Stamford Academy
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Course Offering Guide
229 North Street, Stamford, CT 06901 P: 203.324-6300 F: 203.324-6310 E: info@stamfordacademy.org ● Privacy Policy
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Stamford Academy offers an instructional program rooted around student’s strengths instead of their deficiencies. Our educational framework centers around four core competencies: self-inquiry, exploration, experiential learning, and action. These core competencies will be developed as students explore our four guiding questions within the curriculum. In the 9th grade, students examine the question Who Am I? as they build confidence and self-worth. As 10th graders, they will explore the question Who Are We? while they look for ways that their own strengths can meet the needs of their school and neighborhood communities. Eleventh grade students will ponder the question Who Are They? as they actively participate in their community and examine groups that have been historically oppressed or who have been oppressors. Three years of questioning culminates with action as students not only ask What Will I Do? but also develop and implement an action plan containing post-secondary and community-wide initiatives. Following are our 2009-2010 core course offerings, electives, and extra curricular opportunities.
COURSE OFFERING GUIDE
2009-2010
9TH Grade: Who Am I?
Urban Literature
This English Language Arts course will serve to guide students in answering essential questions about themselves and the world around them. Students will explore the question “Who Am I?” through the use of novels, non-fiction texts, plays and films. The class will have a focus on urban literature, allowing the students to explore their world and essential questions such as, “How do the choices I make affect my life and the lives of others around me?” The curriculum is heavily focused on literacy skills and is designed to teach the necessary skills to be successful on the CAPT.
World History
This course focuses on the accomplishments of the past and how they have come to shape the lives we live today. The course is guided by the theme, A Day in the Life. While learning about the achievements and important events of the past, students will also be learning about the average human experience and demystifying history’s greatest events and cultures. Students will learn about themselves in the broader historical and cultural context of the world. They will improve literacy, critical thinking and writing skills that are needed for their 10th grade CAPT exam. Each unit reflects the state content standards and offers opportunities for students to learn about themselves and what has happened to get them here today.
Business Math
Math and the real world unite in this course! Students unlock their small business creativity while building numeracy skills. They will have the opportunity to develop their own businesses and present it to the NFTE judges at the school. Successful projects will be competing at the regional competition at Norwalk Community College and at the national level in a competition held in New York City. Mathematical and logical thinking skills in Algebra will be highlighted as students begin to master CAPT skills.
Biology for Daily Living
With a focus on the biology of the individual, students will explore the question “How can I apply scientific skills, processes, and methods of inquiry to solve real-world problems?” This course takes a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to the science of genetics, cellular biology, ecology, disease and evolution, and includes activities centered on cooking, gardening, forensics and anatomy. The class is adjacent to the school kitchen and cafeteria to facilitate lively and engaging labs.
ART: GRADES 9-12Art With an Emphasis
on Revolution and Rebellion
The purpose of this class is to give students the ability to use art as a positive form to express their thoughts and express their opinions in a positive way! We will observe different forms of art including painting, murals, pop art, graffiti, architecture, and advertisements. We will build student's art skills by working on their use of artistic elements and principles (line, shape, color, texture).
Who Am I?
Grades 9-12Physical Education and Health
General Units of Study
Basketball style games
Football
Baseball style games
Tennis
Weight Training
Optional Units
Volleyball
Soccer
Golf
11th and 12th Grade Physical Fitness test
Health Course
First Aid / CPR
Personal Fitness
Wellness for life
Disease prevention
Stereotypes in advertising
Diet and Nutrition
10th Grade: Who Are We?
Creative Writing
In the tenth grade students will explore the guiding question “Who Are We?” The class will have a focus on creative writing, allowing the students to explore their world and essential questions such as, “How does our society shape who I am as a person?” There will be a strong writing component to the course that will let students express themselves creatively and find their voice as a writer. The skills we will be focusing on are literacy based and will include rigorous instruction that will help make students successful on the CAPT.
U.S. History
This course focuses on the events and people that have guided our country to where it is today. While relating past events to current happenings students will learn about the origins of our country and its founding principles. We will be exploring the everyday life experiences of different groups throughout American history. While working our way through U.S. history, students will be able to read and see the American experiences through both readings and field trips. Students will learn what it means to be living in this country while also learning the literacy, critical thinking and writing skills needed for the CAPT exam.
