Science & Arts Academy

"Science & Arts Academy has been a place of learning, wonder, support, and friendship for my gifted child. My child comes home every day excited to share her experiences and accomplishments. My child made many friends her first day and was pleasantly surprised about how welcoming the students were. Her transition was made easy by the caring, attentive staff. The Staff were amazingly helpful to me through the process as well. They answered all of my questions and helped introduce me to the other parents. The school is a wonderful community, we are so grateful to be a part of."

"I’m finally relieved I found a fantastic school for my gifted son. The faculty and administrators truly understand how a school should be run from the curriculum to the aftercare programs. The teachers understand gifted students since most were gifted themselves . SAA is a very special school."

"We had an opportunity to experience Science and Arts Academy (SAA) through our youngest kid who was doing Pre-K there. Our initial plan was to get to move her to a Chicago Public Selective enrollment school (CPS) after finishing her preschool there. But when we took a tour and did a shadow day at SAA, we decided to reconsider that decision. The shadow day went off really well - It gave us an opportunity to see how the school functioned and how different it was from a public school. The kids seemed happy, well mannered, and we also learned that kids were grouped based on the level they were at. Everything was structured and planned out from the admission process to the curriculum. After we spent a few months as an SAA parent, we decided to move our older kid who was a student at a CPS gifted school to SAA - the best decision ever! Here are a few things that makes SAA stand out - 1. Differentiation starts at Kindergarten so if your kid is already reading or doing advanced math, they will be taught at their level. The kids are allowed to move levels mid-year. For example, my kid was moved to a higher level of French class because the teacher thought she was ready to move on to an advanced class. 2. The kids have an opportunity to shine not only in academics but they have a lot of other activities to choose from. For example, my 6th grader is part of Student Council, Library task force, Science Olympiad team, and Math team. 3. The kids are extremely well mannered and grounded. We have never heard any screaming / yelling / swear words at this school. 4. The principal and all the teachers and staff are kind and helpful. It is a warm and welcoming environment. 5. Zero chaos - SAA has a planned and structured approach to everything - curriculum, concerts, field trips and mundane everyday tasks such as pick up and drop offs. 6. The teachers are kind and knowledgeable. We wanted to specially call out the Latin and Language arts teacher - Mr. Leiva and Ms. Jolicoeur who sent materials to my kid during summer so that our 6th grader could get up to speed. We can’t thank them enough! SAA versus CPS Selective Enrollment Schools (CPS)- Our older child had the opportunity to attend two top CPS selective enrollment school for 6 years. The biggest challenge with CPS was that there was no differentiation. I would attribute it to two reasons - lack of intent by the school administration and limited resources. This meant a kid who was say advanced in Math had to work on concepts in class that they had already mastered years ago. Requests by parents to allow their kids to follow an advanced Math curriculum ‘on their own without any assistance from the teacher’ was also turned down. This was extremely frustrating. That’s why we are very happy with our decision to move to SAA."

"After years of trying enrichment courses for our gifted child, we looked into Science & Arts Academy and couldn't be happier! SAA truly meets the needs of gifted students. From the differentiated curriculum, to the SEL, as well as the languages, technology, and extracurriculars, this school does it ALL! The teachers understand gifted children, and each child's need is met. SAA is professionally run by a top administration and the teachers and staff are the best around. We are relieved our child can continue his love of learning in a positive environment."

"Science & Arts Academy lives up to its name, with a curriculum that offers a rich array of opportunities to students. From math and science to drama and art to Latin to technology, SAA not only covers it all, but it connects across disciplines to create a rich educational experience. After attending SAA since pre-K, my daughter will graduate this year and it is clear that she is well prepared both academically and socially for success at a rigorous high school. At SAA, she found her passions and has been able to explore them and develop her sense of self. She has been treated like an individual and valued as a student and a classmate. And I have found life-long friends in the parent community. In fact, SAA is such an amazing school that my husband lost his job when we would not relocate away from SAA!"