Honors Information
When students are accepted into SI, the Admissions and Academics Offices collaborate to accept some incoming Frosh into Algebra 2 Honors, Biology Honors, and/or English 1 Honors. Students may be assigned to one, two, or three honors courses upon acceptance. Students may also test into honors-level language courses.
- If a student is not initially placed into an honors-level course and wishes to attempt those classes in future years, they may apply for placement within each academic department.
- The academic journey at SI is in the student’s hands. Being Open to Growth means that SI does not place students on rigid academic tracks that lock them into courses years in advance. We want students to have the flexibility to seek out new academic paths that match their interests as they develop. That is why students may pursue honors-level courses and pathways at any point.
- Students will work closely with their Personal and Academic Counselor to choose a path that makes the most sense for them. Whether students take honors-level classes or not, they will receive a wonderful all-around education at SI, and upon graduation students will be prepared for the rigor of college academics.
*Please Note: When deciding what courses your student will take, it is important to keep in mind their co-curricular commitments when adding to their academic coursework. Students are recommended to take no more than three Honors/Advanced Placement classes. Students will have the opportunity to enroll in honors classes for their Sophomore year, even if Honors classes were not taken during Frosh year.
What does it mean to be in Algebra 2 Honors, Biology Honors, or English 1 Honors?
Algebra 2 Honors: Placement in Algebra 2 Honors their Frosh year can and should get a student to AP Calculus BC senior year. By including a summer Geometry class, a student can get a college level Linear Algebra Multivariable Calculus course or other senior electives in the STEM field.
Biology Honors: Students who participate in honors level classes can expect to experience the material at a faster pace, that goes into more detail and rigor. While a limited number of students will be accepted into the first year Biology Honors class, all students will have access to future honors, AP, and elective classes. Our goal is to prepare students, upon graduation from SI, to be competitive in college level science programs and ultimately for a successful career in science-related fields. At SI, we structure our science classes around student-centered learning activities. This curriculum includes many labs, inquiry based activities, and project-based learning. We believe that science is best learned by "doing."
English 1 Honors: SI students consistently write more each year than many public and Catholic school counterparts. Our alums overwhelmingly praise SI's writing instruction (in English, Religious Studies, and Social Science) as excellent preparation for college. We also encourage students to take the AP English Language and Composition test their junior year, which is optional. In 2023, students took the AP English Language and Composition test and passed with a 75%+ pass rate, compared to the 56% national pass rate. Our writing program at honors and college preparatory levels are preparing students very well for the college writing experience.
Product Design: In this frosh invitational course, students learn to plan, design and iterate on a product using the Stanford 5 step Design Thinking Process and learn to model their ideas into 3D using CAD software creating simple things like game pieces up to more complex components for their products. They will learn the basics of electronics and microcontrollers like Arduino and how to integrate them into the products that they will design in a hands-on environment where they do and use what they learn actively. This course is by invitation only upon acceptance and is limited to two sections of no more than 15 students.