Math/Science Home Page 

 Middle School: Math/Science 

The mathematics/science program is designed to integrate mathematics and science. This unified approach treats mathematics both as a science and as a language of the other sciences. Students will learn scientific facts and concepts and be able to understand how these facts are established and applied to real world problems. In response to the needs of today’s changing society, students are exposed to current technologies as well.

Students are offered a curriculum involving algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, pre-calculus, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, technology usage, and research. Students will participate in original research projects involving science fair and other competitions such as JETS-TEAMS, NEDC, MathCounts, I-SWEEEP, First Robotics League, American Math Competition, etc.

Click here for detailed Program Goals for Math & Science.

News & Announcements

SASA ranked FIFTH in Michigan on State's 'Top to Bottom' Schools List
Congratulations to SASA Faculty, students and parents -- you deserve the ranking for your hard work and dedication!!!

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2010/08/saginaw_arts_sciences_academy_1.html

Fall Student Orientation Dates -- RETURNING Students' Orientations scheduled for August 24 at 10 am or 5:30 p.m. in SASA Aud., ---- NEW STUDENTS' Orientation will be September 1 at 6:30 p.m. in SASA Aud., teachers will be present

Fall Student Orientation Dates -- RETURNING Students' Orientations scheduled for August 24 at 10 am or 5:30 p.m. in SASA Aud., ---- NEW STUDENTS' Orientation will be September 1 at 6:30 p.m. in SASA Aud., teachers will be present Sept. 1.
Fall Student/Parent Orientation Dates -- RETURNING Students and parents Orientations are scheduled for August 24 at either 10 am or 5:30 p.m. in the SASA Auditorium, need only choose one time to attend, allow approximately 1 hour.

Class schedules will be distributed and students will be able to submit needed corrections or necessary preferences prior to the start of school.

NEWLY ENROLLED STUDENTS and Parents -- a New Student Orientation will be held on September 1 at 6:30 p.m. in SASA Auditorium, teachers and school administration will be present for overview, questions and classroom visits. Plan to be with us until about 8:00 p.m.

Attendance at one annual Fall Orientation is required for all new AND returning students, accompanied by at least one parent or guardian, according to district procedures.

Call the SASA office at 989-399-5500 if you have questions or concerns.

Congratulations, Mrs. Nash, MI Youth Arts Festival 2010 Arts Administrator of the Year!
Retiring Principal Janet Harris Nash was named the MI Youth Arts Festival Arts Administrator of the Year for 2010, receiving her award at the MYAF annual Festival at Western Michigan University on May 14.

Mrs. Nash was deeply honored to be named as the "MYAF Arts Administrator", a recognition granted for the first time ever by the MYAF organizational board. The MYAF is a state-wide convocation in May of each year for some of the most talented and promising youth artists and teachers from high schools around the state.

Of particular joy to Mrs. Nash was the honor coming in a year when over 25 SASA students qualified to attend the MYAF as student finalists in areas of dance, visual arts, creative writing and music. Many of her students and SASA parents and faculty were in the audience to offer applause highlighting their appreciation and recognition as she was called to the stage of Miller auditorium to receive her award following the MYAF honorees' dinner. Mrs. Nash gratefully thanked the MYAF Board, their Board Member Ruth Ann Knapp who nominated her, the administration of the School District of Saginaw, her SASA community, and her husband, Jack, and her two children, Philip and Gretchen, for supporting her years of efforts on behalf of the arts in Saginaw. She noted that the arts program at SASA has now grown to serve students from over 5 counties in mid-Michigan, and has continued to do so in spite of rising milege costs and other economic hardships for many parents and students. "We may have science and mathematics and industry to thank for much of what has made this country great," she said, "but it is the humanities and the arts that bring joy to our souls to enrich our lives and sustain our hearts."

Congratulations Mrs. Nash, from all of us at SASA, and best wishes to you in all your future experiences in retirement!

School Supplies Needed for Fall Entry to SASA
Supplies needed by students for schooling at SASA are pretty simple -- basic ink pens, #2 pencils, a set of colored pencils, some fine tip markers, and notebooks (1-2 100-sheet spiral notebooks, and 1-2 1" 3-ring binders. Lined paper can be college or standard ruled. Scissors should have rounded tips for middle schoolers. Each student is asked to contribute 1-2 boxes of Kleenex or tissue to their homeroom teacher's classroom.

Most students will eventually need a graphing calculator for math homework, so it is best to have parents plan to get them one capable enough to last them for several years. It should handle through Algebra II/Trig or Calculus, especially if they are in Math/Science as a Concentration. We ask that all parents engrave their child's names on the backs of their calculators to avoid loss. The following statement is from the ACT exam permitted calculator rules. Most commercial packaging for Texas Instrument calculators and other brands will note whether they are allowed on the ACT exam and through which course level the particular calculator model is appropriate. We encourage only those that are permitted on the ACT and MI Merit exam to be purchased for school use. The Texas Instrument models TI-83 and TI-84 (or comparable brands) will meet most students' needs for at least 4 years of math in grades 6-10.

