St. Mary’s Springs Academy introducing January Term (J-Term) to the 2023-2024 high school academic curriculum. In an ongoing effort to advance SMSA’s curriculum through innovative styles of teaching and enrichment. SMSA will be the first high school in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the Flyway Conference to implement J-Term. J-Term courses will provide a unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a single subject, an area of interest, along with time to focus on social-emotional development and college and career planning. This experience will offer students a hands-on, applied, active and creative learning experience. Students will have an opportunity to help design J-Term curriculum, ensuring student voice and choice in their own education. High School Principal, Eamonn O’Keeffe, states, “We are excited to give our students the opportunity to become immersed in their interests while in a school setting.” Another exciting outcome is the special collaboration with Moraine Park Technical College, connecting student’s experiences with school life while acquiring new “real-world” applicable knowledge, both on-and-off campus. Upon returning from Christmas break in January of 2024, students will enter a required 13-day J-Term schedule, already included in tuition and earning them 0.5 academic credits. A priority goal is that each J-Term course be designed with student interest and teacher passions at the forefront. J-Term course titles in the planning stages include: The Impact of the British Invasion on American Social Thought in the 1960’s; Strength, Conditioning, and Coaching Styles; Making Mosaics Inspired by Music; Baseball and America: A Shared History; Video Games and Literature; Interior Design Concepts; Off Broadway: Writing and Producing a One Act Play in 13 Days; Concept Simulation: Board Games; God of Art and Science; Gas Metal Arc Welding. Students in grades 9-11 will attend school for full days with afternoons being dedicated to a rotation of social-emotional learning programming; time for completing interest and career inventories; mental wellness assessments; and college and ACT preparation workshops. Seniors will be required to engage capstone community service in the afternoon. Traditional letter grades will be used to assess student learning during J-Term.
