General Information About High School
High School Schedule
High School Daily Schedule
Time | Class or Activity |
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | See the next table |
8:35 a.m. – 9:55 a.m. | Block 1 |
9:55 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Break |
10:15 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. | Block 2 |
11:35 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. | Lunch |
12:10 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Block 3 |
1:30 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. | Break |
1:40 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Block 4 |
What Happens from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.?
Day | Teachers | Students |
Mon | Advisory plans | Flex: clubs, tutoring, etc. |
Tue | Advisory meets | Advisory |
Wed | PLC | Flex and assemblies |
Thu | Advisory meets | Advisory |
Fri | PLC | Flex: clubs, tutorung, etc. |
Schedule Changes
Please select courses carefully! Since returning students have opportunities in the spring to select and adjust their course requests, in August students must remain in their assigned courses for the first two days of the school year. This allows counselors to focus on assisting students who are new to SAS. Following this two–day moratorium, students who have a schedule problem are allowed to meet with a counselor and request changes. The add/drop period ends after the eighth school day. All requests must be for educationally sound reasons and approved by a counselor. Requests for changes must move a student from a larger section of a course to a smaller one. Students are also required to speak with their parents about proposed changes. At the beginning of the second semester, except for newly arriving students, no schedule changes can be made on the first day back in January. The add/drop period for second semester courses concludes on the fifth day of the semester.
Seniors must list their courses for the entire senior year when they apply to colleges. Should a change in a second semester course be made, colleges must be notified of the change. Should it appear that a student is choosing an easier load in the final semester, it can reduce the chances of admission. Seniors are advised to select their courses carefully for the entire school year and plan to remain in them. The student handbook has a full explanation of SAS drop/add policies.
Graduation Requirements
Required Courses | Minimum Credits | Recommended |
English | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Mathematics* | 2.0 | 4.0 |
Science | 2.0 | 3.0 – 4.0 |
Social Studies** | 2.0 | 3.0 – 4.0 |
Language (level requirement)*** | Intermediate*** | 3.0 – 4.0 |
Visual/Performing Arts | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Physical Education | 1.5 | |
Health Education | 0.5 | |
Catalyst project (begins with Class of 2018) | 0.5 | |
Minimum Total Credits | 24.0 |
Interim
Students must participate in an Interim Semester course each year they are at SAS—one of which must be a service course. One Interim service course (0.25 credit) is required.
*Math: All students must earn two Math credits, one of which must be at the level of Geometry or higher.
**Social Studies: US citizens (not dual citizens) are required to earn one credit in US History.
***Language: Two years of study of the same foreign language (e.g., Chinese, French, or Spanish at the Novice, Intermediate level) or an equivalent proficiency in another language is required.
Advisory and House System
Advisory and house seek to ensure that every student is known, cared for and guided; make our big school feel small; support students with solving real-world problems; strengthen students’ sense of identity and belonging; and recognize students’ individual learning experiences and talents.
Each advisory is composed of 10 to 12 students in the same grade who are assigned to a faculty advisor during their first year at SAS. In most cases, students will stay with the same advisor until they leave SAS. Advisory groups meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Each advisory is also assigned to a house that includes approximately ten advisories per grade level. Houses are student–led and house representatives from each grade level form the student government. These students serve as an important voice of the student body, and their duties include but are not limited to organizing house assemblies, all-school pep rallies, spirit activities, and student forums with faculty and administration.
Advisory and house focus on improving students’ interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, their cultural competence and their character. These meetings are structured around the content and behaviors needed to:- best ensure the social/emotional health of all students;
- improve academic success; and
- prepare students for the inevitability of change in their lives, including the transitions to high school, college, and adulthood.
The advisory program strives to create an atmosphere of trust where students feel safe to discuss a wide range of academic and personal matters in a setting that helps to balance the rigorous academic demands of the SAS experience.
The SAS Catalyst Project
Catalyst is deliberately designed for students of all abilities and interests, and it is customized for all students to experience a successful project process. Further, grading is based on process and not product, so what they choose for their project is less important than how they conduct their work. Beginning with the Class of 2018, the successful completion of the Catalyst project is a graduation requirement. It ensures that every SAS graduate will leave our school having immersed themselves in a personalized, experiential, educational experience that is essential for the their future.
For more information on Catalyst, click here.
Course Selection Instructions
View High School Courses
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the AP Capstone Diploma?
- Where can I find an overview of which AP courses are being phased out and which AT courses are being added to the program offerings?
- Where can I learn more about the rationale behind the Advanced Studies program?
- To whom does the Advanced Placement credit limit apply?
- How many AP courses will my child be able to take? What does the AP credit limit mean for access to AP exams?
- How can I fulfill my Catalyst Project graduation requirement?
- AP Capstone, Quest and the SAS Catalyst program. How are these different?