HISTORY
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
RELIGION
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
ART
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
LANGUAGE: Literature, Grammar, Composition, and Drama
Knowledge1. Read the text carefully.
2. Listen to what others say and don‘t interrupt.
3. Speak clearly.
4. Give others your respect.
Aptitudes
MATHEMATICS
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
SCIENCE
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
MUSIC
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
PHYSICAL EDUCATION / HEALTH
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
HISTORY
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
Religion
Knowledge
Aptitudes
ART
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
LANGUAGE: Literature, Grammar, Composition, Latin, and Drama
Knowledge
Skills
1. Read the text carefully.
2. Listen to what others say and don‘t interrupt.
3. Speak clearly.
4. Give others your respect.
Aptitudes
SCIENCE
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
MATHEMATICS
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
MUSIC
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
Physical Education
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
History
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
RELIGION
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
ART
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
Language Arts: Literature, Grammar, Composition, Logic, Latin, and Drama
Knowledge
Skills for Literature
Skills for Grammar and Composition
For Narrative Writing:
For Persuasive Writing:
For Analytical/Expository Writing:
Skills for Latin:
Skills for Drama:
Aptitudes
SCIENCE
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
MATHEMATICS
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
MUSIC
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
Physical Education
Knowledge
Skills
Aptitudes
SMS High School Curriculum
Our Catholic classical liberal arts curriculum is ordered to the moral, intellectual and spiritual development of our students as human persons. As such, our program seeks to discover the truth in every branch of knowledge encompassed by our curriculum and, by word and example, to form the understanding and moral character of our students. As a faculty, we conceive our principal task as cultivating the sense of wonder with which every child is born. The image that guides us is not the filling of an empty pail, but the enkindling of a fire within the student.
At the core of our high school curriculum are 'the great books', the original works of the greatest thinkers in the Western tradition, both ancient and modern, whose seminal ideas have animated our civilization - for good or for ill. Click here to review our Great Books by grade level.
Science
Course Summary
Forecast:
The Natural Philosophy course, proportioned to developmental stages, will descend to the elementary grades; existing elements will be incorporated, and the scope of the course expanded as staffing becomes available.
Astronomy - part of the Trivium and one of the seven Liberal Arts - will be introduced as a significant part of the course and will be characterized by a strong experiential approach. In addition, the drawing of flora and fauna will be incorporated in the Natural Philosophy course and integrated with SMS Art courses. This process has not yet begun.
Latin
Course Summary
SMS utilizes the Latin language to explore the origin, development, versatility of human language. Latin, a declined language, readily makes vividly clear the role of the elements of language, reveals the increasing sophistication in their development and establishes in the student an understanding of the flexibility, adaptability, power and grandeur of human language. Advanced language study allows the student a direct experience of the range, power and adaptability of human speech. The study of Latin opens the door to a direct experience of the seminal texts in history, literature, law, philosophy and poetry which have informed Western Civilization to which our students are heirs. Additionally, Latin serves as a powerful practical aid in expanding vocabulary and word power, imparting the ability to analyze new words and discover their meanings through knowledge of Latin word roots.
Objectives
Sequence
Forecast
Mathematics
Course Summary
The study of Euclid’s geometry - the Elements - establishes a strong experiential and logical foundation for the more abstract content of our Algebra I and Algebra II courses.The PreCalculus course returns to the treatment of geometric shapes and their properties as a preparation for the study of the Calculus.
Objectives
Sequence
Forecast
Composition
Course Summary
Our composition classes seek to cultivate excellence in the use of the word - both oral and written. Complementing the language study had in SMS Latin courses, student composition skills are formed by the Progymnasmata - a series of fundamental writing exercises of the ancient Greeks promoting civic discourse. Elementary instruction begins with the imitation of classic poems, rhymes and stories and progresses through stages of increasing sophistication culminating in argumentative writing.
Objectives
Sequence
Forecast
Our classical writing courses culminate in the junior year with the Junior Oration - a speech arranged, composed and delivered to an audience of students, faculty and staff. The composition work of the senior year culminates in a research project - the Senior Thesis. The Senior Thesis is submitted in writing, and then presented and defended orally before a faculty panel. Fellow students, faculty and staff may attend the defense. The Senior Thesis is already in place; We hope to have the Junior Oration in place by 2024-2025.
Seminar
Course Summary
Seminar, a discussion based course which uses Socratic Method, places before SMS juniors and seniors the seminal texts which have given rise to Western Civilization. In a seminar setting, the teacher poses an opening question to students, who respond to the question based upon their prior reading of the text. Students proceed to discourse with their classmates, making and rebutting arguments in favor of and against their interpretation of the text.
Objectives
Sequence
History
Course Summary
SMS history courses allow students to examine the history of Western Civilization - to which they are heirs - from its beginnings in ancient Greece and Rome through its development in Medieval Europe and into its modern phase in the New World.
Objectives
Sequence
Forecast
These courses are in place and will be more closely integrated with the reading in the SMS Literature classes.
Literature
Course Summary
SMS literature courses are concurrent with SMS history courses. Students read, analyze and discuss the great literature of each age. A careful analysis is made of the literary form, content, style and theme of each literary work. Literary forms include histories, autobiographies, short stories, novels and poems. Careful attention is paid to the relation existing between the work of literature and to the historical context in which it was produced.
Objectives
Sequence
Forecast
Reading lists are substantially complete in both the middle school and high school; further refinements, in light of experience, will be made as to sequence and variety.