Academics
In the Upper School (grades 9–12), SPA has a college-preparatory liberal arts curriculum. SPA teaches an independent curriculum that does not follow either the AP or IB curriculum models, though individual students may opt to take AP tests. Courses have been taught using Harkness tables, distinctive elliptical wooden tables that seat 12–15 students, since 2005. Each year, the school sends several juniors to semester-away programs including CITYterm in New York, Oxbow School in California, Maine Coast Semester in Maine, and Rocky Mountain Semester in Colorado.
SPA's English department offers students strong individual attention, helping students develop their analytical reading and writing skills. General courses are offered during freshman and sophomore years, while semester-long electives are offered during junior and senior years.
The language department offers instruction in French, German, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese (simplified characters) and has optional international exchange programs for students in grades 10–12 with partner schools in France, Germany, Spain, and China. All students in grades K-5 study Spanish but then have the option to change their course of study in the Middle and Upper School.
For freshman through junior year, the history department has required courses that include two years of World History and one year of American history. In senior year, all history courses are electives.
SPA's math department offers a variety of courses that take most students through a study of Calculus as a senior, prefaced with Algebra 2, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus.
The science department at SPA offers earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics for freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years, respectively. In senior year, semester long electives are offered, including genetics, space science, marine biology, and field biology.
The music offerings include two jazz bands, one orchestra, string and wind ensembles, a large choir, a female choir, and a smaller choral group. The ensembles all offer a fall concert ("Pops Concert") where contemporary music is played as well as a spring concert where more traditional music is featured. SPA also hosts a free music competition every spring for singers and musicians from SPA and the surrounding area.
SPA has a laptop program in its Middle and Upper Schools whereby the school provides each student in 6th through 8th grade with a laptop and students in grades 9 through 10 must purchase one from the school. The program originally gave the middle schoolers Toshiba laptops, but instead is now giving them Nobi Netbooks. The laptops have a suite of programs on them, and much of the homework process is streamlined through OneNote.
Graduation requirements include that seniors complete a 5–8 minute speech in front of the Upper School on a topic of their choice (Senior Speech), as well as a month-long internship in May (Senior Project).
Read more about this topic: St. Paul Academy And Summit School
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—Stephanie Coontz (b. 1944)
“Our first line of defense in raising children with values is modeling good behavior ourselves. This is critical. How will our kids learn tolerance for others if our hearts are filled with hate? Learn compassion if we are indifferent? Perceive academics as important if soccer practice is a higher priority than homework?”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)