Academics
Vision
Vision
We believe in a nurturing community, which inspires confidence, engages critical thinking, and encourages collaboration with the goal of developing our children’s life-long love of learning.
A life-long love of learning is developed in children when there is:
- An environment that supports a desire for learning,
- A program that encourages learning by doing and learning through feedback, and
- A nurturing community that believes that instilling a love of learning in our children is a keystone of their success in the 21st century
Our Environment
Our Environment
Small Class Size
Our small class sizes enable us to give each student the needed attention and individualized learning experience, which may include differentiation by content as well as approach. This small classroom setting helps support each student’s individual learning style, nurtures a student’s interest in learning and ultimately builds the student’s self-confidence. In addition, a small class size is conducive to small group work, where discussion and inquiry-based learning can freely occur.
Nature-focused Facilities
Our school building is located in a family-friendly Auburn neighborhood, within walking distance to trailheads of the American River Canyon. Our classrooms are spacious offering ample space for creating collaborative work areas and allowing for student movement. The large windows allow natural light into the classrooms and provide a direct visual connection to the outdoors. Our campus offers two play structures, a basketball and play area, a grass field for soccer and other sports, and a nature trail.
Our small class sizes enable us to give each student the needed attention and individualized learning experience, which may include differentiation by content as well as approach. This small classroom setting helps support each student’s individual learning style, nurtures a student’s interest in learning and ultimately builds the student’s self-confidence. In addition, a small class size is conducive to small group work, where discussion and inquiry-based learning can freely occur.
Nature-focused Facilities
Our school building is located in a family-friendly Auburn neighborhood, within walking distance to trailheads of the American River Canyon. Our classrooms are spacious offering ample space for creating collaborative work areas and allowing for student movement. The large windows allow natural light into the classrooms and provide a direct visual connection to the outdoors. Our campus offers two play structures, a basketball and play area, a grass field for soccer and other sports, and a nature trail.
Our Program
Our Program
Effective Learning Materials & Approach
The learning materials are selected for their effectiveness and are regularly evaluated to make sure that they support the students’ learning. We attempt to select research-based, classroom-tested learning materials that provide opportunities for hands-on learning, critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration. These skills are practiced by our students across our four learning areas: academic, physical, social and emotional. Our social emotional learning program focuses on age-appropriate management of ones own emotions and the management of ones interactions with others, as well as the practice of wise decision-making. These skills are practiced during the academic and physical components of our program as well, which include English, Math, Science, Social Science, Art, Music, PE and volunteering at school.
Resourceful Teachers
Our teachers are the cornerstones of our learning program. They select the learning materials, including hands-on tools that help students learn individually and through group activities. The learning content, pace and approach that the teachers take ensure success with our students, and instill confidence in tackling new challenges. Students are encouraged to master skills, through practice, trial and error, and understanding. On-going feedback from their teachers, verbal and written, give our students knowledge on where they are in each of their learning areas.
The learning materials are selected for their effectiveness and are regularly evaluated to make sure that they support the students’ learning. We attempt to select research-based, classroom-tested learning materials that provide opportunities for hands-on learning, critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration. These skills are practiced by our students across our four learning areas: academic, physical, social and emotional. Our social emotional learning program focuses on age-appropriate management of ones own emotions and the management of ones interactions with others, as well as the practice of wise decision-making. These skills are practiced during the academic and physical components of our program as well, which include English, Math, Science, Social Science, Art, Music, PE and volunteering at school.
Resourceful Teachers
Our teachers are the cornerstones of our learning program. They select the learning materials, including hands-on tools that help students learn individually and through group activities. The learning content, pace and approach that the teachers take ensure success with our students, and instill confidence in tackling new challenges. Students are encouraged to master skills, through practice, trial and error, and understanding. On-going feedback from their teachers, verbal and written, give our students knowledge on where they are in each of their learning areas.
Our Community
Our Community
Engaged Parents
Our school practices a parent open door policy, welcoming all parents to be actively engaged in their children’s learning, through class observation and volunteering. Parents are involved in the classroom, in the office, on campus, in the Bucks Booster Club (PTA), in the Governance Council and at home.
Supportive Administration and Teachers
The school’s administration and teachers ensure the physical and emotional safety of our children so that learning can occur. The staff regularly communicates with parents about all school and class related matters. The administration, teachers and parents work together to provide the learning environment that fits the lifestyle of each family. This includes providing an independent study program that allows students to do part of their learning in an out-of-school environment.
Our school practices a parent open door policy, welcoming all parents to be actively engaged in their children’s learning, through class observation and volunteering. Parents are involved in the classroom, in the office, on campus, in the Bucks Booster Club (PTA), in the Governance Council and at home.
Supportive Administration and Teachers
The school’s administration and teachers ensure the physical and emotional safety of our children so that learning can occur. The staff regularly communicates with parents about all school and class related matters. The administration, teachers and parents work together to provide the learning environment that fits the lifestyle of each family. This includes providing an independent study program that allows students to do part of their learning in an out-of-school environment.