Divisions

The Fine Arts Division

The Fine Arts Division is a vital component of the curriculum at Saint John’s Preparatory School. Courses offer an arts experience that is both sensitive to students’ needs as well as appreciative of their cultures. Music, theatre and visual and performance arts are recognized as fundamental elements of a Benedictine education because they encourage students to integrate aesthetic values with other important value systems within a comprehensive and interconnected context. In addition, the Fine Arts Division strives to promote self-discovery through responsible and creative risk-taking, and in so doing equips students with life-long assets that shape their continued development as inventive and resourceful individuals. Not only do students gain insight and build confidence through the various artistic experiences offered at our school, their endeavors richly and regularly benefit the larger academic and local communities of which they are an active and essential part. Furthermore, fine arts programs continue to flourish outside the school environment as marked by the many special achievements and awards that annually recognize their efforts. Small daily classes, additional contact hours, and a dedicated faculty insure that the fine arts program remains committed to providing valuable opportunities for students to work, learn and share their art with others.

The World Languages Division

The dual aim of the Modern Languages Division is to develop foreign language fluency and cultivate cultural awareness and appreciation. It is the stated philosophy of the Modern Languages Division that cultural awareness and linguistic skill are essential means toward establishing constructive and collaborative relationships with others. Initiation and maintenance of these cross-cultural relationships is the single most critical imperative to global justice and world peace. The Modern Language also believes the direct reward of an expanded international perspective is that students come to know their own language and culture deeper and better. Instilling an enduring acceptance of other ethnic backgrounds in our students and equipping them with necessary language proficiency enables them to become and remain intelligent, sensitive and actively involved ambassadors of their own communities. Each day our students learn together with others from a variety of countries around the world; in addition, our students increasingly come into contact with other cultures outside the classroom as well. The members of the Modern Languages Division prepare their students to be ready and eager to make these cross-cultural experiences and peaceful and fulfilling encounters.

The Humanities Division

The Humanities Division of Saint John's Preparatory School is comprised of the English, Social Studies and Theology Departments. The Division's concerted and collaborative aim is to prepare young men and women to become critical, ethical, creative individuals capable of compassionate service, courageous leadership, and responsible citizenship both within local communities and the larger world. Studies engage students in a diverse variety of ancient and modern primary and secondary texts for the purpose of broadening and deepening their knowledge and understanding of literary theories, historical contexts, and religious truths. Students' reading, writing and speaking skills of are also advanced and refined for the purpose of insuring that their present and future intellectual, spiritual and socio-political contributions prove articulate, insightful and efficacious.

The Mathematics and Science Division

It is the goal of the Mathematics and Science Division to develop our students; ability to think critically and effectively. This goal is accomplished through an integrated approach to problem-solving. Employing a creative blend of pure and applied mathematics and sciences coupled with an emphasis on technical reading and writing, problems with practical implications are used to cultivate in our students a capacity to implement successfully principles, concepts, facts and skills. Courses are designed to be college preparatory and highly experiential; inherent interdisciplinary relationships form the framework of their methodology. Division members support an inquiry-based theory of instruction that integrates lectures and demonstrations with active learning and investigative research. The combination of classroom and laboratory work allows students to acquire and improve upon methods and manipulative skills imperative to effective data collection and deduction. It is the philosophy of division members that to prepare students well to understand and apply fundamental facts, principles, laws, and theories, students must first foster a positive attitude and persistent disposition conducive to the responsible collection and creative use of information.

Middle School

Our mission is to provide an intellectually challenging middle school in the best of Benedictine and independent school traditions. We consider the environment at Saint John's to be conducive to:

• Attending to the individual learning needs of each student
• Attending to the spiritual, social and developmental needs of each student
• Unleashing and fostering the innate drive for learning and spirituality that each student possesses
• Creating a meaningful, value-rich experience
• Developing intellectual skills and competencies that prepares each student for high school and college

We seek a sense of community in which students, teachers and parents are actively engaged.

This year there are four sections of 19-20 students, comprised of a combination of 7th and 8th grade students. Our program focuses on student and their needs. We seek to provide learning experiences that engage students in creative thinking and problem solving. To provide a stable base for developing adolescents, each student is assigned a permanent homeroom and that student/teacher relationship will generally last for the entire two-year experience. The maximum number of students in the Middle School Program is 80. To preserve their identity and coherence, the program operates in the newest addition of the campus and separate from the upper school classrooms.

6th Grade

The mission of the 6th grade program is to allow students the opportunity to engage in an interdisciplinary and experiential learning environment, similar to the current middle school program.

Students are actively engaged in the core academic of language arts, math, science and social studies. In addition, students have access to a world language program (German, Spanish and Chinese), upper level math classes and music porgrams. Enrollment is limited to 20 students. To preserve their identity and coherence, the program operates in a classroom separate from the upper school classrooms.