Departments

Living the Questions

The English department is committed to inquiry over easy answers and dialogue over accepted conclusions. Students lead lively discussions, exploring craft and meaning in both classic and contemporary literature. Across all grades, they examine cultural perspectives, identity, and style through a wide range of texts. The program is writing-intensive, with students expressing ideas through essays, narratives, journals, fiction, and poetry. Juniors and seniors may opt for Honors English electives. Our goal is to graduate independent thinkers who read deeply, write clearly, and see the lasting relevance of literature in their lives.

Exploring the Past, Envisioning the Future

The discussion-based curriculum of the History Department exposes students to major historical events, figures, and themes— local, national, and international, and from ancient to modern times—so they may develop a diverse and critical understanding of the forces that have influenced and shaped today’s world. Through thoughtfully crafted assignments and assessments, students learn a robust skill set, including critical thinking and questioning, research, note-taking, thesis-driven writing, citations, close reading, listening, speaking, and collaborative learning, so they are equipped to examine and respond to ideas and events with an open mind and evidence-based analysis. In addition to the required course sequence, the history department offers various electives and an honors history course for juniors and seniors.

At Prep, the study of world languages begins in Grade 7 with Latin, the foundational language of English and the Romance languages. In Grade 8, students continue with an introductory course in Spanish, where they begin developing both communicative skills and cultural understanding. In high school, students can follow an accelerated track which begins in Spanish III. Advanced courses include AP Spanish and subsequently Spanish V Honors, allowing students to deepen their proficiency and cultural competence. For students whose learning profiles make spoken language acquisition more challenging, Prep offers American Sign Language (ASL) as an alternative. ASL I–III is available, and students are expected to complete through ASL III to fulfill graduation requirements. To assess and support student growth, we administer the AAPPL test for Spanish and the Avant STAMP assessment for ASL. These nationally recognized proficiency tests help us document student progress and guide curriculum development.

Investigations into Problem Solving

Students at Prep engage with mathematics as a dynamic, investigative discipline—one that inspires curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.  Through inquiry and the appropriate use of technology, we treat math as a universal language that reveals patterns and relationships, providing a lens through which we can define and address impactful questions. Whether regular or honors-level, all of our courses challenge diverse learners to think both independently and collaboratively. We nurture a growth mindset, where struggle is part of the process and deep thinking leads to lasting understanding.

At Santa Fe Prep, Performing Arts come alive! Our program invites students to dive into theatre, acting, music, and vocal performance while building skills in technique and theory. Whether it’s on stage in our full-scale annual musicals and dramas or sharing talent in school forums, concerts, and assemblies, every student has the chance to shine and grow as a performer.

Run, Jump, and Connect!

At Prep, we believe that physical activity is vital for a healthy mind and body. Our Physical Education program helps students in grades 7 and 8 discover the joy of movement and build foundational skills. They’ll explore a variety of sports, learning the basics that can lead to participation at the middle school, junior varsity, and varsity levels of athletics here at Prep. Beyond traditional team sports, we introduce students to diverse physical activities that can become lifelong passions, including hiking, fitness, martial arts, and archery. Our middle school students also take part in a dedicated swim program during PE class, ensuring every student gains confidence and safety in the water. We are committed to helping our students develop the skills and interests to lead active, healthy lives.

Building Scientific Literacy and Skills

The Santa Fe Prep science program fosters students’ interest in science, scientific literacy, and essential scientific skills. Students explore universal scientific concepts—such as scientific laws and theories, cause and effect, energy and matter, structure and function, and evolution and inheritance — in life, physical, and Earth sciences. They also develop key scientific practices:

• Developing testable questions
• Making observations and measurements
• Constructing evidence-based arguments
• Evaluating information

21st Century Shop

Engineering is fabrication and fabrication is engineering. Get out of your head and out of your chair and learn to visualize, to prototype, to construct, to troubleshoot, to repair, to build. Your vision— and not just a STEM kit— can be realized in our lab, from concept to object. Through the lens of 3D filament, lines of code, and the burning of a laser, students learn that to do interesting things you will spend a lot more time failing than succeeding. We call this iterative failure— the process by which we try, fail, adapt, and try again. Get your hands covered in glue. Solder some circuits. Code an Arduino microcontroller. Saw some wood. Technology and Engineering is more physical than you think.

Educating the Eye

Our art curriculum begins with students’ innate curiosity and their drive for self-expression and personal exploration. We aim to equip them with both the conceptual understanding and technical skills needed to express their ideas with clarity and confidence. With an emphasis on high artistic standards, we foster visual awareness and a commitment to craftsmanship, believing that every student benefits from the discipline and insight that come from making art. Our faculty are practicing artists who bring both creative passion and deep teaching experience to the studio. Classes take place in a beautifully preserved historic building—once the home and studio of architect John Gaw Meem (listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 2019). This unique setting offers spacious, well-equipped studios where students can explore a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, darkroom photography and ceramics.