"Educational Vision, Philosophy and Theory
The Holistic Approach to the Total Child"

        Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences is an innovative public charter middle school located in the Historic Rosemary District of downtown Sarasota.  This premier school is dedicated to the principles of academic excellence and social responsibility, via a multicultural and Service Learning educational process.  The Developmental Domain Paradigm further creates an approach fostering an educational vehicle that carries all students to their optimum level of development in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. The cognitive and psychomotor developmental goals are achieved through a special contract system for students and parents.  Cooperative learning techniques, effective teaching methods, successful classroom management procedures, involved parents, community mentors, business partnerships, small classes (18:1), physical education classes, and the interscholastic sports’ program also promotes goal attainment, in these domains.  Our Multicultural Education and Service Learning components address the often neglected, affective domain while promoting an even more detailed and complete interdisciplinary curriculum format.
        This interdisciplinary curriculum embraces the arts and sciences and weaves a tapestry in which all the academic disciplines are interwoven, thus promoting a program that fosters a more complete educational experience for all students.  The strong emphasis, on the core curriculum, in the arts and sciences, is a "good fit" with the Sarasota community's national and international reputation in the visual and performing arts, such as Ringling School of Art and Design, coupled with the scientific prowess of institutions such as Mote Marine Laboratory and Selby Gardens.  GWIZ, a science museum, has become one of our most recent partners.  The application of knowledge that GWIZ presents reinforces our science curriculum.  In addition to these core offerings, SSA+S introduces classes to the students in the performing arts, performing band, visual arts, computer, computer art, Spanish, PE, Martial Arts, and Service Learning, via a thematic approach directly connected to the core offerings.  This thematic approach reinforces and promotes a higher level of student learning.  Other activities, such as Student Council, Club Unity, Service Learning, Science Club, Drama Club, Thespian Society, Anime Club, National Junior Honor Society, Interscholastic Sports, Cheerleading, Odyssey of the Mind, and Portfolio Development foster additional support and achievement in all developmental domains.
        Students at SSA+S are empowered, with the guidance of faculty, parents, and mentors, to be responsible for attaining educational objectives.  SSA+S educational objectives reflect the Sunshine State Standards.  Benchmarks are presented in the curriculum, written by the faculty and administration of SSA+S. Critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and respect for the Sarasota community and the nation-at-large, is promoted by the curriculum, which includes the components of Service Learning and the
Multicultural Educational Philosophy.
        Our mission is to stimulate lifelong learning so that students will be able to relate said learning in all of the developmental domains to whatever occupation they choose and subsequently give back to their community.  Some of this acquired knowledge is by building relationships with caring mentors from the local area. Relationships and partnerships with the community-at-large are realized and students take field trips to the plethora of local cultural centers.  Centers such as the Asolo Theatre, Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota Opera House, Mote Marine Aquarium and Research Laboratory, Selby Botanical Gardens, Ringling Museum, GWIZ Museum, Dali Museum, Ringling School of Art and Design, Holocaust Museum, Sarasota County Juvenile Court System, Public Art Committee, and Selby Public
Library are vital to the total development of the student at SSA+S.
        The SSA+S overall program has been very successful in achieving its goals. This is evident in the fact that many of our students are achieving High School Credit in the areas of Algebra 1, Geometry, and Spanish 1 during their 8th grade year.  Moreover, the SSA+S program has launched many of our students into competitive High School Honors, Gifted, and Talented Magnet programs:

    1. Southeast High School:    Art Academy and International Baccalaureate Program (IB)
    2. Booker High School:         Visual and Performing Arts (VPA)
    3. Riverview High School:     International Baccalaureate Program (IB)
    4. Sarasota High School:      Math and Science Technology (MAST)
    5. Sarasota Military Academy: SABRE Program

        The “Holistic Approach to the Total Child” philosophy has been very successful at SSA+S, as is evidenced by the achievements and recognition awarded by the Florida Department of Education through its “grading” of schools and the Federal Government’s “No Child Left Behind” evaluations. Please see our assessment page for additional information.

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