St. Michael’s offers students in grades five through eight a dynamic academic climate during a time in their lives that can be wondrous yet challenging. Our students progress confidently to high school with a firm foundation in knowledge, self-discipline, and personal integrity.
I was so grateful for the community provided by St. Michael’s. I knew our children were in an academically challenging yet caring and nurturing environment. The faculty wanted each child to succeed and achieve their goals.”
Education that nurtures the mind, body, and soul
Our Upper School curriculum includes daily classes in English, math, social studies, and science, Spanish or French instruction two to three times a week, and advisory, religion, physical education, and electives classes.
St. Michael’s students graduate prepared for the academic demands of high school Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) coursework with the study habits to thrive in secondary school and beyond. Our alumni, many of whom have gone on to attend top-tier colleges and universities, stand as a testament to the scholarship and love of learning that St. Michael’s imparts.
With our 1-to-1 device program, students are able to master the tools of technology appropriately and enhance their learning powerfully. The curriculum further includes enrichment classes in art, music, religion, and physical education. As our Mission states, we believe in education that nurtures the mind, body, and soul.
The support our students need
Our program provides the support adolescents need to navigate the academic, social, and emotional hurdles of their fast-paced lives. Each day begins and ends in a student’s homeroom, where one’s faculty advisor reviews assignments and upcoming events, and provides general guidance. During weekly Advisor time, students examine study skills, internet etiquette, test preparation, time management, and peer interactions. Advisor time also allows an opportunity for homeroom bonding and fellowship.
Community service opportunities at school and beyond our walls offer further material for character formation.
Our students love the perks of Upper School, including overnight class trips to Northern Arizona in sixth grade, Catalina Island in seventh grade, and Washington, D.C., in eighth grade.
Upper School Students
Average Class Size
Student to Teacher Ratio
Avg. Years Teacher Tenure
English
The centerpiece of our academic program
The English/Language Arts curriculum is in many ways the centerpiece of our academic program. The curriculum is designed to create students who can read, write, and speak articulately, thoughtfully, and confidently. Vibrant discussions of the content, vocabulary, and themes of classic and contemporary novels, poems, and short stories build literal, inferential, and analytical comprehension skills. Students are introduced to the plays of William Shakespeare in seventh grade.
Novel studies in our Upper School division
– The Giver, by Lois Lowry
– Echo, by Pam Munoz Ryan
– A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare
– And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie
– Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
A foundation for academic achievement
Reading comprehension and expository writing provide the foundation for much of academic achievement in high school and college. At the end of the day, though, we want our graduates to love reading and writing. In addition to completing a fully annotated research paper in seventh grade, students also embark upon an original, illustrated science-fiction project in sixth grade.
Student have earned numerous awards for their writing
Our Upper School students have earned numerous awards for their writing and are key contributors to our nationally recognized literary magazine, Eagle’s Quill. Students are also guided to speak publicly through oral presentations during class, as well as assemblies, weekly Masses, and our annual Declamation Day poetry event. Our graduates have gone on to serve as leads in high school plays, and editors of their school’s publications, and have been honored in national writing competitions.
Mathematics
St. Michael’s offers a variety of courses at each grade level, meeting each child at his or her level and ensuring that each has a strong foundation for the multi-leveled math classes offered in high school.
We recognize that students at this age develop at different rates and appreciate that there is more than one path through the math curriculum; for that reason, we conduct careful student placement in the spring of each year, as well as careful assessment throughout the year to ensure that each student is appropriately challenged in his or her course of study.
5th Grade Mathematics
Fifth-grade math students spend the first part of the year solidifying and expanding their prior knowledge of all four arithmetic operations, later diving deeper into the world of fractions, decimals, and the coordinate plane. Students learn at a fast pace throughout fifth grade to prepare them for the rigor and accelerated pace of Upper School math. A student’s work ethic, growth mindset, and performance over the course of the fifth-grade year influence his or her math placement for sixth grade.
6th Grade Mathematics
Students in grade six study pre-algebra topics in courses designed to develop an understanding of mathematics as a system of thought. A student’s ability to work independently and persevere with problems, along with his or her past mathematical performance in both class and on the Pre-Algebra Readiness assessment, determines class placement.
7th Grade Mathematics
Seventh-grade students take Honors Pre-Algebra, Algebra I-Part 1, or Algebra I. This placement is determined by the faculty in conjunction with the parent and is based on past performance in both course work and on the Algebra Readiness test administered prior to seventh grade.
8th Grade Mathematics
Eighth-grade students are placed either in Algebra I-Part I, Algebra I-Part II, or Geometry. Again, this placement is determined by the faculty in conjunction with the parent and is based on past performances in both course work and on the Algebra Proficiency test administered prior to 8th grade.
