Sylvan SAT and ACT Test Prep Programs
Sylavan's group SAT and ACT test prep programs give teens the skills, strategies, and practice needed to score high on college entrance exams. Our experts are here to help you navigate the entire college admissions process. Individual College Prep is also available if our group classes don’t meet your scheduling needs. Click here and then follow the St. Thomas Aquinas High School Prompt in order to access information on registration.
Graphing Calculator Usage Course
Mrs. Richburg, Rm. 208
The purpose of this course is to learn basic features of the TI-84 CE Graphing Calculator, the calculator most recently recommended by the STA Mathematics Department, and highly recommended for freshmen. Students will investigate and explore the following calculator features in guided practices.
Monday - ON and OFF, QUITting and going home, the keypad, basic computations, MODEs, Order of Operations (PEMDAS), the STORE key, scientific notation and algebraic manipulations; pixels, points and contrast
Tuesday - Graphs, Colors, Backgrounds, Windows, Scl and resolution, Tbl Set-tings and Tables;Survey questions for data generation
Wednesday - Lists, data, and regressions with their graphs; 1-Var STATS
Thursday - STAT PLOTs for Statistics and Data Science
Friday - Applications of all the above, APPS, and DRAW features
Course Dates: August 12 - 16, 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Note: Students must have their own calculator (charged and ready to go, each day.)
Cost per student: $120 for the week
Minimum enrollment: 8 Maximum enrollment: 20
SAT Prep
STA has partnered with Sylvan Learning to offer SAT Prep Boot Camp. The SAT Prep Boot Camp will include a Diagnostic Practice Test which will take place from 9:00am-1:00pm on Monday, August 5th followed by the SAT Prep class on Wednesday, August 7th from 9:00am-1:00pm. Both sessions will be held at St. Thomas. Students will receive a strategy booklet and in person instruction for all sections on the test. Additionally, students will have access to a 30 day trial of Sylvan’s online course. The cost is $125 per student. A minimum of 5 students is required to run the course, maximum 30 students.
Please visit https://locations.sylvanlearning.com/us/portsmouth-nh/schedules#, click on “St. Thomas Aquinas High School” at the top of the page, and scroll down St. Thomas Aquinas SAT Prep Boot Camp to register and pay the fee. STA enrolled students only.
2019 Summer Pre-Algebra
Course Information: This one-week course is designed as a review of the essential pre-algebra skills, students need to be successful in the college preparatory level of Algebra 1. The course will include a study of integers, variables, expressions, equations, ratios, proportions, order of operations, fractions, decimals, graphing concepts, and inequalities. We will look at some of this material using a hands-on approach, and the use of manipulatives. Students will make real-world connections to the material, and complete activities that there might not normally be time to do during the school year. Through this class students will gain knowledge of important critical thinking tools, mathematical study skills and learning strategies, to be successful in the high school classroom. The course will help serve as an introduction to some of the Algebra skills and students will see during their freshman year of high school. Please contact the Director of School Counseling & Summer Programming: Jill Mahan (jmahan@stalux.org), or the course instructor, Jessica Cummings (jcummings@stalux.org) with any questions.
Course Dates/Times: August 5-9, 9:00-11:30, 5 days total.
Cost: $200 (STA enrolled), $275 (non-STA enrolled).
Maximum number of students: 12
Dress Code: Dress Down Attire
Location: Notre Dame Hall Room ND202
Precalculus Honors, STA Students ONLY
Course Information: Summer Precalculus is an eight-week hybrid course with a large online component. The course is designed for the highly motivated student with excellent math skills planning to take AP Calculus or a rigorous college calculus course. Material covered includes the analytic, graphical, and numerical analysis of functions, trigonometry, higher ordered degree systems of equations, polar and parametric functions, and an introduction to Calculus. Honors Pre-Calculus moves at a faster pace and covers the topics in greater detail than Pre-Calculus CP. A computer and strong internet access are essential for this course, as a majority of the work will be completed online. Students are required to purchase access to an online program called Pearson MyMathLab, where the coursework will be completed and where the textbook and other resources will be available.
Note: rising juniors who enroll in the summer precalculus course are expected to also sign up for AP Calculus AB for the fall. Rising seniors who enroll are expected to sign up for AP Calculus AB, Honors Calculus, or AP Statistics for the fall.
Course Dates: June 24 - August 16; 6-8 in person meetings required.
Cost: $400 ($295 to STA plus an additional $105 must be spent on the MyMathLab program)
Minimum Number of Students: 10
Maximum Number of Students: 30
Writing Workshop
This course is for students entering high school who have struggled with writing skills or want to brush up before school begins. We will review basic grammar, usage and writing issues. Starting with sentence formation and parts of speech, we will look at how to build interesting sentences and put sentences together to make paragraphs.
Course Dates: August 5 – 8
Cost: $40
Time: 8:30-9:30am
Clay Explorations
Create beautiful pieces of ceramics that will last your lifetime. Students will explore the three hand building methods of clay. Slab, coil, and pinch. Each piece will be bisque and glaze fired. We will travel to Portland Pottery on our last day to attend a wheel throwing workshop.
Open to STA/Non STA
Course Dates: July 29th-August 2nd
Cost: Clay and field trip fee: $40
Minimum: 5; Maximum: 15
Boston Museum Field Trip/Art History
Students will meet at the Dover train station and travel to Boston where we will explore The MFA and The Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. We will explore some of the greatest artists and artifacts in the world and learn how to see and talk about art. We will have lunch in Boston and return by train.
One Day Course: July 26th
Minimum: 5 students.
Cost: Train fare, museum fare and money for lunch.
To register for 2019 Summer Academic Courses, please click the button below.
