Middle School - Grades 7&8

Our mission: Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences is committed to academic excellence, developed through Expeditionary Learning and a multicultural art and science enriched curriculum, in a an environment of respect, inclusion and diversity.

Our philosophy, and current educational research, supports the idea that middle school students do best when they are the oldest in a school and have the chance to develop a strong sense of self during those challenging middle school years. 

Our 7th and 8th grade students participate in a challenging, engaging academic curriculum which includes Algebra, Science, Humanities, English, Foreign Language (Spanish, French or Japanese), Fine Art, Digital Arts, Drama, Moving Images, Life Skills, Community Service and Mentorship. Our curriculum has a global focus and we collaborate each year with the United World College and overseas sister schools and pen pals. We have partnerships with schools in Japan and India and participate in international relief work each year.

Our primary goals include:

• Developing each student's personal talents and a life-long passion for learning and exploration
• Creating a caring environment where each student has opportunities for self-expression and growth
• Encouraging the values of friendship, leadership, world citizenship and service.
• Challenging each student to maximize their potential and graduating students with the desire, vision and skills to follow their dreams.
• Supporting and encouraging the development of individual abilities in an educationally, culturally, socioeconomically and ethnically diverse learning community.
• Providing opportunities for enriched real-life applications of educational knowledge and connecting our students to the world at large.

How we achieve our goals:

• We offer a supportive and safe educational environment which provides opportunities for individualized curricula and challenges each student to reach their highest potential. We have high academic and behavioral standards, along with personalized support and guidance to help students achieve their goals.
• We have a caring, dedicated staff and board who are committed to enrolling a diverse student body and to infusing the entire academic curriculum with the arts to foster self-expression and enhanced learning in every subject area.
• We integrate technology as a tool for learning, communicating and augmenting classroom instruction.
• We connect students to the community through a structured and project- oriented mentorship program.
• We build a global perspective into the curriculum by establishing relationships with local and international organizations and by building partnerships with international schools.
• We are an Expeditionary Learning school which emphasizes learning by doing, with a particular focus on character growth, teamwork, reflection and literacy. We connect high quality academic learning to adventure, service and character development through a variety of student experiences. These include interdisciplinary, project based learning expeditions.

The middle school curriculum gives students blueprints for learning, teaches the skills needed to do research, invites creative and divergent thinking, and instills the desire for more learning. We strive to help our students become compassionate citizens with a deep respect for all living beings. Our school is a community in which parents and teachers work together to create a caring, safe environment where all of the students can learn from one another, develop respect for one another and acquire a profound acceptance of individual differences.

Middle School Curriculum

Humanities/Expedition: Our humanities class integrates Language Arts, Literature, Art, Geography, History, Social Studies and Anthropology as a foundation for learning World and US history. Our humanities program creates an empowering platform for students to become agents of change in our society through the use of Learning Expeditions. Students use primary source readings and discussions to understand multicultural perspectives. Diverse viewpoints foster an excitement for learning and provide stimulus for lively debate, depth of thought and informed opinion. Our Learning Expeditions cover such topics as "Guns, Germs & Steel", "What is Worth Fighting For", "Child Labor", "Human and Child Rights", "Conflict in the Middle East", "Ancestor Studies", "World War II"and the "Holocaust"to name a few. Our current expedition, "Be the Change", asks the questions, "Can One Person Make a Difference? Can One Person Change the World?"In addition to learning about Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King and numerous Nobel Peace Prize winners, the students have initiated their own city wide literacy campaign to help get children hooked on reading.

English/Language Arts: Our school emphasizes writing skills across the curriculum. Our goals in English include learning to listen actively, speak articulately, write persuasively and think critically. Topics such as: spelling, grammar (taught in relation to students' writing), vocabulary enrichment, creative writing, research, public speaking, world literary experiences in a variety of genres, 7 traits of writing, classic and world literature, and the mechanics of writing and reading comprehension are hallmarks of the English curriculum.Students develop the ability to articulate thoughts verbally and in writing. We also have practical exercises using synonyms, homonyms, antonyms, word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Students are carefully guided through the reading and writing process. Assignments are geared to allow students to have both teacher-led and student-driven activities that ultimately lead to more self-reliance and independence

Inquiry Based Science Program: Our inquiry-based science program partners with the Bureau of Land Management and a local water education organization, Riversource, to collect scientific data, monitor water quality, and help restore the ecosystem at two sections along the Santa Fe River. Our students observe everyday phenomena, formulate questions, develop research skills and test their hypotheses through real-life experiments. Foundational concepts in biology, chemistry and physics are integrated with lab and field studies. We have a field- and community-based curriculum that centers on student involvement with the local environment. Students design their own studies, gather long-term data on local biological and physical conditions, and draw their own conclusions. Students become the teachers, presenting their data and findings to their peers and community members. Emphasis is placed on science as a means to acquire knowledge and to gain an understanding of the physical world. Our students are also helping to transform our school into an energy efficient, sustainable campus.

