Honors Program

The Honors Program is an individualized course of study that allows students to explore a topic of interest and to demonstrate their understanding through an authentic capstone project. Instead of selecting an Honors course or a Regular course of study, all students schedule the courses they need or want, and all students in each course receive the same credit. In order to receive Honors distinction and weighted G.P.A. credit at the end of the year, a student must pass a cross-curricular evaluation of their Honors project and their overall academic performance on the following standards:

• Growth Mindset: Willingness to learn from mistakes and to work to improve in learning, understanding, and character.

• Active Learning: Genuine curiosity about learning that causes one to seek opportunities to grow in knowledge and understanding of a topic through independent reading and research. 

• Global Learning: Working to understand a topic from multiple points of view and to discover multiple possible solutions to a problem; demonstrated  respect for the views of others and willingness to learn from them.

• Academic Integrity: Student demonstrates respect for her/his own learning, the learning of others, the teacher, and the learning environment

Students must maintain a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) to remain in the Honors Program. Only students who successfully complete the year-long individualized curriculum according to criteria developed by the Upper School faculty will receive Honors distinction.

Algebra III - Intro to College Algebra offers dual enrollment with Louisiana State University, enabling students to earn college credit while still at the Academy.

Religion

The goal of the Religion Department is to introduce, educate, and lead students to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ rooted in Scripture and Catholic Tradition. Through Sacred Scripture, Church History, Catholic Doctrine, and Social and Moral Doctrine, students engage in studies and prayer that launch them into service in the world around them. In grades eight through twelve, students engage in retreats, chapels, liturgies, and service projects that are modeled after the five goals of Sacred Heart education.

Course Offerings: 

Religion 8: Church History

Religion I: Sacred Scripture

Religion II: Church History/Sacraments

Religion III: Apologetics/Liturgy

Religion IV: Catholic Social Doctrine/Morality

World Religions

Campus Ministry

English

The Upper School English curriculum develops students’ verbal skills: speaking, reading, and writing. Courses each year encompass studies of literature, vocabulary, and composition. Grammar is explicitly taught in the grade 8 curriculum; in grades 9-12, grammar mini-lessons are incorporated as needed to address mistakes noted in student writing.  All courses require students to engage in independent reading so that students develop a habit of reading and increase their reading stamina for reading lengthy texts. Independent reading assessments are diverse and continuous throughout the year and include student-teacher conferences, compositions, book presentations, and creative book projects. Vocabulary instruction in the Upper School is context-based, allowing for vocabulary development to grow organically from classroom reading.  Vocabulary words are selected by teachers and students, studied in context, and practiced in writing.  In addition to independent reading, Upper School students also study a variety of fiction and nonfiction anchor texts as a whole-class community.   Visual art and popular culture media are also analyzed as texts in the Upper School, and students learn how to apply literary analysis strategies to various cultural products to produce original and sophisticated theses. Where Regular and Honors courses are offered, Honors classes are distinguished from Regular classes through weighted grading, more complex reading and writing assignments, and more advanced classroom discussion.  Understanding that written expression and formal tests are not the only ways for students to demonstrate proficiency in English Language Arts, students are also provided many opportunities to perform and to create. 

Upper School English students are expected to be informed and discriminating consumers of print and electronic media; to this end, students learn to differentiate between objective and subjective points of view, valid and invalid sources, and unfounded and well-supported claims.  At the completion of the four required credits, students are expected to demonstrate mastery of academic discourse, research skills, and the documentation/style system of the Modern Language Association. Students demonstrate this mastery through research papers, but also through oral reporting projects and media projects that promote speaking skills. 

Writing instruction is scaffolded in the Upper School curriculum so that grade 8 practices the fundamentals of academic writing, including thesis development, incorporation of textual evidence, and use of academic publication style, namely MLA (Modern Language Association). In grade 9, students are fully immersed in academic discourse and apply their analytical skills to written and visual texts to demonstrate their mastery of text-based argumentation. In grade 10, students have more opportunities for creative writing, although they continue to practice academic writing throughout the year. In grade 11, the writing focus shifts to rhetoric (persuasive speech), and in grade 12 student writing assignments are aimed at developing a strong writing voice. In all courses a workshop approach to writing is employed so that students are supported in the classroom through each phase of the writing process from brainstorming to publication.

