Our Fairmont students have a wide offering of academic activities in addition to a challenging curriculum.

AVID
In 2006, Fairmont became the first school in the Boise District to offer an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). This program reaches out to students with academic potential who have not previously participated in accelerated classes and supports them as they engage in the rigorous coursework that will prepare them for college. Nationally the AVID program, which has been gathering data for almost 30 years, sends 95% of its participants to college. We currently have 161 students--50 seventh graders, 68 eighth graders and 43 ninth graders--in our AVID program.

TRIO Julie Netz
The TRIO Educational Talent Search is a federal program funded by the US Department of Education for students in grades 7-12. In the Treasure Valley TRIO is administered by Boise State University. TRIO’s goal is to encourage first-generation (neither parent has completed a four-year degree) and/or limited income students to further their education. ETS services help students explore college and career opportunities and enter the college of their choice after their senior year. TRIO ETS students are provided information about college, careers, study skills, financial aid, and participate in college and career field trips. Students must be US citizens or permanent residents of the US. Interested students must apply. TRIO’s goal is to involve 65 Fairmont students in the program. Students work on study skills, test taking skills, communication skills, writing skills, and self-esteem. They explore careers, and receive information on which classes to take in high school and college. Applications are available in the school office.

UPWARD BOUND
TRIO began with Upward Bound, which was initiated out of the Economic Opportunity act of 1964 as a response to the administration "War on Poverty". In 1965, Educational Talent Search was created and Student Support Service came in 1968. Over the years, more programs were added to reach more students who need assistance. These programs were created under Title IV of the Higher Educational Act of 1965.

The Upward Bound program prepares and motivates high school students from limited income families who are first-generation college bound, for success in education beyond high school. Students from Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, Capital, Borah, and Owyhee High Schools benefit from taking an Upward Bound class at their schools during the academic year. They also participate in a six-week summer residential program on the campus of Boise State University.

The academic year program includes daily instruction in current events, college prep math, literature, language arts, career and college exploration, science and includes a tutoring component. Students attend the college fair, career fair and other out-of-college visits during the academic year.

The summer program includes college preparation courses, workshops, enrichments, and extracurricular activities. Students model the college-going experience by living in the dorms and taking class in college classrooms. Students are also learning through weekly service learning activities. At the end of the program, students go on an out-of-state college visitation.

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY Stephanie Phillips and Judy Witt
National Junior Honor Society is an option for those 8th and 9th grade students with a 3.5 or better GPA. National Junior Honor Society promotes scholarship, service, leadership, citizenship, and character. Members must apply and selection is based upon teacher recommendations of students that exhibit these characteristics. Members are required to maintain a 3.5 or better GPA, serve 10 hours of community service per semester, attend meetings, and may attend the annual Leadership retreat. Past projects include the Salvation Army Food Bank, Adopt-a-Highway, Rake Up Boise, YMCA, and tutoring within our school.

LUNCH CLUBS
We have lunch clubs to assist students struggling or needing extra study time to complete assignments. Lunch club is administered by the Team Teachers. Any student that receives an F in a core class is required to attend lunch club. Each core teacher oversees his/her own students. Lunch club varies between one and four days a week depending upon a student’s need.

SIOP Jan Meeks
SIOP stands for Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. It normally requires 5-7 years to acquire another language. SIOP classes allow English Learners to acquire academic knowledge as they develop English language proficiency. SIOP classes help our English Language Learners acquire reading and writing skills. These classes are for students that have left the Language Academy within the past two years. We currently have 11 students in our SIOP class.

MENTORS Tammy Burks and Pam Canavan
Our ninth grade mentors help our new seventh graders transition into the junior high setting. Ninth grade students can apply to mentor 7th grade students. Mentors meet with small groups of students during the 7th grade lunch hour several times throughout first semester. They provide leadership and support for the younger students.

TEAMS:
Our 7th and 8th grade students are assigned to inter-disciplinary teams. Teams set procedural principles that include respectful and pro-active discussion of student achievement, and they set specific, measurable, attainable, results-driven, and time-bound (SMART) goals to decrease the numbers of failing students and to improve their achievement on assessments. The teams provide many forms of wonderful support to students, but their emphasis is upon the foundations of academic success; curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

• Students on the 7th Grade Blue Thunderbirds Team all have Teresa Iglesias, Drew Lingle, Theresa McNulty, Emily Morgan, Tammy Burks, and Cathy Sellars as core teachers.
• Students on the 7th Grade Aequitas Team all have Pam Canavan, Ryan McGill, Leigh Oliver, Trent Reynolds, Cathy Sellars and Tammy Burks as their core teachers.
• Students on the 8th Grade Hawks Team all have Linda Deonier, Kendra Falen, Heike Golden, Stephanie Phillips, Chad Wright, and Marceil Zenovich as their core teachers.
• Students on the 8th Grade Kestrels Team all have Dianne Foster, Andrew Remaly, Andrea Souden, Bob Walker, Marceil Zenovich, and Chad Wright as their core teachers.