Courses
Pre-Algebra
This math course is designed to consolidate computational skills, enhance understanding of underlying mathematical concepts, and extend the skills of working with proportion, percent, linear equations, and geometric relationships. Students gain proportional reasoning skills and become proficient with integer operations.
Pre-Algebra Advanced
This course covers a sequence of topics similar to Pre-Algebra, but it covers more complex problems, and it requires a demonstration of some independence in mathematical thinking. It is designed for students who have already mastered computational skills, who have demonstrated the ability to think more abstractly about
mathematics, and who are self-motivated to work independently to solve problems.
Algebra, Part 1 and Part 2
This course covers the topics of the complete Algebra 1 course over two school years. It is offered to those grade seven and eight students who benefit from a more supportive pace to learn new topics and who need more guidance in learning how to tackle each new problem and recognize which skills to use when confronted with an unfamiliar format. In Part I, concepts include data exploration; proportional reasoning; direct and inverse variation; writing, solving, and graphing linear equations and inequalities; and systems of linear equations. During year two, in Part 2, concepts include exponential growth and decay, rational numbers and radicals, and a full study of quadratic equations and their solutions.
Algebra 1
This is a complete Algebra 1 course. Topics in this class include proportional reasoning; direct and inverse variation; writing, solving, and graphing linear equations and inequalities; systems of equations; functions and their transformations; non-linear functions; and quadratic equations and solutions. A TI-84 Plus graphing calculator is required and used for investigations, data analysis, graphing functions, and verifying results. Application of skills, procedures, and concepts to solve real-world problems is an integral part of this course. An important goal of this course is for students to begin to see algebra as a language to model situations, in addition to solidifying their ability to manipulate symbols.
Geometry
Geometry is a high-school course that deepens students’ understanding of plane and solid geometric figures while fostering their abilities to analyze, justify, and communicate information about geometric relationships and write geometric proofs. Topics include congruent and similar triangles; parallel and perpendicular lines; right-triangle trigonometry; polygons; circles and solids; transformations; and constructions. Algebra topics are integrated throughout the course to provide a solid and broad foundation for advanced mathematics courses. Geometry has a balanced focus on inductive and deductive reasoning, providing students with some practice with proofs.
Social Studies
As adolescents mature, they become less inwardly focused and more able to consider the problems and patterns of society as a whole. Through our social studies curriculum, St. Michael’s seeks to nurture civic-minded students eager to scrutinize and discuss important issues of humanity’s past, present, and future. The curriculum is designed to enable students to develop historical knowledge using inquiry, critical thinking, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. Cooperative hands-on activities and simulations encourage these higher-level thinking skills while making history stimulating and relevant, as well as preparing them for rigorous AP classes in their future.
5th Grade Social Studies
Fifth-grade students explore the first settlement of North America, from early indigenous people through the American Revolution. Students will take part in creating replicas of canoes, dioramas representing the Plains peoples’ way of life, mask projects, trading simultions and more. Students also learn to write rigorously to develop the skills to communicate their in-depth knowledge and analysis of American history.
6th Grade Social Studies
Sixth-grade students explore the broad arc of world history, from early humans through the Middle Ages. Among the hands-on crafts and projects that students create are crafting a tool with only raw materials found in the outdoors,inscribing clay tablets with messages written in cuneiform, trading porcelain vases for spices or silk in a simulation of the Silk Road, designing Chinese scrolls, and staging the Burial of a Pharaoh. Students also write rigorously to develop the skills to communicate their in-depth knowledge and analysis of ancient cultures.
7th Grade Social Studies
In seventh grade, the curriculum turns to American history from the Civil War through World War One. The course investigates relationships between and among historical events and concepts, and evaluates these events that shape history by viewing them from geographic, social, political, and economic perspectives. Interactive learning opportunities include historic simulations, hands-on-activities, and technology-based projects. Students utilize primary and secondary sources to analyze the landmark events that shaped the young nation and the conflicts that threatened its very survival. Units delve into the roots and ramifications of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Industrial Revolution, and the United States’ emergence as a world power.
8th Grade Social Studies
Building on the previous year’s study of early American history, eighth graders investigate our nation’s history from the 1920s to the present. The curriculum strives to provide a relevant, engaging experience in which our students are challenged to think critically about past events, draw conclusions, and make connections to their own lives. Innovative online simulations, historic mock trials, analysis of primary and secondary sources, and other class projects spark students’ curiosity about our country’s social and political systems – and their impact on the students’ own lives. The eighth-grade class trip to Washington, D.C. is a culminating learning experience.
