This past January, the Self Development Academy (SDA) school community gathered to participate in the school’s annual Middle School—High School Information Night.
The evening’s events included presentations by the superintendent of SDA, Dr. Anjum Majeed, and SDA middle school faculty, as well as local high school representatives. The event has grown over the years, and six area high schools were represented this year, including Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center (AAEC), Gilbert High School, Mountain View High School, Red Mountain High School, Westwood High School—International Baccalaureate Program and Williams Field High School.
Each year, SDA families look forward to the program. Following the agenda, participants have the opportunity to mingle with the middle school faculty and local high school principals, counselors and students. This interaction helps to ease concerns about the transition from elementary school to junior high school and then, from junior high school to high school.
SDA is the only Arizona school consistently ranked among the top 10 schools recognized by the Arizona Department of Education for nearly a decade. Students of SDA have earned a reputation as having a superior academic foundation combined with valuable organizational and learning skills.
At SDA, most students learn a minimum of one grade level ahead of the Arizona state educational standards. Beginning with the kindergarten year, students are academically challenged, and high academic expectations are established, all within a nurturing environment. SDA elementary school students obtain a solid foundation in language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Students are taught at the mastery level, and the curriculum emphasizes higher level thinking skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving.
“The language arts program at SDA prepares students for high school by exposing them to a multitude of genres of literature,” explained Ms. Tici Smith, faculty member of SDA-Mesa who leads the middle school’s language arts program. “By analyzing the novels they read, our students learn to think critically and stretch their understanding of the text.”
Further elaborating on the school’s language arts program, Ms. Karissa Pletta, another faculty member at SDA, added, “In the writing classes, students take the five-paragraph essay model to heart, and learn how to adjust it to each style of writing.” Ms. Pletta proudly shared, “SDA-Mesa’s language arts program is producing students who not only are confident in their work, but will continue to learn for life.”
By the time SDA students reach middle school, many are prepared to enroll in the fields of advanced literature, as well as algebra and advanced science. During middle school, students have the opportunity to complete Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II, Advanced Literature, Science, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, Technology and Spanish courses. Many of these courses are not offered until high school.
“Our mission is to send students off into their high school, their career and beyond with the ability to think like scientists,” stated Ms. Laura Meyer, a science faculty member and a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Our advance topics and rigorous expectations continually push our students to rise to a higher level of understanding and learning,” she said.
Students completing eighth grade at SDA are enrolled in honors and advanced placement courses upon entering high school. Additionally, many students receive high school credit for courses completed at SDA. This enhances their grade point averages, and makes them highly competitive students when applying to colleges and universities.
During the evening, former SDA students returned to campus to share their experiences in high school.
Aside from the academic focus, students have opportunities to develop other skills, such as public speaking, sports and performance skills. Class plays, winter performances and a science fair are just a few of the many annual in-house activities. Afterschool activities include Sports Club, Robotics, Foreign Language, Dance Club, Choir Club and Student Government. SDA is committed to developing well-rounded students who are well prepared for high school and beyond.
For more information, or to schedule a tour, please contact Self Development Academy at (480) 641-2640. Enrollment for 2016-2017 has begun, and the few spaces left are filling quickly.