Welcome to the Montessori School of Anderson’s High School Academy
The High School Academy at the Montessori School of Anderson is the first and only Montessori high school academy in South Carolina and only one of 25 in the United States. A college preparatory, co-educational private academy for students in grades 9-12, the School offers a rigorous academic foundation, including Honors courses, and dual credit courses through Anderson University. We believe that educating and nurturing the whole person – physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually – is a requirement for successful 21st century life. It is our belief that our students should know how to design solutions to challenging problems, participate fully in a Democracy, and implement successfully an entrepreneurial project that makes a social contribution. To these ends, our students participate in a rigorous core academic curriculum that is the foundation of our high school program.
The Curriculum
The curriculum, designed to ready students for college admission, culminates with an intensive, year-long research project and presentation in the senior year. During their high school years, students are coached in leadership skills such as group development, decision-making, effective communication, and conflict resolution. Students and teachers engage in a variety of assessments that promote meaningful knowledge acquisition and academic awareness, such as self-evaluation of work based on clearly defined objectives, presentations, and portfolios. In this setting, students succeed in learning and decision-making situations that minimize rote learning and promote understanding. This approach cultivates student ownership in his/her education and works toward the goal of academic independence and self-reliance. The High School’s well-designed academic program challenges students to work responsibly and to perform competitively on standardized tests.
The Academic Program
The school year is comprised of two semesters, each lasting 18 weeks. The school day begins each morning with Community Meeting at 8:15 a.m. and concludes each day at 3:30 p.m. Students attend six classes per day on a modified block schedule of alternating days. MSA High School Academy students must earn a minimum of 30 Carnegie Units of study in order to graduate – exceeding SCISA’s (South Carolina Independent School Association) requirements by seven units, and those of the S.C. State Department of Education by three units.
Partnership with Anderson University
The Montessori High School Academy enjoys a unique partnership with nearby Anderson University. Academically eligible juniors and seniors may take up to 30 semester hours of college courses in the School of Arts and Sciences for dual credit – all at substantial discounts from the regular tuition rate. To help them with the transition to college expectations, our faculty assists the students with study and test taking skills, note-taking, and organization in a class we call College Seminar. There we discuss upcoming tests, projects, and presentations – and help to prepare the students for these deadlines.
Senior Project
MSA High School Academy seniors must successfully complete a year-long, research, entrepreneurial capstone project in order to be recommended for graduation. Each senior selects a topic about which he/she is passionate, then embarks on a variety of activities that include working with a professional mentor to develop essential research questions, and conducting independent research and writing (to include an annotated bibliography). The students then work to prepare a product based on their research and practical experience with their subject. A comprehensive portfolio and year-end presentation are required in order to successfully complete the Senior Project experience.
Other Offerings
Participation in a variety of sports, field trips, Friday night coffee houses, socials with other local schools, college and career counseling with collective visitations to area universities round out our ability to offer our students a “holistic” program.
Second Language – Spanish
Life today demands skillful communicators in more than just English. Our partial to full immersion approach to Spanish instruction trains students to enter a world of bi-lingual commerce and human interaction.
The Fine Arts
Participation in the Arts humanizes character and teaches self-discipline. MSA High School Academy students are required to take three units of study across the artistic disciplines, including Art, Drama, and Music – twice the required number of units required in South Carolina public or private schools. Each year, high school students participate in at least one dramatic performance offered to the Anderson community. Since the high school’s inception in 2007, students have participated in such productions as Homer’s The Odyssey, Jungle Book, and the short works of Edgar A. Poe.
Community, Action, and Service
This component of the curriculum looks seriously at life outside of school, providing a counter-balance to the stringent academic demands of the program. Participation in community service activities encourages students to share their energies and special talents while developing awareness, concern, and an ability to work cooperatively with the institutions that provide outreach to the community. Working under the guidance of a faculty mentor, each student at MSA High School Academy must plan and complete a minimum of 50 hours of service to the Anderson community each year, or a cumulative total of at least 200 hours by the end of the senior year.
The Faculty
Instructors at The High School Academy meet and exceed our accrediting body’s educational requirements by holding at least the bachelor’s degree in their academic/teaching field from an accredited institution of higher learning. Ninety percent of the school’s instructional staff holds at least the master’s degree or higher in their fields of study.
Accreditation
The High School Academy is in the final stages of becoming an accredited secondary high school through the South Carolina Association of Independent Schools (SCISA). We anticipate full accreditation on or before June 1, 2010.