aren't as competitive but develop a following. For students who want to stay in shape but don't want to commit to a team activity, there's a conditioning program with a trainer. All students have access to the facilities, including a 400 meter track and weight room. Many students participate in multiple sports during the school year and often surpass the athletic requirement. Interim Term, the three weeks after winter break, offer a totally unique opportunity to Kinkaid students. During that time, normal classes do not meet and instead, students either travel, intern, volunteer, or study something they otherwise wouldn't have the chance to. The personal interests and passions of the faculty come out, as they can finally talk about Hitchcock, Walt Disney, world religions, scrapbooking, public speaking, Lego robotics, the Red Scare, or a myriad of other topics. Seniors are more likely to get their first choice classes and freshmen often find themselves in classes they might not be so excited about, but sometimes they find pleasant surprises. As an alternative to taking classes, there are trips to Spain, Australia, China, and other locales. Students also have the opportunity to work on an independent project or volunteer with one of the programs Kinkaid has set up. Interim Term shows that there is life outside of academics and gives students a break from a normally rigorous course load. Overall the faculty is great, most especially in the Math and English Departments. The vast majority of teachers are available before school (and many after) and their home numbers are also listed in the directory. I still keep in touch with my teachers and as a student at Kinkaid, it's not unusual for alumni to stop in and say hi during classes. The character of each class is different with some being more competitive than others, but the Kinkaid tries to prevent students from feeling like they're pitted against each other. For one thing, the school does not rank its students and because of the variety of arts and honors/AP courses, it is inherently difficult to accurately compare students. Additionally, the faculty stresses individual performance and growth rather than fostering competition amongst students, creating a more nurturing environment.