CHOICE is an Acton Academy affiliate
At CHOICE, your child…
We believe that each of us is on a Hero’s Journey; a journey to find our special callings in life and develop our unique gifts. Through this journey, there are tests and trials to overcome and mentors to guide us on our way. A fulfilling and purposeful life uses our gifts to bring joy to our life and serve others. We believe each of our learners will find a passion – something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need with passion. This may be: by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero’s Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people’s lives. Everything we do at CHOICE is built around this narrative. We refer to our learners as “heroes.” We develop the belief in children that a hero is someone who uses their freedom to make choices, thinks and acts on principles, learns from mistakes, helps others along the way, and gets back up when he or she falls down. We guide them to see their opportunities, go after them courageously, and to see failure as part of the process. Believing in the hero’s journey develops the grit and belief system that allows us to go after our potential and dreams!
Quests are a four to six-week series of challenges bound by a compelling narrative and are designed to develop 21st century skills. The challenges are relevant and meaningful hands-on projects focused on science, entrepreneurship, history, and the arts. They give heroes the opportunity to “DO” something with their knowledge, and foster 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, building, technology, entrepreneurial skills, collaboration, and flexibility.
We believe that each of us is on a Hero’s Journey; a journey to find our special callings in life and develop our unique gifts. Through this journey, there are tests and trials to overcome and mentors to guide us on our way. A fulfilling and purposeful life uses our gifts to bring joy to our life and serve others. We believe each of our learners will find a passion – something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need with passion. This may be: by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero’s Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people’s lives. Everything we do at CHOICE is built around this narrative. We refer to our learners as “heroes.” We develop the belief in children that a hero is someone who uses their freedom to make choices, thinks and acts on principles, learns from mistakes, helps others along the way, and gets back up when he or she falls down. We guide them to see their opportunities, go after them courageously, and to see failure as part of the process. Believing in the hero’s journey develops the grit and belief system that allows us to go after our potential and dreams!
At CHOICE we refer to our “teachers” as Guides because that is what we believe they should be. Guides are a coach, a facilitator, a mentor. They offer frameworks, systems, and boundaries within which heroes can work. They propose exciting challenges and invite heroes to embark on life-changing adventures. A guide is warm hearted and tough minded. They NEVER answer questions, but instead provide choices and guide heroes to find the answers themselves. Through this, heroes learn skills such as accountability, initiative, self-direction, and problem solving. These skills create an independent learner. Learners develop the belief that they can solve any problem or challenge that they encounter along their life’s journey.
We believe family is the center of a child’s life and thus the center of their education. Parents are involved in goal setting and yearly planning meeting for learning. Our innovative school model meets 4 days a week, providing a strong community for our learners while also providing extended family time as well flexibility for traveling and other learning experiences. Families enjoy Fridays days at home with the purpose of nurturing the relationships that are most important for your child now, and in their future. CHOICE provides a loose learner driven framework for each Friday at home. Ultimately, the family (not the school) is responsible for a child’s education.
Relationships bring joy and meaning at every stage of life. We believe in a community of closely connected lifelong learners that propel one another to reach their potential and dreams. In the studio, heroes build their community as they: solve intrapersonal problems on their own, celebrate the success of others, give and receive peer feedback, lose and earn rewards together, use their gifts to serve others, plan and participate in service learning, and problem solve in Quests as a group. Outside the studio, we are a community of families experiencing this journey together. Through activities such as parent meetings and book clubs, we support one another on our journey and create lasting friendships.
We believe in economic, religious and political freedom. We have faith that our heroes will believe in and protect these freedoms as well. In order to conscientiously live, appreciate, and defend their freedom in the future, our learners must practice living freedom and experience the accountability that comes with it now. They will have the freedom to grow without a system holding them back, and the freedom to make choices about their education. Freedom and responsibility; responsibility and freedom. The two are inextricably linked in a healthy learner-driven environment. Heroic choices are rewarded with more responsibilities and freedoms. When heroes at other Acton Academies are asked what they love about their school – the response is often freedom. Freedom breeds JOY!
As a studio (micro-school), heroes create and sign a Contract of Promises describing how each individual will act and the consequences for violating community norms. These written promises and covenants form a tightly bound community of individuals who are learning to form authentic friendships and resolve their intrapersonal problems. Heroes learn life skills of self-governance, and accountability for their own choices.
In a traditional school, time is constant and mastery is variable. A class is given a set amount of time to learn a concept and take a test to prove mastery. Some students master the concept and others do not. Regardless, the class moves on to the next subject. At CHOICE, mastery is constant, and time is the variable. Because students work at their own pace with the latest adaptive educational technology, learners continue to work on a concept until they have proven mastery. This allows them to build on concepts. It also breeds confidence as heroes learn that given enough time and grit, they are capable of learning ANYTHING. As students set and work toward daily, weekly and yearly personal goals relating to reading, writing and math, they master skills such as time management, goal setting, prioritization and focus. Learners are engaged daily as they are truly able to work on their individual level at the own pace.
Our 5 Core Beliefs
1
We are all on a hero’s journey. Our choices determine what path our journey takes.
2
Childhood is a time of preparation, discovery, and JOY. School should be a time of preparation, discovery, and JOY.
3
Learning to Learn, Learning to Do, and Learning to Be are far more important than learning to know.
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5
Mission Statement
OUR MISSION is to empower children with the SKILLS and BELIEFS necessary to live their POTENTIAL and their DREAMS
SKILLS
21st Century Skills: Skills that educators, business leaders, academics and government officials have identified as being necessary for success in the workplace and society in our 21st century information age. Skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, building, technology, leadership, independent learning, entrepreneurial skills, collaboration, peer feedback, initiative, perseverance after failure, flexibility, accountability, and social skills.
Life Skills: : Financial literacy, goal setting, time management, focus, persistence, prioritization, confidence, resiliency, finding and using mentors, helping others, decision making, conflict resolution, emotion coaching, finding and sharing their voice – with people of all ages, listening, and civic debate
BELIEFS
We are all a hero on a journey. I have the agency to choose my own narrative. Family is central to my journey. There is a strong community to support me. I find and use mentors from my community to guide me. I discover opportunities, passions and callings along my path. I have the confidence and courage to go after them. Challenge and failure are necessary parts of the process. Failure is how I learn. I have the grit to continue. As I attain one calling, I begin the cycle again. Learning is a lifelong endeavor. I find joy and meaning as I help others along their journey. I make a difference in the world as I live my potential and dreams.