Curriculum
Grades Kindergarten through 3rd Grade Curriculum is Montessori based. See below for more information on the Montessori Curriculum.

Grades 1st to 8th Grade is Traditional based.

In June, 2010, The State Board of Education adopted K-12 Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts. These new standards are being phased in the beginning of this 2011-2012 school year and full implementation is required at all grade levels by 2013-2014. All Arizona schools will be assessed under the new standards in 2014-2015.

According to the Dept of Education, the Common core State Standards initiative is a state-led effort to create common academic standards within the 44 states that have adopted them. The point of the state-led effort is to improve teaching and learning to ensure that high school graduates in every part of the nation have the knowledge and skills they need for college or a career.

In order to prepare our students for the new assessments, we have begun to implement the new standards at all grade levels now. This brings about some challenges because the new standards significantly increase the text complexity and the growth of comprehension that most students are not currently comfortable with. Students are required to show a steadily growing ability to discern more from and make fuller use of texts.

In addition, the English Language Arts standards integrate an interdisciplinary approach to literacy acquisition. Science and Social Studies teachers have a role in the development of literacy skills as well as the English teachers. The justification behind this is that students need to be proficient in reading complex informational text most often found in science and social studies classes. We are aware of our students’ uneasiness and we plan to guide them each step of the way as they rise to the college and career readiness level. So please be patient with us and recognize why your child is experiencing new levels of stress as we all embark on this new journey.

Specials include Physical Education, Mandarin, Spanish, Art and Music.

Our Mission
Our mission is to provide young men and women with a solid educational foundation in a context of care and concern. Caurus Academy combines a challenging curriculum with clear moral direction. Instruction is marked by a dedication to the mental, physical and moral development of all students. Students will receive a quality education, sensitive to their learning styles and designed to equip them with the skills and core knowledge upon which further learning must be based. Caurus Academy's curriculum is founded firmly on the fundamental tradition that values the refinement of thought and fortification of character that charges individuals with the responsibility to the common good and a global perspective of the world and their places in it.

Our Vision
Our vision for Caurus Academy is to develop a free independent public school, offering kindergarten to eigth grade education in the tradition of a proven, successful Montessori/traditional education program developed by the founders of Westwind Children Services. This vision brings students a premium educational experience free of charge in a setting that feels like a private school. Parents and their children will benefit from the individual attention of teachers, small class sizes for optimal growth and professional practice state-approved curriculum.

Montessori Education Overview
Montessori curriculum (available for grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade) is based on the research and findings of Dr. Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952). Montessori evolved a philosophy of human development that would later spark major educational movements and influence child development approaches throughout the world. Montessori's method is structured around, and promotes, the child's natural, self-initiated impulse to become absorbed in an environment and to learn from it. Based on this, specific materials in technique and curriculum areas were developed that assist each child in reaching his or her full potential.

Experiential learning - the Montessori education way

The Practical Life section, which lays the foundation for all other work to be done in the classroom. The activities are everyday tasks that a child needs to learn to master the care of their self and care of the environment.

The Sensorial section, whose goal is to educate the child's senses, this curriculum area contains Montessori-specific materials that help the child refine his or her experience of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.

The Mathematics Section in the Montessori classroom is separated into major categories. Once the child has a firm foundation in the operations of addition, multiplication, subtraction and division, memorization of facts is introduced.

The Montessori Language Section is an integrated approach that combines phonetics and whole language.

The Science Section deals with absorbing the real world around them. The science materials present certain aspects of this world, in such a way that the child can observe, experiment, demonstrate and record what they have learned.

The Culture Studies Section integrates and emphasizes a region or population's geography, history, music, art, etc.


Question & Answer

What is a Montessori School?
Montessori (pronounced MON-tuh-SORE-ee) education was founded in 1907 by Dr. Maria Montessori, the first woman in Italy to become a physician. She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Guided by her discovery that children teach themselves, Dr. Montessori designed a "prepared environment" in which children could freely choose from a number of developmentally appropriate activities. Now, nearly a century after Maria Montessori's first casa dei bambini ("children's house") in Rome, Montessori education is found all over the world, spanning ages from birth to adolescence.


What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education?
Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education. A convenient comparison chart for the Montessori approach versus traditional education is available below.

With all this freedom, isn't there confusion?
The concept of freedom in the classroom is a freedom within limits. A child is allowed to work freely so long as he does not disturb others. Children having freedom to follow their interests are generally happy and busily involved in their work. Also the child "chooses" activities within the range of activities suited to his stage of development under the guidance of the directress, so here again there is freedom but within limits.

Would Montessori give my child the structure that I think he/she needs?
The educator is constantly aware of your child's stage of development and gently encourages them towards particular areas by demonstrating suitable activities to them. The "structure" therefore exists but in a subtle way. Also, in the course of a day in the classroom there are specific times set aside for morning tea, outside play and group activities such as reading, music, singing etc. There is therefore some structure to the day's events but also considerable autonomy for the child to choose his activities. This all helps to develop the child's self-esteem, initiative and love of learning.

What about socialization and group work?
Socialization is very much a part of the Montessori way. In the classroom children interact continuously, choosing to work on projects together, older children helping younger ones. Every day there is some group activity and play outside as a group.

Can Montessori cope with children with differing abilities?
One of the real strengths of Montessori is that it allows the child to set their own pace. Children of differing abilities can therefore happily co-exist within the one classroom and each can benefit from learning when they are ready to learn.

Are Montessori children successful later in life?
Research studies show that Montessori children are well prepared for later life academically, socially, and emotionally. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests, Montessori children are ranked above average on such criteria as following directions, turning in work on time, listening attentively, using basic skills, showing responsibility, asking provocative questions, showing enthusiasm for learning, and adapting to new situations.