Math
This is a business-oriented curriculum that focuses on the skills students need on the job. Math for the World of Work covers critical skills like whole numbers, fractions, decimals, averages, estimating, measurements, and ratios. Each skill is introduced in a cross-curricular context that helps students learn about the business world. Students will be exploring the question Who Are We? as they discover new opportunities in their lives.
Lessons are very dynamic with problem-solving activities, exercises, and review questions to give students plenty of practice and solidify their understanding of new skills. Students are prepared for the CAPT exam being administered in March 2010.
Biology For Daily Living: Grade 10
“How can we apply scientific skills, processes, and methods of inquiry to solve real-world problems?” This course looks to answer that question by providing a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to the science of population genetics, body system biology, ecology, the global spread of disease and evolution, and includes activities centered on cooking, gardening, forensics and anatomy. Students will participate in a community-service project for local people living with HIV, discover more about new advances in medicine, and practice both literacy and math skills needed for the CAPT. Each individual unit seeks to educate students about both state content standards and foster a sense of teamwork and community in cooperative learning groups.
ESPANOL:
Grades 11 and 12
Spanish I is offered to 11th grade students. The course includes 8 units, separated into themes relevant to students’ lives. Some of the topics that are addressed include: people, communities, school, clothing, food, health, and activities. There is also special emphasis on cross-curricular interaction and students will apply Spanish to work that they are doing in another class. We will also address the grade level question of “Who Are They?” by considering Hispanic culture, power dynamics, and minorities in Spanish-speaking countries, as well as Hispanic minorities in the United States.
Spanish II is offered to 12th grade students. The course includes 8 units, separated into themes relevant to students’ lives. This course extends many of the topics covered in Spanish I, expanding students’ vocabulary and fluency in the language. Students will learn the past tense and more advanced grammatical concepts such as prepositional phrases and direct object pronouns. There is also special emphasis on careers and life beyond high school. We will also address the grade level question of “What Will I Do?” by considering students’ goals for their lives following graduation.
11TH Grade: Who Are They?
Black Literature and the Black Image in American Film
This course explores the literary conventions, themes, and techniques employed by African-American authors in a variety of genres such as the short story, poetry, and the novel. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of concurrent themes throughout Black literature as well as the examination of how much Black literature represents the Black culture. Students refine critical thinking, reading and writing skills through literary analysis of a broad range of representative works. In the spring, students will explore the often controversial ways in which filmmakers have used the black image to represent African American identity. Examination of this conflict helps students to explore the larger social struggles and issues surrounding race in American society, as well as to experience the richness of African American culture.
U.S. History – “Difference Makers”
Students will study U.S. History from the Revolutionary War to just after World War II (1770-1950) by examining the big “Difference Makers” in each era. We will also be looking at groups of people who have been marginalized throughout our country’s history. Students will work on many skills, mostly centered around the ability to read historical texts, interpret them for meaning, and also produce their own written work on the same topics. At the end of each unit we should be able to evaluate America’s successes or failures concerning the ideals of the founders and by the end of the course be able to speak knowledgably about the current state of the country by comparing our present to our past. We also hope to make a service-oriented field trip to Washington, D.C. this spring.
Math
Eleventh grade math will focus on increasing knowledge of spatial representations and graphing in preparation for college. Students will be provided with targeted SAT preparation and will develop a better understanding of how math is used in the real world. The course begins with basic algebra and geometry and culminates with Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability.
Chemistry
This course focuses on real-world applications of science while incorporating all essential elements of the Connecticut state science curriculum. We begin the year by exploring how the scientific method and critical decision-making skills can be used both inside and outside the classroom. After we finish our first unit on scientific inquiry, students will go on to study the nature of atoms and elements, the periodic table, and ultimately chemical reactions and biochemistry. Students will explore the 11th grade guiding question, "Who Are They?" by studying groups that have been positively or negatively impacted by science and technological advancements. Our course will culminate in a written project and presentation related to our capstone questions.
Reading Specialist Program
Grades 9-12
The Reading Specialist Team works to promote literacy for all Stamford Academy students and staff members. The reading teachers integrate rigorous, evidence-based phonics training, such as the Wilson Readers Program, with authentic literacy encompassing word recognition, reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary development, spelling, and expressive writing. The program uses a variety of other resource tools, such as Read 180 for comprehension learning. The teachers support students in answering the question “How can improving my literacy help me in the real world?” Working with individual students and small groups, the program encourages students to use the seven comprehension strategies to truly understand their reading. The reading teachers use several standard assessments such as the CAPT results, NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), or QRI (Qualitative Reading Inventory) to track student progress. Overall, the Reading Special Program works to provide students with the skills needed to learn to enjoy reading for both pleasure and future educational and vocational experiences.
