STAR

Our Star building opened its doors during the fall of 2018. Here you can find our science classrooms, laboratories, computer science, family and consumer science, industrial technology and engineering, and our library. The space also includes a media recording and editing suite, a maker space, greenhouse, biodiesel processing facility, an auditorium, additional classrooms, and meeting rooms.

The science department engages our students in the methods of science by calling on them to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, design control procedures, and analyze data. Laboratory work is an integral part of every science course. That means getting your hands wet and sometimes dirty.

The seventh and eighth graders take life and earth science, chemistry, and physics. Our students, through constant laboratory activities, are developing an understanding of the process and skills of doing science.

Dry Land, which is the school's Ozark wilderness facility, serves as a ninth-grade biology lab extension for the study of forest and stream ecosystems.

Our high school students' science curriculum is sequenced with two levels within each course. With the help of teachers, advisors, and parents, our students select the appropriate level of biology, chemistry, and physics courses. A student's progress is reevaluated each year, allowing students the ability to gauge in science at the most appropriate level.

Our focus is on the individual in everything that we do. Philosophically, our school thinks it's very important for our middle school students to have exposure to many of the electives that are offered in our upper school. This allows students to discover areas of passion they wish to explore more deeply.

Within our practical arts, which includes computer science, family and consumer science, and industrial tech and engineering, students learn life skills while also having the opportunity to have fun, express themselves creatively, technically, and artistically.

Our seventh and eighth graders learn to cook, sew, computer aid draw, architectural draw, web design, and all relevant computer skills necessary to thrive in today's ever-changing world.

When our students transition to ninth through 12th grade, they'll have the ability to choose from an extensive list of electives based on their own interests.

Gardening, gourmet cooking, quilting, woodworking, mobile app development, programming for the web, and computer video editing just scratch the surface of what is available for our students to select from, and this is all just within our practical arts department.

There are also many extracurricular opportunities related to STEM. Students can pursue those passions. They'll have additional exposure to those aspects of that Burroughs experience where they find meaning. Our robotics team, Science Olympiad, Super Mileage Vehicle Club are always popular.

Our two-story library is a beautiful blend of tradition and modern-day technology. The space is home for an extensive collection of books, as well as online databases and resources for our students.

Laptops are available for students to check out when they're in the library, and our librarians work very closely with our heads of academic departments to make sure the materials and resources that are housed in the library match our curriculum. We want our students to find exactly what they need in our library.

Middle school students have structured study halls throughout their weekly schedule, while the majority of students in the upper school have earned free periods.

As students get older and demonstrate that they are ready for more freedom, we feel it's important to allow for that growth. Free periods and study halls are to be used wisely. Tackle that homework assignment, or meet with a teacher, or collaborate with a friend to get a project done.

Learning to make use of free time throughout the day is something our students embrace and why our students work so hard. They value their freedom and know they have to earn it. Helping students learn how to use this free time to manage those opportunities, make good choices, learning what it means to have independence. These are all skills we teach at Burroughs.

Our library is also a wonderful way for parents and grandparents to participate. Many will volunteer their time in the space.

There are other ways for parents or grandparents and guardians to get involved, depending on how much time they have to offer. It's a wonderful way to give back, but even more of an opportunity to build community with one another. Having a strong parent group is an important component of our community.