Charlotte Mason philosophies
Charlotte Mason understood how children learn best, and her philosophy is just as relevant today as it was a century ago. In fact, research has continually proven that her ideas about Living Books, Narration, Recitation, Nature, Picture, and Composer Studies, and Habit Formation are essential to our children's ability to make connections and think critically about God's world.
Day-to-Day
Our morning carpool begins at 8:00 am and classes begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. Students are dismissed to their classes at 8:20 am to begin their day on time. Once a month, all students participate in Reading Buddies and Chapel, which provides an opportunity for our students to connect across grade levels.
Students in grades K-2 start the morning with SPARK, a 10 minute outdoor exercise period to get the blood moving and the brains engaged! They then spend their day in their classrooms, on the playground, in the school garden, or playing on our field. They are escorted by their teacher to their exploratory classes, which vary by the day of the week. The shortened school day is by design, as students this age acquire information more effectively when provided additional time to process what they've learned. We focus primarily on Phonics, Reading, Writing, and Math and incorporate nature and picture studies into the learning day.
Students in grades 3-4 spend the day with their homeroom teacher in the classroom, on the playground, in the garden, or on the field. In addition to their core classes of Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science, and History, they attend multiple exploratory classes a week and enjoy a full hour of lunch and recess daily.
Students in 5th grade experience their first glimpse of Middle School in our unique hybrid program. While students enjoy the continued benefit of a full hour of lunch and recess every day, they also have the opportunity to enjoy multiple teachers and follow more of a Middle School schedule. The students build their sense of accountability and responsibility as they work more with technology and learn to be more independent in preparation for the next step!
Students in Middle School, grades 6-8, have a daily schedule during which they go to different teachers’ classrooms for humanities, science, math, and their exploratory class of the day. Middle School students are presented with additional opportunities, like Student Council, Worship Band, and Athletics, which help develop their leadership skills and provide them with a sense of belonging. They enjoy lunch and some free time outdoors every day, and while technology plays a primary role in our research projects, it is limited during the school day.