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SMITH ACADEMY
34 School Street
Hatfield, MA 01038
Telephone: (413) 247-5641 Fax: (413) 247-0201
hatfieldpublicschools.net

Superintendent of Schools and Director of Student Services .Mr. Patrice Dardenne
Principal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Scott Goldman
Guidance Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mrs. Christine Soverow
Athletic Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ms. Sherry Webb

Smith Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Mission Statement
Smith Academy endeavors to use its resources to enable all students to achieve their fullest potential by providing a learning environment conducive to growth. This includes acquiring an appreciation for the values of our society, a respect for self and others, and an academic background necessary for the students' understanding of their role as citizens in a pluralistic society. This learning environment will stress the importance of independent and critical thinking, while recognizing individual strengths and talents. It will also encourage a closeness which will assist students to overcome adversity and provide hope for the future.

Historical View
Smith Academy, the town's public secondary school, was endowed by a Hatfield resident, Sophia Smith. Smith Academy began accepting students in 1872. Miss Smith is also credited with founding Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. In September of 1921, Smith Academy opened for the first time as a public high school, and in 1980, a new 59,000 square foot middle school-senior high school was built to accommodate a projected enrollment of 300 students. This facility is located on a 42-acre site on School Street.

Community
Hatfield is a residential, suburban town with a population of approximately 3,300 located in Hampshire County. Residents are employed in professional, managerial, agriculture, and skilled craft positions. Nearby colleges include Amherst College, Smith College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, the University of Massachusetts, Greenfield Community College, and Holyoke Community College.

Program of Studies
Smith Academy’s 2007-2008 enrollment totals 197 pupils in grades 7-12. Thirty-five students are enrolled as seniors.

Our rigorous college preparatory program of studies prepares students to transition to college-level academic work, vocational training, or employment in the work force. Full-year classes (180 days) meet 4 times weekly for an average of 240 minutes and are awarded 5 academic credits. Half-year classes meet on an average of 120 minutes weekly and are awarded 2.5 academic credits. Typically, students carry 7 courses.
Staff: 21 teachers, 1 guidance counselor, 1 librarian, and 1 principal. Facility: 3 science laboratories, 1 gymnasium, 2 computer labs, 1 college and career planning office, and 1 library media center.

Athletic Teams: Field Hockey (V & JV); Golf (V); Soccer (V & JV); Basketball (V & JV); Cheerleading (V); Baseball (V & JV); and Softball (V & JV).

Special Components of the Curriculum
College courses: Students are permitted to take courses at nearby colleges and universities for enrichment purposes. Credit will be granted for such course work upon successful completion of the course. Credits are entered on the transcript and are used in the computation of the grade point average. College courses taken at UMass Amherst and Smith College receive a weight equal to an Honors course. College course taken at an area community college receive a weight equal to a Level I course.

Honors courses: Beginning in grade 11, students may enroll in honors level courses. Students may take a total of three honors level courses or a combination of three AP/Honors courses in an academic year. An H on the transcript designates honors courses. This year, students could select from the following honors level and AP courses:

Honors

• English III
• French 4
• Spanish 4
• U.S. History
• English IV
• French 5
• Spanish 5
• Virtual High School
• Current American History

Advanced Placement (AP) courses: An AP on the transcript designates AP courses, earning 5 credits per year. This year, Juniors were offered AP Biology and Seniors were offered AP Calculus.

Virtual High School: VHS is a non-profit collaborative of nearly 200 participating high schools offering full-semester online courses to high school students in 22 states and 8 countries. VHS offers nearly 150 innovative, student-centered courses that augment curricula and meet nationally accepted standards. VHS offers courses in the following disciplines: Arts, Foreign Languages, Language Arts, Life Skills, Math, Science, Social Studies, Technology, and Advanced Placement Studies.

In the fall of 2005, Smith Academy introduced Virtual High School as an option for students to enhance their educational experience through on-line course work. Currently, 16 Smith Academy high school students are enrolled in fall and spring semester courses. Students are required to attend VHS classes during the academic day at Smith Academy. The VHS academic calendar is divided into two distinct grading terms per semester. This is a rigorous program, requiring a great deal of time, effort and self-discipline. Semester courses are awarded 2.5 credits and year-long courses are awarded 5 credits. Virtual High School courses are designated as VHS on the high school transcript.

Academic Independent Study and Work Study: A student interested in a field of study, which extends beyond the high school curriculum, may apply for one-semester or two-semester academic independent study projects or work study projects. The intent of these experiences is to provide an opportunity for extraordinary achievement so that the student acquires knowledge that cannot be fostered in the conventional class. The equivalent of one class period per day is devoted to the academic independent study. Each project is advised and graded by a faculty member and are graded Pass/Fail. The grades are part of the permanent transcript. One-semester academic independent studies are awarded 2.5 credits and year-long academic independent studies are awarded 5 credits. An IS on the transcript designates an Independent Study course.
Work Study projects are also advised and graded by our school guidance counselor and are graded Pass/Fail. The grades are part of the permanent transcript. Work study projects are placed on the semester basis. The amount of credit earned varies depending on the student’s contract.

Rank and Grade Point Average (GPA)
Rank in class is not calculated at Smith Academy except to determine first, second, and third placement in the senior class. At the end of the fourth marking period of the senior year, the cumulative GPA is updated and used for establishing the Valedictorian (Class Rank =1), Salutatorian (Class Rank =2), and the individual with Third Honors (Class Rank =3).

The Honor Roll is based on a Quarter Point Average (QPA) with 3.0 – 3.66 being honors and 3.67 and above being high honors. All courses are included in the determination of the QPA. No student is placed on the Honor Roll if he/she has a “D” or “F” in any subject. The honor roll is a calculated GPA for one quarter only and is not a cumulative GPA.

High school grades have a point value assigned to each letter grade. That point value is multiplied by the weight of the course (1 for full year and .50 for half year). The points earned for each course are added together and then divided by the total weight to determine the Grade Point Average (GPA).

Graduation Requirements – Class of 2007

125 Credits in grades 9-12 which must include:

20 credits in English (a passing grade in English IV is required)
15 credits in Social Studies (a passing grade in U.S. History is required)
15 credits in Mathematics
15 credits in Science *
2.5 credits in Health
2.5 credits in Technology Education
5 credits in Physical Education
50 credits in Elective Courses
* Lab science courses: Physical Science, Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science and Physics.

Grading System:
A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F
AP 5.00 4.67 4.33 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.33 0.00
Honors (H) 4.67 4.33 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 0.00
Level I 4.33 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 0.67 0.00
The National Association of Secondary School Principals recommends the above system.

MCAS Information: 100% pass rate for the class of 2008. In 2007, over 35% of our seniors were eligible for The John and Abigail Adams Scholarships and the Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery Awards.

Class of 2008
2 National Merit Commendations
SAT Mean Test Scores Verbal = 509 Math = 562 Writing = 525

College Acceptance ~ Classes of 2005 – 07

*