Life at San Miguel

A Typical Day:

A typical day at San Miguel Academy begins at 7:50 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. Students arrive at 7:50 a.m. to prepare and get ready for the day. Breakfast is served and is followed by the Morning Assembly. Morning Assembly includes a few traditions like Word of the Week, and Sentence of the Day. Daily announcements and other relevant information are passed along at this time. Morning Assembly sets a positive tone for the day. Students are encouraged to share their concerns and their joys about personal, community and world events.

The first academic period begins at 8:45 a.m. There are seven, 50-minute academic periods during the
school day. The 5th and 6th grade classes are self-contained, with one teacher responsible for most of
the daily instruction. The 7th and 8th grade students switch classes for instruction by teachers
specializing in given subjects. The last instructional period ends at 3:00 p.m.

Expectations for Daily Self-Governance:

All students at San Miguel Academy are taught and expected to follow the school’s guidelines for self-governance which include:

Ready • Responsible • Respectful

Ready, responsible and respectful, provides a framework for preparedness and success in the classroom. Students learn the importance of having everything they need to participate in the program at San Miguel, including pens, notebooks, necessary supplies, gym gear, etc. Each boy develops a sense of responsibility for himself and his belongings. Any interaction that takes place among the boys, and with their teachers and administrators, is foremost based on respect. The words ready, responsible and respectful are prominently posted in each classroom to remind the boys that self-governance leads to positive outcomes. Through ready, responsible and respectful, a culture of acceptance is born, from which students are free to take risks and explore new ideas.

Curriculum

San Miguel Academy follows the New York State Education Curriculum Standards as published by the New York State Department of Education. With regard to New York State testing, San Miguel Academy students take the state Social Studies test in 5th grade. The 8th grade students take both the NYS English Language Arts and Mathematics tests. All of the students take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills annually. Eighth grade students also take the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination) in November for those boys seeking to attend a Catholic school, private school or independent boarding school in high school.

The curriculum consists of the following subjects:

* For those students wishing to pursue their religious studies in order to receive the sacraments, they can do so through St. Patrick’s Parish Religious Education Program.

Grading/Academic Honors:

San Miguel Academy operates on a quarterly grading system. Report cards are distributed four times per year. Parents/guardians are required to come to the school to receive progress reports midway through each quarter. This enables parents/guardians to meet with teachers to discuss the student’s progress. In addition it provides an early intervention if a student’s progress is insufficient.

The school utilizes a numerical grading system. A passing grade is defined as 70% or higher; a failing grade is below 70%. Students that achieve certain academic milestones are elected to receive academic awards as follows:

• The Principal's Award- Students with a combined average of 95% or higher for the quarter, who receive all A's in conduct and effort.
• First Honors- Students with a combined average of 90% or above, who receive all A's in conduct and effort.
• Second Honors- Students with a combined average of 85% or above, who receive all B's or above in conduct and effort.
• Attendance Honors- Students with perfect attendance, including no absences or tardiness, during the quarter.