ACADEMICS
Divisions
One School, Three Divisions
Social development is a vital part of the academic experience. By narrowing the age ranges in each academic and social setting, kids can be kids just a little longer, creating small, close-knit environments that nurture their development. The three divisions provide the appropriate amount of support and independence, with dedicated counselors and activities.
The 6-7 Division
The 6-7 DivisionThe 6-7 division shines with the boundless enthusiasm of middle school students. Our incredibly broad range of academic and extracurricular offerings fosters intellectual, social, and emotional growth, and we relish our unique role as chief community builder for children coming from more than 50 elementary schools each year. The foundation of the 6-7 experience is a strong community, and students move to the upper school knowing they will be valued.
Collaboration is at the heart of the 6-7 division. We use a team approach to teaching and advising, and we schedule units and activities that allow many opportunities for interdisciplinary work. Students move through a rigorously engaging curriculum of academic subjects each year with many areas of crossover. They learn critical skills in each content area, and they also take advantage of dozens of extracurricular offerings in the arts, athletics, and many student-led clubs. They become ingenious problem solvers, compassionate thinkers, and fearless doers, comfortable confronting challenges that don’t yet have specific answers.
In order to encourage academic risk-taking and discourage needless competition, we largely de- emphasize grades in the 6-7 division, and progress is communicated through the use of detailed narrative reports each quarter. We work diligently with each student to develop the skills necessary for success in the upper school and in life, such as advocacy, independence, and imaginative self-expression, and that work is always rooted in the notion of what it means to be a Charger.
A Team-Based Approach
Students in grades 6 and 7 are assigned to various groups (such as their advisory “families”) to ensure smooth collaboration within the learning community. Families come together in small groups during morning meetings, lunch, and special projects, and family heads meet across disciplines to communicate about every student – a structure that empowers teachers to deliver highly coordinated and personalized support to all students.
Email the 6-7 division or call (505) 828-3300.
The 6-7 division, nestled in its own campus on the west end of Albuquerque Academy, is an exciting and unique program that mixes exceptional academic standards with authentic opportunities for social and emotional growth. Between our wonderful range of classes, our grade-wide activities, our sports, clubs, and extracurricular offerings, our experiential education opportunities, and our divisional esprit, our sixth- and seventh-grade students learn what it means to live our school’s mission and to become Chargers!
The essence of our program is our relentless focus on the individual needs of every student, and the result is a happy, healthy, and inclusive community that is excited and ready to contribute to the wider world. I invite you to check out all that is happening in the 6-7 division, and I’m certain you will find it to be a truly magical setting for the middle school years!
Chris Dineen
6-7 Division Head
The 8-9 Division
The 8-9 DivisionThe 8-9 division provides a developmentally appropriate setting that broadens students’ perspectives and sharpens them intellectually while being sensitive to the particular issues that this age group can experience. In many ways, we are a bridge from the non-graded and less-fluid social groupings of the seventh grade to the full high school experience that our students will encounter beginning in 10th grade.
We aim to increase both their privileges and responsibilities in the classroom, in social settings, and in our extracurricular programs. We begin to integrate discretionary time, when students may choose to complete homework, socialize, or enjoy some downtime, helping them develop time-management skills and learn to make good choices.
While we are conscious of our place as the middle division for our students, the 8-9 division does much more than simply taking in the eighth graders while helping ninth graders move on. We have the great pleasure and opportunity to help students move from a more self-centered identity to one that evinces a broader and more inclusive perspective. We are conscious of the hormonal changes of this age group and the social, emotional, and cognitive impacts, and we strive to provide a safe environment that allows them to try on different personas, knowing that they will discover what feels authentic.
Email the 8-9 division or call (505) 828-3271.
The 8-9 division bridges the non-traditional structure and close supervision of the lower school and the more traditional, college-preparatory structure of the upper school. The foundation of teaching and guidance in the 8-9 division is a developmentally appropriate curriculum, emphasizing personal and academic growth in a safe and structured environment.
With a burgeoning sense of wisdom and self, students in 8-9 begin to define themselves as independent actors in the world around them. We gradually increase privileges and responsibilities in the classroom, in social settings, and in extracurricular programs. We begin to integrate discretionary time when students may choose to complete homework, socialize, or enjoy some downtime, helping them develop time-management skills and learn to make healthy, responsible choices. Students are also encouraged to seek new challenges and persevere in the face of the inevitable setbacks inherent to this complicated life stage. Ever conscious of hormonal changes and the social, emotional, and cognitive impacts, we strive to provide a safe environment that allows students to discover what feels authentic so they can move from a more self-centered identity to one that evinces a broader and more community-minded perspective.
I invite you to explore all the 8-9 division offers. You’ll find a robust academic program coupled with a well-rounded, developmentally appropriate approach to social-emotional education that tends to the whole child.
Elizabeth Payne
Division Head
The 10-12 Division
The 10-12 DivisionThe 10-12 division fosters the development of independence and responsibility essential to thriving as a college student and an adult. Students find the academic courses rigorous, and those who wish to challenge themselves with college-level work take advantage of the broad array of advanced and AP courses. Classroom experiences are dynamic and lively. Our faculty members are experts in their content areas and work tirelessly to prepare rich classroom experiences. They emphasize critical thinking and the ability to support ideas effectively, and many classes are taught seminar-style. Time is carved out of the schedule each cycle to accommodate speakers, class meetings, advising, learning seminars, and community-building activities.
Two of the hallmarks of the 10-12 division are the partnerships that regularly form between faculty members and students and the deep affection and respect that grows from those partnerships. Students regularly visit faculty members outside of class to seek extra help, to elicit support for a club or activity, or simply to get personal advice.
The course load for students in grades 10-12 is five or six academic courses not including physical education and health classes; independent study and Global Online Academy courses count toward the total of five or six classes.
Email the 10-12 division or call (505) 828-3207.
The 10-12 division fosters the development of independence and responsibility essential to thriving as a college student and an adult. We serve students of talent and character by offering an education that broadens their perspectives, sharpens their minds, strengthens their bodies, and engages their hearts. Students find the academic courses rigorous, and those who wish to challenge themselves with college-level work take advantage of the broad array of advanced and AP courses.
The division offers myriad opportunities for learning outside the classroom. Our numerous theatrical productions, performances, and concerts provide multiple outlets for artistic expression. The Academy also supports a competitive athletics program, an outdoor education curriculum, and a variety of student-led clubs. In addition, the division’s advisory program facilitates the development of strong relationships between students and faculty members. Faculty advisors serve as advocates for students and as points of contact for parents.
With all that the Academy offers, students design their own experiences in the 10-12 division that align with their individual interests and needs.
David Kim
10-12 Division Head