12th Grade: What Will I Do?
Public Speaking & Culture and Film
In the fall semester, students will learn the principles of effective public speaking. The course will examine: standards for evaluating personal performance and the performances of others; speeches and presentations required in modern organizations; speaking clearly and persuasively; and effective audience interaction. Students will become familiar with presentation technologies. Overall, the students will examine the question: How do I express my point of view through voice and body? During the spring, students will explore how filmmakers who are concerned about racism portray the politics, history and culture of all people. We will examine how this medium can humanize subjects who are often objectified and exploited and give voice to communities whose perspectives and opinions have been historically excluded from mainstream discourses. Students will search to answer the question: How has film shaped my identity?
Criminal Justice
Students in this course will examine the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and how they apply to criminal cases and scenarios. We will also examine the court system, the war on drugs, and our country’s crime prevention programs and strategies. We will be examining these topics through the lens of a question, “Is our Criminal Justice system working, and for who?” At the end of each unit the students should be able to evaluate the quality of justice and efficiency of a particular part of our Criminal Justice system. Students will learn many skills, including reading and analyzing legal documents, arguing Constitutional principles, and writing position papers on current issues regarding our Criminal Justice system.
Math
Twelfth grade students will continue to increase their knowledge of spatial representations and graphing and will prepare to retake the SAT’s. Students will continue to be asked to make concrete connections between math and the real world. The course begins with the study of triangles, polygons, and circles and culminates with Quadratic Equations and Transformations.
Physics
Twelfth grade physics will focus on real-world applications of science while incorporating all essential elements of the Connecticut state science curriculum. We are starting off the year by exploring how the scientific method and critical decision-making skills can be used both inside and outside the classroom. After we finish our first unit on scientific inquiry, students will study force and motion, light and sound, heat, and energy. Seniors will explore their "What Will I Do?" question by emphasizing physics as the science of action and the basic nature of the world. Seniors will also explore ways to impact their community through physics and science. The course will culminate in a written project and presentation related to these capstone questions.
Poetry and Art
Words in Color is an after school extra-curricular program that aims to provide an environment where students can informally get together to create and share artwork, poems and short stories that are personally relevant to them. In addition Words in Color provides students with the opportunity to participate in school wide art and poetry contests, to work together to produce school wide art and poetry ‘graffiti’ magazines and to take part in guest speaker events and field trips. Creativity is highly encouraged and students have the freedom to express themselves artistically and poetically without the added pressure of being graded (as long as no vulgar language is used and students adhere to Stamford Academy standards).
The Running Spartans
This after-school and before-school extra-curricular activity’s mission is to challenge students to experience the benefits of goal-setting, character development, adult mentoring, and improved health by providing them with a life-changing experience: training for and completing a half-marathon. We will offer all students the chance to feel welcome, work together, and all become winners.
buildOn
Through the unique duality of its programming, buildOn empowers U.S. high school students to improve their own lives and communities, as well as to take an active role in the construction of schools in developing countries. buildOn engages students through intensive after-school programs at 126 high schools in six urban regions across the U.S. The focus of its programs is three-fold: community service, fundraising to build schools overseas and global education.
Chess Club
Chess club provides students an after school opportunity of playing an enjoyable game and making connections with students and staff. It also teaches the essential skills of strategy and thinking ahead. The club began last year with students just interested in playing after school but has grown to a club and throughout the year we will be working on including trips to play other schools and possibly enter city-wide tournaments. All skills levels are welcome and we encourage first time players.
Spirit Squad
Not your everyday cheerleaders! In addition to practicing and performing routines at sporting events, Spirit Squad members are responsible for representing our school in a positive manner, increasing school spirit and event turnout, making posters, decorating lockers and hosting activities.
OTHER EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Student Government* Senior Council* Senior Committee* Fitness Club*
STAMFORD ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL
Director, Clark P. Callahan
229 North Street
Stamford, CT 06901
P: 203.324-6300
F: 203.324-6310
