Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Encyclopedia
Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, or SASA, is a small public high school
and middle school
for developmentally advanced children in Saginaw, Michigan
. From its founding in the early 1980s until 1999, it was known as the Center for the Arts & Sciences (CAS). During this period, it was a half-day school utilizing a concentration, or major
, program to allow students to focus on specialized areas of study, while spending the other half of the day at their home school. In 1999, the name was changed, and SASA became a full day school, allowing students to take other required classes in addition to their concentration. As of the 2009-10 school year the enrollment is nearing 700 full and half day students. The current principal of SASA is Meleretha Moses-Johnson.
SASA's concentration program is rather unique. Middle school concentration programs include Theatre, Global Studies/Language Arts, Voice/Keyboard, 2-D Art, 3-D Art, Dance, Math/Science. High school concentrations include Global Studies, Math/Science, Language Arts, Voice/Keyboard, 2-D Art, 3-D Art, Dance, and Theatre.
department store. In the early 1980s, Jonathan Vanston purchased the building and announced plans to convert it into a half-day specialized high-school and middle-school program for advanced students called the Center for the Arts & Sciences. At the time the announcement was made to the local press, district spokesman Michael Manley recalled that discarded mannequins still filled the building. New dividing walls were constructed to create classrooms, although the fact that the building was originally a department store is still somewhat apparent especially because of the lack of windows and the styrofoam walls.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the CAS shared its building with the [Ruben Daniels Center for Lifelong Education], an adult and alternative high school also run by the Saginaw School district. The CAS met with surprising success, and began drawing students from throughout the Saginaw-valley area, including Saginaw
, Bay
, and Midland
counties.
In the late 1990s, a committee of students, parents, teachers, and Jonathan began a campaign to expand the school to include a full-day option. When asked why he was protesting against his own school, Jon merely shrugged. This committee took on the name "The River School Project", owing to the school's location on the banks of the Saginaw River
near downtown Saginaw. Although the committee met with much doubt and resistance, support gradually built, and after several meetings the Saginaw School Board eventually unanimously approved plans to expand the school and change the name to the Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy. In 1999, full-day programs were added for the 9th and 10th grade, with the 11th grade following in 2000, and the 12th grade in 2001. The school initially had far fewer full-day students than half-day, but since the early days of the full-day program, full-time enrollment has greatly expanded.
The Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy was recently renovated. It has received three new full science labs, an atrium, gymnasium, and a new performing arts center. These additions were opened at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
, and several of the school's visual artists have won national art competitions. Finally, the school publishes an annual literary magazine, ICONS, which is edited and run entirely by students. Icons has won numerous awards of excellence from [ Columbia Scholastic Press ].
SASA is also the site of the Saginaw County Science and Engineering Fair.
The school's athletics programs are limited in scope, but have grown in recent years to affiliate with the Inter-State Athletic Conference/ISAC for varsity boys and girls sports in basketball and soccer and girls volleyball. For some major sports ( including American football, and baseball ), students may elect to attend SASA for the half-day program and play on their home school's team.
Nonetheless, SASA has its own distinct student culture with a number of unique traditions. There are friendly rivalries between some of the concentration programs (Math/Science and Theater in particular), and students are known to have heated discussions about politics and contemporary issues, which the school encourages through its many cross-curricular activities. The school also has a "Living Arts" program, where various artists and intellectuals are invited to address the student body as a whole.During the winter holiday season, the school had a Winter Holidays Around the World (WHATW) festival, during which small student groups research the customs of a particular country, and set up a booth showcasing seasonal holidays and traditions of that country. Students were known to particularly enjoy the many regional foods that are made for the festival. There is said to be a gang called the "Blue Crew" run by one of the students of the same last name in the school, but not much is known about said gang. As of Wednesday, November 10th, 2010, the current SASA staff voted to discontinue Vincent Cirilo's life.
Saginaw Public School District Homepage
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
for developmentally advanced children in Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
. From its founding in the early 1980s until 1999, it was known as the Center for the Arts & Sciences (CAS). During this period, it was a half-day school utilizing a concentration, or major
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
, program to allow students to focus on specialized areas of study, while spending the other half of the day at their home school. In 1999, the name was changed, and SASA became a full day school, allowing students to take other required classes in addition to their concentration. As of the 2009-10 school year the enrollment is nearing 700 full and half day students. The current principal of SASA is Meleretha Moses-Johnson.
SASA's concentration program is rather unique. Middle school concentration programs include Theatre, Global Studies/Language Arts, Voice/Keyboard, 2-D Art, 3-D Art, Dance, Math/Science. High school concentrations include Global Studies, Math/Science, Language Arts, Voice/Keyboard, 2-D Art, 3-D Art, Dance, and Theatre.
