What is the Saturday Academy?
The Saturday Academy is an extension of the American History Academy Program at Salesian High School.  It is funded by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.  The Academy is a tuition-free Saturday enrichment program offered to all Grade 7 through Grade 9 public, private, and Catholic school students in Westchester county and the north Bronx.  All for the FUN of LEARNING!
The program is open to both boys and girls.
  
When and Where is the Saturday Academy?
The Academy will be held at Salesian High School on six Saturday mornings:
March 6
 March 13
March 20
 March 27
-- Two Week Easter Break --
April 17
 April 24
 
Attendance is required every week!
 
Students can register for one or two classes:
Period 1: 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
FREE SNACK: 10:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Period 2: 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
 What Opportunities Does The Academy Offer?
Students who participate in the Academy have the opportunity to study selected topics in American History Studies by analyzing primary sources, videos, slides and music, as well as participating in group discussions, using the school’s computer facilities, demonstrations by reenactors, and optional field trips.  All instruction will be based on materials supplied by the teachers.  Best of all – no homework – no tests!  Upon the satisfactory completion of the course (attendance is required each week), the Academy will send a Certificate of Achievement to the student’s school.


Some courses meet in a classroom setting.
   
Others meet in computer labs.

Teachers use videos and Smart® Boards.
Guest speakers and "reenactors" enrich the program.

Art classes are popular.
These woven baskets were made in the
Native American Crafts class.

Participating students receive Certificates.
How Do I Apply For the Saturday Academy?
Fill out an application and mail it to…
Saturday Academy
Salesian High School
148 Main Street
New Rochelle, NY 10801
  
Download an application by clicking here.
Download the course booklet by clicking here.
  
Applications are due by
February 20, 2010
 By the end of October, you will receive your course schedule in the mail.
 
Course Offerings
You may take any two of the courses listed below.
Period 1: 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
 Period 2: 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Baseball: America’s Game
Since baseball is considered “America’s Pastime,” this class will chronicle this sport’s place in American culture.  Students will learn about the role baseball played in American history, its place in society, how the game changed through different eras, and the influential Americans associated with the game.
 Book ‘Em…the History of Law Enforcement
In this class you will learn about the history of policing in New York City from Dutch New Amsterdam to the present.  You will hear stories about and get a chance to role-play how it is to be a police officer in today’s society.  You will come to understand how police officers operate within federal, state, and local laws and protect the Constitutional rights of all citizens.
Create a Revolutionary War Web Page
Students in this class, which will meet in the Salesian High School computer lab, will learn about New York City, Bronx, and Westchester locations where Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes took place.  Each student will complete an Internet research project about local a Revolutionary War battle and will use the SeaMonkey Composer program to create a web page that shows off his or her work.
 The Gettysburg Campaign in the Civil War
 
In this class, students will learn about the importance of the battle of Gettysburg to the Civil War and American history.  The class will include hands on presentations of actual Civil War weapons, swords, and other relics, including uniforms, letters, and money.  Students will also learn how to interpret and read the monuments on the actual Gettysburg battlefield.
Disney and the American Dream
This course will explore 20th Century American history as reflected in the life, music, and art of Walt Disney…Mickey Mouse as a “hero of the Depression,” Disney characters as mascots used in military training films during World War II, the Mickey Mouse Club as a mirror of children in the 1950’s.
Looking at American History through ART
In this class, students will be looking at, analyzing, ad discussing works of art that were created at a certain period in American history.  The class will discuss how these works relate to this particular moment in time and will analyze the tone, mood, color, setting, and more.  Topics will include: the American Revolution, the Civil War (abolitionists, the Fugitive Slave Act, and slavery), Romanticism, Industrialism, World Wars I and II, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Harlem Renaissance.
Famous Crimes in American History

This class introduces students to the historical aspects of forensic science.  Students will get hands on experience with fingerprinting, ballistics,  blood spatter, DNA, and toxicology.  Famous cases like the Lindbergh kidnapping will be studied.
 Looking at History Through LITERATURE
In this course, we will be reading excerpts from various pieces of important literature as a way of reading and examining history. We will be discussing the impact that literature can have on society, and the reflection that it gives of the history of its time. Possibilities of literature examined may include: My Brother Sam is Dead, To Kill a Mockingbird, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Gone With the Wind, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass.
  General Lee’s Three Invasions of the North
 
This class will discuss the Maryland Campaign of 1862, resulting in the bloody battle of Antietam; the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863; and General Jubal Early’s raid on Washington, D.C. in 1864.  Also presented will be Civil War relics, such as rifles, pistols, swords, and uniforms.
Looking at American History through MUSIC
Learn the symbolism and background behind song lyrics that take their keys from American history.  From “American Pie” to “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” the music industry has relied upon American history as an inspiration for its lyrics.  These and other songs will be investigated and debated for the hidden symbolism in their lyrics.
Important Women in American History
This course will study important female figures in American history.  Students will discuss how these women helped shape the country and all that we value.  A multimedia approach using the Smart® Board will be used by students and the teacher.
One Nation Under God
Students will study the role that religion has played in American life and politics.  Discussions will cover such topics as the separation of church and state, the Supreme Court and ethics, the effect of the Puritans on American ethics, and the “religious right” and their effect on America today.
"Reel" American History
Looking at American History through Films
Learn about all important times in American history through the realm of movies.  We will discuss the birth of America all the way to today and watch clips of movies to help us understand the time period.  Possible movies include: “Glory,” “JFK,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Gone With the Wind,” “The Last of the Mohicans,” “1776,” “13 Days,” and more.
World War II - the Italian Campaign
During World War II, the country of Italy, under their leader Benito Mussolini, sided with Adolf Hitler’s Germany and became the enemy of the United States.  In this class, students will learn about the battles American soldiers fought to free Italy from Hitler’s grasp.  Primary source documents that students will study will include actual archival video from the war in Italy.
World War II - Band of Brothers
Follow the World War II exploits of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles – from training in Georgia for the newest military experiment: The Paratroops - to the Normandy Invasion, onto Hell’s Highway in Holland, their heroic stand at the Belgium town of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, and onto the final months of World War II in Germany.
Be the first to "lock in" your course selections.
Send your application in ASAP!
All applications must be in by February 20, 2010
 
For more information,contact
Mr. John Flaherty
914-632-0248
jpfflaherty@aol.com
 
Directions
North Bound Hutchinson River Parkway - Exit I-95 North to Exit 15.  Make a right at bottom of ramp (Main Street/Boston Post Road).  Continue approximately 2 miles through downtown new Rochelle.  School is on the right.

South Bound Hutchinson River Parkway - Exit North Ave.  Go right.  Continue on North Ave. to Main Street.  Left on Main Street; School is ½ mile on right.

South Bound I-95 (New England) - Exit 15 bottom of ramp Left (Main Street/Boston Post Road).  Continue approximately 2 miles through downtown New Rochelle.  School is on the right.

North Bound I-95 (New England) - Exit 15 bottom of ramp Right (Main Street/Boston Post Road).  Continue approximately 2 miles through downtown New Rochelle.  School is on the right.

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