Balanced Education

Many of you know me only as a former middle school language arts teacher, however I have taught several elementary grades, plus middle school grades; at one time I was the science coordinator for St. Anne, and at another I was the technology coordinator in charge of our computer lab. I like having a mixed bag of experiences. It helps me feel balanced. So in this technology driven, STEM world, I must state a case for a balance in education that still includes a heavy dose of liberal arts. This important balance is exactly what I am striving to continue here at SAS.

It is pretty easy to see that our school is a reading rich campus, with our dynamic library programs and our yearly author visit. Our students routinely read real literature, write about what they have read, discuss what they have read, and then draw conclusions from what they have read. And yet, since the beginning of this year, through the generosity of donors, we have expanded our WiFi capabilities and added 35 Chrome books for our students, to accompany a set of high tech calculators for our middle school math students. We have a room set aside for math and science learning as well as still having a fully functional computer lab with over 20 stations.

It is not uncommon to see students in the hallways or in the gym competing with some STEM related challenge. However, when one walks through the school, the walls are lined with student artwork, punctuated with a painting or icon of Christian significance. The balance is evident throughout our school. Behind the scenes, our teachers attend STEM conferences, language conferences, and reading conferences, while continuing their pursuit of strong, proven web-based programs to augment their base curriculum.

One-third of Forbes Fortune 500 CEOs have liberal arts degrees. Ninety-three percent of employers, in a national survey, want candidates who can think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems. We are proud of our strong sciences, arts, faith learning, and literacy in our school. We take our mission of physical, intellectual, spiritual development and whole child learning seriously.

We work every day to ensure we are creating a balanced education for each child. Public schools are losing funding for the arts and are moving increasingly toward instruction centered around test-taking. At SAS, we know the way to produce students who can think critically, problem-solve, and communicate effectively is through an education rich in both STEM and liberal arts. We are proud of our balanced education and the strong foundation for future success we are providing our students.