Our Learning Culture

Creative, Engaging, and Purposeful

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Highlights of the program

Adolescent-Centered

  • Academically-rigorous Montessori methodology helps adolescents learn to manage time, exercise choice, organize themselves, and practice self regulation within a group context.

Arts-Integrated Learning

  • Encourages students to make connections across academic subjects and apply them to real world issues.

Meaningful Work

  • Students work with animals, grow crops, and complete daily chores to foster a deep connection to nature and learn the value of hard work.

Mastery Learning

  • Instead of receiving letter grades, students demonstrate mastery of subjects and are actively engaged in their own assessment.

Play and Fun

  • Students have space and time to play and take calculated risks. 

Multi-Age Groups

  • Loop curriculum for grades 6-8 encourages individualized learning, collaborative work, and peer mentoring.

Intentional Tech

  • Curriculum emphasizes working by hand to enhance learning and retention.

Curriculum

Language Arts

Our language arts program emphasizes an integrated writing and reading program where students use writing strategies to decipher higher-level meanings and apply them to real world situations. 

Math

Math is the only subject where students are differentiated by skill level.  The goal of the math program is for students to complete Algebra I by the end of their third year; however, the program can also accommodate students up through geometry I. 

Personal World

Personal world focuses on adolescent social-emotional literacy as they navigate from childhood into adulthood. 

The program emphasizes:

  • Values clarification

  • Leadership & goal development

  • Self awareness

  • Conflict management & communication styles

  • Confidence & self-esteem

  • Human health & wellness

  • Cyber civility

Activities to explore these traits and skills include reflection and meditation, art projects, service learning, improv workshops, mentoring, yoga and brain-based movements.

Social World

Our students engage in group projects, simulations, socratic dialogues , debates, and independent projects to explore an array of civics, social studies, economics and world history topics.

Natural World

Our science curriculum is deeply embedded into our agriculture program, with students learning academic concepts through the work of the hands on the farm and by conducting real-world research projects.

Our methodology utilizes place-based education, which uses the local community and environment as a starting point for learning, fostering a deeper connection between students and their surroundings.  Students will study Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Biology, and Physics. They will also complete a year-long environmental research project.Personal World

Micro-economy

Students will design all aspects of a student business from the ground up, including product design, pitch, budget planning, marketing, and product assessment. They will learn to develop and utilize spreadsheets, explore concepts such as supply and demand, and conduct market research.