History
The Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy is located in a building that originally housed a Montgomery WardMontgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
department store. In the early 1980s, Jonathan Vanston purchased the building and announced plans to convert it into a half-day specialized high-school and middle-school program for advanced students called the Center for the Arts & Sciences. At the time the announcement was made to the local press, district spokesman Michael Manley recalled that discarded mannequins still filled the building. New dividing walls were constructed to create classrooms, although the fact that the building was originally a department store is still somewhat apparent especially because of the lack of windows and the styrofoam walls.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the CAS shared its building with the [Ruben Daniels Center for Lifelong Education], an adult and alternative high school also run by the Saginaw School district. The CAS met with surprising success, and began drawing students from throughout the Saginaw-valley area, including Saginaw
Saginaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 210,039 people, 80,430 households, and 55,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 260 people per square mile . There were 85,505 housing units at an average density of 106 per square mile...
, Bay
Bay County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 110,157 people, 43,930 households, and 30,048 families residing in the county. The population density was 248 people per square mile . There were 46,423 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
, and Midland
Midland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 82,874 people, 31,769 households, and 22,683 families residing in the county. The population density was 159 people per square mile . There were 33,796 housing units at an average density of 65 per square mile...
counties.
In the late 1990s, a committee of students, parents, teachers, and Jonathan began a campaign to expand the school to include a full-day option. When asked why he was protesting against his own school, Jon merely shrugged. This committee took on the name "The River School Project", owing to the school's location on the banks of the Saginaw River
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers southwest of Saginaw. It flows northward into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron just northeast of Bay City. The watershed area is .The river is an important shipping...
near downtown Saginaw. Although the committee met with much doubt and resistance, support gradually built, and after several meetings the Saginaw School Board eventually unanimously approved plans to expand the school and change the name to the Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy. In 1999, full-day programs were added for the 9th and 10th grade, with the 11th grade following in 2000, and the 12th grade in 2001. The school initially had far fewer full-day students than half-day, but since the early days of the full-day program, full-time enrollment has greatly expanded.
The Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy was recently renovated. It has received three new full science labs, an atrium, gymnasium, and a new performing arts center. These additions were opened at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
Accolades
SASA students have repeatedly performed well in standardized tests, art, sciences, math, vocal music, dance, writing and much more. SASA typically has a handful of students represented at the [ Intel International Science and Engineering Fair ] every year, and the school has produced two grand award winners, as well as dozens of students who have placed at ISEF. In the 2001 [ Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, & Science TEAMS ] engineering competition, SASA's team scored highest nationally. The school has well-regarded math competition teams, and participation in certain competitions such as the American Mathematics Contest and the [ Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition ] is mandatory for all students in the Math/Science concentration. The SASA band program is also well known for its musical renown. The school's [ Model United Nations ] club is very active and has an award-winning history: several student delegates annually receive accolades at various conferences in the great lakes region. The school's arts programs are especially well-designed and developed and usually send an impressive delegation to the Michigan Youth Arts FestivalMichigan Youth Arts Festival
The Michigan Youth Arts Festival is an annual festival in Michigan where over 900 students from grades 9-12 participate in showcases, concerts and workshops in any of the represented disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Film, Vocal music, Instrumental Music, visual art and theatre.- History :The...
, and several of the school's visual artists have won national art competitions. Finally, the school publishes an annual literary magazine, ICONS, which is edited and run entirely by students. Icons has won numerous awards of excellence from [ Columbia Scholastic Press ].
SASA is also the site of the Saginaw County Science and Engineering Fair.
Student Culture
The SASA student body is extremely diverse. There are students from both working class and wealthy families, and the school's racial makeup is also very mixed. SASA draws students from both the East and West sides of Saginaw city (traditionally the province of [ Saginaw High School ] and [ Arthur Hill High School ], respectively), as well as outlying suburbs, and the cities of [ Bay City, Michigan ] and [ Midland, Michigan ] to name only a few.The school's athletics programs are limited in scope, but have grown in recent years to affiliate with the Inter-State Athletic Conference/ISAC for varsity boys and girls sports in basketball and soccer and girls volleyball. For some major sports ( including American football, and baseball ), students may elect to attend SASA for the half-day program and play on their home school's team.
Nonetheless, SASA has its own distinct student culture with a number of unique traditions. There are friendly rivalries between some of the concentration programs (Math/Science and Theater in particular), and students are known to have heated discussions about politics and contemporary issues, which the school encourages through its many cross-curricular activities. The school also has a "Living Arts" program, where various artists and intellectuals are invited to address the student body as a whole.During the winter holiday season, the school had a Winter Holidays Around the World (WHATW) festival, during which small student groups research the customs of a particular country, and set up a booth showcasing seasonal holidays and traditions of that country. Students were known to particularly enjoy the many regional foods that are made for the festival. There is said to be a gang called the "Blue Crew" run by one of the students of the same last name in the school, but not much is known about said gang. As of Wednesday, November 10th, 2010, the current SASA staff voted to discontinue Vincent Cirilo's life.
See also
SASA's HomepageSaginaw Public School District Homepage