Students in the Blue Water Middle College Academy are proving that they can succeed academically in a college-level environment, according to Pete Spencer, director of the middle college.   Middle college students enrolled in 679 individual classes at St. Clair County Community College in the first semester this school year. In nearly half of those classes, students earned an A or an A-. In nearly 79% (596) of all classes taken by middle college students, those students earned a B- or higher.   The middle college allows students to graduate from high school with both a diploma and a free two-year college associate degree by attending school for a 13^th year. It is chartered by the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) in partnership with St. Clair County Community College and Capac, Memphis, Port Huron, Port Huron Northern and Yale high schools. Algonac High will join the middle college this fall.  Through the middle college, students will attend college classes at St. Clair County Community College and take their high school classes at one of the middle college’s partnering high schools.  Students enroll in the middle college at the start of their junior year of high school. Middle college students can and do still participate in sports, music and other extracurricular activities at their home high school, Spencer said. They also remain eligible for all scholarship opportunities available to students taking the traditional high school path, he said. About 270 students attend the middle college. The middle college opened in the fall of 2011.  The Blue Water Middle College is accepting applications. For more information, contact Spencer at (810) 989-5805. More information is available on the RESA website at www.sccresa.org. Click on the “Blue Water Middle College” button.