Upper School
Preparing Students for High School and Beyond
Beginning in 6th grade, students’ learning becomes departmentalized. Students meet each morning in homeroom and then rotate classrooms throughout the school day for each subject.
Personal Responsibility:
Our goal is to help foster personal responsibility in each child, so that—by the time he reaches high school—he/she will be able to have a good relationship with his/her parents and be better able to fulfill his/her academic responsibilities.
Curriculum:
St. Mary of the Angels School offers a classical curriculum in:
- Reading & Literacy
- Grammar & Composition
- Greek & Latin Roots
- Directed Readings & Literature
- Social Studies & Geography
- American & World History
- Math Instruction: Ready Math (including i-Ready & IXL) 6th grade;
- Leveled Math/Pre-Algebra 7th & 8th grade, including Algebra for
- accelerated 8th grade students
- Science Instruction: Lab Learners Integrated Science/STEM
These are supplemented with:
- Spanish (K-4 & 7-8) or Latin (5-8)
- Studio Art
- Music Instruction
- Physical Education
Grading & Academic Honesty:
Grading at St. Mary of the Angels School is seen as a way to measure what students have learned. They should see it as a way for them to get to know themselves so as to develop ways to improve. Teachers do not use evaluations as a value judgment of the student—his or her self-worth and identity are based on relationships, not performance—but as a way to better adapt their teaching and methodology to help students grow as a whole person.
High School Readiness:
We assist students and families throughout the high school admissions process. Teachers supplement our challenging curriculum with instruction in study skills and test-taking. Our on-site High School Counselor offers guidance to students and families in taking the steps needed to matriculate in the high school of their choice. Our graduates attend top Catholic, private and public high schools.
High Schools Attended by Recent Graduates:
- St. Ignatius College Prep
- DePaul College Prep
- Loyola Academy
- St. Patrick’s
- Fenwick Academy
- Lane Tech
- Trinity River Forest
- Willows Academy
- Northridge Prep
- Lincoln Park High School
Assessing Academic Needs & Progress:
Teachers and administration utilize standardized testing and assessments as tools to evaluate students’ growth, adjusting lessons to their needs. We emphasize collaboration and gift-of-self, which result in happy, confident students, who are motivated to learn and are able to achieve even higher academic proficiency and test results so as to better serve others with their talents.