From the ACT rules:
"Only certain types of calculators may be used during the ACT test. Most four-function, scientific or graphing calculators are permitted, but some features may have to be disabled before the calculator can be used. Devices that include calculators among their functions, such as cell phones, laptops, and PDAs, are forbidden, as well as calculators with built-in algebra capabilities or QWERTY keyboard buttons. Also, certain specific models of calculators are forbidden, including the following: all Texas Instruments model numbers that begin with TI-89 and TI-92, as well as the TI-Nspire CAS (the non-CAS TI-Nspire is allowed); the Hewlett-Packard hp 48GII model and all model numbers that begin with hp 40G, hp 49G, or hp 50G; the Casio Algebra fx 2.0, ClassPad 300, and all model numbers that begin with CFX-9970G; and all electronic writing pads or pen-input devices, except for the Sharp EL 9600."

"Prohibited calculators include all calculators in all of the following series:
* Casio CFX-9970G (including, for example, CFX-9970GE)
* Casio Algebra fx 2.0
* Hewlett-Packard HP-40G
* Hewlett-Packard HP-49G
* Texas Instruments TI-89
* Texas Instruments TI-92
(including, for example, TI-92 Plus)"

At SASA, much of the work students will do throughout middle and high school will include electronic research using computers and the internet. SASa is an installed wireless school, so personal student and teacher laptops can be brought to school if they are equipped for wireless access to our network. Laptops that bypass the district network server and filter are prohibited, such as those that operate wirelessly with a direct phone service modem card. SASA has over 140 wireless laps for classroom use, and over 100 desktop units, so individual student laptops are not needed, but are permitted. However, the school is not responsible for loss or damage to student-owned equipment of ANY kind.

We provide students each fall with notebook-style Student Agendas/Planners suitable for recording daily assignments and integrated use in our daily instructional lessons.

Student cell phones and all electronic communication devices are not permitted in keeping with the Board of Education's policy. Non-transmitting Ipods or CD players can be used before or after school, or during the lunch period but are brought to school at the student's own risk in case of loss. The school is building-wide wirelessly-accessible so students may bring personal laptops to school for use through the district network. Like other devices and belongings, students choosing to do so assume all risks for doing so.

Band instruments are discussed in each respective level of Band classes. If students own their own musical instrument, they can bring it after consulting with the teacher on the first day of school. Student in the first level Beginners Band class will have 6 weeks to decide on their instrument and will be fitted at school by a representative from Herter Music. Most SASA parents purchase or lease-to-own an instrument for their child(ren), but are advised to do so only after consultation with the teacher. The investment will pay off -- students can take up to 7 years of band instruction at SASA for credit. We have a limited number of instruments to rent at $40 year; first priority is given to approved free and reduced lunch-eligible students. Percussion kits run about $250.

Any other particulars regarding needed supplies for specific visual arts, theatre or dance classes will be covered in classroom visits during SASA's new student orientation tentatively scheduled for Wed., Sept 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the school.

Specific supply questions can be e-mailed to the principal, Mrs. Melleretha Johnson, at mjohnson@spsd.net for forwarding to the child's teacher(s).

SASA Student Kellie Rankey Earns Top Honors at National and State History Contest
SASA soon-to-be 8th grader Kellie Rankey placed best in the state and one of the best in the nation in June 2010 at a National History Day competition.

Rankey, from Bay County, was ranked above her competitors at the district and state level with an historical research paper on the invention of Kevlar — used as the main component in the construction bulletproof vests.

You can read Kellie Rankey's award winning essay "A report on the history of Kevlar" in the Bay City Times at this link:
http://www.mlive.com/special-sections/bay-city/index.ssf/2010/06/sasa_student_kellie_rankeys_st.html

National History Day competition has students challenge each other and lets them present their work as a historical paper, exhibit, performance, documentary or a website. The contest is sponsored by The History Channel and this year’s theme was innovation in industry.

Rankey made the unusual choice in her topic in order to inform the public and bring to light a little-known product outside of law enforcement circles. She was quoted in the article by Andrew Dodson for the Saginaw News as follows: “Kevlar stood out,” she said. “It’s something I’ve heard of before, but it’s obscure enough and important enough to write about.”

In March, Rankey took top honors for the middle school level at the Delta College Planetarium. In April, her 20-page essay rose to the top at the state competition at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.She won state honors and went on to finish 13th at the national competition in Maryland.

For her research, she interviewed retired Saginaw Police Officer Michael Jarabek, who was shot twice in the chest in the fall of 1990. Jarabek was saved by his bulletproof vest, a uniform item now required of officers on patrol.

Joining Kellie Rankey at the Nationl Competition was John Bihn, a SASA Math/Science Concentration junior. John competed at the state level with a qualifying finish for the nationals with his video documentary exploring the history of the riverfront Saginaw site that SASA sits on today.

Congratulations, Kellie and John, for helping to make a new piece of history in awarded excellence for SASA students!

SASA Wordsmiths Sweep Local Essay Contests
Five students at SASA have been recognized in February 2010 for their completed essay entries in two regional annual contests.

