Our curriculum provides a solid college preparatory foundation while encouraging students to become lifelong learners. Students take ownership of their path, looking toward higher education as well as other post-secondary passions and pursuits.
Academics is the foundational pillar of St. John’s Northwestern Academies (SJNA); it is this institution’s principal purpose. SJNA graduates are life-long learners and academic excellence is a centerpiece of our institution and it is our goal to help enable students to reach their full potential in their classes so they may be more successful outside of the classroom.
Instilling Excellence By Design
Academic excellence is a centerpiece at St. John’s Northwestern. High school diploma options include College Prep, STEM Honors, and Humanities Honors. Academic support starts with supervised evening study and includes structured daily tutorial services as well as peer tutoring. Each course at SJNA is presented in a small-group setting, with a student-teacher ratio of 8:1 and an average class size of 10. Dedicated faculty direct productive classroom interaction and provide individual attention to guide students to subject mastery.
Each quarter, students are recognized for their contributions and efforts in the classroom and have the opportunity to earn esteemed academic awards, including Dean’s List and Dean’s List with Honors. Along with Dean’s List distinctions, high-achieving students can also earn academic stars and ribbons, and induction into the National Honor Society (NHS, grades 10-12) or National Junior Honor Society (NJHS, grades 6-9). Students may also qualify for the Spanish, German or Chinese honor societies as well as the Mu Alpha Theta Math honor society.
At SJNA, we believe that every student has the potential to succeed academically. As educators, we understand that some students may require additional support and guidance as they mature scholastically and that is why we provide our students with several voluntary and mandatory Academic Support Programs to help them succeed in areas of homework completion, study skills and subject mastery. We know that all students want to perform well academically, but some do not possess the necessary skills to achieve these goals on their own. We also create opportunities for exceptional students to shine and have the ability to take initiative, show leadership, and mentor their classmates through Peer Tutoring.
Armer Family Learning Commons and Academic Support
The Armer Family Learning Commons offers students an open-concept, flexible study and collaboration space. The learning commons is home to the library, the Totzke Learning Center and the IT Help Desk. Academic Support is offered through the Armer Family Learning Commons. It is an umbrella term for several separate programs we offer at SJNA that work in synchronization with each other to provide additional support and time to improve study skills and performance. These programs include Monitoring Missing Work, Academic Support Study Hall, Academic Warning Status, and Peer Tutoring.
We believe in the power of hands-on, experiential learning. Students broaden their knowledge and horizons outside the classroom through field trips, local excursions, service trips and study abroad. We know how important it is for your child to learn both inside and outside of the classroom, which is why we plan quarterly field trips and class excursions throughout Delafield, Madison, and the Greater Milwaukee Area. Students also have the learning opportunities that expand into neighboring states for guided college tours, and as far as England, Italy, Belgium, France, and other areas of Europe for our study abroad trips. Whether it is journaling outside on our campus for English class, collecting specimen in the nearby river for Science class, attending a play at a local theater, or travelling outside of the country, we facilitate our students with real-world learning so that they can think broadly, make learning experiences more memorable, and give them the resources needed to drive their intellectual curiosity.
“We wanted an excellent education, classes on “how to be an adult”, such as leadership, personal financial planning, and college preparedness in a structured environment. We are grateful to SJNA for helping our son find direction and happiness. He is proud of who he is and is excited about his future!”