MSON
At FWCD, students in grades 11 and 12 may apply to take Malone Schools Online Network (MSON) courses, which serve as a high school enrichment elective course and meet twice a week during the regular school day.
Each course takes a blended approach, combining synchronous instruction, real-time video conferencing seminars, with asynchronous instruction, recorded lectures, and exercises that students complete outside of class. The result lies somewhere between a “flipped classroom” and a “virtual Harkness table.” Each course has a minimum of six students and a maximum of 16, allowing for a virtual discussion seminar that is delivered in high-definition classroom setups.
2024-25 Course Offerings
World Language
- Ancient Greek I
- Arabic I and II
- German I
- Portuguese for Spanish Language Students
Humanities & Social Sciences
- African Diaspora
- A Nation Divided: The Literature of Civil Rights in the Modern U.S.
- Advanced Economics I
- Advanced Economics II
- Global Diversity and Inclusion: Comparative Film Studies and Cross-Cultural Insights
- Environmental Bioethics: Exploring the Challenges of Local and Global Choices
- Etymology of Scientific Terms
- The Fiction of James Joyce
- Introduction of Gender and LGBTQ+ Studies in Contemporary America
- Introduction to Playwriting
- Is American Democracy on Fire?
- Making Ethical Medical Choices in a Diverse World
- Misinformation, Conspiracy Theories, and Digital Literacy
- The Politics of Horror (or, The Horror of Politics)
- Think Global, Debate Local
- Queer Literature
STEM
- Advanced Topics in Chemistry
- Botany: Roots to Shoots
- CSI: MSON – Forensic Science
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Human Genetics & Genomics
- Interactive Digital Art
- Introduction to Organic Chemistry
- Linear Algebra
- Multivariable Calculus
- Scientific Communication: Science in the Media
- The Science and Ethics of Sports Performance: Genetics, Biochemistry, and Sociology
- Vector Calculus
Visit maloneschoolsonline.org/our-courses for more information.
MSON Consortium of Schools
- August Preparatory Day School, Martinez, Georgia
- Brownell Talbot School, Omaha, Nebraska
- Canterbury School , Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Casady School, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Chadwick School, Palo Verde Peninsula, California
- Charlotte Latin School, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Columbus Academy, Gahanna, Ohio
- The Derryfield School, Manchester, New Hampshire
- Fort Worth Country Day, Fort Worth, Texas
- Hopkins School, New Haven, Connecticut
- Indian Springs School, Indian Springs, Alabama
- Manlius Pebble Hill School, Syracuse, New York
- Maret School, Washington, D.C.
- Mounds Park Academy, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Newark Academy, Livingston, New Jersey
- The Park School, Baltimore, Maryland
- Porter-Gaud School, Charleston, South Carolina
- The Prairie School, Racine, Wisconsin
- The Roeper School, Birmingham, Michigan
- St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Ridgeland, Mississippi
- Severn School, Severna Park, Maryland
- Stanford Online High School, Stanford, California
- Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, Florida
- University School of Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee
- Waynflete School, Portland, Maine
- Wilmington Friends School, Wilmington, Delaware
- Winchester Thurston School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Founded by John Malone of Colorado, the Malone Family Foundation has established scholarships for students in grades 7 through 9 who are in the top of their class and have the desire and drive to educate themselves to the very best of their ability, but whose families cannot afford the tuition and expenses required by leading independent schools. The foundation sought out excellent partners: independent secondary schools with an intense interest in educating the gifted and talented.
The foundation now supports 50 schools: 49 independent day schools and the Stanford University Online High School (OHS). The 49 independent schools each have received a $2 million grant to establish an endowment in support of a Malone Scholars Program at their school. FWCD is the only school in Texas with this distinction.
Fort Worth Country Day is a founding MSON school and the only location in Texas to provide MSON courses. In the 2024-25 academic year, 21 FWCD students are enrolled in 11 of the 33 MSON courses offered. One FWCD faculty member is teaching an MSON course.
A steering committee of six heads of Malone Schools, including FWCD, established MSON with John Malone’s endorsement. MSON provides upper-level students at registered Malone Schools with a variety of superior online courses that enhance each member school’s existing curriculum. These courses promote the values of the Malone Family Foundation and are taught by teachers from other Malone Schools in the network. The teaching professionals are experts in their fields; they have experience with independent school education and share a commitment to excellence, small class sizes, and personal relationships. Students enrolled in these courses demonstrate sufficient independence and commitment to succeed in a virtual discussion seminar setting.
Fort Worth Country Day is a founding MSON school and the only location in Texas to provide MSON courses. In the 2024-25 academic year, there are 21 student enrollments in 11 out of 33 courses offered. One FWCD faculty member is teaching an MSON course.
