Ninth Grade Program
Science & Arts Academy is implementing a new Ninth Grade Program that will start in the 2011-2012 school year. The program is designed to be individualized for each student, as they work independently under the guidance of a mentor and the Head of School.
This one year program provides excellent preparation for the rigors of the accelerated curriculum most of our graduates face when leaving Science & Arts Academy. This year gives them the opportunity to hone their research skills, while allowing in depth study of a subject of their choice. The course work will include an intensive writing class, a research class, and weekly meetings with their mentor.
The students are eligible to take part in extracurricular activities, including athletics, Science Olympiad, and drama. They may also continue their music lessons through band, orchestra and chorus if they so choose.
Supervision:
Each week the students meet with their mentor. This is meant to be a small group or one on one interaction as the mentor is the person who will eventually read and grade the student thesis. The mentor has some specialty in the area of focus.
Lectures:
Since the students are preparing for exams at the end of the year, they need to have a background in the discipline. Therefore the students are strongly encouraged to attend two lectures per week, one on basic research methods the other covering their topic. These are passive experiences for the students -- they listen to the speaker and take notes. The mentor then offers a series of optional lectures, some of which are given by the same person each week, and some which are given by a series of invited guest lecturers. The latter are usually referred to as seminars because the audience is invited to ask questions after the lecture.
Seminar:
This is a small group that meets once a week specifically to discuss how well their research is progressing. It is led by a member of the staff (possibly the Head of School) and is meant to ensure students understand what is being lectured to them. It's the closest we come to an actual "class" in this first term. The concept of the seminar group could be replaced by classes for students with similar interests. Other than that, the students' work would have to come down to one on one mentoring and weekly homework. For science students, this might mean lab work and lab reports more than reading and essays.
Optional Paper:
This is the other class the students take during the year, chosen at the end of the first term. It's called a paper because students are expected to produce a paper by the end.
Work:
The student is expected to write a 500 word essay on a preassigned topic each week for their mentor. The mentor provides a reading list for each topic or question. The students must submit the paper electronically the evening before the tutorial.
In the weekly seminar, the students must make a 5-10-minute presentation on an assigned book pertinent to that week's topic. Students take turns making these presentations and the remainder of the class period is spent discussing the books. It is not expected that everyone should have read the books discussed.
Each option paper is different, but students are expected to write an essay by the end of term.
A 5,000 word thesis is the culminating project for the year.
Mandatory Classes:
The students are expected to take any core classes mandatory to everyone, including PE and Language Arts, which will be a mandatory writing class considering how much writing they have to produce. This intensive writing class will be designed specifically for the ninth graders, taught as a group.
Language Study:
Latin will be offered as an optional language. It will not be required, although this may change. At this time the schedule doesn't allow continued study in French or Spanish.
Optional Exam:
An optional exam may be required at the end of the semester or year, depending upon the topic. Regardless of their topic, everyone will write a thesis. The thesis topic should be chosen in the first semester so the student has until June to write it. Each student will also have a reading list assigned by their mentor, both before the year begins and over winter break.
To apply, the student submits a short written proposal and sends it directly to the Head of School for approval. Acceptance is partly predicated on whether supervision is available. Once accepted, the student meets with the Head to develop a workable research topic and begin planning for the upcoming year.
The cost of the program is the same as regular school tuition. Financial aid will be available, based upon need.