Monitoring water quality and collecting data for Riversource

Mathematics: 7th Grade: Algebra 1A: Students learn algebraic thinking, patterns, logic and prediction by construction of linear mathematical models in real world situations. Students are introduced to almost all topics of the Algebra 1 curriculum so that by 8th grade they are ready to dive more deeply into their understanding of more complex applications of these concepts. We strive to make the classes engaging and interactive, while also requiring proficiency and excellence. The math curriculum is supplemented with the online math Khan Academy program which allows each student to progress at his/her own pace.

Mathematics: 8th Grade: Algebra 1B: Students become proficient in all aspects of a high-school Algebra 1 curriculum, gaining further development of their ability to collect, analyze and organize data into mathematical models useful in predicting unknowns in real world situations. Topics mastered include number sense, solving multi-step equations and inequalities, graphing and solving linear and quadratic equations, systems of equations and inequalities, exponent rules, simplifying rational expressions, factoring, parabolas and word problems. It is a rich curriculum designed to both challenge each student and help them begin to enjoy the world of mathematics. The math curriculum is supplemented with the online math Khan Academy program which allows each student to progress at his/her own pace.

Physical Education: All students take 2 classes each week in physical education. Classes will include track, rock climbing, dance, softball, volleyball, swimming, softball, archery, volleyball, yoga, soccer and self-defense. Some of our P.E. classes take place at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, the Santa Fe Climbing Gym and the SF Community College.

Community Service: All 7th grade students participate in community service 2 hours a week. During the fall semester the students work as literacy tutors for a first grade class at Cesar Chavez Elementary School. During the Spring semester, students volunteer at Food Depot, Bienvenidos, Challenge New Mexico Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program, Santa Fe River Warriors or Cesar Chavez. All 8th grade students perform community service during the fall semester prior to their mentorship in the spring.

Mentorships: All 8th grade students participate in a self-directed mentorship program under the guidance of a community mentor during which students get a "real life" taste of work in an area of interest. This experience gives students insight into possible future careers. Our students have been mentored in Meteorology, Space Science, Crime Scene Investigation, Costume & Fashion Design, Music Recording, Silversmithing, Interior Design, Architecture, Flash Animation, Surgery, Alternative Energy, Pastry Baking, Film Editing, Child Counseling, Film & Theater Directing, Graphic Design, Website Design, Sound Recording Engineer, Interior Design and Film Animation.

Foreign Languages: All middle school students choose a foreign language to study for both 7^th and 8^th grade; currently we offer Spanish, Japanese or French. We may offer Latin, American Sign Language or Chinese in the near future. We focus on developing a love of languages and everyday conversational skills, in addition to

Overseas Trips: Each 8^th grade student also has the opportunity to visit a foreign country and perform community service while learning about the language and culture. All students can attend this overseas trip regardless of their ability to pay. Our students have visited Japan, France, Costa Rica and Spain. We have also traveled to India with our alumni to do community service and homestays and visited New York City on a Deaf Culture trip.

Visiting shrines in Japan with a homestay brother. Sightseeing in Paris. Hanging out with homestay friends in Barcelona.

Former SFSAS students at an orphanage in India.

100 Elk Outdoor Learning Trip: Each fall, our entire middle school travels to Adventure Unlimited's 100 Elk in Buena Vista, Colorado; an outdoor learning center that provides three days of challenging, teambuilding activities that create bonding, self confidence and trust between peers. Our time at 100 Elk helps each student learn how to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves. The lessons learned at 100 Elk continue to be helpful throughout the middle and high school years. Activities at 100 Elk include ropes course activities, horseback riding, rock climbing, canoeing and kayaking, archery, community service and nature-based science learning. Students learn the values of persistence, perseverance and grit.