Science
The St. Michael’s science curriculum in Upper School provides a dynamic combination of academic study and hands-on experimentation. Our teachers employ a variety of instructional strategies, including the inquiry method, which encourages students to form and then answer their own questions about the world around them. This process stimulates curiosity, problem solving, and independent thinking, which leads students to approach problems creatively and critically and requires them to express themselves in written and verbal analysis. Students acquire strong foundations and are well prepared in physical, life, and earth sciences. Through collaborative lab work, students develop the ability to cooperate and communicate with confidence in group work.
Students in sixth and eighth grades also create their own innovative research studies for the Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair (SARSEF). Numerous St. Michael’s students each year receive top awards in the SARSEF competition.
5th Grade Science
Fifth-grade science introduces students to an in-depth investigation of earth science. Areas of study include mapping, the structure of Earth, minerals, rocks, weathering, soil, erosion, and deposition. These areas of exploration—integrated with the study of plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, and clues to Earth’s past—help students develop a working understanding of geologic changes both past and present. Class and course instruction focuses mainly on in-class lab work and student-led presentations; students in turn are expected to practice and hone their communication skills and to make connections between these broad earth-science concepts and the natural world around them.
6th Grade Science
In sixth grade, students investigate earth science, focusing on four main topics over the course of the school year: geology, astronomy, meteorology, and oceanography. Labs and research projects allow students to explore concepts and develop deep understandings and answers to their own questions about the earth and sky. In addition, sixth-grade students spend a significant amount of time from September through January immersed in learning through inquiry as they conduct their own science-fair project in preparation for the St. Michael’s School Science Fair.
7th Grade Science
In seventh grade, students explore life itself. Units cover the study of cells and life processes; the classification and organization of living things; the interactions of living organisms with their environment; and human-body systems. Frequent lab activities illustrate and enrich these studies, including the comprehensive observation of living and preserved specimens. Students also are able to take advantage of an outdoor wetlands and garden area adjacent to the main classrooms.
8th Grade Science
Eighth graders tackle physical science. Students examine the mysteries of forces, properties of matter, the interaction of matter and energy, chemical interactions, electricity, magnetism, and wave theory. Frequent lab experimentation connects abstract formulae with tangible evidence of physics in action. Students are often observed heading outdoors, meter sticks in hand, to put Isaac Newton’s theories to the test.
Enrichment
Our enrichment curriculum for Upper School students in grades five through eight include physical education, art, music, religion, and world languages (Spanish and French), as noted below. These courses are graded classes and considered equally important and integral to our Mission of educating students in mind, body, and spirt. In reviewing the summary descriptions for these classes, we invite you to learn more about this fundamental balance that is at the heart of the St. Michael’s experience.
Art
St. Michael’s Upper School students continue to experience art in an experiential way, using acrylic paints, modeling clay, and other media to create fabulous projects for eventual display at Art Expo. Students further develop a practical and intellectual understanding of art vocabulary, elements, and principles. This academic foundation allows students to understand and appreciate the dynamic relationships between art and culture.
Music
The music program at St. Michael’s is designed to give students a strong foundation, appreciation, and love of music. The varied curriculum covers the basics of music history and theory as well as hands-on experience in playing drums, keyboards, and guitar. All students participate in concerts at Christmastime and in spring. Shows like these and the annual St. Michael’s musical offer students exposure to the staging, sound engineering, and rehearsal routines associated with the highly polished productions of high school and beyond.
Starting in fifth grade, students have the choice to join choir or band. Our graduates who enter high school music programs are prepared to sing in the top choirs and bands beginning in their freshman year because of the sight-singing in choir and music-reading in band.
Physical Education
Physical education classes meet twice a week, either in our gymnasium facility or in the park adjacent to school. Our P.E. program provides instruction in game strategies and skills, as well as sportsmanship, health, and hygiene. Students in grades 6-8 can also participate in our superb after-school athletics program.
Religion
The religion curriculum seeks to understand from an academic perspective our biblical heritage and then expands to consider who we are called to be as people in the world. Although the foundation is Christian, alternate views from other faith traditions are welcomed and encouraged. Our goal in Religious Studies at St. Michael’s is to foster students’ understanding of the faith tradition they are inheriting and how this can help them frame moral issues in today’s society and their own relationship with God, as well as foster respect for all faith traditions found in our pluralistic society.
Welcome to the St. Michael’s Upper School—a vibrant, inclusive school community dedicated to healthy student learning and growth, nurturing their important middle school years and preparing them for adulthood.
We are a school with a clear mission to educate students in mind, body and a spirit to prepare them for lives of meaning and purpose. We are committed to knowing and supporting each of our students as we guide them to discover passions, explore new pathways, establish healthy habits, and develop relationships that will nurture them throughout their Upper School experience and beyond. We are proud of our reputation as a school that combines a supportive, dynamic environment with high expectations, and we celebrate our students’ extraordinary growth and accomplishments.
If you have any questions regarding Upper School, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.
