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Academics at Boulder Creek Academy
The Academic Program at Boulder Creek Academy consists of two major phases
and offers several pathways for academic accessibility, to accommodate the broad
range of academic skills and interests of our diverse student population. Our
programs and services range from basic skills classes and special education
support, to provision of comprehensive traditional high school classes. Academic
plans may be designed to prepare students to receive a high school diploma or to
proceed to other programs for continued study. Students also prepare for
admission to post-secondary programs, colleges, and universities. Faculty
members are uniquely qualified, seasoned professionals, all of whom are fully
certified and have received special training especially designed for the
integrative academic/emotional growth approach developed at Boulder Creek
Academy.
First, upon entrance to the academy, students enter an assessment phase,
paralleling the Voyageur Phase of the emotional growth curriculum. During this
period, academic assessment includes:
- Review of admissions file, previous testing and reports of evaluation,
recommendations, IEP/IPP/NPS stipulations, adaptations, accommodations and
modifications;
- Assessment of academic strengths and weaknesses;
- Determining best approach to integrating behavioral and emotional growth
objectives with academic objectives;
- Discovering optimal learning style(s) and learning strengths;
- Exploring learning disabilities and learning differences, probing for
points of
entrance in developing plans for both compensation and habilitation
- Providing a structured learning environment in an experiential milieu;
- Formulation of an academic plan.
Teachers working in the initial, Voyageur Phase describe the program as
follows:
The Voyageur Classroom is a safe, nurturing, yet highly-structured and
challenging environment, in which students have the opportunity to regain and
enhance their academic skills, including study habits both in and outside the
classroom. The duration is generally nine to 12 weeks, but may be extended to
meet individual student needs.
Methods of learning emphasize self-motivation, curiosity, discovery and the
necessity of continually increasing personal investment. Students are able to
connect with their individual learning styles and stretch to explore modes of
expression. Types of learning include hands-on projects, group activities,
individual lessons, discussions, student-led presentations, lecture and note
taking, and student/teacher-generated activities.
The English component of the class includes an exploration of all phases of
Language Arts, including an extensive review of basic skills, while the Math
component involves a review of basic math skills and/or higher level Math for
those who are capable of the challenge. Both components include exercises in
critical thinking, problem solving, organization, pattern recognition and real
life applications. Informal assessments are also conducted during community
activities, including projects on campus, such as work in the garden,
landscaping projects, animal husbandry and interior decorating of the campus for
seasonal events.
Pre- and post- testing is done to evaluate academic skills, along with regular
updates on both behavior and academic performance in the classroom. During the
Voyageur Phase, students are also given standardized academic achievement tests
to assist in deter-mining placement.
Following the initial Voyageur Phase, students who are ready to move into the
second phase of the academic program are placed in core academic classes. Their
schedules also include physical education and a rich array of elective classes,
ranging from Improvisational Theatre, Guitar, Photography, Art, and Shakespeare
to Great Books, Washington Workshops Congressional Seminar, and Environmental
Education. Students are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities,
such as Student Council, Chess Club, Interact (an International service project
associated with Rotary International), Animal Husbandry, and Performing Arts.
In this phase, the academic plan is reviewed and revised as needed, so that
students may earn credit toward graduation from high school or to meet the
requirements of another secondary placement. The student’s coursework is planned
to coincide with the completion of the emotional growth curriculum, which is a
requirement for high school graduation at Boulder Creek Academy. In addition,
students are given academic credit in Interpersonal Communication and
Phase-based credit for their participation in the Emotional Growth curriculum.
Workshops, theme classes, creation of a portfolio, and participation in
structured group process sessions are considered the core curriculum for the
academy. The tools in social and behavioral growth are incorporated into and
reinforced by the more traditional academic classes.
Students proceed through the academic curriculum as outlined in our course
descriptions and may also receive additional academic support services,
including 1:1 or small group tutoring sessions, modifications in curriculum,
individualized lessons, study skills and organizational skill development,
computer classes, as well as specialized equipment, such as laptop computers,
audio and/or video recording equipment assistive educational software or use of
a Smart Board, to assist in general classrooms.
The model of social-emotional/academic/clinical integration of services and
programs is enhanced by the participation of academic faculty in a variety of
interdisciplinary projects and support systems. These include participation on
one of the interdisciplinary teams, academic consultation with program and
clinical staff, regular preparation of academic reports for interdisciplinary (ITP)
staffing, both initial plans and periodic updates; preparation of weekly
progress notes, which are shared with all other professional staff members via
computer network, participation in team meetings, and volunteering for a variety
of community services, projects, and special programs.
Several of the teachers also lead extended academic trips in concert with the
Adventure Education program. Some examples are trips to the Wonderland Trail/Mt.
Rainier, the Ashland, OR, Shakespeare Festival, the Flathead Native American
Reservation, sailing on the Puget Sound, or an archeological “Dino Dig”. Each of
these project-based learning adventures includes classes and workshops in
preparation for the trip, guided experiences during the trip, and debriefing
sessions to assess learning objectives.
In addition, the academic department sponsors several special honors projects,
including a chess tournament, participation in the nationally-based Washington
Workshop Congressional Seminars, honors English thesis program, and community
service projects—including support for the local Animal Rescue agency, a wild
duck preservation project, the Community Lunch project, the Senior Restorium,
Pre-school classroom assistance and other student-generated projects. These
projects are highly individualized and are based on individual student interest.
In philosophy, the academic department is dedicated to the principles of
individualized learning, individual intelligences, critical thinking and
creative problem-solving, guiding experiences through individual learning
styles, multi-modal learning, integration of emotional growth principles into
classroom interactions, developing solid work ethic and motivation for learning,
working to ameliorate the effect of negative school experiences, and the
concomitant negative attitude toward learning associated with students’ past
school failure. Our goal is to inspire enthusiasm for learning and to encourage
a life-long adventure with learning that reflects the special curiosity,
creativity, compassion, individuality, and imagination that define the Boulder
Creek student.
At Boulder Creek our focus is on Discovering Possibilities….and watching
them unfold!
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