Welcome, 2019!

Happy 2019! The upper school team is so excited to have students back in classes and to have the new year underway. It’s been a fabulous first week back, and the students have done a great job jumping back in to school.

Students across the middle school grades are taking time over the next few weeks to explore the annual Law Day theme: “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society.” Students are researching alongside lessons in the history classroom, working on crafting a thesis, and will be writing a formal essay. Mrs. Maddox and Mrs. Smith are working together on the writing and editing process with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, and they are looking forward to seeing the students’ products. Next week, a judge is visiting from the Missouri Court of Appeals to share with seventh and eighth grade students about the first amendment. Teachers also hope to plan a library visit soon that will include helpful information about research and to have additional guest speakers to support.


In addition to working on their essays, students across the Middle School are learning about aspects of the Early Republic, studying events in Europe that affected citizens during the first few presidencies of the United States. Classes are learning about Hamilton’s role in the Treasury Department, the creation of the National Bank, and the conflicting ideas regarding how to interpret the Constitution that come along with those larger questions of this age. Tying directly to the Law Day theme, students have been discussing the constitutionality of the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. It’s been fun to see students work through the issues with these pieces of legislation.


In high school, the last few classes have focused on providing an overview of what will be covered during the spring semester. The overview started at Manifest Destiny in the 1840s and ‘50s, working through events up to the modern era. This ties nicely to the projects students will be completing this semester. Each high school student will work on three projects, with the choices of a biographical sketch, an essay regarding a law or an event, an analysis of a historical film or book, or a research paper over a question they have regarding American history. After the overview, students will study the sectional crisis, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Mrs. Maddox and Mrs. Smith are also planning a time for high school students to visit the library and writing lab at Missouri State University for further guidance and support in writing college-level research papers.

 

The Summit Preparatory School is a fully accredited, non-religious, private school offering a full-time seated independent education for students in Springfield, Ozark, Nixa, Rogersville, and the greater Southwest Missouri area. Our preparatory school setting offers an enriching early childhood, elementary, middle school, and high school curriculum in a supportive environment. We have state of the art facilities, highly-qualified teachers and staff, and a large range of educational programming. Interested in enrolling your child? Learn more about our admissions process.

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