 

Award Winning Film Program: All middle school students participate in our Moving Images program. Every student learns how to storyboard, act, film and edit their own original films using state-of-the-art Final Cut Pro software. Our school was chosen to be a part of the All Roads National Geographic Film Program. The All Roads Film Project is a National Geographic initiative that provides a global platform for indigenous and under-represented minority-culture storytellers around the world to showcase their talents and teach a broader audience about their cultures. In addition to providing a venue for their films, All Roads offers its filmmakers and photographers a series of networking opportunities with leaders of the film and photographic community. Our students' films won both first and second place in the narrative category last year at the Festival. Our students have also won an incredible number of film awards both locally and nationally. One of our student films was shown at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival and four of our films have been featured at the Cinemakids Film Festival in Austin, Texas. One of our afterschool student films was chosen by the Masterpiece Theater Youth Film competition and was shown on PBS. We have also had over ten films chosen by the National Kids First! Film Festival and have shown five films at the Santa Fe Film Festival. We have also had a partnership with National Geographic photographer, Karin Muller and her Take 2 program which provides footage of Sudan to our students. In addition, our students made a film for the International Folk Art Market artists which appears on their website.

Award Winning Fine Art & Digital Arts Program: All students participate in our Fine Art program and receive two hours a week of Fine Art instruction. We focus on the visual arts, including two- and three-dimensional design using a variety of materials and techniques including drawing, painting, illustration, mixed media, graphic design, recycled art and clay.

Our students have won numerous awards in a variety of art competitions including the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival, the Water Conservation Poster Contest and the Lions Club Peace Poster International Competition.

Our Digital Arts program includes Digital Photography, Photoshop, animation, flash and a wide range of digital art techniques. This program is an optional elective for students.

Theater & Creative Writing Programs: Each year our students have won numerous awards in the Santa Fe New Mexican Winter Creative Writing Competition and several other local and national writing contests. We have an exciting language arts program which supports our elective theater program. Our middle school students help write the annual school play. We also put on professional, high quality musicals each year which showcase our student’s singing, acting and dancing.

Sharks & Jets from our Middle School play, South Side Story

Scenes from our Bollywood Musical "Lagaan"

Afterschool Programs: Our Afterschool programs include: Robotics, Digital Game Design, Rock Band, Lacrosse, Cello, Banjo, Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Professional Drawing Class, Latin club, Creative Writing, Ceramics, Homework Club, Irish Dance, Violin, Piano, Recycled Fashion Design, Soccer, Track, Basketball Team, Digital Photography, Trumpet, Moving Images and Percussion and Drums. We also have regular coffeehouses at the Railyard Performance Center which provide an invaluable opportunity for students to perform dramatic monologues, play musical instruments, sing, dance, and share poetry in front of an audience. Our students also record at local recording studios and have created CD's and learned engineering and recording skills.

Community Partnerships: We have numerous community partnerships, including a strong sister school relationship with the Armand Hammer United World College. Students from all over the world who attend the Bartos Institute of Constructive Engagement of Conflict from the United World College visit our school throughout the year to perform community service with our students. Our students also visit UWC and participate in CEC (Constructive Engagement of Conflict) activities with international students. We also partner with the Santa Fe Public Schools, local museums and a multitude of educational and environment organizations both locally and nationwide.

Character Building & Life Skills: We believe an education is more than just mastering academic knowledge. Recent educational research supports the notion that teaching character values and having grit and resilience dramatically increases a student's chance of success in high school and college. There are character traits that are strongly correlated with success later in life and with individual fulfillment. Our school has a strong emphasis in character building and social emotional support for each student. Our school character traits of respect, trust, courage, honesty, compassion and stewardship form the foundation of our educational program. Each of these character traits are discussed and defined on an ongoing basis so that they are lived and displayed in action every day. We teach life skills that help students learn how to stay strong amidst the waves of peer and societal pressure. Our students learn how to be compassionate, kind citizens and to stand up for what they know is right. Students learn about integrity and honesty, plagiarizing and cheating, the negative impacts of cliques and spreading rumors. These are invaluable life lessons that are best learned before high school. We support each student's emotional development and our teachers and students together create an atmosphere of trust which allows each student to explore and grow.

Middle school has traditionally been considered a challenging time for young people as they go through puberty and struggle with identity. At our school, however, our middle school students become the school leaders and role models and they are supported by their teachers and each other during this time of inner and outer change. This develops the inner strength needed to flourish in the high school environment. We teach students about street smarts, cyber-bullying, racism, sex education, and health issues so that they are completely prepared for what lies ahead.

High School: Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences Middle School graduates are fully prepared for the 9th grade at any high school they choose - private, public or boarding. Our curriculum meets the requirements of the State and the Santa Fe Public Middle School Performance Standards. Our graduating students have successfully gone on to Santa Fe Prep, Desert Academy, Waldorf High School, Santa Fe Secondary, The Academy of Technology and Classics, Monte del Sol and Santa Fe High School. We have 37 former students currently attending the New Mexico School for the Arts! Our students have always been accepted by the schools of their choice, are often awarded Merit Scholarships, and do extremely well at every school.

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

- Calvin Coolidge