Pre 9th Grade

The Pre 9th Summer Studies Program, for students entering Grade 9 at Saint John's in the Fall, is designed to solidify the educational background in English and Mathematics and to prepare students with the demands of a strong college preparatory high school curriculum. 

It is highly recommended and encouraged to all members of the Saint John’s Class of 2029.  Also, please know that Saint John’s students looking for “Level Placement Adjustment” for their freshman Math and/or English courses MUST take this 4-week program in order for this to be an option.

The English portion will focus on the English Summer Reading Text. They will also engage in cross-curricular lessons and skills which prepare a student to excel in a wide range of academic subjects. Students will focus on 'Reading and Writing' college preparatory skills, including developing/discerning point of view, organizing paragraphs, finding and sorting facts, structuring sentences with proper grammar, and building vocabulary.  As a result, students will  have read, reflected upon, and mastered their assigned Saint John’s Grade 9 English Summer Reading text.

The Math portion of the Saint John’s Pre 9th Program will have a two-fold purpose which will be tailored to the students’ current skill level. First, teachers will solidify, and advance the students' conceptual understanding and skills for the important Pre-Algebra and/or Algebra 1 topics that are essential for success in high school mathematics.  Next, teachers will develop the students' understanding and skills for the major Algebra 1 and/or Algebra 2 topics that they will encounter in 9th grade. This will give students a "Leg Up" for their Freshman Algebra 1 or Algebra 2 class and put them in a position for success. Likewise, for those students ready for more advanced material, teachers will move them at a challenging pace that allows them to interact with more advanced Algebraic concepts and skills. 

The 4-week version of the Pre 9th Program allows teachers to go into greater depth with the different topics covered and at a pace that helps each student to achieve mastery. Likewise, this added time also allows for the possibility of a greater breadth of topics to be covered, developed, and mastered. This will give them even greater familiarity with what they’ll encounter in their Grade 9 Math classes.

Finally, students will have the opportunity to work with and learn from Saint John’s upperclassmen who will be serving as classroom teacher aides. These Saint John’s peer tutors will not only help students academically, but they will also develop social relationships as they become members of the Saint John's Brotherhood.