In the Classroom

Daily Experience

 

The structure of the day for all our students at The New Classical Academy, from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, is designed around five pillars of education:

Rigorous Academics
The first half of the day is spent in small multi-grade classes with a teacher providing whole-class and small-group instruction in the basics of reading, writing, and math, as well as overseeing quiet self-guided work and providing one-on-one support as the students explore the year’s history, science, and geography themes.

Individualized Curriculum

Our curriculum can be individualized to meet the unique strengths and challenges of each child, allowing the student to work at his or her own pace. Our goal is to provide the appropriate level of challenge to each child, regardless of age or grade level, in order to avoid frustration or boredom.

Child-Directed Outdoor Play
We spend at least an hour outside every day, where our students learn to navigate complex social interactions with children of all ages. We teach social skills and conflict resolution using the playground as both teacher and classroom. We discuss and model appropriate behavior in a variety of situations, and then we empower our students to use those skills when they encounter conflict, while providing plenty of teacher support and monitoring. In this way, our students learn to solve whatever problems they encounter themselves.

Multi-Age Experiential Learning
After lunch and recess, the school becomes an open forum of active experiential learning. Each year the entire school focuses on a period of World and American history. The whole of history is covered within a four-year cycle, and the study of literature, geography, and the sciences is tied into the historical period. In the afternoons, we explore these academic topics in mixed-age groups through the creative lens of art, music, cooking, games, crafts, drama, and experiments. 

Authentic Learning Environment

Designed with principles of healthy cognitive development in mind, our daily schedule complements the child’s natural daily rhythms of activity to create a nurturing and authentic learning environment that allows the child to blossom and grow. We believe in working hard and playing hard, and we believe in allowing kids to remain kids.