Senior Nicole Smith was selected as the high school level D.A.R. Good Citizen for 2010 for her essay addressing the issues of equality and racial prejudice. Her essay was entered in the 2010 Daughters of the American Revolution annual contest for the chapters covering Saginaw and Bay counties. Nicole completed her essay while in school as required over two hours; students are given the prompt when they are seated at the table to write. The 2010 essay topic was "Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It-- Our Greatest Challenges Today". Her essay will now advance to the state level, where further recognition and scholarships are provided.

In the younger student forum, SASA 7th Grader Kellie Rankey received the first place 7th grade honors in the D.A.R. American History Essay Contest, the third time she has placed as a grade level winner in this event.

D.A.R. Awards were presented at an annual D.A.R. luncheon on February 12, 2010 in Saginaw, which was attended by the students, their parents and SASA Counselor Mrs. Tina Gutierrez as the school's representative.

Three students from SASA were named local winners in the 41st annual "America and Me" Essay Contest, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance Company. Sweeping the first through thirds places respectively were Sabrina Vernier, Parker Bradford and Kate Hurtig. As the school's first place winner, Sabrina's name will also be engraved on a plaque for permanent display in the school. Several thousand 8th graders from throughout MI competed in the essay contest. The 2009-10 topic was "My Personal Michigan Hero."

Sabrina's essay will advance to the state level competition, from which the top 10 essays in Michigan will be selected. Each of the 10 state winners will receive a plaque, a medallion, and a cash award of $1,000, and will be honored at a banquet in Lansing. At the banquet they will meet with the state's top governmental leaders and be featured guests at a Lansing Lugnuts minor league game dedicated to their honor.

Saginaw County Science Fair Names Two Students to Attend International Science & Engineering Fair in San Jose, CA
SASA Senior Nicole Smith and SASA/Saginaw High Sophomore Andrea Pugh were selected as 1st and 2nd place finalists by a team of judges at the 32nd Annual Saginaw County Science and Engineering Fair held in the school facility on February 5-7, 2010. The students will be exhibiting finalists for the all-expense paid trip to San Jose, CA, May 9-14, 2010 with their SASA teacher-sponsors John Barnes (Pugh) and Matthew Miller (Smith). Junior Alexandriya Emonds (SASA teacher-sponsor, Stephen Tack) was named alternate in case one of the top two cannot attend or if one should later be named the MI State Science Fair Finalist to the ISEF. The Michigan State Science Fair is held at Kettering University in Flint on April 10.

Eight other SASA high school students were designated to represent the SCSEF at the MI SEF in April. They include: John Bihn, Elizabeth Curtiss, Kwaku Ofori-Darko, John Shinners, Samuel Wilkins, Magda Hlavacek, and D'Montae Jones.

Results for the Junior (Gr 6-8) and Elementary Divisions (gr 5) will be posted in full as soon as written results are available from the Science Fair Committee organizers.
Names of general and special award winners at all levels can be found at this link:
http://pub.spsd.net/communityeducation/SCSEF2010WinnerList.htm

Congratulations to all of these and the other hard working, deep thinking young men and women and their teachers!

SASA Named Silver Medalist School in U.S.News and World Report for Second Year in a Row
In December 2009, the Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy was again named among the top 2.2% high schools in the nation, and this year was the sole recognized high school in Saginaw County in the 2009 “U.S. News and World Report Top U.S. High Schools” ranking report.

In all, twenty high schools in Michigan were recognized with silver or gold medal standings.

The ranking, which began in 2007, is released annually to recognize the achievements of American High Schools that achieve highly in preparing significant number of seniors well for college readiness, as evidenced by quality performance on Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams. The index also measures school performance in achievement for minority and economically disadvantaged students at a rate comparable to white and higher income students. SASA was elevated from a bronze medal winner in 2008 to silver medal and remains as a silver medalist winner this year due to continuing progress in the areas mentioned above.

Congratualtions to SASA's students, faculty and parents for making SASA a standout program in all of Mid-Michigan!

SASA Science Teacher Carla Piazza Receives Grant from Target Stores for Science Curriculum Field Trip
This fall, Mrs. Carla Piazza wrote for and has recently received notice she will receive an $800 grant from Target Stores, Inc. for an enviroinmental science study by SASA students. Mrs. Piazza teaches both 6th grade general and Concentration Science, and 8th grade Pre-AP Environmental general science at SASA.

For her grant, 6th grade and 8th grade science students will participate in a "hands-on/minds-on" ecological learning activity. They will work with the naturalists at Bay City State Park to study and explore our ecosystem. They will learn how they can be good stewards of their environment. Specific activities include a macroinvertebrate study in the park's watershed to determine the pollution levels that exist presently in the Great Lakes Bay Region by identifying indicator species. Students will take water and soil samples to test for a number of pollutants and ecosystem health indicators. Students will participate in wildlife and plant scavenger hunts to identify aspects of biodiversity within the park. They will finish with a park cleanup, spending time picking up trash along the beach and trails.

Upon return to the classroom, teams of students will develop "environmental fair" presentations, demonstrating what they have learned about good stewardship of their Great Lakes Bay Watershed.