Upper School

Skyuka Hall’s upper school program focuses on preparing students for transitioning into life after high school - whether they are college bound or otherwise.  Our upper school students develop academic, self-advocacy, and self-confidence skills and are provided with extensive and individualized college counseling that supports the student and family through the entire college search and application process.  Our teachers encourage students to explore their interests and future career options through our PRP, or Professional Readiness Program. 

Our curriculum offers a unique combination of engaging projects, conceptual rigor, and integrated skills instruction.  We are dedicated to ensuring that the curriculum remains fresh, interesting and meaningful for our students.  As students progress towards graduation, they come to understand their own learning styles and become effective self-advocates. As students enter their final year, they are encouraged to explore areas that are of significant interest to them as they work and develop their Senior Projects. 

Four English credits are required for graduation:

English I, English II, English III, and English IV

One Fine Arts credit is required for graduation.  This credit can be chosen from:

Art I, Art II, Digital Art & Design, Music, Drama, Graphic Design, or Photography

Two Foreign Language credits are required for graduation:

Spanish I and Spanish II
 

 Four Maths credits are required fro graduation:

Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and one higher level maths course
 

.5 Personal Finance credits are required for graduation

1.5 Physical Education and Wellness credits are required for graduation

Three Science credits are required for graduation:

Biology, Chemistry or Physics, and one Laboratory component
 

Three Social Sciences credits are required for graduation.  These credits can be chosen from:

U.S. History & Geography, World History & Geography, U.S. Government & Civics, or Economics 
 

We understand the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math for today’s learners.  Skyuka recognizes that by adding the art component to the STEM program so we can help enhance students’ critical thinking skills by giving students creative ways to be innovative problem solvers. This class emphasizes collaboration, problem solving, communication, research, critical thinking, and creativity.  Students work together in teams and use research skills and materials to solve a problem or build a solution.

Read more about our STEAM program here.

Elective offerings vary by year, largely determined by student interest 

The ACT is a necessity for students on a path towards higher education and can be intimidating.  The PRP intends to help with this pressure.  Skyuka Hall understands the significance of the standardized test and ensures a personalized approach in the PRP.  

Class time is devoted to test preparation, including utilizing ACT Online Prep and practice exams.  In addition, the faculty reviews pertinent content in the subject specific classrooms through individualized preparation.   

For the 2019-20 school year, Skyuka Hall became an official ACT Test Site, limited only to our students and ensuring a familiar safe haven for testing.  We believe this approach reduces text anxiety and allows students the opportunity to maximize their fullest potential.  Families receive individualized counseling regarding their child's readiness for the exam, when and how many times the student should take the exam, and whether accommodations should be requested.  Families will also be fully supported in the transition process.

The ​Leveling System​ is utilized at Skyuka Hall to encourage community, responsibility, and leadership.  We are the Wolf Pack here at Skyuka Hall and as the Wolf Pack we operate with a community perspective.  There are three levels that we recognize within this system. First, every student that joins us comes in at a Level C. Level C is our Pack Community.  In our community each student is responsible for themselves and making sure that their choices have a positive impact on their environment, their teachers and especially their peers.  Six weeks into our school year each community member has the opportunity to choose to transition to a Level R pack member.  This is our Responsibility Level.  If a student feels they have exhibited Level R characteristics for six weeks they may request (in the form of a letter to the community and teachers) to be transitioned to a Level R.  A Level R student is characterized by their faithfulness to showing basic respect to everyone they come in contact with, exhibiting good manners, completing their classwork and homework in a timely manner, doing well academically and being a good example. A Level R student may request to be transitioned to a Level L student by the same process.  The Leadership Level is characterized by a student’s ongoing example required of a Level R and then exhibiting leadership abilities that guide the entire pack to success as a community.  Level L students are required to encourage all other pack members to follow the guidelines, rules, and creed of the Pack.  They will embody our mission of moving our students forward academically, physically, spiritually and socially with courage, confidence and conviction.

Skyuka Hall's motto is "forward" and through the Professional Readiness Program we are preparing our students for that next step in their lives, whether it be a post-secondary education or a career.  The program offers a multitude of opportunities to help our students navigate that critical juncture with individualized attention and guidance; our goal is to assist our students in identifying their strengths and interests and use that information to make these significant decisions.

The PRP helps students better understand their core values and what role these values play in the decision-making process.  Students will explore various programs of study and discover which institutions of higher learning provide the education that support these corresponding paths and how to set and work toward independently maintaining achievable goals for the present and future. 

The PRP helps develop students’ college readiness skills, e.g., self-advocacy, organization, time management, note-taking, communication skills, application preparation, networking, and grant and scholarship searches within the context of the Levels of Independence: self-advocacy, motivation, organization, transition, attention, classroom engagement, academic demands, and interpersonal relationships. The PRP also provides supervised college visits and prepares students and parents to be able to arrange effective college campus visits. 

What makes Skyuka Hall uniquely able to ease that daunting transition?  

We offer college counseling and assistance with admission and financial aid applications.  Our students are provided class time dedicated solely to ACT preparation.  In addition, we seek to expose our students to a variety of institutions and experiences, so they are given opportunities to tour community colleges, public universities, and private colleges. For those interested in pursuing technical degrees, we introduce them to Tennessee's Career Clusters, take them to tour training facilities, and bring in tradesmen to share their experiences.  We seek to insulate our students with professional skills, including but not limited to public speaking, writing, interviewing, time management, and interpersonal skills.  Lastly, we work to make our students self-advocates.  As our Wolf Pack moves forward, we provide them with the skills and work ethic necessary for success.