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.

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY Stephanie Phillips
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.

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  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, and Emily Morgan, as core teachers.
• Students on the 7th Grade Golden Phoenix Team all have Pam Canavan, Leigh Oliver, Andrew Remaly, and Trent Reynolds, as their core teachers.
• Students on the 8th Grade Hawks Team all have Linda Deonier, Kendra Falen, and Adam Phillips as their core teachers.
• Students on the 8th Grade Kestrels Team all have Dianne Foster, Stephanie Phillips, and Bob Walker,  as their core teachers.
• Students on the 9th Grade Team A all have Ryan McGill, Jan Meeks, Brian Plew, and Emily Ringer as their core teachers.
• Students on the 9th Grade Team B all have Deni Davis, Vicky Godfrey, Jim Frohock, and Eric McDermott as their core teachers.