Every Day Matters: The Calendar Behind Our Mission

Jeremiah with his uncle Bladimir (Class of 2021)

The First Question Every New San Miguel Student Asks

When Jeremiah received his acceptance to San Miguel School, one detail immediately caught his attention. “Wait…we start school in the first week of August?” he asked in disbelief. While his friends were still enjoying the final weeks of summer, he couldn’t imagine heading back to the classroom so soon. Like many incoming sixth graders, it felt unfair at first.

A few months later, he understood why.

Those extra days weren’t about ending summer early. They were about giving him a head start. Before the distractions and pressures of a full school year arrived, Jeremiah learned how to organize his assignments, build study habits, navigate a new school, and form friendships that would carry him through middle school. 

By the time other schools were just opening their doors, he wasn’t simply attending school, he already felt like he belonged.

Preventing the Summer Slide

Our calendar is an expression of our mission. While many schools are still on summer break, San Miguel is already building momentum. We begin the school year in the first week of August because every additional day matters for the students we serve.

This extra month helps combat the summer slide - the loss of knowledge and skills students gained during the school year because they aren't consistently learning or practicing over the summer. While it can affect any student, it has the biggest impact on students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and English Language Learners… the very population we serve. 

Sliding into the Achievement Gap

Research suggests that about two-thirds of the ninth-grade achievement gap in reading between lower- and higher-income students can be explained by unequal summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years.

You read that right. 

Much of the achievement gap develops during the summer, not the school year. For English Learners, it gets worse.

• English Learners are especially vulnerable to the summer slide because they lose daily exposure to academic English.

• English Learners return in the fall further behind their native English-speaking peers. 

• Teachers report spending the first 2-6 weeks reviewing previously taught material before introducing new content. 

• Therefore, schools may spend between 6% and 17% of the school year reviewing old material instead of teaching new content. 

Belonging By Design

We deliver our students the education they deserve; this means small classes, customized instruction, dedicated teachers, and a calendar built to provide what they need. With extra days of instruction and our daily extended schedule, San Miguel students receive about 500 more instructional hours than they would in the typical public middle school year. Over the course of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, that’s like packing an extra year of learning into their middle school career. 

It all starts now. We intentionally begin the school year in the first week of August to combat summer learning loss and establish the foundation for a successful year. Our newest students start with Sixth Grade Boot Camp, where they learn the routines, expectations, study habits, and culture that will help them thrive, while all returning students come together for our annual House Sorting Ceremony. And a sense of belonging is not just a "nice to have."

It’s been shown to significantly boost academic success, attendance, and emotional resilience for economically disadvantaged students.

More than a tradition, House Sorting fosters belonging by connecting students across grade levels through mentorship, friendship, and healthy competition. Before the first academic lesson is taught, we intentionally ensure Jeremiah and every other Miguel Man understands two things: what is expected of him and that he belongs. 

Every day at San Miguel is designed with purpose, and the first week of August is where that purpose begins. We believe student success doesn’t happen by chance, it is built deliberately from day one. Because when you’re changing the trajectory of a child’s life, every day matters.

P.S. You should consider joining the 1200 Club because one day each month can help build a lifetime of opportunity.