New school helps students get ready for college
TROY, N. Y. » While most area students had their first day of school last week, one group of ninth graders was already in their third week of classes at a brand new local high school.
Troy Prep High School began on Aug. 18 for the class of about 45 freshman that are starting off the school.
The majority of these students
came fromthe attached Troy Prep Middle School, which is also relatively new.
Troy Prep, a charter school located at 2 Polk St. in South Troy, was founded in 2009 with one middle school class. It’s elementary school started in 2011.
In years past, Troy Prep middle schoolers went on to other area high schools after finishing eighth grade, but now those students have the opportunity to continue their education at Troy Prep with the opening of its new high school. Over the summer, six additional teachers were hired, new signage was put up, the building was renovated to accommodate the new high school classrooms and a new college- like study area was created.
The goal at Troy Prep, Assistant Superintendent Katie Yezzi
explained, is to prepare students to be successful in college. This starts in kindergarten, where the classrooms are named after different colleges and universities.
In addition to a longer school year, Troy Prep students also have a longer school day. Classes start at 8 a. m. and school lets out at 4 p. m. Thepurpose of this is to gain more learning time, Yezzi said.
On ninth grade induction day, a few weeks ago, the kids heard that middle schoolwas practice, and the high school is the big game.
“Really taking the step into high school is adding this level of seriousness and ownership over where they want to go in their future,” Yezzi said.
Troy Prep High School has a focus on professionalism, Yezzi continued. She wants the students to develop both their academic skills as well as the character elements that are important for kids to be successful in college.
In the Troy Prep high school classrooms, ninth graders are taking mostly pre- Advanced Placement classes, like pre- AP Biology. “Our goal is for them to be prepared after ninth grade to be successful in Advanced Placement classes, because that increases the likelihood of them being successful in college,” Yezzi said.
A few weeks into their courses, students are already into the nitty gritty content of these subjects.
Actual AP classes will begin next year, in 10th grade, when the Troy Prep students will be eligible to start earning college credit.
Last year, in eighth grade, the Troy Prep students already took their Living Environment and Algebra New York State Regents Examinations, which most students take in high school, getting it out of the way to focus on AP curriculum.
This school year, ninth graders will take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, better known as the PSATS.
Starting high school also means taking electives. This semester, the ninth graders had of choice of taking engineering or speech and debate. The engineering students will participate in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s upcoming Manufacturing Day.
For the 2017- 18 school year, students are looking forward to their big field trip, which is usually to a college campus.
Before all of this, on Wednesday night, parents, students and teachers were scheduled to gather for an annual Back to School dinner at the school.
Troy Prep is well on its way to becoming a Kthrough12 school. In three years, all elementary, middle school and high school grades will be offered. That same year, the inaugural Troy Prep kindergarten class will enter high school, and four years later they will graduate as the first class to go through the entire Troy Prep school system.
As for the first Troy Prep High school class, Yezzi’s hope for them over the next four years is that “they really are challenged, continue to love school and understand a broader perspective of what college and careers can offer them in terms of their interests and learning.”
Before long, Troy Prep High School plans to hire a college counselor that will help students and their families work through the college selection and application process.
More information on Troy Prep is available online at troyprep.uncommonschools.org.