Mathematics

The Mathematics Department strives to develop in every student a mastery of problem-solving skills and logical thinking.  Emphasis is placed on basics with a strong focus on problem solving, including application to the sciences and other areas of study. Each course is aligned to the  National Math Standards and Mathematical Practices, allowing for alignment from one course to the next. Graphing calculators and computers are used to enhance students’ understanding of advanced mathematical concepts in a technological world. Students are able to explore mathematical concepts by hands on projects and real world experiences that allow them to see how math is actually used in everyday careers. Graduation requirements include enrollment in a mathematics course during each year of Upper School with successful completion of a minimum of four Carnegie Units of mathematics. A student who has taken Algebra I in eighth grade must still take math every year of upper school.

Course Offerings:

Algebra I, II

Geometry

PreCalculus

Advanced Mathematics I, II

AP Calculus AB

SOCIAL STUDIES 

The Social Studies curriculum is designed in conjunction with standards from the national and state level. Shaped primarily by the National Council For The Social Studies and using the C3 (College, Career, and Civic Life) Framework to foster the development of 21st-century skills. Students venture through the final Preparatory course, 4 required Upper School courses, and any additional electives based on those models. Themes that are evident and applied throughout the courses are Culture; Time, Continuity, and Change; People, Places, and Environments; Individual Development and Identity; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Power, Authority, and Governance; Production, Distribution, and Consumption; Science, Technology, and Society; Global Connections; and Civic Ideals and Practices to help foster a deep understanding of the concepts addressed in each course. By using these themes as a guide, the lessons are Inquiry-based allowing students to utilize practical modern skills such as: Primary/Secondary Source Analysis, Discussion and Debate to develop ideas, Drawing Evidence-Based Conclusions, Writing and Technological Integration, and Project-based Learning to come to personal conclusions about our world in the past and today.

Course Offerings:

Louisiana History

Western Civilization

US History

AP US History

Civics

Sociology

World Geography

SCIENCE 

To stimulate an inquiry approach towards life and increase scientific literacy, the Science Department offers each student the opportunity to investigate the "real" world of science through engaging, standards-based learning. The Science Department embodies the belief that science is not just a multitude of facts but an awareness of and about the universe, as well as a method by which we problem solve and develop innovative solutions. 

Course Offerings:

Physical Science

Biology I

Biology II Honors: Anatomy and Physiology

AP Biology

Chemistry I, II

AP Chemistry

Environmental Science

Physics I, I Honors

World Languages

French I, II, III, IV

AP French

Spanish I, II, III, IV

AP Spanish

Fine Arts

ASH Arts education, in alignment with the National Core Art Standards, focuses learning and instruction in the subject areas of Visual Arts, Media Arts, Music, and Art History, each with its own skills, knowledge, and techniques. It is the intent of this department that each student accomplishes a comprehensive understanding of one or more of the arts.

Importance has been placed upon the development of higher order thinking skills, critical and creative analysis, and complex problem solving, skills that are an inherent part of the language arts process. As students imagine, create, and reflect, they develop both the verbal and nonverbal abilities necessary for school progress. Numerous studies point toward a consistent and positive correlation between an ample education in the arts and student achievement in other subject areas and on standardized tests. The ability to use and apply acquired skills, knowledge, and thinking processes through original self-expression are developed in the arts and can be applied to other disciplines and to life beyond school.

Fine Art electives are offered each year on the basis of student requests and enrollment is subject to the student’s schedule availability. Two years of art are required for graduation.

Offerings:

Art 8

Chorus

Music Appreciation

Studio Art I, II, III, IV

Media Arts I, II, III, IV

Fine Arts Survey

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