Overview
Great Valley Academy is a site-based school committed to offering an alternative, high quality educational program including a homeschool program option. The California Content Standards are the foundation for the curriculum and instruction.
GVA provides its students with relevant and experiential learning opportunities in an environment that promotes intrinsic motivation regarding their own growth. GVA students see continuous progress through the implementation of a mastery learning curriculum with advancement based on student performance. Multiple years with common peers and/or teacher, longer school days, and differentiated instruction are the structure behind the ideology of the school.
The Inquiry model of learning is implemented in Science and Social Studies, resulting in students presenting and defending their learning projects. GVA believes that the involvement and support of parents and community members enrich and complete the success of the students, and at the same time help to add relevance to the learning process.
All students at GVA will learn a second language, receive consistent physical education instruction, and participate in business opportunities. Character education will be an integral component in every classroom, every day.
In the final analysis, our message is simple and clear: character, consistency, effort, good science and traditional common sense gives rise to the quality environment that our children deserve. Students of all backgrounds and learning styles can thrive in this environment.
21st Century Learner
GVA believes that its education program will produce young adults prepared for success in the 21st century, as defined as follows:
In the traditional sense, the school system in our country was developed for an agrarian life and industrial-age factory workers. It developed in isolation and for decades proved to be effective, until globalization began to appear.
Today’s child must be globally literate, they must be able to think their way through abstract problems, work in groups and distinguish good information from bad. They must all learn to speak other languages and be able to communicate and be sensitive to foreign cultures. Today’s economy demands not only a high-level of competence in traditional academic disciplines but also in critical thinking, problem solving, multitasking, and technology.
Young people need to think outside the box, being creative and innovative, seeing patterns where other people see chaos. Schools need to be focused on training intelligence and let academic success be the byproduct.
As mentioned above the educated person of the 21st Century needs to be a life-long learner, who is a critical thinker, works well in groups, speaks multiple languages, and is sensitive to cultural differences. The educated person needs to learn how to go into depth when learning and not focus on forgettable details that are easily accessed in today’s technology. Depth over breadth and the ability to cross disciplines is the learner of the future. Combining these attributes with character development and a work ethic are the keys to thriving in the 21st Century.
